Review: Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal (audio)

Title: Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal
Author: Conor Grennan
Narrator: Conor Grennan
Genre/Date: Non-fiction/2011
Audio Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
Source: Audible.com
My Rating: 5/5

This true story, as told by the author, Conor Grennan, is his account of the time he spent in Nepal,at first volunteering at an orphanage, and then proceeding to make an incredible difference in the lives of so many young children stolen from their families for the nefarious purpose of making money. The families of these children are lied to and told that they will get an education and will not have to fight in the civil war going on in Nepal at this time if they send their children with the traffickers.  The author unexpectantly falls in love with the children and with Nepal, and he vows to help seven missing children, but then succeeds in helping so many more than that including himself.

I'm really enjoying Little Princes on audio. I'm actually driving in my car and laughing out loud at the author's honesty. I admire his adventurous spirit and his tenacity to see things through. But at the same time his compassion and his sense of responsibility is never taken lightly. When he promises the children he will return in a year, he keeps his promise. I felt a connection with him in his love for children. I would not be able to take care of the Nepali orphans without forming a bond too. I admire his ambition as he forms a non-profit organization without any prior knowledge in doing so, all because seven Nepali children who were trafficked and stolen from their families went missing after he returns to the States and now he feels extremely guilty and responsible for them. 
He states exactly how he did this - each step of the way including his to-do list. It's funny but honest and the drive inside him - to work hours and days at this task - is admirable. This book should be read by all young people to encourage them to follow their dreams, in whatever area they are following in their lives. I can't wait to finish this book, amd I will seek out the author's blog and hope he writes more books in the future.
I'm nearly through the story now and feel triumph for the author in his goal of reuniting some of the stolen children with their families and to see and feel the range of emotions of the families as they hear news of their children. It seems strange how all things fell into place for him, one obstacle after another, and then somehow a light in the forest would show him a sign and an answer to his dilemma would appear. 
It's truly remarkable how one young man could accomplish so much for others especially small. weak children, and then he brings his story to the public to inspire other young people to do likewise. He never set out to make a difference, just thought it would make him look cool to the girls to say he volunteered at an orphanage. But his heart melted and he allowed himself to feel their pain and joy at the same time. 

If the author can shake things up in his quiet yet driven way, the rest of us can surely make a difference in our own small way too.
I won't forget this book for a long time, and I'm sure I'll be listening to it again soon. 
The author of Little Princes is also the narrator on the audio version. What an amazing job he did with this. His passion shines through!

Sunday Salon - 8/5/12

• This week I continued with my exercise routine that I started 4 weeks ago. It entails going to a gym, just for women, with a 30 minute circuit of machines as a trainer motivates us to really give it everything we've got. And then most evenings I go for a fast walk lasting ≈ 45 minutes while listening to my current audiobook. I've noticed improvements in both inches and energy levels. It's been difficult in the heat and humidity, but I feel great when I'm finished! I'm currently listening to A Discovery of Witches. At about a a third of the way through, I'm really starting to enjoy it. I don't really like to read books about vampires and romance, but this one has a lot of references to historical events and I am intrigued.

• Spent a lot of time sending out invitations for my daughter's party - it should be fun on a boat!

• Visited friends who live on Shelter Island during the summer months. It is gorgeous there! My daughter and her friends went tubing in the bay, and we both had a great day. I didn't take any pictures but here are some I found online:

• Having a hard time finishing the last 30 pages of Let the Great World Spin. I need to just finish! Reading during the summer months should be easy and enjoyable, but I find that with the family home and going on lots of day trips - I have little time to read. I will make more of an effort.

Have a great Sunday!

 

Wordless Wednesday

Our kitten - Link (also known as Paul) - getting ready to catch the ball.

Sunday Salon

• My decluttering challenge has been going along very well. Ever since I started on April 18, 2012, I have been throwing away or giving away one item every day. It has become a habit for me. Sometimes it's difficult to find an item, but I just keep looking in my drawers or closet, and I am able to find something unnecessary. I feel lighter and happier. It seems to come with having more space for the things I love and need. I just got rid of 4 pairs of hockey skates and helmets today from my garage. Some else will be able to use these. They were collecting at the local ice-skating rink. It feels good! I plan to continue this for a year and then see what happens. I love being able to know what I have in my closet.
• I read The Power of Habit  and I decided to see if the author's method would work for me with my nail biting. Now this isn't why I took this book out from the library. My friend had said it was good and I'm always trying to come up with good habits to get the most out of life - like cleaning, writing, etc.  Anyway, he mentions how one woman used his method to stop biting her nails, and I thought I should try this! I can't believe it - in just a little over a week I had stopped biting and now it's been about 6 weeks. I get manicures to encourage me to continue and I think it helps to strengthen the nails. But I'm really happy not to have to spend a lot of money on nail tips. 
• I have been listening to so many great books lately that I am so glad that I started listening to audiobooks. Thank you to my fellow bloggers!! I listen all the time - mostly when driving, but also while watering my lawns, waiting on supermarket lines, and waiting for appointments. I love to hear some of these beautiful stories come alive through their narrators. Just recently on audiobook I loved American Dervish and Middlesex. I love to drive anyway, but now I'm the driver for all trips to amusement parks and friends' homes no matter how far away they are. I always have my books to listen to on the way back home.
• Have a great Sunday!

