Next to the Cloth Hall in the city center of Krakow, Poland (see last week's picture) you will find the Kosciol Mariacki, or St. Mary's Basilica, a towering cathedral that was built in the 13th century. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed inside, but like many churches in Poland, the alter and the stained glass is breathtaking. The famous wooden alterpiece in St. Mary's is 262 feet tall! Every hour, a trumpeter plays a signal from the bell tower that breaks off mid-tune to commemorate the famous trumpeter that was shot in the throat while sounding an alarm of a Mongol attack in the 13th century. The history in these places levels me.
Right next to the church was this fellow trying to make some extra cash. We had no idea how we was creating this illusion. Funny story - my husband's nephew, who was with us on this trip, actually knew this guy from somewhere and talked to him later. He was able to pry the secret from his friend after a beer or two.
I'm going to repeat a rant I've had in the past. I have almost stopped blog tours completely. I get stressed out over the commitment, and I really enjoy reading what I want. If you feel like I do, then I would suggest you think twice about getting to know Trish Collins with TLC. Because she is one lady that is almost impossible to turn down.
See the beauty of Trish is that she is a blogger and she knows us. She understands our likes and dislikes, so when she comes a-knocking, she most likely will have an arsenal of books that she knows we are going to HAVE TO HAVE.
I was standing fast against accepting tours and ARCs one day, and Trish sent me an e-mail about "The Baker's Daughter". Past and present collide, intertwined lives, WWII, learning to forgive. Words that just reel me in. Plus Sarah McCoy, the author, is a little ray of sunshine on Twitter...friendly, upbeat and approachable. Authors should never underestimate the power of their presence on social media. Needless to say, I threw my hat in the ring for this one.
Synopsis: Reba should be on top of the world. She has a successful career as a journalist in El Paso, TX and she is engaged to a loving man. She refuses to allow herself the freedom to enjoy her life, though, because of unresolved horrors with her father and the rest of her family back home in Virginia. Until she meets Elsie...then her life begins to change.
Elsie and her daughter Jane run a bakery in El Paso. Elsie spent her youth learning the trade in her parents' bakery in Germany in the 1930's and 1940's. With the onset of WWII, Elsie's older sister finds herself a single mother and a participant in the Lebensborn Program (a glorified Nazi breeding program), and Elsie becomes engaged to a much older Nazi general who attempts to protect her and her family from the horrors of the Third Reich. But both Elsie and the general have secrets, ones that have far-reaching implications, and which may save or destroy lives.
The narrative alternates in time between Reba, Jane and Elsie's lives in the present, and Elsie's horrific past, weaving together the lives of these three strong women. Each have their own fears and obstacles, each with so much in common. As we learn their stories, we come to appreciate the value of their friendship, Elsie's immense courage and resolve to survive in the face of evil.
My thoughts: Both mysteries and WWII novels have big shoes to fill in my reading life. I've read so many examples of these genres that I'm not easily impressed. With that said, surprisingly I've recently read not one but TWO WWII novels that stand out...this one and "The Zookeeper's Wife" (review coming soon). So what was so special about "The Baker's Daughter"?
Several things. The female characters in this story were so strong, and had such chemistry with each other. They absolutely came alive on the page. You can't just conjure that kind of magic...you either have it or you don't. These women were survivors. I particularly loved Elsie. She was a pistol at 17 and a pistol at 80. She took charge of her life and made her mark. It was endearing to see her mentor Reba, who desperately needed a mother-figure.
And this business with the Lebensborn Program. What on earth? Why hadn't I heard of such a thing? The idea of basically pimping out perfect Aryan women in order to breed perfect Aryan children, who then belong to the state, and killing off the rejects? The idea completely horrified me.
I appreciated getting the perspective of Elsie's Nazi general fiancé as well. Understanding his motivations to shield Elsie's family from harm, understanding his humanity, just added additional depth to an already complex collection of personalities.
The story in turns melted my heart and broke it. I guess you have to expect this in a novel about the war, but McCoy adds her beautiful and gentle prose to make it seem almost like a love song. And while there are portions of this book that will make you heartsick, the end offers a soaring hope that all is right with the world.
