TSS: Mid February and only two books read!

2010 started with a good note for me. Personally I am on the top of the world and next few months, I will undergo major changes in my life. I am really looking forward to that. I feel blessed and in a very happy state which I know will continue for a long time to come.

Why am I saying all this here? In my joyous state, I am not able to read much. I have to do so much right now that reading simply doesn't happen. I am not really worried but I would like to read more. In February, I have only managed to read two books. Not a good score for me. Irony is, I don't feel guilty and enjoying my life as it is now. I have started a lot of books but finishing those has taken a backseat.

However, I am writing a lot of poetry as I feel inspired and words flow out of me.

Another aspect of this is I have not been visiting my favourite blogs and commenting. I do read those on my google reader but interaction has stopped from my side for a while now. My regular commenters do visit me although I haven't. I know I will get back to reading, commenting but right now my priorities are in a different plane.

*Update: I finished another book today. That makes it three!

Weekly Geeks: Romancing the Tome

Feel free to explore any or all of these prompts:

• What literary couple is your favorite?
  
• How do you define romantic literature? Does it always involve sex? or the hint of sex?
  
• What author/s do you think writes romantic scenes particularly well?
• Do you have a favorite romantic scene in a book?
• Do you find you read romantic literature at certain times of the year?
• Tell us your favorite romantic quote.
• Do you have some favorite romantic poetry?

Here I share two romantic poems that I like amongst others. Hope you like those too:

I Carry Your Heart with Me by E.E.Cummings

I carry your heart with me (I carry it in
my heart) I am never without it (anywhere
I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)

I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) I want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love Letter by Sylvia Plath

Not easy to state the change you made.
If I'm alive now, then I was dead,
Though, like a stone, unbothered by it,
Staying put according to habit.
You didn't just tow me an inch, no
Nor leave me to set my small bald eye
Skyward again, without hope, of course,
Of apprehending blueness, or stars.

That wasn't it. I slept, say: a snake
Masked among black rocks as a black rock
In the white hiatus of winter
Like my neighbors, taking no pleasure
In the million perfectly-chisled
Cheeks alighting each moment to melt
My cheeks of basalt. They turned to tears,
Angels weeping over dull natures,
But didn't convince me. Those tears froze.
Each dead head had a visor of ice.

And I slept on like a bent finger.
The first thing I was was sheer air
And the locked drops rising in dew
Limpid as spirits. Many stones lay
Dense and expressionless round about.
I didn't know what to make of it.
I shone, mice-scaled, and unfolded
To pour myself out like a fluid
Among bird feet and the stems of plants.
I wasn't fooled. I knew you at once.

Tree and stone glittered, without shadows.
My finger-length grew lucent as glass.
I started to bud like a March twig:
An arm and a leg, and arm, a leg.
From stone to cloud, so I ascended.
Now I resemble a sort of god
Floating through the air in my soul-shift
Pure as a pane of ice. It's a gift.

Saving Rachel by John Locke

Title: Saving Rachel
Author: John Locke
ISBN: 97814401724
Publisher: iUniverse/2009
Pages: 147

Sam Case never imagined that his life would take such a turn in a space of few hours. He has just been with his mistress, and is kidnapped, witnesses two murders and then his wife disappears. He has to choose between his wife and mistress, which of them to save. Not a easy one for any one. A computer wizard, he has always led a good life. When crooks want him to give him the codes of the people he helped multiplied their money, he doesn't know what to do. Enter Donovan Creed, who is not what he seems to be.

What follows is a riot, and a ride where everyone is double crossing each other and only Sam seems to the good guy! He tries to keep his wits and when he discovers unknown facets of Rachel, his wife and Karen, his mistress, he doesn't know what to do. He doesn't wish for anyone to die and has to save his own skin too.

It didn't take long to finish this book, a definite page turner, and the ending is unexpected and very satisfying. This is the third in the Donovan Creed series and I got the other two too, thanks to the author, who sent me all three! I don't know what made me read the third in series first! Whatever the reason, I say go for it.

