Challenges abound.

I've been blogging for about a decade. In the past few months I've seen how this experience helped me guide people while they're writing their own guest posts for my May project.


It's been a pretty humbling experience working with folks on their individual pieces. Everyone who wrote for me had to agree to allow me to edit, but I promised to be gentle but firm.


It's also been a challenge. Here's why:


It's an exercise in self-control. I can look at a piece and tell immediately know if it feels too warm, too cold, too loose, or too tight. I can (and do) tell my guest bloggers what I think they should do, but it would be presumptuous to assume I know exactly what they want to convey. I've had a few conversations with people to discuss the concept they wish to address and help them cultivate their idea further before writing them down. They are their ideas. I'm just trying to make them shine.


It is a HUGE balancing act between my ego as a writer (sorry, we're all like this) and knowing I must be sensitive to others during this process. So, I am pushing for two things: clarity and brevity. Everything else is negotiable.


It's helped me learn to be responsive. Sometimes I must be firm and sometimes flexible. Some guest bloggers have taken me up on the offer to help them write their posts. Some have submitted them and I've suggested minimal changes. Whatever my writers decide, I've been rolling with it, with one exception: if they say they don't want to be edited, I say, "Sayonara," and move on. Being edited is the reality of being a writer. And being edited makes you a better writer.


Every challenge is a learning experience. I'm taking this one to heart.


Can't wait to share the GOLD!

Madeleine L'Engle and A Wrinkle in Time

Today, my friend Mary and I took the kids to see A Wrinkle in Time. I had read the book so long ago that I couldn't remember anything about it. 

The one thing I do remember as a child is that the book was decried as blasphemous by many Christians. Until yesterday, I thought it was because the book had so many feminist themes. I also noted that there are some similarities between "the Misses" and Gaia, known as Mother Earth. (In my experience, you never know what will trigger a fundamentalist, but something certainly will!) 

I realized also that I knew nothing of Madeleine L'Engle. So I looked her up on Wikipedia: 

L'Engle was an Episcopalian and believed in universal salvation, writing that, "All will be redeemed in God's fullness of time, all, not just the small portion of the population who have been given the grace to know and accept Christ. All the strayed and stolen sheep. All the little lost ones." 

As a result of her promotion of Christian universalism, many Christian bookstores refused to carry her books, which were also frequently banned from Christian schools and libraries. 

At the same time, some of her most secular critics attacked her work for being too religious.

Her views on divine punishment were similar to those of George MacDonald, who also had a large influence on her fictional work. 

She said "I cannot believe that God wants punishment to go on interminably any more than does a loving parent. The entire purpose of loving punishment is to teach, and it lasts only as long as is needed for the lesson. And the lesson is always love."

Are. You. Freaking. Kidding. Me.
That's why we weren't supposed to read it?

From the moment I had enough brains in my head to know anything, I knew there was something wrong with my "religion." It seemed over and over again that leaders in my church were willing to throw the baby out with the bathwater - demanding total adherence to rigid, antiquated teachings while not taking into consideration that most things in life are anything but absolute. It is inane to live life like that. When I refused to accept everything they said as the God-given truth, I was admonished. Shamed. Ostracized. For thinking.

A Wrinkle in Time is about love. If you read this book or see this movie and can't see that, you're too stupid to be leading a church full of people. 

End rant.

Book 185: Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer

Although I have a million other books to read right now, when I came across this one in the library book sale room, I had to set aside everything to read it. I couldn't put it down until I was finished.

I had seen the movie Everest about the 1996 climbing disaster but I didn't know anything about the people who went through it. Journalist Jon Krakauer from Outside magazine had been along on the journey that ultimately killed twelve people and injured and disabled numerous others. He wrote Into Thin Air six months after he returned home after the traumatic event.

Krakauer was a seasoned climber and had always dreamed of climbing Everest. He had his chance when the magazine sponsored his climb to get a firsthand account of the true Everest climbing experience.

Although no one can definitively say why the 1996 team had so many problems, Krakauer makes his own conjecture about why some people lived and others died. One thing he wrote will stick with me forever: that being determined is both a strength and a weakness on Everest. A person's will can be so strong that he or she refuses to give up even when disaster is imminent. They will literally kill themselves to achieve a goal. Everest Fever is a real thing, and it looks like it was the reason 12 people died in May of 1996.

