Pet Psychic Experience
I took my cat Kanga to Chuck and Don’s Pet Food Store on Saturday, December 10, 2011 to see pet psychic Teri Ann. I had two primary questions to ask Kanga.
On the way to the Highland location, Kanga cried and howled in fear. I tried to calm her down, but she wasn’t happy riding in the car. When we arrived, I carried Kanga into the store (in a cat carrier) and waited for Teri Ann. I found two rabbit fur “fuzzes” that I bought for Kanga because they are her favorite store-bought toy. I put them in the carrier with her.
When Teri Ann arrived, I brought Kanga to the back where she was doing the readings. I neglected to bring Kanga’s leash, so when I took her out of the carrier, she tried to escape. I held her and told her she was okay. Then Teri Ann petted her and told her that she was okay, and that Kanga was at a pet food store and no one would hurt her. Kanga seemed to calm down.
Teri Ann fed Kanga a treat, which Kanga took from her hand! Kanga NEVER takes treats/food from people's hands -- not even from me! But she took it out of her hand as if it was the most natural thing to do, ever!
Then we started on the questions I had for Kanga.
I wanted to know if, when Kanga brought me a toy and I started playing with her, it bothered her when Sydney Jo came and took over playing. Teri Ann asked Kanga if she liked Sydney Jo. Kanga responded that she liked Sydney Jo; that she was a good cat. Teri Ann then asked if it bothered Kanga when Sydney Jo took over playing. She said, "no... she's little." Teri Ann asked again, "are you sure it doesn't bother you..." stressing that "Mom" was concerned that I was disappointed that Kanga couldn't play. Kanga looked into Teri Ann's eyes, turned away slightly, and said, "sometimes."
Kanga added that it bothered her when Sydney Jo took over her spot sleeping with Mom. She wanted special time sleeping with Mom.
I brought along a small Tupperware container of some food I didn't think Kanga liked and asked Teri Ann to ask Kanga if she liked the food in the container. Kanga sniffed it, quickly turned her head away from the container and said firmly, "no." Teri Ann then said that cats like food with "edges" that can be picked up more easily. Teri Ann also suggested that all pets stay away from chicken because the chickens are fed grain that's been sprayed and it's not good for the chickens or the animals that eat the chicken products. Teri Ann pointed to the dander, now visible on Kanga, and said that that was a result of a slight allergy to chicken.
I've always wondered what happened to Roo. I asked Teri Ann to ask Kanga if she knew how Roo died. Teri Ann asked ME why would I want to bring up a painful memory. I wanted to know if Roo suffered. Teri Ann asked Kanga if she remembered Roo. Kanga didn't respond. Teri Ann asked again. Kanga said that she did remember Roo. Teri Ann asked if Kanga remembered the day that Roo died. Kanga said that Roo said he was tired, they both slept. When Kanga woke up, she saw that Roo was still sleeping, so she went about the day; she thought Roo must still be tired. She said she didn't know anything was wrong until Mom came home that night.
Throughout the reading Teri Ann hand-fed Kanga treats. Kanga even took a treat out of my hand! We hung around after our reading to hear what Callie (Patrice's cat) and Monster (Shoua's cat) had to say. Patrice had an "ah-ha!" moment when Callie said she wanted water on the porch AND that she really liked the blanket that was out there (Patrice was going to throw it away!). Callie also wished her Mom brushed her again. That was moment two of "ah-ha!" because she hadn't been brushing her much. Shoua was relieved that Monster appreciated her continued attempts to keep him alive with the feeding tubes. Monster did not like Teri Ann and hissed at her upon leaving the cat carrier.
To learn more about Teri Ann, you can visit her website: http://www.yourpettalker.com
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Book review: Crossed
Crossed by Ally Condie is the second book in a trilogy, and follows where Matched left off. I finished Matched late one evening and read the first chapter of Crossed (a tease in the last pages of Matched) which lead me to purchase Crossed the following day after work. I was so excited to read what would happen next!
With the assistance of her parents and Match Xander, Cassia manages to leave the Society and is sent to the Outer Provinces (to work) in the hopes of finding Ky, who was sent there by the Society to fight against the the Enemy.
For the majority of the book I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see if Cassia and Ky finally find one another. The book bounces from Cassia's journey and moves to Ky's journey. The journey toward each other, and their personal journey as they literally move forward in the Outer Provinces. You got a little more insight on Ky in this book. His thoughts, fears, struggles... his fight. You learn about his parents and how they died. You got to see Cassia in an element she wasn't certain of at first, but grew to like and adapt in. I can't say more without giving a lot away. You do get to meet a couple of new characters and Xander does make an appearance as well.
I couldn't put down the book! The book ends on somewhat of an ambiguous note. Although I'm not as excited to read the final book in the trilogy, I do want to see how the series will wrap up. I'll have to wait a year... it's not published yet!
With the assistance of her parents and Match Xander, Cassia manages to leave the Society and is sent to the Outer Provinces (to work) in the hopes of finding Ky, who was sent there by the Society to fight against the the Enemy.
For the majority of the book I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see if Cassia and Ky finally find one another. The book bounces from Cassia's journey and moves to Ky's journey. The journey toward each other, and their personal journey as they literally move forward in the Outer Provinces. You got a little more insight on Ky in this book. His thoughts, fears, struggles... his fight. You learn about his parents and how they died. You got to see Cassia in an element she wasn't certain of at first, but grew to like and adapt in. I can't say more without giving a lot away. You do get to meet a couple of new characters and Xander does make an appearance as well.
I couldn't put down the book! The book ends on somewhat of an ambiguous note. Although I'm not as excited to read the final book in the trilogy, I do want to see how the series will wrap up. I'll have to wait a year... it's not published yet!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Book review: Matched
I was browsing books online and came across Matched by Ally Condie. I was intrigued with the futuristic view of the world. The main character Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to eat, read, watch, what to believe, where she's going to work, what to do in her "free" time, and who to marry. Therefore, when her best friend Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching Ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society NEVER makes mistakes. What does this mean?
The Society tells her it's a glitch and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. Unfortunately, Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they get to know each other better they slowly fall in love.
She began to doubt the dependability of the Society. A series of events also shakes her dedication to Xander and puts her future in jeopardy. All of this leads to a tough decision for her; will she choose Xander or Ky; will she choose the life she's always known in the safe world of the Society, or will she choose a path that no one else has dared to follow?
In addition to following Cassia and her decisions, the idea of the Society and how it was formed is very interesting. The control the Society has over every aspect of every person's life is...crazy, but at the same time, it's explained in such a way that one might believe the world could become this way. Personal choice no longer exists. Or does it...?
I couldn't put this book down! Can you...?
The Society tells her it's a glitch and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. Unfortunately, Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they get to know each other better they slowly fall in love.
She began to doubt the dependability of the Society. A series of events also shakes her dedication to Xander and puts her future in jeopardy. All of this leads to a tough decision for her; will she choose Xander or Ky; will she choose the life she's always known in the safe world of the Society, or will she choose a path that no one else has dared to follow?
In addition to following Cassia and her decisions, the idea of the Society and how it was formed is very interesting. The control the Society has over every aspect of every person's life is...crazy, but at the same time, it's explained in such a way that one might believe the world could become this way. Personal choice no longer exists. Or does it...?
I couldn't put this book down! Can you...?
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Review of the Soap Factory's "haunted basement"
Review of the Soap Factory's "haunted basement"
I was VERY excited to go to the Soap Factory's infamous haunted basement. I had heard it's the scariest "haunted house" in the state of Minnesota. Tickets needed to be ordered in advanced and the tickets were timed, meaning you had to show up at your assigned time or else...
After an annoying drive through Minneapolis and the U of M's incredibly busy campus, I finally arrived at the Soap Factory (literally on time), my stomach in knots from the drive and with anticipation about how afraid I would truly get. I was excited.
In order to go through the haunted basement you have to be 18 years old or older, and need to sign a waiver. Ooooooo, my anticipation increases. I can't wait!
Of course there was a short line of groups ahead of us. Before each group descended the stairs, a greeter rang a loud cow bell. Once we got to the front of the line, the greeter informed us of "the rules" which included not touching the actors; not bringing anything downstairs that could potentially fall out of our pockets or purses; when we reached the bottom of the stairs, hang on to the rope "until it's evident there is no more rope;" and if we were too afraid or wanted something to stop, that we should say "uncle" very loudly so the actors can hear, and they would then escort us out of the basement, no exceptions. Wow. Cool!! As she was telling us this, a skinny guy came running up the steps saying he couldn't go any further, that he was scared. Hmmmmmmm. He just went down with the group in front of us, so he couldn't have gotten very far...