Friday Find: The Madwoman of Bethlehem by Rosine Nimeh-Mailloux

The Madwoman of Bethlehem by Rosine Nimeh-Mailloux

Product Description

In mid-20th century Bethlehem, a woman finds that the only way to take control of her life is to feign madness. It is 1957, and Amal is an inmate of the Bethlehem Oasis for Troubled Women, having feigned insanity for nine years in order to avoid being put to death for the murder of her abusive husband. When a violent attack by a fellow inmate confines her to bed, Amal must not only heal physically, but also come to grips with her traumatic memories. These take her back to the harsh childhood, restricted life, and violent marriage that culminated in her -madness- and incarceration. Amal's story offers compelling insights into cultural norms that exist throughout the world even today, norms that tolerate the violence, repression, and abuse of girls and women. Perhaps most disturbing is that the author brings us into a world where the guardians and foot soldiers of repression are women themselves, often mothers and grandmothers who've experienced no better, and whose only power comes from what they can wrest from their relationships with other women. Amal ultimately finds hope and redemption through her relationships at the asylum and hospital, finally discovering that the support and kindness of others gives her the strength to forgive the past and take control of her future.

Booking Through Encouragement

How can you encourage a non-reading child to read? What about a teen-ager? Would you require books to be read in the hopes that they would enjoy them once they got into them, or offer incentives, or just suggest interesting books? If you do offer incentives and suggestions and that doesn’t work, would you then require a certain amount of reading?

Being single, I don't have children of my own but that has not stopped me from encouraging any child to read. I have nieces and nephews and I have always bought them books. My brothers too like that fact as it has made the kids read all kinds of books. I used to read aloud stories for them. I gave away all my Enid Blytons, Nancy Drews, Hardy Boys, Tintin comics, Asterix comics and lot more. Even now they can pick and choose whatever they wish to from my shelves. For keeps, if they want. I do suggest books but let them decide what they want.

The only incentive they need is more books and I am happy to provide. I suppose reading is in our blood!

A-Z Wednesday: Ariel by Sylvia Plath

Title: Ariel
Author: Sylvia Plath
ISBN: 9780060931728
Publisher: HarperPerennial Modern Classics
Pages: 105
Genre: Poetry
Rating: 5/5

Plath is one of my favourite poets of all times. Her poetry borders on the dark. How does one review it, other than saying I liked it and will read it again and again.

Plath has taken poetry to new heights. These impassioned pieces touch our soul to the core. They speak of turbulent emotions with a brilliancy bordering on the raw side of life. Starknes of her poems enhances the austerity beautifully. The imaginary word comes alive out of her poetry.

Her poetry is so deeply personal yet I connected with it. Her female essence marvellously comes out of the depth of her imagination. All aspects of a woman..charming, witty, acerbic, playful, girlish, sour, fanciful and much more can be found here. She does get a bit repetitive but which great poet doesn't.

Each and every poem in this collection is work of greatness. To be read, savoured and read again. A must read for poetry lovers and all those who ought to read poetry.

Teaser Tuesdays: Poetic Musings of an Old, Fat Man by Harry E. Gilleland, Jr.

Currently reading poetry. Hence sharing this stanza from one of the poems in there. Hope you like it.


"We wait to give of our blood, our urine,
or to have our insides revealed.
We hope for good answers,
but for some it will be bad news.
For some, it will be routine.
For others, it will alter their life.
For the unfortunate, it will be death sentence.

~Page 100, The Assembled Waiters,

Poetic Musings of an Old, Fat Man by Harry E. Gilleland, Jr.

Monday: Mailbox/Musings/Whereabouts

Monday Mailbox is hosted by Marcia.

I received the following books this past:

Plain Pursuit by Beth Wiseman

When Carley Marek takes a hiatus from her job, she leaves Texas and visits her friend Lillian in Amish country, Pennsylvania. Carley isn’t there long when she meets Lillian’s charming—but shunned—brother-in-law, Dr. Noah Stoltzfus.

When Lillian's stepson is stricken with a life-threatening disease, Noah is forbidden to intervene, but he resolves to do whatever it takes to save the boy's life. Carley finds herself caught in the middle of her feelings for Noah and her loyalty to Lillian. And to further complicate matters, everyone around her is talking about God--a God she doesn’t know and who appears to be punishing her for her past mistakes.

