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The Sunday Salon ~ October Frenzy
My kids are driving me to drink this weekend!
Emma had a sleep over Friday night with one of her after school friends. Danny and I were sure to do something special with Allison because she cried so hard when she realized that she was not invited. Allison enjoyed her solo trip with Mom and Dad to the pet store and to Famous Anthony’s – a local family restaurant. We topped off Friday night with a “camp out” in the basement. She really loved that, but woke up at one point crying because she missed Emma. When we picked Emma up, we spent some time at Heidi’s house. From the moment we arrived, Emma made sure that Allison was not included in the play. Apparently the older girls were going into Heidi’s room and locking Allison out. Heidi’s older brother thought it was so wrong that he locked Heidi’s door so no one could go in. Allison had a hero and didn’t even know it. LOL! The rest of Saturday was spent listening to whining, bickering, fighting, and crying. There was a short respite from that when we forced Emma to take her first nap in probably 2 years. Today hasn’t started out much better. [Note - in fact it got much worse since I started writing this post. Could it be the weather? The excitement about Grandma and Grandpa coming? Their birthdays?] I am indulging in some adult beverages tonight.
My parents are arriving early this week and I’m looking forward to their visit even though it meant I had to miss out on a Blacksburg get together with Kathy, Jaime, and Miriam from Hatchette Book Group yesterday. In the midst of all the drama, it’s shopping and cleaning in preparation for their arrival. This then begins the girl’s birthday week. Allison turns 5 on Thursday and Emma turns 7 on Friday. The party is at Chuck E. Cheese on Sunday. Yeah, this is going to be quite some week.
On to bookish news…
I am very sorry that I haven’t been on the blogs much this month. October is busy both at work and at home. I’m hoping that will clear up after this week. I would like to take a moment to congratulate Meghan from Medieval Bookworm on her wedding. Stop over her way and congratulate her (although I really think her new husband is the real winner…).
I did read two books this week:
This novel was sent to me by the author in February. I’ve been meaning to read it and have tried to several times before. I put it on my must-read list for October because I’ve had it for so long. Also, although their is no tie in to Halloween or this time of year, I thought the cover, which I love, was a good fit.
It took me a while to get into it and read slowly for me because the pacing and the dialect and pacing of the language was very British. For example, there was no “the” in front of hospital (I’m going to hospital instead of I’m going to the hospital). I kept tripping over that and other word choices. I am happy to have finally read it. I feel that I’ve stretched my horizons and, when I make it over to England myself, I’ll know to ask for veg at tea. It’s a nice story about two single parents struggling to keep their children happy and safe. I liked the premise and thought that Mina and Peter were sympathetic and honest characters.
![Cover of Perks of Being a Wallflower]](http://literatehousewife.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Cover-of-Perks-of-Being-a-Wallflower.jpg "Cover of Perks of Being a Wallflower]")
As I posted Friday, a parent at a local high school became upset when his son came upon a copy of The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky at school. Because he pitched a fit, the school took both of their copies off the shelf.
I cannot believe that one parent feels that his objections about a book should dictate school policy. I further can’t believe that the school would cave to this single parent. So, I decided right then and there that I would read this book and encourage as many other people to read it as I can. I can’t say that I’ve ever even heard of this book before this incident. It definitely was not on my radar and, prior to this bruhaha, I’m not sure I would have thought twice about it after seeing its association with MTV (I had no idea that they published or at least used to publish books). I’m happy to say that I am one person turned on this book because of this parent. Well, I started reading it Saturday morning. I finished it before I went to sleep. Yes, I enjoyed it that much. No, I cannot say I could understand someone who has read this book wanting it removed from school property. The rest I’ll leave for my discussion in the Facebook book club I have set up specifically for this book and my review.
This week I’m reading…
I am serving as Victoria Hislop’s book tour host on Tuesday for her TLC book tour for her second novel, The Return. I haven’t read her first novel, The Island, but after reading the first section of The Return, I’ll planning on it. What’s even better is that I know I haven’t even gotten to the good stuff yet. I’ll be getting back into this novel as soon as I finish this post.
My best friend gave me The Shack for my birthday (shh, last year, please don’t say anything). This past spring, my dad asked me if I’d read it. I told him that I had a copy but just don’t often read Christian fiction, so I don’t think to pick it up. When I went home this summer, he asked me if he gave me a copy of the book on audio if I would listen to it. So, in honor of the fact that my best friend sent it to me (wh and that my father really wants me to read it, I’m going to read this while he’s in town. That way, we can talk about it, too.