After a few more minutes, the greeter rang the loud bell (which must tell the actors that another group is on their way down) and we descended the stairs. Roxie went first, followed by Lyle, and then me, bringing up the rear of our group. By the time you get almost to the bottom of the stairs, you have to move a heavy black curtain to the side to continue. Four or more steps down in complete darkness brings you to the basement. Still hanging on to the rope, I literally cannot see a thing. I hold the thick ship-like rope with my right hand and walk slowly, extending my left hand forward in case a wall suddenly appears in my face. In my head I'm thinking "someone is going to yell or grab me or whisper or something" to scare me. I also imagine the actors wearing night vision goggles, secretly laughing at those of us who walk slowly through the darkness. There's loud "music" playing around the darkness, but it sounded more like death metal with a deep voice speaking slowly and unintelligibly. I follow the rope around corners, up high, down low, and around more corners. I anticipate someone jumping out. No one did. Nothing. I felt the rope raise in front of me as if actors were passing in front of me to get ahead of me... still nothing. Nada. I saw a lit doorway ahead of me, continued blindly following the rope, and walked through another curtained doorway where Roxie and Lyle were waiting. As I stepped through the doorway, someone brushed my ankle. Lame. I wasn't even startled.
Unfortunately since I didn't write the review immediately afterwards, the following events won't be in the order they actually happened, but it will give you an idea of the Soap Factory experience nonetheless.
We encountered two costumed people on stilts. One followed me and then made me go under his leg to get to the next room.
Next we walk into a room filled with "regular people," although they were dressed for a time decades ago. They welcomed us into their living room and separated us from one another. Roxie sat on a couch next to a man and then a young woman draped herself across the man and Roxie, and rested her head on Roxie's legs. Lyle was talking to another man. And I was stopped by the "older brother" of the "family" who asked who I brought to his party. We chatted for a while, about nothing and then I saw that the next group was on their way into his "home" so I gracefully exited the situation. It wasn't scary. It was...weird.
We left that room and passed by a large globe-like thing that had electricity coming out of it and it shocked each person as he/she passed it. Then we passed a literal stream of water that was going from one side of the "hallway" to the other. Each "hallway" we went through were costumed people, but because you saw them and knew they would try to scare you, it wasn't at all scary. Some followed us for a while. Still not scary.
We entered another room and the people tickled us and tried not to let us pass onto the next portion of the basement. I again had to walk under someone's leg to get through into the next space. This space had three females, dressed in dresses with white faces. One cornered me and wouldn't let me pass. She kept asking if I thought she was pretty. "Do you think I'm pretty?" then she grinded herself against me in simulated sex. She repeatedly asked me, "Do you think I'm pretty" while she touched herself and rubbed up against me. At this point, Roxie just escapes the tickling people and the girl focuses her attention on Roxie. I move forward to discover Lyle with a woman (man dressed as a woman) asking him to touch her nipples & pull her nipples.
We eventually left the three women and entered another part of the basement where spoiled food was laid out on a table and a "crazy woman" was there asking us to stay for dinner. Again, not scary. She did shove food into my mouth though (it was trail mix) while Roxie ran past her. The room smelled of feces.
We then rounded the corner and heard sexual screaming and moaning and discovered a woman and man, fully clothed, simulating sex. The woman was yelling "Daddy" (as in her father) and telling him how much she liked his "insert name here" inside of her. We awkwardly passed them and when we were on the other side of the bed, they both jumped up to see us... The "daddy" asked if I liked what I saw and asked if I wanted some, too. He asked if I liked my men shaven and if I'd like to shave his ass. I pointed to Roxie and said that she was into shaving people, then I tried to go into the next room. I was greeted by the woman this time, and she was caressing her body in a sexual manner and asked if I thought she was pretty. She put her one leg up against the door frame and motioned for me to bend under her leg to pass through her. As I passed under her, she moaned and screamed in feigned sexual delight.She asked me to spank her/slap her ass. (Seriously... you can't make this stuff up!)
We were then each escorted either to a wall or a large pole (the structural kind that holds up ceilings/floors) and told to either put our hands against the wall or around the pole. Blacked goggled were placed over our eyes so we couldn't see anything. People would come up behind you and just stand there or make weird noises into your ear. Still not scary. I learned that Roxie was taken away, and then soon I was escorted by a man into another space and handed off to a female. She instructed me to step up a step and turn around. When I stepped up a step, the floor felt like a grassy area. I turned around and she removed the goggled in time for me to see her shut the large wooden door. After my eyes adjusted I realized I was in a standing coffin-like box. No one was grabbing at me through the tiny slats as I anticipated. She opened the door and asked, "do you want to come out?" I said, "sure." She slammed the door and said, "no!," laughed and walked away. She returned a few minutes later, let me out and escorted me to a curtain which led up brightly lit steps. That was the end. I walked into another room where you could watch people live as they walked through the haunted basement.
LAME. Most definitely not worth the $21 entry fee.
Lyle was also locked in standing up coffin. Roxie was brought to a typical coffin, except the head portion opened to reveal jail-type bars where the actors put things through toward her face. She was in the coffin for more than ten minutes (possibly 15 minutes). Lyle and I were about to go back downstairs and get her because she was down there for so long when she rounded the corner to come upstairs.
Bottom line: it was NOT the scariest "haunted house" in the state of Minnesota.
I was VERY excited to go to the Soap Factory's infamous haunted basement. I had heard it's the scariest "haunted house" in the state of Minnesota. Tickets needed to be ordered in advanced and the tickets were timed, meaning you had to show up at your assigned time or else...
After an annoying drive through Minneapolis and the U of M's incredibly busy campus, I finally arrived at the Soap Factory (literally on time), my stomach in knots from the drive and with anticipation about how afraid I would truly get. I was excited.
In order to go through the haunted basement you have to be 18 years old or older, and need to sign a waiver. Ooooooo, my anticipation increases. I can't wait!
Of course there was a short line of groups ahead of us. Before each group descended the stairs, a greeter rang a loud cow bell. Once we got to the front of the line, the greeter informed us of "the rules" which included not touching the actors; not bringing anything downstairs that could potentially fall out of our pockets or purses; when we reached the bottom of the stairs, hang on to the rope "until it's evident there is no more rope;" and if we were too afraid or wanted something to stop, that we should say "uncle" very loudly so the actors can hear, and they would then escort us out of the basement, no exceptions. Wow. Cool!! As she was telling us this, a skinny guy came running up the steps saying he couldn't go any further, that he was scared. Hmmmmmmm. He just went down with the group in front of us, so he couldn't have gotten very far...
After a few more minutes, the greeter rang the loud bell (which must tell the actors that another group is on their way down) and we descended the stairs. Roxie went first, followed by Lyle, and then me, bringing up the rear of our group. By the time you get almost to the bottom of the stairs, you have to move a heavy black curtain to the side to continue. Four or more steps down in complete darkness brings you to the basement. Still hanging on to the rope, I literally cannot see a thing. I hold the thick ship-like rope with my right hand and walk slowly, extending my left hand forward in case a wall suddenly appears in my face. In my head I'm thinking "someone is going to yell or grab me or whisper or something" to scare me. I also imagine the actors wearing night vision goggles, secretly laughing at those of us who walk slowly through the darkness. There's loud "music" playing around the darkness, but it sounded more like death metal with a deep voice speaking slowly and unintelligibly. I follow the rope around corners, up high, down low, and around more corners. I anticipate someone jumping out. No one did. Nothing. I felt the rope raise in front of me as if actors were passing in front of me to get ahead of me... still nothing. Nada. I saw a lit doorway ahead of me, continued blindly following the rope, and walked through another curtained doorway where Roxie and Lyle were waiting. As I stepped through the doorway, someone brushed my ankle. Lame. I wasn't even startled.
Unfortunately since I didn't write the review immediately afterwards, the following events won't be in the order they actually happened, but it will give you an idea of the Soap Factory experience nonetheless.
We encountered two costumed people on stilts. One followed me and then made me go under his leg to get to the next room.
Next we walk into a room filled with "regular people," although they were dressed for a time decades ago. They welcomed us into their living room and separated us from one another. Roxie sat on a couch next to a man and then a young woman draped herself across the man and Roxie, and rested her head on Roxie's legs. Lyle was talking to another man. And I was stopped by the "older brother" of the "family" who asked who I brought to his party. We chatted for a while, about nothing and then I saw that the next group was on their way into his "home" so I gracefully exited the situation. It wasn't scary. It was...weird.
We left that room and passed by a large globe-like thing that had electricity coming out of it and it shocked each person as he/she passed it. Then we passed a literal stream of water that was going from one side of the "hallway" to the other. Each "hallway" we went through were costumed people, but because you saw them and knew they would try to scare you, it wasn't at all scary. Some followed us for a while. Still not scary.
