Thursday, February 23, 2012
Friday 56
Mount TBR Reading Challenge PIKE'S PEAK(12)
Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
Meredith DeLinn arrives in Nantucket not to have a great vacation but to hide herself away from the anger of many people whom her husband cheated out of millions and millions of dollars. Her shame is deep. She also has to deal with the fact that the Feds might come after her. She could very well find herself and her sons behind bars. Her husband, Freddy, is serving one hundred fifty years behind bars.
Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand is an intense drama. While reading the book, I thought about the importance of a loyal friend. Meredith can turn to no one except her friend, Connie. It is in Connie's house that Meredith stays during this horrible time. Her only way to hide is to where a wig and sunglasses. Connie never is unavailable. She is always there to help Meredith through the tears and the cruelty perpetrated by other people. For example, someone leaves a seal on the patio with a slit throat. Thought of as a pet to those who live on Nantucket the seal's name is Harold.
Connie's life is not perfect. She is dealing with her personal problems. Her husband, Wolf, dies of brain cancer. Her daughter has chosen a new lifestyle. One that completely shocks Connie but one she needs to allow her daughter to live in order for her daughter, Ashlyn, to know her mother's love is unconditional. This novel is proof that there are people in the world who know how to share their love, understanding and lack of judgement at the perfect time. At one point, Meredith thinks of suicide. Her days become unbearable. I do applaud Meredith's character. She digs in her feet and faces each day of pain without giving up. However, I do believe without Connie she never would have made it through such horror filled days.nantucketbookworks,
Saturday, January 28, 2012
What's In A Name 5? VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS by JANET EVANOVICH
"It was Lorraine in her nightie and Mo in his cap. They'd just settled their brains for a long winter's nap in front of the television. When out in the lot there arose such a clatter, they sprang from their recliners to see what was the matter. Away to the window they flew like a flash, tore open the blinds and threw up the sash. And what to their wondering eyes should appear, but Stephanie Plum and yet another of her cars burning front to rear." evanovich
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
THE BAT by MARY ROBERTS RINEHART
I had so much fun reading Mary Roberts Rinehart. The Bat takes place in a huge home called Cedarcrest. Miss Cornelia, a sixty something spinster is the head of the home. She is also the major sleuth among them. After all, she reads mysteries and other crime books all the time.
"I have read a great deal on the detection of crime," she said hotly,"and--"
She has two servants. The man is named Billy. Billy is Japanese and takes his service as a butler seriously. There is also Lizzie, another servant, who seems more like a very close friend or an old aunt in the family. Lizzie brings part of the wacky fun to the novel because she is easily frightened. I hate to say it. She reminds me of myself a little. One dark shadow and I freak out. A bat in my hair? Oh my goodness, I would die immediately.
"A ghost!" persisted Lizzie, still hopping around on one leg. "It came right through that door and ran up the stairs--oh--"and she seemed prepared to scream again as Dale, white-faced, came in from the hall, followed by Billy and Brooks, the latter holding still another candle."
. I think she was my favorite character. In this one big house is where all the action takes place. It all begins with the reporting of crimes done by The Bat. Of course, every person is on the alert especially the characters at Miss Neily's home and the police department. There is only one investigator in the house, Mr. Anderson. There is one lawyer. For some reason I felt there should have been at least two detectives on the premises. It also bothered me a little that no one really strayed far beyond the French doors to the outside. The novella seemed like a play. Each person waiting in the wings to make their star appearance. There is Doctor Wells. There is a bank cashier pretending to be a gardener named Jack Bailey. There is Miss Corneila's niece, Dale, and a few other characters like Mr. Fleming and his relative, Mr. Courtleigh Fleming who owned the bank. The point of the novel is to find The Bat because all are sure he is inside Cedarcrest with a revolver and has nothing on his mind accept murder and mayhem and greed.
I am anxious to read all of Mary Roberts Rinehart's novellas or novels. She made my five senses feel excited: roaring thunder, bloody hands, bats riding the air, the dead falling down the stairs, hidden rooms, etc. I think it is ingenious to think of hiding a blueprint in a breakfast roll. Loved it! Golly, gee, yes, I've had the time of my life with The Bat. In my book there are three stories in one: The Bat, The Yellow Room and The Haunted Lady. By the way, there is also a hidden room in this story. I love rooms behind fireplaces and bookcases.Really, this classic author leaves nothing out. I would love to read her biography. mary-roberts-rinehart
Monday, February 20, 2012
THE Shawl by CYNTHIA OZICK
“Rosa clung to the shawl as if it covered only herself. No one took it away from her. Magda was mute. She never cried. Rosa hid her in the barracks, under the shawl, but she knew that one day someone would inform…”
This shawl is mentioned throughout the novella. CYNTHIA OZICK also looks at time: present, past and future in many different ways. Parts of THE Shawl are thick with meaning. This is the type of literature which deserves to be read and thought about over and over again. It made me think about what it’s like to live through a bigger than life tragedy. What happens to people after the tragedy? How do they process what they have seen, heard, done, etc.?
