King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair

author: Pablo Neruda

genre: poetry

first published in 1924 as Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada, first translated in 1969

rated: 5 out of 5



Pablo Neruda's Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair is a wonderful collection of beautiful poems that will break your heart, but in a good way. Know what I mean?

These are poems I'll be reading time and time again. I also enjoyed reading the poems in Spanish.

Here's one of my favorites:


I Like For You To Be Still


I like for you to be still

It is as though you are absent

And you hear me from far away

And my voice does not touch you

It seems as though your eyes had flown away

And it seems that a kiss had sealed your mouth

As all things are filled with my soul

You emerge from the things

Filled with my soul

You are like my soul

A butterfly of dream

And you are like the word: Melancholy



I like for you to be still

And you seem far away

It sounds as though you are lamenting

A butterfly cooing like a dove

And you hear me from far away

And my voice does not reach you

Let me come to be still in your silence

And let me talk to you with your silence

That is bright as a lamp

Simple, as a ring

You are like the night

With its stillness and constellations

Your silence is that of a star

As remote and candid



I like for you to be still

It is as though you are absent

Distant and full of sorrow

So you would've died

One word then, One smile is enough

And I'm happy;

Happy that it's not true.






I was introduced to Pablo Neruda by Kelly...aka...TheChicGeek. Thanks Kelly!

title: The Handy Answer Book for Kids

author: Gina Misiroglu

genre: non fiction/ childrens

pages: 292

published: 2009

rated: 4 out of 5









Why do leaves change color in Autumn? Should I tell my parents I am being bullied?
How do airplanes fly? Why is the Grand Canyon unique?
These are just a few of the questions The Handy Answer Book for Kids answers. This book answers questions for kids around ages 4-12. Being a parent, I found this book to be a great resource for children. Sometimes children ask questions that need 'googling' or a dictionary to answer. The Handy Answer Book for Kids really answers alot of these questions, and the kids can simply pick up the book and find the answers themselves. The questions and answers range from science, politics, math and daily life to many other topics. What is a test tube baby? What causes a yawn? Who invented the alarm clock....



Special thanks to Lisa Roe for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

title: Arabella

author: Georgette Heyer

published: 1949

pages: 312

genre: historical fiction/regency romance

first line: The schoolroom in the Parsonage at Heythram was not a large apartment, but on a bleak January day, in a household where the consumption of coals was a consideration, this was not felt by its occupants to be a disadvantage.

rated: 4 out of 5





Arabella Tallant is the eldest daughter of a humble vicar and his wife, and she is expected to marry well. She is sent to London to stay with her godmother in hopes of finding a suitable husband.
On her way to London, Arabella's carriage breaks down and she and her companion end up staying at the nearest home. It is the home of rich, eligible bachelor, Robert Beaumaris. Beaumaris is used to females trying to catch his attention, so he thinks that Arabella faked her carriage trouble in order to stay at his home and catch his eye. Arabella dislikes Beaumaris from the start, thinking he is conceited and arrogant. At dinner, while drinking wine and feeling a bit 'toasty', she decides to lie to him. She tells Beaumaris that she herself is rich and heir to the Tallant fortune and is going to London to escape all her would be suitors. Beaumaris believes her story and soon enough the whole town is buzzing with rumors about the new heiress.


When her godmother throws a ball, and Beaumaris shows up, the party is considered an instant success. Beaumaris is known for being a confirmed bachelor and a flirt, and he does gives Arabella his attention at the ball. Soon enough, she has many would be suitors after her as well as a few marriage proposals. These men think that if Beaumaris is after Arabella, she must be quite the catch. Beaumaris figures he'll just flirt with her, but Arabella is already onto him, she knows what he is up to and she decides to use his attentions to her advantage. She wants to stay one step ahead of him, and refuses to take him seriously or fall in love with him. When Beaumaris realizes that Arabella is smarter than he first took her for, he decides to really charm her and make her fall for him. Before they know it, what started out as just a game, turns into something more serious for these two.