We entered another room and the people tickled us and tried not to let us pass onto the next portion of the basement. I again had to walk under someone's leg to get through into the next space. This space had three females, dressed in dresses with white faces. One cornered me and wouldn't let me pass. She kept asking if I thought she was pretty. "Do you think I'm pretty?" then she grinded herself against me in simulated sex. She repeatedly asked me, "Do you think I'm pretty" while she touched herself and rubbed up against me. At this point, Roxie just escapes the tickling people and the girl focuses her attention on Roxie. I move forward to discover Lyle with a woman (man dressed as a woman) asking him to touch her nipples & pull her nipples.
We eventually left the three women and entered another part of the basement where spoiled food was laid out on a table and a "crazy woman" was there asking us to stay for dinner. Again, not scary. She did shove food into my mouth though (it was trail mix) while Roxie ran past her. The room smelled of feces.
We then rounded the corner and heard sexual screaming and moaning and discovered a woman and man, fully clothed, simulating sex. The woman was yelling "Daddy" (as in her father) and telling him how much she liked his "insert name here" inside of her. We awkwardly passed them and when we were on the other side of the bed, they both jumped up to see us... The "daddy" asked if I liked what I saw and asked if I wanted some, too. He asked if I liked my men shaven and if I'd like to shave his ass. I pointed to Roxie and said that she was into shaving people, then I tried to go into the next room. I was greeted by the woman this time, and she was caressing her body in a sexual manner and asked if I thought she was pretty. She put her one leg up against the door frame and motioned for me to bend under her leg to pass through her. As I passed under her, she moaned and screamed in feigned sexual delight.She asked me to spank her/slap her ass. (Seriously... you can't make this stuff up!)
We were then each escorted either to a wall or a large pole (the structural kind that holds up ceilings/floors) and told to either put our hands against the wall or around the pole. Blacked goggled were placed over our eyes so we couldn't see anything. People would come up behind you and just stand there or make weird noises into your ear. Still not scary. I learned that Roxie was taken away, and then soon I was escorted by a man into another space and handed off to a female. She instructed me to step up a step and turn around. When I stepped up a step, the floor felt like a grassy area. I turned around and she removed the goggled in time for me to see her shut the large wooden door. After my eyes adjusted I realized I was in a standing coffin-like box. No one was grabbing at me through the tiny slats as I anticipated. She opened the door and asked, "do you want to come out?" I said, "sure." She slammed the door and said, "no!," laughed and walked away. She returned a few minutes later, let me out and escorted me to a curtain which led up brightly lit steps. That was the end. I walked into another room where you could watch people live as they walked through the haunted basement.
LAME. Most definitely not worth the $21 entry fee.
Lyle was also locked in standing up coffin. Roxie was brought to a typical coffin, except the head portion opened to reveal jail-type bars where the actors put things through toward her face. She was in the coffin for more than ten minutes (possibly 15 minutes). Lyle and I were about to go back downstairs and get her because she was down there for so long when she rounded the corner to come upstairs.
Bottom line: it was NOT the scariest "haunted house" in the state of Minnesota.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Book review: Before I go to Sleep
I read the description for S.J. Watson's "Before I go to Sleep" on the New York Times Bestseller List one evening and knew I had to recommend it to book club members.
I bought the book on Tuesday, started reading before I went to bed on Wednesday night, and finished this evening, Friday. I could not put the book down!
Imagine waking up and not knowing where you are. It's happened to all of us at one time or another. Perhaps in college when you thought you were still living at home; or perhaps when you moved into your first apartment or bought your first house... Thankfully for us, we soon realize where we are and continue on with our day, forgetting the awkwardness and disorientation we had upon waking.
Unfortunately this doesn't happen with Christine, the main character in "Before I go to Sleep." Christine wakes up every day not knowing where she is, who the man is next to her in bed, or who she is. She has no memory of the past; not even the prior day.
"... At first I can't work out what it is, but then I see it. The hand gripping the soap does not look like mine. Its skin is wrinkled, the nails unpolished and bitten to the quick and, like that of the man in the bed I have just left, the third finger wears a plain gold wedding finger. / I stare for a moment, then wriggle my fingers. The fingers of the hand holding the soap move also. I gasp, and the soap thuds into the sink. I look up at the mirror. / The face I see looking back at me is not my own. The hair has no volume and is cut much shorter than I wear it; the skin on the cheeks and under the chin sags; the lips are thin; the mouth turned down. I cry out, a wordless gasp that would turn into a shriek were I to let it, and then notice the eyes. The skin around them is lined, yes, but despite everything else, I can see that they are mine. The person in the mirror is me, but I am twenty years too old. Twenty-five. More." (pgs 4-5)
Every day Christine wakes up not knowing who or where she is. Her memories disappear every time she falls asleep. Her husband, Ben, is a stranger to her, and he explains their life together on a daily basis. As a result of a mysterious accident Christine is an amnesiac; a special case where not even new memories are stored in her mind. With the encouragement of her doctor, Christine starts a journal to help jog her memory every day. Of course, without a daily morning call from her doctor, she wouldn't know she had a journal.
One morning Christine opens the journal and sees that she's written three words: "Don't trust Ben."
As she writes in and reads her journal every day, she slowly pieces together her past, starts remembering more details, and begins to see inconsistencies in her memories and the things Ben tells her that happened. She doesn't know who she can trust. She doesn't even know if she can trust herself! The story will keep many readers guessing until the very end.
There aren't many books where time simply disappears for me, but this was definitely one of them! I highly recommend this book.
I bought the book on Tuesday, started reading before I went to bed on Wednesday night, and finished this evening, Friday. I could not put the book down!
Imagine waking up and not knowing where you are. It's happened to all of us at one time or another. Perhaps in college when you thought you were still living at home; or perhaps when you moved into your first apartment or bought your first house... Thankfully for us, we soon realize where we are and continue on with our day, forgetting the awkwardness and disorientation we had upon waking.
Unfortunately this doesn't happen with Christine, the main character in "Before I go to Sleep." Christine wakes up every day not knowing where she is, who the man is next to her in bed, or who she is. She has no memory of the past; not even the prior day.
"... At first I can't work out what it is, but then I see it. The hand gripping the soap does not look like mine. Its skin is wrinkled, the nails unpolished and bitten to the quick and, like that of the man in the bed I have just left, the third finger wears a plain gold wedding finger. / I stare for a moment, then wriggle my fingers. The fingers of the hand holding the soap move also. I gasp, and the soap thuds into the sink. I look up at the mirror. / The face I see looking back at me is not my own. The hair has no volume and is cut much shorter than I wear it; the skin on the cheeks and under the chin sags; the lips are thin; the mouth turned down. I cry out, a wordless gasp that would turn into a shriek were I to let it, and then notice the eyes. The skin around them is lined, yes, but despite everything else, I can see that they are mine. The person in the mirror is me, but I am twenty years too old. Twenty-five. More." (pgs 4-5)
Every day Christine wakes up not knowing who or where she is. Her memories disappear every time she falls asleep. Her husband, Ben, is a stranger to her, and he explains their life together on a daily basis. As a result of a mysterious accident Christine is an amnesiac; a special case where not even new memories are stored in her mind. With the encouragement of her doctor, Christine starts a journal to help jog her memory every day. Of course, without a daily morning call from her doctor, she wouldn't know she had a journal.
One morning Christine opens the journal and sees that she's written three words: "Don't trust Ben."
As she writes in and reads her journal every day, she slowly pieces together her past, starts remembering more details, and begins to see inconsistencies in her memories and the things Ben tells her that happened. She doesn't know who she can trust. She doesn't even know if she can trust herself! The story will keep many readers guessing until the very end.
There aren't many books where time simply disappears for me, but this was definitely one of them! I highly recommend this book.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Book review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs caught my eye when I was browsing through the top 110 books on the NY Times list.
As a child, Jacob formed a close bond with his grandfather over his bizarre tales and photos of levitating girls and invisible boys. His grandfather grew up on a small Welsh island in an "orphanage" that his parents sent him to in order to save him from Hitler's plans during WWII.
Under suspicious circumstances, Jacob, age 16, found his grandfather lying and dying in the woods behind his (grandfather's) ransacked home. Before his grandfather took his last breath, he told Jacob that he was sorry he didn't tell him a long time ago, but added, "There's no time [now]." He breathed into Jacob's ear: "Find the bird. In the loop. On the other side of the old man's grave. September third, 1940." With his last bit of strength, he added, "Emerson--the letter. Tell them what happened..." (pg 33). Jacob then saw a face in the woods--a face that was in his childhood nightmares. It was the last thing he saw before he blacked out.
His parents sent him to therapy because he wasn't sleeping due to nightmares and trying to decode his grandfather's last words. Upon cleaning our his grandfather's house, Jacob is given a mysterious letter, found inside a book of poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson, that brings him to the island where his grandfather grew up.
He soon finds the children from the photographs, alive and well, despite the islanders’ insistence that all were killed when the German's bombed the island in 1940.
I could not put the book down! Once Jacob gets to the island, things his grandfather said to him start to make sense. As he pieces the puzzle together, he realizes that he's in danger. It's definitely an exciting page-turner, and the photographs make the book that much better. A must read.
