Category: Reviews

By Betty Smith (Elisabeth Wehner, born in 1896)

This American classic falls in the Young Adult genre yet is instructive for adults of all ages. The book is an account of the life of Francis, a girl who lives in poverty early in the 1900s. Told through the eyes of Francis in the form of five books, the author shares an almost autobiographical treatise of her experiences and varying relationships. The story highlights the way she interprets each encounter — each observation through the lens of her age and situation.

I found the book to be harsh and, unfortunately, real. While the universal themes of poverty, alcoholism, and education are pervasive, the story highlights the human spirit … or lack thereof. There is, throughout, the failure of women to uplift and support each other – to find fault in others who struggle equally yet differently and separately. At the same time, the theme of tenacity runs consistently through Frances’s life.

Tales of discrimination which reminded me of how cruel people can be even today, after all we have experienced and observed. Discrimination is in the form of race, color, politics, socio-economic status, and gender.

I found the character development weak, the writing mediocre, and the plot almost non-existent. But what do I know?  This book was an immediate success and was in its second printing when it was officially published in 1943. Ms. Smith entered the book as a piece of non-fiction into a Harper and Brothers competition. At the publisher’s recommendation, she changed the title and the classification to fiction. This publication was one of the most widely mailed to service men in World War II.

Obviously, I am far from a literary genius. I wonder how some publications become “classics” while other, more meaningful works fall by the wayside. Yet, this coming of age story truly reflects life as we knew it then and know it now. From my reaction, one might think I didn’t appreciate the read.  On the contrary, I recommend it.  Sometimes a classic just needs to be read. We need to recognize the themes and the struggles of the characters. Hopefully, the exercise will help us reflect on our own lives – the way we live each day and how we treat others.  And maybe, just maybe, the world will become a better place, as we learn from our errors and strive to rise above, lifting others as we go.

Mary Ann

The world has had great lovers over the years.  There was Romeo and Juliette, Rhett and Scarlett, and Kathy and Heathcliff.  Their love stories have captured our imaginations and remain in a corner of our romantic selves.  However, there is another set of lovers that you might not know but would enjoy their story – Vampire Mathew Clairmont and Witch Diana Bishop.  

Author Deborah Harkness created a world of humans, witches, vampires, and daemons in the All Souls Trilogy that includes   A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night and The Book of Life.  A romance between Diana and Mathew blooms as their paths cross at Oxford. This is a forbidden love among the creatures. Vampires and Witches do not get involved – no dating app for them! The books captures the beginning of their love, time travel to the past so Diana can hone her weaver spell skills, and the struggles between the creatures as the peace between them is threatened. 

My own discovery happened when I read a review about the first book, A Discovery of Witches, bought the book, and fell in love with the characters.  I could not wait for the next book to be released. The story unfolds, and you just want to know more about the creatures and their world. 

Lucky us, the story does not end with the trilogy. There are two additional volumes, Time’s Convert, and most recent, Black Bird Oracle.  Harkness is a very clever writer in the tradition of J.K. Rowling.  A Discovery of Witches is Harry Potter for grownups.  Just as Rowling created owls delivering mail or a new game like Quidditch on flying brooms.  Harkness has memories stored in memory bottles and time travel is called time walking.  All fun!

In Harkness’s last book, Black Bird Oracle, the ending left the door open for more books.  There are questions that need answers. I can’t wait for the next adventure.  

There is a bonus with these books.  AMC+ made the books come alive in their three season TV series.  The shows follow the books carefully.  There is wonderful chemistry between Vampire Mathew (Mathew Goode – you remember him from Downton Abbey) and Witch Diana (Teresa Palmer).  Recently, the series have been featured on Netflix. Unfortunately, there are no plans to produce season 4.  However, you never know.  There is nothing like the love of a good vampire.

At this witchy time of the year, both the books and TV series are a fun way to enjoy the creatures of Halloween. I have loved the books and seeing them come alive on TV has been just a cherry on top! I hope that you will find this as well.

I was excited when my book club decided to read Kristin Hannah’s book The Women.  To be honest, I didn’t know what it was about but having read some of Hannah’s books previously, I was certain it would be well-researched historical fiction.

