The other day me and my family were driving home from Barrie when a really old Rolling Stones song came on. I mean really old, I think it was a cover of an older song form the 50's. (I'm pretty sure it was before the Satisfaction days but don't take my word for it. I'm a Beatles girl :-) ) So any way me and my mom were rocking out when all of the sudden, out of the blue my brother says something to the effect of " This is stupid. I like music with emotion."
Whhhhhhaaattttt? " What's that supposed to mean? You don't think this song has emotion?" I demanded.
" Uh no. It's just some guy playing a guitar!" replied my brother.
First of all, I'm pretty sure that's what closed minded parents thought about Elvis back in the day, aside from being horrified by his dance moves.
Then my brother asked me what kind of emotion I thought there was in that song. He thinks he's so smart.
" I don't know- jubilation (yes I actually said that- it was an in the moment thing) excitement, freedom, happiness! " What was his answer?
" Happiness isn't a emotion, it;s a feeling." Which is two different words for the same thing, last time I checked.
But I'm not writing this post to pick on my brother. That's just a bonus :-p This whole thing got me to thinking. A lot of the music we listen to, my brother included, tends to be sad or angry. That goes for other art forms too. People got tired of listening to music that didn't express all the crap that was going on in the world around them a few decades ago. Which isn't a bad thing but I think that now people might think that happy music- heck happiness in general- is uncool.
But it's not! It's okay to be happy! It's okay to listen to music that just makes you happy, even if it's not protesting world hunger. That doesn't make you blind to what's going on, it just makes you a human being who needs to escape from it for a bit. Who likes to be happy.
HAPPINESS IS AN EMOTION!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The Life of Miss Louisa May Alcott
I stayed up late last night to finish reading Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography by Susan Cheever, so I thought I would let some of my enthusiasm out by writing this post.
In case you were wondering who in the heck Louisa May Alcott is, she wrote the classic novel Little Women and many other novels. I found it very interesting that a lot of the book Little Women ( published in 1868) reads like a autobiography. In many ways the fictional March family is like the real Alcott family. Like the Marchs, the Alcott family consisted of a strong, loving mother four daughters and a father. Louisa's sisters Anna, May and Lizzie became the fictional Meg, Beth and Amy. Much of the plot of Little Women mirrors Alcott's own experince.However there are some major differences .
Susan Cheever brings out the point in her book that many people believe that Alcott is Jo second fictional March sister. However this is not true. While Jo was much loved by her family for her tomboyishness, Alcott was often punished for it. I also found it interesting that the father in Little Women was mostly absent, Alcott's father was often a driving force in the family, dragging them into his harebrained scemes..
What I found most interesting was that Louisa May Alcott was an independant women in a time when this was almost unheard of. She remained single and suppored her family with her writing.
Even though Louisa May Alcott died at age 56 almost 150 years ago, she is remembered through her work.
In case you were wondering who in the heck Louisa May Alcott is, she wrote the classic novel Little Women and many other novels. I found it very interesting that a lot of the book Little Women ( published in 1868) reads like a autobiography. In many ways the fictional March family is like the real Alcott family. Like the Marchs, the Alcott family consisted of a strong, loving mother four daughters and a father. Louisa's sisters Anna, May and Lizzie became the fictional Meg, Beth and Amy. Much of the plot of Little Women mirrors Alcott's own experince.However there are some major differences .
Susan Cheever brings out the point in her book that many people believe that Alcott is Jo second fictional March sister. However this is not true. While Jo was much loved by her family for her tomboyishness, Alcott was often punished for it. I also found it interesting that the father in Little Women was mostly absent, Alcott's father was often a driving force in the family, dragging them into his harebrained scemes..
What I found most interesting was that Louisa May Alcott was an independant women in a time when this was almost unheard of. She remained single and suppored her family with her writing.
Even though Louisa May Alcott died at age 56 almost 150 years ago, she is remembered through her work.
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Kennedys
Hi everyone!
I haven't posted anything in a bit, but I thought I would talk about something that I saw on TV last night, namely the primer of a 4 part mini series called The Kennedys.
Apparently there was a lot of controversy about whether or not to air this show. I think the History Channel might have canceled it at one point but I'm not sure. I found it really interesting. I watched a special on TLC about the Kennedy's home videos and it caught my interest so I'm really glad that they decided to air the mini series.
