Giveaway Winner: The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum

Congratulations to:

Tasha 

from "Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Books"

I drew from Random.org and you're the winner of Lisa Mangum's book The Hourglass Door!  Thanks to everyone who joined in the giveaway!  I will have the book posted within the week.

For those who are looking for a great book for a teen girl, this time-travel book is a great choice!  The second book in the series is already out and the third is on its way.

Review: Sliding Into Home by Kendra Wilkinson

Can I be honest and say that I'm not 100% sure what compelled me to read this autobiography?  I like interesting stories about people's lives, and I have watched some of the reality shows Kendra has played in, but I really can't say what urged me to push all the other books aside to read this one.  Curiosity?  Yes, I guess that would be it?

Synopsis:  In this honest autobiography, Kendra Wilkinson shares her life from her single-parent upbringing after her father walked out on the family to her time at the Playboy mansion.  Throughout her young life, Kendra has experienced running away, learning disabilities, acting out, sexual activity, and drugs & alcohol all within her teens.  Having gotten into drugs at an early age, Kendra found herself more interested in partying than in going to school or even playing her favorite sport, soccer.  Eventually, Kendra found herself in a relationship, stripping for its easy money, when she was asked to go to the Playboy Mansion to serve drinks at a party for Hef's birthday.  That one event led to her invitation into Hef's life as a girlfriend and "The Girls Next Door," which showed a seemingly staged version of her reality that launched her into the limelight of today.  From her new stardom, Kendra met and married her now husband, Hank Baskett who plays with the NFL.

Review:  This was a pretty fast-paced read as far as autobiographies go.  Once you start reading, it's pretty easy to speed right through to the end.  The style and voice are reminiscent of Kendra, and a pretty easy read.  Kendra's life was really out of control with all of the acting out and drug use.  I couldn't help but feel for her family, who really kept hoping for her to change over and over and over again.  Strangely, it does seem that Playboy slowed her down and helped give her a new focus in her life.

For me, I think that this book grabbed me because I saw the life of a close friend of mine mirrored in the young Kendra.  One of my closest best friends growing up went down very similar paths, choosing to shoplift, drink, and party on a really grand scale.  Eventually, we grew apart, especially after she put me in a really awkward position one afternoon when she stole an expensive bottle of perfume at a department store where we were shopping.  She ended up getting held by mall security and I had to call for a ride home.  Strangely, I don't remember what happened to her in that case, but I do know that we went our separate ways and have not stayed in touch. 

Whether it was the direct correlation I could make between the young Kendra in the pages and my own best friend, or the ways that Kendra has identified as helping her change that grabbed me, the book is easy to get sucked into.  Despite her wild and crazy background, Kendra feels like a genuine person that is easy to like.  It's strange that I felt that way from what little I have read or seen of her!  Having said that, with her new loving marriage and young son, you can't help but sincerely hope for her success in the future.  Regardless, her life has been one crazy ride, and one that I would honestly never want for myself! 

*FTC Disclosure:  This review is based on a library copy of the book.

Sunday Blatherings: News & Giveaway Closing

Thanksgiving week was wonderful.  I stayed close to home and had my bff "Doc" here for the past three days.  Although we went to my aunt's house for the actual day, I had cooked up a turkey breast (which was AMAZING after a nice brine) with a bunch of smaller side dishes.  That way we had our own fixings.  I haven't pushed everything aside though, since I've been grading stacks of papers for school.  I'm not quite finished with them all, but I made a really nice dent in them.  Once I get the simple assignments out of the way, I'll have about 50 essays to grade and 90 tests.  Then I'll be finished!  No biggie, right? 

By way of news, I found out the new Masterpiece Classics from the awesome blog site Enchanted Serenity Period Films.  I was excited to learn that they will be re-airing The 39 Steps on March 27, 2011, which I reviewed here in my "A Short Jane Austen Actor Love: The 39 Steps" post.  Besides the visual beauty lent the film by Rupert *sigh* Penry-Jones, I thought it was a fun story to follow. 

Also showing this season on Masterpiece Classics is:

• "My Boy Jack" with Daniel Radcliffe on January 2, 2011
• "Downtown Abbey" running every Sunday from January 9th to the 30th
• "The Unseen Alistair Cooke" on February 6, 2011
• "Any Human Heart" starring Mathew MacFadyen on February 13, 20, & 27, 20100
• "The 39 Steps" on March 27, 2011--as mentioned
• "Upstairs Downstairs" on April 10, 17, & 24, 2011

Each of these showings by PBS Masterpiece Classics should be excellent and I'll be eager to catch a few new ones this time around! 

I've also decided to join a holiday reading challenge.  Yes, me.  Honestly, I've been so bad about keeping up with challenges that I really didn't join many after the year got started, but I think I found one I can tackle!  "The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2010" is being hosted by The True Book Addict & The Christmas Spirit Blog.  It started on Friday, November 26th and runs until January 6th.  You can read as little as one book on up.  For more information or to sign up, visit their site today!

One last thing.  Don't forget to join in on my awesome giveaway for The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum.  The giveaway ends tonight, November 28th by midnight!

What about you?  How was your holiday week and weekend?

