Virtual Advent Tour 2012 - A little late

I am really sorry for being late, but due to some very late nights reading the last few weeks, I seem to have forgotten things or have nearly forgotten about things.  My brain has become mush and I should have put a reminder in my calendar to remind me.

In any case I wanted to talk about something that is slowly becoming a part of my Christmas.  About a year ago, I was looking for something to do, specifically something that I could volunteer at and it was suggested that I could help out with Help-Portrait, which was being organized locally and had been held in my town the year before.  Thinking it was a good thing to do, I volunteered and I really enjoyed it.

Again this year I helped out with the registration of individuals who were getting their portraits taken.  To explain what Help-Portrait is, it is a community of photographers that come together across the world to use their photography skills to give back to those in need.

We see a lot of individuals and families that come recommended from a variety of organizations that provide services to those in the community and the two years that I have done it, I have come away with a warm feeling in my heart that we have made somebody's year/life just that a little more brighter.

There are lots of ways that people chose to spend the Christmas/Holiday season to make the lives of those who are less fortunate than us, whether it be filling a shoebox for a kid in a part of the world that doesn't have a lot (Samartian's Purse) or we collect change (Salvation Army Kettles) or we help out an individual family (Christmas Bureau).

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas/Holiday season and remember to hug those who you love, even if you don't feel like it.

What Are You Reading? It's Monday (Dec. 10)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a fun weekly meme that is hosted by Shelia at Book Journey, in which we share what we've read and reviewed and what we plan on reading in the coming week.


What I have reviewed this week:
1) The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare (review)
2) The Sweetness of the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (review)

What I am planning on reading this week: 
• Anna Karenina
• The Hobbit
• Les Miserables
• Mockingjay
• A Winter Dream
• Team of Rivals
• City of Women

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Alan Bradley

Title: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Author: Alan Bradley
Pages: 400
Published: 2009
Genre: Mystery, Fiction
Challenges: None
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: The summer of 1950 hasn’t offered up anything out of the ordinary for eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce: bicycle explorations around the village, keeping tabs on her neighbours, relentless battles with her older sisters, Ophelia and Daphne, and brewing up poisonous concoctions while plotting revenge in their home’s abandoned Victorian chemistry lab, which Flavia has claimed for her own.

But then a series of mysterious events gets Flavia’s attention: A dead bird is found on the doormat, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. A mysterious late-night visitor argues with her aloof father, Colonel de Luce, behind closed doors. And in the early morning Flavia finds a red-headed stranger lying in the cucumber patch and watches him take his dying breath. For Flavia, the summer begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw: “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”

Did the stranger die of poisoning? There was a piece missing from Mrs. Mullet’s custard pie, and none of the de Luces would have dared to eat the awful thing. Or could he have been killed by the family’s loyal handyman, Dogger… or by the Colonel himself! At that moment, Flavia commits herself to solving the crime — even if it means keeping information from the village police, in order to protect her family. But then her father confesses to the crime, for the same reason, and it’s up to Flavia to free him of suspicion. Only she has the ingenuity to follow the clues that reveal the victim’s identity, and a conspiracy that reaches back into the de Luces’ murky past. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this read and considering that I have been reading some pretty dense books and that this has been on my shelves for almost three and a half years, I was glad for the break.  I also listened to the audio as I read the book and felt that the reader who narrated the book did a really good job.  I like how Flavia was a pretty typical 11-year old, except that she really isn't a typical 11-year old. I love the quirkiness that is Flavia and how she figures things out and I also like how she interacts with the people in her village.  There was something about the book that made me smile as I read the book and also chuckle as I read the book.  Its a really enjoyable book and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Bottom line: I would probably recommend the book to most readers that like to have a fairly light read on hand.  Its something that one can read in the matter of a few days or less and can delight almost anybody.