So far I think the acting is pretty good. Barry Pepper, who plays Bobby, is so much like the real thing that it is almost creepy :-)
One of the things that really struck me in the first episode was the ambition of Joe Kennedy and the way that his whole family listened to whatever he said. I wonder how that is going to play out in future episodes?
The Kennedys is on the History Channel Sundays at 9:00. Watch it! :-)
I haven't posted anything in a bit, but I thought I would talk about something that I saw on TV last night, namely the primer of a 4 part mini series called The Kennedys.
Apparently there was a lot of controversy about whether or not to air this show. I think the History Channel might have canceled it at one point but I'm not sure. I found it really interesting. I watched a special on TLC about the Kennedy's home videos and it caught my interest so I'm really glad that they decided to air the mini series.
So far I think the acting is pretty good. Barry Pepper, who plays Bobby, is so much like the real thing that it is almost creepy :-)
One of the things that really struck me in the first episode was the ambition of Joe Kennedy and the way that his whole family listened to whatever he said. I wonder how that is going to play out in future episodes?
The Kennedys is on the History Channel Sundays at 9:00. Watch it! :-)
Friday, March 25, 2011
Whatcha Reading- The Sequel
Hiya!
This week I'm gonna tell ya what I've been reading! I thought I would wait to continue with this until I've read something good enough to actually have something to talk about. So I'm not rambling on. Like I am right now :-)
Any ways I've read two really good books lately.
So the first is Anna Karenina. I know, I know. Intense right? Not really. For those of you who aren't book nerds, Anna Karenina was written a couple hundred years ago by a Russian guy named Leo Tolstoy. It's about a woman named Anna Karenina (Quelle surprise! :-) ) who has an affair with a Count and has to deal with the consequences of her decision. At least that's what it's about on the surface.
A lot of people are scared of Tolstoy. This is understandable. An 800 page book written originally in Russian is a little intimidating. At least I thought it was. But I was wrong. Anna Karenina was surprisingly easy to read. I got completely lost in it. I think Tolstoy was very brave to write so frankly about a subject that was so taboo at the time. I sometimes find that books written in the same time period as Anna Karenina are a little unrealistic. I sometimes wonder if people really spoke that way. But in Anna Karenina I had not problem imagining the characters yelling at each other, laughing, crying.
It's definitely a great book.
I also just finished reading Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen. It was amazing!
It's about a young vet named Jacob who joined a circus during the Depression. It has a little bit of everything. It's happy, sad and moving all at once. I don't want to give anything away. All I can say is you need to read it!
This week I'm gonna tell ya what I've been reading! I thought I would wait to continue with this until I've read something good enough to actually have something to talk about. So I'm not rambling on. Like I am right now :-)
Any ways I've read two really good books lately.
So the first is Anna Karenina. I know, I know. Intense right? Not really. For those of you who aren't book nerds, Anna Karenina was written a couple hundred years ago by a Russian guy named Leo Tolstoy. It's about a woman named Anna Karenina (Quelle surprise! :-) ) who has an affair with a Count and has to deal with the consequences of her decision. At least that's what it's about on the surface.
A lot of people are scared of Tolstoy. This is understandable. An 800 page book written originally in Russian is a little intimidating. At least I thought it was. But I was wrong. Anna Karenina was surprisingly easy to read. I got completely lost in it. I think Tolstoy was very brave to write so frankly about a subject that was so taboo at the time. I sometimes find that books written in the same time period as Anna Karenina are a little unrealistic. I sometimes wonder if people really spoke that way. But in Anna Karenina I had not problem imagining the characters yelling at each other, laughing, crying.
It's definitely a great book.
I also just finished reading Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen. It was amazing!
It's about a young vet named Jacob who joined a circus during the Depression. It has a little bit of everything. It's happy, sad and moving all at once. I don't want to give anything away. All I can say is you need to read it!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Me, Myself and Anne Frank
There are some books that help us become who we are. These books change our way of thinking forever and keep doing so every time we read them. For me this book is Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.
We all know the story: a young girl writes a diary while hiding in a small attic apartment from the Nazi's because she happens to be Jewish. The first time I read it was the summer going in to grade 7. I was just a year shy of when Anne began writing her diary at the age of 13.Since then I think I've read it about 4 times. Each time I read it I learn something different. However there are a couple of things that always stand out to me. One thing I always appreciate is how Anne always finds the good in her situation. While living conditions must of us can't even IMAGINE Anne finds joy in the littlest things, like a glimpse of the sky through the attic window. Despite the horrible things going on around her, Anne found the good. She wasn't always optimistic, of course. Quite often she was terrified but she always tried to find ways to be happy. All of us need to do this. We need to stop being so caught up in our selves and find the joy that comes from simply looking up at a blue sky.