Sunday Salon

I have been missing for quite a while from writing reviews for my blog. I have decided to publicly announce my efforts to write at least one review or post a week. I have recently read The Art of Non-Conformity based on the recommendation of Erin Reads blog, and I have found it to have had the wonderful effect of motivating me more than any other book on the topic of changing one's life (and I have read many!). Chris Guillebeau, the author of The Art of Non-Conformity, has a blog which I hope will continue to inspire me to make genuine, lasting changes to my life, as well as the new blog by Erin of Erin Reads - {re}made by hand. These past 2 weeks I have started to declutter one or more similar objects everyday. And the feeling that comes from releasing items, which had only made me feel guilty for the money I wasted on the purchase of this unnecessary item, is wonderful! There is a greater sense of peace and clarity of mind by having less clutter around. I feel more in control and in possession of a greater knowledge of the things I want in my life. Reading has been an important part of my life since my earliest memories of childhood. It makes me happy! This is one of my passions I wish to pursue on a more consistent basis and in greater depth (actually review the books). Guillebeau recommends writing 1,000 words a day. For now, my goal will be to just write my thoughts everyday after reading and then count up the words. This will help me to then write the review more easily.

The past few months I have been reading a lot of great books. I always find myself drifting towards non-fiction titles. I don't know if it is because they are quicker reads or I'm just interested in a variety of topics. But I must remind myself of the feelings evoked inside me when I read fiction: weeping as Lady Jane Grey, an innocent young girl, is beheaded in Innocent Traitor; changing my feelings daily for Jaime, the Kingslayer, in A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series; feeling as though I am a part of the magical circus in The Night Circus - I remember practicing with my brother to be circus performers day after day when we were youngsters.

I would like to read 6 books a month, with 4 being the minimum. As life changes from month to month and the crazy trials that come with being in a family of six, this will be my goal!

Hope we all have a great reading week!

Review: The Night Circus (audiobook)

Title: The Night Circus (audiobook)
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Narrator: Jim Dale
Genre/Date: Fantasy/2011
Audio Length: 13 hrs, 39 mins
Source: Audible purchase
My rating: 4.5/5

I really enjoyed Water for Elephants which is a book whose characters are part of the circus, so I figured another book about the circus would be of interest to me. However, The Night Circus is completely different. It is a magical, lyrical, and imaginative work with all the characters completely engrossed, enmeshed, and consumed by the circus called Le Cirque des Reves.

Its very soothing prose set to the melodic voice of Jim Dale lends itself to daydreaming about running away to the circus and forever living as either a circus performer or a spectator for eternity. In a world filled with black and white striped tents, ice gardens, and all sorts of chocolate sweets, Celia and Marco are set against each in a contest of magical abilities. Celia has been trained by her father, the famous magician Prospero, since the age of 5 after her mother committed suicide; Marco has been selected from an orphanage while a child to be trained by A.H., the "man in the gray suit". Neither of them fully understands the true meaning of this contest, either the rules of it or how one wins it. When they do realize the true meaning of the contest and what a folly it is, they must figure out a way to change it. They realize they are completely in love with each other, and cannot continue to be pawns in their teachers' game.

Some of the characters in this story are fascinating. I loved the red-haired twins, Poppet and Widget, who grow up in the circus as performers. They are honest, funny, and oddly mesmerizing. They have a wonderful relationship with a boy named Bailey who becomes entwined in the circus after a dare with his sister. This part of the story brings the circus to life and entices the reader to want to run and get tickets to the circus. Anyone would want to visit tents filled with clouds that you can fly from, wishing trees, or jars filled with the magic to transport you to places of extreme beauty.

As I was listening to this story, I was wondering where it was leading me. Part of me felt that this story was similar to Alice in Wonderland. In both of these stories, I thought that the authors were writing and following along where their imaginations rambled - that the plot of the story was not thought out in advance. I am probably wrong about this, but I could not help these thoughts from surfacing in me from time to time. Maybe this is what interests me about both of these books. 

I plan to visit this book again in the future. I will want to return to the innocent times during the late 19th century when the circus was one of the most entertaining places for both children and adults to visit.

