Title: Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Piorot Mystery #9)
Author: Agatha Christie
Publisher: Harper 1934
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 336
Rating: 5 / 5 stars
Reading Challenges: Mixing it Up -- Mystery; Support Your Local Library; Semi-Charmed -- Always wanted to read
How I Got It: Library loan
Famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot must sift through clues--some real and some planted--to find a murderer aboard a crowded train speeding through the snowy European landscape.
This is one of those books that I have always wanted to read, yet somehow never got around to it. I finally snatched it off of the library racks and took it home. A classic mystery that had me guessing until the very end. Loved it! The characters are colorful. The setting is inspired. The clues are given but not completely obvious. Now I understand why this is such a classic. It has everything you want for in a great mystery. I just can't believe it took me this long to get around to it.
Hercule Poirot
Title: Paris in Love
Author: Eloisa James
Publisher: Random House 2012
Genre: Travel memoir
Pages: 258
Rating: DNF
Reading Challenges: Semi-charmed -- Memoir; ; Dewey -- 910s; Mixing it Up -- Travel
How I Got It: I won it!
In 2009, New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James took a leap that many people dream about: she sold her house, took a sabbatical from her job as a Shakespeare professor, and moved her family to Paris. Paris in Love: A Memoir chronicles her joyful year in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
With no classes to teach, no committee meetings to attend, no lawn to mow or cars to park, Eloisa revels in the ordinary pleasures of life—discovering corner museums that tourists overlook, chronicling Frenchwomen’s sartorial triumphs, walking from one end of Paris to another. She copes with her Italian husband’s notions of quality time; her two hilarious children, ages eleven and fifteen, as they navigate schools—not to mention puberty—in a foreign language; and her mother-in-law Marina’s raised eyebrow in the kitchen (even as Marina overfeeds Milo, the family dog).
I am sad to say that this was a DNF. I read almost halfway through this book before deciding to put to down and move on. Please don't take my DNF to say that it is a horrible book. It's just I could get behind it at all. Let me explain. The structure of the book is short vignettes. At least, that's what the introduction implies. I thought I would be reading short vignettes or essays from James' life in Paris. But no. These "vignettes" are based mostly off of Facebook posts James made throughout her year in Paris. Most of them are one paragraph Facebook statuses. They are short with little to no context or commentary. Many of them would be great FB posts, but fail to intrigue me as a reader who is not personally acquainted with the author. Occasionally, James has an essay that caught my attention. She uses an occurrence to then comment on cultural differences or life lesons or sheer comedy. Those were good. Those kept me going for another 70 pages. But in the end those were too few and far between. I just couldn't get through the intervening paragraphs. I feel like this could have been a much more interesting book with a little curating. Take those interesting pieces and expand to create essays (of more than one paragraph). I feel like I could have gotten behind that book. Alas, this was not that book. And so, I move on to other selections...
"The fact is always obvious much too late, but the most singular difference between happiness and joy is that happiness is a solid and joy a liquid." -- J.D. Salinger (De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period)
This little enigma from Salinger sums up much of life unfortunately.
Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Pages: 734
Rating: 5 / 5 stars
Reading Challenges: HP
How I Got It: Own it!
This one is a reread for me. It's been awhile since I read the series. I remember reading the first couple of books out loud to the boys when they were infants. SO that's what eight years ago? I read the last few books as they came out, but overall it's been awhile.
Instead of doing a traditional review, I thought I would just give you some of my reread thoughts. Things I noticed, things I loved, quotes I like, etc. And then I will have a mini review of movie vs. book.
Book fun:
Favorite scene:
Favorite character(s):
Favorite expressions: Loads of Ron's "blimeys"
Other odds and ends:
Favorite quotes:
Movie fun
My favorite scenes:
Things I wished to see, but didn't:
Other odds and ends:
Harry Potter:
Title: A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle #1)
Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Delacorte Books 2005
Genre: YA
Pages: 403
Rating: 5 / 5 stars
Reading Challenges: Young Adult; Mount TBR; Semi-Charmed Challenge -- Trilogy
How I Got It: I own it!
