tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44169682513923353082024-03-13T02:02:30.615-03:00I Like It! A blog of personal endorsements and my journey with themLinda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-57138754797957143022019-06-03T10:42:00.002-03:002019-06-03T11:44:38.985-03:00Where I Hang Out Now<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dear readers,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This blog has been on a temporary hold for a while, quite a while, and still is. I do all of my online interacting on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LCRHall">Facebook page</a>, not my blog nor my Facebook business page, which I’ll get to in a minute, but my regular ‘friends’ page. I found that when I would post a link to my blog on my Facebook page, all of the interaction about that blog would occur on my Facebook page anyway! <br /><br />So, Facebook (and Instagram) seems to be where I am hanging out these days and here’s a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LCRHall">link</a> to my site. I still have plenty of room for ‘friends’, so please shoot me a ‘friend’ request and I will respond quickly. </span><br />
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<br />It’s on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LCRHall">Facebook </a>where I review books, movies, music of interest, and generally wax eloquent about my faith journey, politics, religion, my garden, my kayak adventures and anything else that strikes my fancy. And I welcome comments. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To me it almost seems a better way to communicate with friends anyway. I know that Facebook is getting a bad rap lately, as well it should (I’m currently a quarter of the way into <a href="https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-mueller-report-the-special-counsel-robert-s-muller-s-final-report-on-collusion-between-donald-trump-and-russia">the Mueller Report </a> When I finish it, I know I will be talking about it on Facebook), but it still seems to be the best place for me to interact with you. <br /><br />A few items of note:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/writerhall" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Instagram</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. I’m there, too, but it’s just for my art. If you’re interested in seeing what I’m up to in the watercolor side of things, please follow me there. You may know from other posts on this blog, that I have come to art late in life. I have only been painting maybe three years, but love it! I’m currently taking an online art course from this wonderful Canadian artist, </span><a href="https://www.angelafehr.com/" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Angela Fehr,</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> so there will be lots about that there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />2. I’m also on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23333.Linda_Hall">Goodreads</a>. Each year I set myself a goal, and that’s where I keep track of all the books I read. I invite you to be my ‘friend’ there, too. I often write short reviews there, and recommend books of note to my Goodreads' "friends."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A funny note about GOODREADS: There are lots of writers named Linda Hall, it seems, and about every other month I have to go in and see what books have been 'added' to my author site simply because my name is Linda Hall. No, I did not write a book about how hypnosis can change your life (although it sounds quite interesting. Hmmm.), nor did I write a book about letting the children play, or one on budgeting your money. (Please do not take budgeting advice from me!) When I see that books not written by me have been added to my author list, I have to go in, and request that they be taken down. I have their email on speed dial.<br /><br />2. TWITTER, PINTEREST and anything else: I never post on Twitter, and never go there. I think I may have an account there, but it’s totally dormant. The only time I ever go to Twitter is if I’m in a traffic jam in my city, I’ll get on my phone and see if anyone has tweeted about it on the City of Fredericton site, or the Fredericton Police. But that’s about it. I find Pinterest too cumbersome, although one day when I have nothing to do (ha!) I may venture in there and clean up my own site. It’s dreadfully out of date. So don’t look for me there. <br /><br />3. More about my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WriterHall">Facebook business page.</a> </span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I hardly ever hang out there, either. I find all people's business pages difficult to navigate, to find posts and figure out where you're supposed to post messages. I do know however, that some people when looking for me, find that page first. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />4. Some good news of note - I guess I should have started with this post, but if you have managed to read all the way down here, well, you deserve the gold star today!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> THE DEVIL TO PAY, the third mystery in my Em Ridge sailing mysteries should be ready for release by mid to late summer. If you want to be the first to know when it’s available, please shoot me an email at <a href="mailto:Linda@writerhall.com">Linda@writerhall.com</a> and in the subject line write NEWSLETTER and in the body of the email please write - Please subscribe me to the newsletter list. <br /><br />The two previous Em Ridge sailing mysteries, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Night-Watch-Em-Ridge-Mystery/dp/0987761374/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Night+Watch+by+Linda+Hall&qid=1559569189&s=gateway&sr=8-1">Night Watch</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bitter-End-Em-Ridge-Mystery/dp/0987761390/ref=pd_sim_14_1/133-3872331-3939621?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0987761390&pd_rd_r=1222a6e5-8605-11e9-9c4a-ff62a9822dac&pd_rd_w=qqFEV&pd_rd_wg=tK4LP&pf_rd_p=90485860-83e9-4fd9-b838-b28a9b7fda30&pf_rd_r=VF0QPC7MCQ3R61TAZ0WX&psc=1&refRID=VF0QPC7MCQ3R61TAZ0WX">The Bitter End</a> are available. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I began this post by saying that this blog is on hold. The reason that I haven't shut it down entirely is because - well - you never know. I may start it up again sometime. Or maybe I won't. But I'm keeping my options open. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Linda Hall</span> </div>
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Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-43854093772689751002018-12-15T11:34:00.000-03:002018-12-15T11:34:05.476-03:00Hymnals<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love corporate singing. Whether it's in a church, within a group, a choir, or even old bar songs in a pub - you will find me singing along. So, yeah, I love singing in a group. </span><div>
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Today I am recommending that you read an article that I've been thinking about a lot lately. It's entitled <b><a href="https://www.challies.com/articles/what-we-lost-when-we-lost-hymnals/">What We Lost When We Lost Our Hymals.</a></b> The author is <a href="https://www.challies.com/brief-biography/">Tim Challies,</a> a Toronto blogger, book reviewer and pastor.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love corporate singing, but a lot of people, I guess, don't. The other night here at the community where we are staying for the winter, we had a Christmas potluck followed by an acapella Carol sing. They passed out carol sheets provided by the local newspaper. (These actually had the music and not just the words. I was impressed!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAyvAdKkjtwP3gVYPhHpfnbL2sYMdxxZA7M51pLZ7NJwqjU3s6T2syPjnEMybJri9X7WpcXPXn4jpU93cqontVzXRomEHnKNHK8IcN08B7ShVnR8BI-DG2UJ8iwMhwFVPMMZYiwD14q0-/s1600/manhattan-1674404_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="640" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAyvAdKkjtwP3gVYPhHpfnbL2sYMdxxZA7M51pLZ7NJwqjU3s6T2syPjnEMybJri9X7WpcXPXn4jpU93cqontVzXRomEHnKNHK8IcN08B7ShVnR8BI-DG2UJ8iwMhwFVPMMZYiwD14q0-/s320/manhattan-1674404_640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">But the carol sing soon deteriorated into people talking amongst themselves, or getting up, or pouring more glasses of wine. At the end of one song I realized that the only people actually singing were me and the woman beside me, who had a beautiful soprano voice. We ended up looking at each other and laughing. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">What I miss about the hymnbooks is the actual music, but then I may be different because I have studied music - piano in my childhood, guitar and a few voice lessons. The actual musical notes are important to me. But we have also left the days when every child had piano lessons. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Challes writes that he's not altogether sure we 'should' go back to hymnals, that somehow screens are here to stay. It would be like going back to no TVs, iPads, Kindles and Kobos (and I love reading from my Kobo!), but there is much we have lost and are losing. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are a few takeaways here, though. I really appreciate what he says about church worship sometimes being more about 'enthusiasm', than actually worship. I love the quiet pews, the stained glass, the pipe organ. I like sitting there and not having to 'do' anything, but just to "be'' there, </span>resting.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">But then, sometimes I think I must be turning into a fuddy duddy!</span></div>
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I would love to know your thoughts on this. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">-The photo above is courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/">Pixabay,</a> a free site for artists and bloggers-</span><br /><br /><br /></div>
Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-15248130973747487392018-12-11T18:32:00.003-03:002018-12-11T20:01:23.822-03:00Honoring Journalists<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />After almost a year's hiatus from this blog, an announcement and article has piqued my interest enough for me to pick this blog back up again. What I am recommending today is <a href="http://time.com/person-of-the-year-2018-the-guardians/?fbclid=IwAR1kLP3stTWN5kfzXOrWDLHk1UEoTkeqQPZ4hYlCu9xRYVvS6iCRsF3tNeA"><b><i>Time Magazine’s</i> </b>article<b> The</b> <b>Guardians and War on Truth.</b></a> <i><b>Time</b></i> Magazine is naming slain and imprisoned journalist as <b>Persons of the Year for 2018. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The link to the article <a href="http://time.com/person-of-the-year-2018-the-guardians/?fbclid=IwAR3YWD0QMAjcOjwt85WqlIYBrH5k6Fkr_fFXEi2UV2SZC4s1-8YaPLDu8vM">here</a>. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Read it. Watch the video.</span><br />
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<br />With this, I will be re-launching this blog of mine. Yes, I will review books and other media, but I will also draw to your attention, articles in magazines (like this one) that I think are important. I will point you to blogs, as well as podcasts.<br /><br />Plus, because so many of my readers are my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LCRHall">Facebook Friends,</a> I plan to copy and paste the same information onto my Facebook page with posts that I will make ‘Public.’<br /><br />When I was a young person all I wanted to be was a journalist. I would walk into a newsroom and salivate. When I got my first job as a news “stringer,” I remember getting down on my knees. I had been given a sacred trust and I prayed that I would never, ever forget this. To the best of my ability I would strive as best I could to be honest and truthful. My regular “beats” were city council, school board, college board, plus numerous features and light pieces. I wanted even the feature articles I wrote about craft fairs and figure skaters and track meets and art shows to bring shalom to my community. <br /><br />Later on, when I went from writing articles to writing literacy materials and eventually to writing novels, my prayer has remained the same - that my writing will bring peace, health and honesty.<br /><br />This is the prayer of most journalists. Contrary to what you may have heard, there isn’t this huge conspiracy of corrupt journalists seeking to bring down the government. Heavens, we don’t get paid enough for that! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At a time when democracy is threatened all over the planet, this profession is vital. Journalists are the link between despots and the people. They bring worldwide suffering to our attention. When you see soldiers on their way to battle, there is also the PRESS not far behind, holding up their huge cameras to bring you the story.<br /><br />After a gunman entered the newsroom of the <i><b><a href="https://www.capitalgazette.com/">Capital Gazette </a></b></i>in Washington DC this past June and shot dead Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith and Wendi Winters the editor wrote this:<br /><br />“Tomorrow this page will return to its steady purpose of offering our readers informed opinion about the world around them, that they might be better citizens.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The <i><b>Capital Gazette </b></i>is a local newspaper like a lot of newspapers, like the papers I wrote for, like the one you probably read. They bring you the hockey scores from the local kids’ games, the visit by Santa, the local weather, your city or town council budget, plus features of interest such as photos of that new police dog, the woman in your town who is still watercolor painting at age 90, and what roads to avoid because of construction. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then there are the larger papers who bring you photos of that war torn country that you might not ever see—the children, the families, the devastation that climate change is wreaking on our northern communities, pictures of that oil spill, that forest fire, the in-depth profiles of that despot, the awful flooding. Journalists bring you the world.<br /><br /> My advice has always been to never get your entire news diet from one source. That's a sure fire way to become narrow minded. (If you are, then stop immediately!) Read widely. Watch widely. Read with discernment and if someone tells you "that's Fake News," don't take their word for it. Find out for yourself. Journalists are not the enemy of the people. Journalists speak for the people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am proud that </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Time Magazine </b></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">has honoured journalists this year. May we all become "better citizens."</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-23315634993849955662018-06-22T12:50:00.001-03:002018-06-23T08:55:37.365-03:00A little bit of a change of scenery<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you are one of my faithful blog followers, you will have noticed that I’ve been absent here for quite a while. A combination of family issues and health issues have kept me from it. I am back now, but have decided on a bit of a change of scenery. I am moving all of my book reviews to my Facebook page. I discovered something over the past two years when I ran this twice-weekly blog. If I linked to it from my Facebook page, most of the discussion occurred right on my Facebook page rather than on my blog page. I often would beg - PLEASE take the discussion to my blog page, but alas it was to no avail. <br /><br />So, I decided if you can’t beat ‘em…<br /><br />From now on, my Facebook page is where I will include book reviews whenever I feel so inclined, as well as thoughts, opinion articles and memoir-type stuff. I will write about everything from my faith journey to kayak pictures to other thoughts.<br /><br />Every time I post something on Facebook I can decide whether it goes to FRIENDS or PUBLIC. I don’t know if Facebook has always had this, or if this is something new, but I sure do like it. All of my opinion pieces and thoughts and book reviews will be PUBLIC. Everything else - my tons of kayaking pictures and vacation pictures of me and my husband will be for FRIENDS. <br /><br />If you want to see pictures of my grandkids, however, you will have to come to my house. Do I trust Facebook? Sort of and sort of not. Early on I decided never to post anything online—anything—that I don’t want the whole world to see. <br /><br />That said, if you want to be my Facebook FRIEND, please go to my Facebook page and ask to be my friend. Here is the <a href="http://facebook.com/lcrhall">link</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have plenty of spaces left. (I think we’re allowed something like 5,000 friends before they cut you off.)<br /><br />I’m also on <a href="http://instagram.com/writerhall">Instagram.com/writerhall</a>. That is a page I am devoting to my burgeoning art work. I’m a bit of an amateur (emphasis on amateur) artist and that is where I am putting up my paintings. You are invited to follow me there if you are so inclined and I will follow you back. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">At some future point I may come back here. Or I may post on both sites. Or I may not. I will keep you all posted. </span></div>
Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-25886848801164252562017-11-17T00:00:00.000-03:002017-11-17T13:57:58.968-03:00How ASL Changed My Life, Part 2<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today, after three posts expounding on the benefits of reading, I’m back to recommending books that have meant a lot to me, and books you may enjoy. I begin with <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/TRAIN-GO-SORRY-Inside-World/dp/0679761659/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510853028&sr=8-1&keywords=train+go+sorry/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Train Go Sorry: Inside a Deaf World </a></b></i>by Leah Hager Cohen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you wish to learn why I am so interested in all things ASL, I would refer you to my earlier blog post - <a href="https://lrhallbooks.blogspot.ca/2017/04/how-asl-changed-my-life.html"><b>How ASL Changed my Life.</b></a> I guess today’s post could be called Part 2 of my relationship with ASL, a language which I am trying my darnedest to learn.<br /> <br /><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idioms_in_American_Sign_Language">Train Go Sorry</a> </b>is an ASL idiom which roughly means - “You Missed the boat,” and recognizes the struggles that the deaf community has had in maintaining their culture and thriving in a largely hearing world.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idioms_in_American_Sign_Language"><br /></a> <br />Even though <i><b>Train Go Sorry</b></i> is more than twenty years old, it is a classic on deaf culture, and all of the deaf tutors and teachers and interpreters I know, recommend it and have it on their shelves.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />This beautifully written book which is part memoir, part history, part story and part call-to-arms, drew me in right from the start. The author who can hear, grew up in the <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexington_School_and_Center_for_the_Deaf">Lexington School for the Deaf</a> </b>in NYC. Her grandfather was deaf, Her childhood friends were deaf, and her father was the school’s superintendent.<br /> <br />Here’s the way the book begins:<br /> <br /><i>That our family’s home was a school for the deaf did not seem in any way extraordinary to Reba, Andy and me. Lexington School for the Deaf was simply where we came from. Our apartment was on the third floor of the southern wing of the building, above the nursery school and adjacent to the boys’ dormitory. The walls and doors, incidental separations between our living space and the rest of the building, were routinely disregarded. We children often played down the hall with the kids from the dorm. It wasn’t until Reba, my older sister, proved at age six to be a sleepwalker—discovered one night riding the elevator in her pajamas‚ that our parents even thought to install a proper lock on the front door.</i><br /><br />Twenty years ago, when this book was released, the deaf community was on the cusp of change. Up until then, being deaf was considered being “hearing impaired,” a label the deaf community fought against. (And still fight against.) Their teachers were all hearing, and routinely taught English and lip reading, and made the children speak and use their voices. Sometimes signing was even forbidden and Cohen recounts that in those early days, children who signed had their hands struck with rulers, or tied behind their backs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />In her beautiful book, Cohen recounts the personal stories of deaf students one at a time, one per chapter. I fell in love with the students she wrote about. I met James and Sofia and Oscar. I read about meetings where the students demanded that at least one person on the school's board be deaf. I read about the time they set up the chairs so that they all could see the interpreter. The staff, all hearing, had not even thought of that. There was so much that I learned. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />To give you a bit more of an understanding of the time, this is from Wikipedia:</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In 1994, Lexington School for the deaf was subject to a community protest following the appointment of a hearing chairman of the board without what protesters felt was adequate representation of the deaf community in the selection process. Following </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picketing" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">picket lines</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> and other protest measures, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phil_Bravin&action=edit&redlink=1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Phil Bravin</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> was placed in the position; Bravin had become the first deaf chair of the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallaudet_University" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gallaudet University</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Board following a </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaf_President_Now" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">similar protest</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> in 1988.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />If you are interested in this piece of our history, I highly recommend <i><b>Train Go Sorry.</b></i><br /> <br />Next Time: <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_qu_au_1_19?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=&sprefix=Behold+the+Dreamers%2Cstripbooks%2C161&crid=2987VNCU59CUO&field-author=Imbolo+Mbue/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Behold the Dreamers</a></b></i> by Imbolo Mbue</span>Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-11998421264350439222017-11-03T00:30:00.000-03:002017-11-03T11:26:27.180-03:00We Need to Read Fiction Now More Than Ever<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You’ve met them, I’ve met them, people who simply don’t read novels. They “don’t have time,” they say. Or, “Reading fiction is a waste of time," or “There are enough real problems in the world without having to concentrate something that’s not true.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This kind of thinking shows a real misunderstanding of what fiction is and even who we are as human beings. It is precisely <i>because</i> there are so many problems in the real world that we need fiction now more than ever.<br /> <br />Imagine, if you will, a world without fiction, a world with no stories. The vast shelves of novels in bookstores and libraries would sit there empty. When you sat down to read your child a book at bedtime, it would be a science book, or a self-help book about why we shouldn’t bully, or how to get better grades, for example. The only movies we would watch would be documentaries or science movies, and maybe the odd cooking or reality show.<br /> <br />There would be no <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Seuss"><i><b>Dr. Seuss</b></i></a>, no <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter"><i><b>Harry Potter,</b></i></a> no <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Narnia-Box-Set-Lewis/dp/0061992887/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1509635510&sr=8-1&keywords=chronicles+of+narnia/?tag=writerhallcom-20"><i><b>Narnia</b></i>,</a> no <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Handmaids-Tale-Margaret-Atwood-ebook/dp/B004GHN8I4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509635559&sr=1-1&keywords=the+handmaid%27s+tale+by+margaret+atwood/?tag=writerhallcom-20"><i><b>Handmaid’s Tale</b></i></a>, no <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-King-ebook/dp/B018ER7K5I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509635607&sr=1-1&keywords=IT/?tag=writerhallcom-20"><i><b>IT</b></i>,</a> no <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercule_Poirot"><i><b>Hercule Poirot</b></i></a>, no <a href="http://www.007.com/"><i><b>James Bond</b></i></a>. In other words, if we rid our world of fiction, we would rid ourselves of one of the very thing that makes us human—our love of story.<br /> <br />What makes us who we are is our ability to create and make things beautiful. We have the ability to make beauty out of ashes. Art out of nothing. We do that through art and design and story—made-up fiction stories.<br /> <br />If you google “the importance of reading fiction,” you will be rewarded with many, many links. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Reading fiction is not a waste of time. It’s never a waste of time. It can turn us into healthier and better people according to many scientific studies.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /> <br />If you are interested in scientific studies about what fiction reading does to the brain, here are a few important links to click on:<br /> <br /> - <a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-benefits-reading-why-you-should-read-everyday.html">Why You Should Read Every Day</a>. <a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-benefits-reading-why-you-should-read-everyday.html"><br /></a> <br /> - <a href="https://open.buffer.com/reading-fiction/">The Benefits of Reading Fiction</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> - <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-benefits-of-reading-novels">The Benefits of Reading Novels</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are several of the points I gleaned:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">• I was surprised to learn that reading fiction reduces stress. I had to read this several times. Really? But, apparently sitting back in your easy chair with a good novel reduces stress more than even going outside for a walk.<br /> <br />• Fiction gives us an understanding of others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://www.cslewis.com/us/">CS Lewis </a>who wrote prolifically on the subject of creativity and fiction said:<br /> <br /><i><b>We seek an enlargement of our being. We want to be more than ourselves. Each of us by nature sees the whole world from one point of view with a perspective and a selectiveness peculiar to himself. We want to see with other eyes, to imagine with other imaginations, to feel with other hearts, as well as with our own…We demand windows…</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i> And boy, don’t we need this today! As I write this seven people have died in NYC in a Halloween terrorist attack. This comes on the heels of the recent terrorist attack in Las Vegas in which 58 people died, and many more are still in hospital, which comes on the heels of 500 in a bomb attack in Somali. It goes on and on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <br />So, yes, “seeing through other eyes” would be of great benefit! One way of doing that is through fiction. Currently I’m reading<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Behold-Dreamers-Oprahs-Book-Club-ebook/dp/B0138OAB80/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509633107&sr=8-1&keywords=behold+the+dreamers+by+imbolo+mbue/?tag=writerhallcom-20"><i><b> Behold the Dreamers</b></i> </a>by Imbolo Mbue. Through that novel I am gaining a new understanding of what it’s like to be an illegal immigrant from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbe,_Cameroon">Limbe, Cameroon</a> in the city of New York during the fall of the stock market in 2009. Walking in another's shoes—even through the pages of a novel—can turn us into more understanding people.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />• Reading novels before bed improves sleep. Sleep is important to me. It’s something I crave, and yet so often it eludes me. Some studies say that immersing yourself in a bit of fiction for 15 minutes before you nod off can help. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />• It improves memory. Several studies suggest that novel reading has been proved to decline Alzeimers and memory problems. Novel readers have less mental decline as they age.<br /> <br />• It improves our understanding of difficult concepts—scientific and otherwise. Yes, fiction does this. Ten non-fiction books on the subject of hell, have not had the impression on me as CS Lewis’s short novel, <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Great-Divorce-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652950/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1509633762&sr=1-1/?tag=writerhallcom-2">The Great Divorce</a> </b></i>has had. It caused me to rethink just about everything I ever thought or believed or was taught about the subject of hell. It sent me on a faith journey that I still am on to this day.<br /> <br /><b>What about television?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I need to mention here that I’m talking about reading novels and not “watching” novels on TV. No, I’m not one of those avid anti-TV watchers. I enjoy Netflix binging with the best of them, but I also know in my heart that better things happen to me when I’m reading a novel as opposed to watching one on television. It looks like scientific studies bear me out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />Here’s a fascinating <a href="http://www.care2.com/greenliving/what-does-watching-tv-vs-reading-a-good-book-do-to-your-brain.htm">link</a> on the difference. It turns out that </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">long hours in front of the television can <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cercor/article/25/5/1188/311796">decrease verbal IQ</a> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">whereas reading a novel can <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201401/reading-fiction-improves-brain-connectivity-and-function">increase brain activity and function</a>. in other words, watching television is a passive activity and reading novels is an active activity. (Maybe it even burns more calories. Someone should do a study on that!)</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <br /><b>And about fiction not being the truth?</b> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNzghRO-NZLR_J3f1PxhQavb_dRkcI5qugzHssm80oYqCi6bylzeK1FT1VHdoLTYOgcTkqYEerl6DvqDeTx8bMgUC_8uHzxHrkzAuxv3eosGcZDw0uJKqKX5qs1ewrRIZVWyYpnLcuMuB/s1600/IMG_6703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNzghRO-NZLR_J3f1PxhQavb_dRkcI5qugzHssm80oYqCi6bylzeK1FT1VHdoLTYOgcTkqYEerl6DvqDeTx8bMgUC_8uHzxHrkzAuxv3eosGcZDw0uJKqKX5qs1ewrRIZVWyYpnLcuMuB/s320/IMG_6703.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’ve learned in my 25 years as a fiction author that fiction often has to be more truthful than nonfiction. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One example: when I wrote <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sadies-Song-Coast-Maine-Book-ebook/dp/B005A1I5KG/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1509635147&sr=8-1/?tag=writerhallcom-20"><i><b>Sadie’s Song</b></i>,</a> about a woman who was physically and emotionally abused by her up-standing, church-going Christian husband, my editors wanted the two to work out their differences, get counselling and get together at the end in a happily ever after. I said no. Yes, that sometimes happens. But more often than not, wives leave, and must leave, and should leave. I needed to write that story, the real story. I needed to make it truthful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Should you read just any old novel?</b><br /><br />No. Not really. Not unless you want to be bored out of your head. Yes, there are some pretty crappy novels out there. Picking up a novel that is boring or not well-written, or doesn't capture you from beginning to end, isn't going to provide all of those benefits. More than two years ago </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I started this blog because I was sick of crappy books. I wanted to make a list of all the good books I could recommend. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Scroll back through </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">more than two years</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> of book recommends here to find a novel you might enjoy. And, how to tell if a novel is going to do you any good? It's the one you can't put down. If the novel isn't "grabbing" you after three chapters, put it down.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />Author Densi Donaghue in <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Reading-Professor-Denis-Donoghue/dp/0300082649/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1509631518&sr=8-2&keywords=denis+donoghue/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The Practice of Reading</a></b></i> writes:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>The purpose of reading literature is to exercise or incite ones imagination: specifically one’s ability to imagine being different.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i>Oh man, would that we could have a day where everyone in the entire world would stay home from work and read a novel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Next time:</b> a look at deaf culture in <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/TRAIN-GO-SORRY-Inside-World/dp/0679761659/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509631700&sr=8-1&keywords=train+go+sorry/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Train Go Sorry</a></b></i> by Leah Hager Cohen</span>Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-66104514443033593922017-10-06T00:30:00.000-03:002017-10-06T11:46:18.680-03:00We Need to Read Even More Now<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today I continue my thoughts on reading and how today, in light of every sad and scary and awful thing going on in the world, we need to be reading more, not less. We need to be reading critically and thoughtfully. We need to be reading widely. We need to read for escape and we need to read for knowledge. We need to read to keep our minds sharp and focused. We need to read so we can decipher the truth from the lies (without anyone calling certain things ‘fake news’ and thus putting a kind of censorship on the written word.) If we’re smart, critical thinkers we can figure out “fake news” for ourselves. We need this today, even more. <br /><br />I am devoting today’s column to the importance of nonfiction in our daily reading. Nonfiction is a broad category which includes everything from magazines and news articles, to books about travel, politics, memoirs, biography, self-help, history, cooking, gardening and on and on the category goes. It includes the large majority of magazines (There are very few fiction magazines these days.) and newspapers (I can only think of a few fiction newspapers.).<br /><br />A daily dose of nonfiction improves critical thinking, increases your vocabulary, improves your focus, makes you smarter and some studies have even shown it can stave off Alzheimers.<br /><br />If you study<a href="http://whytoread.com/why-to-read-10-reasons-why-reading-books-will-save-your-life/"> this linked article</a> I’m sure, like me, you will set aside some time to read every day. It will be as important to you as getting in your physical exercise. (Or maybe you could combine the two, by listening to an audio book while you get in that constitutional.)<br /><br />If you want actual proof -<a href="http://www.csun.edu/~krowlands/Content/Academic_Resources/Reading/Useful%20Articles/Cunningham-What%20Reading%20Does%20for%20the%20Mind.pdf"> here’s a peer-reviewed scientific study. </a><br /><br />Back in 1990, I was the <a href="http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/42/104">International Literacy Year</a> coordinator for the province of Alberta. The motto we adopted and printed on coffee mugs and tee-shirts and bookmarks and bags was “<b>We Need to Read.” </b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The photo at the lower right is a large poster of the International Literacy Year stamp which I was privileged to receive from Canada Post, who was a major sponsor that year. (Remember when people used to write letters?) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Yes, We Need to Read, but t</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">wenty-seven years later, I might change it to, </span><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">“We Need to Read Even More Now.”