Rating: 4/5

Pages for 2012: 21756

The Taming of the Shrew - William Shakespeare

Title: The Taming of the Shrew
Author: William Shakespeare
Pages: 304
Published: 2003 (originally published 1590)
Genre: Drama, Classics
Challenges: Support Your Library, The Classics Club
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: Lucentio falls in love with Bianca, the apparently ideal younger daughter of the wealthy Baptista Minola. But before they can marry, Bianca's formidable elder sister, Katherine, must be wed. Petruchio, interested only in the huge dowry, arranges to marry Katherine -against her will- and enters into a battle of the sexes that has endured as one of Shakespeare's most enjoyable works. (via Goodreads.com)

Thoughts: I saw this play in September and quite honestly this play reaffirmed my belief that Shakespeare's plays are better watched than they are read, but there are some where I could read and see them and they would be effective both ways and this isn't one of them.  It should be noted that I am writing this when I am really tired and am unable to concentrate really well and quite honestly all I can remember is that while it was a quick read, it wasn't exactly a memorable one, as the play has a lot of innuendo that is put to better use on the stage.  If you are of a certain age, you may remember a movie called 10 Things I Hate About You; this is the play that it is based.

Bottom line: I would haven't read the play but because I was going to a production of the play, I was reading it. Its probably not one of Shakespeare's greatest plays and its a play that can easily be forgotten in the midst of the various other plays that Shakespeare is more well known for.

Rating:  3/5

Pages for 2012:  21356

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Dec.3)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a fun weekly meme that is hosted by Shelia at Book Journey, in which we share what we've read and reviewed and what we plan on reading in the coming week.

What I have reviewed this week:
1) The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure (review)
2) Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (review)

What I am reading:
• Anna Karenina
• The Taming of the Shrew
• The Hobbit
• Les Miserables
• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
• Team of Rivals
• The Dressmaker

What I am planning on reading this week:
I am going to read a couple of the Christmas books that I have signed out and am hoping to read some of my own Christmas books, or at least start them.

Mansfield Park - Jane Austen

Title: Mansfield Park
Author: Jane Austen
Pages: 507
Published: 2003 (first published 1814)
Genre: Classics
Challenges: 2012 Chunkster, Classics Club
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal collection

Description: Taken from the poverty of her parents' home, Fanny Price is brought up with her rich cousins at Mansfield Park, acutely aware of her humble rank and with only her cousin Edmund as an ally. When Fanny's uncle is absent in Antigua, Mary Crawford and her brother Henry arrive in the neighbourhood, bringing with them London glamour and a reckless taste for flirtation. As her female cousins vie for Henry's attention, and even Edmund falls for Mary's dazzling charms, only Fanny remains doubtful about the Crawfords' influence and finds herself more isolated than ever. (via Goodreads.com)

Thoughts: This wasn't my favourite read by Jane Austen and it was also a book that basically nothing happened for the vast majority of the book, which made the book hard to read at times.  I enjoyed reading it, as I have seen the Mirmax film version of the film several times and its one of my favourite films to watch, but compared to some of the other books by Jane Austen, this wasn't as funny and it seemed to me that Fanny was a character that developed very little, if at all.  She almost seems to stay the same through out the book, or at least her outlook on life seems to stay the same.  Maybe there were subtle shifts in her character, but I didn't notice anything that made me feel any differently about her.

I can understand why she married who she did (not wanting to spoil it for those of who haven't read it), but I think she could have married somebody who would have put her in a better financial position.  It also seemed to me that the majority of the characters seemed to stay the same, except maybe for Sir Edward, who seemed to change his perspective on the relationship between Fanny and Edmund.

Bottom line: If you are a Jane Austen fan, you will probably enjoy this one, but it is not as light as some of Austen's other work that most fans seem to enjoy (Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, Emma).  Its a pretty good read, but it gets wordy at times and the action in the book seems to drag at times and the pacing seemed to be slow at times.  I would probably recommend this book for die-hard Jane Austen fans.

Rating:  3.5/5

Pages for 2012: 21052

Musing Mondays (Dec. 3)

This week, Miz B at Should Be Reading asks:

How do you organize/store your books?  Do you go through them often? Or do you pretty much just shelve them and then leave them alone until you need them?

I pretty much just put them in one spot and leave them until I read them.  I do have some that are organized, but I am finding that I when I purchase a new book, I just put them wherever in my room, but I do need to go through them and reorganize them and put them back on the shelves in my walk-in.