As a proud Ravenclaw, books (especially books that you can learn from) are essential to the Ravenclaw profile. Last year, I came across an interesting list inspired by Ravenclaws. Most of these book genres are biographies, science fiction, history and language study. Ravenclaws best attribute are their creativity and being creative sometimes means changing up what's comfortable or what you're use to. Some of these books I would have never thought of picking up; such as a science fiction novel or a book about how to speak properly.
I found 13 of these books at my library and I added 7 of my own books that I think fit well into this reading list, even though it's been a while since I've read them.
And as I'm not taking the Goodsreads Challenge, I want to make my own challenge. So reading books I wouldn't normally read, re-reading books I haven't picked up in a while and branching out into different genres. And by the end I might find an unexpected favorite!
I'll have the list posted on the side bar of my site, so I can keep track and maybe other people can find a new book for themselves.
The underlined books are the books I already own.
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne From Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest by Stephen E. Ambrose
One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer by Nathaniel Fick
Black Chalk by Christopher J. Yates
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
The Martian by Andy Weir
Leap of Faith by Queen Noor
The Road to Camelot by Thomas Oliphant and Curtis Wilkie
The Radium Girls: The True Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Mythology by Edith Hamilton
The Queen and Di by Ingrid Seward
Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame by Mara Wilson
Things Explained: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words by Munroe Randall
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
January ends and February begins. The weather has been cold and rainy, typical January and I got terribly sick last week which wasn't fun.
* * * * * *
My list of current at the moments
* * * * * *
Finished: Hart of Dixie♥️
This show was so amazing! I loved everything about it! Zoe + Wade = PERFECTION! The music, the costumes and the storylines! Season 3 was a little weak in some areas, but strong in others. Season 4 only had 10 episodes, but it ended on typical quirky Bluebell note.
(Reviews for season 3 and 4 will be coming up soon)
Watching: Designated Survivor
A very good political thriller/drama. Kiefer Sutherland takes over the Oval Office and does the job quite well. In spite of threats of terror, hostile states, government secrets and no small amount of scandal on every side. A well balanced mix of humor and drama and solid well written characters.
Re-watching:24 -Season 5
In my opinion the best season of 24 (followed by seasons 2 and 3). The storyline was very strong and flowed well. I loved Audrey and Jack and they deserved so much better! And while the show may have killed off my favorite couple, Tony and Michelle, they redeemed themselves with Bill and Karen.
Reading: Mythology by Edith Hamilton and Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
For the last couple of years I've done the Goodreads reading challenge, but this year I decided to just go at my own pace. Both books I'm reading at the moment are quite good. Edith Hamilton's Mythology is a classic and is able to tell the traditional myths and legends in a concise and simplified manner. I've come across some great stories! Lethal White is the 4th book in the Cormoran Strike series and I'm actually re-reading it because I couldn't finish it last year. The book is huge!
Listening:Alone by Heart and Alone (Cover) by Celine Dion
I came across this 80's classic by Heart on YouTube and just fell in love with it! Then I discovered that Celine Dion did a brilliant cover of it years ago. I can't decide which version I love the most!
Loving: My new purse and baby Niffler
Aren't older sisters great sometimes?? The purse is a hand me down, but I never say no to a good bag. And the baby Niffler (from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) is just all kinds of precious and adorable!
Waiting:To get back into the gym
Like I said, I've been sick all week and I am aching to get back to working out! Nothing makes me feel more accomplished and full of life then a good, long workout that leaves me breathless, exhausted and sweaty. A couple of months ago I wanted to up my gym time from 3 days a week to 5 days and it's been going great! So I work out in the gym for about 40 min. on either the treadmill, elliptical or stair stepper for 3 days of the week and I have strength training on 2 days. Strength training is difficult for me, but it's what I need. Thursdays at the gym, I'm taking a HIIT class and it's intense! I love it though.
Probably my favorite book if I were to narrow the field. Primarily due to childhood nostalgia. I love everything about Caddie and her lively Wisconsin family. Her relationship with her father is my favorite aspect of the book, not to mention her constant shenanigans with her brothers and her friends. Caddie's character development from wild tomboy, to the possibility of a young lady comes so softly, you hardly see it.
I just fell in love with this book! It was beautiful, romantic, humorous and so many other things! There is a definite realness about this story and the author didn't shy away from the social attitudes put on women and girls prior to and during the second world war. The loss of innocence that leads to the world of adulthood is explored, questioned and left for the reader to determine the end.
