tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92128516162800457292024-02-07T06:08:32.465-08:00Read. Knit. Spin. Blog.Life as a twenty-something reading, knitting, fire-spinner.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.comBlogger210125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-37995263466164275172012-01-30T06:17:00.000-08:002013-01-16T06:58:24.888-08:00A new home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Reading 101 books in a year was a great challenge, and I will always keep this blog to reflect it. But changes have come to my life, and it's time to move on. I'll be keeping this blog set up in order to go back and read the reviews that I've posted.<br />
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My new blog has become more of a lifestyle blog than just strictly reading and knitting, and I'm hoping that the change reflects that. And that those of you who read me will follow me over to WP and keep reading! <br />
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<a href="http://www.honestlymegan.wordpress.com/">Honestly, Megan</a> -- my new home.</div>
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-1737631598616893992012-01-24T08:29:00.000-08:002012-01-24T08:29:16.137-08:00Review: Madame Tussaud...by Michelle Moran<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">Being "back" in graduate school has driven home one key reality for me: I will not be reading as many "fun" books as I did last year. I'm glad that I shortened my reading goal to fifty new (to me) books in 2012, rather than the 100 I did in 2011. There is no way I'd be able to complete an average of two books a week right now, especially when I'm doing so much reading for my classes. Don't worry; I promise not to review a book I read for class unless it's <i>really</i> stellar. That being said, here's (probably) my last "fun" read until further notice: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8689913-madame-tussaud"><u>Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution</u></a> by Michelle Moran.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320558120l/8689913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320558120l/8689913.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Madame Tussaud, the sculpture of an elderly woman who greets customers at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London, takes on the form of practical, ambitious Marie Grosholtz, a woman in her mid-twenties in pre-Revolutionary France, making a living off her uncanny ability to create exact wax portraits of people. After an introduction to the royal family, Marie is invited to work as a tutor to the king's sister, Princesse Elisabeth, in Versailles, where she makes friends and finds herself sympathetic to the royals. But when the Revolution breaks over France, Marie is forced to choose between loyalty and life, ambition and love.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I feel like I would have gotten through this book a lot faster if I hadn't had four days' worth of homework to do. It is a relatively quick read, and I did enjoy it as a work of fiction. I'm glad that Moran added the tagline "a <i>novel</i> of the French Revolution", because there are major historical inaccuracies present, especially around the relationship between Marie and her supposed beau, Henri Charles. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My other bone to pick with this book is the "tell, not show" policy that Moran utilizes in this story, and that is, I've found, a major problem with writing historical fiction from the POV of a female character who was largely relegated to the outskirts of the political arena. Most of the book is Marie's reaction to political events that she finds out about through newspapers, friends, or relatives -- she was not an eyewitness to most of it. While I applaud Moran's decision to not take liberties with history, it doesn't make for particularly exciting literature. One GR's critic said she wished that she had read more eyewitness descriptions, rather than breathless retellings from people who happened in on Marie in her workshop. This was a problem I had with <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6536233-the-tudor-rose"><u>The Tudor Rose</u></a> by Margaret Campbell Barnes. Barnes set out to write the story of Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII and mother of Henry VIII of England, and while she did a great job of "telling" the history of what happened, she was hampered by the simple fact that Elizabeth was little more than a spectator at most of the great events that happened in her lifetime. That is the problem that Moran also runs into with <u>Madame Tussaud</u>.<br />
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Overall, I enjoyed it for what it is: a re-telling of the events of the French Revolution through the eyes of one of its spectators, but not one of its main contributors.<br />
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<b>Rating: ****</b></div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-59569952162511700252012-01-21T17:39:00.000-08:002012-01-21T17:39:32.089-08:00(Mildly) Productive Saturday (including firespinning pictures)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">Today was one of those "barely" productive days. I did manage to tidy my yarn stash, do the dishes, straighten the den, etc. I managed to do some homework before my sister arrived. Apparently the roads weren't plowed well (she was en route from a friend's house to our parents'), and she's now staying here for the night. I don't mind; David's working until midnight and having someone here is a nice change from the way I normally spend my evenings alone.</div><br />
We spent the evening last night at Matt and Marcy's, at a spin jam. In the winter, those are referred to as "freezer burns". We didn't last long outside. It was about 20 degrees out and you can't really spin in heavy gear or with gloves on, so most of us were pretty frozen. <br />
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<img alt="" height="375" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/400179_797121051349_48804557_36583273_460383571_n.jpg" width="500" /><br />
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I think this one looks very "Abbey Road." It's Matt with his poi.<br />
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<img alt="" height="375" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/394960_797121196059_48804557_36583276_537824167_n.jpg" width="500" /><br />
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Jim breathing fire.<br />
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<img alt="" height="375" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/409069_797121430589_48804557_36583281_1464141117_n.jpg" width="500" /><br />
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Dave doing isolations on his hands with fire staff. This was a second attempt to catch this picture. The first time, he dropped the staff. Matt and Joe yelled out simultaneously <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVnKWibd5kQ">"Do it again, only less shit!"</a> (Note: with the exception of "Are you going to Wildfire?" I've never heard anyone say the things in that video, or have those pretentious voices. Spinners, at least the ones I know, are way cooler and nicer than those people.)<br />
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<img alt="" height="375" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/408835_797121715019_48804557_36583287_30470259_n.jpg" width="500" /><br />
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Joe, being awesome. This was after I figured out how to photograph moving flames. I'm an idiot.<br />
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No pictures of me this time. David only took two, and neither of them came out clearly. Oh well. It was way too cold to be sitting outside for more than half an hour, so we ended up going in the house, drinking coffee, eating brownies, telling bad jokes, and chatting about weddings (Lyndsey and Joe got engaged on New Year's and they're planning their wedding for summer '13).<br />
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Anyway. This is what I'm dealing with in trying to do my homework.<br />
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<img alt="" height="375" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/399550_797121914619_48804557_36583292_1575686092_n.jpg" width="500" /><br />
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Sorry, Ollie. That type of distraction is why I haven't graduated yet.</div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-85330747909607064892012-01-18T09:12:00.000-08:002012-01-18T09:12:55.199-08:00Back to life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">After our whirlwind vacation, David and I have been settling back into "real life", and everything seems to be starting up again this week. So much is going on in the next couple of months, but when you live life with two people balancing between three jobs, graduate school, one car, and two active social lives, it gets a little crazy!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I re-start graduate school tonight. I have two semesters and one major thesis left until I complete my Master of Arts degree in History, and that starts tonight. I'm nervous as hell (I haven't been in school since <i><b>2008</b></i>), and things are going to get very busy for a while. My husband works between 61 and 64 hours a week between two jobs, I work 35 hours a week at my job and classes will take up another five hours a week (classroom time; I have no idea what homework/writing time will take up). We won't be seeing much of each other Wednesdays and Thursdays from now until May, but I keep telling myself that it will be worth it in the end.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I <i>am</i> wondering what this is going to do for my reading and knitting productivity. :( I'm taking three books out of the library today, and I was hoping to get through them quick enough, but considering the amount of books I had to purchase for my <i>two</i> classes (it was something like 12 books), I have a feeling that I'm going to be doing a lot more "work-reading" than "pleasure-reading." :(</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Speaking of books...I realized after Christmas that I desperately need a new bookshelf. My current bookshelf is full to overflowing. My very generous family gifted me many books for Christmas -- some fiction, some history, some knitting technique books -- and I have no room for them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Right now, I have two bookshelves. A big one for my fiction and nonfiction, and another little one for my knitting technique books. I have a $50 gift card that I got for my birthday in September from my parents, and right now I'm thinking the best use for it would be a new, big bookshelf, devoted either entirely to my fiction or my non-fiction history (I'm thinking the latter).