The View from Sari's World

I have moved! New blog address

2012-01-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

Hi dear Readers, I know it has been a while. School became really demanding so something had to give. While I was away I noticed Blogger has really changed. While I like most of what I see, I finally made the decision to move to WordPress.
I did this for professional reasons. Most of my clients use WordPress and I find myself learning it over and over as I help them. I thought it would be best if I had a blog so I could get used to the layout.
I can't help but be a little excited too. See, I thought it would be the place to start anew. As much as I respect all my book blogging friends I found my passion was not in reviewing, but in article writing and opining. With the move comes a new kind of blog, well more of the same, just not so much book talk. I hope you still enjoy visiting as I love your comments.
I am still working on it, so excuses the excess whitness. Unlike blogger, the themes are not user friendly. I'll figure it out, after all this is one of the reason for the move.
So come on over to Sari's World, which will now be found at http://theviewfromsarisworld.com.

How Borders could have been saved

2011-08-15T19:51:00.001-07:00

As everyone knows, Borders is going out of business. It isalways sad to see a company fold, if only because of the loss of jobs. I feel for the thousands of clerks who arenow part of the unemployed. Losing Borders is no surprise, long time readersknow I have been blogging about the changes I have seen at my local Borders foryears. The changes never seemed to help, if anything, they seemed to drive bookbuyers away. This last weekend I spent a lot of time in my local store, talkingto clerks and other customers. I have come to the conclusion Borders may have beensaved if the upper management had used common “book” sense.

As soon as Borders announced they were going out of businessand put their books on sale the masses turned up. As much as it turned mystomach to see so many people in the store looking for bargains (it reminded meof relatives fighting for grandma’s stuff) I had to admit the sales signsreally worked. So why didn’t Borders offer a better rewards program? What wouldhave been so bad about offering loyal customers 25% off all the time? Barns andNobles has a great reward program, it is often the deciding factor when I amdeciding between a purchase from B&N or Amazon. I had a Borders reward cardbut hardly used it, 10% was not all that attractive as an incentive.

A couple of years ago, Borders cut back on nonfiction tomake room for teen vampire and Manga books. As much as I love seeing youngpeople read, I thought this was a mistake given the economy. Since 2008 teenshave been the highest unemployed group; their discretionary spending dried up,yet Borders decided to cater to them at the expense of those who had the money tospend on books; the retired and professionals. Many long time customerscomplained about this change, but our local store had no control over it. Duringmy two visits to Borders I counted three young people in the teen section; asthe other shelves emptied out this section reminded packed with books. The shelves that were emptying out? The historyand science section!

Speaking of science, a year ago I went to my local storewith a two page wish list. Most of the books on my list were from the RoyalScience Academy’s top ten picks. This list is like the Booker prize forscience. To my shock, the store did not have one book on my list. When I askedI was told “science books do not sell well in this area”. I ended up going 30miles to B&N who had every book on my list. The customers Borders forgotabout were the customers who did not buy from them because they did not stockthe right books. I wonder how many other people turned to B&N for theirbooks? Sunday, I saw many of the books from my list; I saw them in buyer’shands. I was told Borders is restocking the stores from their warehouses and soeach store is getting whatever is on hand. Finally, Borders stocks my localstore with quality science books, and yes, they are selling!

Though it is too late for Borders, perhaps this can be alesson to the next big book chain. Give loyal customers better discounts, caterto those who have the money to spend on books and stock the shelves withquality, award winning books. I am sad to see my town’s only book store close,but this may make room for another one to move in.

Getting It Of My Chest: Fast Food Is A Drug Of Choice

2011-07-29T12:54:00.000-07:00

My dear Readers,

When I started my blog back in 2008, I promised myself itwould not be just another book blog. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love readingyour reviews; my reading list has grown, and I have made many good friendsbecause of our common love of reading, but I wanted my writing to consist of awide range of subjects.

For the last few months my posts have been sparse mostly dueto life, but also because I feel the pressure to write about my reads, evenwhen my reads have been mediocre. I just didn’t feel I had much to say aboutthe books I have picked up lately. I have had a lot on my mind, most notably whatis going on in politics. I have no interest in starting a political blog, yet Ifeel I am not taking advantage of my blog and what it can offer me as far asgetting things off my mind. A couple of days ago my favorite author, Karen Essex,shared her new blog with her Facebook followers and it occurred to me this iswhat I need to do. I need to start writing the posts I promised myself in 2008I would. Today is the day I start writing about history, science, religion,society and books, just as my header says I do. Today, I start to get things off my chest and hopefully start discussionsin the comment field.

A couple of days ago McDonalds announced it is changing theHappy Meal. Bowing to parent groups, McDonalds is making the French fry sizesmall and is including fruit in the meal. This may be all well and good, butwhat is making me see red, is the idea that there are parent groups pressuringthe company to change. Wouldn’t it be better if parent groups pressured parentsto stop feeding their kids junk food? If parents don’t like what is in a HappyMeal, it would seem the easy answer would be to not buy them. Parents need totake responsibility over what food their children eat, a company who makestheir money selling by-products, packaged as food, should not have to bow topressure to change.

I had this conversation with a parent just yesterday. Sherolled her eyes and told me I just don’t understand, kids like Happy Meals andit is tough to say no. She also said fast food is a life saver because of ourbusy schedules.

Yes, I do understand, I have a child and when he was youngthere were far more fast food commercials than now. I did not buy into the ideathat fast food was okay to feed to him on a regular basis and I did not buyinto the idea that I had to say yes when he wanted it. If you cannot say no toa six year old who wants something that is not good for him or her, how willyou say no when your sixteen year old wants to do drugs? Seriously, fast foodcan lead to major health and mental problems just like drugs. Stay with me, Iwill explain.

