The Leaning Tower of Jen...

For the past 2 days I have looked like this. My back has been spasming and in no time, I am leaning to the right. To say it's painful would probably be redundant, but it is.

I've spent pretty much all of today in bed. The one good thing out of this is that I've been able to get a little bit of reading done- but not much.

When no amount of ibuprofen did anything to help, I took matters into my own hands. I was sure that a piece of cake from my daughter's birthday party would fix me. Is there anything good cake can't fix?! Apparently, there is because it didn't do the trick. I then began to bribe my back. I pleaded that if it would stop spasming on me I'd give it chocolate chip cookies. I swear it knows because it started getting better. But I'm still in bad shape.

Oh well, no one can say I didn't try. I wonder if I should charge admission for people come check out the real life version of the historical landmark? Just a thought...

Journey Through The Classics Update!

A big reason I wanted to read this book was wanting to see how close the book was to a movie made of it. In the 1990s the movie "Clueless" was made as a modern day adaptation to the beloved book. As happens with many adaptations, things tend to get lost in the translation, and I wanted to see if this pairing was going to be another example of that. It wasn't. The book and the movie were pretty darn close! More over, both were great!

Once I started reading Emma, I didn't want to stop. I remember reading it in far less time than I expected to. My husband was home from work, so I've no doubt that's why. I was just enthralled with the story. I thoroughly loved reading to see how much the book and movie had in common.

Emma was the girl who took people under her wing in the thought of knowing what was best for them. In some cases she was right. She took excellent care of her Father. Some she was off... way off. When she befriends Harriet, she decides to find her new friend a husband. In the end, the match was not made and love was almost missed out on by everyone involved.

As enchanting as Emma was, I do have to say I wasn't expecting her to treat Harriet in the way she did towards the end of the book. Other than that, I loved the book.

This Blonde Vs. Facebook...

Alright, so I've been wanting to post pictures on Facebook so my family & friends could see them. Most of the pictures I take these days are done on my iPhone and I even had my hubby download the Facebook app. I've had my phone for over a year & the app on it for a little less than that.

I have tried and tried to figure out how to post the pictures from my phone with no success. Well, a few days ago I happen to see a little camera icon next to the space where you write what you want to say. I clicked it and sure enough I was able to pick pictures from my phone's library.

I was so happy and peeved all in one! It was that easy and RIGHT THERE!! I still don't want to discuss it, but I had to share this moment with you all.

Oh well. Better late than never?

Journey Through The Classics Update!

**Rebecca is not on the Barnes & Noble Classics list. This is one of the several classics I'll be reading that is not on it.

Rebecca

By: Daphne Du Maurier

This is another re-read for me. While I don't remember much of it from the first reading, I do know it didn't take me as long to read as it did this time.

Overall, I liked the book. I found the first half slow going and even boring at times. I felt like it took awhile to get really going. But once it got good, it got REALLY good. The second half of the book was great! I had a hard time putting it down when I had to. Laundry was put off until I had no choice about it because I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

The character Mrs. Danvers, the head house employee, was one of those characters you want to throttle! As awful as this may sound, that woman needed a good dose of reality to hit her in the face. Somewhere along the line she forgot she was an employee- a replaceable one at that- and not the owner of the house.

I was a little disappointed with the ending. I would have liked a bit more closure. All you know is that Manderley is on fire, but there's no resolution as to who did it, though you have 2 good ideas. I can't really put my finger on it, but I thought the book would end in a different way.

September 11, 2001 Tribute

September 11, 2001

A tear can be shed.
Blood can be bled.
But we will never forget

The living, now dead.

-me

Journey Through The Classics Update!

Pippi Goes On Board

By: Astrid Lindgren

While not as magical as the first book in the Pippi series, Pippi Goes On Board, is still a continuation of Pippi's adventures. She takes Tommy and Annika along with her as she goes on a shopping spree in town. Lesson learned that day: if 36 pounds of candy isn't enough for all the town's children to feast on... get another 36 pounds! You just might have some for the following day. Pippi gives Tommy and Annika a little taste of what it's like to be shipwrecked. While their parents are out of town, the siblings and Pippi set sail for a nearby lake island.

There are plenty of adventures to enjoy in this book. You'll get to meet Pippi's father and find out if he really did become a cannibal king. You'll also get to see what she does when given the choice of staying at Villa Villekula or set sail with her beloved Father.

If you read Pippi Goes On Board, I hope you enjoy it! Reading Pippi is like visiting a long lost friend only to feel as if no time has gone by.

Places I find Books....

Recently a question was posted on Twitter asking people where they found books to read. For some reason the question stayed with me. So, I thought that I would share with you guys some of the places I go to when looking for books to read.

1. Bookstores
I'm sure this one goes without saying. I can't count the number of times I found books when browsing through. My local B&N has stands holding books and I usually find a few gems there.

2. Magazines
People magazine is my biggest source in this category. Every week they review a few books and it's one the reasons I love the magazine. I have found sooo many books there that I read and even had to start making a list.

3. Libraries
Another obvious pick. Again, you'd be amazed what you find when you just walk through the shelves and really look at the books. I also found lots of possibilities while I volunteered there.

4. Friends/Word of Mouth
This is such a good source! You often find out things about books you normally wouldn't.

5. Websites & Book Blogs
Whenever I go to bn.com or Amazon I always take a peek at the other books people bought when they bought one I was interested in. You'd be amazed what you uncover. Also, book blogs are GREAT for finding books. There are so many to look at and cover every book genre there is. I have spent many an afternoon browsing different websites and walked away with a list of books I was ready to read.

Well, I hope this has been informative for you. Find lots of good books and enjoy! I'd love to hear some the places you find books to read!