Reading Thoughts: Electra, Oedipus, & Antigone by Sophocles

With the rush into the holiday season this year, I found myself wanting something philosophical to read; I felt like I needed a pen in hand to get the most out of my reading.  As with every year around October I teach the play Oedipus to my juniors.  The language is thick with irony, metaphor, and foreshadowing, and yet the mystery in the play keeps my students eagerly engaged.  It's actually a lot of fun to read together as a class. 

Because of this in-class reading, I really wanted to try out some of Sophocles other plays.  There is so much one can learn from these earliest plays that have survived over time to be read today.  I'm sure too that my own obsession with Greece and visit to one of the amphitheaters at Epidaurus that Sophocles was said to have performed his plays helped in this fascination!  Here are a couple of pictures of Epidaurus.  Ignore my silly pose.  I couldn't help sitting in these hand-carved seats near the front of the amphitheater.  Amazing.  Simply amazing!

How does one really "review" a playwright who has successfully captures our attention and recognition for thousands of years?  Obviously, I'm not going to attempt to rate his work, as I think he's brilliant no matter how you look at it!  My reviews can be nothing but glowing, so I'd rather take a moment to share what these plays are about, basically, and share a few amazing quotes that have been translated from them.

Electra:  The basic premise of this play is that Electra's father has been killed by his mother in revenge for killing her sister as a sacrifice.  Since that time, her mother has remarried and her only brother has left the city.  Both brother and sister separately plan the revenge, proclaiming the evil nature of their mother for her part in the murder. 

Thoughts and Quotes:  This play seems an interesting comparison to Shakespeare's Hamlet in the revenge department.  Both main characters have lost their fathers, both mothers have remarried, and both children feel ultimately betrayed by their mother.  Interestingly, Electra fed the famous theory by Sigmund Freud, coupled with is Oedipal Theory, or children desiring their opposite sex parent.  These theories have since been proven a bit extreme, but the ideas behind them  are also explained.   One of the quotes that grabbed me was,

"Do not got too far in hatred with those you hate,
Nor be forgetful of him.
Time has power to heal all wounds."

I can't say that I knew that this particular adage came from Sophocles, but it seems that the translated message is that "time heals all wounds" and not to act too rashly.

Oedipus:  What's to say about this famous play that hasn't been said in a million cultural references and jokes?  In this most famous of all plays written by Sophocles, Oedipus is made king of Thebes after solving the Sphinx's riddle who was holding the city captive.  Thebes had recently lost their king to murder, and Oedipus was running from his home in Corinth after a prophecy was stated that he would kill his father to be with his mother.  As the play begins, Oedipus learns that the city is under a blight or plague because the city is harboring the murderer of the king and must be found.  From this intriguing beginning, the mystery unfolds into a most tragic ending!

Thoughts and Quotes:  I don't wish to give away everything that happens in the play, but will say that it is quite memorable.  Since I started teaching this play, I've noticed cultural references in too many shows to even list.  (If you're interested, there is a really funny reference in Desperate Housewives, Season 5 Episode 2.)  Some of my favorite quotes include:

"To spurn a loyal friend, that is no better
Than to destroy the life to which we cling."

This quote was said by Oedipus's good friend and brother-in-law Creon, who he has accused of setting him up as the murderer of the former king.  This is a great quote and one that I have my students explore.  I have them consider how throwing away one's friends could be like destroying one's own life.  Interesting thought.  Adding to this idea is a piece of advice handed down by the chorus:

"Look upon that last day always,
Count no mortal happy till he has passed
the final limit of his life secure from pain."

I really like the idea of this quote, no matter how pessimistic it might be.  The realism of this idea, that we should never consider ourselves outside the parameters of pain until we have passed through this life.  In other words, no man can ensure that he will be free of pain and should not be so arrogant as to think so.

Antigone:  As the follow-up play to Oedipus, the play centers on the shamed children of Oedipus.  Antigone is seeking out an honorable burial for her brother.  Throughout the play she argues with her uncle and new king Creon for the respect she feels her brother deserves.

Thoughts and Quotes:  After reading both Oedipus and Antigone, I can't help but admire Antigone for her bravery in the face of adversity.  Nothing that she has faced has been caused by her own actions, but she faces them nonetheless.  Some of my favorite quotes include:

"This is the law: that in Man's
Life every success brings with it some disaster."

Yes, a pretty pessimistic sort of view of life, but one that seems realistic and filled with a sense of bold acceptance.  Maybe as a nice adage and piece of advice to follow this up, is the next quote:

"I would say that he does best who has
Most understanding; second best, the man
Who profits from the wisdom of another."

Yet another great piece of advice passed along by Sophocles, and in this case, in the power of listening to wise counsel.

The roles of tragedy, the gods, and of loyalty fill the pages in the plays written by Sophocles.  Amazing to me is the fact that they have survived throughout generations of readers and viewers.  How these philosophies shape us today is an interesting thing to consider, which is probably why I find myself drawn to Sophocles.

As mentioned earlier in my post, have you seen cultural references to these plays or have a favorite quote of your own? 

Happy Thanksgiving!