As a child, Jacob formed a close bond with his grandfather over his bizarre tales and photos of levitating girls and invisible boys. His grandfather grew up on a small Welsh island in an "orphanage" that his parents sent him to in order to save him from Hitler's plans during WWII.
Under suspicious circumstances, Jacob, age 16, found his grandfather lying and dying in the woods behind his (grandfather's) ransacked home. Before his grandfather took his last breath, he told Jacob that he was sorry he didn't tell him a long time ago, but added, "There's no time [now]." He breathed into Jacob's ear: "Find the bird. In the loop. On the other side of the old man's grave. September third, 1940." With his last bit of strength, he added, "Emerson--the letter. Tell them what happened..." (pg 33). Jacob then saw a face in the woods--a face that was in his childhood nightmares. It was the last thing he saw before he blacked out.
His parents sent him to therapy because he wasn't sleeping due to nightmares and trying to decode his grandfather's last words. Upon cleaning our his grandfather's house, Jacob is given a mysterious letter, found inside a book of poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson, that brings him to the island where his grandfather grew up.
He soon finds the children from the photographs, alive and well, despite the islanders’ insistence that all were killed when the German's bombed the island in 1940.
I could not put the book down! Once Jacob gets to the island, things his grandfather said to him start to make sense. As he pieces the puzzle together, he realizes that he's in danger. It's definitely an exciting page-turner, and the photographs make the book that much better. A must read.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Book review: Buried Prey
Buried Prey by John Sandford
I have been a big John Sandford fan since I read his first “Prey” book long ago. He’s an author of which I repeatedly purchase without hesitation, ESPECIALLY if it’s a “Prey” book. And finding Buried Prey at Half Priced Books was a deal I most definitely could not pass up! A bonus for those who don’t know, the Prey series all take place in the Twin Cities!
In Buried Prey, Sandford reintroduces the young and ambitious Lucas Davenport when he started on the police force. It was cool to see Davenport as a “rookie” and see how he worked his way up through the ranks to his current role as an investigator in the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
This book featured one of his first cases—the abduction and assumed murder of two young girls. He wasn’t comfortable with the “resolution” of the case when it happened, but he was just breaking out of patrol work and accepted his supervisor’s decision on the case. Now, twenty-five years later, the bodies of the Jones sisters are discovered in a plastic bag beneath the concrete-floor basement of a house being torn down in Minneapolis, and Davenport is re-examining the case. He reviews his case notes from 1985 and realizes that because of his lack of experience, the notes weren’t incredibly helpful, however, from them he was able to reinterview a couple of witnesses who still remembered the missing girls.
You’ll be missing out if you don’t read Sandford’s latest Prey book.
Check out The Prey Series:
Rules of Prey
Shadow Prey
Eyes of Prey
Silent Prey
Winter Prey
Night Prey
Mind Prey
Sudden Prey
Secret Prey
Certain Prey
Easy Prey
Chosen Prey
Mortal Prey
Naked Prey
Hidden Prey
Broken Prey
Invisible Prey
Phantom Prey
Wicked Prey
Storm Prey
Buried Prey
I have been a big John Sandford fan since I read his first “Prey” book long ago. He’s an author of which I repeatedly purchase without hesitation, ESPECIALLY if it’s a “Prey” book. And finding Buried Prey at Half Priced Books was a deal I most definitely could not pass up! A bonus for those who don’t know, the Prey series all take place in the Twin Cities!
In Buried Prey, Sandford reintroduces the young and ambitious Lucas Davenport when he started on the police force. It was cool to see Davenport as a “rookie” and see how he worked his way up through the ranks to his current role as an investigator in the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
This book featured one of his first cases—the abduction and assumed murder of two young girls. He wasn’t comfortable with the “resolution” of the case when it happened, but he was just breaking out of patrol work and accepted his supervisor’s decision on the case. Now, twenty-five years later, the bodies of the Jones sisters are discovered in a plastic bag beneath the concrete-floor basement of a house being torn down in Minneapolis, and Davenport is re-examining the case. He reviews his case notes from 1985 and realizes that because of his lack of experience, the notes weren’t incredibly helpful, however, from them he was able to reinterview a couple of witnesses who still remembered the missing girls.
You’ll be missing out if you don’t read Sandford’s latest Prey book.
Check out The Prey Series:
Rules of Prey
Shadow Prey
Eyes of Prey
Silent Prey
Winter Prey
Night Prey
Mind Prey
Sudden Prey
Secret Prey
Certain Prey
Easy Prey
Chosen Prey
Mortal Prey
Naked Prey
Hidden Prey
Broken Prey
Invisible Prey
Phantom Prey
Wicked Prey
Storm Prey
Buried Prey
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Book review: Think Twice
“Think Twice” by Lisa Scottoline
I read Think Twice on my own and now it's July's book club selection. I really liked the book; it held my interest and kept me on the edge of my seat. I admit that the plot-line is more like an exaggerated Hollywood movie than a real life happening, but books are for escaping reality, right? So go along for the ride!
Bennie Rosato looks exactly like her identical twin, Alice Connolly. They were separated shortly after birth because their mother couldn't care for both children. Alice was adopted. The twins meet later in life when Bennie, an attorney, represents her sister Alice in a murder trial. Alice was aquitted.
Alice pops up in Bennie's life again, but this time with a plan to take over her sister's identity, or rather, her sister's extensive bank accounts. Early in the novel Bennie finds herself drugged and buried alive at the hands of Alice.
I could not put the book down!
It's easy to see how the twin fooled Bennie's coworkers, as Bennie is the type who stays to herself and doesn't share much about her own life, or show feelings to others. Alice easily "replaces" her sister at work, and with a boyfriend who resurfaces!
The other characters in the book are full of life, especially the crazy Italian family of Mary DiNunzio, who could have a novel themselves! A true Italian "witch" named Valentina is a friend of the DiNunzio family and she sees that "Bennie" is evil but no one believes her.
The book explores whether evil is born or bred. If pushed to the limit, are we all capable of evil...?
Check out Think Twice and see for yourself.
I read Think Twice on my own and now it's July's book club selection. I really liked the book; it held my interest and kept me on the edge of my seat. I admit that the plot-line is more like an exaggerated Hollywood movie than a real life happening, but books are for escaping reality, right? So go along for the ride!
Bennie Rosato looks exactly like her identical twin, Alice Connolly. They were separated shortly after birth because their mother couldn't care for both children. Alice was adopted. The twins meet later in life when Bennie, an attorney, represents her sister Alice in a murder trial. Alice was aquitted.
Alice pops up in Bennie's life again, but this time with a plan to take over her sister's identity, or rather, her sister's extensive bank accounts. Early in the novel Bennie finds herself drugged and buried alive at the hands of Alice.
I could not put the book down!
It's easy to see how the twin fooled Bennie's coworkers, as Bennie is the type who stays to herself and doesn't share much about her own life, or show feelings to others. Alice easily "replaces" her sister at work, and with a boyfriend who resurfaces!
The other characters in the book are full of life, especially the crazy Italian family of Mary DiNunzio, who could have a novel themselves! A true Italian "witch" named Valentina is a friend of the DiNunzio family and she sees that "Bennie" is evil but no one believes her.
The book explores whether evil is born or bred. If pushed to the limit, are we all capable of evil...?
Check out Think Twice and see for yourself.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Book review: The Shack
The Shack by William Paul Young was the book club selection for May.
I knew nothing about the book when I bought it; I didn't read reviews or summaries, and had no preconceived notions.
I was really into the book in the first several chapters. Mackenzie (Mack) took his children camping, and while he was saving two of his children in a canoe accident, his other daughter Missy was abducted. They searched the camp grounds and the surrounding area. When they returned to the camp site, they discovered a ladybug lapel pin stuck into Missy's coloring book. Upon further investigation, it's revealed that the FBI has been tracking the "Little Ladykiller" for four years, through nine states without any luck of catching him or finding the bodies of the girls he's abducted. During an intensive search, they discovered evidence that indicated Missy was brutally killed in an abandoned shack deep in the wilderness.
Mack goes into what he calls, "The Great Sadness." Four years later, still in the midst of his "great sadness" he receives a letter in the mailbox from "Papa" inviting to meet at the shack. Is the note from the killer? Or is the note from God?
Mack drives to the shack in the dead of winter, walks toward it, and enters. And this my friends, is where the book loses me... Mack meets God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and spends the weekend with them. And God is a big black woman. And that is relevant to the story as well.
I found the book interesting in that the God he met with is the God I know. I'm not a church goer anymore, but I am spiritual and I believe in God. However, I do not believe in Hell, brimstone and fire. My God is a loving God who wants us to experience things, to learn from experiences, to grow... my God, and the God in the book wants us to be the best we can possibly be and live a good and loving life. God doesn't punish people. God isn't a vengeful God. God is an all-loving all encompassing God.
