Dear Readers,
This is the final post for my Toastmasters challenge to create a compelling blog. This morning I am checking on information about Celeste Ng, the writer of Little Fires Everywhere. Her debut book is titled, Everything I Never Told You (2014).
After reading information on the debut novel online, I can see that Celeste has a pattern. Celeste likes writing about family drama, rifts within the family. In this first book, as well as the one I just read, the youngest child in the family is a key character; the one who knows the truth. Both books feature Chinese American families. The main story in the debut novel is about a Chinese American family with three children while in the book I just read, family means an unmarried Chinese American woman and her baby. You know what else these two books have in common? Both are bestsellers!
Personally, I would rate the novel I just read 4 out of 5 stars. It kept me up until well past midnight so it held my interest. I am not satisfied with how it ended for Izzy, the youngest child, but the resolution for all the other characters was satisfying. I will not give away anything more in case you want to read this book.
I notice also that Celeste is from Shaker Heights, Ohio which was the setting of the novel. Shaker Heights was presented in the book as this very orderly community with lots of rules and in the midst of it were all these teens in chaos.
There you have it dear readers. I am pursuing the Toastmasters Innovative Planning Path and my challenge was to write 8 blog posts in the month of January. This is the final post for this particular challenge.
Are you blogging? Share a link to your book blog with me. Thanks.
Friday, January 31, 2020
Reading All Night
Dear Readers,
It is going to be a long night of reading for me. Once I find a book I really like, I can’t put it down. Unfortunately, I had to put aside The Redbreast. There were too many subplots; I got lost. Now I am reading Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.
This is not a book that would normally attract my attention but it was recommended by my friend, Charmaine. When we were 12 or 13 years old, Charmaine and I were avid readers of Agatha Christie. Now we recommend our favorite books to each other.
I am on page 273 and so far I can write, “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive.” This is not a murder mystery. This is about dysfunctional family dynamics and the genre is young adult. The story starts off with a house on fire, little fires were set in various rooms, and everyone suspects the youngest and the most rebellious child in the family named Izzy. Plus, Izzy is missing. There are several subplots in this story and they all connected. Right now I am hoping this story will have a satisfying resolution.
What do you do when you find a very interesting book, do you read all night?
It is going to be a long night of reading for me. Once I find a book I really like, I can’t put it down. Unfortunately, I had to put aside The Redbreast. There were too many subplots; I got lost. Now I am reading Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.
This is not a book that would normally attract my attention but it was recommended by my friend, Charmaine. When we were 12 or 13 years old, Charmaine and I were avid readers of Agatha Christie. Now we recommend our favorite books to each other.
I am on page 273 and so far I can write, “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive.” This is not a murder mystery. This is about dysfunctional family dynamics and the genre is young adult. The story starts off with a house on fire, little fires were set in various rooms, and everyone suspects the youngest and the most rebellious child in the family named Izzy. Plus, Izzy is missing. There are several subplots in this story and they all connected. Right now I am hoping this story will have a satisfying resolution.
What do you do when you find a very interesting book, do you read all night?
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Librarian in Residence
Dear Readers,
I have an unusual question for you today. Do you know a librarian who really loves reading and book clubs? Here is an opportunity to share with him or her. Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club is looking for a Librarian-in-Residence. Each month the lucky librarian will talk about selected books with Reese Witherspoon and with various authors.
Here is a list of requirements:
I have an unusual question for you today. Do you know a librarian who really loves reading and book clubs? Here is an opportunity to share with him or her. Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club is looking for a Librarian-in-Residence. Each month the lucky librarian will talk about selected books with Reese Witherspoon and with various authors.
Here is a list of requirements:
- “You are comfortable on camera
- You are well-versed in Reese’s Book Club books & well-read overall
- You are passionate about book clubs & book culture
- You are enthusiastic & fun-loving
- You have experience as a Librarian”
Applicants need to complete and submit a form as well as a 90-second video indicating why they are the best candidate for the position.
Monday, January 20, 2020
Historical Fiction on My Must Read List
Dear Readers,
If you have been following my last four posts, you know that my 2020 Toastmasters challenge is to create eight compelling blog posts. Today on Martin Luther King Jr. Day I started reading one of my favorite magazines, FIRST for Women, the February 10 issue. I like to browse the books recommended by the editors of the magazine. My eyes went directly to the Historical Fiction category first.