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Six Things I Love
I was tagged by Lorin of Arch Thinking to take part in this theme. An appropriate topic since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Thanks for tagging me, Lorin!
The rules for the tag are simple.
Link to the person who has tagged you.
Write down six things that make you happy.
Post the rules, tag six others and let them know you did it.
Then tell the person when your entry is complete.
Six Things That Make Me Happy…
1. My family, including my husband, two daughters, in-laws, and my family of origin.
2. Getting emails from the family members of authors whose books I’ve reviewed. It’s a shock and a privilege.
3. Cuddling up under a warm blanket with a good book.
4. Diet Coke.
5. My new blog design.
6. Making bookmarks with beautiful paper and fun stamps.
I tag Kathy, Ti, Sheri, Lisa, Amy, and Naida.
Nothing Compares to U
Trish led me to Sizzle Says, a great new blog to me (thanks Trish). One of her recent posts listed 10 things she loved that begin with the letter R. It’s a really fun meme, especially if you follow everyone’s posts afterward. If you want to join in, leave a comment and you get assigned a random letter. You post your ten favorite things beginning with the letter selected for you and write your post. And so it goes. How fun can a simple letter be? It’s a great way to get you thinking about words in a different way.
Although I prayed for the letter M (I’m from Michigan), I was assigned the letter U. No problem. I’m Up for the challenge. U ought to know that I’m going to attempt to do this without the use of dictionary.com. U might want to buckle your seat belts. Here we go:
- U2 ! ~ This is a no brainer if you know me even in the least little bit. I have been in love with Bono since 1987. It is no wonder that they are on Island Records because The Joshua Tree is the one CD I would want stranded on a desert island.
- Uncle Dave ~ I have three and I love each and every one. My mother’s only brother is Dave. Two of her sisters also married Daves. I also have a cousin Dave on my dad’s side, but neither cousin nor Dave starts with a U, so he doesn’t count.
- Uvula ~ I think everyone at some point in their lives discovers their uvulas and is in confused awe of them. They make for great effects in cartoons when the character is screaming. It’s not fun when they swell, though. You constantly feel like there’s something you need to swallow buy you can’t. BTW, there are some really gross pictures of uvulas, but I decided not to include them.
- Umbrella ~ Under my Umbrella ella, ella, eh, eh, eh… It’s the catchy song that always seems to come to mind when I’m in the shower. I also love watching Emma and Ally dance around to the living room when they hear it.
- Understanding ~ Don’t we all just need a little more of this in our lives?
- Utility Workers ~ They’re the best. We wouldn’t have power without them. I was writing this post while watching the utility pole burn just down the road. I stopped writing this post after the power went out and we had to scramble to keep warm. I was even more appreciative of our local utility workers when the power came back up.
- United States ~ I love my country. Always have. Always will. Still, it does start with the letter U. This, especially paired with the V from Virginia makes for a lot of scrolling. Perhaps we can rename it to something starting with A…
- Umbilical Cord ~ We all had one and have the scars to prove it. Many dads today cut them these days. Danny didn’t because Ally was in a bit of a hurry without being inclined to move herself into a more suitable position. So, C-section city for me and they quickly whisked her away until they were sure she was fine. Oh well… Again, so pretty interesting pictures, but I love my readers too much to go down that path.
- UFO ~ Danny has always been fascinated with UFOs and aliens. As I’m fascinated with him, UFOs must make my list.One of the things that first drew my husband and I together, other than Micheal Stipe, was The X-Files. When I think of UFOs, I see them through Mulder and Scully’s eyes.
- Ukulele ~ Okay, I really think they are annoying, but I love the sound of the word itself.
Did U enjoy this little walk down U road? U can join along. Just leave a comment and I’ll assign you a random letter (Don, I have a sense that you’d get a Q). Then U can have some fun writing about 10 things U love that begin with your assigned letter. You then have the power to assign letters to your readers.
Booking Through Thursday ~ Turned Off, Turned On
Suggested by Simon Thomas:
Have you ever been put off an author’s books after reading a biography of them? Or the reverse – a biography has made you love an author more?
Great question, Simon! I can’t say that I’ve ever been turned off by an author based upon something I’ve read about him or her. As much as possible, I try to disassociate the author from the work. When I chose to avoid an author’s work, it’s either because something I’ve read has bored me to tears (take that, Joseph Conrad and Herman Melville) or I found the subject matter off putting (and this typically is due to beating me over the head with things political).