It’s 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma’s reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she’s been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence’s most powerful girls—and their foray into the spiritual world—lead to?
I am ashamed to say that this book has been on my shelves for almost two years. I wanted to read this trilogy when it was published, but I it somehow kept getting thrown back on the TBR shelf. After the move, I promptly unearthed it and placed it on my immediate TBR shelf.
The first 50 pages, I was so-so. It didn't really strike me as amazing. It didn't grab my attention right away. And I felt that Gemma was a petulant 16-year-old. Thankfully the story started growing on me. I began to be pulled deeper and deeper in the mystery of the Order and the other Realms. I too hated Felicity and Pippa in the beginning. But soon, I became to see their behavior was a result of their deeper insecurities. At the end, I felt for Pippa and Felicity. But I never seemed to get a handle on Ann. Hopefully, the second book gives us more. I loved Miss Moore. We better get to see more of her. I found the twists toward the end to be predictable, but not so obvious as to be annoying. A good read for an afternoon at the pool.
Gemma Doyle
Title: The Frog Prince
Author: Stephen Mitchell
Publisher: Harmony 1999
Genre: Fairy Tales
Pages: 188
Rating: 5 / 5 stars
Reading Challenges: Semi-Charmed Challenge -- One day read; Telling Tales; Support Your Local Library
How I Got It: Library loan
In this brilliant jewel of a book, the best-selling author of Tao Te Ching: A New English Version expands and deepens the classic fairy tale in the most surprising and delightful ways, giving new emphasis to its message of the transcendent power of love.
The Frog Prince tells the story of a meditative frog's love for a rebellious princess, how she came to love him in spite of herself, and how her refusal to compromise helped him become who he truly was. This is a magical book that moves (amphibiously) from story to meditation and back, from the outrageous to the philosophical to the silly to the sublime. Profound, touching, written in prose as lively and unpredictable as a dream, The Frog Prince tickles the mind, opens the heart, and holds up a mirror to the soul.
Interesting retelling of the fairy tale. We get to see more of the Princess' and Frog's inner thoughts through the journey. I like the idea of teaching life philosophy through fairy tales. They are the easiest to understand. We can explore deeper meanings through classic well-known stories. The slim novella only took me an hour to read and yet I feel like I could spend many more hours contemplating the messages included. I don't have much else to add. I like it. I want to read more fairy tales/reinterpretations/philosophy stories. I really should add some more to my TBR list.
Two great passages:
What may appear to be proud, ungrateful, and headstrong from the outside may from the inside express an unshakable integrity of character. Pride, if is doesn't step over the line into arrogance, is simply an unprejudiced self-esteem. Ingratitude is the appropriate response to a kindness that has hooks on it. Headstrong is another word for trusting your own heart. -- pg. 103
There remains the question of meaning. A frog turns into a prince. A lost son is found. A queen long dead steps down from her pedestal, flushed with life. Is this wishful thinking? Whistling in the dark? And if it isn't, if such transformations are images of what can actually happen to us, in us, what do they entail? What do they look and feel like? -- pg. 184
Side note: Listening to Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds while listening was a good choice. Soothing acoustic music set the mood for this books.
As part of my ongoing celebration for my 30th birthday, I am highlighting some popular songs from throughout my years. Songs were picked based off of a list of Grammy award winners and Billboard Top 100. Then, I chose my favorites to highlight.
Year: 2005
Book: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Music Selections:
Listening To: My entire iTunes library of 9400 (nice round number!) for my Day Zero Project of 101 Favorite Songs. It's so hard to pick and not get confused. So I decided to systematically listen to all 9400 songs in alphabetical order. I'm up the Cs and already have ~50 songs notated. I will definitely have to par the list down before finalizing.
Book finished: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Reading: None -- prepping for Bout of Books starting tomorrow
MakingLists: More house crap. We had a lot of progress on the first list, but I've since made a second...
