Linda C. Wright's Blog, page 38

March 17, 2011

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Stories about twins fascinate me.  Especially stories about twins and ghosts.  There is something very mystical and magical about one soul split into two identical bodies.  Vida Winter, a famous but now old and aging storyteller decides it's time to share the secrets of her life.  She calls on Margaret Lea who carries a secret of her own.



Vida sets the ground rules that all stories have beginnings, middles and ends and there will be no deviating from that.  Margaret, with an investigative mind, tries to put some pieces in place before the famous author is ready to reveal them.  Along the way the pair form an incredible, loving bond.



The Thirteenth Tale is a lovely, mysterious page turner.  The story and its characters are enticing.  In fact on my last trip to the bookstore, they had six copies of The Thirteenth Tale on the shelf.  So other people must think so too.  I rate it a 5 out of 5 and I think I'm keeping it.  I've always wanted to write my own story about twins.  I'll need some tips and The Thirteenth Tale will offer many.    



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Published on March 17, 2011 06:51

March 15, 2011

Check out Smashwords.com

Great news!



One Clown Short is now available on Smashwords in a format for downloading to your favorite e-reader.  Use my coupon code FT44M for a 25% discount good through April 15, 2011.



Check out lots of great electronic titles at Smashwords.com



Happy Reading!



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Published on March 15, 2011 06:41

March 3, 2011

I'm A Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson

I distinctly remember buying this book at Costco.  At the old house, Costco was less than a mile down the road and I visited often.  The book selection was wonderful and I can thank Costco for many of the books that are waiting patiently on the shelf for me to open them and read a few of their words.  In fact this book has been on the shelf for so long that the pages have started to yellow.  I thought it was time to see what it was all about.



I'm A Stranger Here Myself is a collection of columns that Bill Bryson wrote for a British publication.  He was born and raised in Iowa, moved to England for some reason he never reveals to us and married and had children.  After 20 years abroad he and his family moved back to a small town in New England.  And what he finds in America upon his return is laugh out loud funny.  From the post office to the airport to what is on television, his satirical view pokes fun at them all.  I got the sense that his British wife and children adjusted to their new lives much more rapidly.  I think he's kind of a geek.



We're quirky we Americans even though we may not think so.  This book puts our life of plenty in perspective that's for sure.  I'm A Stranger Here Myself is a light and laughable view of every day occurrences in America.  The book was a little long but other than that I rate it a 3 1/2 out of 5.  It was a wonderful diversion from the literary works I usually long for.



And as for Costco, there isn't one around here.  I miss the treasure hunt but I don't eat as many hot dogs.  In my new neighborhood there are plenty of opportunities for me to shop for books.  Even though I didn't move across the pond, there are new adventures worth poking fun at no matter where life takes you.



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Published on March 03, 2011 08:27

February 28, 2011

A Cure for Us All

I watched Charlie Sheen on the Today Show this morning.  The guy's got issues.  And a big ego that's keeping him from being in touch with reality.



He claims he's cured but he's still going to have a glass of champagne because that's what we celebrate with.  Really?  And all the Alcoholics Anonymous bashing.  It is really necessary?



I gave up alcohol with out the help of AA but that's not possible for everyone.  Richard's been sober for 11 years also without the help of AA.  But that doesn't mean we both didn't have to do a tremendous amount of soul searching.  The conversations with God are frequent and without a deep trust and faith in Him, I wouldn't have lasted even this long.  I don't keep track of the day I stopped or have a birthday or collect coins like someone in AA but I do know this.  The thought that I'd like a glass of wine pops into my head almost daily and I've been totally and completely sober for almost ten months.



So Charlie Sheen, don't brag that you're cured.  And don't bad mouth AA.  It's a fine, wonderful organization that helps millions of people find peace, love and harmony in their lives.  You may not believe it can work for you, but there is one think I know for a fact.  Sobriety is a long and winding road no matter how a person chooses to deal with it.  Different paths work for different people.  And I thank God every day He set me on the one that was meant to work for me.



Charlie Sheen, you have a lot of work left to do.  First off stop using your celebrity to spout off just because you can.  And don't for one minute think you can dabble in drugs and alcohol while calling yourself cured.   If you don't want to go to AA, then don't. But don't label it as useless when it clearly brings peace to so many.



I hope you find what works for you, I truly do.  Drugs and alcohol are a crutch that keep us from living life to our full potential.  What's in front of you may be even more amazing that what's behind you.  But I'll bet you haven't yet found the path that works for you.  Keep looking. And start praying.