The Women is a well written, compelling story of Frances “Frankie” McGrath who struggled as a young woman to understand hers and other females’ place in society. She starved for positive approval from her father, beyond being a pretty and intelligent socialite. Frankie wanted equal recognition from her ultra-conservative father as her brother who had enlisted to fight for his country in the Vietnam war.

Frankie followed in her brother’s path and enlisted — she in the Army Nurse Corps. She was unprepared for the horrors of war. Men who had returned early on were heroes. Women could be heroes, too. Yet what she encountered, the hardships she endured, and even worse, the treatment she received upon returning were more harrowing than she ever could imagine.

The story takes you through her experiences in Vietnam and continues through years of trauma after she returns home. It chronicles the importance of female friendships. Her courage and idealism eventually defined an era.

The Women, although set in the 1960s and years later, is relevant today.  How are women treated? Is equality possible? Can Americans come together in time of trauma? Will we ever understand the reason for engaging in military conflict and the ultimate sacrifice of those who serve? Do we even want to learn?

When I read historical fiction I ponder what I can do as an individual to avoid the same mistakes we made in our past. For those who are moved by historical fiction and who are willing to consider how history repeats itself if we fail to step up, pay attention, and make positive strides towards higher morals and values, this book is one of those must reads.

Or, if you just like a gripping story that highlights past events, you may enjoy reading The Women.

Mary Ann

I am a lifelong learner. I love to take classes and learn new things.  Many a school and businesses have lifelong learning in their mission statement and want their students or employees to embrace it as a goal.  However, many people just do not like school or learning new things – no time, too much money, boring, and the like are the excuses.  Let me share with you some educational outlets that you may find interesting, easy, inexpensive, and fun!

I get excited when I open my mailbox and find a Smithsonian catalog full of ZOOM classes to take.  It is like attending a college lecture in my pajamas – I think a lot of college students do that anyway.  There are inexpensive classes in many areas of interests taught by the experts in those fields.  I took a class on dolphins with the author Susan Casey (Voices in the Ocean) conducting the class.  I had read her book, and Ms. Casey made the subject come alive.  You can ask questions, so the class is interactive.  Casey also taught another class on Great White Sharks based on her book The Devil’s Teeth– it was fascinating class about a fascinating animal.   I have also taken art, history, and other science lectures. Visit SmithsonianAssociattes.org. for more information.  

The Great Courses is another catalog full of gems.  You can download them or buy the DVDs.  I have done several of the photography classes that National Geographic presents with their top photographers like Joel Santori instructing.  These can be pricey, but they do run great sales with sets running as low as $35.00.  You can also subscript to a program called The Great Courses Plus.  All their classes are available for a fee – you can subscribe monthly, quarterly, and annually starting at $20.00 a month to $12.00 a month depending on the payment schedule you select.  This gives you unlimited use of their entire collection.  More info is provided at their website wwwthegreatcourses.com.  You can also get classes thorough your cable company.  Xfinity offers them for a subscription fee of $7.99 a month. It is a select collection of 200 or so classes, but it is a reasonable price for classes that you can watch on your own TV. 

Another online subscription is MasterClass (masterclass.com).  It is from $10.00 to $20.00 a month (you pay annually) for classes. There are 200 + choices across 11 categories with new classes added all the time.  Imagine taking a photography class taught by Annie Leibovitz or a filmmaking class from Ken Burns.  These are truly masters of their disciplines.  I have not personally taken one of these classes, but I have friends who have, and they have enjoyed them.

Colleges and universities also offer online classes.  Yale’s Happiness Class is one of the most famous – it is a free class!  Many of the classes are free.  Check these options at the various schools’ websites.  

As you can see, there is unlimited opportunities available to you. You just need to check them out.   Find you passion and seek out classes that can support your interests.  There is also a bonus in taking the classes.  It is great for your brain!  It keeps it agile. 

I just came across this term Cognitive Reserve.  It is a theory that refers to the representations stored within the brain of the knowledge, experiences, and life events that accumulate during a person’s lifetime.  In other words, it is everything you ever have leaned and is stored in the brain.  Active brains help to prevent dementia.  It is a good reason to keep learning!