Around the house: Unpacking... and starting to put everything together. I would say we are over halfway there. But the office still looks like a disaster zone.
From the kitchen: I'm ready to get back in the freezer meal mode. Our fridge and freezer are giant (like you could fit a full grown adult in there large) and I can't wait to get some meals together. J's work caters in breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Since he's playing catch up this week, I've really been eating alone. Now the trick is to not overcook...
On the Web: I've been searching for a writing/crafting desk. I found one I liked at Ikea, but the box didn't fit into the Mini and the delivery charge wasn't worth it. So I turned to Amazon. I think I finally found one that is wide enough for my crap with an uncomplicated design. It should be delivered sometime this weekend...
Crafting: None until the desk gets here and put together
Work Observations: None as I don't have a job.
Watching: The people on Murphy St. I'm so excited to live in an area where people are out and about and not in their cars all the time. I think I'm going to like it here.
Wondering: Why I am so tired this week? Oh yeah, I started working out every day! Currently I'm trying to alternate doing laps in the pool and walking on the treadmill. My body still hasn't acclimated yet.
From Nature: I love this weather! Not too hot, not to cold, and tons of sunshine.
Shopping Scores: I ordered the boys their Egyptian plush dog and cat they saw in Pittsburgh (those were overpriced, plus they had already got something that day). They're sitting on the bunk beds just waiting for two 9-year-olds to come and play. I also got two new pairs of trainers for my new walking/exercise life. Both are Dr. Scholl's (weird, but they're comfy and cute). I also am a huge Ikea fan now. And it's only 15 minutes away on the 101. Plus my haul at the Saturday Farmer's Market!
Project: Getting a collection of summer activities ready for the boys. Next up: need to actually enroll them in a couple of camps and possibly plan a trip to DisneyLand.
We've been here in Sunnyvale, CA for a week now and I haven't done any posts about our new life. I feel like I should rectify this. I decided to do some posts of my favorite finds. Today's find happens ever Saturday year round only 1 1/2 blocks from my apartment: Sunnyvale Farmer's Market! Back in Indiana, I got very excited when little farmer's markets started up around town. But those were nothing compared to our local one. This thing is huge with probably 30+ booths selling everything you need to make a meal. They even had a booth of fresh fish! I'll have to check that one out more closely next weekend. There was so much offered, I got a bit lost. I didn't come with a grocery list (big mistake!) and ended up walking up and down the market a few times before collecting myself.
All the vendors are efficient yet friendly. The people are there for a purpose, to shop. I love the atmosphere and goods. They even had two different musical performers and a guy making balloon animals for the kids. At the end of the row there were at least six different vendors selling hot food (and cold such as sushi). I didn't get anything from them, but next time definitely...
The Haul:
And did I mention everything is grown/made within 10 miles! Talk about eating local!
The Quiche and croissant looked so good I just had to eat them for lunch. And they were delicious! This post is guaranteed to make J jealous that he had to go into the office for an interview today instead of going with me. Now I'm off to enjoy the fruits of my visit and think about a grocery list for next time.
I don't think I've ever discussed my personal politics on this blog. I have them, but either I am surrounded by people who share my beliefs or I'm in asituation where politics is just not appropriate. I'm not one of those people who constantly lets everyone know where I stand on issues. But sometimes they come out. And when they do it's usually because I feel very strongly about an issue. So, let me tell you a little bit about me...
1. I am political. I think on some level we all are. It's just that some people don't feel comfortable discussing their thoughts. Or maybe it's because they don't know how. Being political and staying active in the running of this country is the only way to secure democracy and freedom for ages to come.
2. I am an American. I believe in the power of our government to grow and evolve. To create a better place for our children and our children's children. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world (visit, sure, but not live).
3. I am a patriot. I support America as a country. However, I also recognize when we are wrong. I don't naively think that America is the only important nation in the world. I also do not think everyone else is out to get us. That type of thinking leads to wars and lost lives. I believe in patriotism, not nationalism. Look up the difference.