Both fatty foods and drugs affect brain function. I wouldnot go so far as to say fast food damages brain cells and neurons, but it does leadto a good feeling, and this leads to many people equating fatty foods withfeeling better. Far too many people use food to feel better when stressed,depressed, and or want a “reward”. Others turn to drugs for the same reasons.Both sets of people use a substance to deal with life, and both sets end upwith many physical problems. When weconstantly give our kids fast food we are teaching them food is a safe way tohave a good time. Keep in mind, we are talking about Happy Meals. The name says it all.

We saw a rise in obesity and health problems as we saw arise in fast food. We all know it is bad for us, yet we continue to eat it andnow parent groups want to make it “better” for us! Would you let your kids dodrugs, which also lead to health problems? Of course not, but for some reasonwe refuse to take responsibility for what our kids eat. Instead we now have lobbyistspressuring companies to take the responsibility off our hands.

Yes, I do understand the pressure to make our kids happy,and yes I know the pressure of not having a lot of time to cook. I raised mychild on my own as I went to school and held a full time job, yet I managed tomake sure I took responsibility for his well being. This meant I said no tofast food and no to drugs. If you are a parent who thinks Happy Meals are notgood for your children, take responsibility and keep them away from yourchildren. Just say no.

Harry Potter; the end of an era

2011-07-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

Friday, the final installment of the Harry Potter movieseries hits American theaters. It is the end of an era for many of us. Forsome, it means the end of a series of 8 movies, for me it is the end of ajourney that started with the first book and one more example that my son isgrown and no longer my reading/movie buddy.

The journey started for us 10 years ago when my son was only9. He was reading above his grade level and I was at a loss as to what I couldoffer him. Our house was full of my nonfiction books and his very young readers’soft backs. I did what any good mother would; I headed for the local independentbook store (remember when every town had one of these?) in the hopes of findinga book or two that would hold his attention as it was becoming clear my son wasbecoming a voracious reader. Alex was coming home with armfuls of schoollibrary books, reading at a pace that matched my own. So, heading towards the northcost in our purple jeep (yep, I used to have a purple jeep) I wracked my brainas to what book I could introduce Alex to. At his age I was reading Nancy Drewstories, would he like the Hardy Boys? Was there a new series for boys? As wedrove he went on and on about the boring library books and lamented the lack ofimaginative books found within its walls. Can you picture a 9 year old decryingthe lack of imagination in children’s books? By the time we got to the bookstore I was convinced nothing would satisfy his need for something new andexciting. We lived on the California coast and our cozy independent book storewas small. I was under no illusions that we would find the perfect book.

The smell of that book store will always stay with me; a mixof new book pulp and sea water. All ocean side buildings, no matter how new, absorbthe light musty smell of salt water and seaweed. It is a comforting smell tothose of us who live or lived, on the coast; it is the smell of home. Alex ran over to the children’s sectionintent on finding the perfect book. I looked over to the owner with pleading eyes,could she possibly recommend a book for my picky reader?

So started our journey with Harry Potter. Theowner of the book store (oh what was her name?) pulled a large book from astack and told us that she was having a hard time keeping these in stock. Itseemed everyone was reading Harry Potterand the Sorcerer’s Stone. I was apprehensive; it seemed an awful large bookfor a 9 year old. Alex sat on the floor and started reading, about two pages inhe looked up with his green eyes wide with excitement and asked if we could buyit. I was not sure if I believed he would finish it, but that look got to me,we purchased it and headed home. One week later he finished it, and our love ofall things Potter had begun. He and I read all the books and watched all themovies and argued over Snape’s role as a bad guy. Alex thought he was bad, Ithought he was good, but that may due to Alan Rickman’s portrayal, rather thanwhat I read in the pages. During hishigh school years, Alex read the last three books. The movies no longer held a fascinationfor him, but the books always did. Now, the last movie is coming out, and I amreminded that this is the end of an era. I wonder if my grandchildren will lovethe books. I am keeping them, just in case.

The Skinny Rules Diet by Molly Morgan, a review

2011-06-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

Pardon me, while I get on my soap box as I review Molly Morgan’s latest Skinny Girls book, The Skinny Rules, 101 secrets every skinny girl knows. We are a nation of lazy eaters. We would rather pop a frozen meal in the oven, or stop at one of several neighborhood fast food restaurants than prepare a proper meal. Because of this we are also a very fat nation. Most of us battle weight issues because of our diet of choice. I eat health, avoid red meat and fats yet because of my thyroid issues, I constantly curse my scale and tight jeans. When I was offered the chance to review Morgan’s book I did so because I wanted to find out if there was more I could do in my battle of the bulge.

Morgan starts her book with a definition of skinny that made me stop and think. She says a skinny lifestyle means you are eating right and exercising, being thin has nothing to do with it. The people who are thin, yet smoke, eat junk and sit around may be blessed with a great metabolism but they are not living a skinny lifestyle. I appreciated her take on this, as I know there are many people who are healthy even if they are not model thin. Kinda makes you feel better about being a size 12 doesn’t it?

Morgan’s book is full of tips on how to avoid extra calories, the kind that seem innocent but over time can lead to weight gain and health issues. What fries? Go ahead if you want, but avoid the sugar laced ketchup. Eat fresh veggies; just don’t douse them with Ranch dressing. She also claims that if you must eat out, fast food meals have fewer calories than sit down restaurants. Here I would argue that this may be so, but fast food has a lot more chemicals and preservatives and in the long run may be worse.

