Sunday Synopsis

 

The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love historical fiction, and Philippa Gregory is my favorite author, but while most of her books rate five stars, this one only got four from me, and I will get to the reasons why soon.

In the beginning of this book, Queen Mary has died and Protestant Elizabeth I has come to power. She faces a number of challenges, particularly the change from Catholicism to Protestantism and the fact that her country is bankrupt. Additionally, the French are threatening to invade Scotland. She must also rule in a country that experienced weak leadership from its first female ruler. Add to this her desires as a female, and the fact that she is expected to wed and produce an heir.

In the midst of this comes her childhood friend, Robert Dudley, tried and convicted as a traitor. Nevertheless, Dudley has ambitions of being King, and thus woos Elizabeth all while his own wife remains constant in her faith and her love. Will Dudley set aside his wife Amy and marry Elizabeth? Will his ambition get the better of him and alienate those who already know him as a traitor?

A few things bothered me as I was reading. All of a sudden, about halfway through the book, Elizabeth began calling her advisor by the word, "Spirit." It did not fit with all of her other dialogue. And also in about the middle of the book, a habit was noted over and over that she picked at her fingernails. These two things did not add to the characterization, and in fact, detracted from the realism.

Also, if you read up on the real Amy Dudley, you may find some particulars about her which weren't included in the novel and actually did add to the characterization and drama. And last, the novel just ended without resolving all of the conflicts and answering the questions I had as a reader. This is not typical of Gregory, so for these reasons, this book only earned four stars from me, which is actually still really great.

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Thursday Thirteen - Snacks

  

I know that eating snacks may not be good for me, but I'm craving a snack right now, so that's what I'm listing here:  some (not all) of my favorite snacks, in no particular order.  My scale won't thank me, but what the heck?!

1.   Sour cream and onion Lays potato chips.

2.  Peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich.

3.  Fiber One brownie.

4.  Ben & Jerry's peanut butter cup ice cream.

5.  String cheese.

6.  Frosted Flakes. Must be eaten out of my favorite bowl.

7.  Peanut Butter M&Ms.

8.  Munchos (especially on a road trip!)

9.  Toast and chocolate milk (the no-sugar variety)

10. Single-serve Velveeta Shells & Cheese.

11. Chocolate milk shake.

12. Buttered saltine crackers.

13. Cheetos - crunchy or puffy (but not the flamin' hot kind).

Do you like any of these?

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Sunday Synopsis

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love re-reading this series! It's been over 20 years since I read it the first time, and I had forgotten how good it is, probably because there is so much in the book that is not in the movie.

Harry has taken to sitting underneath the open window of his aunt and uncle's house in hopes of hearing any news that might have something to do with the return of the Dark Lord. But, he gets to leave the Dursley's early and head to the Weasley's for the World Quidditch Cup. Toward the end of the World Cup, the Dark Mark appears in the sky creating chaos.

When the kids return to Hogwart's, they learn that Alistor "Mad-Eye" Moody will be their new defense against the dark arts teacher. They also learn that there will be students from two foreign schools attending Hogwart's to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. The schools are Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Any student age 16 or older is welcome to submit his or her name to the Goblet of Fire in hopes of being selected to compete. Somehow, Harry's name gets past the charms placed on the Goblet, and he is selected as a second champion from Hogwart's although Cedric Diggory was already selected. Harry will have to compete along with Cedric, Fleur Delacour, and Victor Krum.

The first task involves a dragon, the second has the champions rescuing someone from a lake, and the third task is a labyrinthian maze. The end of the tournament does not turn out as planned, but I will not give away what happens in case you have not had the pleasure of reading it. I will end by saying that there is no mistake that Lord Voldemort has returned by the end of the book.


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Happy Random Tuesday

 

Texans, brace yourselves... We will be hitting 100 degrees with high humidity very soon, possibly the coming weekend.

Also, hopefully, my son will be engaged before the end of the week.  I will be so excited!

Yesterday I finished watching The White Queen on Starz. It was based on three Philippa Gregory books including, The White Queen, The Red Queen, and the Kingmaker's Daughter.  I have read all three, and they did a remarkable job incorporating the important aspects of each storyline into the mini-series.

Here is my review of The White Queen and The Red Queen. My review of The Kingmaker's Daughter will be published soon.

And now...

I notice usually is misspelled. I didn't create this!

Sooooo true!  Has one of these ever popped while you were driving home?

Have a great week!  Please visit my friends at Happy Tuesday and Random Tuesday Thoughts.