I'm a fan of Georgette Heyer and found Arabella to be sweet, funny and entertaining.
The characters were great and the storyline was fun. I liked Arabella and Beaumaris's characters. It was cute how they flirted with each other, yet each played hard to get.




As always, I liked Heyer's style of writing, here's a few of my favorite passages.

They presented a charming picture, as they sat poring over thier book, thier dark ringlets intermingled, and thier arms around each other's waists. They were very plainly dressed, in gowns of blue kersemere, made high to the throat, and with long tight sleeves; and they wore no other ornaments than a knot or two of ribbons; but the Vicar's numerous offspring were all remarkable for thier good looks and had very little need of embellishment.

She now perceived that she had much mistaken the matter. No one she had ever seen approached the elegance of Mr. Beaumaris.

Lord Fleetwood, or any of his cronies, could have recognized the tailoring of that coat of olive-green superfine at a glance; Arabella, to whom the magic name of Weston was unknown, was merely aware of a garment so exquisitely cut that it presented all the appearance of having been moulded to its wearer's form. A very good form too, she noted, with approval. No need of buckram wadding, such as that Knaresborough tailor had inserted into Bertram's new coat, to fill out those shoulders! And how envious Bertram would have been of Mr. Beaumaris's fine legs, sheathed in tight pantaloons, with gleaming Hessian boots pulled over them!

It was impossible to fathom the intricacies of his mind, but one thing was certain; the great Mr. Beaumaris and the Vicar of Heythram's daughter could have nothing to do with one another, so that the less the Vicar's daughter thought about him the better it would be for her. One could not deny his adress, or his handsome face, but one could-and one did-dwell on the many imperfections of his character. He was demonstrably indolent, a spoilt darling of society, with no thought for anything but his fleeting pleasure: a heartless, heedless leader of fashion, given over to selfishness, and every other vice which Papa's daughter had been thought to think reprehensible.

Nothing he wore was designed to attract attention, but he made every other man in the room look either a trifle overdressed or a trifle shabby.

About the author:


http://www.georgette-heyer.com/

Author of over fifty books, Georgette Heyer is the best-known and best-loved of all historical novelists, who made the Regency period her own. Her first novel, The Black Moth, published in 1921, was written at the age of fifteen to amuse her convalescent brother; her last was My Lord John. Although most famous for her historical novels, she also wrote eleven detective stories. Georgette Heyer died in 1974 at the age of seventy-one.

Special thanks to Danielle over at Sourcebooks for sending me this book to read and review.

title: The Wildest Heart

author: Rosemary Rogers

genre: historical romance

pages: 739

published: 1974, republished sept. 2009

first line: Wild blood!

rated: 4 out of 5







Miss Rowena Dangerfield is raised in India by her grandfather. Her father Guy, brought her to India when she was just a baby. Rowena's mother, Fanny, divorces Guy and leaves to London. When she is 18, Rowena is sent to live in London with her mother, whom she is not close to and her stepfather. Once in London, Rowena's stepfather, Sir Edgar, takes advantage of Rowena and she winds up being his mistress.
Rowena winds up going to the New Mexico to claim the inheritance her father left for her. While there, she reads her fathers journal and realizes many things about the past and family rivalries. Among the many interesting characters in New Mexico is a man named Todd Shannon who is much older than her, but insists on marrying her. Todd's nephew Mark, falls in love with Rowena, but she doesn't share the same feelings for him. Rowena also meets a man named Lucas Cord, an outlaw with a sordid past.



This was a really good read. It's the kind of book you can really sink your teeth into. There's alot of plot twists and interesting characters. The story has plenty of drama, adventure and romance in it as well. I always enjoy a story that just keeps on going from page one. I like Rowena's character, she's smart and sassy. I like that she dresses herself 'down' when she first makes aqquaintances in order to get people to be thier true selves around her, instead of dressing flashy and getting the wrong kind of attention.




I can imagine this book being made into a mini-series.


The dialogue was great, several scenes reminded of the interaction between Rhett and Scarlett in Gone With the Wind. Here are a few of my favorites:

"It might benefit you to exercise some self-control occasionally," I said sharply, for her eyes had filled with tears of rage and frustration. "And to try to understand that other people, too, might have thier share of unhappiness and bitter memories locked inside them, even though they may not wear thier emotions on their sleeve!"