This book! In many ways Guernsey is similar to Not A Swan as it deals with the effects of WWII, strange little towns and endearing townspeople and of course heroines who love writing and are trying to find their place and their purpose in the world. Guernsey deals with a history in WWII that many may not have known about. A small group of people who came together under Nazi occupation and founded a community of friendship. This community reaches out to a young women searching for inspiration, but finds so much more.
Now this was a tough book. As in the content was raw, real and very true to the time. An aging midwife who has spent her life caring for young mothers and their newborns is accused of the murder of a newborn baby. The Last Midwife was gripping and delightful, but it doesn't deter from the historic reality of life in the 1880's.
A story of sisters and their bond of friendship that is threatened by jealousy and revenge. While I prefer historical fiction, True Colors was an exception. The themes of family, prejudice, forbidden love and ultimate forgiveness are timeless and span the decades. This story could have taken place in Colonial America or Edwardian England and that's why I found it so intriguing.
The third book in the Cormoran Strike series that is by far the best. Strike must recount four harrowing cases and face the men he accused, including his stepfather he believes killed his mother. Going through Strike's past was fascinating and terrifying at the same time. And it definitely left one case wide open for revisiting.
//The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas//
I grew up with the story of The Three Musketeers, primarily from the 1993 Disney film and the BBC series both of which I love. I read the book for the first time several years ago and was amazed that I could actually enjoy classical literature. The Three Musketeers is hysterical and points out the good, the bad and the crazy of 17th century Parisian life, while trying to avoid war with England.
//The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan//
The wonderful true story of Evelyn Ryan who provided for her family of 11 with her creative writing. During the 1950's when wives and mothers didn't work outside the home, they managed to bring in a little extra income by entering poems and jingles for ads and commercials. Known as contesting, Evelyn Ryan was a master at it. Her daughter, Terry, recounts her mother's incredible writing talent that she was able to hone as a frugal housewife and mother.
//Angels & Demons by Dan Brown//
The first of Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series Angels & Demons is a race against the clock thriller to save the lives of four holy men and all of Vatican City. Growing up, I was discouraged from reading Dan Brown's (supposed) anti-religious novels, but after I read Angels & Demons, I found very little anti-religious content at all. This book (and the following novels) deals with secret cults and the possible ideas of what they could lead to if placed in the wrong hands.
//The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne//
I read this book back in high school and it's been a favorite ever since. Hester Pryne was a heroine ahead of her time and a woman who refused to allow society to bring her to despair. She rose above her shameful circumstances and proved to be a dutiful mother and charitable worker that had a profound affect on all who knew her. Meanwhile two men from Hester's past compete to either ruin or save her.
When I saw the size of this book I thought it would take me ages to read it. However I read it in two days. That's how immersed I got into the story and that doesn't happen often. I was interested in True Colors when I saw that it was about sisters and being one of five girls, I'm always up for a sister centered novel.
After the death of their mother, the Grey sisters watched their father fall into an overwhelming depression and grief, causing the girls to always depend on each other. Appearances are everything to their father and while they put on the appearance of a united and cohesive family, deep emotions of jealousy and revenge threaten the sisters and their family.
Winona, the oldest, is known for her headstrong nature which eventually leads her to becoming a successful lawyer. Yet she's overweight and has never been seen as attractive to anyone, especially the man she's been in love with since high school.
Aurora, the center daughter, is probably the most well adjusted of the girls. Seeming to have the perfect life, a doctor's wife and the mom to a set of twins, Aurora spends most of her time keeping peace between her older and younger sisters.
Vivi Ann, the beloved beauty of the family who has a gift for horses and a love of rodeos. However, she's weary of being seen as the beautiful sister and wants people to know that she has a good head full of good ideas for herself and her family.
When two very different men come into the Grey sisters' lives, a whirlwind of love, anger, deception, loss and revenge puts the sisters--and their town--at a breaking point. How far is too far when you are led by anger and jealousy? And can love really stand the harshest tests of time?
I really enjoyed this book. It spans 30 years from the early 70's to 2007, so you feel like you grown with this family and their town. The characters were so real and complex. Vivi Ann's love story was beautifully written with such intense passion and emotion, that even I was heartbroken in many places. While the books is focused on sisters, the sub plot is certainly about family.
A father's failure to be a father causes discourse in the next generation.
A man who grew up without a father proves to be loving and protective toward his own child, despite dealing with a racially hostile environment.