When her hiatus is up, Carley must make a life-changing decision: stay and face the path that is set before her, or flee and leave the only love she’s ever known.

When She Flew by Jennie Shortridge

In this predictable but good-hearted novel, a father and his daughter—a damaged but loving Iraq War vet named Ray and a budding 12-year-old naturalist named Lindy—live happily off the grid in an Oregon forest until the day Lindy is spotted by a bird-watcher. Notified of a young girl wandering alone deep in the woods, the police assign dedicated officer Jessica Villareal to the case. Recently rejected by her own daughter and still smarting, Jessica sets out with the best of intentions for helping Lindy, but risks destroying the life Lindy and her father have built for themselves.


Try Darkness by James Scott Bell

L.A. trial lawyer Ty Buchanan’s fianceé was killed, and Ty himself was brought up on murder charges. Now he’s trying to put that disastrous period in his life behind him. He’s living in a trailer on the grounds of a monastery, easing back into professional life, when a case involving a woman and her young daughter, who are being tossed out of their apartment by an unscrupulous building owner, draws him back into the dangerous world he thought he’d left behind. The case seems a simple enough matter, but soon after Ty makes it clear he will pursue his client’s rights, the woman is found dead, and now Ty must protect the little girl while trying to find out who’s behind her mother’s murder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you frequently read more than one book at a time? Do you try to limit this to a certain number? Do you have different books for different purposes/topics?

I am always reading more than one book at any given point of time. Those are of different genres. And one of those has to be poetry. This gives me some leverage as what interests me at any time. I have been known to read 6 books at any given time. But now I stick to three books.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I finished:

Try Darkness by James Scott Bell

I am in midst of reading:

Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo

Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas

I plan to read:

When She Flew by Jennie Shortridge

I posted reviews of:

Life Support by Tess Gerritsen
The Murder Stone by Louise Penny
Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Piñeiro
Zoya's Story: An Afghan Woman's Struggle for Freedom by John Follain and Rita Cristofari
Try Darkness by James Scott Bell

TSS: Try Darkness by James Scott Bell

The nun hit me in the mouth and said, "Get out of my house."
Jaw throbbing, I said, "I can't believe you just did that."
"This is my house," she said. "You want more? Come on back in."

Title: Try Darkness
Author: James Scott Bell
ISBN: 9781599952437
Publisher: Center Street/2010
Pages: 291

If the characters in a novel are a lawyer, a six-year old girl, and a nun who can throw a good punch, then that book has to be a winner. Ty Buchanan is a former trial lawyer, now living in a trailer on the grounds of St. Monica. Now he mostly provides legal aid to those, who can't really afford it. He has a past, in which he was accused of murdering his fiancee. When a woman with a six-year old daughter, calls on him for legal aid and is murdered, he has no other option to take in the little girl and also try to find why was her mother killed.

With Sister Mary on his side, he gets into the middle of the dark side of Los Angeles, where taking a life is so very easy. He knows that he has to protect the girl at any cost. Father Bob too has a past but is ever ready to help those who want it. All of them make a winning team and have to get to the bottom of it. The most powerful people want everything to be stay hidden and can go to any length to keep Ty's mouth shut.

With witty dialogues and endearing characters, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I found Sister Mary a very interesting character, who is not afraid to speak her mind, plays a good game of basketball and is not above throwing punches. Ty has some kind of feelings for her but can't pursue it as she is a nun. The cherubic Kylie wins our heart. She is a spunky girl, who loves Ty and Sister Mary.

Try Darkness is second book in the series but stands alone. The suspense is maintained till the end. The characters are well developed and the surprise elements makes us want to check out more books by James Scott Bell. Thanks to the author for my copy.

Also reviewed by:

Between the Pages

Weekly Geeks: Trivia about Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath was married to what British poet laureate?

Ted Hughes. Their marriage was unhappy.

What is the title of her only novel?

'The Bell Jar'. 'The Bell Jar' is semi-autobiographical.

What was her first collection of poetry called?

'The Colossus'.

And her second poetry collection?

'Ariel'. 'Ariel,' her most critically-acclaimed work, was published after her death.

