Monday, July 8, 2013

It's Monday!

I'm not reading too much lately but I have gone to an audio book so I can work and read at the same time! LOL!
I finally finished this wretched, wretched book!  This was the worst book I've read since I accidently got a hold of that self-published book.  So, I will never read a book that's a Pulitzer winner ever again, I will never read a book written by a professor of English or anyone who teaches writing.  Hopefully that way I will avoid wasting my precious reading time!  It was like a dying man's stream of consciousness who wasn't all there or else a REALLY long sermon.  I kept thinking it would get better but it never did.  There were a few sentences that were quotable but that was about it.  I still have no idea what she was trying to convey other than truly simplistic values.  I hate to say it but I couldn't wait to be done with it!
But just in case anyone is curious...."it is a story about fathers and sons and the spiritual battles that still rage in America's heart.  In the luminous and unforgettable voice of Congregationalist minister John Ames, Gilead reveals the human condition and manages to convey the miracle of existence itself".  This book was a National Bestseller and won all kinds of awards.  What's wrong with me?  The miracle of existence?  Really? I must have missed that part. LOL!
 I just started Little, Big last evening and after Gilead it has to be better!  So far it's intriguing as it seems to be part fantasy and part reality....."Little, Big is the epic story of Smoky Barnable, an anonymous young man who travels by foot from the City to a place called Edgewood - not found on any map -to marry Daily Alice Drinkwater, as was prophesied.  It is the story of 4 generations of a singular family, living in a house that is many houses on the magical border of an otherworld.  It is the story of fantastic love and heartrending loss;  of impossible things and unshakable destinies; and of the great Tale that envelopes us all.  It is a wonder."



I'm on the second cd of 4 of Sam's Letters to Jennifer and it is really good and also strangely similar to part of my life.   My nickname is Sam and I am Grandma Sam like Jennifer's grandmother.  It takes place in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin,  where I spent quite a few summers in my young adulthood and took my children there when they were young.  There were a few other similarities that I won't go into but it was almost creepy similar like the author knew me but of course that can't be true .....or can it?  
Sam's Letters to Jennifer is the story of a woman summoned back to the town where she grew up.  And in the house where she spent her most magical years she finds a series of letters addressed to her.  Each of those letters is a piece of a story that will completely upend the world she thought she knew----and throw her into a love more powerful than she ever imagined could be possible.  Two extraordinary love stories are entwined here,full of hope and pain and emotions that never die down."
So far, I have already had to reach for the kleenix and it definitely has a great storyline and keeps you wanting more but then I have to shut it off and go get SOMETHING done!  Dang it!  I highly recommend this audio book and I'm not even half way through it! LOL!

 I'm still reading this but I don't pick it up every night....it depends how late it is and how tired I am.  But it is just "chock full" of information and I know it will never leave me as it is such a great reference book.  Again, even though I am not done reading it, I highly recommend it!
I love Mollie Makes magazine.  Unfortunately this is the only one I have.  It came with those vintage buttons too!  But it is from the U.K. and expensive to ship over.  But if I ever spot one and have the greenbacks I indulge myself.  It is a publication devoted to "making, thrifting, collecting and crafting".  It is a feast for my senses with that U.K.,  across the pond creativity and color sense that I can't seem to get enough of.  I think I could go to there and live in the country or a small village and live happily ever after.  But since I'm not there, Mollie Makes brings me closer!  Plus, it has all sorts of web addresses in there of interesting shops and places and people.  I'm all for importing everything from there!  Along with Green Gate items. LOL!
Well....that's all now.  I will also add movies if I ever watch any but that is rare.  I'm always doing handwork and don't want to get too involved in the "silver screen" if it's good because that's when I mess up! LOL!  Mindless, boring t.v. is good for me....I make less mistakes.  Toodles!  Thanks for stopping and commenting....I always appreciate it!



7 comments:

  1. I did not read the book you don't like but I bought one of her other books and could not read it. She is much admired but just didn't work for me either. The others you mention sound good. I have eclectic reading tastes so like book reviews.

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  2. I am with ya sista'! I never have been able to get into Robinson's books and also wondered what was wrong with me. Then I got over that when I realized that life and time are too short to be wasted on boring books!
    *smiles*

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  3. You have more stamina than me, if I'm a third of the way in and not enjoying what I'm reading I just stop.

    I love that you love so much about the UK, although I think what you see in magazines like Mollie Makes and what you actually get aren't quite the same. They seem to play up the crafty and the quaint. But if you can find it English Country Living gets quite close to accurately representing an English country life. It covers the more idyllic aspects of rural life in the UK - they do the most amazing photo shoots with the most lovely hand crafted items showcased - but it also has articles about the things we worry about, like campaigning for better broadband in villages and too many post offices closing.

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  4. The first two books don't sound like anything I'd be interested in but the audio book sounds interesting. My husband's name is Sam and his first wife's name was Jennifer. :) I buy Mollie Makes whenever we travel to Dubai -- can't get it here. Hope you have a good week. Tammy

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  5. I've never read any of Robinson's books and I probably won't because of your review of the book and the two first comments. I'm glad you are enjoying Sam's Letters to Jennifer. I really, really loved that book and would read it again.

    I, too, love all things English. I would love to run away to England, find a quaint little village and live happily ever after. But then I would see less of my grandchildren than I do now. Hmmmmm, may have to rethink that dream. :)

    Have a great rest of the week!

    Hugs,
    Sharon

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  6. Oh my goodness I was laughing out loud at the way you described that book.. LOL..As for me, when I read I want something simple. I have so much on my mind all day and am so physically busy that I want a simple but good story that will just take me off to somewhere else.. Right now I am reading, yes, one the Little House books.. LOL

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  7. I just finished a long, boring book, while walking on the treadmill. It was definitely the wrong book to pick out at the library. I hope to find something more interesting tomorrow.

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