</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Why now? Well, social media is making it so that we can streamline our feeds to only include our own narrow political views. This is called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias">Confirmation Bias</a> and it is very real and it is crippling us and contributing to what divides us.<br /><br />This didn’t use to exist when we all got our basically non-partisan news from the same two or three television or radio stations at the same time every day. I was a journalist back in the 1980s and my editor was very strict about getting “both sides” of the story. If I didn’t, if I couldn’t get the other side of the story, he wouldn’t run it. It was as simple as that.<br /><br />I fear those days are long gone. I was casually looking through a friend’s Facebook postings where she had expressed an opinion about President Trump. The arguments went on and on, maybe 40 comments of people chiming in until finally someone simply wrote, “You’re an idiot.”<br /><br />Really? That’s what we’ve come to? Calling people idiots and morons who happen to disagree with us?<br /><br />Today with confirmation bias all around us, it becomes ever more important to read widely. When someone tells you not to read something, calling it “fake news,” that is when you need to challenge that statement with your own critical reading of the issue. Figure out these things for yourself. In the age of Google and Youtube, it’s really not that hard.<br /><br />As most of you who know me know, I lean a certain way politically, and yet, I try to read smart articles from both sides of the spectrum. I read the articles in <i><b><a href="http://www.slate.com/">Slate</a></b></i> and listen to their many podcasts, as well as <a href="http://www.npr.org/">NPR</a>. Both of these might lean a bit to the left. I listen to <a href="http://cbc.ca/">CBC</a> on a pretty regular basis (even though here in Canada I don’t find that partisan divide as heated as it is in the US). I try to balance that with news from <i><b><a href="https://www.thenation/">The Nation</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://www.thenation/">The National Post</a> </b></i>and I’m a regular listener to <i><b>The Daily Standard</b></i> which is a conservative podcast from<i><b> <a href="http://www.weeklystandard.com/">The Weekly Standard.</a></b></i><br /><br />I also need to mention<a href="http://politicsguys.com/"> </a><i><b><a href="http://politicsguys.com/">The Politics Guys,</a> </b></i>one of my favorite "both sides" podcasts. Everyone should try to emulate these guys, two long time friends on opposite sides of the political spectrum discuss the news in detail, without resorting to the “You’re a moron” type of discourse. <br /><br />Short articles are one thing, but longer nonfiction can be quite informative and interesting. Bookmark these sites: <b><a href="http://longform.org/">Longform</a></b> and <b><a href="http://longreads.com/">Longreads</a>.</b> <br /><br />I have both these on my regular reading rotation and have gotten in-depth looks at the latest in nutrition, a question and answer with Stephen King, and the newest science on brain concussions and the NFL. <br /><br />I mentioned my love for my <a href="https://www.kobo.com/">Kobo</a> eReader in my last column, and especially my new Kobo <a href="https://ca.kobobooks.com/products/kobo-aura-h2o?utm_source=Kobo&utm_medium=TopNav&utm_campaign=Aura%20H2O">Aura H20</a>. I can add these articles to my Kobo with an app called <a href="https://getpocket.com/">Pocket</a>. Again, I love that I’m not trying to read on my phone. And if you have children? </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here’s an <a href="http://uanews.ua.edu/2014/03/ua-matters-the-importance-of-reading-nonfiction-with-children/">article</a> on the importance of reading nonfiction to them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Don't forget the many nonfiction books out there. Here’s a list of the nonfiction books I am currently reading and which will be reviewed here in the coming months: <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Day-Revolution-Began-Reconsidering-Crucifixion-ebook/dp/B01ARKFWSC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507217288&sr=8-1&keywords=the+day+the+revolution+began/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The Day the Revolution Began</a></b></i> by NT Wright, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/TRAIN-GO-SORRY-Inside-World/dp/0679761659/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1507217347&sr=8-1&keywords=train+go+sorry/?tag=writerhallcom-20"><i><b>Train Go Sorry</b></i> </a>by Leah Hager Cohen and <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Does-Jesus-Really-Love-Christians-ebook/dp/B00IRCZHB0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1507217426&sr=1-1&keywords=Does+Jesus+really+love+me/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Does Jesus Really Love me?</a></b></i> By Jeff Chu.<br /><br />What nonfiction are you reading? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><b>NEXT TIME</b>: Part three - The importance of daily—and I do mean daily—fiction reading (Yes, in case you’re wondering. I have saved the best for last)</span></div>
Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-17255919016695625772017-09-22T00:30:00.000-03:002017-09-22T09:02:43.779-03:00How to Read More in an Age of Technology: Part One<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Reading less these days? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The impetus for this blog comes from a <a href="https://philipyancey.com/reading-wars">recent post by author Philip Yancey</a>, that went pretty much much viral. This once prolifically reading author has bookshelves that are now languishing as he finds his brain becoming re-wired by technology. T</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">he comments are telling, too, as many share their own stories and most agree. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Smartphones, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, games, Pinterest and iPads are demanding our attention. Walk through any mall and three-quarters of the shoppers will be staring down at phones. And okay, I'm not anti-technology. I’m just as guilty. I mean I even sleep with my iPhone right beside me. (I know I know. Shoot me now!) But when insomnia hits, what better way to fall asleep than to listen to some droning book being read to me, or some podcast, or some soothing music? (I’m even thinking of getting a pair of those <a href="https://www.sleepphones.com/">sleeping type headphones</a>. (Okay, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">now you can really shoot me.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />But, as I was reading Yancey’s post it came to me that probably a lot of people are finding that their reading is diminishing these days. How can we get it back? How can we become absorbed in a novel once again? There should be a Fitbit for reading, I'm thinking, something that will keep track of how many pages we have read that day, and remind us when our reading is falling off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To counteract this - here are a few of my own random thoughts and ideas:<br /><br />1. <b>You can’t read a book on a phone </b>or an iPad or a tablet. Please bear with me one this one, don’t put your hands over your eyes just yet. To read a novel, I think you need a real book or a dedicated eReader. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here’s my story: I had one of the original <a href="https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/p/apps#">Kobo eReaders</a>. It was light. I could adjust the font to suit my old eyes, and I didn’t have that weird page turning balance thing that I have when I'm lying on my side in bed and trying to read a hard-back book. I loved it, but then after seven years the battery didn’t hold a charge. But surely I didn’t need another one, right? I have one of those big-screen iPhones. I’ll just use it. It’s got a reading app, right? <br /><br />Well, I couldn’t. First of all, the screen was too bright. Even after dimming the light, it was too shiny. I couldn’t read it out in the sunshine, and what’s the point of a book that you can’t read on the beach?<br /><br />But, the main thing was that I was distracted by it. I would be reading along and—oh wait! A new Facebook message! Oh wait! I got a new email! Oh wait! A text message just came in! So, I went in turned off all of those notifications. Now, I’ll just settle back and read. And yet in the back of my mind there was this little ping—Hey, maybe I should check Instagram. See if there are any new pics of the grandkids. It won’t take two seconds. Or, I’ll just zip over here and play a quick game of solitaire before I get into chapter four. <br /><br />Nope, maybe it works for you, but the iPhone simply didn’t work for me as a reading device.<br /><br />So, I bought another dedicated eReader, and I love, love my new <a href="https://ca.kobobooks.com/products/kobo-aura-h2o?utm_source=Kobo&utm_medium=TopNav&utm_campaign=Aura%20H2O">Kobo Aura H2O.</a><br /><br />I know that there are also <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Kindle-Paperwhite-6-Inch-4GB-eReader/dp/B00OQVZDJM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505921229&sr=8-1&keywords=kindle+paperwhite/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Kindles</a> that compare.<br /><br />All I can do is read on it. It looks like a book, and it's gently front lit, so, I can read it in bed at night. I can take it out in the sunshine. It's completely waterproof so I can even read it out on the water. Or in the rain, if I wanted to.<br /><br /><a href="https://gigaom.com/2014/12/23/do-e-readers-really-harm-sleep-depends-what-you-call-an-e-reader/">Studies say</a> these e-ink screens are better for the brain at night than shiny, backlit screens. <br /><br />If your reading has fallen off, put away the phone and the brightly lit tablet and get either a real book, or invest in an eReader. They’re not very expensive. <br /><br />2. <b>Blame the book, not yourself.</b> I can’t tell you how many times I have opened up a novel to read, even a beloved mystery novel, and then after about four pages my mind is wandering. After chapter two I’m blaming myself—it must be happening—I’m getting too old—I can’t concentrate—I can’t read books anymore—There's something wrong with my brain.<br /><br />No. There’s nothing wrong with you. It’s the book. <br /><br />That's why I began this blog. Maybe it was a survival thing. I wanted to prove that there are still books out there which are unputdownable. If you find your mind wandering, keep looking. Feel free to scroll back and use this blog as a guide. I have more than two and a half years worth of books that my mind didn't wander inside of.<br /><br />3. <b>Join a book club</b>. Not only is this fun, but you will end up reading completely out of your comfort zone. It might just be wonderful. Left to my own devices I would end up with nothing but mystery fiction on my Kobo. My book club expands me. I’m devouring and discussing books I never would have chosen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">f you don’t know where to find a club, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">go and ask at your local library. If they don’t have one, give them your name and offer to start one. Another place to look is your local independent bookstore. Many have bookclubs. Also, you might want to try <a href="http://meetup.com/">meetup.com</a> and do a search for “bookclubs.”<br /><br />4. <b>Talk about books with your friends.</b> I know, you might get some strange looks when the first thing you say when you sit down for coffee is, “Read any good books lately?” But you might come away with some good and interesting suggestions. And a reading partner.<br /><br />5. <b>Write book reviews. </b>Recommend a good book on your Facebook page. Do a search for book review blogs. Many are joint efforts and are always wanting new book reviewers. (I know. I've been asked.) This blog of mine, this labor of love, has forced me to read, even when I wanted to zip over and play solitaire.<br /><br />6. <b>Devote an hour a day to reading</b>. Really? Is that too much? You’ll go for a walk for an hour, or spend an hour at the gym, or watch TV for an hour. Make it a priority to read every single day. Okay, half an hour. But schedule it in.<br /><br />7. <b>I mentioned how cool it would be</b> to have a Fitbit for reading, well, there sort of is one. It’s called the Goodreads reading challenge. I do this every year. Here is <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/7032173">my own link.</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When 2017 began I decided that I would read 30 books this year. In past years I’ve aimed for 24. Because I easily managed that, I decided that this year I would up it to 30. Not sure I'm going to make it. While you’re at it, have a look around <a href="http://goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a> which is like a Facebook for readers. I find book recommendations there and often find myself scouring the book reviews for books I might like.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>How do you keep reading</b> when bright screens, click bait and five second sound bites keep tempting you? I'd love for you to share your ideas in the comments. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><b>NEXT TIME:</b> Part two: More on reading books in an age of technology.</span></div>
Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-18438526075505496822017-09-08T00:30:00.000-03:002017-09-08T10:31:17.337-03:00Can you hear the dueling banjos?<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As the summer nears its end, so does my list of thriller-suspense-novel-beach-read recommendations. Today I’d like to end this summer series by recommending <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/River-at-Night-Erica-Ferencik-ebook/dp/B01CO345G0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504796909&sr=8-1&keywords=the+river+at+night+by+erica+ferencik/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The River at Night</a> b</b></i>y Erica Ferencik. This is one I could not put down.<br /><br />The novel begins: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Early one morning in late March, Pia forced my hand.</i></span><br />
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</i><br />And, we’re off. Four old friends; Pia, Rachel, Winifred, and Sandra get together every year for some sort of vacation or "adventure.” Most of the time their idea of "adventure” has the four of them sitting on a beach somewhere and sipping wine. Except this year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pia, the definite leader in the group, has determined that they’re all going to do something different and exciting. And what's more exciting than white water rafting in Maine? Well, fine, except, the only one who really wants to go is Pia. The rest shift between not wanting to go somewhere where they have to camp outside at night, to being outright afraid of fast moving water. She allays their fears. They have a great guide, the very capable Rory. Nothing to worry about. It'll be fun. So, okay, they all give each other pep talks. How bad could it be?<br /><br />Well, bad, as it turns out. <br /><br />Their adventure begins on a unfortunate footing—literally—when the jeep their guide, Rory is using to take them to the raft, sinks in the mud and they are up to their knees as they attempt to push it free. He tells them that this neck of the woods is usually dry. That this has never happened before. By this time I can almost hear the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tqxzWdKKu8">dueling banjoes</a> in the distance. That should have been a clue to turn around now. Except, they don’t. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />Good suspense is when you want to yell to the characters in the novel you are reading, "Don’t go there! Turn back now! Don't go down the basement without a flashlight! Don't go out on that river! Are you crazy?"<br /><br />But, they don't turn around. The five clean up and then head out on a raft with the very hunky easy-on-the-eyes Rory as their guide. Maybe this won’t be so bad. <br /><br />The author has an amazing way of describing the water, from the calm, meandering blue river, an easy to paddle and pleasant to be on, to the crazy rapids and currents and places that these four women, even with their experienced guide, are not prepared to tackle. The river is a character in this book.<br /><br />No more spoilers, but there are definite parallels between this book and <i><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deliverance">Deliverance</a></b></i>. Remember that movie? Remember that book? Only this time it’s females who are on a river adventure. <br /><br />As you know, if you follow my blog, a good story draws me in, believable characters make me want to read on, but if a book isn’t well-written, it’s only half a book. If the language isn't beautiful and imaginative, I'll put it down.<br /><br />Here’s one example of the excellent description: <br /><br /><i>Nests of hair twined with bites of bone and tiny pinecones snarled from under the orange ski cap.</i><br /><br />Who is that person with the bones tied in her wild hair? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out. </span><br />
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<br />The theme of human vs nature is a common one in books, and always remains popular. Goodreads has a list of these kinds of adventure books which includes the aforementioned <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deliverance-Modern-Library-Best-Novels-ebook/dp/B001LOEG1S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504803177&sr=8-1&keywords=deliverance+by+james+dickey/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Deliverance</a></b></i> by James Dickey. The list also includes <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Old-Man-Sea-Ernest-Hemingway-ebook/dp/B01KEKA51O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1504803279&sr=1-1&keywords=the+old+man+and+the+sea/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The Old Man and the Sea</a></b></i> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-Pi-Yann-Martel/dp/0156027321/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8/?tag=writerhallcom-20"><i><b>Life of Pi</b></i> </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />Here's the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/man-vs-nature"><b>list</b></a> that Goodreads has compiled. Can you think of others that are favourites of yours?<br /><br /><b>Next time: </b>Reading less? Here are my thoughts. </span></div>
Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-44261390113472003502017-08-24T00:30:00.000-03:002017-08-24T00:30:05.769-03:00A Most Disorienting Read<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>The cat under the front porch was at it again. Scratching at the slab of wood that echoes through the hardwood floors of my bedroom. Sharpening its claws, marking its territory—relentless in the dead of night. </i><br /><br />That is how <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Stranger-Novel-Megan-Miranda-ebook/dp/B01KG5GQV0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1503507938&sr=1-1&keywords=the+perfect+stranger+by+megan+miranda/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The Perfect Stranger </a></b></i>by Megan Miranda, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">today’s recommended summer-reading-super-suspense-novel begins. This story, with its many facets, its many faces, was immensely satisfying. First, there are the two friends (Leah and Emmy) who move to a new town and decide to room together. Then, there is the reason Leah is here in the first place (What was that horrible thing that happened in her old job?). Then, there is the colleague who Leah is sure is harassing her. And more. There is much more which is revealed as the story unfolds slowly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In a nutshell, Leah had to leave Boston and her career as journalist after an article she wrote goes horribly wrong. She calls on an old friend Emmy, to come be her roommate in a rural Pennsylvania town where she has secured a teaching job. She needs someone to help her get her life back from that horrendous experience, and what better person than her strange friend, Emmy?<br /><br />Here is where the whole thing gets disorienting in a way that makes you stop, blink, and shake your head as you read it. A woman who looks a lot like Leah is assaulted and left for dead down by the river. Shortly after, her roommate Emmy disappears. Leah and police investigator Kyle become close, as he helps her unravel what happened. It's all pretty straightforward. Or is it? <br /><br />A large part of the novel becomes a case of, who do you believe? Even Kyle has doubts. He wants to believe her, but who is this supposedly good friend Emmy? There is no record of her anywhere—in any police data base that Kyle can locate. Emmy didn’t even have a cell phone. What young woman doesn’t carry a cell phone these days? <br /><br />Why was Leah forced to leave her previous employment? Why is she accusing a fellow teacher of harassing her? Is Leah the problem? What’s with her former best friend and boyfriend? Why the restraining order? All of these questions are answered very, very slowly, very deliciously as the story progresses.<br /><br />The unfolding of the story is almost disorienting. It got to the point that I would have to stop, think. WHAT did I just read? What is happening? No spoilers here, but the book is a very satisfying summer read.<br /><br />Also—and this is important to me—the writing is excellent. Here are a few examples: <br /><br /><i>And then Emmy came along while I was this stripped away version of a person. So was it strange that I felt her in my skin? She was there when it re-formed. She existed inside the sharper edges I erected.</i> <br /><br />And, you can almost feel this version of winter: <br /><br /><i>The chapped lips, the red noses, the dry skin around our knuckles, and the way the sweaters itch across our collarbones. How you want nothing more than to stay in. The things you do to stay warm.</i><br /><br />I began this blog with the first lines of <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Stranger-Novel-Megan-Miranda-ebook/dp/B01KG5GQV0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1503507938&sr=1-1&keywords=the+perfect+stranger+by+megan+miranda/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The Perfect Stranger,</a></b></i> the lines after which, I knew I would enjoy this book. <br /><br />If you are a reader of <b><i><a href="https://lrhallbooks.blogspot.ca/">I Like It,</a></i></b> you know that first lines matter to me. First lines draw me in. First chapters draw me in. Just out of curiosity and because I’m a writer myself, I Googled “How not to begin a story.” The first thing that popped up was this <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-level/havent-written-anything-yet/5-wrong-ways-to-start-a-story"><b><i>Writer’s Digest</i></b> article.</a> <br /><br />It suggests not beginning with a dream, an alarm clock buzzing, too little dialogue, or opening with dialogue. Pretty good advice, I would say. I Googled further to read that a whole lot of literary agents and writing instructors suggest not using a <b>prologue</b>. Hmm. <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Stranger-Novel-Megan-Miranda-ebook/dp/B01KG5GQV0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1503507938&sr=1-1&keywords=the+perfect+stranger+by+megan+miranda/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The Perfect Stranger</a> </b></i>begins with a prologue. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ncesaC5YPQDZCIi1Pa-l4GEXCOkfnywGpCwZDPaIqyqJdanFoXmWPrYZCSubZv6w-V6UCqTymWTCnMJ4tG_CG5-pKB9HrZs2wLkVifKbzJuAyn_8GGErdxcz9A-0psZRtQ-neoLfrvr4/s1600/IMG_1046+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ncesaC5YPQDZCIi1Pa-l4GEXCOkfnywGpCwZDPaIqyqJdanFoXmWPrYZCSubZv6w-V6UCqTymWTCnMJ4tG_CG5-pKB9HrZs2wLkVifKbzJuAyn_8GGErdxcz9A-0psZRtQ-neoLfrvr4/s320/IMG_1046+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As a writer, I sort of pay attention to this advice, but as a reader it flits off me like fine fine feathers in the wind. If the word “prologue” disgruntles you, just put a sticky note over the word “Prologue” and pretend it’s "Chapter One," and then proceed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So yes, put this book high on your summer reading list.<br /><br /><b>Next time:</b> <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/River-at-Night-Erica-Ferencik-ebook/dp/B01CO345G0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503507878&sr=8-1&keywords=the+river+at+night+by+erica+ferencik/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The River at Night</a></b></i> by Erica Ferencik</span></div>
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Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-15541562858473842382017-08-10T00:30:00.000-03:002017-08-10T10:41:21.574-03:00Invited to a Party? Beware!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Another Thursday morning, another great summer suspense recommendation. Today, the novel I am recommending is <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Wood-Ruth-Ware-ebook/dp/B01CO341NC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502285777&sr=8-1&keywords=in+a+dark+dark+wood+ruth+ware/?tag=writerhallcom-20">In a Dark, Dark Wood </a></b></i>by Ruth Ware. I read this book in the space of a couple of days, so enthralled was I.</span><br />
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<br />Here is how the story begins: <br /><br /><i>I am running.<br /><br />I am running through the moonlit woods, with branches ripping at my clothes and my feet catching in the snow-bowed bracken. Brambles slash at my hands,. My breath tears in my throat, It hurts, Everything hurts.</i> <br /><br />So begins the journey of Leonora who casually accepts the invitation to a “hen party.” An old friend she hasn’t seen in years is getting married. Why is she invited? She parted company with this “friend” many years ago, and it wasn't under the greatest of circumstances. Why is she being called now? Should she leave her comfortable but solitary existence in London to go to this party way out in the countryside? But her curiosity is piqued. The party is being held in a huge, modern glass-windowed house. Who wouldn’t be intrigued? <br /><br />Persuaded by a mutual friend, she packs up and they drive there together. <br /><br />After that, of course, the strange things start happening. <br /><br />Two days later, she wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of the entire weekend. She can only piece together bits and pieces. The book deftly moves from past to present as Leonora puts together what happened to her. <br /><br />Yes, I suppose these are pretty timeworn conventions in the psychological suspense genre—amnesia, old secrets, isolation (in this case, a deserted house in the woods), “ghosts” in the woods (whether real ghosts in the form of a horror novel, or in this case, the “ghosts” of past secrets), a storm, and of course a murder. The book is replete with quirky characters—the quirkiest is the friend who wants everything to be “perfect” and even when things are falling apart will go to to any lengths to make sure this is so.<br /><br />These “conventions” are used over and over, and yet for beach reads, we never tire of them. Or, at least I never do. Bring on the amnesia and the Stephen King-like quirky characters!<br /><br />Here’s a fascinating article in<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/trouble-in-mind/201510/our-love-affair-thrillers-and-suspense"> </a><i><b><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/trouble-in-mind/201510/our-love-affair-thrillers-and-suspense">Psychology Today</a> </b></i>about why we enjoy reading suspense novels so much.<br /><br />The author suggests that we like the intellectual challenge—the old “figuring out the mystery puzzle” but in a psychological suspense it’s more than just figuring out “whodunnit”, it’s coming up with why. It’s connecting past "ghosts" to present reality. <br /><br />The article also suggests that these kinds of novels are usually so engrossing, so captivating, that <i>“nothing else has a chance of sneaking into our minds, thus giving us a break from everyday worries.”</i><br /><br />And with things the way they are in the world, I think we DO need this break. Agreed?<br /><br />So, take the suggestions that I’ve offered over these past number of months, and enjoy your thrillers. </span><br />
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<br /><br />NEXT TIME: <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Stranger-Novel-Megan-Miranda-ebook/dp/B01KG5GQV0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1502285836&sr=1-1&keywords=Perfect+Stranger/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The Perfect Stranger</a></b></i> by Megan Miranda</span>Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-27380859512403421332017-07-27T01:00:00.000-03:002017-07-27T10:50:10.350-03:00Stay Inside and Read This Book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As promised, I am devoting this entire summer to recommendations for psychological suspense thrillers. The books in this genre are probably my favorite beach/back deck/cottage/couch-inside-with-the-AC-on reads. Today I am recommending <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Sophie-gripping-psychological-brilliant-ebook/dp/B01DT37C1O/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8"><i><b>Saving Sophie</b></i> </a>by Sam Carrington. Carrington is a female author from the UK. I don’t know why this is, but I am discovering that a lot of what I would call literary psychological suspense thrillers are written by UK authors. Maybe it's the climate. Maybe it's the history. Maybe it's the ghosts.</span><br />
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<br /><i><b>Saving Sophie</b></i> begins when teenaged daughter Sophie is returned home by the police to her horrified and out-of-their-mind-with-worry parents. No matter how she is prompted and questioned, she cannot remember where she was the previous night. Nothing is coming back to her. To top it off, Sophie's best friend is missing. No one can find her. Everyone fears the worse. The community is in chaos and worry.<br /><br />That is only the beginning. The book seems to be really about Sohie's mother Karen, and a past occurrence that she has kept secret and private. Is it coming back, finally, to haunt her? Or is this crime something quite new and different? <br /><br />Her past secret, kept even from her husband, has led to her present struggles with agoraphobia. Tremendously fearful, Karen doesn’t ever leave her house. I have never known anyone with this mental health issue, but know that it exists. But I do know that any kind of anxiety can leave a person helpless and afraid to move. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The 'stay inside' part of this recommendation? That's in deference to Karen who won't leave her house.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And so Karen stays home, even when it’s the daughter of Karen’s closest friend who is missing. Karen will not leave the house to go over there to comfort her. There were times when I wanted to physically push her out of the house and call her a selfish slob! But there are deeper issues, and there were far deeper issues in the book. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here is an interesting link on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agoraphobia">agoraphobia</a>.<br /><br />Every character in this book struggles with their own demons, including the officers set about the solve the case. When you write reviews which refuse to spoil the books, sometimes the reviews can be exceedingly short. But, I won't spoil this book, I can't, but trust me when I say I raced to the ending of this one, and it didn't disappoint.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I give this book a full 4.5 stars. It has enough for me to recommend it here as a fun beach read, and one that will keep you glued to it for the duration.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Next time:<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Wood-Ruth-Ware-ebook/dp/B01CO341NC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501076958&sr=8-1&keywords=in+a+dark+dark+wood+ruth+ware"> </a><i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Wood-Ruth-Ware-ebook/dp/B01CO341NC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501076958&sr=8-1&keywords=in+a+dark+dark+wood+ruth+ware">In a Dark Wood</a> </b></i>by Ruth Ware<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </span><br />
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Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-41708363799487032432017-06-29T00:30:00.000-03:002017-06-29T00:30:03.262-03:00Classical piano, Genius IQs and Murder<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As promised, I plan to review an unputdownable thriller every two weeks this summer, and so I begin with a book that absolutely grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. <i><b>T<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Girl-Novel-Gilly-Macmillan-ebook/dp/B01BBQ3468/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493832524&sr=8-1&keywords=the+perfect+girl+gilly+macmillan/?tag=writerhallcom-20">he Perfect Girl</a> </b></i>by Gilly Macmillan is perfect for summer back deck reading.<br /><br />This novel introduces the reader to the world of precocious musician children. </span><br />
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<br />We meet genius IQ Zoe Maisey a seventeen-year-old musical prodigy. Three years prior to the book’s beginning she was involved in a traffic accident in which three friends died. Was she responsible? How? Was she sentenced unfairly? That fact is made known little by little as the book progresses.<br /><br />When she "did her time" as a juvenile offender, she and her mother Maria moved to a new town with changed names to begin their “Second Chance Life.” Her mother’s new husband Chris whose son Lucas is also a musical prodigy know nothing of her past life. And they won’t, too. Neither she nor Maria plan to tell them. All seems well, except for one thing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Her music.<br /><br />It’s unmistakeable and unique and of course people from her “old life” would recognize it in an instant. Which is exactly what happens. <br /><br />The book, the entire book, revolves around the incidents which occur in one terrible, awful, heart-rending 24 hour period following a concert where her mother Maria is murdered.<br /><br />The reader goes from loving Zoe with an intense understanding, to wondering if she is really all that changed. The reader is introduced to all of the members of this family—Maria and Chris, Zoe and Lucas their children, Grace, the new baby, Sam, Zoe’s first solicitor and Maria’s sister Tessa.<br /><br />It’s hard to review a novel like this without giving spoilers, so none here, but what kept me glued to this book was the way the author goes into the lives of each of the characters in turn revealing new horrors.<br /><br />There are three things I demand in the thrillers that I read:<br /><br />1. Being well-written. This one is. <br /><br />Here is how the book begins: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Before the concert begins, I stand inside the entrain to the church and look down the nave, Shadows lurk in the ceiling vaults even though the light outside hasn’t dimmed yet, and behind me the large wooded doors have been pulled shut. <br /><br />In front of me, the last few members of the audience have just settled into their places. Almost every seat is filled. The sound of their talk is a medium pitched rumble. <br /><br />I shudder.</i> <br /><br />2. Things revealed slowly, but steadily with a “hook” at every chapter end.<br /><br />3. A darn good story. And this one is. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you're interested in this genre, here's a wonderful <b><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/qp7-migration-conferencesevents/qp7-migration-maui/10-basic-ingredients-of-a-successful-thriller">article in <i>Writer's Digest.</i></a></b><br /><br />For the next summer thriller review: <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Sophie-gripping-psychological-brilliant-ebook/dp/B01DT37C1O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498483373&sr=8-2&keywords=Saving+Sophie/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Saving Sophie</a></b></i> by Sam Carrington</span></div>
Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-16179278149894352522017-06-15T00:30:00.000-03:002017-06-18T15:17:14.245-03:00Bunches of Thrillers for the Summer!<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As the summer begins here in Canada (finally, right?), I’ve decided to devote this blog to recommending thrillers. Whether you’re at the beach, on your back deck, on a boat, or even in a comfy couch in your living room (and it’s raining outside), summer vacation is a time to read. <br /><br />A few weeks ago I read with interest this article in the <i><b><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/31/books/review/summer-reading-thrillers.html?_r=0">New York Times</a></b></i> on the best summer thriller reads for 2017. I decided to take a page from their book, and come up with my own list of summer thrillers that you simply MUST read. the same. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/31/books/review/summer-reading-thrillers.html?_r=0">Here’s the NY Times article, if you want to read some of their recommendations. </a><br /><br />My favorite get-comfy-on-the-couch reading is a genre called literary thriller. Although closely related to, it differs somewhat from the genre of “mystery.” Mysteries involve a crime (which often occurs before the book begins), and a crime solver which can be a police officer, private detective or amateur crime solver (librarian, etc.).</span><br />