How did Sylvia Plath die?

She killed herself. February 11, 1963.

Hospitalized at age 20 for an attempted suicide, Plath stayed at which hospital?

McLean. Plath was hospitalized for swallowing a bottle of sleeping pills and disappearing into a hole in a wall in her cellar only to be found by her mother 2 days later. Massachusetts General is the Hospital where Plath, in 1958 took up a part time job. St. George is actually the Church St. George's-The Martyr where Plath and Ted Hughes were married on June 16, 1956, and Saint Boltolph's is actually St. Botolph's Review where Plath first read the poetry of Ted Hughes.

In the fall of 1950 Plath began college, which college did she attend?

Smith. Plath attended Smith from 1950-1955, harvard summer school in the summer of 54 and graduated summa cum {laude;} she won a Fulbright Scholarship to Cambridge.

Plath and Hughes had two children, what were their names?

Frieda and Nicholas. Otto and Aurelia were Plath's parents. Ted and Sylvia, well, that's Plath and Hughes, and Warren is her brother

In 1953 Plath won a Guest Editorship at Mademoiselle magazine for a short story she wrote. What was the name of that story?

Sunday at the Minton's. 'Appeal for World Peace' was published in the Christian Science Monitor on March 16, 1950, 'Summer Will Not Come Again' was published in the August 1950 edition of Seventeen, and the poem 'Bitter Strawberries' was published in the August 11, 1950 Christian Science Monitor

Plath wrote a poem about an animal entitled 'Ariel', what type of animal was this poem about?

horse. 'Ariel' is a poem about a horse Plath rode at a riding school in Devonshire, England.

Plath published only one children's book, what was the name of this book?

The Bed Book. 'Tinker Jack and the Tidy Wives', Ella Mason and her Eleven Cats', and 'The Bull of Bendylaw' are poems by Plath.

'The Collected Poems of Sylvia Plath' won a prize in 1981 (18 years after her death). Which prize was this?

Pulitzer.

For many years after her suicide, a vast majority of people believed a specific person was responsible for driving Plath to it, who was this person?

Ted Hughes. Her ex-husband, the late Poet Laureate.

Plath wrote a peom titled 'Metaphor' - what is the metaphor this poem is alluding to?

pregnancy.

What is the date of Plath's birth?

October 27, 1932.

Which of the two children born to Plath and Hughes is now a poet and painter?

Frieda.

True or False: Plath's death could have been avoided?

t. The way in which Plath structured the events evolving her suicide were extremely time sensitive and IF they had taken place the way she had planned them to she would have been found in time. Previously to that morning (February 11, 1963), Plath had spoken to her downstairs neighbor and found out his plans that day. Knowing when he was planning to leave his home, she left a note for him to call her doctor and placed her head into her gas oven. Her plan fell apart because the gas seeped downstairs and knocked the neighbor out as well.

'Letters Home' is a published collection of letters between Plath and another person. Who is this person?

Aurelia Plath. Aurelia Plath - her mother, was often portrayed as unsympathetic. Otto Emil Plath, her father, was an entomologist.

What is the date of Sylvia Plath's death?

February 11, 1963.

Two editions of Sylvia Plath's journals have been published - which one was highly edited by Ted Hughes (abridged or unabridged)?

abridged.

At which college, in March 1957, was Plath offered a teaching position?

Smith. On March 12, 1957 Plath was offered a teaching position at Smith College. This position was for Freshman English.

Which well known poem of Plath's was written after her stay in St. Pancras hospital due to a miscarriage and an appendectomy (in 1960)?

Tulips. In 1960 Plath was hospitalized for a miscarriage and an appendectomy at St. Pancras Hospital. It was here that Plath was also pronounced dead.

One of Plath's published poems was accomplished through a writing assignment given to her by Hughes. Which poem was this?

The Moon and the Yew Tree.

In which poem does Plath use a panther to describe Hughes?

Pursuit.

Which of Plath's collections of poetry was published 2 years after her death?

Ariel.

Which Indiana Library holds the Plath Estate?

Lilly.

In what area of Massachusetts was Plath's first home?

Jamaica Plain.

courtsey: http://www.funtrivia.com