Of the Earth Review

Of the Earth by Kim Cousins

(from the back of the book) Following the lives of several people and animals, this story explores relationships in the midst of trials.  Living in a time of tribulation, the characters maneuver through precarious situations - a government reeducation program, a train hijacking, an earthquake - circumstances that occur with little warning.  But despite these hardships loyalties are tested and battle lines drawn.  Eyes are opened and hearts are pierced.

This is not your mother's bedtime story.  Starvation, disease, and natural catastrophes plague the earth in this futuristic account.  For readers who are daring, willing to step into a world of betrayals and miracles, fear and wonderment, crack open this cover

This is a Christian fiction novel.  The plot takes a back seat to the gospel message Cousins is trying to send here.  I don't think that is a bad thing.  I'm glad she didn't compromise her message to make the story more main stream.  But it will make the audience for this book much smaller.  It is a good story about what God will do for His people if they believe and follow Him.  When the 'World Government' takes over and the people are required to get a mark, Christians (and a few others) refuse.  Which not only makes them outlaws but, cuts them off from society.  So they start their own.  These people of faith see miracles and witness wonderous things and God is ever present with them.  But I was glad to see that Cousins didn't make it a fairytale; bad things still happen.  I like the bible verses in the footnotes so you can look up the relevant scripture for yourself.  But I'm not a fan of the animals talking.  Even though they can't talk to humans, it always struck me as slightly goofy and distracted from the message.  And most of the characters are black and white.  You are either a good guy or you are horribly evil.  There is no middle ground.  And there were a couple of thing in the plot that didn't add up for me.  The Peacekeepers (the police) arrest people without the mark and send them off to camps.  The Peacekeepers know where this whole community of unmarked Christians are and, although they harass them some, they let them stay together and free.  It is a good, strong Christian message, which is nice, but as a story I couldn't connect enough with it.  It is the first in a series but I will not be reading the others.

I got a free copy of this book from Librarything.com, Early Reviewers.

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo.  I liked this one.  It is sad and sweet and hopeful.  And it is inspired by a true story about a zookeeper who, during WWII, is told that if the city is bombed all the large animals will have to be shot so they won't escape into the city.  She saves a young elephant by taking her home and keeping her in the garden.  

My Friday 56:

No one had ever gazed into my eyes quite like this before.  I can only describe it as a look full of curiosity, kindness and love.

This is the daughter of the zookeeper and she is talking about the elephant here.  She must have been quite an amazing animal if this family that was fleeing, running for their lives, was unwilling to leave her behind.

Shucked if I Know

Today (August 5th) is National Oyster Day.  I have to admit that oysters are not my favorite seafood.  I have had some very tasty, cooked oysters but I tried raw oysters once.  I will never do that again.  But to each their own.  

I was surprised to find out how many books about oysters there were.  I could have chosen a number of nonfiction books, but I chose the cosy mystery one because it looked like it would be a lot more fun.  

Shucked Apart by Barbara Ross

(from the back of the book)  When Andie Greatorex is robbed of two buckets of oyster seed worth $35,000, she wonders if somebody's trying to mussel her out of business.  Could it be a rival oyster farmer, a steamed former employee, or a snooty summer resident who objects to her unsightly oyster cages floating on the beautiful Damariscotta River?  There's also a lobsterman who's worried the farm's expanding lease will encroach on his territory and Andie's ex-partner, who may come to regret their split.  Before Julia can make much headway in the investigation, Andie turns up dead, stabbed by a shucking knife.  Now it's up to Julia to set a trap for a cold and clammy killer....

This is the ninth book in the Maine Clambake Mystery series.  You don't have to have read any of the others to follow this one.  But it might help to connect with the main character if you have some background.  You do learn a lot about the oyster farming business.  You also learn a little about customs and phrases that are local to Maine.  Which gives you a nice sense of place for the story.  There are a lot of people and leads and suspects so you there are a lot of ways this can go, and it leaves you wondering how it will all work out.  It is an easy reading story that is fun as you try to follow all the clues along the way.  I do feel like I didn't get the connection with the characters the way I would have liked.  But that could be because I haven't read the other books.  And there is also an unfinished feel to an aspect of the story that will probably come up in the next book.  So, although you get a whole story here you never forget that it takes place in the middle of other stories.  It's okay.  It's fun and easy and fast.  But I never became so engaged that I feel the need to go back and read the previous books.