Mary Ann

I bet you would have appreciated an owner’s manual when you were handed your newborn baby.  A ”How To” book on teenagers would have been helpful as well.  When you had to become an independent woman leaning to be on you own either thorough divorce, a breakup, or widowhood, information is needed to survive such challenges. There should have been some perfect advice to help you out.  Most of life you don’t have a clue what to do about a particular situation because that event is so uniquely yours. 
So, when I found the book, How To Be Old, it caught my attention.  I am old.  Is there a better way to be old?  Let’s find out!  My non-fiction book club partner, L, and I read it together then Cynthia also joined us.  I have included their remarks in this review.  
                               

                                        
How To Be Old is written by Lyn Slater. You would recognize Lyn from her many ads over the years.  She is the trim, petite, white-haired lady with the great haircut and big sunglasses.  Chic in every way!   Her blog, the Accidental Icon, chronicles her fashion adventures, and it eventually morphed into the book, How to Be Old.  It documents her life from years 60 to 70, and how she makes the very best of whatever she has, wrinkles and all. 

Most of us would not have the opportunities that were presented to her.  Her savvy fashion sense led to modeling contracts with international fashion houses, photo shoots around the world, attending fashion weeks, and on and on.  It is just fun to witness her many adventures. 

However, embedded in each chapter, Lyn shares a nugget of wisdom that are universal to all women.  She is a professor, a daughter, a mother, a grandmother, and a partner to an interesting man.  All while she juggles the world of fashion!  Lyn’s love of clothes is deep in her soul.  This is her passion. She tells us that we each have another chapter regardless of our age.  Each of us have a passion of our own.  We need to discover it and grow it.
This is my impression of How To Be Old.  Let’s see what Cynthia and L gained from the reading:

L found in How to Be Old, Lyn Slater has shown us that we can still be creative and continue to make choices for our older selves.  She also cautions that we need to not be so distracted by the lives we lead outside ourselves, that we forget to nourish our inner selves.

Cynthia enjoyed the fashion journey that Ms. Slater was taking in How to Be Old. Cynthia also the found nuggets of wisdom within the narrative, and she found a very personal message therein.  “I was moved by How to Be Old because I was becoming stuck.  I have been goal-oriented, self-starting, and determined most of my life. Yes, I caught myself looking into the mirror and thinking that older woman looking back at me had nothing left to give.  Lynn’s memoir of her 60s reminded me to look up and see all the mature women starting new initiatives, taking chances, and embracing age.  I thank her for this insight.”

How to Be Old is a fun, easy read. You can go as deep as you like because there are some excellent life lessons in the chapters. If you love fashion, it is the cherry on top of the book. Enjoy!  Cynthia, L, and I did!  
 

Have you ever been sitting on your deck or walking in the woods and hear a bird singing its heart out and have no idea what kind of bird is serenading you?  It happens to me all the time.  Then I found the Merlin app and pure magic entered my life – abracadabra!

Merlin Bird ID is a nature app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (Study of Birds so you know for a future Jeopardy game.) It is free and once you start using it, you will use it every day or at least I have. All you do is open the app and tap the green sound button. The app then begins to record the bird sounds that you are hearing and some you do not hear.  As different birds sings, they are identified, and a little picture appears of the bird. Each time that bird sings the bird’s name is highlighted in yellow. If you touch the bird picture, a small paragraph appears with info about the bird. You can also play the bird song of a particular bird and learn to identify the bird yourself. I didn’t realize that I was surrounded by birds. I don’t see them, but they are there.  So far this summer, the app has identified 20ish species. 

Cornell Lab has a wealth of information about birds at their website cornellbirds@cornell.edu.  They offer great classes such as The Wonderful World of Hummingbirds to art classes to everything you ever wanted to know about birding – all at reasonable fees.  They have bird cams to view baby birds hatch and grow up.  There are bird counts that you can participate in with people from all over the country and the world.  I am always finding one more bit of information on everything bird, science, and conservation on the site.

