Book Chat - 10/22/2020

I’ve been a reading fool.

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis.                      The two intertwined stories are set in 1913 and 1993, in New York City, specifically, the Fifth Avenue branch of the New York Public Library. In 1913, Jack Lyons is the superintendent of the library, where he and his family live in a 7-room suite. Laura, his wife, longs for a life passion and enrolls in journalism school. In 1993, Sadie Donovan works for the Berg Collection, a foundation under the auspices and housed within the Fifth Avenue branch of the library. One of the artifacts that Sadie will include in an upcoming exhibit is feminist author Laura Lyons' walking stick. Unwinding the strands of connection between the two timelines was an enjoyable read. I liked this book.  

Deep Fried and Pickled by Paisley Ray
Freshman Rachel stumbles onto an art forgery operation, while navigating the culture shock of attending college in the south. It was cute. 

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
Evvie is unhappily married to a prominent physician who is loved by the whole town. On the day she plans to leave the marriage, her husband dies unexpectedly. She struggles with feeling guilty for not grieving his death as everyone else around her is. Her best friend talks her into letting a struggling baseball pitcher rent her extra room, thinking that the two might be able to help each other. It was good.

The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
This book is about the differences and the similarities between two Indian women. One is upper class and the other is her house servant of more than twenty years. The two have weathered many storms. It was very good.

The Secrets Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
This book is the sequel to The Space Between Us. Bhima, the servant, now finds herself unemployed. While she does finally find two cleaning jobs, for the first time in her life, she feels herself askew. An unexpected opportunity presents itself that shows her a different path. I really liked the first book, but this one was even better.

The Heart Echoes by Helena Von Zweigbergk 
Set in Sweden, the bond between three sisters who have had many issues throughout the years is tested when one of them becomes ill. It was good.

The Book of Lost Names by Kristen Harmel
Set in France in World War II, this book is about a young Jewish woman who becomes an accomplished forger. With the help of a priest and another forger, she helps move hundreds of Jewish children to safety, but not without personal cost. It was very good.

The Storytellers Secret by Sejal Badani 
I read this book in less than a day. Jaya, after suffering her third miscarriage and subsequently, a fractured marriage, finds herself utterly lost. While staying with her folks, her mother receives a letter telling her that her father in India is dying and requests to see her. The mother refuses but will not open up about her reasoning. Jaya decides to run from her own problems and heads to India to try to get some answers. It was very good.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
I read this book months ago and forgot to mention it. A security guard accuses Emira, who is black, of kidnapping the white toddler who is in her charge. This event sets up an examination of race and privilege throughout the rest of the book. It was a good reminder that not all racist events end in violence, but they are still wrong. It was good.

The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch
The town executioner and a doctor race to solve the mystery of why children are being murdered before an innocent woman is burned as a witch. It was a good read. Interestingly, there really were executioners in Bavaria with the last name of Kuisl and the author is one of their descendants.

Me and Carlos by Tom Perrotta
Digger is not a big man on campus, but finally, he gets some recognition on the soccer field. Then comes Carlos, a new student from Honduras. Digger and Carlos become good friends. Carlos gets popular. Life gets messy. It was cute.

By the Book by Julia Sonneborn 
I read this one earlier this year also, and forgot to mention it. An English professor is on track for tenure. Things are going well. She's working on a book and a promotion. She's dating a hot guy. Then, her ex-fiancée is appointed president of the college and her life gets a little ruffled. It was also cute.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 10/20/2020

Well, Peeps...I watched a movie recently. It’s an oldie:

In 1946, Olivia de Havilland starred in To Each His Own and won the Oscar for Best Actress. It's about a young woman who has a one night stand with a pilot. He's later killed and she is pregnant. She gives up the child for adoption. John Lund also stars. It was really a good movie, although not as risqué these days as it was in 1946. I enjoyed it.

I hope to get back in the groove of watching new releases or more recently released films. With all the streaming services I have at my disposal, one would think I would be here telling you three all about dozens...no, hundreds of movies. Alas, my dash has been challenging and my head has been in a weird space. 