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I often joke with my family and friends that the reason I have so many hardcopies of books (even though I have a Kindle) is that I'm "building a library" of my history books -- and it's true! I have a pretty good start to a vast collection. Every college teacher I've ever been fortunate to have has had a vast library of their own in their office -- I aspire to this one day. So far, my "history library" includes the following (and I might have missed one or two):</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>British History:</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Six Wives of Henry VIII</i> by Alison Weir</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b> </b><i>The Life of Elizabeth I</i> by Alison Weir</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Murder of Lord Darnley</i> by Alison Weir</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Children of Henry VIII</i> by Alison Weir</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Eleanor of Aquitaine: By the Wrath of God, Queen of England</i> by Alison Weir (title used in England, where I purchased it)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Henry VIII: The King and His Court</i> by Alison Weir</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Princes in the Tower</i> by Alison Weir</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Katherine Swynford: The Story of John of Gaunt and His Scandalous Mistress</i> by Alison Weir</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Britain's Royal Families: A Complete Geneology</i> by Alison Weir</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Faith and Treason: The Story of the Gunpowder Plot</i> by Antonia Fraser</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Russian History:</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman</i> by Robert K. Massie</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b> </b><i>Nicholas and Alexandra </i>by Robert K. Massie</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>King, Kaiser, Tsar</i> by Catrine Clay</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>U.S. History:</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Devil In Massachusetts: A Modern Enquiry Into the Salem Witch Trials</i> by Marion L. Starkey</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Battle Cry of Freedom</i> by James McPherson</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>Do you consider your book collection "your library" or "your legacy"? </b></i> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b> </b></div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-18119423889868814482012-01-17T07:55:00.000-08:002012-01-17T07:55:43.131-08:00Cruise: Last days and wrap-up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">We didn't do too much on our cruise the last two days we were there. Thursday was the "fun day at sea", which to us translated into a late breakfast and lying on the "Serenity Deck" (re: adults-only deck with plush lounge chairs and two hot tubs) all day. David and I spent about three hours just lounging about, him taking intermittent naps and me reading my Kindle (I got through re-reading the entire <u>Hunger Games</u> trilogy on this vacation).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On our way back to Miami, we skirted along the coast of Cuba. I tried to take some pictures but we were just too far away, so Cuba looks like some sort of weird, pale blue cloud formation on the horizon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/385169_791601532509_48804557_36565014_1890878153_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/385169_791601532509_48804557_36565014_1890878153_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We had our last meal in the formal dining room that night. From this picture you can see we all got quite a bit of sun on this vacation. Fortunately, nobody really got sunburned. This time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/390674_791604187189_48804557_36565068_982303498_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/390674_791604187189_48804557_36565068_982303498_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The last evening, after the final show and when everyone had gone to bed, David told me he wanted to have some time alone. It was late -- around 10:30 or so -- and we went up to the very top deck and overlooked the bow (I told him that if he started any "Titanic" jokes I was tossing him overboard), and we stood out there looking out on the water. We could see a cruise ship off in the distance -- just its lights -- and except for that, we were all alone out on the water. The wind was really intense and it was so beautiful.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">For my first cruise, it was something else. I can understand how people get hooked on these. The best part of it is being able to not worry about money. Sure, you have your drinks billed to your account and you have to settle that in the end. But David and I had a credit card with zero balance on it, and we had put a little money aside just for this trip, so we'll be paying that off ASAP. And a whole week's worth of drinks for two people, plus the mandatory $48 gratuity (per person, so it was $96 for both of us) cost us under $200. We're not huge drinkers; I imagine if you really like your booze it would be more expensive.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">But the absolute best part of our cruise (IMO) was spending some time with my husband, just relaxing. I loved getting to hang out with David all the time, with nothing to do and no worries (sandal escapade aside). It was a great vacation, and I look forward to having another one with him. He went back to work yesterday, and I start school again tomorrow *shiver*, and having a little time off to ourselves before that was...just perfect.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/374813_791602241089_48804557_36565030_1759362165_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/374813_791602241089_48804557_36565030_1759362165_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-16760970963928157882012-01-16T06:12:00.000-08:002012-01-16T06:12:33.995-08:00Cruise: Day Three (Cozumel, Mexico)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">The morning of our third day at sea, David woke me up at 6:30 AM (5:30 AM, Central Time) because he couldn't sleep. It was just starting to get light outside, so we decided to get up on deck in our pjs and watch the sun rise over the Gulf of Mexico.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was beautiful, and one of my favorite memories of vacation. I think Dave enjoyed it too.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/390745_791599536509_48804557_36564979_1402262622_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/390745_791599536509_48804557_36564979_1402262622_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We took the morning slow, since the boat didn't dock in Cozumel until 1 PM. The morning was spent sunning, reading (I told you I did a lot of reading), etc. It was very exciting when we started to see signs of land.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/385445_791597450689_48804557_36564941_1254561405_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/385445_791597450689_48804557_36564941_1254561405_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We docked in Cozumel and spent the first twenty minutes figuring out how to get to a beach. I got called "senorita" several times...didn't bother to correct them and say I was a "senora"!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/401191_791596971649_48804557_36564928_1744418632_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/401191_791596971649_48804557_36564928_1744418632_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We ended up taking a 10-minute taxi ride to <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150809-d1862550-Reviews-Mr_Sanchos_Cozumel-Cozumel_Yucatan_Peninsula.html">Mr. Sancho's Beach and Bar</a>, where we were able to get on the beach for free so long as we bought a drink at the bar. Fine with us. We bought our drinks and spread out on the lawn chairs to relax. And I got to swim in the Gulf.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/404731_791600514549_48804557_36564994_987785523_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/404731_791600514549_48804557_36564994_987785523_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We went back to the ship for dinner, then my MIL went to her stateroom to relax while Amy, Bryan, Christine, David and I went to try to get to Senor Frogs and back in two hours.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well, that didn't happen. Turns out that Senor Frog's was an HOUR walk away from where our cruise had docked, and we were too nervous about missing the boat to try to make it. So we went to Fat Tuesdays, a Mexican dive bar, and had some drinks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
And some debauchery...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/394807_791598308969_48804557_36564956_1650183956_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/394807_791598308969_48804557_36564956_1650183956_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Bryan was way more comfortable in the dive bar than Dave was.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/374928_791598383819_48804557_36564957_192992344_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/374928_791598383819_48804557_36564957_192992344_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
"Single Ladies" came over the loudspeakers, and Bryan showed off that he "liked it" so he "put a ring on it."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/407327_791600654269_48804557_36564997_1004459921_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/407327_791600654269_48804557_36564997_1004459921_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Amy had a brain freeze from drinking too fast.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/393429_791602026519_48804557_36565027_1359506922_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/393429_791602026519_48804557_36565027_1359506922_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Amy and Christine did their traditional "double fisting alcohol" shot (we have one of these from every wedding or fancy event of the past few years).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/404341_791597036519_48804557_36564930_656875972_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/404341_791597036519_48804557_36564930_656875972_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">...And Bryan and Christine got up on the ledge to dance to "Cupid Shuffle."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was a good night, but by the time we were all pretty inebriated it was time to say goodbye to Mexico and get back on the ship, to set sail for Miami again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Ciao</i>, Mexico.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/405621_791603917729_48804557_36565065_960208856_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/405621_791603917729_48804557_36565065_960208856_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Final entry: sailing back to Miami and wrap up of vacation.</div><br />
</div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-20518362157658017702012-01-15T06:38:00.000-08:002012-01-15T06:38:41.376-08:00Cruise: Day Two (Key West, Florida)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">The first night sleeping on the boat was relatively uneventful. David and I had a king-sized bed (two twins pushed together), which was quite a bit more firm than our mattress at home, but bigger, so that was nice. I barely felt the rocking of the ship, except if I tried to concentrate on it. I did a LOT of reading on our vacation (but more about that later). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When we woke up on Tuesday morning, we had already docked in Key West. The ship was docked there from 7:30 AM - 2:30 PM, so we had decided in advance to get up early and explore the area. We decided to skip having breakfast in the formal dining room and instead got it at the continental grill on the top deck of the ship. Bryan and Christine had booked a parasailing excursion for themselves, so they split with us, and my MIL, David, Amy and I all went into Key West via the tram that went through the naval base.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/387720_791597964659_48804557_36564950_1091023250_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/387720_791597964659_48804557_36564950_1091023250_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The tram brought us to Duval Street, the famous "main drag" of Key West, and left us there to eat, go shopping, etc. until the last tram left at 1:30 PM. My MIL wanted to get a sweatshirt, and David needed to buy a pair of sandals, so we went into a little boutique souvenir shop (the name of which eludes me, unfortunately, because I'd love to tell people to never go there again).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">David picked up a pair of sandals and brought them to the main counter. They were not clearly marked with the price. He handed over his debit card. The saleslady, without telling him the price of the sandals, tax, etc, swiped the card as credit and handed him a receipt to sign without a price on it. I can't stress it enough, folks: <i><b>always ask the price</b></i>. David got his receipt and discovered that he was now the owner of $118 sandals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I told him to return them. I didn't actually <i>need</i> to tell him that; my husband is nothing if not frugal. When he turned around to ask for a refund, the saleslady immediately got up on her haunches and started yelling that there were "no refunds". She also pointed to a sign taped to the front of the cash desk that said just that -- except that it was hidden behind a rotating kiosk covered in postcards. When David and my MIL both demanded to speak to a manager, she informed them that the manager wouldn't be coming in until 11 (an hour from now, NBD), and that my MIL "shouldn't be so ignorant". </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yeah.