Remembering an era

WWII

Netflix mailing envelope for May 2014

Lately, many of the books I am reading seem to have one thing in common.  They are all set in England  in WWII.  I am not sure why this theme is so popular right now - perhaps because we truly have reached the end of an era.  The last of the original Navajo code talkers passed away last week.  Special people, with stories to tell, heroes all, voices now silent.  So now it is up to writers and their imaginations to delve into history and bring it to life with their imaginations so that we all might remember.  I am fascinated by the richness of both the history and details of daily life that we never learned in school.  Maybe there was just too much to teach us everything.  

Recommended Reading

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

Viewing:

Foyle's War on Acorn TV

On my to be read list:

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet ~ Jamie Ford

All the Light We Cannot See ~ Anthony Doerr

Code Talker:  The first and only memoir by one of the original Navajo code talkers of WWII ~ Chester Nes & Judith Schiess Avila

Candy

Did you ever read a book so delicious that it was like eating candy?  Did you read it slowly, to make it last and savor every word?

Spine Tingling

Skeletons

Witches

Vampires

Oh My!

What better way to raise the Halloween spirits than by a little mood reading in October?

Recommended By Jellicle: 

Country Tied by Robyn Buttars 

Wholesome. A refreshing change of pace from the surfeit of teen and tween books featuring paranormal or dysfunctional characters. Jenny is no Pollyanna though. She is a real girl trying to discover and stay true to herself as she navigates high school, dating and real life.
Note: I was given the opportunity to read this book for free on exchange for my fair and honest review.

The Real Doll

The Lonely Doll series by Dare Wright

As a child, these books fascinated me.  I knew the difference between drawings and photographs.  These illustrations were actual photos and therefore they were 'really real'!  Edith really went outside.  She gathered eggs, found a kitten, went to the beach, tried on lipstick, cut her hair!  She inspired my own dolls to travel the world resulting in lost shoes, missing limbs, dirty faces and otherwise have grand adventures.

Oz-for grown ups

The first time I read Wicked, I lost my innocence.
The second time, I understood.

Oz is the same place it always was but seen through adult eyes.   Elphaba never was the villian we thought her and the heros were less noble than we supposed.

Son of a Witch broke my heart because Liir couldn't overcome his disadvantages.  He disappointed at every turn.

A Lion Among Men was everything I hoped for.  Answers, purpose, a path toward redemption. 

I haven't read Out of Oz yet.  I want to savor the satisfaction from the last book a little longer and I am not ready for the story to end.

Or perhaps, I am not ready to know how it ends. 

Unread

Sometimes it is the idea of the book that I fall in love with.  Some books I may never read but still they stir my imagination and provoke my dreams.

For the Love

When I was 13, Harlequin, Cartland and Regency romances replaced my childhood fairy tales.  I devoured them and just as quickly out grew them.  There is just one that I kept all this time.

 

Oh, it is the classic, boy meets girl, boy hates girl, girl hates boy.

They fall in love in spite of or because of that drama and tension.

The difference is the other 90% of the story. 

Katriona is a nurse, David is a doctor and they both work at a home for displaced children. 

The plot revolves around the sometimes happy and sometimes heartbreaking stories of the children. 

The climax involves a flood and a tragedy and yes, I cry every time. 

As far as romance goes, this one will always have a special place in my heart.