4. I am a supporter of the President. Whoever he or she may be. I may disagree with the current President's policies, but I will support the office of the Presidency. If you don't like the current administration, get out and vote. Get involved in campaigns. Raise or give money for various campaigns. Or run for office yourself. Once a person is elected, it is our duty to work with that person to create a better America.
5. I am a believer in federalism. Let's not forget that our government has three branches at the federal level (judicial, legislative, and executive), but also has levels of federalism (national, state, and local). Each section of our government has different duties laid out in the Constitution, state constitutions, and local charters. Crossing those lines destroys the fundamental layout of our government. Some issues, such as education, should be left to state and local levels. Others, such as treaties and wars, should be left to the national level. I am disheartened by the mixing of duties and expansions of power at every level. Let's get back to the basic structures outlined in the Constitution.
6. I am a believer in an ever evolving Constitution. I do not believe that the Founding Fathers expected us to read the Constitution literally, word for word. It was meant to be a dynamic document. They wisely included a way to change the Constitution: amendments. Of course, they made it difficult to get an amendment approved. The time and effort required allows the population to determine all sides of the issue presented and decided yes or no.
7. In general, I am somewhere on the political spectrum. Everyone falls somewhere. We all have differing views on issues and components of the government. And yet, I don't always feel comfortable identifying as liberal or conservative, democrat or republican, left or right. We've gotten so mixed up when it comes to those terms. Each one carries a weight that I don't feel represents me.
8. Therefore, I am a multi issue voter. I refuse to vote party ticket in any election. I want to examine the current issues. I want to examine the current candidates. Then I will make my decision. Please don't pigeon hole me as a one issue voter or a category (women, young voter, middle class, etc).
These being said, there are a few general issues that I will always stand up for.
9. I am a believer in civil equality. Every citizen deserves equal treatment under the law. Segregating the population by any means is detrimental to civil equality. That being said, I believe in same sex couples being able to marry. I believe in all people having the opportunity for a free and equal education. I believe in addressing the citizenship issues of illegal aliens and their children. We are of one race, humanity, let's start acting like it.
10. I am for privacy rights. While I enjoy many of the programs created by the government (police departments, libraries, international trade agreements, legal system), we should still value our privacy and individuality. The biggest issue right now is in regards to contraceptives and abortion. Not matter where your morality stands, these are privacy issues. When we cross the line of telling any women what she can and cannot do with her body, we are creating a police state a la 1984. I don't want to live in that world. And I bet you don't either. The slippery slope toward an autocratic society is privacy issues.
11. I am not a supporter of legislating a religious morality. I am all for people making personal decisions when it comes to their personal lives. Feel free to live your religion or morality. The Constitution gives you that right. But the other part of that amendment allows for freedom against religion, government mandated religion. All of these current candidates spouting promises to follow Biblical law in their hoped for offices scare me. I don't want Biblical law governing me. I want a consensus of laws decided on by the populace. We are not all Christian. We are not all agnostics. We are not all Muslim. We all not Hindu. Etc. We are a collection of peoples, beliefs, and lifestyles. And yet, we can agree on basic laws to protect the population. Just don't use the Old Testament as your campaign promise. Have your read some of those Biblical laws? I didn't realize that we could pick and choose which ones to follow. I assumed that the Bible was supposed to be taken word for word. According to the candidates, homosexuality should be made illegal, but adultery is okay... Right....
After getting all doom and gloom there, I want to end with two affirmations.
12. I am a human being. I like to be treated nicely. I will treat you nicely. No one deserves second class treatment. I am of the traditional ruling class of middle class European descendent. And yet, I experienced a lack of courtesy in many situations. I am a woman. I am (was) a single mom. I am (was) poor. I was a left-leaning person in a very right-leaning town. Every time I was put down or placed in a lower position, it hurt. I want to find commonalities between us, not differences. Let's work together.
13. I am hopeful for the future. As cynical or pessimistic as I may be in my daily life, my future outlook is always hopeful. I want the best. I want to improve. I want to leave this world a little bit brighter for my descendants. Look to the future. Deal with issues in the present, but always with an eye to the future. Somehow politics has changed the orientation to reminiscing about the past. That's no way to create a better world. Hope for the future.