To all of my American friends, I want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving today!  Although I'm thankful for many things, today I'm just happy for the chance to take a time out and gear up for this wonderful holiday season.

Yesterday I made a traditional carrot pudding that my grandma always used to  make.  It takes three to five hours to steam, so it's a real treat for our family. If you're interested, here's the recipe:

Carrot Pudding

1 c. shredded potato (fresh, not frozen)
1 c. shredded carrot
1 c.  shredded apple
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. melted butter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. raisins

 Mix potato with the baking soda to help prevent browning while you shred and prepare the remaining ingredients.  Into potatoes, mix carrot, apple, brown sugar, butter, and spices.  Toss raisins in the flour and put the flour and raisins into the wet mix & fold in.  Healthy version:  I like to replace 1/4 c. of the flour with wheat bran and then add 3 tbsp. of flax meal.   You can't taste it and it adds a nice healthy touch!

Steam the pudding in a double broiler (make sure to put water in the bottom and to check it often because the water runs out and needs to be refilled) for anywhere from three to five hours.  The longer the better actually.  You want the final pudding to be a dark brown and a little firm.  We like to serve the pudding warm with a little warmed up cream that has had vanilla pods steeped in.  Also, my grandma would make a caramel sauce to pour over it.  I was always a cream girl though.  Enjoy!  It makes a great breakfast treat.

A Darcy Christmas: "Mr. Darcy's Christmas Carol" by Carolyn Eberhart

The day I came home from surgery, I had a wonderful, early Christmas package waiting for me that contained A Darcy Christmas.  This book is a compilation of three Christmas stories by different Austen writers.  I love the escape that comes with all things Austen and this book has a wonderful, feel good Christmas backdrop for its stories.

Although there are three stories in the book, I wanted to share a little bit about the first story in the novel, "Mr. Darcy's Christmas Story" by Carolyn Eberhart.  It doesn't seem that Eberhart has published anything prior to her story included in the novel (according to the bio in the book or online), so I was interested to get a taste of her writing.

Synopsis:  It's not Ebenezer Scrooge.  It's Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy fresh off his refusal of marriage by Ms. Elizabeth Bennett, marriage of Lydia and Wickham, and marriage of his good friend Bingley to Elizabeth's other sister Jane.  Unlike the original novel, Darcy never did return after Bingley's proposal to Jane, to do likewise with Elizabeth. Instead, he sulked and returned home to be sullen and depressed.  Heading into Christmas, Darcy experiences the classic "A Christmas Carol" story, replete with his ghost of Christmas past, present, and future.  Each ghost shows him the result of his pride and fear, showing him how he's hurt and worried those around him, and how life will turn out if he doesn't swallow his pride (backed by a big dose of fear).  When the three ghosts leave him behind to take charge of his own life, he presses forward with the understanding of how life could be if he made no action today.


Review:  As similar to the original Dickens tale as it can be, this mashup delivers a beautiful twist to the famous Christmas tale that is so familiar.  Rather than Ebenezer, we see Darcy haunted by his past, present, and future, each haunted by what pride and fear can do to a person's life.  Although this is a smart retelling of "A Christmas Carol," I found myself bewitched by the themes of personal growth that remained in tact.  Yes it was about Darcy conquering his own personal demons to propose to Elizabeth again, thus bringing about happiness for both of them, but that familiar message of seizing the day and creating your own happiness by looking outside of yourself still shined through.

I really loved the thoughtful writing, with its beautiful voice and connection to the original tale.  In this case, I don't think that this smart retelling would offend the purists who hate their classics marred with modern romantic sensibilities.  Yes, it was about Darcy getting Elizabeth, but it was more about his own journey to overcoming his fears so he could find eventual happiness.  That theme and the weaving in of the real Ebenezer were smart and fun to read.

If you can get your hands on this book, I have to give "Mr. Darcy's Christmas Carol" a high recommendation.  It was an easy, fast read, and one that had me more philosophical about life and the Christmas season ahead of us than anything.  To top it off, it had that fun Austen twist to it that made it really fun to watch unfold.  Honestly, I now hope to hear more from Eberhart down the road!

*FTC Disclosure:  Review is based on an Advanced Review Copy provided by Sourcebooks.  No monies were exchanged in this review process.

Sunday Blatherings & Another Library Loot

Last night we got quite a snowstorm that has left me feeling a bit like a homebody.  Thankfully I ran to the library yesterday before the storm rolled in and have quite a haul to read.  Since I'm feeling a little lackluster today, I'll cut to the chase and share my Library Loot, which  is a meme hosted by Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Claire from The Captive Reader.  Here's what I brought back yesterday to add to my overwhelming TBR pile.

I also received a copy of The Clockwork Three by Matthew Kirby through an ARC tour that I signed up for at our local book blogger get together this summer.  Since then, the book came out on October 1st, but I'm still excited to read the book for myself.  Besides, it's always fun to get a book in the mail, right?

That's haul for the week.  Honestly, I should stop bringing more books in until I get a chance to get through more of them, but I just can't help myself.  If nothing else, they make me happy and eager to keep reading.  How about you?  Do you pick up more and more books, even if you have more than you can handle already?!?