"You're the most conceited, arrogant man I've yet had the misfortune to encounter! If you think that I...."

"At least I don't play games, little girl. Ain't the type to go pussyfootin' around, wastin' time on long courtships. When I find what I want, I go out and get it."

He took me in his arms, ruthlessly holding me still in spite of my furious protests. "When are you gonna face up to facts, little gal? I want you. Have done even before I saw you all dolled up. You turned Mark down, didn't you? An' you've been needlin' me all evening. Better learn to pay up when your bluffs been called."


He bent his head to mine and I saw his thin, cruel lips curve in a smile of triumph. "We're two of a kind, and you know it," he said, before his lips claimed mine.

Special thanks to Danielle over at Sourcebooks for sending me this book to read and review.

title: The green Green Pear

author: Manjula Naraynan

published: June 3, 2009

genre: childrens

pages: 32

first line: There was a pear, a green Green pear.

rated: 3 1/2 stars





In this childrens book there is a green Green pear who wishes he were anything but a pear. He paints a picture of colorful fruits, goes on the computer and finds out the different noises animals make and goes to the store to try on coats that don't fit. He's still upset that he's just a green Green pear. He wishes he could 'smell like a flower' or 'feel like silk'. He travels the world wishing he could be something else.

Then one night he wishes upon a shooting star to be different. He was transformed into a red apple, but still was not happy. In his heart, he was still a green Green pear.


He continues to wish each night on this shooting star, and each night he is transformed into something different but is still unhappy with himself.

He finally realizes that wherever he goes or whatever he changes into, inside his heart he will always be a green Green pear. So he wishes for the last time to turn back to his old self:
I wish to be nothing but a green Green pear and most important of all, to love being me.




I think The green Green Pear is a sweet childrens book. The moral of the story being that you need to be happy with yourself no matter who you are. For the most part, the illustrations were fun. However, I found some of the drawings to be a bit distracting and take away from the story. I didn't like that there was drawings mixed in with photos of real objects.







About the author:

Manjula Naraynan is a writer and illustrator living in Chennai, Southern India. She has a degree in corporate secretaryship from the University of Madras. The green Green Pear will be followed by two more titles in her Color Trilogy for children.

title: The Lovely Bones

author: Alice Sebold

genre: fiction

pages: 328

published: 2002

first line: My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie.

rated: 4 out of 5




In The Lovely Bones, Susie Salmon narrates her story from heaven. In 1973, at age fourteen, she was murdered by a neighbor. Susie talks about how it happened and how her family copes with her death. Her spirit stays around her family, friends and even her murderer. She watches as her loved ones deal with her death. She also follows her murderer as he disposes of her body and continues living his life.




I got my copy of The Lovely Bones last year for 25 cents at a library sale that I stumbled upon. Isn't that the way it always is? You find an amazing book when you least expect it. This was an emotional, heartwrenching read. I emersed myself into this book, I could not put it down. I even got teary eyed during certain parts, which is not something I tend to do while reading a book.

The storyline was moving and the characters were really well written. I liked the relationship between Susie and her older sister Lindsey, even after death the two sisters are entwined. I also liked Susie's view of her heaven and the way she describes it. She always lingers around her loved ones, never wanting to let them go.
I found Susie and her fathers relationship to be very moving. The way her father feels guilt over her death and how he really never gets over it. Some of the passages describing thier relationship were among the most emotional in the book. Especially years after her death when he finally comes to terms with her never coming back home. Here Susie describes his depression after her death:

Everyday he got up. Before sleep wore off, he was who he used to be. Then, as his consciousness woke, it was as if poison seeped in. At first he couldn't even get up. He lay there under a heavy weight. But then only movment could save him, and he moved and he moved and he moved, no movement being enough to make up for it. The guilt on him, the hand of God pressing down on him, saying, You were not there when your daughter needed you.

I also thought it was sweet how Susie still has a crush on Ray, a classmate who gave her her first kiss. She watches Ray from heaven wishing he could kiss her once more.