Like Michal Pollan, Morgan stresses the need for fresh food and to avoid frozen meals at all cost. It is best to shop the outer isles, stick with veggies, protein and dairy. Simple stuff, yet we do not seem to understand this anymore. We forgot just two generations ago there was no such thing as readymade meals, (unless you count tasteless TV dinners). Morgan’s small rule book is a gentle reminder that skinny people eat a lot like our grandparents did.

As diet books go, I have to say this is one that makes a lot of sense and is easy to use as a guide; as long as you understand what may be needed is a lifestyle change not a quick diet plan. If this book appeals to you I would suggest picking up Michael Pollan’s An Omnivores Dilemma, as it delves deeper into why a skinny lifestyle is best no matter what your size may be.

The Heart and Soul of the E Street Band

2011-06-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

Back in 1986 my best friend told me the only thing she wanted as a birthday present was to see Bruce Springsteen in concert. I did not like his voice but since this is all she wanted, and being young with money to burn I bought us two concert seats.

The concert was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Turns out the E Street band rocks the house! After this concert I rushed out and bought a tape of each album. (Yes we still listened to tapes back then). Clarence Clemons stole the show; with a stage presence that commanded attention. He showed the audience how hot and sexy a sax player can be. It was obvious to me Clemons was the heart and soul of the band. Today we lost a great musical talent.

I was lucky enough to see him twice, one during the famous Born in the USA tour and during the horrid Tunnel of Love tour. This was the tour when Springsteen was cheating on his wife with his then band mate, now wife, Patty. During the concert Springsteen and Patty made it clear they were an item. I give the band credit for trying to put on a decent show while the two lovers made asses of themselves. My eyes kept moving to Clemons, as his energy and stamina remind high throughout the 3 hour long concert. My respect for him grew while my dislike of Springsteen rushed back. After this show I stopped listening to him, while following Clemons career as he moved to new avenues and played with various artists. It was always a joy to hear him, whether he jammed with jazz greats or played with pop stars. He just recently played with Lady Gaga. I found this old video of him and Jackson Brown. The sound quality is not great, but is it is a fitting tribute to his gentle soul. Everyone who met him said he was a wonderful and man and loyal friend. No one plays the sax like Clemons. R.I.P. Big Man, heaven has managed to book the best!

A Discovery of Witches Review

2011-05-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I decided to get serious about a writing a novel I have had in my head for a couple of years now. Well, not a whole book, just some characters and some a Dan Brown like ideas on how vampires came to be. Ever since I was suckered into reading Twilight and other vamprire books, I have toyed with the idea of writing a historical vampire book. Here is what I had so far:

The story would center on a medieval history professor who is very happy teaching night courses in Northern California until she finds herself having heart issues. The college decides to bring in another instructor to take over some of her duties. This new professor is noted for seeming to know everything about medieval history and only wants to teach at night. Why? Because he and his wife and brother are vampires of course! The novel would include the “secret” of the Knights Templers’ power and wealth and what really brought them down. Of course the protagonist and the brother would fall in love and he would save her from her fate. Sounds silly right? Well I thought I would explore this idea over the summer that is until I read Debora Harkness’ A Discovery of Witches. From the book:

When historian Diana Bishop opens a bewitched alchemical manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library it represents an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordinary life. Though descended from a long line of witches, she is determined to remain untouched by her family’s legacy. She banishes the manuscript to the stacks, but Diana finds it impossible to hold the world of magic at bay any longer.

Diana meets a vampire named Matthew Clairmont, a fellow professor at Oxford. He is not only a vampire/ professor he is a knight! Are all the good ideas taken?

Harkness is a professor of history who uses her knowledge to weave a great story that spans hundreds of years. She is as comfortable writing a modern scene as she is taking her readers back to medieval France.

Diana and Matthew are drawn to each other over a manuscript and her ability to open it. The manuscript was thought to be long lost and is sought after by witches, demons and vampires alike. Each group wants it to learn the secret to their origin (yet another one of my ideas taken by Harkness) and will do just about anything to posses it. Diana and Matthew’s forbidden love starts a war among the “others” and they must travel back in time to save their families lives as well as find out the secrets of the manuscript. A Discovery of Witches is the first in a series. The second will be about their travel to 1590 England.

I enjoyed many aspects of this long novel, yet there were things that reminded me of Twilight. Again with vampires and possible children? Though, like Twilight, don’t expect sex in this first book. We will have to wait for them to consummate their love. Like Edward, Matthew wants to wait, while Diana is in a hurry to know him better. For those who loved Twilight I recommend A Discovery of Witches as it is a much better read, for those who have never read Twilight (count yourselves lucky) Matthew may well turn out to be your Edward.

So dear Readers, do I keep developing my story or do I roll my eyes and sigh. I may have started mine too late.

The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno

2011-05-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; 1 edition (June 22, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780805091922
ISBN-13: 978-0805091922

Okay, so I cracked, months and months ago I put TheTransformation of Bartholomew Fortune, by first time author Ellen Bryson, on my library wish list and even though I said I would only read from my TBR shelf, I found myself picking it up last week.