Biographies have made me love authors all the more. I’ve read a biography of Margaret Mitchell by Darden Pyron entitled Southern Daughter that really left a tender spot in my heart for her. She blessed me with my favorite book, but she suffered from some mental issues that really made me sad for her. I love people just as much for their weaknesses as for their strengths. It’s the combination of the two that make them human and someone to whom I can relate. I’ve also read some wonderful biographies on James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner that really made me love that bunch of disfunctional men.
How about you? Have you ever been put off by an author’s private life? Have you ever fallen in love (literarily speaking) with an author for the same reasons?
Hollywood Book Club ~ The Cure for Your Post-Divorce Blues
I ran across an article on oneIndia about Gwyneth Paltrow’s advise to her pal Madonna about coping with her post-divorce blues ~ start a book club. The article is short, so here is a screenshot (click on the link above to go to the actual article):
What I find interesting about this article other than the funky first sentence is all that is not included: 1) So, did Madonna start or join this Hollywood book club?; 2) If so, what book did they select? (note that the “favorite book” link is not a link to Gwyneth or Madonna’s favorite books); finally, 3) Since literary preferences say so much about a person, what does Ms. Paltrow consider to be “an amazing, transportive novel”? 4) It seems that if these questions were to be answered that they would have already been included in the article. So, why publish this at all?
Well, I may not be a Gwyneth or a Madonna, but I will agree with Gweneth’s quotes here – even if I wouldn’t state them in the same way. I think that getting lost in a novel is one of my favorite pleasures as a human being. There was a time where I thought I could qualify the type of novel that I would find “amazing” or “transportive,” but I’ve discovered over the past two years that so much of that criteria is subjective and fluctuates with my life and mood at the time I pick the book up and curl up with it. I have to be careful, though. I can use reading as a way to check out of my life, too. It’s a sure sign that I’m dealing with depression and anxiety and it’s not healthy. Like everything else, moderation is key. Reading my help relax, calm, and sooth, but it is not a replacement for living your life nor can it concretely address your problems.
I currently have three favorite places to read ~ the chase lounge portion of my sectional couch, my bed, and the rocking chair in my huge master bathroom. None of those places compare to my all-time favorite place to read as a child. There was a built in, carpeted love seat (might not be the right term) underneath my window. I used to sit there between the window and the curtains and read for hours there. It really was a wonderful place to get lost in Little House on the Prarie, Little Women, Nancy Drew, and Trixie Belden.
I am always curious to find out what other people enjoy reading. I do think the choices people make say something about who they are, or at least why they choose to read. I would never hold a person’s literary choices against them. As for me, I will read just about anything that doesn’t fall into the science fiction/fantasy/horror genres. My favorite genres, however, are historical fiction, gothic fiction, and assorted classics. If I were to be exiled on an island for the rest of my life and could only bring one book with me, it would be Gone With the Wind. Hands down and with no regrets.
I don’t have a great deal of personal experience with book clubs, but I will say that I’ve enjoyed my attempts at on-line book clubs. I’m not recovering from a divorce (do you think that Madonna is really suffering about this other than the hit to her bottom line?), but working with Rusty Weston and starting the Historical Fiction Lovers book club on Facebook has really been enjoyable to me. I’m in the middle of Soul Catcher by Michael White, the February book of the month and I’m looking forward to sharing it with all those who want to participate.
What do you think about what Gwyneth has to say? Where are your favorite places to read now and in the past? What types of books do you love? Although I wouldn’t object to Madonna or Gwyneth stopping by to answer my questions, I’m much more interested in your answers.
Just Call Me High Roller
I am in Las Vegas this week for a health care related conference at Caesers Palace. This is my third trip to Sin City in the last 2 and a half years. My last visit, you may recall, was in June. Every time I’ve come here, I’ve wanted to go to downtown Las Vegas to the Golden Nugget. My paternal grandmother would bring us back decks of cards from there as gifts from her trips. I’ve wanted to go where she went. She loved to gamble, so playing the slots is something that always reminds me of her (I wish I had a picture of her that I could post…). This time, I made good on that wish.
My coworker, her husband, and I took a cab there and it was really nice. It was a much more comfortable atmosphere. So much so that I decided to do something else I’ve never done – gamble at a table. I’ve always been nervous about it. First of all, I typically only bet $20 total. Since the minimum bid is usually most if not more than my entire budget, they’ve been off limits. After purchasing a 24 ounce Swirly Girly, I saw a $5 black jack table and pounced on it. I handed over a $20 bill got four chips in return. Then the games begin. I am happy to say that in my increasingly tipsy way I ended up leaving the table with $52.50!!!!! I even got a black jack! Later on, after my second 24 ounce Swirly Girly, I turned $5 into $15 playing video pocker. Sizzle! I was hot. I’m just thankful that I had the presence of mind to keep stop. I appear to have the happy talent of being the perfect mixture of gambling caution when I drink.