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is Of the Earth by Kim Cousins.  This is a religious fiction book where the U.S. government has fallen and a 'supreme leader' has taken over and rules with an iron fist.  I got it from the Early Reviewers program on Librarything.com so I will post a review at some point.

My Friday 56:

Missing his own family deeply, Miah felt tears well in his eyes.   Embarrassed, the teen picked up Carl, nuzzling his face in the cat's fur to hide his unwanted tears.  Carl didn't mind the subterfuge; he considered himself a man's cat anyway.

This is a story of faith in hard times.  Of the power of God in the lives of those who follow and trust in Him.  And it can tend to get preachy at times.  But my problem with the book is that the animals talk.  Not to the humans, but to each other.  And it strikes me as goofy every time.  Which takes away from the impact of the story for me.

Catch a Tiger by His Toe

Today (July 29th) is International Tiger Day.  Tigers are beautiful animals.  They are also scary.  So I have no desire to catch a tiger, by his toe or otherwise.  I don't think the originator of International Tiger Day meant for it to include mythical tigers, but that's too bad.  I chose to include them in my celebration of the day.

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

(from the book jacket)  When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni's Korean folktales arrives, prompting lily to unravel a secret family history.  Long, long ago, Halmoni stole something from the tigers.  Now they want it back.  And when one of the tigers approaches Lily with a deal - return what her grandmother stole in exchange for Halmoni's health - Lily is tempted to agree.  But deals with tigers are never what they seem!

It's a touching story.  Lily is going through a lot.  She has just moved to a new place, she feels she can no longer talk to her sister the way she used to, she feels that nobody, not even her mom, ever really sees her, she is possibly losing her grandmother and then she starts to see tigers.  Lily is unsure if the tiger is real, and so is the reader.  But in the end it doesn't really matter because whether the tiger walked out of a Korean folktale or out of Lily's imagination, she is here to show Lily a way though the turmoil that has come into her life.  I like Lily.  And I feel for Lily as she tries to figure out what is the right thing to do, not just for her grandmother but for her family and herself.  You get to see Lily grow through the story and become her own person.  And as she tries to figure out what her future will be she learns about her family's past, and how that is a part of her too.  There are a few moments when I thought Lily was acting too young for her age and overly naïve.  And at the very end, when she realizes something about her sister it felt like it was just tacked on. It wasn't a complete surprise, you did get hints, but it was presented in a way that made it feel like an afterthought.  But my criticisms are small.  I enjoyed the book, grew to like the characters and cried a little with them in their grief.

That's So Corny

Today (July 16th) is National Corn Fritters Day.  What does that mean to you?  Probably nothing.  But I
wanted to try corn fritters for Corn Fritters Day.  And since I don't know where to get ready made corn fritters I had to make my own.  I chose to use Quick and Crispy Corn Fritters from Small Town Woman, because both quick and crispy sounded like good qualities to me.  

Most of the ingredients you probably have in your house already.  I had everything but the actual corn.  You need 2 1/2 cups of corn for this recipe.  I bought two cans of corn and just had a little left over.  I used the optional creole seasoning because I happened to have some but if you don't, I don't think you need to go out and find some.

The batter comes together easily.  Kind of like making pancake batter.  So you just need a whisk and a bowl, not even a mixer or anything.

Once I had the quarter inch of oil heated I did the fritters in batches of three. 
I never had to add more oil but there wasn't much left by the end.  The recipe says to cook on each side until "golden brown and crispy".  But I didn't know how to judge that.  So, since it was like pancake batter, I judged it that way.  You will see bubbles rising up through the batter, and that's when I flipped them.  I had a bit of splashing with all the oil in the pan so just be careful...

They came out crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  And you get the change of texture and the pop of freshness from the corn kernels.  I have never had corn fritters before, so I don't know how they compare to other corn fritters.  But these were delicious.  If you like corn, I don't know how you could not like these.  They are good all by themselves but I ate them with some chicken that had a creamy sauce and they were also very good with a sauce.  I had some left over that I ate a few days later.  They had lost the crispiness but were still fluffy and delicious.

