I have had the strangest experience in reading this week..........I am reading and loving this book....
Amazon states: "
Adriana Trigiani, the
New York Times bestselling author of the blockbuster epic
The Shoemaker's Wife,
returns with her biggest and boldest novel yet, a hypnotic tale based
on a true story and filled with her signature elements: family ties,
artistry, romance, and adventure. Born in the golden age of Hollywood,
All the Stars in the Heavens captures
the luster, drama, power, and secrets that could only thrive in the
studio system—viewed through the lives of an unforgettable cast of
players creating magic on the screen and behind the scenes.
In
this spectacular saga as radiant, thrilling, and beguiling as Hollywood
itself, Adriana Trigiani takes us back to Tinsel Town's golden age—an
era as brutal as it was resplendent—and into the complex and glamorous
world of a young actress hungry for fame and success. With meticulous,
beautiful detail, Trigiani paints a rich, historical landscape of 1930s
Los Angeles, where European and American artisans flocked to pursue the
ultimate dream: to tell stories on the silver screen.
The movie
business is booming in 1935 when twenty-one-year-old Loretta Young meets
thirty-four-year-old Clark Gable on the set of The Call of the Wild.
Though he's already married, Gable falls for the stunning and vivacious
young actress instantly.
Far from the glittering lights of
Hollywood, Sister Alda Ducci has been forced to leave her convent and
begin a new journey that leads her to Loretta. Becoming Miss Young's
secretary, the innocent and pious young Alda must navigate the wild
terrain of Hollywood with fierce determination and a moral code that
derives from her Italian roots. Over the course of decades, she and
Loretta encounter scandal and adventure, choose love and passion, and
forge an enduring bond of love and loyalty that will be put to the test
when they eventually face the greatest obstacle of their lives.
Anchored
by Trigiani's masterful storytelling that takes you on a worldwide ride
of adventure from Hollywood to the shores of southern Italy, this
mesmerizing epic is, at its heart, a luminous tale of the most cherished
ties that bind. Brimming with larger-than-life characters both real and
fictional—including stars Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy, David Niven, Hattie
McDaniel and more—it is it is the unforgettable story of one of
cinema's greatest love affairs during the golden age of American movie
making."
I am entranced with the story of Loretta Young and Clark Gable. Now grant you, I was aware of these 2 but not in conjunction with each other and I paid little attention to either as it was before my time. Although this novel is fiction or so she says, I can't stop thinking about these 2 and I have been researching on You Tube on both of them. I cannot get them off of my mind.....it is so weird and I am so sad about their loves and losses. I think I am getting overly sentimental in my old age but I have never ever had a book affect me like this and I'm not even half way finished with it! Have you ever had a book that you couldn't get out of your mind, or it's characters? I have never considered myself a romantic either but this book and their real lives have brought tears to my eyes.
As for my non-fiction (which I have basically ignored because of my one track mind when it comes to Adriana's book), I have just started this one..........
The book you hold in your hands is the distillate of a quarter
century’s teaching. It is my attempt to answer, ‘What next?’ for
students who are embarking on their ‘second act.’” —Julia Cameron Amazon states:
"Julia Cameron has inspired millions with her bestseller on creativity,
The Artist’s Way. In
It’s Never Too Late To Begin Again, she
turns her eye to a segment of the population that, ironically, while
they have more time to be creative, are often reluctant or intimidated
by the creative process. Cameron shows readers that retirement can, in
fact, be the most rich, fulfilling, and creative time of their lives. When someone retires, the new found freedom can be quite exciting, but
also daunting. The life that someone had has changed, and the life to
come is yet to be defined. In this book, Cameron shows readers how
cultivating their creative selves can help them navigate this new
terrain. She tells the inspiring stories of retirees who discovered new
artistic pursuits and passions that more than filled their days—they
nurtured their souls.
This twelve-week course aimed at
defining—and creating—the life you want to have as you redefine and
re-create yourself, this book includes simple tools that will guide and
inspire you to make the most of this time in your life:
-
Memoir writing offers an opportunity to reflect on and honor past
experience. This book guides you through the daunting task of writing an
entire memoir, breaking it down into manageable pieces.
- Morning
Pages—private, stream-of-consciousness writing done daily—allow you to
express wishes, fears, delights, resentments, and joys, which in turn,
provide focus and clarity for the day at hand.
- Artist Dates encourage fun and spontaneity.
- Solo Walks quell anxiety and clear the mind.
This
fun, gentle, step-by-step process will help you explore your creative
dreams, wishes, and desires...and help you quickly find that it’s never
too late to begin again."