Review: A Game Of Thrones (audiobook)

Title: A Game of Thrones
Author: George R.R. Martin
Narrator: Roy Dotrice
Genre/Date: Fantasy/1996
Audio Length: 33 hours, 50 mins
Source: Audible Purchase
My Rating: 5/5

This is a fantasy series I have heard a lot of great things about, and I'm very happy that I began it. It was hard to begin another lengthy audiobook, but this production was fascinating and very difficult to put down. I liked it so much that when I was about four-fifths through it, I decided to begin all over again, just to make sure I understood all the characters and their families and histories. There is much to grasp here, and I knew I wanted to continue with the next book soon. Also, when I first began the audiobook, I had a difficult time understanding the narrator, Roy Dotrice. He has a distinctive yet somewhat gruff voice. But I grew to love his interpretations of the various characters, in particular the female ones. Now I think he is the perfect narrator for this book!

The winter is coming! And the seven kingdoms should be preparing for it. They have had many years of summer and only the old ones remember and tell the stories of winter. Instead all are focusing on who will be the new king and have power over the seven kingdoms. They are not realizing what is happening up north. The children of the forest and the undead with blue eyes are returning. This is where the armies should be amassing. Instead the Lannister family have seized power after King Robert Baratheon has been suspiciously killed by a boar. The Stark family of Winterfell are comprised of: Lord Eddard; his wife Catelyn Tully formerly of Riverrun in the South; Robb, the eldest of their 5 children at 14; Sansa the eldest daughter at 11 and betrothed to Prince Joffrey Lannister, a pretender to the throne; Arya, a spirited 9 year old girl (one of my favorite characters); Bran at 7 who succumbs to the treachery of Jaime Lannister; and the toddler Rickon. But not to be missed is Eddard's bastard son Jon Sno, just months younger than Robb, who is a Eddard's son by a mysterious woman no one ever talks about. Jon has gone to the wall protecting the seven kingdoms from the north to be a brother of the Night's Watch. Meanwhile, across the sea in the land of the barbaric Dothroki there is the only survivor of the Targaryen family, Daenerys, whose brothers and father, King Aerys, were killed years ago and their family's throne wrenched away by Jaime Lannister. She is from the family of dragons who no longer exist, but may return. She plans to come back from exile and reclaim the throne.

This story reads very much like historical fiction because the details are very accurate to what could have happened in the the middle ages in Britain. However, the magical parts add another level which is fascinating with the inclusion of dragons, the undead, the children of the forest, the trees with faces, and the dark magic.

This story relates each important characters' perspective, even through the eyes of a child, and it is done masterfully. I enjoyed all the varying viewpoints and would be sad to leave one part of the story, only to once again become intensely engrossed in another part of the story. This was a wonderful listen and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Reading Plans for January 2012

I want to focus more on goals for each month and it will help me to end the year with most of the books I wanted to read finished. Time marches on and there are so many books I want to read, so a plan is the right step for me. I still want to read long books and not worry that I haven't read enough for the year and I will enjoy each book as it comes. And if that means I have to go back and reread or relisten to a portion, I will do it. It's not a race, but a pleasant jog through literature. These choices can change, but will help when I end up procrastinating not knowing which book to choose next. Most of the time I will just grab a non-fiction title because I find it easier to begin. I will try to change this with a monthly list. For now, I'm shooting for 6 titles per month which will get me to 72 total for the year. I think this is a more modest approach for me at this time. I would like at some point to read around 100 books per year and I will get there one of these years!

The Night Circus (audiobook) by Erin Morgenstern
The Myth of "Bloody Mary": A Biography of Queen Mary I of England by Linda Porter
A Clash of Kings (audiobook) by George R.R. Martin
A Thousand Pleasant Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Review: The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers

Title: The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by
         His Fool, Will Somers
Author: Margaret George
Date of Publication: 1986
Genre/Pages: Historical Fiction / 930 pages
Source: Amazon Purchase for my iPad
My Rating: 4.5/5

This novel was written as though Henry is the author and Will Somers, his fool, has added his thoughts to the King's journal after Henry has died. This "autobiography" starts with Henry's first memories and ends with Will Somers asking the King what are his actual first memories, the day before Henry dies. This is an account of Henry Tudor and his reign of England with all the details of his relationships with his wives, councilors, courtiers, and family members. It puts a positive spin on Henry's decisions as king because this novel is told as if directly from Henry's viewpoint. Somers' notes serve to give the reader background information which Henry would assume, if he had actually written this autobiography, the people reading it would know and understand. I found the notes added by the fool Somers to be witty and informative.