They are a nice, rather quick, pretty versatile, delicious side dish.  I will be making these again.

A Horse is a Horse Of Course Of Course

Today (July 15th) is National I Love Horses Day.  And who doesn't love horses, at least theoretically.  I like horses even though I have never ridden one, or even met one.  So, I guess it is more the idea of horses I like.  So to celebrate (without having any actual horses near by) I watched a couple of movies about horses.  Well, one horse in particular.

Spirt: Stallion of the Cimarron starring Matt Damon

A wild stallion is caught but resists all efforts to train or break him and fights to return to his family and the wild.

First of all, I am glad the horses don't talk.  The narration is done by Spirit, the horse, (and I almost wish they left that out too) but the horses themselves don't talk.  They are, however, very expressive.  With a few neighs and some facial expressions (that I'm pretty sure real horses couldn't make) they communicate with each other and the audience just fine without words.   I like the animation, especially the sweeping landscapes.  And Spirit is a character you want to root for.  I thought the human characters were a little too black and white.  The colonel was too evil and Little Creek a little too perfect and understanding.  And the romance between horses was a little eye rolling for me but children probably wouldn't feel the same way.  There were a couple of improbable (if not impossible) things, but it is a movie so that is okay in my book.  There are a few moments where Spirit is being mistreated that might upset small children but other than that it is appropriate for most audiences.  It is a fun story with moments of excitement and couple of chuckles and a hopeful ending.

Spirit Untamed starring Isabela Merced

Lucky has to move from the city to a small frontier town.  She feels out of place and lost until she befriends a wild mustang.

This is not a sequel to Spirt: Stallion of the Cimarron.  The horse looks the same but it is not a continuation of that story, it is a completely new story.  That being said.  Lucky was a little too rebellious for me.  She does a million things her father tells her not to do and then talks her friends into running off and doing some very dangerous stuff.  I think we are supposed to admire her spirit and her desire to do what is right but she is still a child who is riding a horse that was never broken, through dangerous territory she is unfamiliar with to take on a gang of adult bad guys.  I don't think that should be put forth as a good thing.  The story is rather predictable in a lot of ways as well.  The whole thing just felt a little flat to me.  It felt more like a Saturday morning cartoon than it did a feature length film.  I'm not sorry that I watched it but I would not have missed much if I hadn't watched it either. 

Go Hug a Shark

Today (July 14th) is National Shark Awareness Day.  Now, I think most people are aware of sharks.  I mean, they have their own week now.  But this is a day to think about (or learn about) the vital role sharks play in healthy ocean ecosystems and all the ways they are being threatened.  So, maybe don't go hug a shark but just don't order the shark fin soup.

Demon Fish by Juliet Eilperin

Eilperin goes around the world to see how people relate to sharks.  From worship to fear, from food source to threat, from natural wonder to demon, people see sharks in many different ways.  And many of those ways are threatening the continued existence of this great predator of the sea.  

This is a good overview of shark lore and shark fact.  Eilperin starts with human attitudes toward sharks and how they have changed, and some of the reasons why they have changed, over time.  They went from being worshiped as gods to being mostly ignored to being the titular demon fish to being an endangered species many people are trying to save.  You learn a lot about different kinds of sharks with out the book ever sounding like a text book.  She tells you a lot of reasons why sharks are in danger today and why they are important and should be saved.  And she also tells you why saving sharks is a complicated and difficult task.  Eilperin is obviously pro shark, but she also presents the case of those who depend on shark fishing to feed themselves and their families.  She just presents a stronger case for the sharks.  She tells you all the reasons that saving the sharks is good for everyone (even the shark fishers) and explores ways that humans are trying to live along side the sharks.  The book makes you think about how sharks are presented.  Did you know that more people are killed by accidents with chairs than by sharks?   Maybe sharks are not the blood thirsty monsters some people think they are (and the news makes them sound).  There is a lot of information here but it keeps a good pace and never bogs down.  There is also a lot to think about here.  Eilperin makes a very good case for sharks.  If you are on the fence about sharks I think this has a good chance to tip you to the shark's side and it may even make some shark haters stop and think.  If you are interested in learning how sharks fit into our world, both above and below the waves, this is a good place to start.