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Published on February 28, 2011 08:21

February 16, 2011

The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates

I'm a big fan of the actual Falls, Niagara that is.  I grew up practically in The Falls backyard yet never made the trip to see them until a couple years ago.  It's a place that's engraved in my psyche.  A friend of mine knowing how much I love The Falls sent me some pictures from 1911 when The Falls were completely frozen over and people went to walk on them. Pretty fascinating stuff. I guess no one worried about slipping on the ice, breaking a leg and suing back then.   And in case you didn't know, there's always a rainbow at The Falls.



I loved this book.  Joyce Carol Oates certainly does know what she's doing.  The prose is brilliant, the characters superb.  Her ability to build tension is probably the finest I've ever read.  The Burnaby family however were all such tortured souls.  They lived and were legends in and around The Falls.  That's all I want to say about the plot.  It's well worth reading to find out what I mean.



I love reading the literary stories.  I love all the words, descriptions, dialogue.  I love getting lost in the characters lives.  The only thing that really bugged me about this book was that the questions that burned in my mind were never clearly answered.  And then I thought about them a little more.  No question any of us face in life is resolved clearly and specifically.  Ever. Other things simply happen that move us forward to where we're supposed to be.



The Falls is rated 4 out of 5 stars, well worth the time whether you're a Niagara Falls fan or not.  



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Published on February 16, 2011 19:24

February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today is Valentine's Day.  It also marks 24 years of wedded bliss for me and Richard. Amazing!



St. Valentine is a real saint whose feast day is celebrated on February 14th.  But no one really knows too much about him.  He did restore someone's sight but in the end he made some one really mad and was beheaded.



Kind of like love and certainly like marriage.  Falling in love makes our sight all rosy and glowing.  The other person can do no wrong, fulfills our every desire and each time we see that person again, it's like the first time.  And then life gets in the way.  A headache, PMS, losing a job, a fender bender in the car might make you feel like chopping his or her head off.  Now I understand why St. Valentine is the saint of love.



I know that through 24 years we've both experienced all of those emotions and then some.  We've taken the ups with the downs, screamed, yelled, bit our tongues and loved each other throughout the roller coaster ride called marriage.  We no longer need to send flowers or candy or cards.  We simply love that the entire world is decorated in shades of red and pink just for us on our special day.



And even though we don't need to buy each other gifts, Richard likes to sneak one in anyway.  What did he buy me this year?  This morning on my desk I found a 5 inch tall beautifully carved, red marble heart.  It's gorgeous.  It's a bookend. And I often think he doesn't understand my love affair with books.  He does.



I love you, honey!!  Happy Anniversary!



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Published on February 14, 2011 06:54

February 10, 2011

My Inspiration

Yesterday I read a column in the USA Today by Craig Wilson.  His pieces appear each week and I love his tales of life.  On this day he thanked his high school English teacher for inspiring him to become a writer.



So I started to think.  Who or what had inspired me to write?  Hmmm.  I'd never really thought about it.  Writing simply came to me during my mid-life crisis.  I was turning 50 and started to realize I wanted something more out of life than the 9 to 5 grind up the corporate ladder.  Sure that job afforded me a beautiful home, a new car  and wonderful vacations around the world.  Deep inside I wasn't satisfied and out of the blue I turned to writing.



But did this really happen out of the blue?  An idea for a book has been stuck in my head since I was very young.  The story is of two childhood friends who go off to college and end up on very different paths.  It's titled, Red Rover, after the childhood schoolyard game where one team calls a person from the other and they attempt to run over and break through the hands of the opposing team so they can steal a player and return home.  One friend being very athletic is highly desired in this activity, the other being a klutz, is not. I haven't written a single word of this book yet I know quite well how it all plays out.  And I've known it for years.



I thought a little harder because now I'm curious as to where my inspiration truly came from.  And now I think I've got it.  I grew up in a time without email or texting or cellphones.  I was taught to write letters to relatives thanking them for Christmas gifts.  Once my parents took a trip to Europe and I wrote them letters on thin parchment paper that folded itself up into it's own envelope for mailing.  When I spent my summers away from my best friend, we corresponded daily.  Receiving and reading a letter filled my heart with joy.  Writing a response I thoughtfully created, satisfied my soul.