From the beginning we can see that Henry spent very little time with his mother and that his father was devoted to Arthur, the oldest son and future king. This was very common for the children of nobility to spend years away from their parents and be raised by governesses and other tutors. It is also shown in this novel how gullible Henry allowed himself to be, having been tricked by many of the women in his life. Maybe this is because of his lack of a close female relationship growing up, in particular with his mother.


This novel focuses on Henry's desire to bring changes to the Catholic church in England, but not to change it so much so that Protestantism would grow out of control. It's interesting to me that Henry was really a Catholic at heart, but he did not want the Pope telling him what to do, or anyone else for that matter.  Henry did not like to follow the rules, so his philosophy was to get rid of anyone who tried to control him with said rules. Henry was brought up to be a religious man as an adult, and Arthur was to be the king of England. But it did not turn out that way, when Arthur died at the young age of 15. Henry studied and knew much about Catholicism; he appears to have been very religious with his attendance at daily mass. This was a given practice for all the nobility. It is ironic that Henry's personal goals (closing the monastaries and confiscating their treasures and divorcing whenever it suited him) would lead to the rise of Protestantism in England, but this may have happened anyway with the rise of it on mainland Europe. 


It is hard for me to understand how one minute Henry could absolutely love a person, such as Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell, taking their advice for many years and knowing them on such a deep level, and then completely reverse his feelings for them.  It is difficult to try to place oneself in Henry's shoes and see if you would be able to command their heads to be chopped off.

This novel is a very good narrative about the life of Henry. It made me feel sympathy for him, and I did not think that would ever be possible. This book accomplishes the goal of getting the reader in touch with what must have been the feelings of Henry, gaining insight into his fluctuating behavior.  I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and learned even more and with greater depth a knowledge of Henry Tudor, the man and King of England.

Review: The Pillars of the Earth (audiobook)

Title: The Pillars of the Earth
Author: Ken Follett
Narrator: John Lee
Publisher: Penguin Audio, 2007
Genre: Historical Fiction/ 40 Hrs 54 mins
Source: Audible purchase
My rating: 5/5

I read The Pillars of the Earth in 1989 when it was originally published and loved it. I received the sequel World Without End for Christmas 2007 and have yet to read it because I needed to reacquaint myself with the first book in the series, which I have finally done now. I am so happy I decided to go with the audio version, because I loved John Lee as the narrator. I will definitely look for other narrations by him.

Tom Builder, a master builder and stone mason, has a burning desire to build a cathedral. In the early 12th Century England, after the death of King Henry I, civil war breaks out between Henry's daughter, Matilda (Maud), and her cousin Stephen who succeeds Henry to become the new King of England. Henry's only son, William, had drowned after his ship sunk crossing the English Channel, and Henry insisted his daughter Matilda should be his heir to the throne. But the Barons did not agree to this and put his nephew Stephen on the throne instead. This story takes place during this time in history and incorporates the drowning of William and the political intrigue which determines who has power and control over the earldoms and control in the church.

Tom Builder and his family struggle to survive starvation and lack of employment and the lodgings which would go with it. Through a fascinating set of circumstances, Tom becomes the master builder of Kingsbridge Cathedral. Prior Philip is the monk in charge who has a burning desire to also build a glorious cathedral for the glory of God and through all the obstacles he creatively works to build his community of monks and the town of Kingsbridge.

I found myself immersed completely in the story with a strong attachment to the characters. I admired Prior Phillip's ingenuity and faith in God to help him achieve his goals. Tom Builder's physical and mental strength to lead his family and take care of them was exceptional. Earl William's cruelty was relentless. Aliena's work ethic and stamina in overcoming many atrocities was inspiring. Jack and his mother Ellen were very interesting characters too.

I also found the detailed descriptions of cathedral architecture and the various methods used to build a cathedral with the materials needed such as stone, timber, and glass, and the labor and time needed to complete the different parts of a cathedral, to be extremely engaging. Although, even if this may sound boring to you, the author inserts these tidbits on masonry and cathedrals throughout this engrossing story that I do not think it would take away from anyone's pleasure.

I will soon embark on the next book World Without End, and I am sure I will hear the wonderful narrator John Lee in my head as I read it.

Review: My Lady of Cleves

Title: My Lady of Cleves
Author: Margaret Campbell Barnes
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 1946
Genre: Historical Fiction/328 pages
Source: Paperback Purchase
My rating: 4/5

Princess Anne of Cleves has been selected by King Henry VIII to become his fourth wife after the death of his third wife Jane Seymour after childbirth. The king had sent his German court painter, Hans Holbein, to paint three princesses for him so that he could choose one of them to become his new wife and to make alliances with a foreign country for political purposes. Hans falls in love with Anne of Cleves and genuinely paints a stunning portrait of Anne, and the King of England chooses her from the three princesses. However, he is not too happy with her when they meet in person, and immediately he decides she is not anything like the English women he is very attracted to - ones who are young, subservient, tell him all he wants to hear, always complimentary of him, and of course, beautiful. Anne is not anything like this.  She is already 24 and on the heavy side. She is dowdy, plump, and doesn't speak English well.  She doesn't like to dance or sing. And she does not kowtow to him. The king likens her to a "Flemish Mare". From the very first meeting, he forms a negative opinion of her, and notices the lovely fourteen-year-old Katherine Howard who is being pushed by her family to catch the king's eye and keep it. 