Krakauer was adept at pulling together all of the accounts into a spellbinding narrative that will stay with me forever. I'm glad I picked up this book and I hope you will, too.

Book 184: From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty (Audiobook)

Ever since I read her first book, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, I've been fascinated with Caitlin Doughty's writing style and ability to both be respectful and poke fun at aspects of death at the very same time. For many years, Doughty - herself an undertaker - has been an advocate for respectful, interactive funeral arrangements and more family involvement in the American death experience as a way for us to mourn and remain connected with our loved ones long after they have gone.

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death is one of the more interesting books I've read on the topic of death. In it, Doughty details her travels to learn about death traditions and how families care for their dead. She traveled to a remote island in Indonesia, where the beloved dead are mummified and kept in the family home for years after they've expired. In Colorado, she found a group that uses a mobile funeral pyre to burn a person's body down to ashes in front of his or her loved ones. In Bolivia, she found shrines full of skulls which bless the communities in which they reside. In Japan, she found a corpse hotel which infused technology and death traditions to create posthumous experiences for both the dead and their families.

In this book, Doughty shows us the American death tradition is just as weird as any other. I've long disliked the look of an embalmed body, so I've opted for cremation when my time comes. In fact, I even have a plan that both my kids know by heart: I want them to use whatever money I have to take a trip together and to scatter my in a beautiful part of the world I've never visited. (A little pinch will do - they don't have to fly an entire urn out to Africa and dump it.) Until I read Doughty's books I didn't realized I had an option as to how I'll be cremated. I could be burned on a funeral pyre or the kids could push the button to start the cremation process. There's something to be said for closure and being part of the final arrangements. It's about letting go in a way that's respectful, intimate, and personal.

I hope you'll pick up this book (read Smoke Gets in Your Eyes first) and love it as much as I did. Your skin might crawl a bit, but you'll learn a lot, too. Buy it here. 

Book 183: The Doll Funeral by Kate Hamer (Review requested by Faber&Faber)

When I was asked by Kate Hamer's publicist to review an advanced copy of The Doll Funeral as part of an international book blog tour, I was psyched. I've never participated in a blog tour before, but it's brilliant publicity for Hamer, and I always try to support my fellow writers. One day I intend to publish my own book, and I hope to have the same support from my fellow bloggers.

Onto the review.

The Doll Funeral is written in two eras: the 1970s and the 1980s, and jumps back and forth between the two. It's set in England, in the Forest of Dean, which seems to me like a place that is real and not real at the same time. If it were a person, you might say the Forest has one foot in the grave.

The first story is that of Ruby, an orphan who - as the story opens - occupies her own living hell. She has an abusive foster father and a weak, enabling foster mother. When things begin to spin out of control, Ruby embarks on a journey that propels her toward her birth parents, for better or for worse. In the end, everything Ruby thought she knew about her life is turned upside down. She finally understands she is equipped with everything she needs to find her way home, which isn't what she expected, either.

It is also the story of Anna, an unwed pregnant teenager who decides to keep her child despite all her family's arguing for the contrary. She is plagued by problems of both the internal and external variety which lead to her demise. I'm only telling you this because anyone with an eye can see from the start that Anna's life is on a collision course with tragedy. And that's all I can tell you about Anna without ruining the story. 😉

The Doll Funeral was a little slow at first, but I knew Hamer was building up to something big. As soon as I realized there was a supernatural aspect to the story, I was hooked. I was invested in Ruby's fate. Shadow's every appearance piqued my curiosity. The strange characters of Crispin, Elizabeth, and Tom had me guessing about their importance to the plot of this story since they seemed to come out of nowhere. And by the way, I was confused for just about the entire book, but I knew Hamer intended to keep me that way as long as possible so that when she revealed the truth, I'd eat it up. And I did.

The Doll Funeral was a masterpiece of hidden suspense. I'm interested in reading it a second time to see what I missed the first time through. I'd definitely recommend it.