I read her Artist's Way and The Artist's Way at Work years ago and loved them. In fact, her daily pages were what started me journaling and I have been doing it for over 20 years now. She calls it the 2nd act but at my age I think I may be on my 3rd and final! LOL! I'll let you know what I think after I've read it.
I'm reading my Vintage Christmas magazine...an article a night as I want to savor it......
I just read an article on those little glittery Putz houses that originated in Germany.....I have always loved them and would like to make my own.....in my next life! LOL! Until I found this book on Amazon.........ummm.....maybe I could do it in this life after all.........
In my Bible reading I am now on Chapter 4 - Numbers........moving right along......although the difference between God in the Old Testament and God in the New Testament is like night and day!
Whoa Nellie!
I have listened to Daily Hope pretty regularly and his latest 4 podcasts I really enjoyed. Crochet Cupcake from Puerto Rico is still not online and I am so sad about all the islands that are not getting the help they need. I pray for them daily.
As for watching other programs.......I watched the 1935 episode of Call of the Wild with Loretta Young and Clark Gable...it was free on You Tube.....I couldn't help myself....I told you, I am obsessed with these 2 and then also Carol Lombard which is another whole story! Has anyone else read Adriana's book and has it had this affect on you? I think I'm a bit nutty but then you know how I love real life compared to fiction.
I also have been watching Father Brown mysteries on Netflix, I caught up with Cranford on Brit Box and last night I started watching Miss Marple on Brit Box. I've watched a new podcast called The Knit Show and you can get free patterns on their website/blog
The Knit Show. That's all for this week...I think.
Oh! I ordered my Halloween book from Thrift Books...it's this one..........
Amazon states:
"Stranded in a gloomy medieval fortress, an orphaned heroine battles the
devious schemes of her guardians as well as her own pensive visions and
melancholy fancies. Generations of readers have thrilled to
The Mysteries of Udolpho, one of the most popular of the early Gothic novels, and considered a landmark in the realm of psychological fiction.
Set
in 1584, the tale unfolds amid the secret chambers of a chateau in
southern France and a castle in the remote Apennines, populated by
pirates, brigands, ghosts, and specters. Emily St. Aubert, imprisoned by
her rapacious guardian Count Montoni and his sadistic wife, struggles
to reconcile her father’s teachings of reserve and moderation with her
own reckless passions. Emily’s attempts to control her emotions and
resolve her suspicions and self-doubts offer a haunting and hypnotic
pre-Freudian exploration of the psyche.
Sir Walter Scott proclaimed
author Ann Radcliffe “the first poetess of romantic fiction,” and this
thriller became a bestseller upon its 1794 publication. The novel
exercised a powerful influence on the Marquis de Sade, Edgar Allan Poe,
and other mystery writers. It achieved further renown with a satirical
treatment in Jane Austen’s
Northanger Abbey, in which an
impressionable young character is profoundly affected by the dungeons
and crypts of Castle Udolpho and their scenes of bloodshed, mayhem, and
terror.
The Mysteries of Udolpho continues to enchant modern
readers with the fairy-tale elements of its suspenseful plot and its
dreamlike, surrealistic portrayals of human consciousness."
It's an old book but it must be good to have been around this long. I just hope it doesn't scare me too much! It sounds like it has everything in it so that is my Halloween story for this year. Do you have any favorite Halloween books you enjoy or have enjoyed?
So, that's all for now and I hope you are enjoying whatever you are reading, watching and/or listening to and share it here with the rest of us, please.
Happy Trails!!!
I mowed....for the last time?
There are a few more.............
The trees are losing their leaves but the color isn't great here...yet..........
but the flowers are going gangbusters.............
The jack-o-lantern is in the window...........although he is much scarier after dark!
I still need to bring my plants in but it is not freezing at night yet so I threw some Halloween lights out there among them but still need to get my 'harvest decor' on my bench..........
Nitty is really liking the cooler weather....like me...she waits for it all summer............I let her stay out as long as she wants....last night she didn't come in until 9:00 p.m...she loves laying out there on the grass.............
but she hates having her picture taken! She turns her head every time!
I did get some cleaning/organizing done too............I made a 'pet pantry' in my laundry room.........
All the cat food, dog food, litter, meds and treats in one area! I just need to get brushes and leashes in here and my 'pet pantry' will be complete! I really like it because my cupboards couldn't hold it all in one place and I was running out to the garage for things. One glance now and I can tell what I need to order from Walmart.....yes, I am ordering all my pet food and it is free shipping because it is always over $35 and they really do deliver it in 2 days! Their Pure Balance dog food was approved by my vet and said if you can't afford Science Diet this is the next best thing! Who can afford Science Diet? Not me! 
I really stirred up the dust and leaves today and my eyes are really allergy eyes tonight....so, I'm signing off!