From Publishers Weekly:

Inspired by a vintage circus photograph, Bryson's first novel tells the fictional story of the unusual relationship between two human curiosities from P.T. Barnum's American Museum. Bartholomew Fortuno, the world's thinnest man, is asked by Barnum to keep an eye on his latest acquisition—Iell Adams, the bearded woman, who is kept in seclusion until the impresario can introduce her to the world. Fascinated by her and desiring a transformative experience, Bartholomew falls hopelessly in love with Iell, much to the surprise of his fellow Curiosities. Bartholomew also gets caught in the middle of a war between Barnum and his jealous wife for control of Iell's future. The story culminates at Barnum's birthday party, where Bartholomew is shocked to discover Iell's big secret. Though thin on plot, this work sympathetically conjures up the backstage world of Barnum's museum and the pecking order of his Curiosities, and magically transports the reader back in time to Gilded Age New York

Coming from The Map of Time I was not sure this book or any book would measure up. The Map of Time was set in Victorian England so it was ironic my next read would be set in the same period in mid town New York. The book had its good moments and for a first time author, it was not that bad, but I was disappointed. It could have been filled with interesting characters; after all it is set in P.T. Barnum’s Museum of Curiosities. Instead we meet a very thin man, a very strong man, a fat woman, a tall woman and a man who is supposed to be a “rubber man”. All of these characters are billed as oddities yet they were not as odd as they could have been. I never did figure out if Bryson wanted her characters to only think they were odd, as the book was about coming to terms with ones true self.

The other disappointment was the plot, long before Fortune discovers Iell’s secrete I had figured it out. I also had figured out why Fortune was the world’s thinnest man, this did not detract from the story as I wanted to see what would happen when he figured it out.

Though I was disappointed at times, I still recommend this book. It has enough plot and likable characters to keep the reader interested. If you have ever wondered what life may have been like for circus “freaks” TheTransformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is not to be missed.

The Map of Time: You Should Not Miss This!

2011-05-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

How does one review a book without talking about it? This is my dilemma as I try to persuade you dear Readers to rush out and pick up Felix Palma’s book The Map of Time. This from Publisher’s Weekly:

Spanish author Palma makes his U.S. debut with the brilliant first in a trilogy, an intriguing thriller that explores the ramifications of time travel in three intersecting narratives. In the opening chapter, set in 1896 England, aristocratic Andrew Harrington plans to take his own life, despondent over the death years earlier of his lover, the last victim of Jack the Ripper. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Claire Haggerty plots to escape her restrictive role as a woman in Victorian society by journeying to the year 2000. A new commercial concern, Murray's Time Travel, offers such a trip for a hefty fee. Finally, Scotland Yarder Colin Garrett believes that the fatal wound on a murder victim could only have been caused by a weapon from the future. Linking all three stories is H.G. Wells, the author of The Time Machine. Palma brings Wells and other historical figures like Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, plausibly to life.

For those of you who are not familiar with Victorian England you must keep in mind this is a period of time that saw science advance even though many still believed in fairies and magic. For many, science was the greatest magic of all and would easily believe anything they saw. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the man behind Sherlock Holmes believed two little girls had take pictures of fairies, while others spent time in salons communicating with the dead. What happens in this book could have easily happened during this period.

This is as much as I can say about book without giving anything away, for you see half the fun of the book is not knowing what is really going on. Instead of writing about the plot and characters I will instead, write about my first experience with Palma.

I received an ARC from Simon and Schuster after requesting it from an online blurb. The day the book came in I opened it up, wondering what I had gotten myself into. It is 612 pages long, and I had already agreed to review a couple of other books. After only two pages, with wide eyes I slammed the book down. “oh, oh” I thought, this may be a book I cannot put down. I quickly finished the other books then started The Map of Time last Friday night. By Monday afternoon I was finished. I read it over the weekend ignoring everything and everybody.

The book reminded me of a visit to a large carnival. There were rollercoaster twist and turns, wonderful characters to watch, savory sentences and then there is Palma, part showman, part con man, part ringleader. You know he is in charge and although he may be putting you on, you gleefully follow anyway. I would bet B.T. Barnum and Plama would get along famously! There came a time in the book that under almost any other writer I would have groaned and said “oh, come on!” Instead I laughed as it became clear he had conned me and I joyfully kept reading, breathlessly wondering what would come next. This is much more than a book, it is a ride, it’s a show and above all, it is something you may remember for a long time.

I am back! Carson CIty Toyota does not keep their promise

2011-05-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hello dear Readers, I am back! I meant to start up again as soon as school was over but for the month I have been depressed and really unable to do much but fight for a refund promised to me.

have been depressed and really unable to do much but fight for a refund promised to me.

See, four years ago I bought a nice used Toyota Highlander from Carson City Toyota. Towards the end of the transaction I was talked into buying an extended warranty with a written promise that I would get my money back if I did not use it. I must stress, I was given a written promise on a Toyota brochure, which is why I bought it. When my warranty expired I went to Carson City Toyota thinking I would walk out with $1675.00. I was shocked to find out that they forgot to explain to me that my refund would come from a third party, a business that just went out bankrupt! The long and short of it is, the Attorney General’s Office and Insurance Commissioner’s office believe I am owed the money by Carson City Toyota, but cannot force them to return my money. So, I am out a lot of money without an apology. If any of my readers live near me, do not buy from Carson City Toyota, as they lie and do not keep their promises. I feel okay knowing they are being investigated and may face problems down the road. As for me, I will not darken their door again and will make sure my area knows about their deceitful practices.

I have been reading, now that school is out I can read what I want. I have read two Bernard Knight books. He is a wonderful medieval mystery writer. I also read Paul Davies’ The Mind of God, a look at the mystery surrounding quantum physics. Three days ago I received Felix J Palma’s The Map of Time (an ARC) and finally got my hands on The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown. Soon I will have a couple of reviews and fingers crossed, an update on Carson City Toyota. I hope the general manager, the man who does not care about their customers, gets fired. I hope he ends up wondering how he will pay his bills.