4.5 out of 5 stars
I don't know about you, but I love a good creepy, gothic movie. There just aren't enough of them. (There aren't enough gothic novels either in my opinion.) Big old moldy vine-laden mansion? Ghosts of children and a crazy woman? Sinister, wind-up toys and dolls? Sign me up.
Unfortunately, I regret to inform you that I have not read this book. Susan Hill is famous for her spooktastic novels, where she is willing to throw anyone and everyone under the bus. I've got her on my list of authors I need to pursue. But my kids and I couldn't wait on my slow rear end to get around to it.
In a nutshell, without too much spoilage, here is what we have. Edwardian England, young widowed lawyer Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliff) with a young son (Daniel's Godson IRL) is forced out of his four year grief-laden funk to investigate the last will and testament of Alice Drablow. Drablow survived her husband, her son Nathaniel (who drowned in the marshes at a young age) and her sister Jennet, who hanged herself, only to become a recluse in a big old moldy mansion perched on an island that is inaccessible at high tide.
When Kipps arrives in Drablow's village, the inhabitants are less than welcoming, and all seem shell-shocked. Kipps soon witnesses a gruesome death of one of the local children, and learns many others have had the same fate. Through his investigation of Drablow's old documents, he also begins to learn about the circumstances around which young Nathaniel had died and the menacing presence of her sister Jennet's ghost.
When it comes to the alluring atmosphere of a gothic tale, this film has got it all. I was particularly taken by the abandoned mansion, and the barren winding road that leads to it through a marshy muck, which is all underwater at high tide. The island is overgrown, foggy, and speckled with gravestones.
As I said before, Hill knows no sacred cows, and therein lies the beauty of the plot. No one is safe, and things may just not work out like you might imagine. I love that in a film or a book.
There are also plenty of horrifying visuals. At the beginning of the movie, we see three little girls having a tea party in their attic nursery. In unison, they all turn to the window, stand up, walk to the window in a trance and jump to their deaths. There are images of a child clawing his way out of the muck from his tomb. Of someone hanged. Of someone burning alive. The movie is PG-13, so there is relatively little gore per se, no sexual content, but heavy on these graphic images and intensity. (Personally, I was more disturbed by the deranged wind-up toys than anything. You know, the kind that come to life at night and try to eat your face.)
On the downside, the movie is chock-full of cheap scares. Things jump out at you every 2.3 minutes. And I don't think it was really necessary, given the subject matter. There was plenty there already to give you the chills. And while I find Daniel Radcliff pleasing to the eye, I can't say he impressed me with his acting here. His performance was wooden at best.
While this one won't win any awards, if you enjoy getting the chills and gothic creepiness is your brain candy, I'd recommend seeing this one.
I'm not sure I can match the (near) perfection of the week before last, but this past week wasn't all that bad. I'd only rate the productivity at a 5 out of 10 for a few reasons, none that were avoidable.
My son caught some kind of ugly head cold (allergies?) that brought him home early on Monday, then again on Wednesday, and was home all day Thursday and Friday. It was Catholic Schools Week, so luckily there were more special events going on and less classwork, so I'm hoping he won't be too slammed next week.
We also had a sick cat, so that required attention. Nothing serious - just a UTI - but you can't let those things go, lest you are swimming in cat pee.
Also, I spent quite a bit of time preparing for our garage sale which my mom and I held on Friday and Saturday. You know, it always sounds like a great idea at the time...purge all of our crap, make a little money, converse with all walks of humanity. You really do meet the most interesting folks at these things! But when it comes down to it, and you think about the time involved, the whole thing kinda blows. I'm glad it is over with.
We've been hitting a few movies. At home, we have been working our way through the Godfathers - some of the best cinematic stuff ever made in my humble opinion. It's probably been 10 years at least since I've watched them, so this is like old home week. The kids and I also decided to pop out and see "The Woman in Black" (despite the fact I have indeed NOT read the book) and enjoyed it. Gothic and mega-creepy. Slight digression...we decided to pass on "Big Miracle" purely because of the TOTAL LACK OF CREATIVITY in naming the damned film. Is that the best they could do???