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyway. Long story short -- we ended up getting a refund when the manager came in, no harm was really done, but seriously, ask the price before you buy. I'm still shaking my head about it now.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We had an hour between then unfortunate sale and when the manager came in, so we went to <a href="http://www.margaritavillekeywest.com/">Margaritaville</a> to chill out and cool off. It was only 10:30 AM and I needed a mojito. Don't judge.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/393773_791602500569_48804557_36565035_880963683_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/393773_791602500569_48804557_36565035_880963683_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margaritaville interior</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Unfortunately, we didn't eat at Margaritaville, partially because we were meeting Bryan and Christine for an early lunch, and they weren't back yet, and partially because the menu (while extensive) was a bit pricey. But I can say with first-hand experience that the drinks are top-notch -- and strong.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We waited for Christine and Bryan, and we did a little more walking and shopping. Dave and Amy discovered that Key West (unlike Massachusetts and Connecticut) doesn't have an open bottle law. You can buy single beers at kiosks and drink them while walking down the street. They took full advantage of this little opportunity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/382953_791598089409_48804557_36564951_1490160785_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/382953_791598089409_48804557_36564951_1490160785_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We went to <a href="http://www.sloppyjoes.com/">Sloppy Joe's Bar</a> for lunch, apparently a hangout of Ernest Hemingway during his lifetime. The food was good -- I had a chicken quesadilla made with chedderjack cheese and black beans, David got a pulled pork sandwich. And my BIL got his much-anticipated conch fritters.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/400797_791598728129_48804557_36564963_1978272424_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/400797_791598728129_48804557_36564963_1978272424_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And for dessert, we went to the <a href="http://www.keywestkeylimepieco.com/locations.htm">Key West Key Lime Pie Co.</a> on Duval Street. I had Key Lime pie the night before on the ship so I had some Dreamsicle ice cream. My MIL had been hoping to find frozen key lime pie on a stick. She went one better and got it chocolate dipped. Delicious.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/387760_791599416749_48804557_36564976_1488919264_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/387760_791599416749_48804557_36564976_1488919264_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">After that, it was time to head back to the tram, so we went back to the ship, got into bathing suits and spent the rest of the afternoon sunning ourselves on deck and reading. I finished <u>The Summer Garden</u> that afternoon (my review <a href="http://readknitspinblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/review-summer-garden-by-paullina-simons.html">here</a>).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Every Carnival cruise has an "elegant night" where the dining room has a semi-formal dinner and everyone dresses up. Our "elegant night" was Tuesday evening, so we got all gussied up and went out to dinner on the ship.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/394873_791603723119_48804557_36565062_882982591_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/394873_791603723119_48804557_36565062_882982591_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Left to right: Me, David, Christine, Bryan, MIL, Amy)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">One interesting note: Carnival's formal dining room offered a "different" appetizer every night, something that you might not always find on every menu. Bryan and Amy tried them almost every night. On "elegant night", the appetizer was fried alligator fritters, which were apparently delicious (I was not brave enough to try them).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/392009_791600309959_48804557_36564992_1224263713_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/392009_791600309959_48804557_36564992_1224263713_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Unfortunately, David got a little seasick that night, so we went to bed early (right after dinner, pretty much). I read until very late, and he slept all that night. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tomorrow: Mexico, and the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen.</div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-76081933238267111772012-01-14T08:42:00.000-08:002012-01-14T08:42:36.794-08:00Cruise: Day One (Miami)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm going to break this down into entries because otherwise I'll never get through anything. I'm definitely not a travel blog like some of the greats out there, but I <i>did</i> get a lot of pictures and David and I had an amazing time on our first cruise.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We sailed on the Carnival <i>Imagination</i>, out of Miami, to Key West and Cozumel, Mexico, and then back to Miami after one whole day at sea.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is what greeted us when we first got on board.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/375520_791597136319_48804557_36564932_864715388_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/375520_791597136319_48804557_36564932_864715388_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Atrium. And yes, I did think Harry Potter. I also thought "Foxwoods Casino" because that's what this picture still calls to mind when I see it. We went down four floors to "R" deck and got to our stateroom.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/381229_791602944679_48804557_36565044_538075593_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/381229_791602944679_48804557_36565044_538075593_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not a bad sized room for two people. The bed was king-sized, bigger than our bed at home. Not as comfortable, but what do you expect, really? Every stateroom has its own bathroom with tiny shower, which isn't good for doing hair or makeup, but there's a really big vanity table and mirror in each room for exactly that purpose. There are also three closets and a safe in each room.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We sprung for a room with a view, which I was so thankful for.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/402250_791603483599_48804557_36565057_679750083_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/402250_791603483599_48804557_36565057_679750083_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">After settling in for a bit, we explored the main deck:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/395130_791597834919_48804557_36564948_602897243_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/395130_791597834919_48804557_36564948_602897243_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">...and had the first of many tropical drinks:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/392140_791599142299_48804557_36564972_1236845846_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/392140_791599142299_48804557_36564972_1236845846_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My FSIL, Christine, and my BIL, Bryan</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/408145_791599925729_48804557_36564985_1847665972_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/408145_791599925729_48804557_36564985_1847665972_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/166978_791602445679_48804557_36565033_879964500_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/166978_791602445679_48804557_36565033_879964500_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cousin-in-law Amy</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">We had a late lunch then lounged about the deck waiting to set sail.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/396809_791603533499_48804557_36565058_230792378_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/396809_791603533499_48804557_36565058_230792378_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryan, my MIL, and David</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/408055_791597899789_48804557_36564949_1812550972_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/408055_791597899789_48804557_36564949_1812550972_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And then we were off!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/381169_791599212159_48804557_36564973_1965473752_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/381169_791599212159_48804557_36564973_1965473752_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/384425_791603019529_48804557_36565046_544504665_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/384425_791603019529_48804557_36565046_544504665_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
Next entry: Key West! And why you should always check for prices at hole-in-the-wall stores.</div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-61994294197955965792012-01-14T07:36:00.000-08:002012-01-14T07:36:56.729-08:00Review: The Summer Garden by Paullina Simons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">We're home! David and I went on a cruise this past week with my MIL (Donna), BIL (Bryan), FSIL (Christine), and cousin-in-law (Amy). It was awesome! I have tons of pictures but they will be for the next few entries. Today I'm going to do a wrap-up of the trilogy that I was reading when last I posted, with book three of the trilogy and my second new book of the year -- <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/608216.The_Summer_Garden"><u>The Summer Garden</u></a> by Paullina Simons.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Note: This review contains spoilers of <u>The Bronze Horseman</u> and <u>Tatiana and Alexander</u>. If you haven't read them, get yourself to a bookstore and skip this review.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1218962639l/608216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1218962639l/608216.jpg" width="128" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">World War II has finally ground to a close, and Tatiana and Alexander have been miraculously reunited with each other and sent "home" to the United States of America, to begin their lives together as Alexander and Tatiana Barrington, with their four-year-old son, Anthony. Still only in their twenties, they have decades of life left. Except that war has aged them prematurely, they have spent only one month together since their marriage five years ago, they hardly know each other, and both are still haunted by the terrors inflicted on them by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. When their original belief was that they had only a month of marriage to enjoy, what happens when they try to make a lifetime together, to live the American dream, having no idea how to relinquish the past?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Several people said that they were disappointed in this book -- that the passionate love story of Tatiana and Alexander was tainted with the cold hard facts that age, war, conflict, pain, can whittle away at true love until it is brittle and breaking. I was not crushed. While I was sad to find that their "true love" of <u>TBH</u> and <u>T&A</u> was changing, <i>that was real</i>. It was unrealistic to expect Alexander to remain the same person after years shackled and beaten at one prison or the next, or to think that Tania would never carry any lasting pain and misery from losing her <i>entire family</i> during the seige of Leningrad. To watch them struggle and learn to live with each other was maybe not as "romantic" as the previous two novels, but it was <i>real.</i><br />
