Sunday, March 25, 2012

Coming Week of March 26

All The Hunger Games books are coming out in paperback next week. There doesnt seem to be many new releases, I guess they dont want to compete with that. I wouldnt.I am going to see the movie tomorrow and am so excited. I hope I can get a seat.




 The one release that inst afraid to compete is James Patterson;s new book, Guilty Wives. Abbie and her three best friends Winnie, Serena, and Bryah take a luxurious vacation to Monte Carlo. From the minute they step off the helicopter they are surrounded by the best of everything, food, casinos, lovely pools, and thumping discos. They experience four wonderful days of papering and fun; the most relaxing and pleasureful experience Abbie has ever known. Then one morning Abbie wakes up on a yacht surrounded by police. She cant remember what happened the night before, but she is accused of the worst crime imaginable. And now the vacation of a lifetime becomes the fight of a lifetime.





        Thiese next books are not new releases but have been topping the charts for a few weeks. The Fifty Shades Triligy has already been released, so you can buy them all at once, no need to wait for then next book. Im not sure when they came out, last year perhaps?? but they seem to have the romance I crave at times, and a little mystery too. (so I dont get bored) Just the description:  Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever. Makes me want to run out and buy them right now., A young student Anastasia interviews a successful entrepreneur named Grey she thinks their interview went horrible, until he turns up at her work. Not much to go on but still sounds exciting. The series surrounds ssex, passion,. affairs, wealth, and the troubled past of one man.




Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Read an E-book

 













Canada has declared March Read an e-book Month. Being half way through March I am a little late with this announcement, but you still have time to buy a book and finish it by the end of the month. Even if you don't have a e-reader you can read one on your iPhone or android using a number of different apps.

This change was brought forth because the government felt it should be known that e-books provide a new industry for authors and publishers to make their books more widely available. They provide many advantages including being an enviromentaly friendly alternative.

Even if you are not Canadian or don't have an e-reader, I encourage you to at try reading an e-book once, and see if you enjoy the experience like I do. Here are some useful apps to help you.

Kobo

Kindle


Monday, March 12, 2012

The Birth House by Ami McKay


 The Birth House takes place in the small Halifax village Scots Bay. It follows the life of a young girl, Dora, who was born to a family of all boys. There is a legend about her family name Rare. I can not tell the story as well as the book, but a young wife promises to bear her husband all male children. Dora is the first girl born in several generations. Some think she is a witch, and she curses their livestock, while others think she is special and born with the sight to see what others can not. The book follows Dora as a young girl in her family house with all her brothers, to a young adult learning the trade of a mid wife.
The most interesting part of the story was the struggle between mid wiving and modern medicine. Some of the advice the women of the town get from the doctor is crazy. The things he wanted the women to do surprised me. I can't believe how wrong the doctors were back then on the subject. For example when the women were in the last stages of their pregnancy and swollen and having trouble getting around, the doctors said their problem was they were not getting enough exercise and advised them to walk around more. It was Dora who finally spoke up and said that, no she needs to rest and lie down.

The story also brought in elements of the past such as WW1 and the stigmas attached to young men who did not enlist, and the big Halifax explosion. I really like it when stories are built around elements of truth, to me it makes them even more alive and believable. Even though Dora's character was fictional, it made the book more interesting knowing that some of the experiences she had were experienced by real people at one time.
There was a lot of women's rights issued that aroused from the wives of Scots Bay. They ranged from husbands who beat them, feeling they were obligated to please their husbands in bed, and wanting to have a say in having children. I think Dora was a women who had modern ideals but was still able to see the wisdom of the past. She fought for what was best for the women of Scots Bay, regardless of how her views were seen by the men in the town. She was stuck between fighting for women's rights, and holding on to the traditions of the past, which made her disliked by many. She seemed to be either an offense to proper traditional women, or an offence to modern science. The way that Dora was treated resembled the witch trials in many ways. She acted as a scape goat for all the troubles that happened. Yet she was strong and not afraid to stand up for what she thought was right, but also knew when to back down. Of course like anyone she had faults too, and I think that it was her ability to deal with them in her own way that made me respect her character.

I really enjoyed this book and would be happy to read another by Ami McKay.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Mexico Vacation

Mexico !!


Sorry I haven't posted in a week. I was on vacation in Mexico so I didn't get a chance to go on the computer. I have some great pictures to share. While I was there I spent some time by the pool reading. Unfortunately no tan came from it but I did finish the book I was reading, so a review of The Birth House will be coming soon.


I loved the palm trees there. We don't have any here at home so when I do see them (last year in L.A was my first time) I want to take lots of picture.


Besides visiting the pyramid at Chichen Itza above, we also stopped by a water hole for a swim. This cave was a nice place for a cold swim. It was a really hot day so the water was refreshing.


Not only was the food amazing, I ate sooo much, but it was arranged really beautifully. I cant imagine how they did this. There was a new carved watermelon everyday at breakfast too.