Independence Day and The Te of Piglet

original photo of the book that's had the librarians giving me the stink eye ever since it's been overdue (a couple of weeks)
A couple weeks ago, the book pictured above was due back to the public library. Alas, I could not return it because I had lost it, and after multiple ill-fated searches, I became half-convinced I would never find it. It was finally, today, after I had given up my active search that I found The Te of Piglet comfortably face-planted under my headboard (next to my cell phone, which is what I had really been looking for). I was very happy, and decided what-the-heck that I would pick up reading where my bookmark marked. And long story short, I'm very glad I did. This is just to say that I really think you would like this book, no matter who you are, because it is just That sort of book.

original photo of a firework exploding in my hometown
On an unrelated note, I'd like to add that I hope everyone had a nice Independence Day.

Lilly and I
I sure did, since I spent it with my family and Lilly and I commenced in an awesome game of naming chapters in the Harry Potter series off the top of our heads.
"The Deathly Hallows" "Snape's Revenge" "Snape's Revenge?! HAHAHA You mean the Flight of the Prince?" "HAHA Oh yeah."
...
"The Burrow!" "The Marauder's Map." "Nicholas Flamel" "The Chamber of Secrets" "Behind the Veil" "Oh, good one."

Ditto
And speaking of Harry Potter, I made a batch of butterbeer for the first time. I liked it, though it was a little too un-genuine (I doubt Mme Rosmerta used muggle cream soda in her recipe). I will be looking for other recipes, but it was a nice trial. :)

original photo of some random muggle's version of butterbeer

For writers and people who think about writers.

As a sort of follow up to my last post, because I love her writing, I went to Elizabeth Gilbert dot com and brought back for you a very good and wheel-turning speech by Ms Gilbert herself to do with writing and creativity and how it works and the way we think about it. If your interest is sparked, excellent, and if it isn't- please watch this anyway. It is only under twenty minutes. Don't skip around. Start at the beginning. Give it a chance- your attention. I can't imagine you'd be sorry.



:)

Chatting Over Coffee

photo source

So imagine we meet for coffee at a cute little coffee shop, Sweet Beans. We rush inside to escape the light snow flurry, and our cold noses and pink cheeks immediately warm from the wave of heat coming off the fireplace on the side. We smile at each other, equally relieved by the existence of this little safe haven. I gesture to the excessively cushioned seats near the fire, you nod, and after plopping our insulated winter coats and scarves onto our seats, effectively marking them as 'occupied', we order our drinks. Carrying hot cups foaming at the top with pure goodness, we make our way back to the little nook we've created and settle in for a long chat.

For my part, this is what I say:

"I love Sundays for, let's say, three reasons. For one- it's the beginning of a new week. Call me silly, but it just gives me this feeling of a fresh start, every time. Okay, for two, it's so relaxed. Everybody's just sitting around their houses, sleeping or doing something equally relieving. And for three, ...it's not Monday yet.

"I just bought this new box of Twinings Irish breakfast tea. I can't wait to try it - every morning before school, I make myself either coffee or tea. It's really nice. Kind of gets me into the mode. I'm definitely becoming more of a morning person because of it.

"Oh, I meant to tell you- I think you know that I read Eat Pray Love a few weeks ago? You should read it, it's so good. Well, I read in a magazine yesterday that the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, is just coming out with a new book called Committed. There was a little half-page article about it, and it's basically about marriage. I'm really looking forward to reading it now. Otherwise I've just started another book called Into the Wild. It's like a biography of a man who was really well-to-do and had just graduated with fantastic grades from college and then he just donated all his money to a charity and lived off the land for a while. It's really interesting..."

What do you say?
*

SNOW DAY!!

This is a video I just watched for the first time yesterday. I love Lady Gaga's music, and I admire her courage in the things she does. :)

***

There was no post yesterday because my mind was consumed by Jane Eyre, which I
FINISHED!!! And yes, it was good. I recommend it. To everyone.

ADDED!!:
Today I am thankful for hot chocolate packets (Seldom does anyone have time to home-make real hot chocolate), snow days, sleeping in, and short term memory (or I would never have seen my cell phone again- it was on the floor between a bed and a bookcase).

The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette by Carolly Erickson

I realize it has been a long space between when I finished this book and my review of it, but better late than never, hey?

The format is diary entries. Some brief, and some several pages long. The story is Marie Antoinette's life. From sweet archduchess to inexperienced young queen to mother and wife of the rejected monarchy.

I enjoyed this book for the history, and I thought the diary was very well explained for in it's frequent need to be hidden and how she began writing in it. A couple of characters are fictitious, but otherwise everything is based on research and nothing really goes out on a tangent from that circle.

A sneak peek inside the complicated mind of France's last Queen.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Those interested in Marie Antoinette's life, historical fiction, enjoy reading stories written as journal entries, or who are interested in stories about the end of monarchies (Such as that of Czar Nicolas II).

AND NOT FOR: People who will only have happy endings, or are not really interested in anything previously stated.

The Seal Wife by Kathryn Harrison

Read it. It's honest.

Also, Kathryn Harrison is one of my favorite authors now.

The Joys of Funerals by Alix Strauss

If this book had a rating, it would be PG-13. For sexual situations and some adult language.

A Novel in Stories. It isn't often I come across one of these, and the stories themselves - all tied together in the last - were something different.

There are 9 stories in this novel, each about a woman who has been affected by a loss, either past or present. Most, if not all, of these women could use help. Yet it is also implied more than once in this page-turner that therapy doesn't really help. What does help? Friends. Connecting with other human beings. This, I feel, is the theme. Of this novel. And of life.

