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Thru My Looking Glass

9/5/2014

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“Books fall open, you fall in”
― David T.W. McCord

We saw a movie yesterday that started me thinking.  If I was suddenly given another life to live, and the ability to wiggle my nose, a la "Bewitched", and follow any career path I choose, where would I take my creativity?  I think it might honestly be in the kitchen.  Chefs, for the most part, don't become rich, but they can create delicious palates of taste and color hundreds of times each night.  What other career in creativity can give you such immediate gratification.  The chef "paints" and then watches people react. I have always loved cooking for family and friends, and I can only imagine having a free hand in a fully stocked kitchen.  The movie we saw was, "The Hundred Step Journey", and it was good but terribly tempting.  We all felt ourselves running to get to our dinner reservations, while regretting that there were no Indian restaurants in the area.  Each scene was resplendent with authentic Indian and/or French meals. I could almost smell the spices.  Today I will learn to make curry.

Today I will also download the book, The Hundred-Foot Journey, a novel by Richard C. Morais. I did not realize it was a novel and watched it thinking it was true.  The actors did such a good job that I never thought it was merely a story.

Actually, the words "merely a story" shouldn't be put together.  I have learned through my own attempts and my relationship with several authors that there is no "merely" in writing a work of fiction.  There is often much research put into works of fiction, and hours of waiting for the block to dissipate and ideas to return.  It is true that a good author makes it seem like an easy job, but an honest author will tell you that it is often a mind numbing labor of love.  Whether a novel takes us into the world of romance, espionage, science fiction or mystery, a good story can transport us the way nothing else can.

This week, in The Secret Place, Tana French took me to the suburbs of Dublin, Ireland, a place I have always dreamed of seeing.  The story took place at St. Kilda school for girls.  There was a dead body and teenage girls and several interesting detectives. All in all it was a fun read.  My second trip via a novel was to a world where fairies danced and people's wishes came true.  The Water Lily Fairy is a children's book that made me smile.  Nothing bad, scary or uncomfortable happened as the fairy showed the joy of helping others.  Nice message!

My message to all of you today is a simple one. Be your own fairies!  Smile and enjoy all of the great moments in your lives, big and small.  Yesterday and tomorrow are not in our control...today is yours to do with as you choose.   Hug your spouse, kids, family and friends...and then...read a book.

- Beverly
Click on the book cover to order the title mentioned in today's blog:
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The Secret Place (Dublin Murder Squad Book 5) by Tana French

9/5/2014

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Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Click book cover for Amazon.com
There is something about Tana French's writing that makes me want to turn the page.  I didn't realize it until I picked up this book, but now I am a fan. She lives in Dublin, Ireland now, after a childhood in the US, Malawi and Italy.  Maybe it is her varied background, but her word placement is a little different, and her descriptions pulled me in:  "...where they're holding melting ice creams away from their back-to-school shopping."  I pictured those teen girls and their shopping bags and could almost taste the dripping ice cream by the time I finished the paragraph.
 
This story takes place at St. Kilda's School in the suburbs of Dublin. It is a girls' boarding school,  where 16-year-old Chris Harper was found murdered the year before Detective Stephen Moran had the cold case brought to his attention.  Moran, a detective on the cold case squad, has aspirations to be part of the Dublin Murder Squad.  When 16-year-old Holly Mackey brings him a picture of Chris with a postcard reading, "I know who killed him," the cold case warms up. She found the picture tacked onto The Secret Place, a board where girls share their secrets without anyone else knowing.

Detective Moran joins up with Detective Antoinette Conway from the Murder Squad, and together they work through all of the secrets and lies to find out bits of the truth and solve the formerly unsolvable case. The characters are well developed, and the story  jumps back and forth between the police and Holly and her classmates. The more the detectives find out, the less comfortable they become.  I enjoyed following the clues with them.

This is the first book of this series that I have read, but I am looking forward to checking out the previous four.  Another author to add to my list!

- Beverly


Publisher - Viking Adult
Date of Publication - September 2, 2014
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The Water Lily Fairy by Mary Ann Vitale

9/5/2014

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Genre: Children's Book
Click book cover for Amazon.com
I like the way Mary Ann Vitale shows kindness as it's own reward in this beautifully illustrated children's book about a fairy who hides among water lilies.  There is a short period of time in our lives when believing in fairies makes sense, and this book makes good use of that time.  The fairy in Vitale's book is a generous one who uses her "powers" to enrich the people of a small village.  There are no "bad guys," and she gets nothing in return but a feeling of having spread kindness.  What a great message.

- Beverly


Publisher - Create Space; 2 edition
Date of Publication - September 27, 2012
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