Okay!! I admit it!! I suck at blogging. But I warned you that I would. I warned you that I would get lost in your blog or any of the other million fabulous (and some less-than-fabulous) blogs out there. What can I say? I'm easily distracted (and easily entertained).
But in my defense, it's been a (mostly) fabulous summer! With so many beaches (and pools) to visit and so many books to read, this blog was the last thing on my To Do list. Well....actually...it didn't even make it to the To Do list.
While I may have neglected the Blog part of A Book, A Beach and A Blog, I certainly didn't neglect the books or beaches. Here is a small sampling of my incredible summer:
Books (some of my favourites) : Born To Die by Lisa Jackson, Chasing the Night by Iris Johansen, Girl Most Likely To...by Susan Donovan, The Half Life by Jennifer Weiner, Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin, Live to Tell by Lisa Gardner, Night Road by Kristin Hannah, Save Me by Lisa Scottoline, Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner and about 20 others. (Sigh) What a great summer!
Beaches (some of my favourites): Sauble Beach, Port Stanley (a few times), Goulais Bay (a few times),The Companion Family Pool, The Best-Graham Family pool, ...oh and our pool.
Do you blame me for skipping the blog? I didn't think so.
With only 6 days left of summer (or at least until the kids go back to school) Friday Beach Day will sadly be at end for the next little while. I am planning to get this Blog all caught up...or at least caught up on the books and beaches (pools) worth mentioning.
Promise ;-)
PS. Only 30 days until Vegas!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
Every March I haunt the book store looking lost and sad until finally the store clerk informs me that, yes, the new Jodi Picoult book is finally in. Like a manic-depressive off her meds, my mood swings to gleeful excitement. I hurry home and settle in on the couch with my new book. (Sigh) Life is good!
I was not disappointed.
Sing You Home is the latest in a long line of excellent novels by Jodi Picoult. If you read the other reviews of this book and even the author's discussions on this novel, then you know that the central story is focused on gay rights and the struggles that gay couples face particularly in relation to reproduction and adoption. But there's so much more to this story than that. This is the story of a woman who struggles with infertility, then loses her husband to first alcohol then divorce. She then falls in love with and marries a woman. Finally the court battle begins to win the rights to embryos she had harvested and fertilized with her former husband (who is now sober and has found Jesus and his church is zealously opposed to gay unions).
Jodi Picoult covers each topic with a thoroughness and emotional depth that is characteristic of her novels. Her ability to seamlessly present the viewpoint of each of her characters is one of the things that make her novels great. Not only do you know how each character feels, you can sympathize and empathize with them.
As always my favourite part of spring is getting lost in the lives of Jodi Picoult's characters.
I was not disappointed.
Sing You Home is the latest in a long line of excellent novels by Jodi Picoult. If you read the other reviews of this book and even the author's discussions on this novel, then you know that the central story is focused on gay rights and the struggles that gay couples face particularly in relation to reproduction and adoption. But there's so much more to this story than that. This is the story of a woman who struggles with infertility, then loses her husband to first alcohol then divorce. She then falls in love with and marries a woman. Finally the court battle begins to win the rights to embryos she had harvested and fertilized with her former husband (who is now sober and has found Jesus and his church is zealously opposed to gay unions).
Jodi Picoult covers each topic with a thoroughness and emotional depth that is characteristic of her novels. Her ability to seamlessly present the viewpoint of each of her characters is one of the things that make her novels great. Not only do you know how each character feels, you can sympathize and empathize with them.
As always my favourite part of spring is getting lost in the lives of Jodi Picoult's characters.
After the Happily Ever After
(Written on April 29th)
Have you ever wondered if they REALLY lived "happily ever after"?
What was Cinderella's life like when she traded her glass slippers for house slippers?
Did Sleeping Beauty ever get angry over the amount of time that Prince Phillip spent slaying dragons?
Did Belle and the Beast ever fight over Gaston flirting with Belle?
I know we're taught that the story ends happily. And if the ending isn't happy, it isn't the end. But that's just the end of the book, not the end of the story. What happens after the "happily ever after"? Rarely do we get to see the rest of the story.
With today's Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, we'll get a chance to see if this Princess will get her "happily ever after".
Good luck and best wished to the newlyweds!
Now we're off to the Magic Kingdom to meet some real life fairytale princesses.
Have a magical day!
Have you ever wondered if they REALLY lived "happily ever after"?
What was Cinderella's life like when she traded her glass slippers for house slippers?
Did Sleeping Beauty ever get angry over the amount of time that Prince Phillip spent slaying dragons?
Did Belle and the Beast ever fight over Gaston flirting with Belle?
I know we're taught that the story ends happily. And if the ending isn't happy, it isn't the end. But that's just the end of the book, not the end of the story. What happens after the "happily ever after"? Rarely do we get to see the rest of the story.
With today's Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, we'll get a chance to see if this Princess will get her "happily ever after".
Good luck and best wished to the newlyweds!
Now we're off to the Magic Kingdom to meet some real life fairytale princesses.
Have a magical day!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
WE'RE ON VA-CATION!!
It’s been a rough spring in Ontario. Even now we continue to enjoy random snowstorms, below average temperatures and gloomy, overcast skies. Every time I think it’s safe to take out the sandals and peep-toe stilettos, Mother Nature laughs her evil laugh and dumps more winter like weather on my newly pedicured toes. Enough already!