I could go on and on, I really enjoyed this book.



This is my second time reading Alice Sebold, and this book is my favorite of hers so far. I read The Almost Moon over the summer.



Here's a few passages that stood out:

The dead are never exactly seen by the living, but many people seem acutely aware of something changed around them. They speak of a chill in the air. The mates of the deceased wake from dreams and see a figure standing at the end of thier bed, or in a doorway, or boarding, phantomlike, a city bus.

I turned around and went back to the gazebo. I felt the moist air lace its way up along my legs and arms, lifting, every so slightly, the ends of my hair. I thought of spider webs in the morning, how they held small jewels of dew, how, with a light movement of the wrist, I used to destroy them without thinking.

The Lovely Bones is being made into a movie that will release in December of 2009.

title: Aurora of the Northern Lights


author: Holly Hardin


published: Aug 6, 2009

pages: 32

genre: childrens

first line: Many, many years ago, lived a maid named Mistletoe.


rated: 4 out of 5




Mistletoe is a pretty elf who lives with in a cold land. She meets and marries William underneath the 'Northern Lights'. But William was too cold to stay where Mistletoe lives, and so the two of them leave for a warmer land. Then one night, a child is born, and they name her Aurora.

Seven years later, Auroras parents become sick and pass away. Aurora is left alone, and goes to town for help, but she is shunned for being different. A witch gives Aurora a charm for protection and tells her to go to the forest where she belongs. Once in the forest, Aurora comes upon Fey, who tell her she is not one of thier own. They give her a cloak and staff and send her on her way.

Aurora comes upon a castle, and when she knocks on the door, Santa Claus answers. He tells her she is brave to walk so far in the cold, and welcomes her in. Once inside Aurora see the elves, show tell her "We don't care who's small or tall. Welcome, welcome, one and all."


Inside the castle a familiar looking woman comes up to Aurora and tells her she's been searching for her. She reveals herself to be Aurora's grandmother. Aurora finally finds a place where she belongs.



Aurora of the Northern Lights is a sweet children's book. The storyline is nice, and the illustrations are adorable. This would make a cute holiday present.





About the author:

Holly Hardin has a degree in English literature and is a member of the Society of
Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She is the author several published articles for both children and adults. Hardin lives in the north Georgia mountains with her husband, Jeff, and their four spoiled dogs.

title: Tao Te Ching

author: Lao-Tse


first line: The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Tao.





I've been reading the Tao Te Ching in daily installments from Daily Lit. It's something totally different from what I normally read.



The Tao Te Ching consists of 81 short poems, which you can read here. It was written about 2,500 years ago by Lao Tzu and is the basis for the philosophical school of Taoism.



Most of the themes in the Tao Te Ching are about living life simply and doing away with material things. This is a difficult book to review, I feel I really can't do it justice. It's such a profound work.


Here are a few of my favorite passages:

He who knows other men is discerning; he who knows himself is intelligent. He who overcomes others is strong; he who overcomes himself is mighty.

Sincere words are not elegant; elegant words are not sincere.

The good person does not argue; the person who argues is not good.

The wise do not have great learning; those with great learning are not wise.

True Persons do not hoard.

Using all they have for others, they still have more.

Giving all they have to others, they are richer than before.


The way of heaven is to benefit and not to harm.

The way of the True Reason is to assist without striving

in the unfolding of the story of the earth.

Empty everything out; hold fast to your stillness.

Even though all things are stirring together,

watch for the movement of return.

The ten thousand things flourish and then

each returns to the root from which it came.

Returning to the root is stillness.

Through stillness each fulfils its destiny.

That which has fulfilled its destiny

becomes part of the Always-so.

To be aware of the Always-so is to awaken.


Those who innovate while in ignorance of the Always-so

move toward disaster.

Those who act with awareness of the Always-so

embrace all, are not possessed by particular desire,

and move toward the Tao.

Those who are at one with the Tao abide forever.

Even after their bodies waste away, they are safe and whole.

I enjoyed reading the Tao Te Ching and am glad I ventured off and read something different.