As most of my followers know, I'm more of a nonfiction gal, but I enjoyed The Doll Funeral and I look forward to reading more of Kate Hamer's stories. Follow @kate_hamer on Twitter or visit https://www.katehamer.co.uk/ to learn more about her work. You can buy The Doll Funeral on Amazon.

Great job, Kate!

❤❤❤

P.S. Here are the other bloggers slated to review The Doll Funeral in January 2018. Please visit each of them and enjoy!

Book 182: Looking for Jane by Judith Redline Coopey

x

I love the book club at the Smyrna Public Library, because each person recommends books they like or think are important. These folks have taught me to open up and try new things, and also remind me to be very deliberate about what I recommend for my own selections.

Because there was a woman in a bonnet and a guy on a horse on the cover, I honestly thought, Oh no, this is a western, a genre I wrote off a long time ago. (Yes, I judged this book by its cover.) Turns out, I am a dumbass. It was darn good historical fiction, set in a time I knew nothing about - the 1890s. And my curiosity was piqued.

I began reading this book and I immediately fell in love with the main character, Nell. She's an orphan with a cleft palate, newly freed from her convent upbringing, and convinced Calamity Jane is her long-lost mother. After leaving the convent, Nell embarks on a journey to Deadwood, South Dakota. I won't tell you all the details, but I do love dynamic characters, and Nell is forever changed by her journey. Her trek across half the U.S. doesn't end the way she expected, but she winds up better for it in the end. The plot was pretty good, and had some twists I hadn't anticipated.

The author Judith Redline Coopey is a history buff from Pennsylvania. I loved her style and her informed writing. From her bio online:

Historical fiction is my genre -- no bodice ripping romances for me -- just well researched interesting stories of those who've gone before. I write the kind of stories I like to read: of strong people facing the challenges life lays before them, following their inner light and living responsible lives. 

Anyway, thanks to the person that recommended this book, because I'll definitely be reading Coopey again. 

Book 181: The Rooster Bar by John Grisham (Audiobook)

This review is late because my brother was in town and I was so crazy busy I did not have time to finish my books.

Although it was not my favorite John Grisham novel of all time (that honor is reserved for The Rainmaker), The Rooster Bar was a fun read. The plot was inventive and had twists and turns that I really loved.

D.C. law students Mark, Todd, Zola, and their friend Gordy find themselves in a no-win situation in their final year of school. They're all deep in debt, without any good job prospects, even though they've been promised by their law school that their ensuing careers will give them the edge they need to get ahead of the student loans and make bank. Three of the friends embark upon a journey that has all the promise of making them rich, or at least breaking even. In the end, the decisions they make lead them to an ending no one could have guessed. At least, I didn't.

As all of my readers already know, I finished my master's degree in 2017. Even with tuition assistance from my employer, I still owe more than $60,000 in student loans, so this aspect of this book was familiar territory, and I felt I could commiserate with the characters in The Rooster Bar. (Hey Congress, want to score points with voters? Forgive student loans.)

As I said, The Rooster Bar was not my favorite Grisham read, and here's the reason: I love John Grisham's ability to weave a complex, multi-dimensional story. The Rooster Bar was sort of like John Grisham Light. Maybe you'll disagree, but that was my impression.

Ari Fliakos did a great job on narration - I thought his voices were wonderful.

The Rooster Bar was another loan from my dear coworker, Sherry, who kept me supplied with excellent audio books throughout 2017. As soon as I finished one, she had another one on deck. It's always nice to have someone like that around.

😊😊😊

Book 180: Beat This! Cookbook: Absolutely Unbeatable Knock'em Dead Recipes for the Very Best Dishes by Ann Hodgman

This is the best cookbook I have ever owned. Yes, I know it's old (published in 1999), but the other day I realized I would be remiss in blogging about other cookbooks without revealing my one true love sitting at home in my own library: Beat This! Cookbook by Ann Hodgman.

I have owned this cookbook for at least six years. In that time I've made everything in the book at least once. I have at least ten cookbooks, and this is the only one I refer to all the time. Of all the recipes, my absolute favorite is Hodgman's "Best Banana Bread" which is better than anything I've ever tasted, before or after I bought this book. And the book is funny! It's not just bland recipes; Hodgman infuses them with humor. You could read this book from cover to cover and have a few giggles.