On the reading front, I had a pretty decent week. I finished "Perfect" by Ellen Hopkins on audio and I really really enjoyed the book. Now I want to listen to more of her work! I am about halfway through "To Be Sung Underwater" by Tom McNeal and I'm having a few issues with the narrator but am overall engrossed by the writing. I've actually been inspired to stop what I am doing and write down a few passages...something I rarely do.
In print, I felt like I needed a speed boost to get caught up a little, so I read both "Maus 1" and "Maus 2", graphic novels about WWII. They were pretty intense, but extremely good. I also read Sarah Pekkanen's short story "Love, Accidentally" and am about a quarter of the way through her "Skipping a Beat". I have a funny Sarah Pekkanen story to tell about the circumstances revolving around this Pekkanen binge, but I'll save it for my reviews. I heart Pekkanen. In fact, I sorta thought she should run for President. Why not at this point? Any woman who can write these fantastic books while sitting in a Chuck E. Cheese gets my vote.
So who's excited about the Super Bowl? I have absolutely no vested interest in either team (maybe the opposite in the case of the Pats) but I'm always up for a friendly family betting pool, some wings, and some fun commercials. I'm pretending that it won't be a challenge to my diet...water and celery for me, woo hoo!
Whatever your Sunday activities, hope they are stress-free and full of good reading!
About a year and a half ago, I was contacted by Kenneth Dixon to review his little book "A Painter's Life". I found this read entertaining and quirky...Dixon has a wonderful, dry sense of humor. A year later, he sent me his next book, "The Ingram Interview". Again, quirky and creative. His books are never more than 150 pages so they are a pressure-free way to enjoy myself for an afternoon of reading.
A few weeks ago, Kenneth asked if I wanted to read his latest book "The Photo Album". My response was "I've read the other two. Why not?". But when I received it in the mail, I opened it up and saw one entry per page, referring to a picture at the top of the page. Except there was no picture, just a frame around nothing.
I brewed and stewed. This had happened before, when I received an ARC of Steve Martin's "Object of Beauty". No pictures. Big bummer. I really didn't think I could handle another book that had missing pictures. I wrote Kenneth and asked if the lack of pictures was because it was an early copy, or some quirky (that word again) twist. Kenneth pleaded quirky. I should have known! Alright! Now we're talking!
Synopsis: An unnamed narrator has taken up photography and provides commentary for each photo he has "included" in this album. Not only are we allowed the creativity to imagine what the photo really looks like, we get insight into the man who took these pictures and life that is going on around him. A daughter who has just gotten a new dog. A wife who must approve every photo before it is printed. A neighbor whose child has gone missing.
We are getting snapshots of a life, all of which is left completely up to our own mind's eye.
My thoughts: Hey, once I figured out I was allowed to use my imagination (something some adults stop doing after primary school) I was ready to run with it. I actually had alot of fun with this, and give Dixon credit for hopping off the beaten path. This is consistent with his personality that shines through his work.
I can just imagine him chuckling as he writes this, for example:
"Katherine Lockhart is, as you can see, one of those women who relies heavily on eyeliner. To me she looks like an angry, middle-aged Egyptian who has lived too long in Las Vegas."
Is it not impossible to just visualize what this woman looks like? You'd recognize her on the street!
Other times his descriptions are beautiful and vivid, like this one:
"I have included this shot for the atmosphere. It is a photo of what has been for a while now the most famous Italianate pile in Savannah - Mercer House, the site of the salacious society murder, the gothic, peeping-tom account of which became a bestseller (Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil) and a movie. It is a soggy picture. You can feel the weather, the humidity. You can smell and taste the moss. You can't have an idea in a place like this - you can have feelings, you can behave, but you can't think. As an exercise in visceral recreation, it is related to the earlier (odorless) shopping-mall pictures (see Plate #43.)"
So once again, another entertaining read from Mr. Dixon. I'd highly encourage everyone to look him up and give him a shot. You will be pleasantly surprised!
4 out of 5 stars
It is no secret that I love Stephen King. His books ushered me from my youth into adolescence, starting with my first experience,"The Stand" in 8th grade. With a few exceptions (The Cell? Really Uncle Stevie?) I've read everything he has written. I love the maleness of his prose, I love his bizarre sense of humor, his 100 to 200-page tangents, his ability to scare the shit out of me.