I just can’t take it anymore. I need the sun and the heat. I am desperate for a vacation. I need a week somewhere down south where I can thaw out and warm up.
So….
We’re on va-cation! We’re on va-cation! Come on, sing it with me. We’re on va-cation! We’re on va-cation! That’s right, friends. I’ve bought the tickets, packed the suitcases and loaded my eReader with books for the trip. So we’re taking the family to Walt Disney World.
I know. I know. It’s not my usual vacation. I’ve actually never been to Walt Disney World. Really, why would I have gone there? It’s not the ideal vacation location for an avid reader and beach devotee like me. In fact there’s no beach to be found. (But there is a pool, so I'm sure I'll survive.)
When I go on vacation, I’m looking for peace and quiet and time to just decompress. Disney is the polar opposite of that. It’s loud. Its jam packed full of screaming, crying and crazy kids.
But we promised the kids a vacation. And we’ve been saving Walt Disney World for when our youngest child is old enough to remember the trip. Mini-Me is now tall enough to ride all the rides, old enough to listen (mostly) and smart enough to not wander off (hopefully).
It’s not going to be the relaxing vacation when I get to immerse myself in a book or five. But it’s better than snow. And Mini-Me has packed her tiara and is really looking forward to meeting the princesses. Maybe I should pack my tiara too. What do you think?
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Serial Reader
I read a blog post on my friend Carla's blog a few weeks ago that has stuck with me (you can read her post here: http://by-the-waters-edge.blogspot.com/2011/03/mondays-musings_28.html). She mentioned how her partner stayed up late reading, despite having to get up early because he just couldn't put his book down. This happens to me at least twice a month. If you ask my husband, he'll say it happens at least twice per week. But I love reading, what can I say?
I just need to know! I need to know what happens next. I need to know who dunnit. I need to know if they all live happily ever after. I. Just. Need. To. Know.
On the other hand, I don't want the book to end. I always feel so sad when I finish a book. Maybe if I read slower or rationed my chapter consumption it wouldn't have to end.
But it does end and always the same way. It ends with me telling myself I'll only read one more chapter. Then I finish the book around 2:30am. It's a compulsion. I can't seem to stop myself. My desire to know how it ends outweighs any residual feelings of sadness.
And the sadness is always there. It’s hiding beneath my satisfaction at finishing the book; behind my happiness at knowing that all is well in the character’s lives.
Why do I feel sad you ask? Finishing a book is like getting into a fight with my best friend and never, ever seeing them again. It’s awful. I’ve been so immersed in the lives of these characters while they go through awful trials and amazing triumphs and now they’re gone.
So I’ve resolved to only read series of books (sorry, Carla). This way when one book is done, there’s another book sitting on my shelf or at the library waiting for me. Suggestions and recommendations are welcome.
But what will happen when I get to the send of the series????
Anne
I just need to know! I need to know what happens next. I need to know who dunnit. I need to know if they all live happily ever after. I. Just. Need. To. Know.
On the other hand, I don't want the book to end. I always feel so sad when I finish a book. Maybe if I read slower or rationed my chapter consumption it wouldn't have to end.
But it does end and always the same way. It ends with me telling myself I'll only read one more chapter. Then I finish the book around 2:30am. It's a compulsion. I can't seem to stop myself. My desire to know how it ends outweighs any residual feelings of sadness.
And the sadness is always there. It’s hiding beneath my satisfaction at finishing the book; behind my happiness at knowing that all is well in the character’s lives.
Why do I feel sad you ask? Finishing a book is like getting into a fight with my best friend and never, ever seeing them again. It’s awful. I’ve been so immersed in the lives of these characters while they go through awful trials and amazing triumphs and now they’re gone.
So I’ve resolved to only read series of books (sorry, Carla). This way when one book is done, there’s another book sitting on my shelf or at the library waiting for me. Suggestions and recommendations are welcome.
But what will happen when I get to the send of the series????
Anne
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Throwing in the Beach Towel
I’ve never been too shy to tell people what I was thinking…or feeling…or to offer up my opinion. So why, you’re wondering, did it take me so long to start blogging? Until now it just seemed like more work; just one more item to add to a never ending TO DO list. And I really wasn’t interested in more work. And even though I’ve never felt the slightest bit of shyness, I’ve been somewhat hesitant to put pen to paper, or hands to keyboard as it were.
So what has changed? Not much really. A blog is still going to be another task on my seemingly endless list. And I’m still not sure that I will be able to write well enough to entertain you and keep you coming back for more. (There! You found it! My one insecurity; I want to be good at writing and don’t know if I am. Are you happy now?)
But I love reading. No. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE reading! I love reading anything and everything; books, magazines, newspapers, cereal boxes, etc. The only thing better than reading for me, is reading while lying in the sun someplace, anyplace, south of snow. So, I’ve always been a fan of other people’s blogs. In fact, I can spend (read: waste) as much time reading blogs as I can networking (read: wasting time) on facebook when I’m supposed to be working.
So I’m throwing in the beach towel. Maybe writing my own blog will be more productive than reading yours.
Anne
Anne
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