The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden
By: Frances Hodgson Burnett
266 pages** (my 1992 copy)

Summary:
When a cholera outbreak uproots Mary Lennox from her life in India she is sent to live with her Uncle Archibald. There she sets out to find the garden that has been locked up tight for the last 10 years and meets a handful of wonderful friends along the way.

Mary Lennox is a little girl who's life in India is anything but normal. Her father was either too busy with work or too busy being sick to see her and her mother couldn't be bothered to take care of a child who was "most disagreeable looking" in comparison to her own beauty. Kept in her rooms with a host of servants to make sure she is kept out of sight and doesn't disturb her mother, Mary (when she isn't sick herself) is spoiled to the point of being "tyrannical and selfish a little pig as ever lived."

However, at 9 years old, life as she knows it changes forever. Cholera breaks out in the massive household and she is kept in her room to avoid catching it. Forgotten for several days, it's not until 2 men find her does she learn both her parents died, as well as her nanny. Any servants who survived fled the house quickly without looking back, or thinking of Mary. She's then sent to live with her Uncle with only rumours of a hunchback, a cross personality, and an odd statement from her Uncle's housekeeper as preparation: "You are going to a queer place."

Life at her Uncle's house is as far from life in India as Mary can get. She's expected to dress herself, servants talk to each other as if they are equals, and there's a garden no one is allowed to go in. Mary sets on a mission to find out where it is. With a robin's guiding help she finds the key and later the door. A gardener named Ben and a servant named Martha tell Mary the sad story of why the garden is closed to the world, but she is determined to get in there.

Not only does Mary find it, but an "animal charmer", named Dickon, helps her bring the garden back to life. And while Mary immerses herself with the garden she uncovers another mystery. She finds a cousin she never knew she had. Together, these 3 children turn a neglected garden into their own paradise.

The Secret Garden is every bit as magical and enchanting as I remembered it being when I read it in high school. You can't help but be swept away with the children and the garden. (It made me wish I had a green thumb myself). You'll fall in love with the garden that has "magic" enough to heal the sick and bring all walks of life together.

Rating: BUY IT!!!

Sex And The City 2 Movie Review

I've been a fan of Sex and the City since it was airing on HBO. I have all 6 seasons on DVD and own the commemorative book chronicling the whole series. My girlfriend and I were of the many fans who couldn't wait for the first movie to come out. We liked it, but neither of us thought it was as good as it should've been. With it's primary storyline being Big freaking out and jilting Carrie right before she walked down the aisle, SATC 1 was full of the drama the show was known for, but didn't have a lot of the comedy it's also known for. SATC2 was the opposite- heavy with the comedy and lighter with the drama. Between the lackluster reviews I've been reading about and the common thread of sequels rarely being liked, I was prepared for disappointment. I'm happy to say I wasn't and I LOVED the movie! We both had a great time- as did everyone else in our theatre. Personally, I think it was better than SATC 1.

SATC 2 was funny and felt more like an extension of the show. Samantha is still the one who's fighting the aging process every step of the way- no matter how many pills and creams it takes. (In the movie you actually find out her age.) Her battle with menopause was hilarious and my favorite storyline in the movie. Charlotte is still the one who's dealing with the difference between reality and the dream she pictured in her mind. She now has the "perfect" family, but it's a lot harder than she thought it would be. One scene has her so overwhelmed that she hides in the pantry to cry. (I have been there and done that many times.) Miranda is still trying to balance family life and career life. A struggle that hits home when her son has a big day that she has to miss. Carrie is trying to keep the "sparkle" in her marriage to Big of two years and with different personalities. For the most part, these are struggles and battles the characters dealt with during the show's run on HBO. It was nice to see the movie staying true to the characters and consistent to their issues.

The best parts are all with them in Middle East. Once they arrive, the good times do as well. From Samantha having her pills confiscated upon arrival to the karaoke singing (My girlfriend thought it was cute), the laughs keep coming. Miranda's way of loosening Charlotte up enough to vent how hard it is to be a mom ("Take a sip") was funny! Poor Charlotte gets her feelings out, but gets drunk in the process.

I thought the wedding between Anthony and Stanford was beyond over the top. Between the all male choir signing show tunes prior to the ceremony to Liza Minelli conducting the ceremony, it was one extravagance after another. It had a fitting ending with Liza singing and dancing to Beyonce's "All The Single Ladies'. She was dancing with two dancers who were probably half her age and was able to keep up pretty well. It was good to see her able to pull it off, but there was also something really odd about it, too.

