My sin was winning

In this post: Teaser, Top Ten, Tune In

Teasers:
Should Be Reading

My sin was winning. I have hidden myself in the old power, in the old skills, in woman's power.

p. 101, "The Wise Woman" by Philippa Gregory

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Top Ten: Books I Think Would Make Great Book Club Picks
The Broke and the Bookish

The book club in my town has international membership. I am curious how members (myself included) would discuss, think of, or react to:

1. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
3. The King's Speech by Mark Logue
4. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O' Farrell
5. That They May Face The Rising Sun by John McGahern
6. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
7. We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
8. Kelly, the Bar Girl Who Would Be President by Sam Worthington
9. Shroud by John Banville
10. Hitler's Piano Player: The Rise and Fall of Ernst Hanfstaengl by Peter Conradi

Tune In: Seal's Kiss from a Rose
GReads

I know I like the lyrics: "graying tower alone on the sea... a light hits the gloom on the gray,"  but didn't bother to know who sang it, (okay now I know) nor its background that it was included in the Batman Forever soundtrack, yeah old maids like me could be so boring like this; until I saw what images were used on this video - Pride and Prejudice! Well, of course, of course.... :)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGPaYFLWTTs&feature=related[/youtube]

Wide awake

Happiness is... rocking a baby in high heels.

It was very late. The then husband and I just got back from a wedding. I thought CJ was fast asleep but his Grandma said he was wide awake. I scooped him up. It was my first time to carry him around in 3-inch stilettos and it was rather fun. We stepped outside for a bit of fresh air, at the same time tailing CJ's Dad as he prepared to get the car in the garage. I thought why not have a snapshot of the moment. So we did.

This post is shared @ Extra Room for Happiness

Hi, My Little Professor is a new blog. I am on the process of importing posts from an old blog which started as musings about the kiddo and mommyhood. That blog has ballooned into many other posts covering a few other different interests. Guess this mom couldn't just shut up. Meanwhile I am updating pages during lunch breaks. The 'organize' bug has bitten me, and I hope the 'rush' bug will bite me as well so I get this site up running smoothly soon. I look forward to meeting fellow mommies.

Writing or riveting?

In this post: Booking Through & Third Sentence

What’s more important: Good writing? Or a good story?
(Of course, a book should have BOTH, but…)

I buy my books. So before buying any I spend time reading blurbs and reviews as of course I want value for my money. One thing that gives me pleasure in books is reading them from start to finish because of both - good writing and good story. Then I am happy knowing I haven't wasted a cent. On the other hand, good writing for me is very instrumental in tolerating a not-so- good plot. I am willing to forget it is a dull story if the writing is really good it can carry me away.

*More bookish reactions at Booking Through Thursday

Book: Emma

3rd sentence: "Her mother had died too long ago for her to have more than an indistinct remembrance of her caresses, and her place had been supplied by an excellent governess, who had fallen little short of a mother in affection."

Thoughts: Stepmother scenario in my mind here. A child in the film Nanny McPhee says, "stepmothers... they're an evil breed." I thought how lucky for Emma she got a loving governess. Of course not all stepparents are bad. And aren't we glad good foster homes exist? Our chances of being subjected to the horror stories of child neglect and abuse are lessened.

*Proud Book Nerd hosts Third Sentence Thursday

A fire was in my head

In this post: Teaser, Top Ten, Tune In

Teasers:

She had resolved that one and twenty should be the period.  With the fortitude of a devoted noviciate, she had resolved to complete the sacrifice, and retire from all the pleasures of life, of rational intercourse, equal society, peace and hope, to penance and mortification forever.

p. 423, "Emma" by Jane Austen (Volume II, Collected Edition)

A classic look at misconstrued romance. Foolish, arrogant, sensible, oblivious or endearing characters are excellently portrayed. If you've read this before, marvel anew at how people from way way back are actually alike ourselves nowadays in many ways.  If not, get ready to observe human behavior described with humor and skill that made Jane Austen a much-loved author with millions of fans.

*Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading

Top Ten: Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read

Perhaps easy accessibility was taken for granted. But there's no excuse for not having read #6, especially for someone like me who did grad time in the Humanities- Communication Arts no less. This reading life is stranger than fiction.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. Anne Shirley of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
3. Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
4. Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
6. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
7. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
8. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
9. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
10. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

*Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Tune In : Song of Wandering Aengus

There's a new kind of fun around here - exploring literary works, especially classical poetry set into music.  Here's one I found:

Lyrics from a poem of the same title by W.B. Yeats
Vocals by Donovan & Video illustration by Sissham

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQUT6mS0eY8[/youtube]

*Tune in Tuesday is hosted by Ginger at GReads!

Please leave your permalink so I can check it out.

Skipping

I saw this article the other day that asked, “Are you ashamed of skipping parts of books?” Which, naturally, made me want to ask all of YOU. Do you skip ahead in a book? Do you feel badly about it when you do?

It depends; and about two percent of the time.

You Don't Say! for example, by Barry Phelps, is about world notables and their misquotations listed alphabetically. In this case I wanted to know first what misquotations Margaret Thatcher or Napoleon Bonaparte made rather than reading accounts in order. Parts that are of least relevance or interest to me - I skip without questioning myself.

Conrad Kottak's international edition of Anthropology: the exploration of human diversity once was my bible for a week. I was then preparing a PhD research proposal.  Dissect, synthesize, decide which ideas would be best for an argument on a deadline on top of other university job related readings - I was almost blue in the face as the reading turned mad. And I only needed to nail some historical bit that would help rationalize the proposal. That and a few more words that began with the same letter - you could guess where I went and how thick were the pages I skipped. I know what a mpakafo is but I have to run back to this formidable but very interesting reference if asked to describe arboreal  theory.

Now, do I feel badly about skipping when I do? In most cases, yes. Most books in my hands are too engaging and too useful not to be read in their entirety. At times it is probably this 'I-have-to-read-everything-inside-every-book-I-own' state of mind.  Or that could just be my seasonally neurotic self speaking.

This post is linked with Booking Through Thursday.

Christmas 2011 - New Year 2012

Friday's Fave Five is a meme wherein participants list five best things from their week. Now not every week is great for everyone, and that's where the challenge to come up with blessings lies. Do you hear gratitude? Or optimism? A few days before this just-concluded Christmas, I had to try finding what's good in a week that involved a seriously lacerated forehead on top of having to work on Christmas day.

*****

Too much multi-tasking amidst anemic symptoms sent me bleeding to the ER. Two surgeons hovered over me. "Fifty-two," said one to the other. And the stitching began. I gleaned my week's best through sutures, anesthesia and an anti-tetanus shot.
  
i. It was fifty-two, not fifty-three stitches or more. I'd take that and be thankful.  

ii. The presence of a friend. So much for independence and pride in doing things single-handedly. I mean going through all that alone was possible, but someone to whom you can say ouch without worrying how you look is comfort I wouldn't exchange for anything that week. 

iii. Making it to work the next evening and onward. Thank God for antibiotics and painkillers I was back in the lecture hall the next evening poise intact.

iv. Learning questions. The interview (at the hospital) made me review my lifestyle. Do you smoke? - once in a blue moon, drink? - just the occasional martini, etc.... and then I had to chuckle at, "are you sure nobody hit you?"

v. Good-natured neighbors and colleagues. Half my face was swollen and numb, right eye was a red grape I know I look awful I should lock myself up but I had to work and those who were unfortunately subjected to the sight of me kept it civil. The Australian guy who hangs out at the corner shop where I pass by to work was the first to greet me merry Christmas after asking what happened. 

It was indeed Christmas, black eye or not. And although I was working on the 24th til the 25th, it was up to me how to tweak traditional celebrations and celebrate the season. I'm glad I had that option. Here's to an even more rocking 2012!