Another thing that always occurs to me when I re-read Anne's diary is how different the person we are on the outside is from the person we are on the inside. The people around her thought that Anne was light hearted and unthinking when in reality she was the complete and total opposite. We need to think about how other people could really be feeling before we judge.
I just finished reading Annexed by Sharon Dogar. It's the story of Anne Frank from the point of view of Peter Van Peels, the son of the family who were in hiding with the Franks. It's very moving and definitely a must read as is Ann's diary. In my opinion Anne Frank's diary not only gives voice to the millions of Holocaust victims, it also shows us the strength of the human spirit in the face of tragedy.
"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."
— Anne Frank
We all know the story: a young girl writes a diary while hiding in a small attic apartment from the Nazi's because she happens to be Jewish. The first time I read it was the summer going in to grade 7. I was just a year shy of when Anne began writing her diary at the age of 13.Since then I think I've read it about 4 times. Each time I read it I learn something different. However there are a couple of things that always stand out to me. One thing I always appreciate is how Anne always finds the good in her situation. While living conditions must of us can't even IMAGINE Anne finds joy in the littlest things, like a glimpse of the sky through the attic window. Despite the horrible things going on around her, Anne found the good. She wasn't always optimistic, of course. Quite often she was terrified but she always tried to find ways to be happy. All of us need to do this. We need to stop being so caught up in our selves and find the joy that comes from simply looking up at a blue sky.
Another thing that always occurs to me when I re-read Anne's diary is how different the person we are on the outside is from the person we are on the inside. The people around her thought that Anne was light hearted and unthinking when in reality she was the complete and total opposite. We need to think about how other people could really be feeling before we judge.
I just finished reading Annexed by Sharon Dogar. It's the story of Anne Frank from the point of view of Peter Van Peels, the son of the family who were in hiding with the Franks. It's very moving and definitely a must read as is Ann's diary. In my opinion Anne Frank's diary not only gives voice to the millions of Holocaust victims, it also shows us the strength of the human spirit in the face of tragedy.
"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."
— Anne Frank
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Pillars of the Earth
In the summer I was wondering aimlessly through a book store when I came across Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth. It seemed interesting and funnily enough I found it's roughly 1000 pages more comforting than daunting. So I read it.
Over the course of the next two weeks or so I ate, slept, and breathed in Kingsbridge (where the book takes place). It was completely engrossing. The basic plot is built around the...well, building :-p, of Kingsbridge Cathedral. It follows the lives of character's involved in the building of the cathedral. Most of it is centred on Jack, a young builder and Aliena, the daughter of an earl. There's a whole bunch of other character's and stories going on ,though. Pretty much all lots of life are presented from the Prior of Kingsbridge to the King. It's an amazing book and before long you believe completely in the characters. The second volume World Without End also kicks butt!
I realize that this might sound boring (so what? Their building a church. Good for them!) But don't take my word for it. I can't do it justice. You should just read it and see what you think. They're really is something for everyone, trust me on this one!
If ya don't feel like reading an 1000 page book, would could always watch the miniseries. It's really great! They did a very good job of bringing the novel to life. I'm a big fan of The Tudors and I was really glad that I had something to replace it with. Almost, at least! Unfortunately this week is the last episode :-( so if you want to check it out you had better be fast!
Over the course of the next two weeks or so I ate, slept, and breathed in Kingsbridge (where the book takes place). It was completely engrossing. The basic plot is built around the...well, building :-p, of Kingsbridge Cathedral. It follows the lives of character's involved in the building of the cathedral. Most of it is centred on Jack, a young builder and Aliena, the daughter of an earl. There's a whole bunch of other character's and stories going on ,though. Pretty much all lots of life are presented from the Prior of Kingsbridge to the King. It's an amazing book and before long you believe completely in the characters. The second volume World Without End also kicks butt!
I realize that this might sound boring (so what? Their building a church. Good for them!) But don't take my word for it. I can't do it justice. You should just read it and see what you think. They're really is something for everyone, trust me on this one!
If ya don't feel like reading an 1000 page book, would could always watch the miniseries. It's really great! They did a very good job of bringing the novel to life. I'm a big fan of The Tudors and I was really glad that I had something to replace it with. Almost, at least! Unfortunately this week is the last episode :-( so if you want to check it out you had better be fast!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
What You're Reading This Week...Right?