I completed the book. It was insightful. Although I am not in AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) myself, I noticed many AA moments throughout Mack's weekend with the Trinity with regards to going through some of The Steps to better himself. Mack learned a lot about himself, forgave, and was able to "let go and let God."
The books asks, is it possible to let go of control and certainty in life? Is it possible to live only in the present?
Will this book change your life?
I knew nothing about the book when I bought it; I didn't read reviews or summaries, and had no preconceived notions.
I was really into the book in the first several chapters. Mackenzie (Mack) took his children camping, and while he was saving two of his children in a canoe accident, his other daughter Missy was abducted. They searched the camp grounds and the surrounding area. When they returned to the camp site, they discovered a ladybug lapel pin stuck into Missy's coloring book. Upon further investigation, it's revealed that the FBI has been tracking the "Little Ladykiller" for four years, through nine states without any luck of catching him or finding the bodies of the girls he's abducted. During an intensive search, they discovered evidence that indicated Missy was brutally killed in an abandoned shack deep in the wilderness.
Mack goes into what he calls, "The Great Sadness." Four years later, still in the midst of his "great sadness" he receives a letter in the mailbox from "Papa" inviting to meet at the shack. Is the note from the killer? Or is the note from God?
Mack drives to the shack in the dead of winter, walks toward it, and enters. And this my friends, is where the book loses me... Mack meets God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and spends the weekend with them. And God is a big black woman. And that is relevant to the story as well.
I found the book interesting in that the God he met with is the God I know. I'm not a church goer anymore, but I am spiritual and I believe in God. However, I do not believe in Hell, brimstone and fire. My God is a loving God who wants us to experience things, to learn from experiences, to grow... my God, and the God in the book wants us to be the best we can possibly be and live a good and loving life. God doesn't punish people. God isn't a vengeful God. God is an all-loving all encompassing God.
I completed the book. It was insightful. Although I am not in AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) myself, I noticed many AA moments throughout Mack's weekend with the Trinity with regards to going through some of The Steps to better himself. Mack learned a lot about himself, forgave, and was able to "let go and let God."
The books asks, is it possible to let go of control and certainty in life? Is it possible to live only in the present?
Will this book change your life?
Monday, July 4, 2011
Journal, 07.03.11
07.03.11
I woke from a dream this afternoon. I could still feel his soft shirt against my face... feel my arms wrapped around him... If you watched me sleep, you would see my arms outstretched and my head tilted slightly. As I opened my eyes, the feeling of his arms left me. But I could still feel the softness of his shirt against the right side of my face.
I want so bad to return to him. The faceless man in my dreams. The man who loves me for me. The one who cuddles with me, holds me close, kisses my head. The man with the softest of shirts. The one who makes me comfortable... safe. The one I miss terribly.
As my eyes fill with tears, my heart fills with sorrow. I'm so incredibly lonely I don't even think there are words that adequately describe my despair. My heart is empty. Sadness escapes through the hot salty tears that fall down my face, blurring the computer screen.
Just when I think "I've changed; I'm ready," I discover that is not the case. Perhaps I am destined to be a sexual play thing for the rest of my life. Why is it so easy for me to revert to sex with a man? Over the phone. In emails, over instant messages... It's so easy. And every time it happens it begins the same way... I feel the energy.
I love the energy.
I love sex. Why isn't that acceptable for women to admit? I love sex! I love everything about sex--the adventure, the sweat and noises; the different positions... heavy breathing, the screams, the wetness... I love the smell afterwards...
...and I love the "get the fuck out" when it's over. Don't get me wrong. I'll walk him to the door and kiss him goodbye. It's just sex. I'm a play thing.
Do men see that in me? Do I project "sex"? What is it about me that make men tell me their deepest and darkest dreams and fantasies? Do they know I won't judge them?
Once the energy is gone though... I'm left empty. A used vessel. Discarded. Discounted. Until the next time. And I KNOW the emptiness is coming, and yet I travel the same path. Why? *sigh* Because sex is easy. I am good at it. Not in a bragging kind of way, mind you, but in the "we all do what we're good at" kind of way. Now having a relationship? That's hard. Fighting? No thanks. Conflict? Run the other way. No thank you. It comes back to not wanting to be abandoned. Yep... I still need to work on myself. Bottom line. I need more "me" time. Until then, the man in my dreams is out of reach.
I need to rethink things. Put something else into the universe. I am worth loving. I am more than a sexual play toy. I am a strong independent woman. I will make my dream man a reality. I will feel the softness of his shirt in reality. Until then... I will meet him in my dreams.
I woke from a dream this afternoon. I could still feel his soft shirt against my face... feel my arms wrapped around him... If you watched me sleep, you would see my arms outstretched and my head tilted slightly. As I opened my eyes, the feeling of his arms left me. But I could still feel the softness of his shirt against the right side of my face.
I want so bad to return to him. The faceless man in my dreams. The man who loves me for me. The one who cuddles with me, holds me close, kisses my head. The man with the softest of shirts. The one who makes me comfortable... safe. The one I miss terribly.
As my eyes fill with tears, my heart fills with sorrow. I'm so incredibly lonely I don't even think there are words that adequately describe my despair. My heart is empty. Sadness escapes through the hot salty tears that fall down my face, blurring the computer screen.
Just when I think "I've changed; I'm ready," I discover that is not the case. Perhaps I am destined to be a sexual play thing for the rest of my life. Why is it so easy for me to revert to sex with a man? Over the phone. In emails, over instant messages... It's so easy. And every time it happens it begins the same way... I feel the energy.
I love the energy.
I love sex. Why isn't that acceptable for women to admit? I love sex! I love everything about sex--the adventure, the sweat and noises; the different positions... heavy breathing, the screams, the wetness... I love the smell afterwards...
...and I love the "get the fuck out" when it's over. Don't get me wrong. I'll walk him to the door and kiss him goodbye. It's just sex. I'm a play thing.
Do men see that in me? Do I project "sex"? What is it about me that make men tell me their deepest and darkest dreams and fantasies? Do they know I won't judge them?
Once the energy is gone though... I'm left empty. A used vessel. Discarded. Discounted. Until the next time. And I KNOW the emptiness is coming, and yet I travel the same path. Why? *sigh* Because sex is easy. I am good at it. Not in a bragging kind of way, mind you, but in the "we all do what we're good at" kind of way. Now having a relationship? That's hard. Fighting? No thanks. Conflict? Run the other way. No thank you. It comes back to not wanting to be abandoned. Yep... I still need to work on myself. Bottom line. I need more "me" time. Until then, the man in my dreams is out of reach.
I need to rethink things. Put something else into the universe. I am worth loving. I am more than a sexual play toy. I am a strong independent woman. I will make my dream man a reality. I will feel the softness of his shirt in reality. Until then... I will meet him in my dreams.
Book review: Two Rivers
Two Rivers by T. Greenwood
I read this book in January so the details are foggy. I read reviews online to refresh my memory but they didn't help much. My apologies in advance.
The book stars Harper Montgomery and opens in a memory of the past... 1968. "Blackberries. The man's skin reminds him of late summer blackberries. The color of not-quite midnight. The color of a bruise. This is what Harper thinks as he looks at the man they have taken to the river, the one who is half-drowned now, pleading for his life: the miracle that human skin can have the same blue-black stillness as ripe fruit, as evening, as sorrow itself."
The book switches between past and present, which I've found to like in novels as of late. Present day Harper lives with his daughter Shelly in an small town apartment. He works at the railroad and has been in a state of depression since his wife Besty died twelve years earlier, the day Shelly was born. Betsy was Harper's childhood crush turned love-of-his-life, and her death devastated him.
Harper was somehow involved in a murder in 1968, but the book reveals little of the crime or why he was involved. However, the event significantly impacted his life and he feels guilty about his involvement.
This becomes more clear after a horrific train derailment occurs present day in Two Rivers, in which many people die. He attempts to save a man who's stuck in one of the train cars under water, but is unsuccessful. The man had skin the color of blackberries. As a result of not being able to save the man, Harper runs out of the water and rushes to a place to be alone, collapses next to a tree, and his mind goes back to 1968 and the murder. After many minutes, he becomes aware that a young pregnant black girl stands dripping wet in front of him, begging for him to help her. Reluctantly he lets the girl stay with him and his daughter, explaining that she's his "mother's friend's daughter."
In addition to flashing back to the 1968 murder, the book also flashes back to Harper and his growing relationship with Betsy, and with his parents. His father invented things to make his mother's life easier, although his father reminded me somewhat of the crazy inventor in the movie, "Honey I Shrunk the Kids," and the inventions were clunky and useless. Harper's very liberal mother spent most of her time alone, writing. Once Harper left for college, she left the home to help register black voters. In Harper's sophomore year of college, his mother started Freedom Press Monthly and had one thousand subscribers. At one point she was beat up so badly that her jaw was wired shut.