Happpy Earth Day! Here is a review of Plastic a Toxic Love Story

2011-04-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my local garbage company switched out my old broken garbage can for a new one. As I started to roll it across my driveway I noticed something ironic about it; the can that I try so hard not to fill with plastic is made with the very thing I try to avoid. My shiny new can is made from hard polyethylene, in other words it is plastic.

I probably wouldn’t have noticed this had I not just finished Susan Freinkel’s new book Plastic A Toxic Love Story. Freinkel starts her book with the story of the day she decided to notice how much plastic her world included by writing down everything she touched. By the end of the day she had filled four pages in her note book.

I have a love hate relationship with plastic. I do concede plastic has saved my life. I have a pacemaker which I learned is made from a form of plastic. Hospitals use plastic for everything from delicate equipment to blood bags for easy and safe transport.Long time readers may remember I started a drive to have plastic gift cards recycled by the companies who sell them. What bothers me most about plastic is how it has changed our society. Just 50 odd years ago our grandparents recycled, reused, made from scratch or went without. Now we are a throwaway society that is quickly filling up our landfills and oceans with discards that will take centuries to break down. Meanwhile the chemicals used to make better and tougher plastic are leaching into our bodies and groundwater and there seems to be no end in sight to the damaging effects of plastic.

Freinkel looks at our love of plastic (a generic term for the many types of different synthetic materials that make up the family of malleables we use today) by looking at 8 products that have changed our culture to give us the history of plastic. The book is not an indictment of plastics, rather it is the start of the serious talk we need to have if we are to change the way we treat the planet. The book is well written, easy enough for anyone to understand yet contains a primer on what plastic really is.

Two chapters stood out for me, the one on toys and how we got to where we are; with rows and rows of cheap plastic toys of every shape and color and the one that tells the story of Beth Terry famous for her plastic free life. We cannot all be Beth, but after reading Freinkel’s book we may want to try.

How Shakespeare Changed Everything a Review

2011-04-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

I have loved Shakespeare ever since my high school English teacher acted out Macbeth complete with a one man sword fight. I’ve read most all of he plays, read all of his sonnets (okay this was for a college course), taken two courses devoted to the bard and read many bios. So when I saw Amazon’s Vine program had Stephen Marche’s new book How Shakespeare Changed Everything up for review I jumped at the chance.

From the product description:

Did you know the name Jessica was first used in The Merchant of Venice?

Or that Freud's idea of a healthy sex life came from Shakespeake?

In the pages of this wickedly clever little book, Esquire columnist Stephen Marche uncovers the hidden influence of Shakespeare in our culture, including these fascinating tidbits:

Shakespeare coined over 1,700 words, including hobnob, glow, lackluster, and dawn.

Paul Robeson's 1943 performance as Othello on Broadway was a seminal moment in black history.

Tolstoy wrote an entire book about Shakespeare's failures as a writer.

In 1936, the Nazi Party tried to claim Shakespeare as a Germanic writer.

Without Shakespeare, the book titles Infinite Jest, The Sound and the Fury, and Brave New World wouldn't exist.

I went into this book hoping to learn new things about Shakespeare and his work. I was not disappointed. March‘s small book is much more than a trivia book, it is a well written account of Shakespeare’s influence on artists, societies and politics. Each chapter is devoted to a particular way in which our culture has been shaped by Shakespeare. Did you know the reason we have starlings in this country is because a wealthy New York business man wanted to bring all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays to America. That Othello had a big impact on the Civil Rights movement? March not only offers tidbits like these, he outlines how things happened and why. Shakespeare lovers will look at him in new ways and once again be reminded why he is still regarded as the greatest writer of the Western culture.

I read this in two sitting and found myself wanting to go back and re-read some of the plays. I will say though as a student who spent a lot of time with sonnet 29, I am not in agreement that the lyrics point to a poem about organism. I am not sure how March is reading anything like this into one of Shakespeare’s saddest sonnets. I am going mention this to my Shakespeare professor when I see him next. Or better yet, I think this book would make a great gift. March has given me a lot to think about and a lot to talk about. What better praise for a book?

I'm Back thanks to Sharyla and Kaylee

2011-04-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

I jumped on my good friend Sharyla’s blog A Bookish Wonderland to watch her latest blog video and was pleasantly surprised to hear my site and name mentioned. Sharyla and I have been good friends for years now (yes she is younger in years but is very mature in mind). She helps me read out of my comfort zone and I am her go- to academic whenever she becomes stuck with a history or religious question.

I kinda freaked out when I saw she posted a link to my site. Yikes! I have not posted for quite a while and here she was directing traffic to my poor abandon blog; I understood I had to post an article right then and there. My creative juices started flowing, which is surprising considering all I have been doing for weeks now is studying and writing about Faust.

Sharyla and Kaylee asked a good question (in between their comic rambling). Do you judge a book by the cover? Yes, I have to admit a shiny or wild cover will grab my attention. Often when I step into a book store I am overwhelmed by the large amount of books calling my name. How do you weed through hundreds of book titles? What makes you pick up a book for a closer look? For me it is either a great cover or catchy title. I once found myself in the mystery section of my local Borders Books when a title caught my eye. The title was Medicus by Ruth Downie. I picked it up because I assumed this was a mystery set in ancient Rome, and I was right. I bought it and read it in a weekend. Downie is now one of my favorite authors.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly is a book I picked up solely because of its cover. It was dark and wild. It turned out to be one of my favorite books of 2008. Once when I cruised the isles of a library book sale I picked up a book because it had an interesting medieval knight on the cover. It turned out to be an incredible find. It is a large English travel book. We have small AAA travel guides, yet leave it to the Brits to put out large 11 inch hardbacks complete with color pictures of places to visit and pull out maps to get there! Now when I read about the English countryside I can open this book to see exactly where the story is taking place.