The historical fiction recommended by Patty Bontekoe, FIRST executive editor was Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain. According to Patty, the book flips between the past and present. The setting is North Carolina in 1940 and 2018. I came across this blog, Booked Solid with Virginia C., which has a detailed review of the book and background information on the writer.
The other category in the magazine that caught my attention was the Classic category. Victoria Conn, the FIRST assistant fashion editor, recommended Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. This turned out to be another historical fiction. The classic category was a reference to the fact that the book was published in 2011. The setting is Copenhagen during World War 11 when the Germans began their campaign to “relocate” Danish Jews. The story is told from the point of view of a 10 year old girl. Amazon indicated that this book is for children aged 10-12 years old and the writer was awarded the Newberry Medal for this book.
What fascinated me was that just last week, I had a conversation about this exact period in Danish history with a history professor. He told me that he attended an event years ago where the speaker was born in Denmark and was among the Danish Jews who survived with the help of the Danes by escaping via Sweden. What a coincidence to come across this book dealing with that exact period of Danish history.
What do you know about the Danish Resistance?
If you have been following my last four posts, you know that my 2020 Toastmasters challenge is to create eight compelling blog posts. Today on Martin Luther King Jr. Day I started reading one of my favorite magazines, FIRST for Women, the February 10 issue. I like to browse the books recommended by the editors of the magazine. My eyes went directly to the Historical Fiction category first.
The historical fiction recommended by Patty Bontekoe, FIRST executive editor was Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain. According to Patty, the book flips between the past and present. The setting is North Carolina in 1940 and 2018. I came across this blog, Booked Solid with Virginia C., which has a detailed review of the book and background information on the writer.
The other category in the magazine that caught my attention was the Classic category. Victoria Conn, the FIRST assistant fashion editor, recommended Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. This turned out to be another historical fiction. The classic category was a reference to the fact that the book was published in 2011. The setting is Copenhagen during World War 11 when the Germans began their campaign to “relocate” Danish Jews. The story is told from the point of view of a 10 year old girl. Amazon indicated that this book is for children aged 10-12 years old and the writer was awarded the Newberry Medal for this book.
What fascinated me was that just last week, I had a conversation about this exact period in Danish history with a history professor. He told me that he attended an event years ago where the speaker was born in Denmark and was among the Danish Jews who survived with the help of the Danes by escaping via Sweden. What a coincidence to come across this book dealing with that exact period of Danish history.
What do you know about the Danish Resistance?
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Netflix Led Me to Jo Nesbo
Dear Readers,
I am a Toastmaster who likes to read. I am pausing from my reading to meet my Toastmasters challenge. My challenge is to create 8 compelling blog posts this month. “Compelling” suggests that my posts need to be interesting and engaging. This is my fourth post to date.
What am I reading? The Redbreast , a crime novel featuring a character called Harry Hole, by a Norwegian writer; Jo Nesbø. I had heard about this writer but can not recall ever reading any of his books. Recently, I came across a TV series 🎥 🍿 on Netflix called Occupied and read that one of the creators was Jo Nesbø. I watched 3 seasons over a three day weekend. It was scary, full of political drama, and I could not stop watching. Scary because the Russians were insidiously occupying Norway and manipulating the Norwegian government. Scary because it seemed like life could possibly imitate art, the storyline seemed so realistic. In fact, in real life I read that the Kremlin is unhappy with how Russia is portrayed in this series.
The movie or TV series, led me to read an interview with Jo Nesbø. Nesbø mentioned in the interview that at the age of 15, he discovered that his Dad fought on the side of the Nazis in World War 11. The information gleaned from his Dad was used in the writing ✍️ of The Redbreast. And that is how a Netflix movie led me to my current reading interest.
What are you reading these days?
I am a Toastmaster who likes to read. I am pausing from my reading to meet my Toastmasters challenge. My challenge is to create 8 compelling blog posts this month. “Compelling” suggests that my posts need to be interesting and engaging. This is my fourth post to date.