We finished the evening with a lavous meal at Vic and Anthony’s. I had a steak with mashed potatoes. It was by far the most delicious steak I’ve ever had in my life. Thank God I will have eaten every meal tonight for free. Last night cost $73. I’m not used to spending that much on one meal – whether it’s to be expensed or not.
Tonight I’m going to take it easy, reveling in my winnings. $42.50 isn’t much to roll around in, but I am feeling satisfied none the less. What a great mood to be in when writing my reviews of some really good books I’ve read recently – Etta, Tomato Girl, The Guernsey Literary and the Potato Peal Pie Society. I hope to get those all written and posted by the end of the month.
Do you ever gamble? I’d be interested in hearing about your experiences – especially if you are a real high roller, not just one who plays like on on her blog.
Inauguration Day Memories and What Would Martin Say? Giveaway
Photograph from Jimmy Carter Library, Atlanta, Georgia
On January 20, 1977, I was just over 5 years old. I was in kindergarten that year and what I remember was the parade. What I remember is sitting on the carpet in front of the TV in our first family home in Sparta, MI. I am not sure if I was watching the original telecast, but I could have been because I was the morning kindergarten class. It could have been a recast, though. At first I enjoyed watching President and Mrs. Carter walking down Pennsylvania Ave. Then, I got very bored of listening to all the talking and wished that I could watch something else. Today, I think Jimmy Carter’s Inaugural Parade was perfect for him. He was and is a down to earth, good man. Although there had already been two presidents during my then short life, Jimmy Carter is the first I remember. Although my memories of him as president are dark due to the Iran Hostage Crisis that was to come, I am glad to have the memory of what it was like for a very young child to watch such a parade. Because I remember Jimmy Carter’s day, I know that Emma, my 6 year old kindergartner, will remember Barack Obama’s.
Emma is in school today and I am at work. She may get to watch the festivities at school, but just in case I’m DVRing it for later. I would love to sit and watch Obama’s parade with her. She will be a member of the first generation not to know an America without an African American president. For her and her classmates, race will not be something that will keep a man from becoming the President of the United States. When a man can become president, a man can do anything. I hope that we don’t have to wait for Emma to watch an inaugural parade with her oldest child before the same can be said of women.
Happy Inauguration Day! Please leave a comment to this post about your impressions of today’s inauguration. What did you think of the speech? The parade? What do you think was the most memorable moment? What did you children think? All comments about the inauguration left today will qualify to win a copy of Clarence B. Jones’ book, What Would Martin Say?
What Would Martin Say? Highlight and Giveaway
If ever there was a cause to celebrate Martin Luther King, it is today. As we are about to embark upon the first African America presidency, it is apparant just how far we’ve come as a nation.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEMXaTktUfA]
“I Have a Dream” is one of my favorite American speeches. It never fails to give me chill bumps.
We know what MLK said, but wouldn’t it be interesting to know what he might say himself today? Clarence Jones, a close friend, asked himself that same question and has written a book entitled, What Would Martin Say? To give you a little more information about his book, here is some information I found on the HarperCollins website:
On April 4, 1968, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, depriving the world of one of the greatest moral authorities of the twentieth century. He was thirty-nine. King had achieved so much at such a young age that it is hard to believe that he has been gone longer than the brief time he spent on this earth. He spoke out not only on segregation and racism against African Americans, but about many other issues of the day, from police brutality and labor strikes to the Vietnam War. Given the current state of the world, we would all benefit from hearing Martin’s voice, if only he were alive today. . . .
If anyone would have insight into what Martin would say, it would be Clarence B. Jones, King’s personal lawyer and one of his closest principal advisers and confidants. Jones—now seventy-seven, has chosen the occasion of this somber anniversary to break his silence—removing the mythic distance of forty years’ time to reveal the flesh-and-blood man he knew as his friend, Martin. Jones ponders what the outspoken rights leader would say about the serious issues that bedevil contemporary America: Islamic terrorism and the war in Iraq, reparations for slavery, anti-Semitism, affirmative action, illegal immigration, and the vacuum of African American leadership. Delving deep into his memories of the man he worked closely beside, and with help from the King Institute at Stanford University and reams of formerly top-secret and now declassified FBI files, Jones offers the guidance and insight his friend and mentor would have provided for us in these troubled times.