I love this book and have bought copies for friends over the years, especially those who love cooking, or (like me) had a bit of a rocky start to baking. Although I'm a decent cook (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), my baking skills have never been good. Thankfully, Hodgman's collection of recipes are straightforward and simple, and so far, are impossible to screw up.

If you buy this book, I would make one recommendation, with regard to the banana bread recipe (of course): freeze your bananas for a few days before you make the banana bread. Then thaw them the night before you make it. They get super brown and mushy and are perfect for that recipe. You can literally squeeze the bananas right out of their skins.

If you only have one cookbook in your collection, make it this one. You won't regret it. Click here to get it on Amazon.

Book 177: I Hate Everyone Except You by Clinton Kelly

I like birds. I picked up this book because the cover had a bird on it. (That's true.) I kept reading this book because it was freaking hilarious. I laughed until Mr. Fussypants asked me to please stop, so he could hear his show. When I kept on, adapting my guffaws to Muttley-style huffing, he gave me the look. Luckily, I have insomnia due to some sort of throat ailment, so I finished it in private later on, chuckling quietly to myself in the den. 

Clinton Kelly was a co-host of What Not to Wear and is now on The Chew - two shows I never even heard of until I read this book. (Sorry, Clinton, but don't feel bad... I don't watch much TV.)  This book is a series of stories from his life, opinion pieces, and even a previously unpublished screenplay. He writes about his life as a co-host and talks about his working relationships, bitches about celebrities (Paula Deen, for one), and talks about his relationship with his family and his husband, Damon, who sounds like a saint.

Clinton Kelly is the king of snark. Every story from the theme park adventure as a child to the two hour forced commentary on salad was filled with wit and sarcasm that would give Joan Rivers a run for her money. Because I can visualize everything that happened in this book, I found it riotously funny.

I Hate Everyone, Except You was funny, but Kelly also injected a lot of truth about love and life into it. For example, the wishful-thinking "if I were president" piece in which Kelly says one of the first things he'd do is initiate a mandatory draft for food service - for everyone. As a former waitress, I could not agree more. I learned some of my most profound life lessons while serving others their food and drinks, and I often think some of the assholes I come across could do with a dose of humility that often comes along with the job.

I borrowed the digital copy of this book from the Delaware Library Catalog, but if you don't have access, you can buy it here.

I needed a good laugh, and this did it. Thanks, Clinton.

Book 175: The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine by Lindsay Fitzharris

Well folks, I apologize for this review coming so late, but I just could not seem to find the time between now and last Wednesday to sit down and bust this one out. And I loved it, so that's saying something.

Lindsay Fitzharris has written a book that is both grisly and disgusting but really, really good. It was well written, and she damn well did her research, as the final 50 pages of references attest. It made me squirm in discomfort and horror and I loved every page of it.

The Butchering Art is the heroic story of Joseph Lister, the man who introduced the use of antiseptics to the medical community in Edinburgh, Scotland, then to London, England, then to the world. As a child, Lister was fascinated with his father's microscope. Later, when he entered the [utterly insane] field of surgery, he used the microscope to identify microbes responsible for causing post-surgical infections that were literally killing entire hospital units full of patients. Lister experimented with a variety of chemical antiseptics, wound dressings, and stitching materials, and eventually revolutionized the world of medicine. The guy was a genius, and made every surgeon before him look like a complete idiot. They weren't too happy about that, but had to eventually adopt his practices because, quite simply, they worked.

This book is not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach. Fitzharris provides the most awful details about the most revolting surgical practices common in Victorian-era medicine. She tells you more than you ever wanted to know, and proves once again that truth is indeed stranger than fiction. This was better than any horror fiction ever written. (Sorry, Mr. King, but I still love ya.)

I was thoroughly disgusted and totally riveted, and I fully intend to make this book part of my permanent collection.

Lindsay, send me a signed copy! It would make my day!

Book 174: The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking

I wasn't totally in love with this book. Although I felt strongly that the lessons within it were worthwhile, the style is a little bit dry. Meik Wiking, the author, is an academic who studies happiness at the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. It sort of felt like a cross between a DIY book and an academic paper.