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Thrillers are about crime as well, but often the crime hasn’t occurred yet. It is only ominously threatening on the horizon, or overhead, or it's something in the past. There isn’t necessarily a crime solver, just someone (often a woman in the books I’m reading) in danger. And often she, alone, has to figure out what is happening to her or to her family. Others clearly, don’t see the danger. <br /><br />Although I do have a few true “mysteries” in the following list, (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/X-Kinsey-Millhone-Book-24-ebook/dp/B00TY3ZKJA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497455743&sr=8-1&keywords=x+by+sue+grafton/?tag=writerhallcom-20" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">X </a>by Sue Grafton and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Breeding-Ground-Grant-mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B00G69OF3M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497448985&sr=8-1&keywords=Breeding+Ground+by+Sally+Wright/?tag=writerhallcom-20"><i><b>Breeding Ground</b></i> </a>by my friend <a href="http://sallywright.net/">Sally Wright,</a>) most of the following recommendations are in the thriller category. <br /><br />Whether you read by print, on a Kindle or my favorite—my waterproof and dustproof (read sand) <a href="https://ca.kobobooks.com/products/kobo-aura-h2o?utm_source=Kobo&utm_medium=TopNav&utm_campaign=Aura%20H2O">Kobo Aura H20,</a> which is loaded with books to read. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are a few wonderful thrillers that I’ve already reviewed here on I Like It that you can add to your beach reading satchel. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><i><b><a href="https://lrhallbooks.blogspot.ca/2017/03/a-new-voice-in-literary-thriller.html"> Safe with Me</a></b></i> by K.L. Slater<br /><br /><i><b><a href="https://lrhallbooks.blogspot.ca/2016/12/how-well-do-we-really-know-our-neighbors.html">Behind Closed Doors</a></b></i> by BA Paris<br /><br /><i><b><a href="https://lrhallbooks.blogspot.ca/2016/08/this-literary-thriller-needs-to-be-read.html">The Lake House</a></b></i> by Kate Morton<br /><br /><i><b><a href="https://lrhallbooks.blogspot.ca/2016/12/four-important-reasons-to-read-thrillers.html">The Long and Faraway Gone</a></b></i> by Lou Berney<br /><br /> Here are a few books I’m currently reading (and yes, ah, I do read more than one book at a time!) and will be reviewing here in the coming weeks: <br /><br /><i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Breeding-Ground-Grant-mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B00G69OF3M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497448985&sr=8-1&keywords=Breeding+Ground+by+Sally+Wright/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Breeding Ground </a></b></i>by Sally Wright—if you like horses, WW11 and intrigue, you will love this mystery set in 1962 in the southern US<br /><br /><i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Woods-Dublin-Anthony-Macavity-Clarion-ebook/dp/B00GW4UGUC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497456283&sr=8-1&keywords=in+the+woods+by+tana+french/?tag=writerhallcom-20">In the Woods</a> </b></i>by Tana French. A new murder that detective Ryan must solve bears too much resemblance to an older, unsolved crime from his childhood. <br /><br />In no particular order, here are the books on my Kobo just waiting to be read this summer:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Stranger-Novel-Megan-Miranda-ebook/dp/B01KG5GQV0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497456360&sr=8-1&keywords=the+perfect+stranger/?tag=writerhallcom-20"><i><b>The Perfect Stranger</b></i> </a>by Megan Miranda - a journalist sets out to find a missing friend, a friend who may never have existed at all.<br /><br /><i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/After-Lie-gripping-family-secrets-ebook/dp/B01BAWSUNK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497456419&sr=8-1&keywords=after+the+lie+by+kerry+fischer/?tag=writerhallcom-20">After the Lie</a></b></i> by Kerry Fischer - Your past will devastate your family. But your lies could destroy them.<br /><br /><i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Secret-Novel-Sophie-Hannah-ebook/dp/B00PFXLEMK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497456488&sr=8-1&keywords=woman+with+a+secret+by+sophie+hannah/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Woman with a Secret</a></b></i> by Sophie Hannah - She's a wife. She's a mother. She isn't who you think she is.<br /><br /><i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/River-at-Night-Erica-Ferencik-ebook/dp/B01CO345G0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497456544&sr=8-1&keywords=the+river+at+night/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The River at Night</a></b></i> by Erica Ferencik - What starts out as an invigorating hiking and rafting excursion in the remote Allagash Wilderness soon becomes an all-too-real nightmare.<br /><br /><i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Swimming-Lessons-Claire-Fuller-ebook/dp/B01LQXKB94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497456835&sr=8-1&keywords=swimming+lessons+claire+fuller/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Swimming Lessons</a></b></i> by Claire Fuller - Ingrid writes letters to her husband, Gil, about the truth of their marriage, but she never sends them. Instead she hides them within the thousands of books her husband has collected. After she writes her final letter, Ingrid disappears<br /><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Somebody-Used-Know-David-Bell-ebook/dp/B00OQS4CBU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497457284&sr=8-1&keywords=somebody+i+used+to+know+david+bell/?tag=writerhallcom-20"><i><b>Somebody I Used to Know</b></i> </a>by David Bell - a pulse-pounding thriller about a man who is haunted by a face from his past.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Missing-Presumed-Novel-Susie-Steiner-ebook/dp/B018QMZR24/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497457333&sr=8-1&keywords=missing+presumed+by+susie+steiner/?tag=writerhallcom-20"><i><b>Missing, Presumed</b></i> </a>by Susie Steiner - a page-turning literary mystery that brings to life the complex and wholly relatable Manon Bradshaw, a strong-willed detective assigned to a high-risk missing persons case.<br /><br />Here’s another list put out by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/literary-thrillers">Goodread</a>s. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention my own thriller/mysteries here. <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Night-Watch-Em-Ridge-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00NKPI2WK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1497469715&sr=8-2&keywords=Night+Watch+by+Linda/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Night Watch</a></b></i> and <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017RM1R9G/ref=series_rw_dp_sw/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The Bitter End</a></b></i> are my newest babies.<br /><br />Well, all of these lists should get you going on some great summer reading! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruO76WvZyhthHejdkCCD9U70L0rBigOVA4kADVpcnBiu4FlB0FZSpkRw10kxhHMUSclSV5IsghYqcv3yoXOWGyNtznSbi1opOv97xvdGllZyALvbX8eDDtG79wnCyXXhecUll7k82CpH2/s1600/IMG_6041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruO76WvZyhthHejdkCCD9U70L0rBigOVA4kADVpcnBiu4FlB0FZSpkRw10kxhHMUSclSV5IsghYqcv3yoXOWGyNtznSbi1opOv97xvdGllZyALvbX8eDDtG79wnCyXXhecUll7k82CpH2/s320/IMG_6041.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At the end of the <i><b>NY Times</b></i> article there is a question- what are your favorite thrillers for the beach?<br /><br />So, that is my question for you - What are some of your favorite thriller authors and summer reads?<br /><br /><b>Next Time:</b> It’s more suspense with <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Girl-Novel-Gilly-Macmillan-ebook/dp/B01BBQ3468/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1496246257&sr=1-1&keywords=the+perfect+girl/?tag=writerhallcom-20"><i><b>The Perfect Girl</b></i> </a>by Gilly Macmillan.</span></div>
Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-60697311689850856992017-06-01T01:00:00.000-03:002017-06-29T11:14:47.500-03:00Not Letting Go<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today on my blog, I’m recommending <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/House-We-Grew-Up-Novel-ebook/dp/B00GEEB9BU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496239023&sr=8-1&keywords=the+house+we+grew+up+in/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The House We Grew Up In</a>,</b></i> a compelling and wonderful novel by Lisa Jewell <br /><br />This was a choice for the bookclub I belong to (And may I take a moment out to recommend that you join a bookclub. If you don’t know of any that meet, ask at your public library. They are veritable fonts </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">of information on all things book, and bookclubs. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Do it. You’ll thank me later.), and all of us in our small group agreed—this one was a winner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/House-We-Grew-Up-Novel-ebook/dp/B00GEEB9BU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496239023&sr=8-1&keywords=the+house+we+grew+up+in/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The House We Grew Up In</a></b></i> revolves around the lives of Lorelei Bird and her family—her husband Colin and their four children—Megan, Bethan, Rory and Rhys and neighbor Vicki. Lorelei is a hoarder, you know, one of those persons who lets their possessions pile up in boxes around them. It wasn’t always this way with her. At one time she was a a whimsical mother who tacked up all her children’s school papers on the wall. She was the sort of mother any child would want—cooking, baking, having family parties, doing cartwheels in the backyard, and taking care that the annual Easter egg hunts in the backyard went on without a hitch. It is here we get the first inkling of her disorder, when she must save the colorful foils from the chocolates, because they are so pretty. <br /><br />When one of her her sons dies by suicide, the entire family goes into a downward spiral. Each family member deals with the death in a different way, including his mother who just begins adding and adding and adding to her collections.<br /><br />As the book plunges toward its horrific ending, we discover why Lorelei turned from being a happy, loving—although eccentric—mother, to one who would not throw anything out, and who would eventually drown and starve in all her stuff. <br /><br />I know some of you are reality TV fans, and a program like <i><a href="http://www.aetv.com/shows/hoarders/season-1/episode-3">Hoarders</a></i> is sometimes interesting to watch. What is amazing to me about the few TV hoarding TV shows I’ve watched is the unbelievable link the hoarders feel to their stuff, the weeping when it is suggested that a broken DVD be thrown out. People with hoarding disorders sometimes choose their junk over their families. Their children will walk right out of the door and yet they choose to remain with their boxes. <br /><br />The disclaimer at the beginning of the particular TV show I've linked to says that “hoarding is a mental disorder marked by an obsessive need to acquire and keep things, even if the items are worthless, hazardous or unsanitary.”<br /><br />I wasn't sure I wanted to read a book about hoarding, but I found once I picked up this book, I could not put it down. It was one of those books that got propped up on the kitchen counter while I cooked and washed dishes and got carried with me in my purse everywhere I went.<br /><br />Good writing and a well-put-together sentence is all important to me, and the writing in this book sparkled. <br /><br />Here's an example. At one point in the book Lorelei says, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Look at that sky, just look at it. The blueness of it. Makes me want to snatch out handfuls of it, and put it in my pockets.</i><br /><br />Maybe that is the essence of hoarding—when a person loses the ability to simply sit and admire things, but instead needs to own them, and store them within your own walls and keeping.<br /><br />Here’s another description on hoarding from the novel:<br /><br /><i>Everything was halfway to being where it needed to be, everything was a work in progress, with no systems, no logic, no sense of organizations about any of it.</i><br /><br />And, here is how her neighbor Wendy describes Lorelei to her granddaughter:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>You see, your nana is a very special lady—she is really quite magical you know—and when she looks at the world she sees it in a very special way, like it’s a party bag or a toy shop, and she likes to keep bits of it. And she feels sad when she throws things away.</i><br /><br />Even if those hoarding TV shows don’t appeal to you, (they don’t to me, especially) I think you will enjoy this book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />I will be reading more of Lisa Jewell, and in fact, have another of her books <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Found-You-Novel-Lisa-Jewell-ebook/dp/B01HMXRVP4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496250900&sr=8-1&keywords=i+found+you/?tag=writerhallcom-20"><i><b>I Found You</b></i> </a>just downloaded onto my Kobo.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Next Time:</b> It’s more suspense with <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Girl-Novel-Gilly-Macmillan-ebook/dp/B01BBQ3468/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1496246257&sr=1-1&keywords=the+perfect+girl/?tag=writerhallcom-20"><i><b>The Perfect Girl</b></i> </a>by Gilly Macmillan.</span></div>
Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-17683127693717079192017-05-18T00:30:00.000-03:002017-05-18T00:30:01.549-03:00#Thatsharassment A series of Sexual Harassment videos that need to be talked about<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today I'm going to do my best to tackle a hard subject, a most difficult one. But when the president of the most influential country in the western world <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7PM9kwFwnc">brags about sexually assaulting women,</a> maybe it’s time we had this conversation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am talking about sexual harassment and recommending that you watch six very short videos, part of a new campaign called #thatsharassment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7rkubqUQmumw0Ah2ZdEXoDbfjHZhvSmjNWWfGMxAThHWzC89QaQT5515RbfgYSHxIEw25_l2YABT5oTK7IIk_sMrMHWPHQSb5GScXP_hyaDRaiY1O4JLC2M15MCAYTzXFdDHzXqjIHXI/s1600/IMG_2100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7rkubqUQmumw0Ah2ZdEXoDbfjHZhvSmjNWWfGMxAThHWzC89QaQT5515RbfgYSHxIEw25_l2YABT5oTK7IIk_sMrMHWPHQSb5GScXP_hyaDRaiY1O4JLC2M15MCAYTzXFdDHzXqjIHXI/s320/IMG_2100.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Click </span><a href="http://www.parents.com/health/parents-news-now/thatsharassment-video-series-highlights-an-all-too-common-problem-for-women/" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">here</a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">. Watch all six. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’ll wait. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After I read this <i><b><a href="http://www.parents.com/health/parents-news-now/thatsharassment-video-series-highlights-an-all-too-common-problem-for-women/">Parents Magazine</a> </b></i>article about these videos and watched them in their entirety, I felt I had to tell you about them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />Film director <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigal_Avin">Sigal Avin</a> and actor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Schwimmer">David Schwimmer </a>of <i><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends">Friends</a></b></i> fame have produced these videos portraying what sexual harassment looks like in 2017. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />I had seen only the first half of the very first video, and already there were spiders under my skin. It was like I had crawled into the skin of that young women. Watching all of them, one right after the other, I needed a shower. It was like had I been thrust into each and every situation, and could remember what it felt like. Reading further into the article I was not surprised to learn that most women (not “some” women, or “a few” women, but “most” women) can identify.<br /><br />I am an older woman now, and have gracefully and gratefully passed into the stage of “invisibility” mentioned by Margaret Trudeau in the book I recommended in <a href="https://lrhallbooks.blogspot.ca/2017/05/no-rocking-chair-sitters-here.html">my last blog post.</a> (<i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Time-Your-Life-Choosing-vibrant-ebook/dp/B00QQOV97W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495036560&sr=8-1&keywords=the+time+of+your+life+by+margaret+trudeau/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The Time of Your Life</a></b></i>). There is a certain freedom in that. I no longer have to totally be on my guard.<br /><br />But before we go on, let’s have a look at the videos in the order they are presented in the article. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W794cMGPafA">In Video #1,</a> it’s a young woman’s first day on the job at a bar. Her male co-worker is showing her all about how the men will come onto her—in graphic detail. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZYmKZKGxF4">Video #2</a> has a woman who is some kind of a wardrobe or costume person for a famous movie star. She is naturally star-struck that day, and trying to do her best, until he reveals all to her. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrlOIocgP00">In Video #3</a> we move to an office where a married boss comes on to a young, new female admin assistant.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lotNZpfm_TY&t=94s">Video #4 </a> has a doctor “examining” a female patient. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QeRw_hB7eQ">In Video #5, </a> a young woman (Oh, she looks SO young) involved in a photoshoot of some kind, is asked to do some things she feels very uncomfortable with. In my opinion, this is the scariest one, because at the end, it cuts away to all of the people watching, all complicit in his instructions. <br /><br />A woman journalist is interviewing a famous politician in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktiVzLt0K6s">Video #6. </a>He asks her to turn off the tape, and then he tries to come on to her. But, she needs that interview. She needs that article.