I can't believe we're starting the fourth Bout of Books Readathon! I remember when this one started. I love the easy pace, longer time span, and love from other bloggers.
Go to Bout of Books for the rules, details, and signups..
Books To Read
"The great thing about fantasy is that you can drag dreams and longings and hopes and fears and strivings out of your subconscious and call them 'magic' or 'dragons' or 'faeries' and get to know them better." -- Robin McKinley
This imagery is just beautiful. I see something like the pensieve from the Harry Potter books, except instead of memories, fully realized beings come out. Fantasy is one of my favorite genres. To get completely immersed in a new world filled with terrifying and wondrous creatures is heaven. I absolutely loved McKinley's novel Sunshine and definitely want to read more of her books. Something tells me that I'm going to love them.
Title: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
Author: Katherine Howe
Publisher: Voice 2009
Genre: Historical fiction (well, sort of)
Pages: 384
Rating: 5 / 5 stars
Reading Challenges: Historical Fiction; A to Z - P; Mount TBR; Semi Charmed Challenge - Place I've Always Wanted to Visit (Salem, Massachusetts)
How I Got It: I own it!
A spellbinding, beautifully written novel that moves between contemporary times and one of the most fascinating and disturbing periods in American history-the Salem witch trials.
Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin needs to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie's grandmother's abandoned home near Salem, she can't refuse. As she is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the family house, Connie discovers an ancient key within a seventeenth-century Bible. The key contains a yellowing fragment of parchment with a name written upon it: Deliverance Dane. This discovery launches Connie on a quest--to find out who this woman was and to unearth a rare artifact of singular power: a physick book, its pages a secret repository for lost knowledge.
As the pieces of Deliverance's harrowing story begin to fall into place, Connie is haunted by visions of the long-ago witch trials, and she begins to fear that she is more tied to Salem's dark past then she could have ever imagined.
Written with astonishing conviction and grace, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane travels seamlessly between the witch trials of the 1690s and a modern woman's story of mystery, intrigue, and revelation.
Beautifully written story across the years. I love it when an author competently bridges decade gaps to create a cohesive storyline. Some of my favorite parts were the interludes set in the 1690s and 1700s. Howe manages to create believable worlds, characters, and grounded settings. The detail that she put into the descriptions of the houses and clothing was very remarkable.
I loved the characters and connected immediately with Connie. She may be a bit too serious and a bit too much a loner, but she feels like me in another life. I loved how Connie took the logical steps in solving the mystery of the key. I could see myself following in her footsteps, moving from clue to clue, realizations dawning. The mystery wasn't hard to guess, but the book was written in such a way that I kept reading, not caring that I knew the ending.
After speeding through the book, I read Howe's notes at the back. They made my love of the book make sense. Howe is a historian specializing in New England and Colonial America. She based Prudence Bartlett on Martha Ballard -- famous midwife of the early American period. I've read her journals. Now I see why I felt those parts were familiar. Howe based Deliverance's grimoire on the Key of Solomon. I never read it, but read of it. I think How's attention to detail and historical basis resonated in the historian and academic in me. They made me love the novel even more.
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We’d love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!
A great topic for this week! Instead of the usual way to do this week, I've decided to go with my favorite first lines from books.
1. "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." -- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." -- 1984 by George Orwell
3. "It began on a train, heading north through England, although I was soo to discover that the story had really begun more than a hundred years earlier." -- The Prestige by Christopher Priest
4. "It was a pleasure to burn." -- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
5. "All children, except one, grow up." -- Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
6. "Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Wester Spiral Arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun." -- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
7. "One thing was certain, that the white kitten had had nothing to do with it; - it was the black kitten's fault entirely." -- Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
8. "It was a dark and stormy night." -- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
9. "Midway on our life's journey, I found myself in dark woods, the right road lost." -- The Inferno by Dante
10. "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her." -- Emma by Jane Austen