Despite the style, I learned quite a bit from The Little Book of Hygge about the Danish custom of sharing cozy spaces, warm lighting, comfort food, and comfortable furniture for one purpose: to enjoy each other's company. I didn't know that Danes will invest thousands in the right lamps to achieve Hygge in their cozy living rooms.

These days, with just over a month left in the year and complete my goal, I'll pick up any book that has "little" in the title. This book was just a hundred or so pages (I'm estimating this, since I read it on my Kindle) and went through the major points of Hygge (pronounced "hug-gah") and how to implement Hygge to improve your own quality of life. The author even included recipes to make some of the Danes' favorite comfort foods.

If you're into home decorating and entertaining, this is definitely the book for you.

The Plight of Women in America

All my life I've been drawn to stories of women like Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie, Eleanor Roosevelt, Dorothy Day, Clara Barton, and Queen Esther. These women didn't ask for permission to do what they needed to; instead, they broke rules and made history. They didn't conform to social norms. They did what they thought was right. I like that, and I always have. 

Not long ago, I realized that for every women who rose above the status quo, millions lived and died in horrific circumstances that destroyed their bodies and spirits for thousands of years before me. They lived through hell.

Women were once considered second-class citizens and the property of their fathers and husbands. Yes, that was here in the U.S. In fact, it was legal for a husband to beat his wife and children, and many suffered such extreme abuse that they never recovered. Women were beaten until they could not or would not stand up for themselves. Watch The Color Purple or The Stoning of Soraya M  and let yourself feel the pain of these characters, which reflect so many other true stories that will never be told. 

Until 200 years ago, women weren't permitted to attend any institutions of higher education. They were welcome to attend grammar school, but "were at a significant disadvantage in access to most forms of higher education." Academies for women were not much more than high schools, and were "restrictive and inferior when compared to the educational opportunities available to young men." In 1836, women were able to pursue their higher degrees at only two universities in the whole United States. Men had no such restrictions, and flourished. 

Women kept pushing to crack the glass ceiling and be elected to the U.S. Congress, despite losing election after election to male opponents. The first woman voted into Congress was Jeannette Rankin, a Republican from Montana, who served in the House of Representatives. One hundred years ago, she took her seat in the 65th Congress in 1917, a full 128 years after congress was established. (Because women couldn't vote, she couldn't even cast a vote for herself, but you know she damn well used her congressional vote to push through women's suffrage.) 

In the early 1900s, suffragettes fought to vote, a right that had been bestowed upon men in the U.S. Constitution, but had not been extended to women. In 1920, women won the battle, but not without being imprisoned, tortured, and some even killed for their activism. I still get chills thinking about the bravery of these women, and I'll always vote because of their sacrifices on my behalf. Watch Suffragette to better understand their struggles. 

The Women's Liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s - which I am so, so pissed that I missed - focused on the fact that women outnumbered men (51% of the American population) and still had nowhere near as many rights and opportunities. They focused on a variety of causes, including better pay, more higher education admissions, reproductive freedom, better employment opportunities, and among other things, dissolving the traditional gender roles so women weren't limited to domestic roles. The term "feminist" was used to describe these revolutionary women who spoke out for equality and absorbed every punch they were dealt. They are both revered and vilified by all manner of historians. 

Even now, in 2017, women are undervalued in the American workplace, and underrepresented in leadership roles, on boards, and in Congress. Women have to work twice as hard to gain the same success as their male counterparts even with superior education and experience. Look at the leadership of any Fortune 500 company and you'll see that most are overwhelmingly comprised of men, unless they are women-owned organizations. And the gender pay gap is another can of worms entirely; women still earn about 80% of what men earn to do the same jobs. And men are selected for promotions more often than women. 

Women have continued to push for equality because for hundreds of years our country has taken advantage of our strengths and all but ignored our contributions to its success. 

With the #NoMore movement, the feminism wave is rising again. Women are tired of being beat up, underrepresented, treated like doormats, and most of all, sick of being expected to continue to put up with it. And guess what? We really hate that we continue to be victims of sexual assault and abuse in this civilized day and age. Men should be able to control themselves and keep their hands to themselves, end of story.