So what about you dear Readers? Do you judge a book by its cover and have you ever found a great read based on its cover? If so let us know by leaving a comment.

Sigh, I am off again. The semester is almost over and I could not be happier. This Faust class is the first class I have taken where 30 students signed up and by the middle of the semester 12 of us are left. It is that hard! I cannot wait for summer, now if it would just stop snowing!

Mel Robbins Stop Saying Your fine Discovering a more Powerful you

2011-03-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

I admit it, back in the 1990s I read a lot of self help books. I had decided therapy was not getting me anywhere yet I had many things I wanted to change so naturally I looked to books for the answers. And even though I read quite a few none of the titles come to mind, so you know just how helpful they were. For a long time I shied away from any book that was labeled “self help” thinking the author was just out to make a fast buck, but in the last year I have come across a couple that caught my eye so I read them. I found today’s self help books are different from what was being put out when I was seeking answers. Gone are the tag lines and double speak. I have found many of today’s book to be easy to follow and offer good advice without asking the reader to make drastic life changes.

As a vine member I was given the chance to review Mel Robbins’ Stop Saying You’re Fine, Discovering A More Powerful You. The first part of the title put me off a little, as I do not think I am fine, but I do know I have no idea how to discover the more powerful me. I tend to get in my own way and be my own worst enemy. I thought I would give the book a try in the hopes that I would learn why I get in my way and possibly start living the life I really want. From the book:

If you feel bored or dissatisfied with your life, you aren’t alone. Happiness is declining. Job security is gone. We’re working harder than ever, growing fatter every year and getting less sleep night-after-night. The pace and uncertainty of modern life has left us all spinning. How do you change your life, when you can barely survive your day? Simple, let Mel Robbins teach you to be powerful, even when you don’t feel like it:

You are meant to do more with your life and you know it. You live in a world with all the tools, information and contacts you need to achieve your dreams.
Stop hitting your inner snooze button and wake up. You are your own worst enemy when it comes to making changes. No one is coming to save you. Your dreams are up to you.

Now I know some of this has been said before and is the rally cry for most life coaches, believe me I had reservations at the start, but I stuck with it and found it to be a different way of looking at the same old problems. She breaks down people who cannot change into two groups; the chicken and the jerk. I am a chicken that is I am afraid of what may happen, the jerk wants to blame others for what does. Robbins explains that chickens will form mental roadblocks to hinder getting what they want. Chickens do not trust change even though they say they do. She gives advice on how to break the cycle of negative mind chatter and how to take action when opportunity arises. This really spoke to me. The day before I read this I received a phone call from a potential employer, but instead of answering the phone, I stood there coming up with reasons why I did not want to pick the phone up. It was snowing and I did not want to be asked to go out in it. I had a fight with my boyfriend and did not want to make any life changing decisions. I was afraid the company would ask too much of me as it was a job that may have entailed a lot of learning as it something I have never done. I did not pick up the phone, instead I put up mental roadblocks. By the time I talked myself into calling the recruiter it was too late, she had already set appointments up with other people. Robbins advice for that situation is to give yourself a five second rule. If you see opportunity or have an idea, do it within five seconds, don’t wait for your mind to talk you out of it or the idea may melt away. Had I followed her advice I would have picked up the phone and ignored my negative thoughts. It may not have worked out for me, but at least I could have said I tried.

My only problem with the book is that Robbins’ lack of cites or footnotes. She talks about brain studies and what they tell science about our decision making process but never gives links or tells us what studies these are. I would like to see her offer proof of her claims. Without sources we only have her word about these studies.

This book may not be for everyone, but if you wonder why you can’t seem to take chances or if you wonder why you cannot make a decision I recommend buying this book. If you think it may be something that may help, don’t wait to long, give yourself only five seconds before you click the buy button.

I am now a Vine member & saw the movie Paul

2011-03-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

Mailbox Monday?

I know I am a day late but I wanted to share this anyway. I received a self help book titled Stop Saying You’re Fine, Discovering a More Powerful You by Mel Robbins. Now, I cannot say I am thrilled because of the book itself, no I am excited because I was finally asked to join Amazon’s Vine program. For those of you who do not know about this (and for all I know I am the last one to know) this program is for Amazon reviewers “based on the trust they have earned in the Amazon community for writing accurate and insightful reviews”. Many of the bloggers I know have been members for years. They consistently write thoughtful reviews and post them on Amazon. And now I have posted enough to be invited. This is my first pick; I could have reviewed products, but what reader would chose to do this? What, give up a free book? For shame!

I picked this book because sometimes I think I am my own worst enemy, that often it is me who is in my way. Hopefully this book will give me the kick in the butt I need. I need to have the confidence in my writing that others have in me. I just finished writing my first real content for a business website. The client was happy with what I wrote, but I was less than thrilled. I feel I could have done better. I did cash the check, but the warm fuzzy feeling I expected to have after my first job was not there. I really have to get over my anxiety about my work.

It is my goal to be either teaching full time or working from home in five years time. If I cannot teach because of the drain on University positions, I at least want to be writing from home. I have my first idea for a nonfiction book, and would like to work on it, but between school and work I am not sure I will have time for the research. I have a goal of paying off my credit cards in three years, then saving up so maybe I can work part time while I write. Then again if I can get out of my way, more clients will want me to write content for them and I can start sooner. I just have to discover the more powerful me!