I enjoyed watching Anne's attempt to become an English queen. She takes the advice of the Archbishop Cranmer to be herself, be more relaxed, become a little more subservient to the king, and to really show what she does have to offer to the king: her love of children, gardening, and other qualities which could bring stability to the king.  This is a turning point in her relationship with the king, especially when he sees how kind and natural a mother she can be to his little son, prince Edward. At this point however, the Howard family and especially the Duke of Norfolk have seduced the king with the coquettish, cunning, and beautiful Katherine Howard, so that it is too late for Anne to gain favor with the king. 

I was intrigued by her relationship with the German painter, Hans Holbein. He fell in love with her when he first painted her portrait, but then set aside his feelings for her when she became Queen of England. He never expected that her marriage would be annulled. Even though Anne was known as sister to the king afterwards, she was not allowed to remarry or leave England. However, she was very happy with all the property and annual money the king granted her. Also, Anne retained her strong relationship to the King's daughters, as she became known to them now as their aunt instead of stepmother.

The author's version of these historical facts are brought to life with Anne, King Henry VIII and all the other characters from this time in Tudor England in a forthright and pleasurable manner. I really enjoyed this intriguing story of Henry VIII's fourth wife.

End of Read-a-Thon Meme

1.Which hour was most daunting for you?
At around 10PM I was feeling very tired, so I decided to take a nap, but it lasted until 3AM. I then got up and continued to read(listen) until 8AM.


2.Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
I spent most of my time listening to The Pillars of the Earth which was awesome even though this is a reread for me. But the narrator is phenomenal - John Lee. This is my first experience with his narrating. It won't be my last.

3.Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
I think it's already perfect.

4.What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
The cheerleaders are excellent. It was so encouraging to read their cheers!

5.How many books did you read?
I didn't actually complete any book, but I made a huge dent in The Pillars of the Earth.

6.What were the names of the books you read?

The Pillars of the Earth - by Ken Follett; narrated by John Lee

• listened for a total of 12 hours and 51 mins.

The Autobiography of Henry VIII - by Margaret George

• read 21 pages.

7.Which book did you enjoy most?
The Pillars of the Earth

8.Which did you enjoy least?
I enjoyed both, but I had to drive for most of the day, so the audiobook was the apparent choice.

9.If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
I would like to be a cheerleader next year!

10.How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
I will definitely participate next year as both a reader and a cheerleader.

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon

I will be participating in this, my first, 24 Hour Read-a-Thon. I am really excited and hoping I will be able to stay awake. It may sound a little boring that I am hoping to finish the 2 reads that I have already started, but they are both great books, so I'm looking forward to completing them! If by chance that I feel like a change, I'm going to look for a shorter read.  These are the two books I plan on finishing and where I'm starting with them at 8AM.

The Autobiography of Henry VIII - Margaret George

• starting on page 68 of 930 pages

The Pillars of the Earth (audiobook/reread) - Ken Follett

• starting at 19 hours and 32 minutes of 40 hours 23 minutes total.

I have a lot of driving to do today so that will be when I switch to the audiobook.

This should be fun!

Review: The Wise Woman

Title: The Wise Woman
Author: Philippa Gregory
Published: Simon & Schuster, 1992
Genre: Historical Fiction, 528 pages
Source: Ipad purchase
My rating: 3.5/5

Alys is forced out of her nunnery in the middle of the night as a fire consumes it because the landlord, Lord Hugo, and his soldiers attack and destroy it. Most of the nuns inside become trapped and perish in the fire all because they are papists who will not renounce the pope and follow King Henry VIII as the leader of the Church of England. Also Lord Hugh and his son Lord Hugo want all the treasures in the abbey and to gain favor with the King's court. Alys runs away back home to her guardian, a local "wise woman," a herbalist, and healer, named Morach, but feels guilty that she has left her new guardian, Mother Hildebrande at the abbey to die. 

