It is far too hot to work on a computer, scanner, my art or even the garden. Temperatures inside the house were over 30C yesterday. All I could do was sleep, eat, sleep and read. The dogs and I are melting and are so lethargic that moving to attempt anything is far too much trouble.
One consequence has been that I have done a lot of reading on my kindle.
This book received the only critical review I have ever written for an Amazon e-book. The proofreading was almost non-existent and I soon tired of the I went, I saw, I ate pedestrian theme. This is one of the downsides of self publishing - authors must have their books read by someone else before uploading it.
This book was a much better read, something I managed to do in just over 24 hours. The story of a woman who met a fellow student with kidney disease and on learning more about her offered her a kidney if it matched. A polite refusal for altruistic reasons saw Eldonna embark on a four year quest offering a kidney. Blood tests meant several people she contacted were not good matches but eventually a 'pay it forward' donation was accepted. She donated her kidney to a man whose wife then donated a kidney and on it went. A very interesting book, an easy read, great holiday reading.
This book was my next kindle choice, even though I was beginning to feel I should stop indulging myself and read something a little more serious. Juliet leaves an unhappy marriage and on a whim purchases a run down house in Greece. The garden and surrounds are in a mess, a veritable tip, and she employs two Pakistani illegals who want work to help her clear it. I am hoping this will also be a quick read so I can proceed to the many more books I have on my kindle.
Yesterday I finished reading A lady in France which I had assumed was a memoir of the 'I live in France, food and travel' kind. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was more about Jenni's life in the US, Taiwan as a teacher, her Christian journey and how she and her husband did eventually end up living in his home country - France. Motivated to email her given her description of her brother's suicide and a phrase - that she was living life with the handbrake on - I was pleasantly surprised to receive a very moving email reply from her a few minutes ago. Stating that she had found my email very moving, it made her cry as she read it to her husband, I found it wonderful that someone so far away could really care about how I feel.
I began this book late yesterday and am almost a third of the way through. It is very light, like its title it is only about his daily ritual of eating, walking and writing a journal/blog. I am finding it quite boring and also knowing that he does not stay his intended two years in Paris but returns to the US is a bit of a let down. Other memoirs I have read of foreigners trying to live in France show the difficulty one has assimilating into their community. Reality and our dreams often do not meet. I think his age, 70, may have been a factor but we need to inject some reality into our dreams.
I keep checking the Amazon.com website for new and interesting books, follow up on leads of free books posted on the WLM page, check out books mentioned on other websites and generally keep adding to my collection. I am always disappointed when books recommended as free are not available for purchase here, I believe it is a decision that Amazon makes, not the authors.
I have decided to read more about the concept of Mindfulness that was suggested to me last year, I feel it may be the way to extricate myself from the fear of slipping back into the levels of anxiety I expressed last year. I have several books on this topic on my kindle, perhaps now is the time to explore this genre as the year begins to wind up.
Yesterday I went to see this wonderful movie. Extremely thought provoking, the back story touched me in a place of memories long lost in time. Although this is the story of cracking the enigma code in WW2, it is also filled with the personal story of Alan Turing. If this was today he would be hailed as a hero, yet he was veiled under secrecy laws, unable to express his homosexuality, lonely and lost in a life where he was unable to fit in. I know the world of difference intimately and saw much of my own childhood in his. I also find it rather difficult to understand why it took until 2013 for Britain to truly acknowledge his role in bringing WW2 to an end. Disgraceful.
I finished Caleb's Crossing last night. I cannot understand why Geraldine Brook's novels have not been made into movies. They are such intricate works of art - stories woven around fragments of historical information, scraps made whole. History is well represented by her deft hand and mind.
After I finished this book I began a new one. Such is the joy of having a talking book machine.
After finding an old diary Barbara attempts to recreate her thoughts and feelings of adolescence. This leads her on a moral, philosophical and spiritual journey which shatters her previous thoughts and feelings.
I need to get back to my reading of celtic philosophy, thoughts and spiritual examination. I feel that again I am feeling the tug to fill my spiritual being in a way that suits just me. My life is already looking up, growing and expanding rapidly this year and it is only the 8th of January, a day 35 years ago when I was in labour.