Harper's mother printed a special edition of the Freedom Press almost immediately after Martin Luther King, Junior was murdered. The headline read DREAM TURNS NIGHTMARE. She delivered to her usual neighborhoods. "But on April 4, when she drove down Blue Hill Avenue, the street was on fire, and the last thing the residents of Roxbury wanted to see was a crazy-haired white lady driving a Buick through a riot." After the beating she received on that day, she lapsed into a coma at Harvard Medical Center, and quickly died.
Betsy was pregnant at the time of Harper's mother's death. Besty died after giving birth, and the murdered man had something to do with Betsy's death, but we don't know what until the end of the book.
Does Harper find redemption? Forgiveness? I guess you'll have to read the book to find out.
I read this book in January so the details are foggy. I read reviews online to refresh my memory but they didn't help much. My apologies in advance.
The book stars Harper Montgomery and opens in a memory of the past... 1968. "Blackberries. The man's skin reminds him of late summer blackberries. The color of not-quite midnight. The color of a bruise. This is what Harper thinks as he looks at the man they have taken to the river, the one who is half-drowned now, pleading for his life: the miracle that human skin can have the same blue-black stillness as ripe fruit, as evening, as sorrow itself."
The book switches between past and present, which I've found to like in novels as of late. Present day Harper lives with his daughter Shelly in an small town apartment. He works at the railroad and has been in a state of depression since his wife Besty died twelve years earlier, the day Shelly was born. Betsy was Harper's childhood crush turned love-of-his-life, and her death devastated him.
Harper was somehow involved in a murder in 1968, but the book reveals little of the crime or why he was involved. However, the event significantly impacted his life and he feels guilty about his involvement.
This becomes more clear after a horrific train derailment occurs present day in Two Rivers, in which many people die. He attempts to save a man who's stuck in one of the train cars under water, but is unsuccessful. The man had skin the color of blackberries. As a result of not being able to save the man, Harper runs out of the water and rushes to a place to be alone, collapses next to a tree, and his mind goes back to 1968 and the murder. After many minutes, he becomes aware that a young pregnant black girl stands dripping wet in front of him, begging for him to help her. Reluctantly he lets the girl stay with him and his daughter, explaining that she's his "mother's friend's daughter."
In addition to flashing back to the 1968 murder, the book also flashes back to Harper and his growing relationship with Betsy, and with his parents. His father invented things to make his mother's life easier, although his father reminded me somewhat of the crazy inventor in the movie, "Honey I Shrunk the Kids," and the inventions were clunky and useless. Harper's very liberal mother spent most of her time alone, writing. Once Harper left for college, she left the home to help register black voters. In Harper's sophomore year of college, his mother started Freedom Press Monthly and had one thousand subscribers. At one point she was beat up so badly that her jaw was wired shut.
Harper's mother printed a special edition of the Freedom Press almost immediately after Martin Luther King, Junior was murdered. The headline read DREAM TURNS NIGHTMARE. She delivered to her usual neighborhoods. "But on April 4, when she drove down Blue Hill Avenue, the street was on fire, and the last thing the residents of Roxbury wanted to see was a crazy-haired white lady driving a Buick through a riot." After the beating she received on that day, she lapsed into a coma at Harvard Medical Center, and quickly died.
Betsy was pregnant at the time of Harper's mother's death. Besty died after giving birth, and the murdered man had something to do with Betsy's death, but we don't know what until the end of the book.
Does Harper find redemption? Forgiveness? I guess you'll have to read the book to find out.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Book review: Water for Elephants
I am so far behind on my book reviews, it’s rather embarrassing. I will do my best to recall each book I’ve read since January 2011. I will begin with…
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Water for Elephants is told as a series of memories by Jacob Jankowski, a “ninety or ninety-three year-old” man who lives in a nursing home. Jacob longs to eat food with flavor and of substance, like corn-on-the-cob or steak, but because he’s “the only one who still has teeth” he’s forced to eat tasteless “mush” at the nursing home. He’s a witty character that will make the reader laugh aloud at times.
The book goes between Jacob’s present non-exciting and lonely life in a nursing home to memories of his past working for The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. As a young man, Jacob was about to take his final exam to become a vet at Cornell when he was informed that his parents died in a car accident… and that his father mortgaged the family home (and vet business) to send him to school, so he no longer had a home or a vet business. Devastated, he literally ran away; he hopped on a train in the middle of the night only to find out later that it was a circus train.
Thankfully he was able to get a job with the circus because of his veterinary skills. He’s forced to share a boxcar with a dwarf named Walter and his dog Queenie, neither of which are happy about the new living arrangements. Jacob also meets Camel, an alcoholic who later befalls the effects of drinking Jamaican ginger extract for years and loses the use of his arms and legs. Walter, Camel and Jacob eventually get along and become good friends.
The head trainer August is married to the star of the circus, Marlena, with whom Jacob falls in love. August is a violent man who abuses the animals and people, Marlena in particular. This can be seen more vividly after Rosie the elephant is purchased “to save the circus.” August, although sometimes charming, is not a likable character. Jacob develops a guarded relationship with August and Marlena.
August becomes suspicious of Jacob and Marlena’s “relationship” and beats each of them. Marlena runs away to a hotel while she’s not performing. The reader, and August, can clearly see that Jacob and Marlena are falling in love with one another, although neither have acted upon it physically.
Meanwhile, circus sales are down, workers aren’t being paid (sometimes for months) and circus hands are being “red-lighted” (throwing circus workers off a moving train as either punishment or to avoid paying wages).
As Jacob sees the results of August’s beatings of Marlena and Rosie the elephant, he becomes enraged and wants revenge. One night Jacob climbs up and jumps each car, while the train is moving, to August’s room, carrying a knife between his teeth intending to kill August. He sees Marlena in bed with August and instead quietly lays the knife on August’s pillow as a type of warning. When Jacob returns to his boxcar, he only finds Queenie. He realizes that Walter and Camel were red-lighted and Jacob himself was supposed to be too. The train stops in the next town and the tents go up. Some are shocked to see Jacob there…
As the story climaxes, several circus workers who were red-lighted off the train come back and release the animals causing a stampede during the performance.
Panic arises. August is killed by Rosie the elephant, who plunges the stake which had “secured” her to the ground, into his head. Jacob is the only one who sees this happen. Rosie then returns the stake into the ground. As a result of the stampede, the circus is shut down. Marlena and Jacob leave, along with Rosie the elephant, Queenie, and a few other animals, to begin their life together.
We discover that Marlena and Jacob married, had 5 children, and spent the first seven years at another circus before Jacob secured a job as a vet at a zoo, who also took Rosie the elephant. Evidently Marlena died a few years before Jacob was put into the nursing home.
In the present, ninety-three year old Jacob is waiting for his family to take him to the circus. Alas, they forgot. He is deeply saddened, but then decides to walk across the street to the circus by himself. He arrives as they are loading up to go to another city. Jacob meets the manager and finds that he is “home” again. He secures a job as a ticket salesman.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Water for Elephants is told as a series of memories by Jacob Jankowski, a “ninety or ninety-three year-old” man who lives in a nursing home. Jacob longs to eat food with flavor and of substance, like corn-on-the-cob or steak, but because he’s “the only one who still has teeth” he’s forced to eat tasteless “mush” at the nursing home. He’s a witty character that will make the reader laugh aloud at times.
The book goes between Jacob’s present non-exciting and lonely life in a nursing home to memories of his past working for The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. As a young man, Jacob was about to take his final exam to become a vet at Cornell when he was informed that his parents died in a car accident… and that his father mortgaged the family home (and vet business) to send him to school, so he no longer had a home or a vet business. Devastated, he literally ran away; he hopped on a train in the middle of the night only to find out later that it was a circus train.
Thankfully he was able to get a job with the circus because of his veterinary skills. He’s forced to share a boxcar with a dwarf named Walter and his dog Queenie, neither of which are happy about the new living arrangements. Jacob also meets Camel, an alcoholic who later befalls the effects of drinking Jamaican ginger extract for years and loses the use of his arms and legs. Walter, Camel and Jacob eventually get along and become good friends.
The head trainer August is married to the star of the circus, Marlena, with whom Jacob falls in love. August is a violent man who abuses the animals and people, Marlena in particular. This can be seen more vividly after Rosie the elephant is purchased “to save the circus.” August, although sometimes charming, is not a likable character. Jacob develops a guarded relationship with August and Marlena.
August becomes suspicious of Jacob and Marlena’s “relationship” and beats each of them. Marlena runs away to a hotel while she’s not performing. The reader, and August, can clearly see that Jacob and Marlena are falling in love with one another, although neither have acted upon it physically.
Meanwhile, circus sales are down, workers aren’t being paid (sometimes for months) and circus hands are being “red-lighted” (throwing circus workers off a moving train as either punishment or to avoid paying wages).