“Once I thought the worst was the worst, after that nothing could be the worst. But now I see, even after the worst there’s still more.”
http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/ozick-cynthia
KILL ME IF YOU CAN BY JAMES PATTERSON & MARSHALL KARP
From this point on there is no stopping Matthew Bannon. His whole ordinary life changes to one thought above all KILL ME IF YOU CAN. Yes, the title of the book written by JAMES PATTERSON & MARSHALL KARP definitely fits the plot. I've never read one of JAMES PATTERSON'S thrillers. This novel made me eat breakfast, lunch and dinner faster just so I could return to the novel and see what Matthew would end up doing next with his new found wealth.
With millions and millions worth of diamonds on him Bannon had to take his stash and get out of town fast. Not looking like himself thanks to a makeup artist he goes to France with his girl friend, Katherine. The descriptions of the places are wonderful. The authors describe different foods and different wines. It was hard not to run to the internet and find these glorious places where gangsters and hit men hang out along with normal people who have only seen gun fights in the movie and on t.v.
"LA TOUR D'ARGENT has been a Paris institution since the sixteenth century. Perched on the river Seine in the heart of Old Paris, it's a mecca for people who live to eat. Not exactly the kind of place where you pop in and ask for a table for three...Ours had a sweeping view of the river and Notre Dame Cathedral." latourdargent
Along with all this grandeur, I especially felt emotionally moved by the occupational hazards of being a subway driver or engineer. I can not grasp or imagine the feelings of Mr. Perez the subway driver. While driving his subway, he suddenly sees a man lying on the tracks, and he does not have enough time to stop the train. Then, further along he sees a man running on the tracks. It is a scene he will always remember. His life is changed just as much as Matthew Bannon and Katherine's life. Mr. Perez describes himself as "messed up for a while."
From KILL ME IF YOU CAN I learned that life is a maze. At times you don't know whether to sit, stand, lie down or run. Matthew Bannon chose to make a run for it. What should he have done with the diamonds? I'll bet each of us would have a different answer. I would have ran up the subway stairs without the diamonds. However, I'm not a character created by JAMES PATTERSON & MARSHALL KARP.jamespatterson
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Gathering of Waters by Bernice L. McFadden
Young and falling in love with Tass, a teen, like himself Emmett had no romantic feelings for another woman whom he and his friends met while walking along the road. Feeling a bit sad and lost the woman heard Emmett's whistle as a bird call to a friendship. She just wanted to hear that loud whistle again. So Emmett obliged her. Then, he went on his way with Tass and his other friends. Never knowing that J.W. and Carolyn's husband, Roy, would arrive at his aunt and uncle's home that night looking for revenge. Fast forward and Emmett Till is murdered.
Tass could never forget Emmett. He lived in her memory for always. In spirit he never left her. It seemed as though he wanted to finish their love story in eternity. I think he could not remain in the Tallahatchie river because of his innocence. Sadly, he died before his time in an awful way. Soon Tass would leave Money, Mississippi and go to Detroit. She met Emmett Till's spirit in many ways. For example on one cold winter's day a naked leaved tree filled with cardinals on all the limbs.I think Emmett Till's spirit guided those bright red cardinals to that particular tree in order to make Tass feel warm and fuzzy. It would have been a way of saying life won't always feel so dreary, grey and dark.
The novel Gathering of Waters by Bernice L. McFadden is not sad without purpose. It is a historical reminder to all races who have in the past or present or might in the future stare at the dark clouds of oppression and hate because of their ethnicity. Books telling these sad truths must continue to be written. Stories have to be told to grandchildren, greats and on down the line. If only one heart is touched, moved not to hate another man or woman different from himself there is hope. Hope for all mankind to live and experience a better day, one full of love and brightness like the red cardinals in that winter tree.