Sunday Synopsis

Blood Test by Jonathan Kellerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blood Test begins with psychologist Alex Delaware visiting a boy and his family at the hospital. The boy is undergoing cancer treatment. Suddenly, the boy disappears from the hospital, possibly because his parents didn't agree with the treatment, but they have also disappeared from the motel where they were staying leaving only a blood stain behind.

Soon, the parents are found dead, and the boy and his older sister are nowhere to be found. As Alex and his detective friend continue to investigate, they find a cult that had visited the parents at the hospital, and both Alex and another doctor believe the cult is the key to finding the boy who desperately needs treatment. The local sheriff where the cult is located also becomes involved when he has to arrest the doctor for threatening the cult. As it turns out, the cult has plenty to hide as do other members of the community.

As you can tell, there are some twists and turns and surprises in store for the reader. Enjoy!

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Random Happy Tuesday

 If you live in the U.S., you've probably heard that the one cent coin will be phased out and 230 years of existence.  The final order for the penny blanks has already been filled.  But, it's still legal tender, and you can continue using them.  I've heard that in the near future, retailers may begin rounding to the next nickel.  So, then we will need more nickels?  They cost more to make than pennies!  Wasn't that part of the reason for phasing out the penny? I have mixed feelings about the demise of the penny.

Moving right along

 

Be sure to visit Happy Tuesday and Random Tuesday Thoughts and have a great week!

Sunday Synopsis

 

Pompeii by Robert Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a historical fiction novel about the days leading up to and including the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Having recently visited the remains of Pompeii, I found this to be enlightening and interesting.

The book follows Marcus Attilius, the engineer in charge of the Aqua Augusta, the source of fresh water to all of the Bay of Naples. He is investigating the blockage of the aqueduct in the days leading up to the explosion of the volcano. It gives a glimpse into the daily lives of the Romans around 79AD as well as insight into the class system of the time period, both the luxe life of the richest men and the tortured lives of slaves. In time, Attilius will discover what happened to his predecessor who seemingly just vanished. And he will test the power and corruption in Pompeii.

The names take a little getting used to as some of them are so similar, but once past that, the novel is fascinating. Harris has clearly done his research in his ability to describe life in Pompeii as it was and the devastating effects of the volcanic eruption. I highly recommend this book.

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Fun Photos

 

Sunset on the Mississippi River in New Orleans

Beignets from Cafe Du Monde

Please visit my friends at Comedy Plus, Image-in-ing, and Wordless Wednesday Blogspot.

Random Happy Tuesday

 

Hello!  Hello!  It's been a while!  It's good to be back.  

Does anyone have experience with neuropathy in the foot or leg? I am in PT and wearing a brace, and it seems to be getting better, but I don't know if I will always have issues or if it will go away.  It was made worse by a medication I'm taking as well as high levels of B6 plasma.  I had no idea an excess of vitamins could be that "bad" for my health.  I'd love to hear from anyone with experience in dealing with peripheral neuropathy, and anyone else that just wants to say hi, of course!

Moving on...  (I have noticed that there is an ad that will appear here.  I have looked at it three times, and it shows a different ad each time, but they are all... "questionable" and I apologize.  I would love to know how to remove the ads within the post. Advice?  ETA I think I fixed it.  Please let me know if you are still seeing ads within my posts.)

The kitty in the basket reminds me so much of my Lacy.  I miss her!

Please visit my friends at Happy Tuesday and Random Tuesday Thoughts.

Fun Photos

These photos were taken in Rockport, Texas in 2018. I love interesting and beautiful trees!

Please visit Wordless Wednesday here and here and Image-in-ing here.

Fun Photo

 

La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona has a rich and fascinating history.  Read about it here.

For more fun photos, please visit Comedy Plus and Wordless Wednesday.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

 I hope everyone had a good Memorial Day and took some time to thanks those that try to keep our country safe.  I have a son-in-law who is in the Air Force Reserves.  He just returned from a mission to ... I can't say where.  He was part of the team that got the cargo and servicemen ready to go... somewhere else I can't say.  He may be the one deployed next time.  He reports for duty one weekend a month, every month, and at least one mission, could also be two, that each take 2-4 weeks.  He is a Sergeant. My dad was in the air force.  My mom's dad was also in the air force.

I want to thank any and all of you who are service men and women as well.  Pop in the comments and tell me what branch you were in.

Moving right along.

Get it?

Hilarious!

Last, but not least...

Have a great week and don't forget to visit Happy Tuesday and Stacy Uncorked.