Great loss and great love are the primary points of True Colors as well as forgiveness and moving on from pain and anger. Sisters' aren't easy, but in the end, they're the ones you will always have by your side.
Hey everyone! Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. I've been somewhat absent from my blog since August, primarily due to a very unexpected family tragedy. My 30 year old brother died at the end of August from a condition the bordered between a heart attack and a stroke. Like I said, it was very unexpected. He was on life support for two days and my parents finally decided that the merciful thing to do was to take him off life support. After he died and we went through the week of the visitation, the funeral and the constant in and out of sympathy visitors, I simply didn't think it was right to visit my blog. I came back to write my reviews for Hart of Dixie, but that was about it. So anyways, I seriously doubt that my online absence has been a big deal at all, but I've experienced loss of a loved one and so I'm sure that there are definitely people out there that can understand that. Grieving wise, I've probably done better than anyone else in my family. I didn't do a lot of crying and I was sadder for my family than I was for the actual death for my brother. I simply accepted that he was in a better place and my worrying about him could finally cease. My brother was high functioning autistic, so I was always afraid for him when he was away from home. Society can be so cruel and heartless to the disabled and besides abortion, nothing gets me more fired up and furious than seeing the senseless abuse of the disabled. So anyways, that's where I've been for the last several months. I'm ready to get back to writing.
Beginning: 2016
All of my New Year's resolutions that I had for 2019...well none of them happened...so, I'm not writing about resolutions. The bettering of myself will just come along when I'm not expecting it.
However...I am writing--more like venting--about my general political ideologies. Prior to 2016, I usually steered away from politics, but I've become more comfortable posting about my conservative beliefs, usually surrounding abortion. Both of my pro-lifeposts that I did last year were very successful and I was glad I was finally able to write out my thoughts and feelings I've had for so long.
2016 was both a good and bad year for me. I graduated from community college, but became lost as to what to do with my life. So when I turned 26, I was very depressed at where my life was going or like wasn't going. Meanwhile, America found itself in possibly the ugliest and bloodiest political races in history. Now, I know that conservatives weren't very well liked in the media, but for the most part I ignored it. Then the now infamous Roast of Rob Lowe in September of 2016 happened and that opened my eyes. In all reality it was the public humiliation of conservative political writer and commentator Ann Coulter that made the headlines.
This whole highly publicized bashing really disturbed me for months. Actually not months, but almost 2 years. That's how bad I was affected at the general hatred geared toward not only toward this women (who I don't particularly like either), but obviously conservatives in general. You can read my post on it -->here<-- This roast came right on the middle of the 2016 presidential election. It was harsh, violent and practically lit up WWIII. Between political veteran and former First Lady Hilary Clinton and America's favorite outspoken billionaire Donald Trump, all of America (and the the rest of the world, incapable of minding their own business) was on edge on who #45 was going to be.
2017: Trump's Election
President Trump with the formidable duo, Diamond and Silk
After the successful election of President Trump, the whole world went into utter chaos. All spearheaded by the tantrum throwing liberals that were made up of Hollywood elitists, 3rd wave feminists and liberal indoctrinated schools. Conservatives were being harassed and humiliated. Students were being beaten and thrown off of campuses. Pro-life organizations were being trashed. Conservative speakers were being banned from their own speaking engagements. All of this done in the name of liberal tolerance.
It seems that liberals idea of tolerance is this, 'I will only tolerate you as a person if you accept my beliefs and disregard your own. If I badger and berate and yell and harass you enough, I can wear you down and make you accept what I believe. Your own conservative beliefs are nothing and aren't worthy of any tolerance at all. All that can be tolerated is your understanding and acceptance of my beliefs.'
However, out of that madness I found unexpected solidarity in the conservative movement and I was introduced to some powerful voices that have helped shape and bolden my beliefs.
The more I read and listened to these men and women, the stronger I became in what my beliefs were. Now, these people are very diverse in their politics. While they agree on many topics, there are also areas they disagree on. Some of them don't even like each other. It's no secret that Ben Shapiro and Milo Yiannopoulos despise one another, but there is still mutual respect even among their disagreements.
So 2017 became a year of understanding and educating myself on what politics really were, how to deal with the madness of liberals and Hollywood and above all, have a little courage to speak about my beliefs.