My Cats Will Always Be Kittens to Me

Today (July 10th) is National Kitten Day.  (Not cat day. Because that is completely different.)  What do you do on National Kitten Day?  Well, I didn't think going out and buying a kitten just to celebrate was a good idea.  So, I read some picture books instead.  Who knew there were two books called The Shy Little Kitten?

The Shy Little Kitten by Cathleen Schurr and Gustaf Tenggren

A shy little kitten gets separated from her family and has to find his way back with the help of a friendly puppy.

It is a simple story.  A kitten gets separated from his family and meets some interesting animals on her way back home.   There isn't much of a plot here.  The kitten has some interesting encounters on her way home, then has a picnic.  But the kitten and the animals she meets along the way are cute and fun.  And when the frog bites a bee, I think it will get a chuckle from kids.  It's a sweet story with cute kittens.  Kids will like it but, unfortunately, I think parents will very quickly get tired of reading this one.

The Shy Little Kitten by Kristen L. Depken and Sue DiCicco

A shy little Kitten meets some interesting friends on his way back home.

An easy reader book.  It has short, easy to read sentences for beginning readers.  (Level one in Step into Reading.)  The characters are cute and the encounters are fun.  There isn't much of a plot, but it is a fun story for kids learning to read.  

The two books are very similar.  The same things happen in both.  And I'm not sure why they call the kitten shy because she talks to a lot of animals along the way. The one by Schurr is mean to be read to children while the one by Depken is meant for beginning readers to read for themselves.  But they are both cute and fun, for the first time.  Both will get old very fast after a few readings. 

We're All Mad Here

Do you know what today is?  No, I'm not talking about the 4th of July.  It's National Alice in Wonderland Day!  So, to celebrate, I read a book that is not about Alice.  I know, it's a controversial choice.  But the story does take place in Wonderland.  So I stand by it.

Wonderland written by Tommy Kovac, illustrated by Sonny Liew

The White Rabbit mistakes Alice for his housemaid, Mary Ann.  This is her story.

This story takes place after Alice has disappeared from Wonderland.  It follows Mary Ann, who we never got to meet in the original story.  The illustrations are fun and whimsical, perfect for a story about Wonderland.  You get to see a lot of the familiar characters, the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, the Jabberwock shows up, among others.  The story is chaotic in a way, all sorts of nonsensical things happen, and it jumps around a bit.  Which seems like a very Wonderland thing, and it is fun and entertaining, but it also made the plot a little hard to follow at times.  I enjoyed this book.  I like that you get to see what happened in the aftermath of Alice's visit to Wonderland.  I like that you get a further look into some of the characters that you are introduced to by Lewis Carroll.  But the plot felt scattered and didn't come together as well I could have wished.  But it is still fun to read, and the illustrations are wonderful.  It is definitely worth a look. 

Do you want to believe?

Today (July 2nd) is World UFO Day.  Are you a believer?  Do you think there are aliens among us?  I am not a true believer.  But I have to admit that I like watching all the shows about aliens and reading books about them.

Alien Agenda by Jim Marrs

Jim Marrs uses eyewitness accounts, government documents and various facts and research to make the case that aliens exist, have visited Earth, and that the government knows about it and is keeping it a secret.

There is a lot of information here.  It tries to deal with every aspect of the alien phenomenon.  And I think it might be too much to try to handle all at once.  It turns into a very long read.  There are even a few spots where I started to think the book had taken off on a tangent because it went on for so long before it brought the point back to aliens.  There are a lot of stories here I have heard before.  There are probably a few that most people have heard before.  But there are also stories and theories that I have never heard of.  A lot of them are very interesting and did make me want to look up some of the accounts he talks about.  But I think you need to have more than a casual interest to want to wade through all the accounts and bullet point lists in this book.  Also, you do not get the most objective view of things because Marrs makes it very clear what he believes.  I don't think that this book will convince a sceptic but if you are inclined to believe it will give you plenty of information to confirm your belief.