Right now, many women who have chosen to speak out against sexual assault and abuse are being absolutely destroyed by the press and social media. They stay strong despite the onslaught of criticism, and I salute them for their bravery. Their voices will be the catalyst for positive change in our society, and I hope that even more will decide to come forward. Perhaps their voices will be the reason one abused woman will have the courage she needs to finally walk away.

Women: Assault and abuse and harassment leave deep wounds that never heal. A woman speaking out is reliving the most shameful moment of her life. She's ashamed because she was too scared or shocked to stop her assailant. She's ashamed because she's lived with this secret for her entire life and by keeping it a secret, she's protected the person who hurt her. Speaking out is the hardest thing she's ever done, and she's doing it for all of us - even those of you that choose not to believe her. One in five American women suffer assault, abuse, or harassment, so you could end up in her shoes. Wouldn't you want people to believe you if you had the guts to speak out? 

Men: Don't complain about the storm of allegations against news icons, movie stars, elected officials, and film directors. Women have been putting up with a lot of shit for a lot of years, and these guys have had it coming. If you're shocked, it only shows how ignorant you are of the horrors women have had to endure since the beginning of time. Don't act like this is something new. These guys represent the tip of the iceberg. Just support us as we get through it. The process is just like pulling weeds out of a flower bed. These stories need to be told so that we can get through this as a nation and be better as individuals.

We've been ignoring these problems for a long time, and now is not the time to strike these stories from the record and sweep them under the rug. Now is the time to listen.

✊✊✊

Book 173: Salt Fat Acid Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat

I don't normally review cookbooks, but this was one I couldn't resist. I ran across an article in bon apetit magazine about this awesome new chef, Samin Nosrat, who is redefining the way people understand their ingredients.

Nosrat's book is not your standard run-of-the-mill cookbook. In each chapter, she focuses on the chemical properties of each element of cooking - salt, fat, acid, heat - to help her readers better understand how each impacts the texture and flavor of the food we prepare. At the end, she provides a number of simple and delicious recipes to try at home.

As an avid cook and an artist, this book was simply irresistible. Aside from the cooking advice, I loved Nosrat's writing style and ability to communicate complex chemical processes. And I loved the illustrations by Wendy MacNaughton, who put her heart and soul into each drawing. I borrowed this book from the library, but believe me, when I can afford it, the hard copy will be in my permanent collection.

It's difficult to read and absorb every page of this book in a few days. I would definitely recommend buying a copy (if only to keep the recipes at the back of the book handy) so that you have time to read and apply the tips in this book. I don't normally do this, but here's the link to the book on Amazon. I would not recommend the e-book version - get hard copy to see McNaughton's beautiful artwork for yourself.

I hope you check it out... it's one of the more unique books I've read this year.

Book 172: The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to Be a Better Husband by David Finch (Audiobook read by the Author)

In his memoir The Journal of Best Practices, author David Finch gives his readers a firsthand account of someone who struggled for years to understand himself, his quirks, and how these quirks impact those around him. Finch's story of self-realization began when his wife Kristen walked him through a test to determine if he could have Asperger Syndrome. After all signs pointed to "yes," he decided to get an official diagnosis.

In this book, Finch described his life before and after his diagnosis. At the time of his diagnosis, he felt his marriage was failing and that he was losing not just his wife but his best friend. His diagnosis made him better understand he wasn't just an asshole, but he was a person who acted a certain way because of a condition. Finch took notes in his notebook to give himself prompts to improve his behavior and his relationship with his [sainted] wife and his kids, hence the title The Journal of Best Practices. Whenever he learned something new about himself or about his wife and kids, he wrote it down. He developed a new awareness of his own behaviors, his wife's patience and understanding, and how his Asperger Syndrome was impacting his children. People with Asperger's are not known for their introspective abilities, and Finch's wife Kristen was responsible in a large part for helping him discover himself.

If you've ever known or lived with someone who has Asperger's, you might want to pick up this book to better understand that person. If you suspect someone has Asperger's and isn't aware of it, you might also want to share this book with them.

My friend Honey sent me a copy of this book from Audible, which I was able to listen to for free. The audio version of the book was read by the author, which really brought the whole thing home for me. I would definitely recommend it.