Reading his newest book was a foregone conclusion. I was curious that this novel did not delve into the darkest recesses of the horror genre as expected, but instead addresses time travel. Time travel is good fun.
I expected a little blood. I know King can't resist. I expected side trips, because it is physically impossible for King to stay focused on one subject. He is a little ADHD that way. What I didn't expect was to experience stirrings in my heart, and to emotionally fall for this book as one would helplessly fall for a first love.
Synopsis: Jake Epping is a 35 year-old divorced school teacher who plods through his life, getting most of his pleasure from the students he mentors. Recently, one of his GED students, Harry Dunning, a middle-aged janitor with physical impairments, wrote an essay about how his father killed his mother and siblings with a hammer when he was just a boy. Devastating stuff.
Soon after, one of Jake's buddies Al, who owns the local greasy spoon, confides in him that he is dying of cancer and would like to pass on a legacy...a rabbit hole in his pantry that leads back to 1958. Passing through the portal, even if one stays for years, will result in the passing of only two minutes in the present. Al suggests the possibility of making the biggest possible contribution to humanity by preventing the assassination of JFK. Al has done the legwork, documenting everything there is to know about Lee Harvey Oswald, Jake just needs to see it through. Al offers one word of warning however. The bigger the change you try to make in the past, the more the past bites back. The past is obdurate. It does not want to be changed.
So Jake takes the challenge with trepidation. Before he saves JFK, though, he decides to save Harry Dunning's family as well. Then he meets the love of his life, Sadie. In the back of Jake's mind, he worries about the consequences of his presence in the past, and the butterfly effect that might have a devastating impact on life as we know it.
My thoughts: Well, I'm sorry but that synopsis really doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of this all-consuming book. At over 850 pages and 30 audio discs, there is ample room for King to do his thang, and do it he does.
And sure, the title of the book would indicate that it's all about stalking and stopping Lee Harvey Oswald and presumably making the world a better place. For all of you conspiracy theorists and students of this historical watershed moment, you'll get your fix. King has thrown his back into the research that provides us a peek into the sneering punk that took the 35th President's life. His obsession with all things Communist, his wife-beating tendencies, his failed attempt on the life of a right-wing political leader.
But in my mind, it is about so much more. Why would we ever really want 850 pages of Oswald anyway? Instead, King reaches deep and comes up with all the entertaining, mind-bending time travel paradoxes and consequences. He presents the nostalgia of the late 1950's and early 1960's...the music, the cars, the root beer. He takes it to a personal level, making us fall in love with the people Jake touches throughout his adventure and whose lives are changed. And it is about love.
I'm going to digress for a moment. One of my favorite movies ever is "Somewhere in Time"...it is cheesy sure, but one of the most romantic films I've ever encountered. And there is a moment towards the end that even the hardest heart will give itself up to the idea of destiny, and true love reaching across time and space. *sigh* That is what we get here, at the end of 11/22/63. And it leveled me. In the best way.
King also never fails to provide geek moments where he casually mentions characters from other books, some obvious, some not. It's like running into a childhood classmate at the grocery store. A little treat for his loyal readers.
It is a serious thing to find a book that you would put on your top ten list ever. In the three plus years I've been blogging, I think I may have only added one or two (The Time Traveler's Wife is the only one that comes to mind), the others accumulated over a lifetime of reading. Let the record show that this one is officially being added today. I will never forget it.
A few words about the audio production: I never have any worries when I am preparing to listen to an Uncle Stevie audio. He is a total audio junkie, and I know without a doubt that he would have something to say about who narrates his books. The narrator in this case, Craig Wasson, as expected, was PHENOMENAL. It doesn't appear I have ever heard him before, but as I look over his resume, I found myself nodding at the fact that he narrated James Elroy's "Blood's a Rover", an audio I uploaded ages ago because Uncle Stevie said it was the best narration he'd ever heard. It all makes sense.
5 out of 5 stars
At Krakow, Poland's city center is the Sukiennece, or the Cloth Hall, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in the 15th century, it was once the hub for international trade. Now it has hundreds of booths full of Polish crafts, jewelry, and clothing. Not at the best prices, mind you, but it is all here in one place. If you ever visit Krakow, this is where you go for retail therapy!
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