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

I like sea life.  And I think sharks are cool.  But then I don't spend very much time in the water so I can afford to think that sharks are cool from the safety of my sofa.  I never want to be anywhere near a real, live shark.  That would not be cool.  My book this week is Demon Fish by Juliet Eilperin.  It is all about sharks and people's interaction with them.  Did you know you are more likely to be killed by an elephant than a shark?  I assume that is statistically.  Like, every year more people are killed by elephants than sharks.  Because there are obviously some people who will come in contact with sharks but not elephants,  And it is very unlikely that I will be killed by (or even come near) either.  But I digress.  

The Friday 56:

Now a professional underwater filmmaker living in Santa Barbara, he's ebullient even when he's describing what it was like to feel the life draining from his body.  He shows off his scarred arm, repaired after he underwent two skin grafts and eleven separate operations, without reservation.

This guy gets attacked by a shark and, not only, still goes in the water to make his living but is part of a group of other shark attack survivors who are trying to save sharks. Good for them.  I hope I could feel the same way.  The sharks are just trying to survive.  

Watch the Skies!

Today (June 30th) is International Asteroid Day.  It was founded in 2016 to raise public awareness of the asteroid impact hazard.  Of course, anyone who watches movies knows about the asteroid impact hazard.  But they might also think that you can send some miner up into space to save mankind.  So maybe we need International Asteroid Day to create a balance between science fiction and actual science.  

Watching Asteroid vs Earth might be a fun way to celebrate International Asteroid Day but it certainly will not help with that balance.  I'm not sure there is any actual science in this movie.

Asteroid vs Earth starring Tia Carrere and Jason Brooks

When a planet killing asteroid is discovered on a collision course with Earth, the military and scientists need to come up with a plan to avoid the impact.  Even if they have to move the Earth to do it.

With a name like Asteroid vs Earth you are not expecting an Oscar winning movie.  But it would be nice if you got the feeling someone was at least trying to make a coherent plot.  The science here is suspect at best.  It is impossible to move the asteroid enough to save Earth so, let's move Earth.  The US general immediately accepts this idea even though it is pitched by some arrogant, cocky, young guy he has never met before.  The question of what that will do to Earth is not brought up.  Will Earth still be in orbit around the Sun?  Who knows.  Apparently no one cares.  There is a group of soldiers schlepping nuclear warheads all over the globe.  One moment one man can barely shift one because they are so heavy and the next moment he is carrying two by pressing them to his chest with one hand on each.  I could go on but I think you get the idea.   There is also some overacting going on.  And I think Robert Davi's talent is wasted here.  If they played this for laughs it might be fun, but everything is very serious.  And the big climax was anticlimactic.  It wasn't one of those good in a bad movie sort of way movies that I was hoping for.  The whole thing was just lackluster.

It's Paul Bunyan Day!

Today (June 28th) is National Paul Bunyan Day!  To celebrate you could go chop down some trees but I think it might be better just to read some of the stories about him.

Paul Bunyan by James Stevens

A collection of stories about Paul Bunyan and his legendary feats.

This if fun.  It is one big, long, tall tale.  And as a tall tale everything is exaggerated and impossible things happen.  Everything is the biggest, tallest, toughest, coldest, strongest of its kind.  But that's what makes it fun.  Paul Bunyan, who came from Canada to the United States and became a Real American (along with his blue ox, of course) invents the logging industry and proceeds to move across the country felling trees, inventing great inventions (he invented algebra too), and having great thoughts.  He is so large a man he uses a tree for a pencil and when he goes hunting he carries the game home in his pockets.  He is also responsible for some rivers, coves and canyons along the way.  It is from another time so some of Paul's ideas might not be popular today.  For instance, Paul doesn't understand what women are good for because they are too frail to be loggers and when his men start writing poetry he calls it 'poison' and comes up with a plan to get them doing 'manly' things again.  But part of the story is how Paul's time has come and gone so you can assume the same of his ideas.  The book is full of crazy stories that sometimes get silly.  Once is got so cold (400 below) that the men's words froze in the air and the men had to be careful not to bump into them until they thawed out.  But outrageous, larger than life, impossible stories are what tall tales are all about.  And this book is full of very entertaining stories just like that.  I would say that if you like folk stories and tall tales this is a must read.