Here’s a list of shows to binge that I recommend:

Mrs. America

Lennox Hill

Space Force

Dr. Foster

Upload

The Keepers  

Challenger: The Final Flight

Y’all have a great week!

MK out.

FO Friday 9/25/2020

 I finished this project a month ago and kept forgetting to post about it.

Pattern:  Simplicity Cardigan by Mary Annarella

Yarn:  Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in Seven Seas

Comments:  I am very happy with this cardigan and know I will get a lot of use out of it. Seven Seas is the exclusive color way that Madelinetosh dyed up for West 7th Wool - my LYS. It’s really pretty IRL. Mary’s patterns are so well written. I enjoyed making this sweater.

MK out.

Book Chat - 9/24/2020

The dash has been dashing along these last few weeks. I had to get a new phone and finally decided to switch from an Android to an iPhone. I’m still not 100% happy about it, but it is nice to sync info between the phone and the iPad. 

I think I may have to upgrade my iPad though. It’s no longer being supported through iOS updates and several apps are no longer useable. For one, Blogger updated its interface and I cannot post on the iPad anymore. (That’s what I don’t like about the Apple cult.) I’m posting on the phone as we speak...

The good thing is - I’m still healthy, alive and kicking. 

The beginning of the Birthday Season passed quietly, but I’ve been trying to celebrate daily. Today, I got a flu shot. What better way to pamper oneself than by doing things to make sure one will be around longer to enjoy life’s gifts? I’ve also been good about working out; so, there’s that. Don’t worry. There’s been a facial and a massage in the last couple of weeks...I’m not renouncing my crown yet.

Yes, I’ve been reading.

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan Anthony Peardew lost an important keepsake from his fiancée on the day that she was tragically killed. He has spent the rest of his life rescuing lost things, hoping to reunite them with their owners. It's part love story, part ghost story and full on good. I loved this book. 

Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump Donald Trump's niece, who is a psychologist, offers her premise regarding the family dynamics in play that shaped (not just DT's but) the personalities and behaviors of the family members. It was interesting.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 8/31/2020

Let's just say that binge-watching shows is my chosen method of self-soothing these days. A one hour show and a few others following is longer than sitting down to watch a movie, but for some reason, it's so much more satisfying.

I did watch a two movies in the last week though.

Raintree County is set around Civil War times. The film, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift and Eva Marie Saint premiered almost 20 years after Gone With the Wind, but it reminded me a lot of that classic. Taylor plays a Scarlet-type Southern belle, who in this instance successfully lures her man from the clutches of the sweet Nell (Saint) by devious means. She's a troubled thing though, and things go awry rather quickly. It was a good story.

In a more recent offering, I watched The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. His ballad was only one of six unrelated shoft stories set in the wild, wild, west. The film was written, directed and produced by the Cohen brothers; so, quirky and a little out there. The Husb did not appreciate the small part he watched with me, and offered to skip the rest; so, I could enjoy it more fully. It was definitely entertaining. 

MK out.

Movie Monday - 8/24/2020

This week, we have a bit of a theme.

Welcome to Kutsher's: The Last Catskills Resort is a documentary about the last Jewish resort in the Catskills that finally closed. It was owned by the Kutsher family for over 100 years. 

Four Seasons Lodge is a documentary about another Catskills resort that was favored by a group of Holocaust survivors.

Both places were part of the Borscht Belt, so named because the resorts were patronized mostly by Jewish-American people. They were like summer camp, but for the whole family. Sounds like a lot of fun to me. I enjoyed both films.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 8/10/2020

Only one film to talk about this week:

Based on the novel, The Good Shepherd by C. S. Forester, Greyhound tells the story of a convoy of 37 allied ships making its way to Liverpool in the Battle of the Atlantic during WWII. Commander Ernest Krauss (Tom Hanks) is the captain of the USS Keeling, aka Greyhound and commander of the convoy. He has to navigate the passage through the "Black Pit," where they will not have cover from protective air cover. Naturally, the convoy comes under attack by enemy submarines. It was good. 

MK out.