<br />
I do wish the book had been about 20% shorter. I didn't really care that much about their son, Anthony, nor about his military career or Vietnam or any of that. I felt that once their children started growing up, the story sort of went all sorts of haywire. But that's a personal preference.<br />
<i> </i><br />
I'd give <u>TSG</u> 3.5 stars, and the whole trilogy an overall rating of 4.<br />
<br />
<b>Rating: *** and 1/2</b></div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-37516490496877847842012-01-06T07:00:00.000-08:002012-01-06T07:01:41.943-08:00Review: Tatiana and Alexander by Paullina Simons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">Having finished <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83144.The_Bronze_Horseman"><u>The Bronze Horseman</u></a> as my last book of 2011, I eagerly jumped into the sequel, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83143.Tatiana_and_Alexander"><u>Tatiana and Alexander</u></a> (formerly called <u>The Bridge to Holy Cross</u>). I didn't really know what to expect, considering that the first book was so action-packed (and left on quite the cliffhanger). I didn't think <u>T&A</u> (ha, I'm five) could top it. Well, call me a liar, because I loved it even more, and it is my first finished book of 2012.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<b>NOTE: There are spoilers from <u>The Bronze Horseman</u> in this review.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171036640l/83143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171036640l/83143.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">From Goodreads: <i><span id="freeText7050100544134660013">Tatiana is eighteen years old and pregnant when she miraculously escapes war-torn Leningrad to the West, believing herself to be a widow. Her husband, Major Alexander Belov, a decorated hero of the Soviet Union, has been arrested by Stalin's infamous secret police and is awaiting imminent death as a traitor and a spy. Tatiana begins her new life in America. In wartime New York City she finds work, friends and a life beyond her dreams. However, her grief is inescapable and she keeps hearing Alexander calling out to her. Meanwhile, Alexander faces the greatest danger he's ever known. An American trapped in Russia since adolescence, he has been serving in the Red Army and posing as a Soviet citizen to protect himself. For him, Russia's war is not over, and both victory and defeat will mean certain death. As the Second World War moves into its spectacular close, Tatiana and Alexander are surrounded by the ghosts of their past and each other. They must struggle against destiny and despair as they find themselves in the fight of their lives.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText7050100544134660013">This book had everything, everything I could have asked for. Told from both Tatiana's and Alexander's points of view, each thinking of the other as they slowly struggle through separate lives -- Tatiana as a nurse on Ellis Island in NYC, and Alexander in one terrible prison after another -- this book is chock-full of emotion, pain, and redemption. Most of Part I of the book is backstory about Alexander's life and how his idealistic Communist parents defected from the United States to the Soviet Union, only to have their dreams crash around them. So much of Alexander's story is glossed over in <u>TBH</u>, and I was so satisfied with the complete explanation in <u>T&A</u>. Tatiana's story, in America, is just as interesting, as she struggles to put together a life for Alexander's baby son, trying to get over the death of her husband while not totally believing that he really is gone. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText7050100544134660013"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText7050100544134660013">I admit that I cried near the end of this book, too. The last fifty pages or so are extremely fast-paced, and I tore through them all this morning just to find out what happened to Tatiana and Alexander. The ending was brilliant, I loved it. And I can't believe that Simons has more in her for a third book. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText7050100544134660013">...Which I will hopefully be reading on vacation. My darling husband, who never reads EVER, decided after seeing a preview that he HAD to read <u>The Hunger Games</u> (which I read and loved last year), and so he has stolen my Kindle. He's pretty far into it right now (he started <u>Mockingjay</u> yesterday), but I think I'm going to have to snag my sister's paper copy so that I can have my Kindle back and download <u>The Summer Garden</u> before we go on vacation on Sunday. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText7050100544134660013"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText7050100544134660013">As to vacation, this is my LAST day of work until January 17th! I could not be more psyched. Although I got a massive guilt-trip last night, as I was sorting through things to bring in my carry-on. Ollie decided that he wanted to jump in and come with us on vacation.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText7050100544134660013"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/385022_785749784459_48804557_36547608_1521750276_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/385022_785749784459_48804557_36547608_1521750276_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText7050100544134660013"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText7050100544134660013">Nothing makes you feel guilty like an adorable fat kitty.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText7050100544134660013"><b>Rating (for the book AND the cat): *****</b> </span></div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-86118631598995040012012-01-04T06:03:00.000-08:002012-01-04T06:03:42.144-08:00I am "older" than I thought I was yesterday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">Back when David was still taking his EMT course, before he graduated, I told him that, as a treat for graduating and being hired as an EMT, he could upgrade to a smart phone. (This was sort of a treat for <i>me</i> as well, since we would stop using my parents' family plan and I would upgrade myself -- in my defense I got a smaller, less expensive smart phone with fewer bells and whistles, but more about that later) We waited until after Christmas and bided our time until we had enough in the budget to spend, and then went to Verizon. Eight days, one order form, and one crazy trip to a FedEx facility (because I had to <i>sign</i> for the package, and I wasn't home when they came to get it), David now owns a Droid Bionic, and I own a Samsung Stratosphere.</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pocketnow.com/html/portal/news/0000018749//Samsung-Stratosphere-4G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://pocketnow.com/html/portal/news/0000018749//Samsung-Stratosphere-4G.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This phone is not mine.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">(I got this phone <i>solely</i> for the sliding typepad -- I am going over to the digital keypad kicking and screaming.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I've had this phone for about 12 hours, and in that time I have realized that I <i>am old</i>. The concept of a "smart phone" is awesome -- I love the idea that I can check email and Facebook, have a GPS (finally), read Kindle books -- everything! -- on my phone. But I am having a <i>bitch</i> of a time figuring it all out! I set the alarm on my phone last night for 6:45 AM, and set the phone to vibrate. At 6:45 this morning, David and I were awoken to an ear-pitching screech from the phone, and I could NOT figure out how to turn it off. I think I've figured it out now. I hope so at least.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">ANYWAY, one of the reasons why I'm bringing up the phone is the reason why I don't have a picture for you of what I'm reading and knitting for today's <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2012/01/yarn-along-59.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+gsheller%2FqXrF+%28small+things%29">Yarn Along</a>! I unfortunately don't have an SD card yet (I'm going to pick one up today after work) and I can't take photos with this phone. SO. You'll have to imagine that this Jaywalker sock:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV2r0QEdd49Hqu5UI9smvrIewfprGltDmYSp0o8gtgF46CQGHGpvUThI_YrhRe8GyJrN0r7B3LTj22KxaQeq_6ZXpygVp9mRKE-yDdlFhNrmfdp3uDcl4bjvXc3JkKe7tRqp5JWZ3MOX5/s320/nicholas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV2r0QEdd49Hqu5UI9smvrIewfprGltDmYSp0o8gtgF46CQGHGpvUThI_YrhRe8GyJrN0r7B3LTj22KxaQeq_6ZXpygVp9mRKE-yDdlFhNrmfdp3uDcl4bjvXc3JkKe7tRqp5JWZ3MOX5/s320/nicholas.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">...has a completed cuff, leg, and part of the heel flap done. I really disliked the Noro Kureyon Sock at first -- the colors are beautiful, but the yarn felt rough between my fingers -- but now that I'm knitting back and forth on just the heel flap, I feel like I'm getting more used to it. I have a feeling that the yarn is going to "bloom" and become beautiful when these are washed and blocked for the first time, at least I have hopes. I also love that I'm finally knitting with the blue section (seen above) -- it's the major reason why I bought this colorway in the first place.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As for the book, I'm still plugging away on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83143.Tatiana_and_Alexander"><u>Tatiana and Alexander</u></a>, by Paullina Simons. I'm more than halfway through it, and I have to admit that as much as I liked <a href="http://readknitspinblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/review-bronze-horseman-by-paullina.html"><u>The Bronze Horseman</u></a> (click for my review), I am LOVING <u>Tatiana and Alexander</u> that much more. There is much more backstory -- I felt that <u>TBH</u> left in a lot of loopholes about Alexander's background and how he came to be where he was in the Soviet Union, and this book definitely fills in those gaps. I'm loving it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Four more days until we leave for the cruise! I still need to buy all of my school books, obtain a new university ID card (with my new last name on it), find my camera charger, buy an SD card, do two loads of laundry, clean the apartment, get my guinea pig to my parents' house, and pack all of our things. David is working 5 AM - 1 PM tomorrow, so most of the errands will be done then, but all of the laundry and packing will be done on Friday - Saturday, when he's working two double-shifts both days. Argh. So much left to do!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">But after walking to work this morning in 11 degree weather, I'm looking more forward to sunny Florida and Mexico than I ever imagined.</div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-52376095255049879622012-01-02T06:25:00.000-08:002012-01-02T06:25:03.883-08:00Good morning, 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">It is difficult to believe that it is already January 2012, that the new year has begun. Wasn't it just 2000 yesterday? Can it really have been 12 years since then? But it must have been, since I was 16 then, and I am 28 now. Time really does fly as you get older.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I rang in the New Year without my husband, for the first time since we met in 2008. He was (of course) working, his NYE shift from 4 PM - 12 AM, and came home fifteen minutes after midnight for a belated New Year's kiss. We stayed awake until 2:30 AM with a ton of friends (and alcohol), and I got very little sleep (since those same friends woke us up at 7:30 AM the next day). Yesterday was spent recovering, with chicken soup and the Patriots/Bills game, knitting, and reading.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My <i>Jaywalker</i> socks are coming along splendidly. I'm almost ready to begin the heel flap. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171036640l/83143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171036640l/83143.jpg" width="131" /></a>As for reading, I have to take a moment of silence for my big, beautiful 2011 Goodreads badge, which read "Congratulations! You have completed your goal of 100 books for 2011" for only forty-eight hours before being deleted and replaced by a 2012 "You have completed 0 books" badge. I'm a little sad, I was hoping to keep a record of that glorious achievement. But we must look forward and not back, correct? My first book of the year is -- what else? -- <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83143.Tatiana_and_Alexander"><u>Tatiana and Alexander</u></a>, the sequel to <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83144.The_Bronze_Horseman"><u>The Bronze Horseman</u></a> (review <a href="http://readknitspinblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/review-bronze-horseman-by-paullina.html">here</a>). So far, I like it just as much as <u>TBH</u>, although it's much different -- mainly told is flashback style, and much more about Alexander's story, which I think is infinitely more interesting than Tatiana's. I have a feeling I'm going to need to download <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/608216.The_Summer_Garden"><u>The Summer Garden</u></a>, the final book in the trilogy, before this upcoming week.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Speaking of! David and I are leaving on our first cruise (and first vacation since our honeymoon in November of '10) on January 8th! We're flying into Ft. Lauderdale, then cruising from Miami to Key West and Cozumel. I can't wait to go, a whole seven days off from work for both of us will be absolutely delicious, and just the thing before I start school on January 18th (I can't believe how fast that's coming up, I have to buy books this afternoon, ugh). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