Christmas Eve at FRIDAY HARBOR A Novel
Mark, Holly and Maggie live out a love story during the Christmas holidays. What I loved about the novel is that it is about many types of love. LISA KLEYPAS IN Christmas Eve at FRIDAY HARBOR A Novel shares the depth of a widow's love. Maggie's husband died after a bout with cancer. After his death Maggie discovers it's not very easy to open her heart again to a new lover. Mark finds love in an unexpected place after he is left with his sister's child, Holly. Little did he know how much he could love a little girl and how much she could teach him about giving love fully. Then, there is my favorite character, Holly. She is the center, the sun, giving off rays of love to everybody even to her dog, Renfield. In the end I learned that love is flexible, needed to survive and can come from the least expected places. You can find love in a cute, little toy store. Who knew??
Friday Harbor is so lovely. I had the desire to move to Washington State. Catch a ferry and ride myself into Christmas and all of it's sparkling magic. Not surprising I've always wanted to visit Washington State. "What Holly looked forward to the most was the annual lighted boat parade., Held by the Friday Harbor Sailing Club and the San Juan Island Yacht Club....Even the boaters who didn't join the parade strung their boats with lights...."
I definitely want to read more romances by LISA KLEYPAS. I've never understood a person's dislike of a good, well told romance. For example, I rediscovered truths about grief through Maggie.
"It helped Maggie knew, to be able to talk about those who were gone. It was good to remember...the spice of memories mingling with the fragrance of warm pie crust."
These words spoken by Mark really blew me away. "Being alone isn't safety, Maggie. It's just being alone." Those words are so powerful, meaninful and unforgettable, like the rest of the novel, Christmas Eve at FRIDAY HARBOR A Novel.lisakleypas
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
The Adventures of Nihu by Omoruyi Uwulglaren
The great deceiver made me a foul toad. He accused me of staring at him while he was offering a sacrifice in the pit.
Also, the African setting is wonderful. There are Baobab trees, of course, monkeys, Iroko trees and believe it or not crocodiles fighting boas. I won't tell which animal wins this hard smacking contest in the wilds. There are talking trees and a talking cockerel. Let's just say the novel is full of the African forest.
"The tree gushing out blood reminded Nihu of the ancient Iroko tree, the home of witches and wizards."
"The monkeys were hopping through the trees. The fruits on the tree were ripe enough to serve their hungry purpose."
Along the way Nihu meets special people willing to help him. Unfortunately, they are not with him long. However, they willingly share their adventures with Nihu including the death of a special friend. Nihu is a good listener. He is open to all new and honorable truths hoping each one will lead him to freedom and back to the countryside. One friend is Phil.
"You have no choice, my boy, Since Macques' death, I have been living alone. You can too...A solitary life is not such a bad thing. I have new-found confidence after I have eaten and lived with the jungle devils..."
I read a great interview with the author, Omoruyi Uwulqlaren, by Joey Pinkney. joeypinkney After reading the interview, I had to download the novel to my Kindle. I had no choice. I liked the young author and became curious about The Adventures of Nihu.
HUCK by JANET ELDER
When Huck gets lost during a family visit to the sister and brother-in-law's home in New Jersey, the long and involved search begins for a pup who is loved so much. This is the part of the book, Huck by JANET ELDER, I loved so much. While the family and neighbors look for Huck, new friends are met. These new acquaintances made me realize how much people really want to help one another in times of distress. Janet Elder is totally honest. Just when I began to make a small town into a glorified heaven on earth she showed small towns are just like bigger towns and cities in some ways. There is always a grumpy person who can't be pleased. Also, there is the secret of domestic violence everywhere. Still, the romp along the hills in the mornings and evenings is fun and adventurous. Best of all is finding out whether Huck finds his way home.(free book for review from BROADWAY PAPERBACKS)huckthebook
"I knew Rich was wrestling with the impossible--figuring out how we were going to set out to find a tiny dog in an unfamiliar wooded mountainous area. He had already decided on a $1000 reward."
Sunday, January 29, 2012
A Black Girl's Poetry for the The World by Kimberly LaRocca
I don't mind admitting it. The cover of this poetry book spoke to my heart first. Thankfully, the poetry inside the book, A Black Girl's Poetry for the World, is just as wonderful. Each poem spoke to me in a personal way. I felt as though Kimberly LaRocca had shared a personal, long visit with me in a park with a stream. There are poems about love.
I wear you on my sleeve.
Take you when I leave.
Whether night or day,
You're with me.
This is why loving someone is a gift. Once I have experienced love it's impossible to feel alone. The person is beside me in every room and in every groove of my mind. As Mrs. Kimberly Larocca writes in A PERFECT WORLD,
In a perfect world,
It'd be you and I.
The poetry book is filled with love words, anger words and words describing every type of emotion imaginable. As a Black female, I carry the world within me. I have traveled from one shore to another shore, spoken more than one language and felt my life blood drain from me in more than a hundred instances.
A blue for when I'm feeling low.