<br /><br />I think what struck me about all of these were the subtleness of the suggestions. These were not lewd, greasy, horrid men, these appeared to be sort of nice guys. If it ended up being a “he-said she-said" in court they would probably win. And the women, all who want to keep their jobs, know this. <br /><br />First there is the nervous laugh—women have that "nervous laugh" down pat, don't they? These same women probably went home thinking, “Did that really happen? No. Maybe it didn't." And then imperceptibly shoving the blame onto themselves. <br /><br />In most of these videos it’s powerful men, and the women who work for them who “want to keep their jobs and so they must go along.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sadly, in recent days we’ve seen this. The most recent fallout goes to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/02/opinion/bill-oreilly-shielded-by-christians.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0">Bill O'Reilly </a>one of <i>Fox News</i> greatest assets. He lost his job after a number of women came forward to accuse him of doing just this.<br /><br />And before him, <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/09/how-fox-news-women-took-down-roger-ailes.html">Roger Ailes </a>also of <i>Fox News. </i>And before him <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/24/us/bill-cosby-hearing/index.html">Bill Cosby.</a><br /><br />But lest you think it's just a <i>Fox News </i>thing, or an American thing, and that we are who live in Canada are somehow immuned to this, may I remind you of <a href="http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/jian-ghomeshi-how-he-got-away-with-it/">Jian Ghomeshi,</a> who was once the darling boy of <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/">CBC</a>. As well, there have been long and ongoing investigations into sexual harassment in <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/02/01/six-sex-assault-investigations-opened-after-complaints-to-military-crisis-centre_n_9131922.html">Canada’s military </a>and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/06/royal-canadian-mounted-police-sexual-harassment-apologises">RCMP</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yes, our military who are admired all over the world, as well as our RCMP.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhii73Jox7jw9gQB6nMRBFEiwcevW0AkHAFr6oPByy5wwTYlQysw_D2ju5iWmRf4xJ5WHjdAkxoD-P4IJrM5OcuAnWvBcMpfYsb5RSKlbFEgBpIpA3NfXiYQh7-Tq1ucwTuzXRd4uLlhd/s1600/IMG_2308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhii73Jox7jw9gQB6nMRBFEiwcevW0AkHAFr6oPByy5wwTYlQysw_D2ju5iWmRf4xJ5WHjdAkxoD-P4IJrM5OcuAnWvBcMpfYsb5RSKlbFEgBpIpA3NfXiYQh7-Tq1ucwTuzXRd4uLlhd/s320/IMG_2308.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Is it okay?" the office boss in Video #3 continually asks. “It is okay? No hard feelings? We're okay? We're good?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Nervous laugh. “It’s okay.” <br /><br />“You sure it’s okay.” Sad voice. Contrite voice. <br /><br />“It’s okay.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"You sure?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"It's okay."<br /><br /><b>No. It's not okay. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I applaud <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigal_Avin">Sigal Avin</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Schwimmer">David Schwimmer</a> for tackling this project, and I would hope that these videos are shown in HR programs throughout the country. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(Interesting sidebar: The man who brags about sexually assaulting women, complete with lewd x-rated language, gets elected president. The man he was talking to from <a href="http://tvline.com/2016/10/10/billy-bush-fired-today-show-donald-trump-tapes">Access Hollywood, gets fired</a>. What's wrong with this picture?)<br /><br />My one complaint with the videos? They are not Closed Captioned. They need to be.<br /><br />Next Time: A look at hoarding, in a compelling new novel, <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/House-We-Grew-Up-Novel-ebook/dp/B00GEEB9BU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494771844&sr=8-1&keywords=the+house+we+grew+up+in/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The House We Grew Up In. </a></b></i><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </span>Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-89884371637018833032017-05-04T00:30:00.000-03:002017-05-04T11:55:21.272-03:00No Rocking Chair Sitters Here<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today I am recommending Margaret Trudeau’s self-help/memoir <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Time-Your-Life-Choosing-vibrant-ebook/dp/B00QQOV97W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493656236&sr=8-1&keywords=the+time+of+your+life+by+margaret+trudeau/?tag=writerhallcom-20"><i><b>The Time of Your Life: Choosing a Vibrant, Joyful Future.</b></i> </a>If her name sounds familiar to my readers south of the border, she is the mother of our <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Canada">current prime minister here in Canada</a> and wife of a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Trudeau">former prime minister.</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrlV5u8gEQX5vOI-Lrh5q_1-WJVt9Lg9Ax1O7NiezDo0Lrye5Enz7g3VMvQHUaz98TB2waKSSZY_Jz5eN8pO3eja5domZk-SlKos0D9EMxEcp11fQwRG2YemcLcoOe0oSB-ntTDQ1AbSN/s1600/51TeZNJ3z-L._AC_US218_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrlV5u8gEQX5vOI-Lrh5q_1-WJVt9Lg9Ax1O7NiezDo0Lrye5Enz7g3VMvQHUaz98TB2waKSSZY_Jz5eN8pO3eja5domZk-SlKos0D9EMxEcp11fQwRG2YemcLcoOe0oSB-ntTDQ1AbSN/s1600/51TeZNJ3z-L._AC_US218_.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hand on my heart, I admit it—I am a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Trudeau">Margaret Trudeau</a> fan-girl. Forty-five years ago when <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Trudeau">Pierre Trudeau </a>was prime minister, I married a Canadian and moved to this wonderful country. (I became a citizen ten years later). The country was vast and beautiful and unknowable, Pierre Trudeau was prime minister and his wife was the charming, spunky, oh so pretty and often misunderstood Margaret. <br /><br />Because I was determined to be a well-rounded Canadian, I read all the novels of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Laurence">Margaret Laurence</a> and <a href="http://margaretatwood.ca/">Margaret Atwood</a> and page by colorful page through the history books of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Berton">Pierre Berton.</a> (I also began to wonder if your name had to be either Margaret or Pierre to live in this country.) I was learning to love my new adopted country.<br /><br />In 1976 on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haida_Gwaii">Haida Gwaii</a> (known when I lived there as the Queen Charlotte Islands), I had the privilege of meeting Margaret Trudeau. My husband was a school teacher in Queen Charlotte City, and the prime minister was there to open the brand spanking new <a href="http://haidaheritagecentre.com/the-centre/">Haida museum.</a> <br /><br />Click on that aforementioned link and croll down until you get to Haida Gwaii Museum. On that day forty years ago, it didn’t look anything like it does in these pictures. I remember rickety folding tables outside laid with salmon and all sorts of food, Haida dancing, displays of <a href="https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEVv4xAgpZKxwAzP4PxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=haida%2Bbutton%2Bblankets&fr=yhs-iry-fullyhosted_011&hspart=iry&hsimp=yhs-fullyhosted_011">Haida button blankets</a> and mud. I remember lots of mud. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was there that I met Margaret Trudeau. My baby daughter was fussing and I retreated away from the press of people and stood under a tree. It may have been raining slightly. A friend of mine came over and pointed, “That’s Margaret Trudeau over there. See her? Why don’t you go over and say hello?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />There she was. Standing alone. By herself. <br /><br />I went over and we struck up the most wonderful conversation. She was friendly and kept going on about my beautiful little baby girl, and how she had sons, three of them, in fact (of course I already knew this) and how her youngest was with his grandma in Vancouver because he “has the sniffles.” <br /><br />(Oh, and I must mention this here. All kinds of things were different back then. You could walk right up to important people without security keeping you away. Partway through the ceremony my husband hoisted Justin, our now prime minister, on his shoulders so he could see his dad better. I wish we had a picture. Sadly, we don’t. But, then again, maybe that’s a good thing!)<br /><br />Since that meeting I have followed her through the years, her antics (which are legendary), her books, even her early ones, and of course, her mental health struggles. Because I had met her and she was so gracious to me, I was always prone to forgive her her many transgressions. I always stuck up for her. <br /><br />Truth was, she wasn’t being difficult, she was battling bi-polar and depression. It wasn’t until later in life that she finally got a handle on this with medications and therapies that work. She now travels extensively through this country lecturing on mental health issues.<br /><br />If you are interested in reading her personal story in its entirety, may I suggest <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Changing-My-Mind-Margaret-Trudeau-ebook/dp/B0055DLAHY/ref=pd_sim_351_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3S9V23BPNK115BJA4W9A/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Changing my Mind.</a></b></i><br /><br />I was pleased to be able to meet her a second time this past fall when she came to my city to tell her story and speak about mental health. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In this blog are two photos. The first is of Margaret and me on Haida Gwaii back in 1976, and the second is of Margaret and me this past fall. My, how we both have changed from young mother hippies to serious women with lots of grandkids and lots of stories to tell.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpuQDPzDiX-h_3i8cCdQVX3ibVxESTSPnWX-Kn3mhJReoK8GKC0EBZWoSGAFOFKiqxoNBjtyhQkbQnMz8N1TLBhjKsoLSh6ZxsvqvLLQmkZeclSFA8Cx8BR3xZhQR3viGsB4NAkqGFEVj/s1600/IMG_4941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpuQDPzDiX-h_3i8cCdQVX3ibVxESTSPnWX-Kn3mhJReoK8GKC0EBZWoSGAFOFKiqxoNBjtyhQkbQnMz8N1TLBhjKsoLSh6ZxsvqvLLQmkZeclSFA8Cx8BR3xZhQR3viGsB4NAkqGFEVj/s320/IMG_4941.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpuQDPzDiX-h_3i8cCdQVX3ibVxESTSPnWX-Kn3mhJReoK8GKC0EBZWoSGAFOFKiqxoNBjtyhQkbQnMz8N1TLBhjKsoLSh6ZxsvqvLLQmkZeclSFA8Cx8BR3xZhQR3viGsB4NAkqGFEVj/s1600/IMG_4941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">.</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But all of this is by way of introduction. Whew! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My intention today is to recommend her latest book, <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Time-Your-Life-Choosing-vibrant-ebook/dp/B00QQOV97W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493656236&sr=8-1&keywords=the+time+of+your+life+by+margaret+trudeau/?tag=writerhallcom-20">The Time of Your Life.</a></b></i> If you are a baby boomer woman, especially a Canadian baby boomer woman, then this book is for you. <br /><br />I found it to be uplifting, inspirational, funny and personal. I could relate on almost every level. The subtitle urges women to choose “a vibrant, joyful future” But we are women in our mid-sixties. We’re mostly retired now. Choosing a "vibrant joyful future" gets to be something you do in your twenties, maybe thirties, not your sixties, not your seventies, right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />Wrong, according to Trudeau. She calls on older women to “reinvent what it means to age.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She begins the book by stating:<br /><br /><i>Women should prepare in their fifties for the rest of their lives. What we do today will affect how long we live, how healthy we will be where we will live, how much fun we will have, how solvent we will be.</i><br /><br />She calls on women to “rediscover” their purpose. No sitting and rocking for us, she cites numerous stories of women who have found purpose in continuing to work at their careers well into their dotage, women who have found fulfillment in volunteering, in traveling and finding adventure and personal fulfillment in helping others across the globe. She also encourages us baby boomer women to take up new creative pursuits. <br /><br />All through the book I thought of the quote which is attibuted to CS Lewis: “You’re never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.”<br /><br />The book is full of many, many stories of older women who set new goals, dreamed new dreams.<br /><br />One of my favorite sections was “embrace the freedom of invisibility.” And let’s face it, women "of a certain age" become unnoticed, invisible. Instead, of wringing our hands over that, we should embrace it. We can do more. We can do more good with nobody watching, nobody noticing. She calls on women to find the upside of “being invisible.”<br /><br />Did you know that statistics state that women tend to become happier as they age? That’s in there, too.<br /><br />Trudeau is not afraid to share personal stories, even very personal ones on her own older dating experiences.<br /><br />There are chapters on health, housing, finances, and finally grief, for that is the one thing we know, or will come to know as we age - grief and letting go of loved ones. I loved that chapter very much, and I’m sure it’s one I will read over and over.<br /><br />I will end with this Native American saying:<br /><br />“No Wise Person ever wanted to be younger.”<br /><br />NEXT TIME: a timely, serious topic, I will be exploring and recommending a series of sexual harassment videos #thatsharassment. Watch them <a href="http://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a9215169/david-schwimmer-interview-sigal-avin-harassment/">here</a>. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </span>Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-81113795116547456892017-04-20T00:30:00.000-03:002017-04-20T00:30:00.894-03:00Dark, but oh so watchable<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Of all the dark, nuanced British crime dramas, I think <i><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1474684/">Luther</a></b></i> is one of the best. So, today as part of this “I Like It” blog, I am recommending that on the next rainy weekend you hunker yourself down and watch all four seasons. I watched them on Netflix, but I think there might be other options (iTunes?) depending on where you live. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswKCeAmlT0nF7fbohYqakzKej4Gw6LZgXu1BcuOvfhgSScmfu4wBvpmm1OYqdGYRgABMD6Gf_AXHJm3EUM6V5vgMBjEorYOm71VNpZUGAS6pcurrb2lXy-oyLURlAipytQf8c5Phv7_Xc/s1600/p039d8ns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswKCeAmlT0nF7fbohYqakzKej4Gw6LZgXu1BcuOvfhgSScmfu4wBvpmm1OYqdGYRgABMD6Gf_AXHJm3EUM6V5vgMBjEorYOm71VNpZUGAS6pcurrb2lXy-oyLURlAipytQf8c5Phv7_Xc/s320/p039d8ns.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<i><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1474684/">Luther</a></b></i> has all of the attributes which make a good series—a flawed handsome character, a multitude of difficult to solve, almost “personal” crimes, weird and compelling mysteries, and an overarching theme which will make you come back for more. John Luther is the handsome, flawed character. He loves his wife, Zoe—but she’s leaving him, and yes, that is mostly his fault. And as much as the “established” police force would like to let him go, his talent and instincts for crime solving are much needed. <br /><br />In the very first episode we meet Alice Morgan, a young sociopath who Luther (and everyone else) believes murdered her parents. He can’t prove it. No one can. And throughout the entire four seasons, she and John develop this most strange and convoluted psychological relationship. That over-arching story line weaves its threads through every episode in the four seasons.<br /><br />Some of these British crime dramas are so complex and nuanced that a second watching is almost required. I have watched the entire series twice, and the second time around picked up things I had missed in the first go round. Sets are brutal and noir. The stories are brutal and noir, the photography amazing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Episodes include serial killers with strange fetishes, art museums, and even the murders of people close to him.<br /><br />If you read this blog you know that I am a lover of first lines. It’s hard to do that in a TV series, so instead I offer you the music of the opening credits. The opening song '<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=283kL_khAtc"><b><i>Paradise Circus'</i></b></a> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_Attack"><b>Massive Attack</b></a><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>is haunting in its bleakness.<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>Click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=283kL_khAtc">here</a> for a listen<br /><br />I think it's because I love music, that I notice things like songs within television shows and movies. I've been known to scramble for a piece of paper when I hear a particularly compelling song that I wish to purchase on iTunes. I have actually filled my iTunes library with songs I have heard on Longmire, Luther, and many of the other dramas I have watched. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And because I pay attention, I noticed that Massive Attack also do the opening song for the TV show, <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_(TV_series)">House</a>. </i>Here's a <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=283kL_khAtc">link</a></b> to Massive Attack's Teardrop which is used there. </span><br />
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<br /><b>Next time:</b> It’s back to books this time with a part memoir, part self-help book by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Trudeau">Margaret Trudeau</a> entitled <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Time-Your-Life-Choosing-vibrant-ebook/dp/B00QQOV97W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492619444&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Time+of+your+Life+by+Margaret+Trudeau/?tag=writerhallcom-20A">The Time of Your Life.</a></b></i><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </span></div>
Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-84005138654408566212017-04-06T00:30:00.000-03:002017-04-08T22:04:17.223-03:00How ASL Changed My Life<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today in "I Like It," I am taking a u-turn away from books and I am recommending that you acquaint yourself with American Sign Language. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I live with someone who is hard of hearing. He has worn hearing aids since his forties and understands maybe around 50% of any given conversation. Each year his hearing deteriorates just a little bit more. <br /><br />Here’s something that a lot of people don’t understand: In most people, glasses can pretty much correct vision to 20/20. Hearing aids do not do this. What they do is amplify everything. If you get a chance, place someone’s hearing aid close to your ear and you’ll see what I mean. It’s certainly better than nothing, but not like glasses. </span><br />
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<br /><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Keller">Helen Keller </a></b>once said that blindness separates you from things. Deafness separates you from people. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Any hard of hearing person will tell you this is true. Plunk them down in the middle of any church pot luck with its decibels of ambient noise, and they’ll sit there, and do what is called “the deaf nod.” It means - I’m smiling and nodding, but I cannot be a part of this conversation because I can’t hear a word you’re saying.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />Last fall, my husband enrolled in an ASL level one course <a href="http://www.lifeprint.com/">(American Sign Language).</a> I did not. I decided to wait and see if he would “like it or not.”<br /><br />Well, he likes it. Loves it, actually. It opened up a whole new world of communication to him. I remember one evening after he came home from "deaf chat” at the mall. He said that for once, he didn’t have to lean forward, hands like funnels behind his ears, straining to hear, and missing most everything. He even said it was a joy to completely turn his hearing aids right off and be a full member of the conversation.<br /><br />How has ASL changed <i>my</i> life? I have a new appreciation for what my husband goes through. I always thought I did, but this opened my eyes even a bit wider. I am realizing that it’s okay for him to be who he is. And sometimes being “who he is” has him “talking too loud,” because his hard-of-hearing ears are telling him that his speech volume is perfectly okay. <br /><br />We spent the past few winter months in Florida where we got quite involved in the deaf community and ASL learning. I took a four-week beginner’s course, which turned into six weeks. He took an advanced course and twice a week we went to evening “deaf chat.” I’m learning that most communities have something like this, usually in a mall, where deaf people, hard of hearing people, interpreters and family members just go, buy themselves a coffee and talk. In ASL, of course.<br /><br />I treasured our Tuesday evenings at Dunkin Donuts, which were always followed by Taco Tuesdays at a pub called <a href="http://www.lollygaggers.net/"><b>Lollygaggers</b>. </a><br /><br />Some of the highlights of this winter:<br /><br />- Attending <i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/718726148289324/">Children of a Lesser God,</a></i> a play put on by a local troupe in an eclectic theatre in Tampa called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/thespaceat2106/about/?ref=page_internal">The Space.</a> The play was interpreted and the main character, as in the movie, was deaf herself.<br /><br />- Learning that deaf people are quite capable, thank you very much. After one of the Dunkin Donuts meeting, I, my hard-of-hearing husband plus two deaf friends were headed to <b>Lollygaggers.</b> When we walked into the pub I thought, “Well, I’m the hearing person here. I guess it’s up to me to get us a table and take care of everything.”<br /><br />I had barely put my jacket down, and the deaf gal had already very well communicated to the waitress that we wanted those two tables over there shoved together because we were expecting more people, and that she wanted a pitcher of beer. She did all this with smiles and miming. The waitress understood perfectly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Okay then. <br /><br />The fact that the bar was so noisy you couldn’t hear yourself think? Made no difference at all to this group of talkers.<br /><br />- Even though we are beginners, my husband and I are finding it a useful language to communicate. It’s great when you’re out kayaking, or across across a crowded and noisy room. <br /><br />- Chances are you already know some sign language. The word “Crazy”? The forefinger going in circles around the side of your head. Ask any teenager how to sign the word “Loser,” an L shaped with the thumb and forefinger and placed against your forehead while making a dumb face. Also, “come here,” “goodbye,” and “hello,” are all pretty universal in this language of pictures. <br /><br />So then, why should <i>you</i> learn ASL? <br /><br />1. You can communicate with deaf people. Even being able to say “thank you” is important and nice to the deaf community.<br /><br />2. You can talk to babies. Seriously. Many parents are teaching baby sign language to infants before they learn to talk. My grand baby twins already know the signs for "more," "milk." "finished," and "again." There is some research in its infancy, that is suggesting that nonverbal autistic children are benefitting from learning and using ASL. Click <a href="http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/topics/autism02.htm">here</a> for that study.<br /><br />3. You will learn a new culture. I have studied the Spanish language for most of my school years, and then a few university courses. It's a language I love. But not only did I learn a new language, but I learned to appreciate the culture that goes along with it. Culture is how a group of people thinks, and how better to know how they think, than by their words and how these words are put together. The deaf community definitely has their own culture. They are an accepting and huggy lot. They are perhaps a bit more blunt than us non-deaf. If you learn their language you will come to appreciate their culture. <br /><br />4. There are many studies which indicate that learning a new language, at any age, is good for the brain. It’s especially good to learn a new language in your dotage. It gets your brain treading down a different road. I have found this to be true. I find when I’m scrambling for an ASL sign which has eluded me, I'm suddenly thinking of Spanish words. Or long-forgotten Chinese words, which we studied briefly forty years ago. I can just see the computer neural cells and synapses in my brain saying to one another. ”Okay, This is a language. Spanish? </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Wait. No. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Chinese? Here’s the Chinese word. It's got to be Chinese. No. Wait...” Until my brain figures out the correct sign. There's a part of the brain devoted to language.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />Here's an <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/01/10/169066535/speaking-more-than-one-language-could-prevent-alzheimers">article</a> about learning a language and Alzheimers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here's an actual </span><a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121008082953.htm" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">study</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> about the same thing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87vW9x4XgraktnwF48M8z7V2I5v1yW1H4fCHwMPYKqyzzIjDx570xmMXMIMu-4fJxLFxDoc6TZdXwMdgP7cHtzeXc5YVvMcn2CKNZagWre8Khrvchtzk2iTj12TOuZZ_qiJtd_E7Hxeu3/s1600/IMG_5761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87vW9x4XgraktnwF48M8z7V2I5v1yW1H4fCHwMPYKqyzzIjDx570xmMXMIMu-4fJxLFxDoc6TZdXwMdgP7cHtzeXc5YVvMcn2CKNZagWre8Khrvchtzk2iTj12TOuZZ_qiJtd_E7Hxeu3/s320/IMG_5761.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In Two Weeks: A look at the TV series </span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_(TV_series)">Luther</a>.</b></i></div>
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Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-66579941707099492342017-03-23T00:30:00.000-03:002017-03-23T20:21:40.216-03:00A New Voice in Literary Thriller<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’ve written extensively here about the genre of "literary thriller" and how books that bear that classification are my favorite goto reads. I love a suspense novel that is so well-written it could stand side by side next to any "literary" novel at any time of day. I have also written here about the late <a href="https://lrhallbooks.blogspot.com/2017/01/blame-her-she-started-it.html">Ruth Rendell</a> and how her "literary" mysteries and short stories were so influential in my own writing and early years as a mystery author. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am now discovering that there are a whole new generation of suspense writers who are taking up the torch and producing quality work that leaves you turning page after page (or pressing screen after screen) far into the night. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZL1vvsDcUFtuqboViBlcNqJLlKt5Zz16eggDZ1X6xdQByvjgHZ6PaglyHN-nzRGbnhePafJpluzW7i0wabQL6DPavs2S9vYgkaowOCVKXyiD5lJsPAdf2JYLv0F84Ao7glHABl2YH-YLG/s1600/51-S6QwBwPL._AC_US218_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZL1vvsDcUFtuqboViBlcNqJLlKt5Zz16eggDZ1X6xdQByvjgHZ6PaglyHN-nzRGbnhePafJpluzW7i0wabQL6DPavs2S9vYgkaowOCVKXyiD5lJsPAdf2JYLv0F84Ao7glHABl2YH-YLG/s1600/51-S6QwBwPL._AC_US218_.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />Today I would like to recommend one of these "new to me" authors: <a href="https://klslaterauthor.com/">K. L. Slater</a>. Her book <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Safe-Me-psychological-thriller-breath-ebook/dp/B01K4MJVH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490195338&sr=8-1&keywords=safe+with+me+by+k.l.+slater/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Safe With Me</a></b></i> is today's blog recommendation. <br /><br />I love books with twisty-turny plots and well-developed “strange and mad” characters—who you might not realize are “strange and mad” until quite near the end. <br /><br />In <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Safe-Me-psychological-thriller-breath-ebook/dp/B01K4MJVH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490195338&sr=8-1&keywords=safe+with+me+by+k.l.+slater/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Safe With Me</a></b></i> we meet Anna, a solitary young woman who lives by herself in her family home and works as a mail carrier. She witnesses a road accident where a young man, Liam, on a motorcycle was injured badly. The story begins when she recognizes the driver of the car as the woman who destroyed her life so many years ago and contributed to her own little brother's death. <br /><br />In true "Rendell” form, we get to know all of these characters through flashbacks, which don’t distract from the story, but add to it. That is an art, having flashbacks appear seamlessly through the story. <br /><br />Is Anna sane? Or is she, perhaps, the crazy one? How about Liam? He seems so normal. Maybe he is, or maybe he isn’t. How about the neighbor, J</span><span style="font-family: "\22 verdana\22 " , sans-serif;">oan Peat, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">who has known Anna since she was a child. Maybe she’s the nuts one. And what about all that mail that Anna has to deliver? I don’t give spoilers here at all, but that little subplot had me nervously biting my nails. Because mail is important. And what if it was mine?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />Just to give you a taste of what is to come, here is the first line of the book. <br /><br /><i>So, they’re tucked up in bed at last. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Y</i></span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">ou take a handful of matches and you light each one, </i><br />
<i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">watching the burn die to a powdery black dot.</i><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />Can’t you just see those matches one by one burning right down, almost scorching the fingers that hold them? And who is tucked up in bed at night? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was hooked. <br /><br />Right now I’m reading another of her books, <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blink-psychological-thriller-killer-forget-ebook/dp/B01NBF30MU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490195403&sr=8-1&keywords=blink+by+k.l.+slater/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Blink</a></b></i>, and enjoying it as much. <br /><br />If you like well-written thrillers and wish there were more Ruth Rendell books to devour, I highly recommend this British author. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfQFot26ffzJfeTNFSPd7mGlOtrM5j9Lew4q54N_t4G8zd40rqPyJPM57R3q6YOgM8YH2od7fnlIO0D_KKAYhxyzOWSqFlVFgnmFR81SzoLsCKlVm8GyzZ2LBGTwdcZlgR537dZfmg5wZ/s1600/IMG_5958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfQFot26ffzJfeTNFSPd7mGlOtrM5j9Lew4q54N_t4G8zd40rqPyJPM57R3q6YOgM8YH2od7fnlIO0D_KKAYhxyzOWSqFlVFgnmFR81SzoLsCKlVm8GyzZ2LBGTwdcZlgR537dZfmg5wZ/s320/IMG_5958.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />I found this online <b><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11440540/Thrillers-and-crime-novels-Are-women-hardwired-to-love-them.html">article</a> </b>on why women read thrillers. I think I’m right up in that demographic. Even though this article is a couple of years old, I don’t see the psychological thriller genre falling off any time soon. I'll certainly keep reading them. They have always been my favorites—from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Hibbert">Victoria Holt</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne_du_Maurier">Daphne du Maurier </a>in my teens, to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Rendell">Ruth Rendell </a>and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._D._James">PD James</a> in my younger adult years to authors like K.L Slater and others today.<br /><br /><b>Next Time:</b> <i>"I Like It" </i>takes a look at how <a href="http://www.lifeprint.com/">ASL (American Sign Language)</a> is changing my life.</span>Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-40286197490673521782017-03-09T14:57:00.001-03:002017-03-09T15:07:04.759-03:00It's about time I read this author's work!<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Before reading <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Five-Quarters-Orange-Novel-P-S/dp/0061214604/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489009982&sr=8-1&keywords=five+quarters+of+the+orange/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Five Quarters of the Orange,</a></b></i> the novel I am recommending today, I was not familiar with this author’s work. I never even watched the multi-academy award winning movie <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chocolat-Joanne-Harris-ebook/dp/B004GTLKLO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489066225&sr=8-1&keywords=chocolate+by+joanne+harris/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Chocolat</a></b></i>.<br /><br />Watching <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3387425049">the trailer</a> I get a sense of what the movie is about—Woman comes to town. Woman takes over abandoned building. Woman turns it into a successful eatery. In the case of <i><b>Chocolat</b></i>, it’s a chocolate shop across from a church. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIiAcRv9F3nNph45boDYOoCU4JdhpWiylLIgpN8IE9i0LMhwgDpSB2aPj4w6XGIZFQb3MORj9MfVHpZi9FvcgLj2HzisvyB-QHI_aHbrg6dDjnG1DQWj0UI-yxUiFY2BlDU6cYjsFeQGSh/s1600/51sQ2bOgk-L._AC_US160_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIiAcRv9F3nNph45boDYOoCU4JdhpWiylLIgpN8IE9i0LMhwgDpSB2aPj4w6XGIZFQb3MORj9MfVHpZi9FvcgLj2HzisvyB-QHI_aHbrg6dDjnG1DQWj0UI-yxUiFY2BlDU6cYjsFeQGSh/s320/51sQ2bOgk-L._AC_US160_.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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In <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Five-Quarters-Orange-Novel-P-S/dp/0061214604/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489009982&sr=8-1&keywords=five+quarters+of+the+orange/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Five Quarters of the Orange,</a></b></i> it’s a crêperie. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And, that’s where the similarities end. The trailer for <i><b>Chocolat</b></i> calls it a comedy. <i><b>Five Quarters of the Orange</b></i> is anything but. I would call it a tragedy cocooned in mystery. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I guess it’s the mystery reader/writer in me, but I love stories which revolve around mysterious tragic secrets. For that reason, <i><b>Five Quarters of the Orange </b></i>does not disappoint.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Framboise, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the main character</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> in this book, was driven out with her family from their small French village during the war, following a tragedy. She returns fifty years later in disguise to try to rebuild her family’s abandoned farm. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />The book deftly moves between "past" and "present." During the “past” portions of the book, we get a glimpse of small town France during the German occupation. Framboise is nine then, and along with her older sister and brother and single mother they work on the farm, collecting eggs and and helping to make jams and other things to sell at the local market.<br /><br />The river Loire plays an important role for the children. I</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">t’s their secret place</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, their</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> swimming hole, their fishing place, a place where they store their “treasures,” and the place where "Old Mother" resides. She’s not anyone’s actual mother, but a huge pike, a fish that no one can catch. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The story's mystery revolves around one particular German soldier who befriends the children. I won’t say more. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Somehow I knew that the catching of Old Mother would usher in the deadly end of the book. And that it would involve him.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />Fifty years later, the now widowed Framboise, under a new name and in disguise, returns to her childhood abandoned farm, the place where her family was cast out so many years ago. She has a copy of her mother’s recipe book which also includes scribbled margin notes by her mother which give Framboise a new and different look at the grim, sickly and stern mother she grew up with and never knew. Framboise wants to restore the place. And she does, finally opening up a successful crêperie. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But the past can never be truly erased, can it?<br /><br />Food is a constant throughout the book, and I hadn’t noticed this, but one reviewer mentioned that a lot of the characters are named after foods. Framboise being the main character and also there is Pistache, Noisette and Prune. (I admit I stumbled a bit on the name “Prune.” Who names a child Prune? Well, maybe in French it sounds different.)<br /><br />The writing was superb. Every sentence sings.<br /><br />Here is the first: <br /><br /><i>When my mother died she left the farm to my brother, Cassis, the fortune in the wine cellar, a jar containing a single black Périgord truffle, large as a tennis ball, suspended in sunflower oil, that when uncorked, still releases the rich dank perfume of the forest floor.</i> <br /><br />This beautiful prose progresses and and a story that captured my attention until the dark climax, which was worse than I had even guessed.</span><br />