So many things coming up in 2012. I'm going to try and enjoy them all. Happy New Year.</div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-13853582642547005082011-12-31T11:06:00.000-08:002011-12-31T11:06:21.781-08:00Review: The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">I thought I would be good, hold off, make this book #1 of 2012. And then there came a point of no return, I had to finish it. So it is book 101 of 2011, and the last book: Paullina Simon's <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83144.The_Bronze_Horseman"><u>The Bronze Horseman</u></a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">(From now on, instead of writing my own synopsis, I'ma copy the one from Goodreads)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519PQS5Wv1L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519PQS5Wv1L.jpg" width="128" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText1825667768070679912"> <i>Leningrad 1941: the white nights of summer illuminate a city of fallen grandeur whose palaces and avenues speak of a different age, when Leningrad was known as St Petersburg. Two sisters, Tatiana and Dasha, share the same bed, living in one room with their brother and parents. The routine of their hard impoverished life is shattered on 22 June 1941 when Hitler invades Russia. For the Metanov family, for Leningrad and particularly for Tatiana, life will never be the same again. On that fateful day, Tatiana meets a brash young man named Alexander. The family suffers as Hitler's army advances on Leningrad, and the Russian winter closes in. With bombs falling and the city under siege, Tatiana and Alexander are drawn inexorably to each other, but theirs is a love that could tear Tatiana's family apart, and at its heart lies a secret that could mean death to anyone who hears it. Confronted on the one hand by Hitler's vast war machine, and on the other by a Soviet system determined to crush the human spirit, Tatiana and Alexander are pitted against the very tide of history, at a turning point in the century that made the modern world.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText1825667768070679912">This book destroyed me, in every way. I started it on Wednesday, and I was powerless to put it down. As much as I wanted it to be my first book of 2012, I just couldn't hold out, and here it is.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText1825667768070679912"><i> </i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText1825667768070679912">The love story is true, and harsh, and beautiful. So many times I got <i>enraged</i> at the forces that were keeping Tatiana and Alexander apart, wondering when they would work things through. The end of the book killed me; I cried as hard as I did when I was six years old and saw the original <i>Little Mermaid</i> (I didn't realize that in the non-Disneyfied version, she kicks it). There is hope, though -- I bought the sequel, <u>Tatiana and Alexander</u>, today and I'm starting it tomorrow.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText1825667768070679912"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText1825667768070679912">The only -- ONLY -- problem I had with this book was the 70-page break for love scene upon love scene. It really hindered the plot. But once you got past that, it was amazing. Really, I can't recommend this book enough.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText1825667768070679912"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="freeText1825667768070679912"><b>Rating **** and 1/2</b></span></div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-37497613719226120982011-12-30T07:44:00.000-08:002011-12-30T07:44:52.461-08:002011 Wrap-Up Survey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">This meme or survey cycles most of the blogosphere every year, and I'm doing it here on <i>Read.Knit.Spin.Blog</i>. I'm not going to be quite so candid with my answers as I would be in private, because this is a public blog, but I'm going to be pretty honest.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. What did you do in 2011 that you had never done before?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So many little things. I filed my taxes jointly as a married couple. I celebrated Easter with my in-laws for the first time (every other year, David's been working or we've just been with my parents). In May, I learned how to fire-spin. In August, I attended my first Wildfire retreat. In November, we celebrated our first year of marriage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions, and will you make more for next year?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I don't really "do" resolutions, per se. Most of the things I resolve to do are things I've already been working on. The only resolution I'm making for this year is the following: <i><b>love everyone, and be kind.</b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Did anyone close to you give birth?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Three of David's cousin's wives gave birth in April, May, and June. My friend Heather gave birth (in Germany, where her husband is stationed), and my friend Kim had her baby Lily in August.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Did anyone close to you die?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No. *fingers crossed for the last 24 hours* And I'm hoping it stays that way.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>5. What countries did you visit?</b>None. In all of 2011 I only went to Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island. But we're going to Mexico the second week of January!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Greater security. A husband who is happy in his career. David didn't start working as an EMT until after Thanksgiving, so for the majority of the year he was pretty unhappy where he was working. Hopefully we're going to get pregnant in 2012. We've talked about it but I don't know when we're going to start TTC.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>7. What dates in 2011 will remain etched in your memory?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Happy days? August 19 - 22 was Wildfire, and that was wonderful. September 12 was my birthday. September 19 David found out that he had passed his EMT exams.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Re-applying and being re-accepted into graduate school. I start on January 18th.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>9. What was your biggest failure?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are things I wish I had said, but didn't, and times I wish I had held my tongue, and spoke. I wish I could take those back, but I can't. Any minute that I made anyone upset, or angry, or anxious, or was anything less than kind, I regret.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>10. Did you suffer illness or injury?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Besides a fall from my bicycle the first week of April (resulting in a minor concussion, some bruised ribs and some major roadburn on my legs), I was very healthy this year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>11. What was the best thing you bought?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A queen-size bed. Heaven.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>12. Where did most of your money go?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bills.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>13. What did you get really excited about?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Wildfire. David's job. Getting back into school. Moving from our teeny apartment into our much bigger and better one.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>14. What song will always remind you of 2011?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Choices" by the Hoosiers, and "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<b>15. Compared to this time last year, are you:<br />
Happier or sadder? </b>Wiser.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Thinner or fatter? </b>Thinner, but not by much</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Richer or poorer? </b>Poorer, but making more money, if that makes sense</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>16. What do you wish you'd done more of?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just enjoying life and my husband and what we have.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>17. What do you wish you'd done less of?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Emotional eating. Worrying about the future.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b> </b><i><b></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>18. How did you spend Christmas?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">David worked, so I spent it with my parents and extended family.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b> </b><i><b></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>19. What was your favorite TV program?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Dave and I discovered <i>Once Upon a Time</i>. I still love <i>The Tudors</i> and <i>Law and Order: SVU</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>20. What were your favorite books of the year?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u>The Pillars of the Earth</u> was my favorite. Also <u>The Hunger Games</u> series.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>21. What was your favorite music from this year?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Trading Yesterday, The Hoosiers, Florence and the Machine</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>22.</b><i></i> <b>What were your favorite films of the year?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">New films that came out this year? Probably <i>Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. </i>I was pleasantly surprised by it. Dave and I don't go to the movies that often, so I can't remember many others that I saw.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b> </b><i><b></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?</b>I turned 28. I worked from 8 AM - 3 PM, then David took me apple-picking and to dinner at Thai Gardens in Middletown. Then we went home and watched "The Young Victoria." It was a very nice birthday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>24. What one thing would have made your year more satisfactory?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Less worrying. On everyone's part. More kindness.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>What</i> fashion concept? I can't dress myself. I wear jeans, shirts, and sneakers. I'm not fashionable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>26. What kept you sane?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Reading. Knitting. Good friends.