When wide awake, a light yellow.
A range of shades for everything.
When ready, I'm an aubergine.
I liked most of all the fact that Kimberly LaRocca extended her hand in friendship and understanding. I felt while reading she is me. I am her. I will survive to see another day and night. The reason? I am a Black woman.
I have finally found
A friend I haven't seen for a
while.
She's beautiful
That friend I've found is me.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
"He lowered the kettle into the tub, tilted it toward my feet. He poured the hot water on my feet, slowly, as if he were conducting an experiment and wanted to see what would happen...The pain of contact was so pure, so scalding, I felt nothing for a second. And then I screamed."
The ending of the novel is a shock. I think the ending is also masterful. The ending proves that the faults of other people have tentacles. These tentacles can kill or severely maim those within reach. I only had one problem with the novel. Kambili meets Father Amadi. She has a heavy crush on him. He seems to have the same feelings about her. I felt the relationship between Kambili and the Father went along too smoothly. It seemed to me the aunt should have been very, very upset about the Father putting aside his vows to look lustfully at her niece. No one seems upset about the situation.
"Amaka laughed when Father Amadi asked her to come. "Don't try to be nice, Father, you know you would rather be alone with your sweetheart," she said. And Father Amadi smiled and said nothing."
Still, the relationship between the two adds flavor to the novel. As did the political situations experienced by Aunt Ifeoma and her brother. I also thought Purple Hibiscus was very rich because of the two different lifestyles of the families. Aunty Ifeoma is poor. There is an outside toilet. There are many worms crawling in the bath tub because the pipes are old and loose. There isn't always gas for the car. These conditions don't shape Aunty Ifeoma thoughts about people and life. Her hospitality is open handed. She loves to give and share what she owns with the people around her. I think this is the true spirit of Africans. The willingness to share with others no matter how hard their predicament. The Igbos remind me of the Purple Hibiscus. This flower doesn't like too much water. Neither does it like to be too dry. It likes a perfect balance. These two families were in search of that balance like any other people around the world. To find that balance doesn't come without struggle and heartache.
"It was still harmattan and the earth was thirsty, but Aunty Ifeoma said the stalks might take root and grow if they were watered regularly, that hibiscuses didn't like too much water, but they didn't like to be too dry either."
Sunday, February 05, 2012
SEARCHING FOR TINA TURNER by JACQUELINE E. LUCKETT
Lena Spencer and her husband, Randall, have two children, Kendrick and Camille. Neither of whom are in diapers. In other words they are nearly ready to make their own way in the world. However, whether they live at home or are away at college children know when their parents are going through ups and downs. All of a sudden after many years Randall decides he wants out of the marriage. His desire to let the marriage die tears Lena apart emotionally. After all, she's always given all of herself as a wife and mother. It doesn't help when Kendrick and Camille seem to understand and side with their father leaving the blame on Lena's shoulders. Lena finds herself alone except for her sister, Bobbie, and her mother, LuLu, and an old friend and last but not least of all a book she is reading titled I, Tina. The book is an Tina Turner's autobiography about Tina Turner as she went through the low points of her life with Ike Turner and found herself fighting the world all alone.
Lena takes the words in the book as practical ways to get her feet back on the ground again. Finally, she ends up leaving California and heading to France. She takes "I, Tina" with her on the plane and everywhere she goes while in France. She listens to the words of Tina Turner's songs closely because each song seems to give her a good point to lead her life back to a reality she can live with again. In the end Lena learns it's alright to depend on only herself. Each walk down a winding cobble path, a taste of wine or a look at the Mediterranean leads her to a new path of learning more about Lena Spencer.
"Goodbye to Randall. Goodbye to Harmon. Goodbye to the deep blue sea and the smell of baguettes baking in rough ovens. No regrets. She has no regrets."
What I liked most about the novel, Searching For Tina Turner by JACQUELINE E. LUCKETT is the wonderful descriptions of France. I also will never forget that life's lessons can come from the most unexpected places and from people we might have never met personally.Life truly is an adventure. The teachers who come our way are like dips of serendipity in different flavors. Who know maybe one day I will have the chance to meet Tina Turner in France. If not meet her, I might get a chance to eat a delicious French meal.
"As if on cue, three waiter place dishes on the table.....thinly sliced meat in round swirls roasted tender enough to cut with a fork, delicate, a triangle of fresh anchovies sauteed in olive oil." http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3bgow_tina-turner-showing-her-house-in-so_music Thank you Oprah for the wonderful video.
Theme Thursday
Smell, breathe, any function involving the nose~readingbetweenpages
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Followers
