An Amazing Reminder from the 1800's

I had no idea what I was about to read. Yes, I wanted to read some classics this year. But not the usual, Hemingway, Shakespeare ect. So, I randomly selected authors in my handy dandy excel formula and the first to pick up from the Library was THE PRINCESS AND CURDIE by George MacDonald.

To be honest I wasn't that impressed by the cover (see image) Maybe it was the bright colors or not knowing anything about the story. And then on the way to work on the LIRR I started reading this book and let me tell you I didn't want to put it down.

It was a true great reminder DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER!

Some wonderful quotes from the book ::

"...whoever does not mean good is always in danger of harm."
"...it is better to perceive a hidden good then a hidden evil."
and a ALL time favorite "...Honesty is the best policy."

Parent's, Uncle's and Aunts, Grandparents get the book read this wonderful adventure and exciting journey young Curdie takes to the Kings Palace. The characters will amaze and could at times frighten you and the child. But overall the story will make you feel that you are a providing some simple life lessons we seem to forget.

I enjoyed the tale and was saddened by the ending. Is it true that true greed can destroy a entire community.
This is the sequel to THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN. But you can fall right into the story if you haven't read the other story.

Share your favorite parts of the story. Send me a note jmclozano@gmail.com.

Happy Reading,

Jennifer

How do you spell M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I?

You remember that relationship when you were younger; you and your friend next door were friends for life, two peas in a pod and then one day something changed, no more tea parties or hot wheel derbies, the outside world entered in to your circle.

Well, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter: A Novel (P.S.) By Tom Franklin takes us on a boys journey through a young man’s life and the consequences of social situations between races and social classes. This is a brilliant story between two men, a town and a murderer. The best part was the secret at the end.

When you open the book the pages just keep turning. I love that in a writer… take me on the journey until my eyes can’t stay open.

Go ahead I won’t spoil it! You have to read about it.
Much love,

Jennifer

READ:: 

Title:  Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter: A Novel (P.S.)
Author:  Tom Franklin
Genre: Fiction
Theme: Mystery, Fiction,  Southern
ISBN-13: 978-0060594671

 
Product Description (from Amazon)

In the 1970s, Larry Ott and Silas "32" Jones were boyhood pals in a small town in rural Mississippi. Their worlds were as different as night and day: Larry was the child of lower-middle-class white parents, and Silas, the son of a poor, black single mother. But then Larry took a girl to a drive-in movie and she was never seen or heard from again. He never confessed . . . and was never charged.

More than twenty years have passed. Larry lives a solitary, shunned existence, never able to rise above the whispers of suspicion. Silas has become the town constable. And now another girl has disappeared, forcing two men who once called each other "friend" to confront a past they've buried for decades.

WATCH:: 

love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miracles

Unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miracles--and two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined

Title: Cutting for Stone

Author: Abraham Verghese
Genre: Literature & Fiction,
Theme: Medical, Domestic Life, Family Saga
ISBN-13: 978-0375714368

When I started this book I said to myself, hmmm am I going to like this? Most books are familiar surroundings, situations and customs I find familiar. This book brought me to another place, rich in culture, traditions, scenery, not just the unfamiliar African community but the medical community. Never have I felt like I was right in an operating room or feel the pressure of the doctor trying to turn a baby to the correct position to move down the birth canal. The description of scenes brought me right to the center of room. I almost wanted to wash my hands J to make sure no one was contaminated.

The story of these two brothers, Marion and Shiva take you on a young boy’s journey from childhood to manhood. The struggles, the loss, the joy, the education and self-education, determination and the dancing fever made it a page turner. And it is not only the girls that have heart ache, the excitement of young love and disappointment lead to many different paths in this story.

As I read this book I came across a passage that made me sit back and say YES! As a parent this is a perfect reminder to all, see if you agree as a father explained to his children “… the key to happiness is to own your own slippers, own who you are, own how you look, own your family, own your talents you have and own the ones you don’t….Not only our actions, but also our omissions become our destiny.”

What I found in this book was LOVE & FAMILY no matter what happens a FAMILY will always be together in one way or another, whether apart for days or years.

I share this book with my friend, Mary W. I hope she has time with her two little ones. If you pick up a copy join me in a SHARE A BOOK. Pass that book to a friend.

Much love,