I am reading Philippa Gregory books and others written about this time period in chronological order based on the the recommendation of the literate housewife. This book is focused on the belief that strong, independent women were thought to be witches, and they would be punished, tortured, and killed for being different than other women and having "special" powers. I enjoyed the historical setting in this story. But the main characters keep changing their personalities too often for me. At one time I would believe Alys to be a young, sixteen year-old girl, taken advantage of by the men in the story, or abused by Morach, and I would feel a lot of sympathy for her. Then she would change into a vindictive and conniving young woman, determined to get what she wants - comfort, an easy lifestyle like the Lady Catherine has as wife to Lord Hugo. She then will stop at nothing, including getting rid of people who she supposedly loved at one point in her life, to get what she wants. It's hard to figure out if Alys loves Lord Hugo or if she only wants to be Lady of the castle.

At about two-thirds into the story, I was engrossed and did want to find out where things would lead for Alys. Would she get what she wanted? Is she a witch or a holy nun? Would she become the wife of Lord Hugo or go back to being a nun? I did feel that there were a few unnecessary subplots and one in particular that has no resolution which in the end left me hanging a bit. However, I do feel that I'm gaining greater insight into this period in England, and that makes this story worthwhile to me.

Review: The Other Boleyn Girl

Title: The Other Boleyn Girl
Author: Philippa Gregory
Published: Simon & Schuster, 2001
Genre: Historical Fiction, 672 pages
Source: personal copy
My rating: 5/5

At the tender age of 14, Mary Boleyn is brought to the court of King Henry VIII and Queen Katherine to be a part of the Queen's ladies in waiting. Her sister Anne, only 15, is also there along with their brother, George, 21 as one of the king's companions. They are driven by their families, the Howards and the Boleyns, to gain favor with the king and to attain greatness, titles, land, and riches for the family. Mary becomes concubine to the king, but does not have the same drive as her sister Anne to keep him completely happy and smitten with her. Anne Boleyn takes over for Mary and will stop at nothing to achieve her goal - to become Queen of England. 

I read the The Constant Princess last year by the same author and knew I would continue with the author's subsequent books on the Tudors. I read this book in 2 days, only stopping when I had to do anything essential. It was an incredible read. I was completely immersed in the lives of the Boleyn family. The rivalry between the two sisters was intriguing and intense! They were in constant competition for the attention of the king, their brother George, and other family members. They were obligated by their family to do their bidding in all areas - especially in regards to whom they would marry. 

Knowing in advance how things would turn out for Anne Boleyn didn't lower my level of horror. It is amazing to me that this is how it truly was for this family, and it is shocking to me how women were regarded as just pawns for the families in the aristocratic court. What I have learned about King Henry VIII so far has been fascinating.  I will continue this journey to this time period in England with the rest of the books on this list as offered by the literatehousewife.

Review: Anne of Green Gables

Title: Anne of Green Gables
Author: Lucy Maud Montgomery
Published: 1908
Genre: Fiction/429 pages
Source: iPad
My Rating: 5/5


Anne Shirley is an 11 year old orphan, adopted by two older siblings, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, who live on Green Gables farm on Prince Edward Island in Canada.  Anne is a boisterous, loquacious child who brings trouble at first to their homestead, but after a time she brings a new vitality as her guardians gradually learn to love her and then cannot imagine life without her.

I have been meaning to read this book for a long time and I'm so glad to have finally done so. Anne is an inspirational character who never fails to be happy with all the obstacles which do befall her as time goes on. She chooses how she will feel using her imagination to help her along.
      
As Anne states, "It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will. Of course, you must make it up FIRMLY."

Her exuberance for nature and romance is contagious to all around her. She gives special romantic names to the lakes, woods, and people surrounding her. She is also fiercely competitive as she strives to be first in her class; she achieves what she sets out to do. She works hard to learn from her faults and to get what she wants out of life for herself and for her friends and family. Anne is always on the lookout for "kindred" spirits - people to whom Anne "can confide her inmost soul." She enjoys being with others like her imaginative self and purposefully seeks them out. I loved how she also stands up for herself, making sure everyone spells her name properly ending with an "e". 

This was my first book by this author; I will definitely continue to read more of her work. This book is classified as a children's book, but I think it is for young and old alike. There are many valuable lessons to be learned and to remind the reader how to live the life he or she might want to lead- a life filled with imagination, love of nature, time for friends, hard work, and the realization that family is the most important in the end. This book inspires a zest for life!

Review: Galway Bay

Title: Galway Bay
Author: Mary Pat Kelly
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2009
Genre: Historical Fiction/576 pages
Source: Ipad
My Rating: 5/5


Galway Bay is the story of Honora Keeley Kelly, a young Irish mother, who survives the famine in Ireland, and escapes to America with only the clothes on her back and some of her family. It is a story spanning two generations of the Kelly's family struggle with starvation in Ireland, their desperate departure from Ireland, and their hardships that follow as they make a new life in Chicago. It is also a story of enduring love for her family, her husband, and most of all Ireland, especially Galway Bay.