My son and I saw Paul on Sunday. It is a really cute movie with some giggles and lots of surprises. If you love Sci Fi and can recite lines from Star Wars to Aliens this is a must see movie. I was blown away by the smart writing. The writers were able to seamlessly use lines from blockbusters without being over the top about it. I read a review that called it a love letter to Steven Spielberg. I am not sure I quite agree as they reference so many good movies. I would call this a love letter to Sci Fi. If you do go see it, don’t forget the Reese’s Pieces.

Mailbox Monday

2011-03-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I I have participated in Mailbox Monday. I gave up reviewing last semester as I knew I would be pressed for time. I did not want to feel rushed or obligated to read a book that may not have my full attention. Last month Librarything changed my mind. I am an Early Reviewer with Librarything. Over the years I have had the opportunity to read some really good books. Only twice did I find myself reviewing a bad book. In the February batch of early reviews I saw a title that jumped out to me: Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind, A Bestseller’s Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood by Ellen Brown and John Wiley Jr. I signed up for a chance to read it, and today I am holding in my hand!

Gone with the Wind holds a special place among books for me. It was the first adult love story I read, and it is one of a handful of books I have read at least three time. I read it in high school at t time in my life in which I still believed in magic. I remember reading it for the second time hoping the end would turn out differently. I knew in my heart book ending do not change but with GWTW I was hoping to find some coded message to the ending, one that would have me believe Rhett would return. I fell in love with the story, the cloths, the manners and of course Rhett Butler. I had a hard time with the slavery issue, but I pushed this aside as I could not get enough of the women of the South. Oh they were so strong but feminine. I wanted to be like them, minus the slave owning mentality. I wanted the wear the dresses and have men treat me like a princess. Little did I know what men really thought of women in that era.

In high school I had a dream that I would become an actress. This was time in my life when I still thought I could act; now I know I couldn’t act my way out of a paper bag. But back then? Oh I wanted to dress like Vivian Leigh and star in a period piece. I read everything I could get my hands on about Leigh and Clark Gable. I probably knew more about them than I did any of my scholastic studies. Now years later, older and wiser I marvel that Mitchell was so successful. This book tells the story of how she achieved success despite never writing much more than newspaper articles and how a copywriter decided to take a chance on her story. It may not move me like GWTW, but it is sure to bring back memories.

Faceless Killers

2011-03-13T16:05:00.000-07:00

This is one of those rare reviews that contain spoilers. You have been warned!

I gave myself a little break this week from Faust. My reading has all but stopped since I started this last class and found I wanted to say I read a least book in March for pleasure. As per the rules of the TBR “Off the shelf” challenge I am participating in I picked a book I already owned. My friends have been raving about Henning Mankell and it just so happened I had Faceless Killers in my possession, so it was this book that took me away from Faust.

For those of you unfamiliar with Mankell, he is a Swedish author whose works have just become translated into English. His works are murder mysteries set in a small Swedish town/village. Faceless Killers is the first in a series. From the back of the paperback edition:

It was a senselessly violent crime: on a cold night in a remote Swedish farmhouse an elderly farmer is bludgeoned to death, and his wife is left to die with a noose around her neck. And as if this didn't present enough problems for the Ystad police Inspector Kurt Wallander, the dying woman's last word is foreign, leaving the police the one tangible clue they have--and in the process, the match that could inflame Sweden's already smoldering anti-immigrant sentiments.

Unlike the situation with his ex-wife, his estranged daughter, or the beautiful but married young prosecutor who has peaked his interest, in this case, Wallander finds a problem he can handle. He quickly becomes obsessed with solving the crime before the already tense situation explodes, but soon comes to realize that it will require all his reserves of energy and dedication to solve.

I may be the only person I know who did not enjoy this book. It starts out very slow; the police are slow to respond to the call, as they fear it may be just the imagination of a lonely old man that prompted the 911 call. It would seem crimes like this do not happen in this area. The book deals mostly with Wallander’s inner demons. Personally I am tired of the personal drama found it almost every book involving police protagonists. Just once I would like to read of a cop whose personal life is not center stage. I could have gotten over this had Mankell given Wallander some redeeming characteristics. Wallander drinks too much and finds himself in situations only true alcoholics do. He is caught driving drunk, he makes a pass at the beautiful but very married D.A and puts off dealing with his dad’s senility until it comes to a head. The only thing Wallander seems to do right is investigate murders, which is odd, given that they do not happen very often in his village.

I kept reading hoping my opinion of the book would change and honestly I was curious as to how Mankell would end the book. Would the murderer be a character we were introduced to or would he instead, make it someone who does not show up until the murder is solved. I really dislike it when an author takes the easy way out, and has the killer be someone who is never seen in the book. If I am going to read a mystery I want the opportunity to figure it out. I was so disappointed to find that not only is the murderer someone we meet only at the end, but the plausibility of how it takes place is absurd. I found the ending to be a cop-out (no pun intended). I am completely lost as to why my friends like this author and cannot recommend this unless you are die hard murder mystery fan. If you like Mankell leave a comment and let me know why.

We interupt this blog for Faust

2011-03-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

Once again it has been a while since I have blogged. I have been battling a cold/ cough. The cough is bad enough to drive me to see a Dr. tomorrow. As many of you know I have seen way to many Dr. in the last couple of years. I am not too worried but want make sure my lungs are okay.

I started two new classes Tuesday; one is titled Faust, a look at good and evil. Now I have been going to school for four years and am used to instructors who tells us we have to spend at least 10 hours a week on homework. Normally this makes me laugh as three hours usually is what it takes to get an A. But this class, wow! I have spent about 8 hours between reading and writing. We have three books, three movies, one CD and countless articles to get through in 7 weeks. I just finished Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe and some articles on the Reformation. Thank goodness I love this era but still…

The other class is on Great Trials in American History. I will end up studying the Scope’s, Witch and Cherokee trails. Not sure if I will have time to read anything else, so if I am M.I.A you now know why!