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A Not So Spooky Phantom

 

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

(from the back of the book)

For Milo, everything's a bore.  When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he's got nothing better to do.  But on the other side, things seem different.  Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason!  Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing.  Life is far from dull.  In fact, it's exciting beyond this wildest dreams...

Milo is bored.  With everything.  But when he goes through the phantom tollbooth and finds himself in a whole new world things start looking up.  He meets a watchdog, names Tock, who is horrified when Milo says he wants to kill some time.  It is bad enough wasting it, but killing it?  And so it goes.  He meets a Spelling Bee who is an actual bee, gets to the Land of Conclusions by jumping, makes a wagon move by staying silent because it 'goes without saying'.  The book is full of word play and puns.  I loved it, but I also think I liked it more as an adult than I would have as a child.  I think some of the wordplay would be lost on young children.  That doesn't mean it wouldn't be fun for children.  Milo goes on an adventure and meets all sorts of interesting characters that I think would hold a child's interest.  And our hero, Milo, learns some things along the way.  He is given some bits of wisdom like 'the only thing  you can do easily is be wrong, and it is hardly worth the effort', and 'so many things are possible just as long as you don't know they're impossible',  He also realizes that all the learning that he didn't see the point of before comes in handy along the way.  It does tend to amble a bit.  At times it seems like Milo is going nowhere but I think the humor and wit of the story make all the stops along the way to rescue Rhyme and Reason worth it.  I think it is a fun adventure for young and old alike.

The Phantom Tollbooth starring Butch Patrick

One day Milo comes home to find a mysterious gift.  It is a tollbooth.  And since he is bored he decides to drive through it.  It takes him to a strange new world where he finds all sorts of adventures.

The movie starts out as live action, but as soon as Milo goes through the tollbooth he turns into a cartoon.  (He notices this and still goes through.  I don't think I've ever been that bored.)  He goes to all sorts of strange lands and meets all sorts of interesting characters.  He becomes friends with a watchdog named Tock, meets a which (not a witch), is forced to eat his words (literally), and goes on a mission to save Rhyme and Reason.  Milo goes on a grand tour of this new world realizing that all the things he was forced to learn, that he thought pointless before, are actually useful and maybe the world is not as boring as he thought.  By today's standards it is probably on the slow side.  It is full of wordplay and puns.  Which are fun and witty.  But it is based on dialog and there is some, but not much, action.  I think kids will like the crazy characters and fun concept and adults will appreciate the wit and wordplay.

Movie vs Book -

I liked the book and the book is a lot of wordplay and I think a lot of that works better in print than it does in a movie.  So I think the book comes out on top for me.  But I did like the movie as well.  And I was not disappointed like I often am by movie versions of books I like.  There are differences of course.  Some of the encounters Milo has in the book aren't in the movie and that changes the course of events slightly along the way.  And the ending, for some reason, is changed up more than I thought was necessary but I thought the movie stayed true to the spirit of the book.  And if you liked the book I think you will like the movie too (and vice versa).

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How Much is Your Life Worth?

 

The Invoice by Jonas Karlsson

(from the back of the book)

Our hero, a passionate film buff, leads a life that revolves around his part-time job at a video store, the company of a few precious friends, and a daily routine that more often than not concludes with pizza and a movie in his treasured small space in Stockholm.  When he receives an astronomical invoice from a random national bureaucratic agency, everything tumbles into madness as he calls the hotline night and day to find out why he is the recipient of the largest bill in the entire country.

What is the price of a cherished memory?  How much would you pay for a beautiful summer day?  How will our carefree idealist, who is content with so little and has no chance of paying what he owes, find a way out of this mess?

The protagonist in this offbeat story starts off sounding like a lovable loser.  But as the story goes along and the bill he receives for all the happiness in his life starts to add up, you begin to wonder.  This man that does not seem to have much going on is told that he has been happier than anyone else in all of Sweden.  And the more he tries to prove that his life wasn't worth the price, the more the price keeps going up.  Haw can that be?  What is it that makes his life so good?  That is what the story makes you think about.  About the value of lost love, about finding joy in the small things, about being happy with what you have.  You do have to grant the unbelievable premise that such a tally is possible, but it was delivered in a way that made you follow along without thinking about it too much.  The seemingly simple, short story, that is both funny and sad, has a surprisingly life affirming message.  It is a fun and thought provoking story.