💖💖💖

Book 171: What Happened by Hillary Clinton (Unfinished)

I wanted to finish this book, but I lost momentum halfway through, then my library loan ended, and I wasn't going to buy a $15 digital copy for my Kindle so I could finish it. Truth be told, this book is just too long to read in a few days, so I'm moving on.

Still, this is what I have to say about it.

Whether you love her or hate her, it's difficult to deny that Hillary Clinton has incredible resilience. No one wants to talk about their own failures (and some people ignore them completely), but through this book, Hillary explored her own to understand how and why they happened. She admitted her own shock and humiliation at losing the 2016 election and kept on going. She wrote about her mistakes before and during the campaign and the lessons she's learned because of them. She also wrote about what she did right. For her, I think writing this book was therapeutic. It was also very smart, because the book sold like crazy when it was published.

If you decide to pick this up, give yourself ample time to read it. You'll also need an open mind.

Book 170: The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

I read The Woman in Black because someone told me it was one of her favorite horror stories. I also picked it up because my book is taking forever to finish and this classic by Susan Hill was under 200 pages. Have I told you already that reading two books a week is not easy?

Arthur, the main character in this book, told the story of himself as a young lawyer in London sent to the coastal town of Crythin Grifford to settle the final affairs of his firm's client, Mrs. Drablow. He found himself on the receiving end of a haunting which changed his life forever, and he never had a chance.

As far as story lines go, The Woman in Black had a good one. I felt drawn in right away. The author's ability to describe landscapes was on point - the marshes and inn and Eel Marsh House were vivid. Her skill for building suspense was great. Still, I wasn't all that impressed with one character in the book who I felt would have certainly come forward with helpful information sooner had he actually had the relationship with Arthur that was described in the book. 

Although I liked the way the book was written (the Gothic style reminded me of Great Expectations by Dickens), the horror was a bit soft for me. The author's use of foreboding was fantastic, but I kept waiting for something new and terrible to emerge. Yeah, the end was bad, but I'm a seasoned horror junkie; I've read the worst of the worst, which has probably my shudder reflex and reduced my capability to feel real fear about ghosts. It's guts and gore and rabid dogs and real monsters that live among us that get me squirming. 

If you want a good story that will give you chills but you don't want to throw up, this would be the way to go. It's just creepy enough. 

😈😈😈

Preparing to Begin Again!

Dear Readers:

Advanced education is a must in today's professional world, so in 2013 I decided to finish my bachelor's degree with Thomas Edison State University in Trenton, NJ. Immediately after finishing my coursework for the bachelor's degree, I enrolled in Wilmington University's accelerated Master of Science in Management-Health Care Administration program. I'm now three months from finishing my master's degree.

As you might imagine, being a full time student for the past four years has made leisure reading a luxury. Time was not the problem... it had to do with ability. At the end of a workday and a half hour of homework, I just couldn't absorb any more. My brain was like a saturated sponge. I've started ten times the books I've finished, and those I've finished had to be ridiculously good to keep me motivated to finish them before they were due back to the library. I've kept notes on some of the ones I did read; and I'll blog about them as I can remember them. The half finished ones will never make it into this blog.

Still, my coursework had little impact on my ability and desire to devour audiobooks. In fact, I almost completely switched to audiobooks, because listening in the car takes a lot less effort. There are disadvantages, though. It takes longer to finish some books because I read fast, but audiobooks go at their own pace. And it is always a bit frustrating when I would like to re-read something I heard in the audio version, but can't find it again as easily as I might if I was reading a book. All in all, it was a good trade off; in a way I was still reading, though I wasn't capable to sit down with a book at the end of the day.

I have many goals for the infinite number of days ahead of me that will not require me to participate in online discussion forums, take quizzes, or write yet another paper on the Affordable Care Act or medical marijuana. These goals include learning French, losing 30 pounds, and teaching myself how to watercolor and play the banjo. (Incidentally, all of those goals will be attained through reading, to a large extent.) I figure reading a book a week again will be a piece of cake when it's the only goal that has a weekly deadline.

I hope you will continue with me on this journey to find myself through books. I'll resume blogging more frequently in the coming weeks.
❤