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>27. What's a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sometimes you can't look to tomorrow. Sometimes you have to live in the moment, and trust that tomorrow is going to come.<b> </b></div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-77585456071472119582011-12-29T10:41:00.000-08:002011-12-29T10:42:12.641-08:00100 Books in 2011: A Reflection<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">When I first made the decision to read 100 books in 365 days, I really didn't think it would be that difficult. I hadn't done the math -- it meant reading an average of two books a week -- and I had overestimated my reading ability. Until 2011, I was largely a "re-reader". I had a bookshelf of books that I knew I liked, that I had read, some of them to tatters, hundreds of times. I'm fairly certain I could recite <u>To Kill a Mockingbird</u> and most of <u>Gone With the Wind</u>. Most often, if I felt like reading, I would reach out, grab a book that I was familiar with, open it up to a random passage that I liked, and start reading. I didn't branch out into new books, I didn't read things from cover-to-cover most of the time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And then I set out to read 100 books in a year, and I realized that my old methods weren't going to cut it. First off, I didn't <i>own </i>100 books. Second, most of the books I <i>did</i> have? Nonfiction history, and all over 300 pages long. There was no way that I was going to read 100 of <i>those</i> books in a year without some serious warping of the space-time continuum. Such a vast quantity of books meant fiction, or at least, shorter nonfiction, and I was going to have to branch out a bit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I started dipping into genres I hadn't read in years. I realized that my previous prejudice for Young Adult literature was keeping me from some really enjoyable books. I re-read some old favorites from my youth, and discovered that I didn't like them quite so much at almost-30 as I did as a teenager. I discovered books that absolutely made my spirit soar. I realized how much I truly love reading. I realized how difficult it was, reading 100 books in a year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">But how incredibly rewarding it has been.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Goal: 100 books.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Achievement: 100 books.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b> Pages Read: 35,573 (holy crap)</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Best Book of 2011:</b> <u>The Pillars of the Earth</u> by Ken Follett</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm not going to lie and say that this decision was easy. I read SO MANY amazing books this year. But of all of these, <u>Pillars</u> stands out, head and shoulders above the rest. This is the book to read. It is phenomenal.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Most Disappointing Book of 2011:</b> <u>Abandon</u> by Meg Cabot</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I <i>wanted</i> to like this book. Meg Cabot was one of my favorite authors when I was younger -- I loved her "Princess Diaries" series. But <u>Abandon</u> was awful from the get-go. Trite plot, simpering Bella Swan-esque female character, brooding and unrelateable male character, zero story arch, boring cliffhanger ending. There was nothing good about this book except the cover. It did have a good cover.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Most Surprising (in a good way!) Book of 2011: </b><u>The White Queen</u> by Philippa Gregory</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I had all but given up on Philippa Gregory's "historical fiction" after reading <u>The Other Boleyn Girl</u> and its abysmal "sequel", <u>The Boleyn Inheritance</u>. But <u>The White Queen</u> was really good! I enjoyed it more than I ever expected, although I was once again brought back to earth with its boring sequel, <u>The Red Queen</u>. Oh well. Can't win 'em all.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Book You Recommended Most To People in 2011: </b><u>The Pillars of the Earth</u> and <u>The Hunger Games</u> by Suzanne Collins.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is a toss-up. Depending on if the person liked long books and historical fiction, I would recommend <u>Pillars</u>. I would recommend <u>Hunger Games</u> to anyone (my husband, a non-reader, is reading it right now!).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Best Series You Discovered in 2011: </b><u>The Hunger Games</u> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Close second (thus far): <u>Divergent</u> by Veronica Roth. I'm reading <u>The Bronze Horseman</u> right now though, which will probably qualify as a discovery in 2011, and it's definitely giving <u>Divergent</u> a run for the money.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Favorite New Authors You Discovered in 2011:</b> John Krakauer, Antonia Frasier, Suzanne Collins.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Best Book That Was Out Of Your Comfort Zone or Genre: </b><u>Divergent</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After the debacle that was <u>Twilight</u>, I swore off YA lit. I'm glad I re-thought that.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Most Thrilling, Can't-Put-It-Down Book of 2011: </b><u>Sarah's Key</u> by Tatiana de Rosnay</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Such a sad book, but so amazing. I read it in one day.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Book You Most Anticipated in 2011: </b><u>The Help</u> by Kathryn Stockett</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Everyone talked this book up to me. Once I read it, I understood why. It was awesome.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Favorite Cover of a Book: </b><u>Shine</u> by Lauren Myracle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1294346503l/8928054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1294346503l/8928054.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Most Memorable Character(s): </b>Katniss Everdeen from <u>The Hunger Games</u>, Jack Jackson from <u>The Pillars of the Earth</u>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I divided it into male and female. Those were by far my two favorite.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Most Beautifully-Written Book of 2011: </b><u>Russian Winter</u> by Daphne Kalotay</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This book reads like poetry. It is just beautiful.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Book That Had the Greatest Impact On You In 2011: </b><u>Into Thin Air</u> by John Krakauer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This book haunted me long after I put it down. It was just amazing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Book You Can't Believe You Waited Until 2011 To Read: </b><u>The Pillars of the Earth</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My parents have had this book knocking about their house for as long as I can remember.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u> </u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u> </u><b>Favorite Passage/Quote From a Book in 2011: </b><u>The Thorn Birds</u> by Colleen McCullough</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"<i>The bird with the thorn in its breast, it follows an immutable law; it is driven by it knows not what to impale itself, and die singing. At the very instant the thorn enters, there is no awareness of the dying to come: it simply sings and sings until there is not the life left to utter another note. But we, when we put the thorns in our breast, we know. We understand. And still we do it. Still, we do it." </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Book Read in 2011 That You're Likely to Read in 2012: </b><u>The Hunger Games</u>, <u>The Pillars of the Earth</u>, <u>Sarah's Key</u>, <u>The Help</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All of the above.<i><b> </b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Book Scene That Left You Reeling and Wanting to Talk About It: </b>To nobody's surprise, <u>The Pillars of the Earth</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The end is astounding. Especially to someone who is into English history. I saw the ending coming as I reached the last few pages and it blew. My. Mind. Absolutely amazing. Can't recommend it enough.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">...So where does this leave me?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I won't be setting a goal of 100 books in 2012. For one thing, I'm going back to school in January, and I'm not going to have as much free time to read. My goal for 2012 is to read 50 "new-to-me" books, and however many others I can do after that. I have a lot of re-reading that I want to do...so we'll see.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-10053449472748311982011-12-29T07:34:00.000-08:002011-12-29T07:34:39.112-08:00Review: Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">Ready? Because this is momentous.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I DID IT!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">With this book, I've completed 100 books in 2011. Robert K. Massie's <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133486.Nicholas_and_Alexandra"><u>Nicholas and Alexandra</u></a> was THE final book. I am done, and for about five minutes, I was exhausted. And then I went to the library and picked out another book. Review on this page, wrap-up in the next entry.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320489311l/133486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320489311l/133486.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">At the turn of the 20th century, Russia was one of the few remaining autocratic nations in the world. Its vast dominions had been governed for 300 years by the Romanov family. The current <i>tsar</i>, or Emperor, was Nicholas II, a young, handsome, quiet man who feared confrontation and lived to make people happy. His bride was the German princess Alix of Hesse, who later changed her name to Alexandra Fedorovna. Theirs was a love match, not an arranged marriage, and together they had five children -- four elder daughters, and one young son and heir to the throne, Alexei. Unbeknown to her, Alexandra carried in her the mutant gene that plagued the ruling houses of Europe -- her son Alexei was born with hemophilia, at the time a dangerous blood disease that constantly threatened his life. In time, the silence surrounding Alexei's affliction, coupled with the unrest in their society, lead Russia full-tilt into revolution, and the Romanov family into tragedy.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Massie's book reads more like a novel than a non-fiction history, in most parts. His chapters about politics, war, and Lenin are rather dry; those are difficult to get through at times. But his writing is never better than when he is describing the day-to-day life and relationships of the Romanovs. Like Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the Romanovs are often lambasted in history as being antiquated, pretentious, spoiled and undisciplined, rulers who deserved the terrible ends that befell them because they did not heed the cries of their subjects, letting them starve instead. But Massie illustrates the backgrounds that lead them to be this way, including the murder of Tsar Nicholas II's grandfather after he freed the serfs and instituted a Duma (parliament) and Nicholas' tutelage under Podobenostov, the student of autocracy. You can't help but feel for the Romanovs during their plight.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Massie's "inspiration" (if you can call it that) for writing this book was the birth of his own son, who, like Alexei, was born with hemophilia. His thesis in writing <u>Nicholas and Alexandra</u> was this: that although the country was already pre-inclined towards revolution and the death of the autocracy, the fate of the nation was sealed when Alexei was born with that small but critical gene mutation. I won't explain his reasons for thinking so; you'll have to read the book yourself, I can't recommend it enough. Anyone who is interested in Russian history or the lives of the Romanovs should read this book. It is amazing.