Win Some Books!

 Books That Make You is giving away some books.

To win From the Potato to Star Trek and Beyond  go here.

Answer a very simple question and you are entered to win.  Bonus entries are available.

Contest ends June 30th.

To win five new books and some 'surprise bookish goodies' go here.

Again, all you have to do is answer a very simple question to be entered.  Bonus entries available.

Contest ends June 30th.

Good luck!

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is People I Want To Punch In The Throat by Jen Mann.  I want to start by saying I have never actually punched anyone in the throat.  I have, however, threatened to punch people in the throat many times.  So when I saw the title of this book I knew I had to read it.  It is a collections of essays about suburban life, PTA moms, neighbors and all sorts of things that make Jen want to punch people in the throat.

My Friday 56:

I found myself imagining what it would be like to borrow a cup of sugar from these people or carpool to school someday.  I let myself dream of a friendship that might be.

Given the title of the book and the fact that this comes from an essay titled 'Just Some of the Reasons the Neighbors Always Hate Us' I don't think this is going to go well. Jen is funny.  I like her blunt, sarcastic manner.  I look forward to reading the rest of the essays.

Let's Celebrate Bourbon!

 Today (June 14th) is National Bourbon Day!

I became a whiskey drinker later in life.  In fact, I didn't start to drink whiskey (or whisky) until I met my husband four years ago.  I never developed a taste for Scotch.  But Bourbon was another matter.  

Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with just pouring some bourbon in a glass and enjoying it just like that.  Or adding some ice and enjoying it chilled.  But bourbon also makes a great cocktail.

My go to cocktail for bourbon is the Old Fashioned.  Close to straight bourbon, but with some bitters and simple syrup.  

I love ginger beer, so I like the Kentucky Mule.  Like a Moscow Mule, but with bourbon.

Or you can try the Boulevardier.  Which is like a Negroni but with bourbon instead of gin.  

Also good, the New York Sour.  This one is like a Whisky Sour with a red wine float.  The red wine adds another nice fruity taste to the drink.

Derby

Also reminiscent of a whisky sour is a Derby.  This one has a few more ingredients than some of the others with sweet vermouth and orange liquor.  But with three quarters of an ounce of lime juice it was a bit much for me.  I would cut that a bit so I could taste the other ingredients more.

Similar to a Derby is the Man o'War.  But with lemon instead of lime and different proportions this one is not as sour and I think all the flavors come through more.

Almond Old Fashioned

If you want to go sweet instead of sour try the Peach Bourbon Cocktail.  The peach schnapps adds a nice sweetness and the orange juice give it a nice fresh flavor.

I like amaretto but I think it is too sweet to drink all by itself.  The Almond Old Fashioned is a good solution.  The amaretto is not lost in the bourbon but it is not too sweet either.

Revolver

Another spin on the Old Fashioned is the Galliano and Bourbon Old Fashioned.  Again, the Galliano adds a sweetness and the bourbon tempers the strong anise flavor of the Galliano for a nice balance.

If you want to add a coffee kick to your bourbon try the Revolver.  The coffee liquor adds some nice deep notes and blends well with bourbon.

Manhattan

Also worth a try is a Bourbon Manhattan.  Just bourbon, sweet vermouth and bitters.  Sort of Old Fashioned-esque but with some nice herbal flavors from the vermouth without it being bitter.

There are many more out there.  Go.  Explore.  Try different bourbons in the same cocktail and see how they change.  Have fun.  But, please, drink responsibly.  

Brandy might be a fine girl, but Mandy?

 

Mandy starring Nicolas Cage

Cage is out for revenge when a cult targets his wife, destroying their happy, peaceful life.

I have come to believe Nicolas Cage never turns down a role.  This is not the first of his movies I'm sorry I spent my time on.  The first half of the movie was shot with a red filter.  Everything was red.  All the time.  It lost all meaning.  The same with the ominous music.  It was constant.  Creepy cult members staring at Mandy as she walks down the road, ominous music.  But also, the couple at home watching TV, ominous music.  Until the ominous music became pointless.  And then it was Cage running around killing people and screaming.  He has special weapons stashed that hint at a violent past but we are never told about it.  Some of the bad guys seem to have powers that are more than human with no explanation.  It was a slow start that led to frenzied violence with a very thin plot barely holding everything together.  I'd advise you skip this one.