The author is Honora Kelly's great-great granddaughter. She was told Honora's story over the years, so she spent many years thoroughly researching it and wanted to tell her amazing story of survival. This story was very common during the time of the potato famine in Ireland. Whole families would succumb to starvation and eventually death if they didn't have any way to get some food. Luck was needed, but in Honora's case, her determination and her husband Michael's hard work, allowed them to persevere. Their love for one another helped them to carry on. 

I love the ancient Irish stories told by Honora's grandmother of the times when Irish was only spoken, and families were free to live off the land without being beholden to any English landlords. The horse races, the dangerous lives of the men fishing in Galway Bay, the beautiful imagery of the Irish landscapes brought Ireland in the 1800's closer to me.

I also enjoyed reading about her family's struggle to survive during their time in Chicago. The Irish immigrants did come to together in their churches to help with advice and community, but otherwise you were on your own as to how you would get money, shelter, and food to live. In Honora's case, her small boys had to work in the factories where cattle were slaughtered. It was hard on young children who were expected to help the family get money. School was secondary when you needed food.  But somehow, these Irish familes achieved a life of prosperity for the following generations. They were the backbone of the growth of cities like Chicago and other big cities in America. 

I enjoyed this story because I am first generation Irish-American, and I have heard stories of how my great-great grandmother also survived the famine by eating from the garbage of her landlord. It was a very realistic representation of this time in Ireland, and the author is a superb storyteller.

Review: The Middle Place

Title: The Middle Place
Author: Kelly Corrigan
Publisher: Voice, 2008
Genre: Non-fiction, Memoir/ 266 pages
Source: Friend
Rating: 4.5/5


The author writes about her life growing up with an amazing father, who it seems never finds anything that gets him down. He is the most positive person who makes friends wherever he goes. When his daughter, the author gets cancer, he prays for her, he flies out to California to be with her, and calls her all the time. Even when his own cancer returns, he doesn't complain. He makes friends with all the nurses. He maintains his positive outlook on life and never expects that he will succumb to his illness or worries about it. This lack of worry on her father's part drives the author crazy. She wants nothing less than the best care for her father, and she gets it for him.  She finds herself in the "middle place" - worrying about her parents and being dependant upon them, and also taking care of her own family. She tries so hard to strike the proper balance.

This book brought to life for me a real loving father, someone who even I grew to care about deeply. He is a special person who can make anyone he meets feel special. But I also feel sympathy for the author, as she is the mother of two young girls when she gets cancer, and then finds out that she will not be able to have any more following her treatment, and this is so very important to her. I was unable to break away from this book.  I wanted to know what happens to them, and wish only for the best. Her father is the most optimistic, loving, and inspirational person, even when undergoing cancer treatment. I also got a closer look at what it might feel like to have cancer. I liked how each chapter went back and forth from the past to the present. I thought this book was excellent. I enjoyed the author's sense of humor as she tells about her family adversities. I loved how her parents reminded me of my own with their fervent belief in the Catholic faith. I loved what her father says to her after finding out about her cancer:

"I'm just saying, you can do this, Lovey. You're special. I've always said it. You're just a very special girl, that's all." 

The author is in the middle place, struggling with her comfortable role as a daughter and now breaking away to form her own nucleus of a family. After reading this book, I looked for more information about the author's family online and was very happy to hear that her father is doing well as he turns 80. 

Sunday Thoughts

I have not been as committed as I wish I could have been to this blog, but I am determined to make a comeback and rededicate myself to reading 100 pages a day.  I have made 2 trips to Ireland since I last posted, and they were wonderful.  In February, my daughter and I went to Killarney for the All-Ireland Championships.  In April, we went to Dublin for The World Championships.  These were both for Irish step dancing.  At the All-Irelands, my daughter won the title in her age group, and at the Worlds she came in second.  We are both very pleased.  On both trips, we did some sightseeing - visiting castles in the south of Ireland and for the Dublin trip, I wanted to go see Trinity College and the Book of Kells, but it didn't work out, so we'll have to save that adventure for our next trip.  We visit Ireland/England/Scotland about 4 times a year, and I love visiting all the ancient historical places.  In particular I loved staying at Dromoland Castle with friends and learning about the Smith O'Brien family that I'm reading about in The Great Shame.  I still have not finished this book and it is really terrific at covering the Irish who were sent to Australia for minor crimes and mainly for standing up for their legal rights as tenants or maybe plotting against the British.  At this point, I think I will write some short reviews on the few books I read in the past two months, and take it from there.  I'm almost finished Galway Bay too.  I really enjoyed this one!  Here are a few pictures:

Ross Castle in Killarney:

 Inside Dromoland Castle:

 Bunratty Castle:

On another note about Irish dancing.  There is a new documentary coming out about the 2010 World Championships called Jig - the movie.  It won't be available in the US until the summer of 2011.  One of the dancers focused on in the movie is in my daughter's dancing school, and we think she might show up in some part of the movie.  My daughter hopes so.  Here is the trailer for the movie:

Have a Happy Easter!