2018-2019: Social Media and Society
Lets be honest, Hollywood is the hub of all society. Actors, actresses, musical artists, models, social media stars all have the world at their feet and their words and beliefs can make or break them. The liberal Hollywood elitists came out in full force when Trump was elected. From Meryl Streep to Katy Perry, all of them had no shortage of slander for the new president and even his own family wasn't safe. While the liberal minded population worshiped these supposedly 'woke' celebrities, conservatives held them in disdain. Fair enough.
Unfortunately, because of these Hollywood elitists, now no one in the media is really safe to say anything. Look, actors and actresses are people with careers and to be honest the acting profession is not an easy one. It's not a bad one either. Many actors and actresses are admirable and have done a great deal of good. The constant glare of the public eye must be tiring and wearing. So it's paramount that these celebrities are careful with what they say and how they say it. They have every right to speak their minds and their beliefs.
Where many of them go wrong is when they start to demean and slander all those that disagree with them. Time and again liberal celebrities have spoken out against their conservative audiences, demeaning and belittling them for their beliefs. And due to this uneeded hatred, no celebrity can say anything now, without the constant backlash from the masses. Which is unfortunate to say the least. You can't cut off half of your audience just due to their own personal beliefs when they are the ones funding your career. To be that publicly subjective is dangerous and detrimental. And many celebrities are beginning to suffer because of their inabilities to simply do their jobs and let people think as they please.
However...
Lets look at this from another perspective. People claim that celebrities live in their own bubbles, cut off from reality; with some of them that's true.
Yet,
Fans also tend to have an unrealistic image of who they want their favorite celebrities to be.
MARVEL actor Sebastian Stan said it perfectly, "Actors didn't set out to be gods, we [fans] made them gods."
And that is an absolute truth. Fans create these physically recognizable, but personally unknown people into their own imaginary heroes. Fans can be just as hateful and vitriolic when their imaginary perceptions turn out to be humans who fall, make mistakes and actually think for themselves. And this comes on both sides of the political spectrum. Conservatives revile a liberal for disagreeing with them, but praise conservative actors for aligning with them.
Tumblr and Instagram especially have created this idea of "cancel culture." Basically if a celebrity's beliefs don't line up 100% with the fans, if they don't say the words we want them to say, support the people we want them to support and just be the heroes we imagine them to be then we just cancel them out.
You can't do that. Celebrities are humans. They are not toys for your entertainment. They have their own lives, their own thoughts, their own ideas and beliefs. You cannot make a flawed and imperfect human your god and then mourn when they turn out to be just like everyone else.
Educating and Culture Clash
If there is one thing of my generation I cannot stand, it's when people say, "I have to educate you" or "it's my job to educate you." No. Just because you speak your own personal beliefs does not automatically designate you as an educator on those beliefs. The person who is listening to you determines whether they are being educated by you or not. To claim that you are educating someone by spouting what you believe is nothing short of narcissistic and arrogant.
Culture has been at the forefront of a lot of my problems. Supposedly the term 'European culture' is a racist and white supremacist term and I shouldn't use it to describe my European background. I as a white woman, whose heritage is German, Irish, Scottish and Swiss should show no pride at all in my European heritage, while also steering away from interest in non-European cultures, because white people culturally appropriate everything.
However, it's perfectly acceptable for other non-European races to engage in European culture. For example, everyone is obsessed with Vikings. The History Channel program Vikings has brought about a worldwide interest in the Danish/Norse culture, which is great. Yet from what I've seen on social media, when an actual Scandinavian makes an account to show pride in his/her Norse roots, they are labeled racist and white supremacist. Meanwhile, someone from South America is perfectly free to write and engage about Viking culture and claim that because they've read a few books, they are completely schooled in Norse culture.
Just because you read some books and learned about the legends, does not make you scholar or educator on someone else's culture. Nor do you demean someone for showing pride in their nationality as well. Respect for culture goes both ways. I have respect for Asian, South American, African and other non-European cultures. Those cultures can show the same respect for Europe.
My culture is not up for grabs. (I got that from YouTube)
Lagertha might be cool, but she wasn't real either
And back to Vikings
The show may have taken a few things too far.
Primarily the role of women. While it's true that Norse woman had a few more rights than Saxon women, the show has blown those historical rights out of proportion and instead have made Viking women cultural feminists that align with today's feminists beliefs. Completely wrong and disrespectful.
Now the writers have gone to far with these modern day feminist representations and when they actually portray women as they might have historically been (submissive, homemakers, capable of being raped, beaten and used), the fans throw a fit. Well, I'm sorry, but culture and history does not bend the knee to the whims of modern day feminism. The writers brought that on themselves. It's either you're accurate or you're not.