The one comment I remember however was from my grandmother.  After receiving what must have been a particularly newsy and appreciative thank you note from me, she wrote back, "Linda, you write a beautiful letter."



My inspiration.  Thanks Grandma!



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Published on February 10, 2011 06:28

January 26, 2011

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell

Several months ago, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet received glowing reviews in the USA Today.  The story seemed intriguing in an Asian setting, I had to have it.  I ordered it from Amazon and sneaked it on to the shelf were it sat until now.



Talk about a hook!  The first chapter shocked me.  I had to keep reading after that.  Every night before I go to bed, I read.  Every night I looked forward to reading the next few chapters.  That elevated level of anticipation doesn't happen to me very often.



The author is a master of language. This is the story of Dutch merchants living and trading on a small island in Japan in 1799.  The dialect was perfectly written and that is not a simple task.  Dutch people are trying to speak Japanese while the Japanese are translating for the Dutch.  Then throw in a British captain and his sailors all while writing for a person reading in English.



I felt I was in the place and time period, not only because of the dialogue but because the prose is amazing.  The author's word choice was spectacular and transported me into each scene.  I breathed the air, smelled the sea, and felt each character's pain.



The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet is a beautifully written, powerful story of strategy and intrigue.  I'm rating it a 4 out of 5 because I loved it but I was disappointed in the ending.  That happens sometimes even in the stories we adore.    



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Published on January 26, 2011 18:17

January 21, 2011

Mystery Solved

Two years ago, in January when the whole world seemed to be on the brink of disaster, Richard and I leaped over the falls to start our new wondrous life.  We packed up all our belongings and moved to our new home 150 miles north where we knew no one.  Based on our life prior to this time, it looked like a very impulsive action on our part.  We're planners, leaving nothing to chance if we can help it.  Yet here we were all alone in a strange new town.



We've faced many rough spots in two years, owning 2 homes when the sale of our old house fell through at the last minute, not being able to find a good job before finally realizing that $10 an hour is a pretty decent job in this new economy and battling the alcohol that made the unknown seemingly bearable.  All these challenges have been resolved so that I'm now in a place of peace, love and harmony.



But there was one little thing that's been gnawing at me.  When I inventoried my unread books, two were missing.  For two years I've been searching for them finally deciding that when I left Richard alone for a week to unpack after our move, he'd thrown them out with the trash.  Every time I went to the bookstore I looked for these titles trying to resist the urge to purchase them again.  I highlighted them in orange on my book log so I'd never forget them.  I knew they had to be here somewhere but had given up hope.



Richard has been doing the spring cleaning.  Today he was cleaning out the closets, tossing out all the stuff we don't need.  I took Ginger for a walk since she's afraid of the vacuum.  It's always quite an ordeal when the vacuum is running.  On our return a pile of junk greeted my on my desk.  And there they were.  The books I couldn't forget about.  The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. I screamed with delight.  



I have less than 100 pages left to read in my current selection and then I'll start these two.  This is their time, I'm certain of it.  They've magically reappeared for a reason.  I've leaped over the falls into a new wondrous life to learn something new about myself through my books.



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Published on January 21, 2011 08:35

January 7, 2011

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

I thought I'd start out the new year with a classic.  I remember reading The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe as a youngster but had no knowledge of the other six chronicles.  Until the movies started coming out.  My how times are changing.  Old stories, new medium.



All 766 pages of this book seemed daunting at first until I realized that there were seven stories of roughly 100 pages each.  The introduction stated that the stories were in order of how C. S. Lewis meant for them to be read.  Interestingly enough that is not the same order in which they were written.  After reading them in order I realized the talent of Mr. lewis in creating this wonderful land of Narnia.  The transitions between tales were smooth and seamless.



I loved Aslan and wanted to be able to rub my face in his soft, thick mane like the children did.  Each child had a distinct personality that was so easily woven into the stories.  They came to know Narnia in such believable ways, by walking through the back of the wardrobe, holding onto a magic ring or admiring a painting of a sailing ship.  I want to go to Narnia but I know that I'm too old.  Darn!



I do have to say that reading all seven chronicles at once did get a little boring.  I have to admit that I only skimmed The Silver Chair, chronicle number six.  But since each story is rather short, I might suggest reading one or two, then reading something else in between before coming back to the stories of Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Susan, Diggory and Eustace.  They'll be fresh.



I love the classics and The Chronicles of Narnia didn't disappoint.  I rate it a 5 out of 5.



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Published on January 07, 2011 07:19