Review: The Buried Book: The Loss and Rediscovery of the Great Epic of Gilgamesh

Title: The Buried Book: The Loss and Rediscovery of the Great Epic of Gilgamesh

Author: David Damrosch
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 2006
Genre/Pages: Non-Fiction, History/272 pages
Source: Library
Grade: B+


Summary of facts I learned from reading this book:


In 1840, a young English adventurer by the name of Austen Henry Layard visited the ruins of ancient civilizations in Greece and Turkey. He then traveled to the area around Mosul in Northern Iraq searching for evidence of civilizations around Mesopotamia and found only mile long mounds which even further piqued his interest. He decided he would uncover what was hidden beneath these mounds. Layard and his assistant Hormuzd Rassam discovered the lost city of Nineveh under one of these mounds, and here buried was King Sennacherib’s vast palace. In the palace was a library assembled by his grandson, King Ashurbanipal with over 100,000 clay tablets and they shipped them back to the British Museum.

The most important find in this library was the Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest story written over 3,000 years ago. Ashurbanipal had collected many copies of this story because to the Assyrian people King Gilgamesh was like a god. He was two-thirds god and one-third human, having the god, Ninsun as his mother. He also became known as the governor of the Underworld, where he would judge a person after death. This is according to an old Sumerian poem, “The Death of Bilgamesh.”

Written on these clay tablets is an intricate form of picture writing called cuneiform. When these tablets were found, nobody could read this – it was the ancient Akkadian language. Sir Henry Rawlinson, who had a intense love for ancient languages, had a breakthrough in deciphering this cuneiform when he learned of an inscription on a monument built for the Persian King Darius written in three different forms of old Persian languages in cuneiform. After 15 years of work, he could translate Gilgamesh; the year was 1850. Then by 1872, George Smith, a gifted curator at the British Museum began to translate it and he found the story of the flood which held much fascination to the people because it was remarkably similar to the story of Noah’s Ark from the Bible.

Many of the tablets found were letters written during the time of King Esarhaddon’s reign. He was Ashurbanipal’s father. They reveal this king’s paranoia about who would usurp his throne. He used many priests, oracles, diviners, and exorcists to flesh out the details of these plots. As a child, Ashurbanipal was trained in the ancient Sumerian and Akkadian languages. His training in literacy was not common for an Assyrian king and could be why he collected such a huge collection of clay tablets. And because his palace and library were destroyed in 612 BC, we are able to enjoy the story of Gilgamesh and learn so much about the history of the Assyrian civilization from these preserved clay tablets.

One similarity between the Iliad and Gilgamesh would be that the heroes in these epics both had gods for their mothers: the mother of Achilles was the god Thetis and the mother of Gilgamesh was the sun god Ninsun. Thetis pleads with Zeus to help Achilles in battle, and Ninsun pleads with Shamash to help Gilgamesh in his battle with Humbaba. In both epics the mothers both fear for their son’s mortality and the heroes’ adventures both lead to the death of their respective best friends, Patroclus and Enkidu.

Saddam Hussein liked to compare himself to Gilgamesh. Hussein had planned to rebuild Ashurbanipal’s library in Nineveh and to make casts of the 25,000 clay tablets in the British museum. After the first Gulf War, Hussein became a writer and gained immortality in this way. His first novel, a political romance named Zabibah and the King, contains elements of Gilgamesh and The Thousand and One Nights. The king in this novel was a tyrannical ruler, much like Gilgamesh, and Zabibah, a common woman, was his muse and lover, much like Enkidu, as she urged him to become a more just ruler. Hussein may have been trying to gain the sympathy of his people in this novel as the king has a much troubled upbringing, just like Saddam Hussein did in his youth.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed reading about the history of the events leading up to the destruction of Ashurbanipal’s library and the subsequent loss of the Epic of Gilgamesh, and then the finding of these ancient cities and artifacts. I also enjoyed the history of the difficulties with the translating of the clay tablets and the history of the political rivals at the British Museum. The author gives all the pertinent details which gave me a greater understanding of the Assyrian people and why they wrote this story and what was important to them at this time in history. The epic recounts the hero Gilgamesh’s fear of death and his quest for immortality; it is also a story of love and tyranny. Learning about the Assyrian people through these findings is very interesting to me. I love to see how people from thousands of years ago are just like the people of today. We all would like to be immortal. And coming to terms with life, love, power and death are common themes for everyone throughout history.