I also had an issue with Aiden's roll in the movie. I didn't like that there was no resolution to his role in the movie. While he's in this movie for more time than the last, it still kind of ended abruptly. I know he wasn't meant to play a big role in the movie, but I felt like he was there and then he wasn't. They could've put some closure there.

I'd definitely go see the movie again in the theatre. I had a great time and almost felt like I was watching the series again. I think I got my money's worth with this movie. There is so much I left out so I wouldn't spoil anything!!

Rating: See It In The Theatres & DVD/Blu-ray worthy

Summer Reading Recommendation

Welcome To My 1st Summer Reading Recommendation!!

Here I'll profile books I think would be great to

read during the summer! I hope you enjoy!!

No Angel

By: Penny Vincenzi

Celia is used to getting her way and she moves through life making difficult and often dangerous decisions. At 18, she falls in love with Oliver Lytton, scion of a prominent publishing family, and orchestrates a plan to marry him. In a few whirlwind years, Celia gives birth to 3 children, rises through the editorial ranks in the family business and takes in Barty, the daughter of an impoverished friend. Those who lives are also changed: Oliver's sister, LM, and an author, Sebastian Brooke, for whom Celia makes the most dangerous decision of all. -- edited version of No Angel jacket description

This is the first book in Penny Vincenzi's phenomenal Spoils of Time trilogy about the Lytton family. I have yet to read a description of the book that did it justice. I cannot rave about this book enough!! The plot is fast moving, engrossing, and well laid out. When I read it a few years ago, I remember thinking that something was happening on every page. The size of the book (over 600 pages) was a bit daunting for me, but once I started reading I quickly forgot about the amount of pages. The story was riveting from the first page to the last. Celia was a character I couldn't get enough of and didn't want to. I could not wait to see what was going to happen next! Having an up close look at the publishing world (it was practically it's own character) was just an added bonus.

It's rare for me to come across a book that I can't forget about once I finish and move on to another one. No Angel (and the series) was the exception. I vow to re-read this book again someday. It was beautifully written. I have read a few other books by Penny Vincenzi outside of the trilogy, but they weren't nearly as good. If you like family sagas, strong female characters, fast moving stories, and the publishing world you will enjoy this book! I LOVED this book and will read it again! I hope you enjoy it!!

A Blonde And Her Blog

I love getting comments on posts I've made. Sometimes I'm good with my responses. Sometimes not. This latest blonde moment would fall into the "Not" category. I hope you enjoy and have a chuckle. I know I did... eventually.

Recently I posted a reading habits questionnaire I found on a fellow blogger's website. I thought it was fun and hoped others would enjoy it, too. I was excited when I got my first comment on it. (I should probably tell you now that I get excited easily and usually over the little things.) This Miss Loves To Read was kind enough to share her thoughts on my answers. We'll call her comment exhibit A.

EXHIBIT A:

Yay, I love your answers!!! It's so great you recommend Garden Spells to people, it really is SUCH a magical book.

Before we go any further I should warn you that sometimes I'm good at muti-tasking. This is NOT one of those times. In fact, my response to her comment is a shining example of why I should not post a comment while thinking of the book I'm excited to read next. We'll call my response exhibit B.

EXHIBIT B:

I thought the questionnaire was fun, too! Feel free to use it!!! I read "secret garden" a long, long time ago and loved it. So now I'm gonna re-read it.

On top of the book confusion part of it, her blog is where I got the questionnaire from in the first place! Yeah, enough said.

The Seduction of the Crimson Rose

The Seduction of the Crimson Rose

By: Lauren Willig

381 pages

Summary:

Mary Alsworthy accepts a secret assignment from Lord Vaughn on behalf of the Pink Carnation: to infiltrate the ranks of the dreaded French spy, the Black Tulip, before he and his master can stage their planned invasion of England. Every spy has a weakness, and for the Black Tulip that weakness is black haired women- his "petals" of the Tulip. A natural at the art of seduction, Mary catches the attention of the French spy, but Lord Vaughn never anticipates that his own heart will be caught as well. Fighting their growing attraction,impediments from their pasts, and of course, the French, Mary and Vaughn find themselves lost in the shadows of a treacherous garden of lies. -- The Seduction of the Crimson Rose

I liked this book. I found myself curious how Mary and Lord Vaughn were going to interact. Both are two of a kind in the respects of being bitter from the directions life has taken them, cynical, and only out for themselves. Lord Vaughn is the mysterious character that no one is really sure of: is he good or is he bad? And, like Mary, he has a scandal of his own he had to endure (his wife died and some question the true cause). Mary is the family beauty who has gone several seasons with no proposal. Her closest shot at a secure future is now married to her sister after an innocent mistake.