The Friday 56

  Rules:

* Grab a book, any book.

* Go to page 56.  Or 56% on your ereader. 

* Find a snippet, short and sweet.

* Post it and add the url to your post at Freda's Voice

My book this week is Paul Bunyan by James Stevens.  The title kind of says it all.  It is a book about Paul Bunyan.  It is fun to read if you like tall tales.  Paul uses a pine tree for a pencil and can uproot a tree with his bare hands and all those impossible things that an ordinary human couldn't do, but Paul Bunyan the legend can.

My Friday 56:

Among the other livestock on Paul Bunyan's farm, which was down the river from the old home camp, was a herd of grizzly bears.  The great logger often amused himself by playing with them, and he had taught them many tricks.

According to this Paul Bunyan invented logging.  So he is the reason that all our forests are disappearing.  Thanks, Paul Bunyan.  

Let's Go Diving in the Abyss

Today (June 8th) is World Oceans Day.  

If you want to learn about the oceans, one book you might consider is The Brilliant Abyss.

The Brilliant Abyss by Helen Scales

(from the book jacket)

A golden age of deep-sea discovery is underway.  Revolutionary studies in the deep are rewriting the very notion of life on Earth.  In the process, the abyss is being revealed as perhaps the most amazing part of our planet, with a topography even more varied and extreme than its Earthbound counterpart.  Teeming with unsuspected life, an extraordinary interconnected ecosystem deep below the waves has a huge effect on our daily lives, influencing climate and weather systems worldwide.  Currently the fantastic creatures that live in the deep - many of them incandescent in a world without light - and its mountains, plains, trenches, and hydrothermal vents trap vast quantities of carbon that would otherwise poison our atmosphere.  Novel bacteria as yet undiscovered hold the promise of potent new medicines.

Scales gives a complete survey of the deep oceans.  She starts by introducing the reader to some very interesting creatures that live only in the very deep ocean.  There are some truly fascinating creatures, and they have some truly fascinating things that they do to be able to survive in a place that has no light, very little food, and some caustic conditions.  She goes on to explain how these deep sea habitats affect the oceans, the weather, and the climate of the entire world.  And how if these habitats are destroyed the consequences can be catastrophic in ways no one can foresee.  Then she outlines ways that these important deep sea habitats are being disturbed, by fishing, mining and pollution.  At the end I learned more about mining and rechargeable batteries than I expected (or, indeed, wanted) but the progression of the book shows how it is all related.  So it did not seem odd to start out talking about scaly footed snails and Yeti crabs and end up talking about how batteries are made.  It is a nice, readable account of all things deep sea.  From the way they are formed, to the animals that live there, to the impact of deep sea processes on people and people's impact on the deep sea.  If you have ever wondered what deep sea crabs eat, or what happens to all the plastic that is swept out to sea, or want to learn about why the things that happen so far below us are important to life on Earth this is a book worth your time.

Get Your Donuts Here! Or Is It Doughnut?

Today (June 3rd) is National Donut Day!  Go out and get your free donuts.  Well, sort of free.  If you have to buy a coffee to get a "free" donut, is it really free?  That is a riddle for another day.

To celebrate National Donut Day I learned all about the Donut King.

The Donut King starring Ted Ngoy

In 1975, Ted Ngoy came to America from Cambodia to start a new life.  He managed to build a multi-million dollar donut empire which he then used to help other refugees.

This is a fascinating story.  It is triumph and tragedy all rolled into one.  Ted fell in love with donuts and just decided that was what he was going to do.  He turned a job in a donut shop into one store than another and another and so on.  He then sponsored other Cambodian refugees so they could come to America and taught them the donut business.  It was interesting to see how he becomes a legend to the Cambodian community, a legend that continued even after he had returned to Cambodia.  It is a well told story that gives you the good and the bad.  It is a story that takes you to the highs and the lows of success.  And it is all the more impressive because it is true.