Along with my decision not to let my envy of those having a real holiday away from home ruin my holiday I have also decided not to let the medication I am taking to try and stop ongoing migraines rule my lovely holiday at home. It makes me very sleepy and I have to use all my energy to keep going in the morning yet I seem to have boundless spare energy in the late afternoon. A true reversal of my normal daily rituals.
Caleb's Crossing is still filling my mind as I listen to this amazing book by Geraldine Brooks. While aware I must be coming to its final chapters the underlying themes are still relevant today. The rejection of the young Indian men by their peers, violent death and illness due to poor diet and too many hours studying haunts the students of today. Many fail to eat properly and drink too much. One is left to wonder if taking people out of their own environment and expecting them to fit into a totally different culture should still be undertaken with such zest today.
I am thoroughly enjoying A Lady in France and have read almost half of it already. While I often buy these wonderful memoirs when they are free or very cheap I had come to believe they were not quality writing. This book has gripped me as I follow the story of Jennie, particularly now she has married her French suitor, so exciting.
I tidied all my bookshelves at the weekend. People often wonder why I keep real books now that I can no longer read most of them. While I have my CCTV to enlarge their print if I need it, I find books are what makes a home. I always used to check out people's bookshelves when I visited their homes, it gave me a quick measure of who they were, what their interests were and if there were books any chance I may have had of befriending them.
I have made a decision not to envy all those people writing on Facebook about their wonderful beach holidays, trips to lakes and rivers or even overseas. I must not envy what I cannot achieve and make the most of Hamilton and what it has to offer. Trying new cafes, reading my kindle and coffee with friends is going to be my holiday. No envy, just relaxing and enjoying my life as it is.
I started this book on my kindle a couple of days ago and so far have found it enjoyable. I have been in email contact with Jennie in the past through the WLM Facebook group but had not been very interested in her book until now. She is obviously very lost in her late teens and early 20's, something I think many of us experience. I will read this book with great interest and hopefully a friendship may develop thorough the group.
She also appears to have her own webpage.
http://aladyinfrance.com/
I will read this at my leisure as I enjoy her book. The webpage seems to be about travel, a blog and her faith, it looks very interesting.
Happy New Year! I most certainly hope this year is better than the last. I plan on living a healthy lifestyle, remaining well and happy. I am looking forward to a productive 2015 with lots of writing, reading and fun.
I am thoroughly enjoying Caleb's Crossing with a back story of racial misunderstandings, acceptance of tragedy, the role of women in the 1660's and the deep desire for education. Geraldine Brooks seems to have an understanding of language and minute detail that escapes many other writers. Her descriptions of the mundane along with the horrific roll through the plot rising up at unexpected times.
My kindle is running red hot with Touching the World
as I follow Cathy and Bernard's story of riding a motorcycle around the world. Having reached Peru and coming to the realisation their adventure is almost at an end I am very keen to finish this book. The knowledge gleaned from Google that Cathy died just a few years after returning from this adventure made me very sad as I had intended to contact her. Vision impairment and blindness give many a connection. We undertake adventures which others would never contemplate and seek out ways to experience the world differently.
Paddington Bear is a wonderful movie! Cherie and I laughed our way through it enjoying the antics of Paddington as much as the little girl at the front who imitated the bear whenever she could. Jay was not impressed, he slept in the cool and never moved, probably a testament to wonderful air conditioning.
Christmas has been and gone, the New Year is only 3 days away, we all need to make some plans for a happy and healthy new year. I am dreaming of a year where visits to the Doctor are few and far between, work is interesting and useful and I can once again have dreams which can be fulfilled.
I finished reading Whitethorn Woods a few days ago, the book ended very suddenly with a suggestion to road would go around the woods and grotto, it was almost a book of description, people's lives and mistakes, I never really found any meaning to it.
I have now begun reading Calebs Crossing on my VRS, a little difficult to follow when listening just once a day but nevertheless looks to be as good as People of the Book.
I have only listened to a couple of hours so far so have not even managed to link the themes and story although I gather it is based in 1662 around a young pioneer girl who befriends a native American and follows him to Cambridge as he studies at Harvard. A crossing of cultures and the desire of women for an education are two themes which have already presented themselves. I wait in anticipation for the story to deepen and become full and rich.
I am still reading Touching the World on my kindle. Last night I looked up the author on google only to be disappointed and upset to discover that six weeks after the trip she was diagnosed with breast cancer and died within two years of this wonderful trip. Very sad.