As Jacob sees the results of August’s beatings of Marlena and Rosie the elephant, he becomes enraged and wants revenge. One night Jacob climbs up and jumps each car, while the train is moving, to August’s room, carrying a knife between his teeth intending to kill August. He sees Marlena in bed with August and instead quietly lays the knife on August’s pillow as a type of warning. When Jacob returns to his boxcar, he only finds Queenie. He realizes that Walter and Camel were red-lighted and Jacob himself was supposed to be too. The train stops in the next town and the tents go up. Some are shocked to see Jacob there…
As the story climaxes, several circus workers who were red-lighted off the train come back and release the animals causing a stampede during the performance.
Panic arises. August is killed by Rosie the elephant, who plunges the stake which had “secured” her to the ground, into his head. Jacob is the only one who sees this happen. Rosie then returns the stake into the ground. As a result of the stampede, the circus is shut down. Marlena and Jacob leave, along with Rosie the elephant, Queenie, and a few other animals, to begin their life together.
We discover that Marlena and Jacob married, had 5 children, and spent the first seven years at another circus before Jacob secured a job as a vet at a zoo, who also took Rosie the elephant. Evidently Marlena died a few years before Jacob was put into the nursing home.
In the present, ninety-three year old Jacob is waiting for his family to take him to the circus. Alas, they forgot. He is deeply saddened, but then decides to walk across the street to the circus by himself. He arrives as they are loading up to go to another city. Jacob meets the manager and finds that he is “home” again. He secures a job as a ticket salesman.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Men, part 2
Men, part 2
When it comes to men, I always want what I can’t have. It’s my protection. A shield. A way for me not to get hurt. Intellectually I realize this fact, but my heart doesn’t want to go through the pain again. Heart wins. However, my heart aches to be loved. My body yearns to be held, my lips kissed, my hands intertwined with another… our bodies joining together in pure passionate pleasure.
I can have *all* of those things with DJ (not his real name). I shouldn’t because he’s married… morally off-limits. But there’s the catch, you see, he’s safe. He’s safe BECAUSE he is married. He can’t commit to me. I know he can’t stay the night or see me as often as I’d like to see him. He won’t love me and leave me or break my heart. He’s safe, you see? He holds me close and kisses me; he intertwines his fingers and body with mine, like a perfect mold… we are made for each other. Just seeing his name in my e-mail in-box excites me. Oh, and hearing his voice…! *slow deep breath* That excites me more. And when he arrives on my doorstep unexpectedly during the late night hours, we can’t keep our clothes on long enough to shut the front door. Passionate. Raw. Animalistic.
See? He can’t hurt me.
But he does… our time together is temporary and fills a momentary need. When our time together is over I am alone once again—only this time I’m alone and left feeling bad because I compromised myself, my morals, my values. So begins the cycle.
I know I have to stay away from DJ. I’ve done well for almost a year. But his name appeared in my in-box recently… my pulse quickened, my breathing grew shallow, my eyes dilated, I was ready—that intense lust rushed through my entire body. Just. By. Seeing. His. Name.
I can justify sleeping with him to myself: “if he’s going to cheat on his wife, it might as well be with me;” or “they haven’t slept together in years, so why does it matter?;” or “it’s no big deal; it’s just sex; it’s only physical.”
Who *is* that person? Not the Keri I know.
Will that lust ever go away? It didn’t a year ago when I was dating my boyfriend. Perhaps it was because that relationship was long distance? Regardless, every time I saw DJ’s name in my inbox I wanted nothing more than to be with him. I didn’t, of course. Regrettably. Or not. I am faithful in my relationships. Hypocrite. It’s true. I don’t cheat. My ex-husband cheated on me and I know what it feels like. So why… why did I sleep with DJ? Am I not worthy of a great man? Am I not worthy of love? Do I fear love…?
DJ isn’t the only man on my mind.
There’s one man I am ever so slowly getting out of my mind. We met online years ago, but just met in person in the past six months. He’s considerably younger but definitely has an old soul. He’s accepting and open-minded and will try anything at least once. He’s genius intelligent so there’s never a lull in the conversation. And I can be me with him… no apologies. He accepts me for me. In addition, although we have haven’t slept together, I know we are sexually compatible from the site on which we met and from our conversations over the years. He’s a beautiful and caring man with a lot to offer to someone… I don’t think he thinks *I* am that someone.
But again, because of the age difference, he is safe. *I* do not have a problem with his age, and because I don’t look or act my age, I don’t think it’s a problem, but that is not my decision to make. Most of my friends are his age or a year or two older than him… idk… Regardless, he’s unavailable to me right now and that is a choice he made.
Men. Men. More men.
Is it normal to look at someone and want to tear off his clothes and have sex? Like right there. In the very moment. You know I’m an open book and I have no boundaries. I’m laying it all out here. Clearly I am not ready for a relationship, right? Or maybe it’s a farce so I don’t have to admit I’m afraid to love someone… to give him my full heart. Sex is easy. Love on the other hand, is not.
I walked into my ACA meeting one evening and as soon as I entered the meeting room, my eyes locked on Brian. He was back! *grin* I then looked to my right and saw another hottie—and he was new. I took my seat one away from the new hottie and joked that with the room full of 5 men and me, it was like I had my own harem tonight. The hottie smiled at me with his beautiful eyes and long curly eyelashes and said, “take your pick!” In my head I already chose… him. When the meeting began, we joined hands, and because the other side of the table was shorter than our side, I told the hottie that we’d have to stand close to each other so I could reach across the table. He pulled me close and wrapped my arm around his back, still holding my hand, and said, “that’s OK with me,” and then our heads bumped together a little bit and we laughed. The meeting began. We ended up in different groups, so I don’t know anything about him other than his name. LOL I haven’t seen him since. And hopefully he doesn’t read my notes section. *blush* I doubt he does, and he’s rarely on Facebook anyway, so I hope luck is on my side.
When it comes to men, I always want what I can’t have. It’s my protection. A shield. A way for me not to get hurt. Intellectually I realize this fact, but my heart doesn’t want to go through the pain again. Heart wins. However, my heart aches to be loved. My body yearns to be held, my lips kissed, my hands intertwined with another… our bodies joining together in pure passionate pleasure.
I can have *all* of those things with DJ (not his real name). I shouldn’t because he’s married… morally off-limits. But there’s the catch, you see, he’s safe. He’s safe BECAUSE he is married. He can’t commit to me. I know he can’t stay the night or see me as often as I’d like to see him. He won’t love me and leave me or break my heart. He’s safe, you see? He holds me close and kisses me; he intertwines his fingers and body with mine, like a perfect mold… we are made for each other. Just seeing his name in my e-mail in-box excites me. Oh, and hearing his voice…! *slow deep breath* That excites me more. And when he arrives on my doorstep unexpectedly during the late night hours, we can’t keep our clothes on long enough to shut the front door. Passionate. Raw. Animalistic.
See? He can’t hurt me.
But he does… our time together is temporary and fills a momentary need. When our time together is over I am alone once again—only this time I’m alone and left feeling bad because I compromised myself, my morals, my values. So begins the cycle.
I know I have to stay away from DJ. I’ve done well for almost a year. But his name appeared in my in-box recently… my pulse quickened, my breathing grew shallow, my eyes dilated, I was ready—that intense lust rushed through my entire body. Just. By. Seeing. His. Name.
I can justify sleeping with him to myself: “if he’s going to cheat on his wife, it might as well be with me;” or “they haven’t slept together in years, so why does it matter?;” or “it’s no big deal; it’s just sex; it’s only physical.”
Who *is* that person? Not the Keri I know.
Will that lust ever go away? It didn’t a year ago when I was dating my boyfriend. Perhaps it was because that relationship was long distance? Regardless, every time I saw DJ’s name in my inbox I wanted nothing more than to be with him. I didn’t, of course. Regrettably. Or not. I am faithful in my relationships. Hypocrite. It’s true. I don’t cheat. My ex-husband cheated on me and I know what it feels like. So why… why did I sleep with DJ? Am I not worthy of a great man? Am I not worthy of love? Do I fear love…?
DJ isn’t the only man on my mind.
There’s one man I am ever so slowly getting out of my mind. We met online years ago, but just met in person in the past six months. He’s considerably younger but definitely has an old soul. He’s accepting and open-minded and will try anything at least once. He’s genius intelligent so there’s never a lull in the conversation. And I can be me with him… no apologies. He accepts me for me. In addition, although we have haven’t slept together, I know we are sexually compatible from the site on which we met and from our conversations over the years. He’s a beautiful and caring man with a lot to offer to someone… I don’t think he thinks *I* am that someone.
But again, because of the age difference, he is safe. *I* do not have a problem with his age, and because I don’t look or act my age, I don’t think it’s a problem, but that is not my decision to make. Most of my friends are his age or a year or two older than him… idk… Regardless, he’s unavailable to me right now and that is a choice he made.