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<br />If you love extremely well-written historical fiction and demand a good plot at its core, I highly recommend <b><i>Five Quarters of the Orange</i></b>. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0q38zNf4Kw63afwKDS0O3otcdvQSICTrpsVPstd7koe4EbSn7T0viWh7TVoy56WngM67IGZQ0djan-EcQKiOL9FBAcBVBSFyiF4ivrtvpLtNOc4LpRXXlZggrz_fCmvTGoZ7UuqspkQoR/s1600/IMG_5464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0q38zNf4Kw63afwKDS0O3otcdvQSICTrpsVPstd7koe4EbSn7T0viWh7TVoy56WngM67IGZQ0djan-EcQKiOL9FBAcBVBSFyiF4ivrtvpLtNOc4LpRXXlZggrz_fCmvTGoZ7UuqspkQoR/s320/IMG_5464.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I will read more of Joanne Harris, that's for sure.<br /><br />In two weeks: Another thriller - <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Safe-Me-psychological-thriller-breath-ebook/dp/B01K4MJVH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489011938&sr=8-1&keywords=safe+with+me+by+k.l.+slater/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Safe With Me</a> </b></i>by K. L. Slater <br /> </span></div>
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Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-89601280881440656342017-03-05T00:30:00.000-03:002017-03-05T10:11:58.186-03:00Sunday Songs<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Another beautiful Sunday Song for you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUvxPGxZt-s">My Shepherd Will Supply My Need</a> </b>comes from <i><b>The Book Of Praise,</b></i> my favorite hymnal of all times, the one used in the Presbyterian church. It's a beautiful song, one that I have also sung as a solo. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Please click on the link <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUvxPGxZt-s">here</a></b> and listen along with the words, and be transported to some other place.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>My Shepherd will supply my need:</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Jehovah is His Name;</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>In pastures fresh He makes me feed,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Beside the living stream.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>He brings my wandering spirit back</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>When I forsake His ways,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>And leads me, for His mercy's sake,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>In paths of truth and grace.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>When I walk through the shades of death</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>His presence is my stay;</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>One word of His supporting grace</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Drives all my fears away.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Doth still my table spread;</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>My cup with blessings overflows,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>His oil anoints my head.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>The sure provisions of my God</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Attend me all my days;</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>O may Thy house be my abode,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>And all my work be praise.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>There would I find a settled rest,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>While others go and come;</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>No more a stranger, nor a guest,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>But like a child at home.</i></span></span></div>
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Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-66210703350492087362017-02-23T00:30:00.000-03:002017-02-23T10:41:36.711-03:00We all need a brain re-set right about now<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You’ve had enough of the constant news. I know. I’m right there with you. Everything seems to be bad and getting worse. You’re sad and angry and deep down you’re even sort of scared. You’ve just read that the American dream is a <b><a href="https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/our-miserable-21st-century/">myth</a></b> and that certain lesser-known nations are t<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/02/politics/north-korea-icbm-threat-trump/index.html">hreatening to arm wrestle</a> anyone who comes near with their new nuclear muscles. You feel like whimpering in the corner and sucking on the ends of your sweater sleeves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />You know how every once in a while you have to shut down your phone and let all the applications and whathaveyous go back to reset? You might even need to do a total factory reset. It happens. <br /><br />Sometimes, you need to do that with your brain. A walk in the woods might be the answer, or hunkering down with a good novel, or my favorite - <b><a href="https://lrhallbooks.blogspot.com/2016/02/how-to-start-something-new-kayak-lesson.html">kayaking</a></b> on a gentle and beautiful and quiet stream. <br /><br />But there is another way to reset your mind that won’t even take you away from your computer. Move your cursor over to a sleek, smart website called <i><b><a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/">Atlas Obscura</a></b></i> and hang out there for a little while. You'll learn things, interesting things. You'll smile, even laugh maybe. Or cry. You might cry. But what you won't do is think about the news.<br /><br />Today, here on "I Like It," I am recommending a website of alternate and interesting facts about our world, our universe and the people who live here with us. It’s not one of those ad-heavy sites which appeal to our lower natures with stories about "celebrity plastic surgery mishaps" or “best clothing malfunctions.” No. <a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/"><b>Atlas Obscura</b></a> is a serious place and a marvelous place, a place where you can lose yourself in strange little known facts as you click from one link to the next. And soon you’re lost and the real world out there is forgotten.<br /><br />Do you know why people in the early 2000s starting painting the interiors of their homes beige, beige, and nothing but beige? Read about it <a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-beige-took-over-american-homes"><b>here</b></a>.<br /><br />Maybe it’s because I’m a mystery writer but I have long been intrigued by <b><a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mutter-museum">Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum </a></b>which is described as "America's most famous museum of medical oddities, and home to the remains of Einstein's Brain.”<br /><br />The pictures at that site are worth the price of admission. But, it's more than pictures. You'll also learn about the strange and convoluted history behind the museum, and why it’s even there. It's still on my bucket list to visit, and now even more so.<br /><br />I would maintain that <b>Atlas Obscura</b>, itself is like its own <b>Mütter Museum</b><br /><br />Do you like ghost towns? The site abounds with pictures and stories.<br /><br />How about ghosts themselves? Again, take your <a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&lat=&lng=&q=ghost+stories&formatted_address=&source=desktop&nearby=false"><b>pick</b></a>.<br /><br />How about a house made entirely of <a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-bottle-house."><b>bottles</b></a>? Put that in the A<b>tlas Obscura </b>search engine an you'll come up with a long list. Seems lots of people are building out of bottles these days.<br /><br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_House_(British_Columbia)"><b>Here’s one</b></a> I visited back when we lived in western Canada See - I’m not the only one who can come up with alternative facts and interesting places to visit. And that's what the site gets you doing, thinking about all the creative people and oddities in the world, and the fun places that you have traveled to.<br /><br />So, despite all the bad news, I can report that there are still dreamers and inventors, creators and poets. There are joys and oddities and fascinating histories. Animals? Looking for something other than your standard zoo animals? How about the practically impossible-to-kill microscopic <b><a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/fleeting-wonders-water-bears-awaken-after-30-years-frozen-in-moss">'water bears'</a> </b>Yes. There is such a thing. The photos alone are worth the trip to the site. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ever wonder why actors in old time movies seem to talk so differently than we do? Well, this is also explained is <a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-a-fake-british-accent-took-old-hollywood-by-storm"><b>here</b></a>, too. It offers quite a fascinating look into what we thought was important and upscale back then. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Oh, and did you know that the <b><a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/mall-of-america-writer-in-residence">Mall of America</a></b> is looking for a Writer in residence? Ah, there’s a job I could apply for. Hmmm. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our world is indeed a wonderful place, full of nature and wonderments and good people who invent and create all sorts of machines and poetry and books and libraries and scientists and animals. Head on over to <a href="http://atlasobscura.com/">Atlas Obscura</a> for a mind feast.<br /><br /><b>NEXT TIME</b> - <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Five-Quarters-Orange-Novel-P-S-ebook/dp/B000W5MI9O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1487784014&sr=1-1&keywords=five+quarters+of+the+orange/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Five Quarters of the Orange</a></b></i> by Joanne Harris of <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chocolat-Joanne-Harris-ebook/dp/B004GTLKLO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1487784076&sr=1-1&keywords=chocolat/?tag=writerhallcom-20">Chocolat</a></b></i> fame. </span>Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-62453387294535354972017-02-19T18:09:00.001-03:002017-02-23T15:17:45.314-03:00...And Peace to his people on earth.<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Glory to God in the Highest...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My husband and I have been attending an Episcopalian/Anglican Church while we’re down here in Florida. And with that, learning an entire new and very beautiful liturgy. It took me three Sundays to figure out in which part of the Book of Common Prayer, the following hymn is located. I just figured everyone had this beautiful anthem memorized. Today, we were a little bit early to church, so I had a lovely chance to sit down and look through the Book of Common Prayer as well as the hymnal. And lo and behold, it was right there. </span><br />
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<br />I’m sharing it here today as my SUNDAY SONG because in song, it explains the entire Christian faith. Click <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz4W2hQsmNc">here</a></b> to hear it sung by a choir, and then follow along with the lyrics below.<br /><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Glory to God in the highest </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br />And peace to His people on earth <br /><br />Lord God, Heavenly King, Almighty God and Father <br /><br />We worship You <br /><br />We give You thanks <br /><br />We praise You for Your glory <br /><br /><br />Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father <br /><br />Lord God, Lamb of God <br /><br />You take away the sins of the world <br /><br /><br />Lord, have mercy on us <br /><br />You are seated at the right hand of the Father <br /><br />Receive our prayer <br /><br /><br />For You alone are the Holy One <br /><br />For You alone are the Lord <br /><br />For You alone are the Most High </i></span><br />
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<br /><br />Jesus Christ <br /><br />With the Holy Spirit <br /><br />In the glory of God the Father</i> </span></div>
Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416968251392335308.post-67284018035857586502017-02-09T00:30:00.000-03:002017-02-09T00:30:20.860-03:00In Times Like These - Make Art<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And in a recent Facebook post Canadian singer/songwriter <b><a href="http://stevebell.com/">Steve Bell</a> </b>encouraged his Facebook Followers to do just that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is in times of uncertainty that artists should write songs, sing them, paint pictures, create stories, weave cloth, make pots and rugs and poems and gardens and loaves of bread. Show them that there is grace in the world. Show them that injustice can be overcome by beauty and creativity.</span><br />
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<br />This week, long overdue in my roster of media to endorse, I am recommending <a href="http://stevebell.com/2016/10/good-way-lies-song-notes/"><i><b>Where The Good Way Lies</b></i>,</a> Steve Bell’s newest CD. His music has had an impact on my own spiritual journey (and if you are a follower of this blog, you know I am on a profound one.). I am an unashamed and self-proclaimed Steve Bell “groupie.” (I even have the t-shirt to prove it!)<br /><br />My husband and I saw Steve Bell in concert for the first time some years ago at a Baptist Convention in the maritimes. There was something so simple, so plain, so true about him and his songs. At a time when I was hungering for authentic Christians, His honestly and realness spoke to me right away. He is also an amazing musician!<br /><br />After his evening concert at that same convention, my husband and I bought every single one of his CDs from the table out back. (Well, how could we not? They were all on sale!)<br /><br />As a writer, I am constantly striving to be authentic, to be real, to tell it like it is, as they say. And yet, there are voices urging me to do otherwise. Your stories should be about how people should act, not how they really do act. That makes no sense to me. That’s why I find Bell’s music and concerts so refreshing.<br /><br />I’m not your typical music reviewer and this won’t be a typical music review. I don’t focus on the technical aspects of a recording. I can’t tell you who played bass and who was on vocals and why Choice A for backup vocals was better than Choice B. What I do, and what my blog above says I do, is share how the music moved me along on my journey. That’s what I share. <br /><br />Here are a some of the songs from W<i><b>here the Good Way Lies</b></i> which I could listen to over and over. (And I do.) <br /><br />One of my favorites is a simple song, the second to the last track - <i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKJ5rnSjdxA">O Love Come to Us </a></b></i>- something we need. Have a quick Youtube listen here: <br /><br />Another is <i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgDyfw0B4Ac">A Better Resurrection.</a></b></i> I think we have all prayed:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>My life is like a faded leaf. O Jesus Quicken Me.</i><br /><br /><i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m1U5CsolnM">Wait Alone in the Stillness</a> </b></i>could be torn right out of the headlines. To indeed prove that the more things change, the more they remain the same. The lyrics are straight from Psalm 62:<br /><br /><i>The enemies of love in vain rehearse<br />A plot to undermine the hope of nations<br />With tongues they bless<br />But with their hearts they curse<br />And lie in wait to bait love’s termination</i><br /><br />The title track is an interesting one and fuses old with new, ancient music from First Nations, and modern hip hop. I know. I know. But give it a listen. It works, proving that no matter the skin we are in, or when we were born, we are all pretty much the same.. <br /><br />I would be remiss if I didn’t mention his instrumental <i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGI1aIJlec4">Freedom Road.</a></b></i> A century ago the Shoal Lake indigenous peoples near where he lives in Manitoba, were left isolated when the city of Winnipeg constructed a water pipe, which left the Shoal Lake people with no clean water of their own. They needed a road. They were shut out, cut off from the rest of Canada, and under a boil water order for eighteen years. <br /><br />I have a friend who calls Bell, “Canada’s Bono”, and he worked hard to urge the government to finally build this long awaited road. <br /><br />Here's a <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/shoal-lake-40-first-nation-s-freedom-road-a-path-to-reconciliation-chief-1.3369622"><b>news article</b> </a>explaining it all. <br /><br />Bell has taken his own advice to make music during perilous times. And not, he adds, to be tempted by ‘celebrity’ but just to make art for its own sake. <br /><br />And maybe that’s what we’re all supposed to do. </span><br />
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<br />This just in! <i><b>Where the Good Way Lies</b></i> is up for a <a href="http://junoawards.ca/nominees/printer-friendly/?nomination-year=2017">Juno Award nomination</a>! This is a big deal in Canada! Congratulations Steve!<br /><br /><b>Next time</b>: Something completely different, I will be recommend the fun and interesting website/media outlet - <b><a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/">Atlas Obscura</a></b> </span></div>
Linda Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860998998692857696noreply@blogger.com2