What am I reading? The Redbreast , a crime novel featuring a character called Harry Hole, by a Norwegian writer; Jo Nesbø. I had heard about this writer but can not recall ever reading any of his books. Recently, I came across a TV series 🎥 🍿 on Netflix called Occupied and read that one of the creators was Jo Nesbø. I watched 3 seasons over a three day weekend. It was scary, full of political drama, and I could not stop watching. Scary because the Russians were insidiously occupying Norway and manipulating the Norwegian government. Scary because it seemed like life could possibly imitate art, the storyline seemed so realistic. In fact, in real life I read that the Kremlin is unhappy with how Russia is portrayed in this series.
The movie or TV series, led me to read an interview with Jo Nesbø. Nesbø mentioned in the interview that at the age of 15, he discovered that his Dad fought on the side of the Nazis in World War 11. The information gleaned from his Dad was used in the writing ✍️ of The Redbreast. And that is how a Netflix movie led me to my current reading interest.
What are you reading these days?
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Book Blogs
Dear Readers,
I am a Toastmaster. I am on a Toastmasters journey and am following the Innovative Planning Path as part of the Toastmasters educational program to improve communication and leadership skills. My challenge is to create 8 compelling blog posts related to books and this is my third post.
This morning I am looking at other Book Blogs. A google search directed me to Book Smugglers. This is a book review blog for all ages started in 2007 by Ana Grilo and Thea James and specializing in “speculative fiction” since 2008. Speculative fiction refers to fiction that has futuristic or supernatural themes.
The bloggers mostly review books sent to them by the authors or publishers. The January 8th post, the most current post at this time, is featured under the title, Old School Wednesdays. The bloggers indicate that Old School Wednesdays is a regular feature since the end of 2012. The book reviewed is a Terry Pratchett book, Jingo, published in 1997 hence the “old school” reference.
Jingo does not sound like my kind of book and I am not familiar with this writer. His last name actually reminded me of Ann Patchett. Patchett wrote a book called Bel Canto which I loved. One reason I loved Bel Canto was because it was loosely based on a real life hostage situation in Peru under former President Alberto Fujimori. I was always fascinated by President Fujimori, a Peruvian of Japanese descent. Sadly, he was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to prison. Now his intriguing life story would be a great book and movie. A quick amazon search revealed that Bel Canto is a 2018 movie in the drama/thriller category.
Are you a fan of speculative fiction? Check out the Book Smugglers blog.
I am a Toastmaster. I am on a Toastmasters journey and am following the Innovative Planning Path as part of the Toastmasters educational program to improve communication and leadership skills. My challenge is to create 8 compelling blog posts related to books and this is my third post.
This morning I am looking at other Book Blogs. A google search directed me to Book Smugglers. This is a book review blog for all ages started in 2007 by Ana Grilo and Thea James and specializing in “speculative fiction” since 2008. Speculative fiction refers to fiction that has futuristic or supernatural themes.
The bloggers mostly review books sent to them by the authors or publishers. The January 8th post, the most current post at this time, is featured under the title, Old School Wednesdays. The bloggers indicate that Old School Wednesdays is a regular feature since the end of 2012. The book reviewed is a Terry Pratchett book, Jingo, published in 1997 hence the “old school” reference.
Jingo does not sound like my kind of book and I am not familiar with this writer. His last name actually reminded me of Ann Patchett. Patchett wrote a book called Bel Canto which I loved. One reason I loved Bel Canto was because it was loosely based on a real life hostage situation in Peru under former President Alberto Fujimori. I was always fascinated by President Fujimori, a Peruvian of Japanese descent. Sadly, he was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to prison. Now his intriguing life story would be a great book and movie. A quick amazon search revealed that Bel Canto is a 2018 movie in the drama/thriller category.
Are you a fan of speculative fiction? Check out the Book Smugglers blog.
Sunday, January 05, 2020
Best Books 2019
Hello Dear Readers,
Here I am posting again for my Toastmasters challenge. My challenge is to complete a Level 4 elective by writing a “compelling” blog and post 8 times in the month of January. Here we go!
What were your favorite books to read in 2019? President Barack Obama tweeted a list of his favorite books for 2019. AARP magazine, the December 2019 issue, also has a list of recommended books in an article on page 13 titled, “Our Top Picks of 2019”.
None of the books on these two lists was even on my radar. I was too busy reading books by one of my favorite writers, Lisa Jewell. I read about 9 books by her in 2019. What all her books had in common was family drama. The Family Upstairs, the most recent publication, was the last book I read for 2019. This story about three dysfunctional families, who ended up living in the same house in London, held my interest to the very end. This was a story about manipulation, obsession, and murder.