Men. Men. More men.
Is it normal to look at someone and want to tear off his clothes and have sex? Like right there. In the very moment. You know I’m an open book and I have no boundaries. I’m laying it all out here. Clearly I am not ready for a relationship, right? Or maybe it’s a farce so I don’t have to admit I’m afraid to love someone… to give him my full heart. Sex is easy. Love on the other hand, is not.
I walked into my ACA meeting one evening and as soon as I entered the meeting room, my eyes locked on Brian. He was back! *grin* I then looked to my right and saw another hottie—and he was new. I took my seat one away from the new hottie and joked that with the room full of 5 men and me, it was like I had my own harem tonight. The hottie smiled at me with his beautiful eyes and long curly eyelashes and said, “take your pick!” In my head I already chose… him. When the meeting began, we joined hands, and because the other side of the table was shorter than our side, I told the hottie that we’d have to stand close to each other so I could reach across the table. He pulled me close and wrapped my arm around his back, still holding my hand, and said, “that’s OK with me,” and then our heads bumped together a little bit and we laughed. The meeting began. We ended up in different groups, so I don’t know anything about him other than his name. LOL I haven’t seen him since. And hopefully he doesn’t read my notes section. *blush* I doubt he does, and he’s rarely on Facebook anyway, so I hope luck is on my side.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Book review: The Postcard Killers
December's book club choice was "individual choice" with the option of participating in a book exchange (gift wrapped) at the January meeting. I chose The Postcard Killers by James Patteron and Liza Marklund. There's no hiding that I love the work of James Patterson, although I cannot keep up with his novels! I think he publishes one each month... sometimes more!
The Postcard Killers opens at the Louvre in Paris, France as the killers admire the portrait of Mona Lisa. They meet a nice couple on their honeymoon and invited them to dinner, and afterwards, to share champagne with them in their hotel room. It's no surprise that the newly married couple are killed.
Meanwhile New York police department detective Jacob Kanon is visiting Europe's most famous cities, trying to catch the killers before they murder anyone else... AND to get justice for his daughter. Kanon's daughter Kimmy and her boyfriend were murdered while vacationing in Rome. Since then, young couples throughout Europe have been murdered. The only thing connecting the murders is a postcard mailed to a local newspaper that precedes each new victim.
Kanon teams up with Swedish reporter Dessie Larsson to find the killers before the next couple meets the same fate as those in other cities. Of course an obligatory love story is weaved into the story...
Will they find the killers? Will justice be served? You won't know unless you pick up the book and start reading. Enjoy!
The Postcard Killers opens at the Louvre in Paris, France as the killers admire the portrait of Mona Lisa. They meet a nice couple on their honeymoon and invited them to dinner, and afterwards, to share champagne with them in their hotel room. It's no surprise that the newly married couple are killed.
Meanwhile New York police department detective Jacob Kanon is visiting Europe's most famous cities, trying to catch the killers before they murder anyone else... AND to get justice for his daughter. Kanon's daughter Kimmy and her boyfriend were murdered while vacationing in Rome. Since then, young couples throughout Europe have been murdered. The only thing connecting the murders is a postcard mailed to a local newspaper that precedes each new victim.
Kanon teams up with Swedish reporter Dessie Larsson to find the killers before the next couple meets the same fate as those in other cities. Of course an obligatory love story is weaved into the story...
Will they find the killers? Will justice be served? You won't know unless you pick up the book and start reading. Enjoy!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Book review: Room
November's book club choice was Room by Emma Donoghue. I LOVED this novel and I think it took me record time to complete the book; I could NOT put it down! At once point I literally could not read fast enough to find out what would happen! It was similar to sitting at the edge of your seat during an intense part of a movie!
Writing this review is difficult because I don't want to give anything away. Suffice it to say that the book is AMAZING!
The novel is unique because it's written by five-year-old Jack's perspective, and Room is his world. Jack was born in Room; it's where he eats, sleeps, and plays. He's a highly intelligent five-year-old with a great imagination, which is credit to his mother, known only as Ma, since Room has been her prison for seven years.
It's not Jack's mother's choice to live in the windowless 11-by-11-foot space; she was kidnapped and imprisoned in the room when she was nineteen years old. Her captor, Old Nick, brings the pair food and necessary items on Sundays, and occasionally "visits" Ma late at night while Jack sleeps in Wardrobe.
Ma tries to give Jack as normal of a life as she can. She teaches him songs, how to read, and makes up exercises to keep his muscles toned and healthy. They do have a television, but she limits their time watching it. Because Jack was born in Room, Ma tells him that things like trees, birds, animals, and cars exist "outside" which he believes to be another planet, or "outer space".
But soon after Jack’s fifth birthday, Ma realizes she can’t raise him in confinement forever and forms an awful, desperate plan for escape.
I can't say any more. You will not be disappointed in this novel. Enjoy!
Writing this review is difficult because I don't want to give anything away. Suffice it to say that the book is AMAZING!
The novel is unique because it's written by five-year-old Jack's perspective, and Room is his world. Jack was born in Room; it's where he eats, sleeps, and plays. He's a highly intelligent five-year-old with a great imagination, which is credit to his mother, known only as Ma, since Room has been her prison for seven years.
It's not Jack's mother's choice to live in the windowless 11-by-11-foot space; she was kidnapped and imprisoned in the room when she was nineteen years old. Her captor, Old Nick, brings the pair food and necessary items on Sundays, and occasionally "visits" Ma late at night while Jack sleeps in Wardrobe.
Ma tries to give Jack as normal of a life as she can. She teaches him songs, how to read, and makes up exercises to keep his muscles toned and healthy. They do have a television, but she limits their time watching it. Because Jack was born in Room, Ma tells him that things like trees, birds, animals, and cars exist "outside" which he believes to be another planet, or "outer space".
But soon after Jack’s fifth birthday, Ma realizes she can’t raise him in confinement forever and forms an awful, desperate plan for escape.
I can't say any more. You will not be disappointed in this novel. Enjoy!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Book review: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
I'm behind in my book club book reviews. My apologies! Where does the time go?
October's book selection was The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. I "discovered" the book from a friend who posted its book trailer on Facebook (http://www.physickbook.com/trailer.html). The trailer made me want to IMMEDIATELY buy the book! I could not wait to sit down and read! I'm fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials and that period of time.
The book was interesting, and although the story line was realistic with regards to researching and writing a dissertation, I found myself bored at times. However, there were moments in the book when I could not put it down! The author also threw in an obligatory romance to spice things up, but it was very predictable...even for someone who doesn't read romance novels.
Similar in format to Sarah's Key, the novel moves back and forth between time periods. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane moves from the summer of 1991 in Salem, Massachusetts, to the 17th-century witch trial era. It is in the 17th century era that the reader discovers that Connie has ties to the witch trials, and that's what kept me reading.
Harvard graduate Connie Goodwin planned to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation, but her mother asked her to handle the sale of Connie's grandmother's abandoned home near Salem. Reluctantly she agreed. The house is falling apart, has no electricity, and no phone; quite a change for Connie.
As she cleans up the house one room at a time, she discovers an ancient key hidden inside a seventeenth-century Bible. The key contains an obviously old piece of parchment paper with "Deliverance Dane" written on it. This discovery intrigues Connie and makes her want to find out who this woman was, AND find the physick book and its secret recipes.
I found the ending of the book predictable on two levels, but won't spoil it for you. All and all, I'd give the book a 5 out of 10.
October's book selection was The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. I "discovered" the book from a friend who posted its book trailer on Facebook (http://www.physickbook.com/trailer.html). The trailer made me want to IMMEDIATELY buy the book! I could not wait to sit down and read! I'm fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials and that period of time.
The book was interesting, and although the story line was realistic with regards to researching and writing a dissertation, I found myself bored at times. However, there were moments in the book when I could not put it down! The author also threw in an obligatory romance to spice things up, but it was very predictable...even for someone who doesn't read romance novels.
Similar in format to Sarah's Key, the novel moves back and forth between time periods. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane moves from the summer of 1991 in Salem, Massachusetts, to the 17th-century witch trial era. It is in the 17th century era that the reader discovers that Connie has ties to the witch trials, and that's what kept me reading.
Harvard graduate Connie Goodwin planned to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation, but her mother asked her to handle the sale of Connie's grandmother's abandoned home near Salem. Reluctantly she agreed. The house is falling apart, has no electricity, and no phone; quite a change for Connie.
As she cleans up the house one room at a time, she discovers an ancient key hidden inside a seventeenth-century Bible. The key contains an obviously old piece of parchment paper with "Deliverance Dane" written on it. This discovery intrigues Connie and makes her want to find out who this woman was, AND find the physick book and its secret recipes.
I found the ending of the book predictable on two levels, but won't spoil it for you. All and all, I'd give the book a 5 out of 10.
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