Many Americans today know of Martin Luther King only from video clips and history books. As Jones so aptly reminds us, this legendary figure was also a warm human being full of life—and more relevant now than ever.
You can take a look inside this book by clicking here. You can buy this book here
What Would Martin Say? Giveaway
In celebration of current events, The Literate Housewife Review is offering a copy of this book to one reader. Since tomorrow will probably be the first inauguration that my daughter Emma remembers, I’m going to write a post about my memories about my first inauguration – Jimmy Carter’s, which was also historic in its own way.
To enter this contest, leave a comment to that post by 11:59pm tomorrow. In your comments, please give your thoughts about Barak Obama’s inauguration. I will draw the winner from those comments at noon on January 21st. “Please enter me” comments will not be considered.
Good luck and Happy MLK and Inaugeration day, everyone!
The Sunday Salon ~ I’m Back!
After a week of computer frustration, I am back! This afternoon I actually felt like picking my laptop back up and getting back to work again. I’ve missed you guys!
While I’ve been away, I have been getting some things accomplished. I got rid of all my half.com books. I sold them all for $10 and then promptly bought The Reader. Yes, it’s true that the last thing that I need is a book. Still, what a nice trade against boxes filling the back of my Grand Caravan? With the room I’ve made, I’ve been able to able to box up my sprint and summer clothes and put them on the top shelf of my walk-in closet. My clothes will no longer be wrinkled the moment they’re hung up. This also is making more room for my my stamping supplies. I’m not finished organizing the space, but I’ve made some great progress.
I’ve also been reading. Since the New Year, I’ve read My Lady of Cleves, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Etta, and Tomato Girl. My Lady of Cleves and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button are both books off of my Just for the Love of It Reading Challenge. Because I’ve also joined the January is ARC Reading Month, I will be reading ARCs the rest of the month. It felt good to be reading non-ARCs. It’s re-energized me for the rest of the month. Etta and Tomato Girl are books off of my 2009 ARC Reading Challenge. I’m well under way. I’m currently reading Mermaids in the Basement for an upcoming book tour and author interview. This is another one for the ARC Reading Challenge. But that’s not all! I forgot about my first read for the War through the Generations Reading Challenge, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I’m listening to it on my Zen Creative (which I LOVE) and enjoying it.
I’ve got a lot of reviews to catch up on now that I no longer get hives touching a computer after work. First up will be my last book of 2008 Loving Frank. Loving Frank is the first book we read in my Facebook Historical Fiction Lovers Book Club. 64 people have signed up and I’m really happy about that. The book for February is Soul Catcher by Michael White. If you want to join in on the fun, there is plenty of time. Most of all, we’d be happy to have you.
The New Year is a time to make resolutions. As someone who is overweight, my resolution is either to lose weight or, when I’m feeling more confident, to learn to love myself. This year I wasn’t sure what I wanted. Over the past 11 days, I decided that I wanted to live healthy – and doesn’t that accomplish both? I joined SparkPeople (Lithousewife is my username). It’s a really cool free site where you can set your goals and meet others getting healthier. Best of all, there is a Bookworm community for those who want to devour more books while easting less. 
You know that’s right up my alley. I’m watching the first episode of this season’s The Biggest Loser and it is very, very motivating. I look forward to giving you updates on my healthy me challenge as the year progresses.
I hope that all of you are doing well. I will be back on the blogs tonight – right after I do a Wii Fit workout.
Without a Computer of Her Own
Readers, it is a sad time for Literate Housewife. Over the weekend, a tragic accident befell my beloved laptop. The blue screen of death announced pretty clearly to my husband that a new hard drive was needed. So, I am using a loaner laptop that is driving me crazy. I’m so annoyed by it all that I didn’t even turn the computer on last night. Although I know that it won’t be fun to recustomize everything again once the new hard drive is installed, just having it back on my lap will make everything seem better. I hope to be back up and running by the end of the week.
In the meantime, I would like to thank Amy and Darlene for the wonderful awards they gave me yesterday. You both made my day. While I’m waiting for some good computer time, I’ll be working on passing these awards along. I will also be working on my reviews for My Lady of Cleves, Loving Frank, and Etta.
I hope that everyone has a wonderful day.
Book Blogger Con
Have you heard about the 1st Annual Book Blogger Convention that will be held in NYC during the BEA? You should check it out. I know it will be a fantastic experience. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend due to family obligations, but I'll be trolling blogs for up to the minute news.
WE Magazine’s A Woman Blogger to Watch
Literate Challenges
What's in a Name? 3
Random Reading Challenge