Where have all the good nonfiction books gone?

2011-02-23T18:57:00.000-08:00

Well it happened; my greatest fear about participating in a TBR challenge has come true. I have two shelves of books waiting to be read and not one of them seems appealing right now. For the last four days I have picked up and discarded several books. The nonfiction books I thought would be interesting have turned out to be dull. Now, I know what you are thinking; “all nonfiction books are dull and boring”. Oh but you are wrong! A good nonfiction reads like a novel, full of interesting characters and engaging plots. Take these titles for example:

In the Heart of the Sea, the Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick. This is the true story that inspired Moby Dick. I could not put this book down. It was artfully written and kept me reading long into the night. Even if you are not into adventure books this is not to be missed. The human drama is played out better than most novels.

The Greatest Show on Earth, the Evidence for Evolution by Richard Dawkins is by far one of the most engaging science books I have read. This is the book Darwin would have written had he had the knowledge modern science now holds. If you want to learn about evolution this is the book to pick up.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson is my favorite science read. Bryson has written the definitive layman’s science book. It is funny, includes fascinating characters and is easy to understand. If you feel your high school science was just not enough this is the book for you.

Then there is A J Jacobs, who writes about a year in his life of experiments. The Year of Living Biblically is my favorite, but The Know it All is laugh out loud funny.

Ian Mortimer’s The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England made me beg for more. He concentrates on the 14^th century; I am hoping he writes more on other centuries.

For a good bio no one can beat Walter Isaacson. Benjamin Franklin is my favorite. I think this should be read by all high school students.

So far I have tossed four books I bought this summer, all have good titles but wow are they dry and dull:

Proust and the Squid by Maryanne Wolf, God’s Secretaries, the making of the King James’s Bible by Adam Nicolson, My Jesus Year by Benyamin Cohen and A Brief History of the Anglo-Saxons (though this one is written well enough I will finish it). I wish I would have borrowed these from the library, I would have felt better about tossing them.

So dear Readers, I am not sure what to do, part of me would like to toss all of my TBRs and start again while another part of me really wants to finish the challenge. I guess I will keep trying, after all not all challenges are easy, but this is one I really wish would be.

Happy Reading

Sari

My new iPhone and why I am not reading right now

2011-02-21T21:03:00.001-08:00

Well I finally did it. I now feel as if I am up to 21^st Century phone standards as I gave up my antiquated (which means it is at least three years old) boring ol’ cell phone for a new smart phone. I am now the owner of a iPhone 3GS (whatever the hell 3GS means). I can now text, tweet and access Facebook anytime I want. Good grief, did I just say that?

My old cell phone, an LG Shine, was okay, as long as I did not try to talk, text, or share photos; in other words it was awful! For about a year I hardly used it, never kept it charged and quite frankly quit giving out my number. I half jokingly told my family, it was for emergencies only, though in reality it was never charged, and no good to me. I thought about giving up my cell plan all together but could not quite bring myself to do it, you know, because of the emergency aspect of the phone. After all, when is the last time you saw a phone both around your town?

On Thursday my beau mentioned to me that AT&T had iPhones on sale so Saturday I found myself at the local AT&T store signing up for two more years. Now I have a phone that so far, sounds clear, is easy to operate and has some entertaining apps to play with. Don’t laugh but my beau and I spent far too much time Saturday night attempting to master the physics behind Angry Birds. Far more time than two grownups should. For those of you, who are unfamiliar with Angry Birds, be glad. It just means you are not pulled into the latest goofy fad.

As far as reading goes, I have yet to find something that pulls me in. I have picked up several books from my TBR pile only to find each dull and not at all what I expected. I tried My Jesus Year by Beyamin Cohen, Life Ascending, ten great inventions of evolution by Nick Lane and one other that I cannot even recall. I managed to finish The invention of air by Steven Johnson but event that one became dull and repetitive.

Now you can see why I had no problem going out and buying a new toy.

Tonight I am going to read some blogs, Watch BBC America’s Being Human and look for apps to add to my phone. The two feet of snow we got over the weekend is melting but I am still going to stay in tomorrow, hoping to find a book that grabs me. Wish me luck!

The Stylish Award. Help me find new blogs!

2011-02-16T18:41:00.000-08:00

I love other blogger. There is a world of interesting people writing about personal experiences, social movements, hobbies and so much more. At times it is overwhelming to try to keep up with them all, but I would not give up my reading of other bloggers for all the money in the world. I comment when I can but more often than not, I lurk among those who have very thoughtful comments. Once in a while another blogger lets me know how much they enjoy my work. Tonight was one of those nights.

Senora G of http://readingreadingandlife.blogspot.com is a new blogging friend of mine. We both enjoy nonfiction and frequently wish we had each other’s current read. She is one of the few bloggers I know who love nonfiction as much as I do, plus she always has something interesting to say about her reads. I was thrilled to be mentioned on her blog today as one of the three new blogs she really enjoys. She even shared an award with me. I received the Stylish Blogger Award. Gee, me stylish? What a complement. Thanks Senora! Now I get to pass it on, but the kick is I have to pass it on to three new to me blogs. Here is where I need you! It has been a while since I blogged hopped, though I did check out the other blogs who shared my award. I fell in love with Danielle from http://britabroadinusa.blogspot.com. I would love to be an American in England but for now I love reading about Brits here. She writes well thought out posts, worth check out. Anyway, I want to hear from you; what are some of your favorite new blog finds? Leave a comment and let me know who I should be reading now.