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Rating: *****</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </span></div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-17919224846366213422011-12-28T04:58:00.000-08:002011-12-28T04:58:54.339-08:00Yarn Along! (Last of 2011)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">It's Wednesday again, and I'm participating in the weekly <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2011/12/yarn-along-58.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+gsheller%2FqXrF+%28small+things%29">Yarn Along</a> over with Ginny at Small Things. It's getting close to the end of the year, and I'm pouring on the burn with my last book.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV2r0QEdd49Hqu5UI9smvrIewfprGltDmYSp0o8gtgF46CQGHGpvUThI_YrhRe8GyJrN0r7B3LTj22KxaQeq_6ZXpygVp9mRKE-yDdlFhNrmfdp3uDcl4bjvXc3JkKe7tRqp5JWZ3MOX5/s1600/nicholas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV2r0QEdd49Hqu5UI9smvrIewfprGltDmYSp0o8gtgF46CQGHGpvUThI_YrhRe8GyJrN0r7B3LTj22KxaQeq_6ZXpygVp9mRKE-yDdlFhNrmfdp3uDcl4bjvXc3JkKe7tRqp5JWZ3MOX5/s320/nicholas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133486.Nicholas_and_Alexandra"><u>Nicholas and Alexandra</u></a> is an amazing book; I've read it before but not this year. Continuing with my "Russian winter", I'm reading the biography of the last Tsar of Russia and his wife, who were deposed when the country moved over to communism and became the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. I started reading it on Sunday and I am on page 310 right now, of 532. Two hundred and twenty-two pages to go, and three days. I can do it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The socks are <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jaywalker">Jaywalkers</a> by Grumperina, a sock that pretty much everyone in the knitting community tries. It is a quicker work than I am giving it credit for; I knit much slower when I knit in pattern. It's one round of pattern, then one round of plain stockinette, and I'm sure a speedier knitter would be a lot further along than I. I'm also really not as crazy about the yarn as I thought I was when I bought it -- it's Noro Kureyon Sock, and it's thinner and coarser than Silk Garden Sock. Beautiful colors though.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
What are you reading or knitting?</div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-12216260387536011912011-12-27T04:50:00.000-08:002011-12-27T04:50:23.154-08:00Christmas book haul<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm not usually a huge fan of "haul" posts, but since this is a blog about reading and knitting, I thought I'd do a post on my Christmas book gifts, what I will be reading over the next few months.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">(One of my relatives asked, "Why do you need so many books? You have a Kindle, don't you?" And it's true, but I love having hard copies, particularly of history books. As I told my sister, as a History Master's Degree student, I'm building a library here!)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My Christmas book haul included:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133486.Nicholas_and_Alexandra"><u>Nicholas and Alexandra</u></a> by Robert K. Massie.<br />
This book was one of my favorites growing up. My father had an interest in Russian history, particularly the fall of the Romanov dynasty, and I read his copy to tatters (sorry, Dad). I'm so excited to have my own copy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10414941-catherine-the-great"><u>Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman</u></a> by Robert K. Massie</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Loving <u>Nicholas and Alexandra</u> as I do, I was excited to hear that Massie's latest book on Catherine the Great was almost universally praised. I can't wait to read it. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10109.Henry_VIII"><u>Henry VIII: The King and His Court</u></a> by Alison Weir</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alison Weir! My goal to amass an entire collection of her books continues. I've read her <u>Six Wives of Henry VIII</u>, but I've never read a book strictly on the life and reign of Henry himself. I'm looking forward to this one. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/85792.Faith_and_Treason"><u>Faith and Treason: The Story of the Gunpowder Plot</u></a> by Antonia Fraser</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thus far, my only experience with Antonia Fraser involved her biography of Marie Antoinette, but this intrigued me. Also, David and I were married on Guy Fawkes Day, November 5th, so the date and events pique my interest. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5064.World_Without_End"><u>World Without End</u></a> by Ken Follett</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u>The Pillars of the Earth</u> was quite possibly my favorite book that I read in 2011. I am so excited to read the sequel! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In addition to the histories/historical fiction, I also received two knitting books:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10882307-the-knitter-s-life-list"><u>The Knitter's Life List</u></a> by Gwen Steege<br />
This isn't a book that I had heard of before; my father read a review of it in the paper and thought it would be good for me. I've only leafed through it thus far, but it's pretty amazing -- sort of a knitter's checklist of things to learn, places to go, people to meet. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181315.Knitting_Vintage_Socks"><u>Knitting Vintage Socks: New Twists on Classic Patterns</u></a> by Nancy Bush<br />
This is one of those "inspiration" books of patterns that I'm scared to death to try. But the pictures are so beautiful, and I'm going to force myself to knit some of these beauties!<br />
<br />
<br />
So there are four days left until the new year. Four days, and I have one book to read. What did I pick?<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Nicholas and Alexandra</u>. My mom thinks I'm crazy, but I've read it before, I love it, and as of this morning I am on...page 74 of 527. No sweat. I can do it!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-51631392203183507982011-12-25T04:12:00.001-08:002011-12-25T04:12:48.223-08:00Merry Christmas :)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">From the B house to you and yours...Merry Christmas.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/381784_765833801249_48804557_36462093_1898165824_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/381784_765833801249_48804557_36462093_1898165824_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-51273718213408421272011-12-22T11:17:00.000-08:002011-12-22T11:18:01.859-08:00Review: The Princes In the Tower by Alison Weir<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">The penultimate book! With only nine days left to read my last book (which as yet remains unselected), I come to you with what will most likely be my final historical non-fiction book of the year, and book #99: Alison Weir's <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/111221.The_Princes_in_the_Tower"><u>The Princes In the Tower</u></a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320447307l/111221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320447307l/111221.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Reading like a historical thesis, Alison Weir tells the dramatic and tragic story of the child-King Edward V, who ought to have ascended the throne upon the death of his father, and his younger brother, Richard, Duke of York. Only 12 and 10 years old, respectively, when their father died in 1483, the boys were apprehended by their uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who had the boys removed to the infamous Tower of London for their supposed protection, only to embark on a smear campaign to disinherit them as illegitimate. His campaign successful, Richard of Gloucester was crowned King Richard III of England, and the "Princes in the Tower" were never seen nor heard from again. Taking the traditional myth of their end as fact, Weir illustrates the story in the hopes of solving the mystery for once and for all: who was the murderer of the Princes in the Tower?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the centuries since the death of Richard III and the meteoric rise of the Tudor dynasty that followed, the tide of public opinion has turned back in favor of Richard III <i>not</i> murdering the Princes, as is commonly suggested. Weir opens up the book to debate, taking each and every individual who may have benefited from the deaths of the Princes -- including Richard's successor, Henry Tudor (later King Henry VII). Weir takes all of the evidence that she can unearth with thorough research, and tries to remain objective while pointing out whom she feels to be the Princes' obvious murderer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Some critics on Goodreads say that <u>Princes</u> reads more like a textbook; in truth I'd say it reads more like a graduate thesis, a good one. Being someone who always wondered who did kill the unfortunate Princes, Weir's book is interesting, and very thorough, and as an added bonus, it's way more interesting than Paul Murray Kendall's <a href="http://readknitspinblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/review-richard-third-by-paul-murray.html"><u>Richard the Third</u></a>, which I read at the beginning of the year. I loved it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So now comes the big question...what is number 100 going to be? I started <u>The Bronze Horseman</u>, but 832 pages in nine days (during the holidays) seems like suicide. So I'll have to find something shorter. Making it count! I'm almost there!<br />
<br />
<b>Rating: ****</b> </div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-14488762578391556622011-12-19T07:05:00.000-08:002011-12-19T07:05:41.102-08:00Review: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">With six days until Christmas, I'm definitely feeling in the spirit, besides the fact that my shopping isn't done, and my house is a mess, and I've been sick all morning (ugh). I decided to read one of my holiday favorites this past weekend. Number 98 for the year is <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/630863.A_Christmas_Carol"><u>A Christmas Carol</u></a>, by Charles Dickens.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176497590l/630863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176497590l/630863.jpg" width="137" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ebenezer Scrooge is an old man who has lead an unhappy life, seeing everything in terms of black and white, and shunning his fellow man for the comforts loneliness and solitude afford him. His contempt for poverty and compassion even cause him to neglect his poor clerk, struggling family man Robert "Bob" Cratchit. But one Christmas Eve, Scrooge is haunted by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who informs him that unless he changes his miserly, contemptible ways, he is doomed to a miserable eternity. His one salvation lies in the mercy of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, who arrive to show Scrooge what he has missed, what he continues to ignore, and what his future will become if he goes unredeemed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is one of my favorite Christmas stories, if not my absolute favorite. A lot of people on Goodreads complain about Dickens' heavy-handed prose, and I will admit, the beginning of Stave (rather than "Chapter") One can really be off-putting. But it is also very beautiful, and no Christmas for me is complete without reading the book and seeing the 1984 made-for-TV version starring George C. Scott. I love them both.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: *****</b></div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-25435979729586874452011-12-16T10:12:00.000-08:002011-12-16T10:12:59.580-08:00Review: Mastering Color Knitting by Melissa Leapman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320401173l/8066109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320401173l/8066109.jpg" width="161" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Every knitter has a knitting book library. Since I'm still relatively new to extensive knitting (I knitted a million garter stitch scarves before finally branching out into new stuff), my library is still relatively small. But I received the gift of another new knitting book last Saturday (thanks Drea!) and I just read it and want to review it today. Book 97 for the year 2011 is <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8066109-mastering-color-knitting"><u>Mastering Color Knitting</u></a> by Melissa Leapman.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Color knitting -- Fair Isle, intarsia, or double-knitting, can be a daunting prospect. In her book, Leapman breaks down the fundamentals of each of these techniques, making them slightly more approachable and somewhat less scary. <i>Fair Isle</i>, the kind of knitting you think of when you picture fancy Scandinavian sweaters, is the art of color knitting in patterns over many rows, carrying the unused colors on the other side of the knitting in <i>floats</i>. <i>Intarsia</i>, or "picture-knitting", is just what it sounds like -- knitting pictures into your knitting without carrying the unused yarn. <i>Double-knitting</i> is a technique where the knitter works both sides of the knitting at the same time, but in contrasting colors and patterns. All of these are more intermediate skills, but Leapman breaks them down so as to make the knitter more comfortable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