So since I started off my blog by rambling on about what I've been reading, Mr J came up with the awesome idea that I should post The New York Times Bestsellers List and talk about it a bit... so here it goes...
Here is the combined Print and e-book Fiction List for this week
So scanning through this list I realized that I haven't read any of these books. I've heard of a few of them or seen them in stores but I haven't actually read any. Maybe I should...
I sometimes wonder if bestseller lists in general are all that accurate. Authors seem so proud if they get on the New York Times Bestsellers list. But does it really mean anything?I mean yes they sell; but do people actually enjoy reading them? I've bought quite a few books that I thought I would enjoy that ending up being flops. Would a most enjoyed books list be better?
I need help from you guys here. Has anyone read these books? Are they any good? What am I missing?
Here is the combined Print and e-book Fiction List for this week
| This Week | Last Week | Combined Print & E-Book Fiction | Weeks on List | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | TICK TOCK, by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. (Little, Brown.) The New York detective Michael Bennett enlists the help of a former colleague to solve a rash of horrifying crimes that are throwing the city into chaos. | 3 | |
| 2 | ALONE, by Lisa Gardner. (Random House.) A woman who survived a horrible childhood abduction may have tricked the Massachusetts police sniper Bobby Dodge into killing her husband. | 1 | ||
| 3 | 2 | THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, by Stieg Larsson. (Knopf Doubleday.) A hacker and a journalist investigate the disappearance of a Swedish heiress 40 years earlier; the first volume in the Millennium trilogy. | 3 | |
| 4 | A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, by Deborah Harkness. (Penguin Group.) The recovery of a lost ancient manuscript in a library at Oxford sets a fantastical underworld stirring. | 1 | ||
| 5 | 4 | THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST, by Stieg Larsson. (Knopf Doubleday.) The third volume of the Millennium trilogy, about a Swedish hacker and a journalist. | 3 | |
| 6 | 3 | THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, by Stieg Larsson. (Knopf Doubleday.) In the second volume of the Millennium trilogy, a Swedish hacker becomes a murder suspect. | 3 | |
| 7 | 5 | WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. (Algonquin.) After his parents die in a car accident, young veterinary student — and an elephant — save a Depression-era circus. | 3 | |
| 8 | 6 | CUTTING FOR STONE, by Abraham Verghese. (Knopf Doubleday.) Twin brothers, conjoined at birth and then separated, grow up amid the political turmoil of Ethiopia. | 3 | |
| 9 | 7 | THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Penguin Group.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s Mississippi. | 3 | |
| 10 | 8 | THE CONFESSION, by John Grisham. (Knopf Doubleday.) A criminal wants to save an innocent man on death row, but he must convince the authorities he’s telling the truth. | 3 | |
| 11 | 11 | DEAD OR ALIVE, by Tom Clancy with Grant Blackwood. (Penguin Group.) Familiar Clancy characters appear as an intelligence group tracks a vicious terrorist called the Emir. | 3 | |
| 12 | 13 | ROOM, by Emma Donoghue. (Little, Brown.) The entire world of the 5-year-old boy who narrates this novel is the 11-by-11-foot room in which his mother is being held prisoner. | 3 | |
| 13 | 9 | MARRYING DAISY BELLAMY, by Susan Wiggs. (Harlequin.) A woman struggles for years to choose between two men. And then, one fateful day, the decision is made for her. | 3 | |
| 14 | THE SECRET SOLDIER, by Alex Berenson. (Penguin Group.) When the king of Saudi Arabia is threatened, the former C.I.A. operative John Wells goes undercover to help. | 1 | ||
| 15 | 12 | STRATEGIC MOVES, by Stuart Woods. (Penguin Group.) In the 19th Stone Barrington novel, the New York lawyer works with the C.I.A. to transport a fugitive. | 3 | |
So scanning through this list I realized that I haven't read any of these books. I've heard of a few of them or seen them in stores but I haven't actually read any. Maybe I should...
I sometimes wonder if bestseller lists in general are all that accurate. Authors seem so proud if they get on the New York Times Bestsellers list. But does it really mean anything?I mean yes they sell; but do people actually enjoy reading them? I've bought quite a few books that I thought I would enjoy that ending up being flops. Would a most enjoyed books list be better?
I need help from you guys here. Has anyone read these books? Are they any good? What am I missing?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)