Ok, that turned out to be great deal more than I expected, but it was a lot that I wanted to get out. Plus I needed a kick to get back into writing. So what does 2020 hold for me?? I have absolutely no idea. I usually have general plans for my life, but since I have a steady job and I'm healthy, I know I'm on the right track for health and success.
Character development would probably be the most apt description for the second run of Dr. Zoe Hart's chronicles in Bluebell, Alabama. Characters that I initially thought were boring really came into their own, disasters can become life changing miracles, cliche relationships took unexpected turns and unexpected love stories came from absolutely nowhere. Season 2 was exceptionally good and like with season 1, the drama, romance and humor were all equally balanced out.
Zoe Hart: Zoe's year in Alabama has really brought about a new type of woman. She's no longer the demanding and at times snobbish city doctor she was when she arrived. As typical in shows like this, romance and relationships are at the forefront. At the end of season 1, Zoe finds herself caught between two men. George Tucker, who has literally sacrificed everything for her and Wade Kinsella, whom Zoe has begun to see is more than he initially shows. However, Zoe takes the unexpected path and swears off all dating...while pursuing a very intense Friends with Benefits relationship with Wade. Eventually her and Wade come to a crossroads in their 'casual sex' agreement and both find that true and real love takes great responsibility, of which neither of them have been able to obtain.
Lemon Breeland: Great change takes time and in the case of Lemon Breeland it could have taken 30 years or 5 minutes. When Lemon is left at the alter (actually she was left in the dressing room) she could have just shut down and died. However, she surprises everyone, including herself, when she gets up and forges a new life. A new life meaning, moving out of her father's home, finding a job and trying to understand other people and their problems, not just her own. Not to say that Lemon has changed entirely. She can still be the same sarcastic, catty, headstrong, no bars hold southern belle she was in season 1. Yet, this new Lemon (or Lemon 2.0 as everyone calls her) seems to be making more of a likeable impact on the citizens of Bluebell.
Wade Kinsella: While Wade may not have advanced in growth like everyone else, the first part of growth is acknowledging the harmful flaws in your life. In Wade's case, it's his recklessness, philandering and drinking. His relationship with Zoe becomes paramount in his character development. Before, no one really cared about what Wade did with his life, including Wade...at least that's the image he projects. However, Zoe Hart has caught glimpses of the struggling and hurting young man, who is desperate for a respectable life. Yet, there is one thing forever standing in Wade's way. His drinking. And his drinking may bring about bi-polar disorder which can probably explain his recklessness and his promiscuous lifestyle. All of these combined in one night damages his and Zoe's blossoming relationship, but also makes Wade look at the true damage he has done to himself.
George Tucker: Good ole' George Tucker. Bluebell's favorite son and golden boy. And I who thought was the most boring character in the whole show. My opinion of George has changed greatly since season 1. After George leaves Lemon for Zoe, only to have Zoe turn him down, George has begun to realize that he has never actually done what he wants to do. Everybody else from his parents to Lemon have planned out George's life. And while his and Lemons love story was real and genuine, the plans you make at 14 years old together, can change overtime when you're adults. George spends season 2 trying to figure himself out. He actually becomes fun and relaxed, not always worrying about Lemon, his parents or even his image. While George isn't necessarily lost, he's finding his way as to the man he's really meant to be.
Lavon Hayes: Lavon has changed the least. Because when you're as awesome as he is, why fix what's not broken? Like with everyone else, Lavon struggles with love and companionship. When his old childhood sweetheart returns, reigniting his love for her, Lavon becomes the center of a battling conflicts between several woman in Bluebell. It's difficult to see such a wonderful guy like him get heartbroken over and over again. And while he struggles with the matters of love, it does not deter him from his duty as mayor of Bluebell. Whether it's mending broken friendships, giving sound counsel and wisdom or just being an honest and loyal friend. (And he still does speak about himself in the 3rd person, which I will always find hysterical.)
I loved this season! Everything and everyone was just written perfectly! I especially enjoyed Zoe and Wade's continuing romance. It's not perfect, it's flawed, it's passionate and has been badly damaged, but they move on and become stronger people in spite of it. Wade and Lemon were the absolutely best written characters in the show! Lemon has become quite the heroine in her own right, while Wade just gets better and better as he comes to terms with his own detrimental life mistakes. And Zoe...well Zoe just continues to adjust to the oddities of the town of Bluebell. The ups and downs, the good and the bad, the strange and the even stranger.