There are loads of pictures and charts, most of them colored, and even a handy graph in the back that Leapman encourages the reader to photocopy and use in designing his or her own color knitting. The book boasts 12 original patterns ranging from easy -- a throw pillow, a hat -- to challenging -- a full fair isle sweater with steeking.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I really enjoyed reading this book, and it's definitely pushing my itch to try some color knitting of my own. Perhaps the Selbu hat pattern <a href="http://readknitspinblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/setting-bar.html">that I mentioned before</a>? Gotta wait until after Christmas when my knitting is done!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: ****</b></div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-23855964175358215362011-12-15T12:48:00.000-08:002011-12-15T12:48:36.677-08:00Review: Knit Two by Kate Jacobs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">As obsessed as I am with reading and knitting, all too often, knitting fiction piques my interest. I read <u>The Friday Night Knitting Club</u> last year, and was gifted with a copy of the sequel this Christmas. <b>WARNING: If you have not yet read <u>Friday Night Knitting Club</u>, this review will contain spoilers.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255575285l/4609710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255575285l/4609710.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4609710-knit-two"><u>Knit Two</u></a> takes place five years after the end of <u>Friday Night</u>, and the members of the Club are still struggling to put the pieces of their lives back together after losing their beloved Georgia Walker.<b> </b>Dakota Walker, Georgia's daughter, is 18 now, brooding, restless, and hoping for a future where she isn't tied down to her mother's knitting store and legacy. Peri, the co-owner of the store following Georgia's death, struggles between her loyalty to the store and her desire to branch out with her own line of pocketbooks. Lucie discovers that her hasty decision to enter single-motherdom isn't as simple now, with a five-year-old terror and a booming career that takes her to Italy. Catherine, having left her vile husband, tries desperately to understand what is missing from her life as a wealthy divorcee. Elderly widower Anita has recently accepted a proposal from her boyfriend Marty, and must confront the naysaying of her angry sons while battling her own secrets. And ultra-feminist Darwin, a new mother to twins, attempts to balance life as a professor and as a mom.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The book is a page-turner, the characters lively, making you wonder what is going to happen next. But <u>Knit Two</u> lacks the story arc that made <u>Friday Night</u> the bestseller that it was. For the first 150 or so pages, there's plenty of build-up. And then, all of a sudden, half of the characters (Anita, Lucie, Dakota, and Catherine) are in Italy for various reasons, and the other three (I neglected to mention KC above, mainly because her main story arc, her battles with smoking and menopause, are the most forgettable of the book) are left behind and shunted to the side. Here is where I felt both <u>Knit Two</u> and <u>Friday Night</u> lost their appeal -- when the gang goes to a foreign country. The idea of a European trip in order to find oneself has been done to death, and going to Rome really doesn't bring any sort of spin to the book -- Jacobs could just as well have sent them all to Napa for the cultural differences that they experience in Rome.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The overwhelming grief over Georgia's loss -- five years later -- is also unbelievable. Dakota, of course, as Georgia's daughter, who was only 13 when she lost her mother, is the only one whose grief is understandable. She is still working through it, and at 18 still figuring out who she is. But the overwhelming apathy of James (Dakota's father) and Catherine was ridiculous. The part about them going out to dinner frequently and setting a place at the table for Georgia made me roll my eyes. And the entire community being obsessed with Georgia reminded me how skeptical I was of the obsession everyone had with Lorelei and Rory on "Gilmore Girls" -- does the entire world revolve around young, unfortunate, single mothers and their offspring?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The final chapter reminded me way too much of the "Sex and the City" films. Not everything is perfect -- but enough is. It was an enjoyable read, if one can get past the few eye-rolly chapters. I wish there had been more about Darwin. She was definitely my favorite character from the first book, and not enough was fleshed out about her in book two.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: ***</b></div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-35942650199445598092011-12-15T05:48:00.000-08:002011-12-15T05:48:58.327-08:00A "Russian" state of mind<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">Ten days left until Christmas. Sixteen days left until the new year. So 10 knitting days left, 16 reading days left. Help.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I noticed something over the last few weeks. A bunch of my hobbies, or what I do in my spare time, seem to be following a similar path.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My reading:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtFPc9o9lIQvi6FEfjDzgPoY7ql4ZWEai_xPDoqyTWz2Cs21OJAl2BvU54YD_qC-0jMzlMM74Dbew8_0c_OB-DKcCwCKHPlivGQOsrM_x2X388S7qV4bTmGOEbd6rfyCllWaeP2BTyI-K/s1600/romanov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtFPc9o9lIQvi6FEfjDzgPoY7ql4ZWEai_xPDoqyTWz2Cs21OJAl2BvU54YD_qC-0jMzlMM74Dbew8_0c_OB-DKcCwCKHPlivGQOsrM_x2X388S7qV4bTmGOEbd6rfyCllWaeP2BTyI-K/s320/romanov.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>(From left to right: <u>The Romanov Bride</u>, <u>Alexander: The Last Empress</u>, and <u>The Kitchen Boy</u>)</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I've been spending some time on <a href="http://www.russianlessons.net/"><u>this website</u></a> in an attempt to learn conversation Russian. (So far, I can say about six words. Not that great, but I'm still learning!).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I've been working diligently on David's Christmas present (or one of them): a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/one-row-handspun-scarf">One-Row Handspun Scarf</a> in some yarn that he picked out on our honeymoon in Vieux Montreal last year. The yarn is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/malabrigo-yarn-rios">Malabrigo Rios</a> (100% merino) in the <i>Pearl Ten</i> colorway...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4Nny7Ar0_6-EpHsPzUuOtuwZnrzRbOC-jyC9hO_JQaS9-SYYaXG0CBD-WJOBFr_kt3d3rRQakgKQzPa2Xs-UfPpzPULNoqc2yPxtnXR-e8J9_y0JK_uV1DmyWW_Sp9q7cQ1vd96geqkL/s1600/russian.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4Nny7Ar0_6-EpHsPzUuOtuwZnrzRbOC-jyC9hO_JQaS9-SYYaXG0CBD-WJOBFr_kt3d3rRQakgKQzPa2Xs-UfPpzPULNoqc2yPxtnXR-e8J9_y0JK_uV1DmyWW_Sp9q7cQ1vd96geqkL/s320/russian.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">...which almost perfectly matches my nail lacquer, ironically, <a href="http://www.opi.com/">OPI</a>'s <i>Russian Navy</i>.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The librarian who checked out my books said "That's a good winter theme". I guess he was right.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Five books to go. <i>Five.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">One knit to go. <i>One.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Time's a tickin'...</div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9212851616280045729.post-78962523805977579402011-12-14T09:18:00.000-08:002011-12-14T09:18:48.053-08:00Review: The Romanov Bride by Robert Alexander<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">While I won't take back my negative points on the review of Robert Alexander's <u>The Kitchen Boy</u>, I have to say, with this second of his books, he has absolutely, totally and completely redeemed himself in my eyes. THIS book is everything I wanted in a historical fiction, and more. Number #95 for the year (five left! Five left in 17 days! I have hope!) is <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2565549-the-romanov-bride"><u>The Romanov Bride</u></a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266926505l/2565549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266926505l/2565549.jpg" width="138" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alexander tells the story of the beautiful <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Elisabeth_of_Hesse_and_by_Rhine_%281864%E2%80%931918%29">Elizabeth Romanov</a>, called "Ella" by her family and friends, a minor German princess who marries Sergei Romanov, the uncle of Tsar Nicholas II. Born and raised by her mother to have a special care for the poor and ill, Ella is unable to shake her compassionate feelings, even managing to feel pity and love for her tyrranical husband as he rules her and the people of Moscow with an iron fist. But when Sergei is assassinated by a revolutionary's bomb, Ella's life is transformed. Juxtaposed with Ella's story is that of Pavel, a poor Russian worker whose revolutionary ideas are fueled by his hatred and grief over the senseless murder of his young wife on Bloody Sunday. Pavel is determined to bring down the House of Romanov, no matter what the cost. But his interaction will Ella will, unwillingly, change his life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This book is splendid, exactly what I love about historical fiction. There's a fascinating historical figure -- Ella -- and an original character invented by the author to cause a counterpoint -- Pavel. I'm not usually a fan of multiple points of view in a novel, but the two characters are so strikingly different, and both really contribute so much to the tale. Here we see the Russian Revolution from both sides -- the monarchist (Ella) and the communist (Pavel).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
Ella is a lovely character -- there is nothing to hate about her, in fiction or in truth. There is a reason why she was later canonized as a saint in the Russian-Orthodox Church, yet for all her saintliness and humility Alexander still manages to make her human. Pavel is definitely relate-able -- his heartbreak, followed by rage and lust for revenge are all too well understood in this day and age.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This book is wonderful. My only regret -- that one of the children that Ella and Sergei "adopts", Dmitri, is never fully explained. This book contains many references to Grigori Rasputin and his part in the fall of the Russian Empire, and Dmitri was one of his murderers. Alexander never fleshes out this little tidbit of information, which mystifies me, for I'm sure he discovered it during his thorough research. Still, nonetheless, amazing work.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: **** and 1/2</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01546895461720497719noreply@blogger.com0