MADDERLY REVIEW
  • MAIN
  • GUEST REVIEWS
  • FEATURED AUTHORS
  • ABOUT
  • SUBMIT A REVIEW
  • CONTACT

Thru My Looking Glass

10/25/2019

0 Comments

 
​“There is nothing funny about Halloween. This sarcastic festival reflects , rather, an infernal demand for revenge by children on the adult world.”
—-Jean Baudrillard (French sociologist, philosopher and cultural theorist)



Halloween is almost here, and although many children anxiously await this yearly candy fest, I can’t wait to see it gone. I never liked it much as a kid...being scared out of my wits was never my thing...and I liked it much less as an adult. It is an invitation for all of the crazies to come out and taint the treats while frightening the children. Parents spend a fortune on costumes that are always uncomfortable and send their children out to beg.

I was that mom who feared razor blades in apples, so I tried to bribe my kids into skipping trick or treating each year, to no avail and ended up with a scheme that cost me a fortune. I bought four identical “trick or treat” bags each year and filled two with an assortment of Mike and Beth’s favorite candies while they dressed in costumes. I gave them the two empty bags, and off we went. They came home with bags filled with a frightening assortment of junk, which I confiscated. We told them we would sort out the unwrapped and suspicious treats while they changed. Those bags hit the trash immediately, and when they returned the kids were given the bags we had prepared earlier. It worked for quite a few years, but I later found out that they realized what was going on after a couple of years and played along. They liked what they were getting and decided not to rock the boat.

I also had trouble rationalizing teaching children to beg for food. I know it is supposed to be fun, and I admit that the kids were all so adorable in their costumes, but the message always seemed wrong. “Give me a treat or I will trick you.” Sort of a politically correct way of saying “stick em up.” I know, I know...I sound like the Grinch who stole Halloween, but if it makes you feel any better, Arthur is always at the door handing out goodies and marveling at the costumes.

My blog is a bit short today, because we are preparing for a mini vacation to celebrate my sister Judy’s birthday. The four of us are off to a South Beach adventure. We have plans to eat in some of the top restaurants, visit some museums, hit the beach and most definitely partake in some top notch people watching. Next week’s blog should be filled with info on what to do and see at one of the most talked about beaches in the world.

Since I always find time for reading, this past week I read book one and two in Alan Lee’s Mackenzie August series. Last week I read/reviewed the stand alone prequel.  Book one, August Origins helped us become a bit more involved in the lives of the main characters. In it Mack moves to a small city in Virginia and sets up shop as a private investigator.  Sheriff Stackhouse, as witty as she is beautiful, asks him to go undercover in a local inner-city school to help her with a gang and drug problem. Maybe a bit too much like the prequel but equally enjoyable.

In Book two, The Second Secret, Mack is hired by Veronica (Ronnie) Summers to find a traitorous informant who helped send her father to jail. Dad is out now, and is as mean as ever, but Mack agrees to take the case because of his feelings for Ronnie. Again there is a lot of action and more insight into what makes Mack tick.

Happy reading,

- Beverly
​​Click on the book cover to order the title mentioned in today's blog
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Submit

    Genre

    All
    Biographies Memoirs
    Childrens
    Comics-graphic-novels
    Cozy Mystery
    Erotica
    Fiction
    Food Wine
    Historical
    Humor
    Legal
    Medical
    Mindbody
    Mystery & Thriller
    Non Fiction
    Poetry
    Political
    Psychological
    Romance
    Science Fiction
    Sci-fi-fantasy
    Selfhelp
    Sports
    Teens Ya
    Travel

    Site Search

    search engine by freefind

    Archives 

    February 2022
    January 2022
    January 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.