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Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (book review)
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Sometimes its worth trudging through the slow parts of a novel to embrace the parts that shake you to your core, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese is that type of book. It starts with the birth of the protagonist, Marion and his twin brother, Shiva. The well-written opening scene grips your soul and…
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Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet by Jamie Ford
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Jamie Ford’s, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is one of this years MustReads. Another historical fiction novel that makes a person stop and wonder how much is fiction and how much is history. The book takes place during one of the most conflicted and volatile times in American history. It’s hard to…
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Twain’s End by Lynn Cullen (BookReview)
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Twain’s End was one of those books I picked up, put down, picked up, swore off, picked back up and couldn’t put down. My impression of Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain is forever skewed because of this novel. Its one of those situations I had to ask myself, how much of this is historical and how…
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Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver #bookreview
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Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall brings back memories of the movie Groundhog’s Day plus my own horrible high school experience. When I was a kid, my dad took me to see the Bill Murray’s blockbuster hit. On our way home, he told me every student in America should have to watch that movie over…
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Half the Sky; turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide
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Women should read Half the Sky. (Men should too.) I don’t normally read non-fiction. This title was on a recommended reading list of my college-aged daughter. (Her degree is International Policy.) It intrigued me just reading the synopsis and to think these stories are REAL. Heart breaking, horrifying, intense and true life… This book…
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Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult #mustread
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Small Great Things, possibly the most important read of the year! Modern day American racism is the theme and Jodi Picoult portrays it brilliantly. (The book…) In a nutshell, Ruth is a black labor and delivery nurse who has done her job well her entire (long) career. She’s also a single mom who’s raised an…
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Glacier Bay (Alaskan Cruise; Part II)
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My Grand Princess cruise was so remarkable; I’ve broken the blog into parts. The first was all about the things I learned about the economics of the multi-billion-dollar industry and my overall impression of the experience. Welcome to part two; Glacier Bay. On the morning we arrived in Glacier Bay National Park, I noticed…
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Alaskan Cruise; A bucket list trip (Part One)
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Do you have a bucket list? Recently I found a scrap of paper that was a bucket list I had written in 2010. Surprisingly, I’d done most of the things I had dreamed of only seven years ago. The one that still couldn’t be crossed off was “Take an Alaskan Cruise”. Ironically, my uncles…
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Would you date Johnny Depp? Based on his handwriting…
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For years, we’ve all been entertained by the amazing, yet humble and oh-so-hot Johnny Depp. Happy birthday to this legend! Back in the mid-80’s his then wife, was a make-up artist in Hollywood and introduced Johnny to Nicholas Cage who encouraged Johnny to seek out an acting career. With that endorsement, Johnny to tried-out…
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Celebrity Handwriting Analysis this week, Amy Schumer!
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Happy birthday, Amy Schumer! (June 1, 1981) This week’s celebrity handwriting analysis is this funny lady. When I started looking for her signature to analyze I thought, This can’t be it, surely this is just some random person making a scribble in one of Amy’s books. The more I searched, the more I found…