Both agree to the Pink Carnation's assignment under the impression that it was going to be a short term thing and they would go their own ways after. Of course, neither of those things happen and neither of them expected what actually happened. The banter between them was great and doesn't stop even once they admit how they feel. Throughout the whole book both characters stay true to themselves.

Everything changes when Lord Vaughn gets injured and Mary is the one who takes care of him. This is when all the games and pretense stop and they lay it all on the line. Of course, it isn't smooth sailing for them from here on out. Nothing ruins a declaration of love like the "dead" wife showing up in the middle of it. So now they have to not only deal with the Black Tulip, but now they have to deal with his wife wanting to take back her place in life.

If you're like me and don't read a lot of historical romances, you'll enjoy this book. If you do read a fair share of them, I can see how this book would get lost in the crowd. There isn't anything really outstanding in it, but it's a fun read. Lord Vaughn and Mary are wonderful characters to read about from beginning to end.

Rating: Borrow From the Library

Reading Habits Meme

I found this on http://thismisslovestoread.blogspot.com/ and loved it!

1. Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack:
I do love to snack when I read, but I have no particular favorite. Chocolate is always good.

2. What is your favorite drink while reading?
It depends on what I'm reading- and what I have. Usually hot chocolate is always good. Sometimes I have a beer or wine.

3. Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
ABSOLUTELY NOT! Here is where my book anal retentiveness comes in... the idea horrifies me. I NEVER write in books I'm reading. If I need to make notes or something I use post-its.

4. How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
I use a bookmark I've had for years (we have a bond). I'll use magazine subscription cards if I need to. The only way I'll dog-ear pages is if it's a library book and I have absolutely no other means of keeping my place. I NEVER lay a book flat open.

5. Fiction, non-fiction, or both?
Both. Mostly fiction, but I enjoy biographies and autobiographies

6. Are you a person who tends to read to the end of the chapter, or can you stop anywhere?
I prefer to finish a chapter. If I have to I can stop anywhere, but I don't like doing it. Having 2 small children has turned this ability into a necessity sometimes.

7. Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you?
Who told on me?! Usually, I would NEVER EVER throw a book anywhere. (again, my book anal retentiveness) However, Nicholas Sparks managed to get thrown across the house when he killed off a dog- twice.

8. If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away?
Only if I have to. I normally try to figure it out based on the sentence and text it's being used. If that doesn't work, I'll go look it up. I usually run into this problem when I read the classics.

9. What are you currently reading?
The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by: Lauren Willig & The Secret Garden by: Frances Hodgon Burnett

10. What is the last book you bought?
The Carrie Diaries By: Candace Bushnell

11. Are you the type of person that reads one book at a time, or can you read more than one book at a time?
I prefer to read one at a time. I love to get lost in the story and swept away. However, if the books are different types then I'd be more willing to juggle more than one, but I don't think I'd read more than 2 at the same time.

12. Do you have a favorite time/place to read?
Whenever I can, and wherever I can.

13. Do you prefer series or stand alones?
Both! If the book and characters are good I'm there, if that's a series or not doesn't matter to me.

14. Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over?Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. That book is pure magic and a wonderful read. Most of her books are.

15. How do you organize your books?
By size & type! Okay, here's more of my book anal retentiveness!! Hardcovers, according to size. Trade paperbacks, according to size. Mass-market paperbacks, according to size. I like to keep books from the same authors together, but mostly it's size.

The Day I Shot Cupid...

The Day I Shot Cupid...
By: Jennifer Love Hewitt
196 pages

Summary:
Her advice in the love department

I have a MASSIVE aversion to love & relationship advice books. It seems to me they always suggest you play a game of some sort and they all swear they're right. Basically, I feel, they turn something simple into something complicated. I'm sorry to say, this book falls into this category- though it may not be as bad as some of the others.

Given how I feel about advice books, why did I read this book? Well, I was under the impression it was more of a here's what I've done in the name of love and what I learned from them kind of book. In all the press I saw and read regarding this book she was telling stories of mistakes she's made. So, I thought she was going to tell you those. While she does tell you some of those mistakes, it's not what the book is about. In my opinion, she should have done that. It would be a much more entertaining read. Probably one I would have finished since I didn't do that with this one.

I don't doubt that she has lots of experience to draw from and has lots to say. I just don't like anyone coming in and telling me how to act during a relationship and then how to act in a breakup. To me, "propper relationship & breakup etticate" will always be to just be yourselves. It may not workout, and it may. Her loyal fans will probably enjoy this book, but I did not. If you read it, maybe you'll like it more than I did.

Rating: Return It/Borrow from the Library (if you must read it)