On President Obama’s list, the book I’d like to read is American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson because I like thrillers:
“Structured as a letter addressed to her two young sons, this thriller is centered around Marie Mitchell, a black FBI intelligence officer. American Spy travels in time between Marie’s upbringing in 1960s Queens and her spy work during the Cold War to highlight the trials of a protagonist questioning her identity as a woman, a person of color and an American.” Source: Time Magazine
From the AARP list, the book I’d like to read is Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson. This is a family saga told from different perspectives. From the amazon reviews, it is about teenage pregnancy and the impact on the generations. The AARP list also includes The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, the sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. I have enjoyed the dystopian world of Margaret Atwood in the past but I didn’t enjoy reading The Handmaid’s Tale. I couldn’t complete reading the book.
What were your favorite books 📚 in 2019?
Here I am posting again for my Toastmasters challenge. My challenge is to complete a Level 4 elective by writing a “compelling” blog and post 8 times in the month of January. Here we go!
What were your favorite books to read in 2019? President Barack Obama tweeted a list of his favorite books for 2019. AARP magazine, the December 2019 issue, also has a list of recommended books in an article on page 13 titled, “Our Top Picks of 2019”.
None of the books on these two lists was even on my radar. I was too busy reading books by one of my favorite writers, Lisa Jewell. I read about 9 books by her in 2019. What all her books had in common was family drama. The Family Upstairs, the most recent publication, was the last book I read for 2019. This story about three dysfunctional families, who ended up living in the same house in London, held my interest to the very end. This was a story about manipulation, obsession, and murder.
On President Obama’s list, the book I’d like to read is American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson because I like thrillers:
“Structured as a letter addressed to her two young sons, this thriller is centered around Marie Mitchell, a black FBI intelligence officer. American Spy travels in time between Marie’s upbringing in 1960s Queens and her spy work during the Cold War to highlight the trials of a protagonist questioning her identity as a woman, a person of color and an American.” Source: Time Magazine
From the AARP list, the book I’d like to read is Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson. This is a family saga told from different perspectives. From the amazon reviews, it is about teenage pregnancy and the impact on the generations. The AARP list also includes The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, the sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. I have enjoyed the dystopian world of Margaret Atwood in the past but I didn’t enjoy reading The Handmaid’s Tale. I couldn’t complete reading the book.
What were your favorite books 📚 in 2019?
Friday, January 03, 2020
Public Domain Day
Happy New Year Dear Readers:
Hoping you will have a holy, happy, and healthy 2020. I have a new challenge in 2020. For my Toastmasters Club I need to maintain a “compelling” blog and post at least 8 times this month. My focus will continue to be books and anything related to books. Here we go with the first post.
This morning I found an interesting article on the important subject of “public domain” for all you avid readers of the classics. What is public domain, some of you may be wondering. It is related to copyright. Copyright protection of a literary, artistic, or musical work in the United States lasts 95 years. A number of books, as well as films and music, that were copyrighted in 1924 are now copyright free as of January 1, 2020. This means that these classics can be legally accessed, remixed, and republished by the general public. Full text of the books will now be available on Internet Archive, HathiTrust, and Google Books, not just snippets of the books.
Some books in the article are listed here:
Hoping you will have a holy, happy, and healthy 2020. I have a new challenge in 2020. For my Toastmasters Club I need to maintain a “compelling” blog and post at least 8 times this month. My focus will continue to be books and anything related to books. Here we go with the first post.
This morning I found an interesting article on the important subject of “public domain” for all you avid readers of the classics. What is public domain, some of you may be wondering. It is related to copyright. Copyright protection of a literary, artistic, or musical work in the United States lasts 95 years. A number of books, as well as films and music, that were copyrighted in 1924 are now copyright free as of January 1, 2020. This means that these classics can be legally accessed, remixed, and republished by the general public. Full text of the books will now be available on Internet Archive, HathiTrust, and Google Books, not just snippets of the books.
Some books in the article are listed here:
- Pablo Neruda, Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair
- Agatha Christie, The Man in the Brown Suit
- E.M. Forster, A Passage to India
- Eugene O’Neill, Desire Under the Elms
Will you be reading any of these books? 📚 I have long been a fan of Agatha Christie. That’s the one I would love to access.
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