According to the our calendar, spring is here, but obviously Mother Nature hasn’t received that message yet. I do have an appointment to have my snow tires removed and my summer tires installed this Thursday… and I am hoping it is not too early! This seems to have been a winter for the record books, a winter that just keeps hanging on. Of course, things could be much worse, we have plenty of warm clothes and a cozy home. And we have had a few sunny, though chilly days.
We had a lovely Easter with adult children, grandchildren and great -grandchildren too. Being April 1, it was also a day of jesting April Fools jokes on most of us by the trickier family members. I didn’t hoodwink anyone, though I tried! Our Easter egg hunt had to be in our basement this year. The weather was cold and wet.
We have been binging on Homeland season 6 and loving it. Can’t wait for the next disc to arrive from Netflix! We also saw the movie Red Sparrow. It was pertinent with all the news stories floating around about USA/Russian relations. The ruthless training of their secret agents, and layers of deceit made for a very exciting movie.
We also watched Lady Bird, it was a good movie though not particularly memorable to me. We went because it had been nominated for an academy award.
We also watched Darkest Hour, totally amazing movie. It didn’t feel like we were watching actors, it was great. We plan to watch it at least one more time.
We went to see Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri again. I noticed so many more details that I’d missed the first time we watched it. Wonderful movie even though much of the dialogue is profane.
This month I read Grant by Ron Chernow, the Pulitzer Prize winning biographer. His biography of Grant was well researched and well written. He maintained that Grant was our most misunderstood, underappreciated and one of our finest presidents. He was Lincoln’s most trusted general, Grant proved to be the genius military strategist of the Civil War. He knew all the other generals on both sides, their foibles and strengths, since they were all educated at West Point. Grant kept the North and South together during the tremulous reconstruction period after the war. Political intrigue seemed even worse during that period than today.
Hidden Tapestry by Debra Dean. Historical Biography. Subtitle: Jan Yoors, his two wives and the war that made them one. I loved Dean’s The Madonnas of Leningrad, so much that I jumped at the chance to review her new book. Of course, it was well-written; and definitely a surprise to me to read about such a different lifestyle choice. This artist left a legacy and his two wives exhibited more devotion, forgiveness and tolerance of Mr. Yoors than most men ever get from only one wife! This book was sent to me by StoryCircle.org for review.
Last Dance, Last Chance by Ann Rule. A true crime book. Well written and well researched. Very disturbing story about a bad doctor in Buffalo NY in the 1990s. This was our book club choice for March.
A Chance In The World by Steve Pemberton. Memoir. Another disturbing story, but one that weaves its way through so much heartache and turmoil to give a hopeful ending. I highly recommend it, especially during Child Abuse Awareness month.
I also read Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford. Historical fiction. Well researched with intriguing characters and surprising plot twists. Fascinating insights into lives we would never otherwise encounter, and the difficulties some had to endure to create the world as we know it today. This is our book club choice for April.
I reviewed Nothing Forgotten by Jessica Levine. Historical fiction. Well written and well researched novel with memorable characters and unexpected plot twists. You can read my review at: http://www.storycirclebookreviews.org/reviews/nothingforgotten.shtml
My debut Willow Lane Newsletter is very close, the newsletter is free but only sent to those who request it. IF you want to receive one you can send an email and request to be added to the list. Quite a few of you have already signed up and you are probably wondering what happened. It has taken more time than I ever dreamed would be necessary. But I think it will be worth the wait!
Till next time, keep reading my friends.
Later, Ann