I enjoyed this book. ...because it was different. It stressed the need for human connections, and the need to feel someone understands. This book is very honest, stating things people don't say out loud. The kinds of things that people think only to themselves and even as they wish to share with others, don't.

These are stories I feel anyone could identify with and benefit from. I recommend it to everyone.

Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn

As I've stated in previous posts, this book was first recommended to me by my friend who shall remain nameless (but DOES exist). And as was inevitable, it got me thinking about reincarnation and philosophy. It made me think it would be interesting to look into such things, because you know me, I'm a thinker. Anyway,

The book begins in the prehistoric age, when a man and a woman meet and fight over a green jewel, in a dispute which leads to their deaths. They are both reborn again, generations later in ancient Egypt only to meet again. The feeling that they have known each other before is prominent, and they fall in love, only to be separated again. This cycle continues, and in each life, small characteristics are the same and stay with each character through their lives.

I found this book initially slow and simple for me (it came out of the 'young adult' section), since I'm used to more complicated, adult, stories (and so is Lilly lately, who read this book before me). However, I really got into it as the story progressed and finished it within two days (I am just blowing through these books!). Even though the ending was happy, I didn't really like it. Nonetheless, everything else was interesting, and the bits of history throughout the book were especially intriguing. Overall, a good one!

RECOMMENDED FOR: romantics, people interested in reincarnation, and those who want a simple, good read.
AND NOT FOR: people who don't like reading at a level lower than 'adult', are not interested in the idea of reincarnation, or don't like history.

The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright

I finished this book within twelve hours! Was it the small print and larger spacing between lines over the 280 pages or just my super speed reading? *in high pitched, childish voice* Ah, Heidi you're so amazing! *in normal voice* Oh thank you, it was nothing, really. Anyways!

This is a lovely little book (relatively short too) about family. The book begins with death in the family, and takes place in the family B&B over the course of the near week with the funeral and all. The three children in the Cooper family discover letters their father wrote to their mother every week, 'Wednesday Letters', beginning on their wedding night. It's a simple, heartwarming story and being so short, has a short review. So here's what I thought: it was slow in the beginning, but picks up and becomes very interesting with no problem, wrapping up with a very satisfying end. I loved it.

RECOMMENDED FOR: People interested in letter writing, stories about families, shorter novels, and those with little conflict.
AND NOT FOR: Those with no patience for slow beginnings, prefer major conflicts, orphans who hate being reminded they have no family, or people with generally no hearts at all.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

I had to finish reading this one first, before I dove into my fresh pile. I started reading My Sister's Keeper a summer ago. I was at the beach in Madison with Katie and my other sisters and (for something to do) had borrowed this random book from Katie's apartment. I read the first chapter and after we left the beach, I left the book too. A year later, and I see previews for the movie of the same name, loosely based off the book (or loose I have heard). I remember I had started this book, and suddenly have a reason to return to it. I ask for Katie to loan it to me, and she agrees, stressing it belongs to a friend and should be handled with care (And don't worry Katie, I have taken care).

The story is of a family with a son and daughter and when at the age of two, the daughter is diagnosed with leukemia, they birth another daughter to be a donor for her older sister. The book begins with thirteen year old Anna suing her parents for medical emancipation, and the whole book is basically dealing with this case, stories from Anna's family, and the lawyer and guardian ad litem assigned to Anna.

I knew the ending to this book before I ever knew I would read it. Katie had read it and was complaining of the bad ending to Amy, I think, when I was around. I never forgot. So I was not disappointed by a bad ending. The whole book got me thinking about cancer and the whole, "If you had cancer, would you want to know?" dilemma. It's a dilemma for me at least, because I don't think I would want to know. A big point in this story is that cancer enters a life like a monster who may leave the room but never leaves the house. I knew that from Kate's perspective, she would be dealing the best she could with what life had given her. But she wouldn't want others to continually suffer on her behalf. I was very satisfied with the last chapter. I also appreciated the technically unnecessary romance that shows up, because it creates a nice sub-plot and distraction from the main drama. I liked every character in this book and their inner struggles EXCEPT for Sara, the mom. She made me so angry with the way she handled everything. This isn't a very good review, I know. I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I didn't like all the talk about Kate's different ailments. I thought it was a bit longer than it could have been. I would definitely not call this Jodi Picoult's best book, but I liked it.

RECOMMENDED FOR: People who are interested in cancer, dysfunctional families, court cases, or Jodi Picoult.
AND NOT FOR: People who prefer action, mystery, suspense, or are bothered by diseases or cancer.

And We're Up To Date!

Amy and I went to the Library and got piles of books. Amy wanted to stay longer and pursue the extreme sport of trying to read the entire library at once, but I reminded her that it would be extremely dangerous and she would most likely suffer from terminal brain implosion. My list of books is as follows:

1. The Lost Choice by Andy Andrews
2. The Secret Life of Josephine by Carolly Erickson
3. The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette by Carolly Erickson (an author I have read and liked before)
4. Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn (loved by a friend)
   
5. The Joy of Funerals by Alix Strauss
6. The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright (started reading it once at Walmart)
   
7. The Bachelor's Cat by L.F. Hoffman (looks short and funny)
8. The Secret of Lost Things by Sheridan Hay

I'm thinking I'll be reading The Wednesday Letters first, and I plan on writing reviews for each as I finish them. So I have quite a pile for myself. I encourage anybody to read along with me so we can discuss... I love discussing books. But anyway, just letting you know you have something different to look forward to!