11/30/19
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General
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Ann @ 1:13 pm
I am feeling somewhat pressured, I know why, it’s the season to be jolly — and so much is expected of all of us by everyone. Gosh, no wonder I wrote a book called Pressure Cooker Christmas! ~ We made it through Thanksgiving with flying colors. Twenty three family members around the table, it was truly a blessing. The six great-grands, ages: eight, six, five, four, two and one kept things very lively!! Though we did miss family who were too faraway to be with us this year.
Soccer season ended up with defeat for my granddaughter’s team in the play-offs. It was a close game as were so many that they ended up winning. She was named her team’s MVP for the season. Now we are anticipating her Christmas concert in two weeks. Gosh, before we know it, her senior year will be over!
We are in the midst of decorating the inside of our home since then for Christmas, we finished the outside yesterday. Tonight we have some dear friends coming for dinner. Since the dining room table is piled high with all sorts of tree and house decorations, we will eat at the kitchen table.
My writing news this month: My most recent novel, Mother Love, Willow Lane, Book Two, is being honored as a
Notable 100 Book in the Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Competition. (Shelf Media is a digital online magazine, awarded the Maggie Award for the Best Digital Magazine in 2015, 2016 and 2017). It would have been nice to have won first place but making the list is better than nothing!
I read four good books this month:
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. Fiction. WOW!! This was the most engrossing book I’ve read in the last few years. It is compared to the Grapes of Wrath, gut wrenchingly sad at times. Stephen King said, “An extraordinary piece of work. A perfect balancing act with terror on one side and love on the other. The prose is immaculate and the story never lets up….” it will not be released until January 20, 2020. I already preordered a copy. I was lucky to read an Advance Reader Copy.
The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester. Historical fiction. Another unforgettable WW2 novel. About fashion design in 1940 and to present day that moves between three continents. Layers of intrigue, heartache and secrets. Just when I thought I knew what was what, I didn’t. This novel keeps the reader guessing and turning the pages.
The Peacock Emporium by JoJo Moyes. Historical fiction set in the 1960’s. Moves between Australia and England. Not typical of her other novels but once I got past the slow start, I really enjoyed the story. The last half of the novel became a page turner. This was our Book Club choice for this month.
The Guardians by John Grisham. Fiction. A real page turner as all of his books are. It is about three attorneys whose life work is to free innocent convicts from prison. An inside look at dirty politics interfering with justice. The protagonist’s humor is refreshing as the tension builds…
The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted by Robert Hillman. Historical fiction. An unforgettable story that moves between 1960s Australia and WW2 Europe. Fate brings two emotionally scarred people together. Every character steals the readers heart in this beautifully written novel.
We watched three exceptionally good movies this month:
Midway, a WW2 movie about Pearl Harbor attack and the battle for Midway, at the movie theater. Excellent movie.
Judy, the story of Judy Garland’s life, wonderfully performed. Sad and unforgettable. Renewed my disdain for Hollywood’s use of child performers. It seems criminal to rob children of their childhoods.
American Wrestler, an excellent movie about the Iranian immigrant teenager, who barely escapes Iran with nothing but his life during the Iraq/Iran War. An unforgettable movie on so many levels. Even if you have NO interest in wrestling, it is a great movie. We watched it through Netflicks.
Till next time, keep reading my friends.
Later, Ann
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