If you join the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, you will receive their eBulletin and their wonderful bi-annual magazine, Living Bird which has exquisite photographs and excellent articles on birds.  Supporter level is $39.00, and a family subscription is $60.00.  It provides a lot of bang for the buck. 

Nature gives us so many gifts, and the choir of our feather friends is so often taken for granted in our daily lives.  If you stop and take a moment, you can hear their greatest hits and feel the magic!  

Mary Ann

Cynthia

Tik Tok is a platform for individuals and small groups to share expertise, experiences, and ideas in video form. People present challenges and those that catch on have a lot of activity – others commenting, trying the idea, or creating a similar but modified approach to the original post.

One such suggestion was by Chef Will Coleman. Chef Coleman presented a grocery shopping design in order to shop with intention. He believes subscribers will save money. He calls it the 6-5-4-3-2-1 method.  Using this approach, a shopper will purchase 6 vegetables, 5 fruits, 4 proteins, 3 carbs/starches, 2 sauces, and 1 item for oneself.

This is a clever idea and people on Tik Tok have embraced the challenge. Chef Coleman does not mention the excellent nutritional value to this approach but focusing on vegetables and fruits above protein is a healthy way to eat. In addition, people have become adept at discerning vegetables and fruits.

For example, some people are including peppers, eggplant, olives, squash, avocado, cucumber, beans and some nuts in the fruit category, as technically a fruit is an edible plant with seeds. Starches is another category that lends itself to interpretation and might include potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, and cereal.  In the protein category some are going for nuts and tofu in addition to or instead of poultry, beef, pork, and fish. When one thinks of food in this way, the variety is wide and the options endless.

Sauces could be prepared mayonnaise, catsup, or mustard or something more exciting such as a teriyaki sauce or pizza sauce. As for the 1 item for oneself, some people buy frozen pot stickers, ice cream, or supplement with additional pantry items. Possible combinations are up to an individual’s imagination.

The idea of the 6-5-4-3-2-1 method is admirable. However, to be useful and actually help save money, one must still shop judiciously. More importantly, one must have time and the creativity to cook. I have found the more I have cooked over the years, the more able I am to make a nice meal from ingredients I have on hand. But young professionals with budding careers and/or a small family may have more of a challenge.

For some, preparing a menu for the week and listing grocery items needed for that menu may ultimately save more money.  Individuals need to think through the options Chef Coleman presents. Maybe his method combined with a predetermined menu will help meal planning, meal preparation, and enjoying dinner time without overspending on groceries.

Cynthia

Smoothies and smoothie bowls are taking center stage in the health and wellness specter. Smoothies incorporate multiple servings of fruits and/or vegetables in one serving as they reduce the ingredients nearly to liquid form. Having a smoothie is a satisfying way to ensure you get your daily dose.

Last year, I gave my aunt a smoothie basket for her birthday. Included were two books and the alternate ingredients needed for the recipes. The two books, The Art of the Smoothie Bowl by Nicole Gaffney, and Healthy Smoothie Recipe Book by Jennifer Koslo, appeared to be colorful and easy to follow. Of course as I do whenever I buy a cookbook for someone else, I bought myself copies so I could scrutinize the recipes.

Perusing each book, I made an ingredient list by category – pantry, fresh, frozen, nuts-seeds-spices, toppings, juices, milks, refrigerator. My purpose was to discover which ingredients are used only once and which are used multiple times. My aunt, being a smoothie novice, may not have all the ingredients in her pantry. Items such as blue spirulina, psyllium husk, bee pollen, and maca powder probably are not everyday staples in many kitchens.

Of the two recipe books, I found the Art of the Smoothie Bowl to lean more towards the occasional smoothie chef due to the ingredients included. Pictures are included for each recipe with suggestions for toppings. Most of the recipes include ingredients you are likely to have on hand.

Healthy Smoothie Recipe Book provides mix and match smoothie recipes categorized by the health issue the recipe supports. Issues such as detox and cleanse; inflammation fighters; weight loss and diabetes; and more. The author provides ten reasons smoothies support good health and an ingredient list to “spice things up”. She provides a mix-and-match flavors and texture chart to help you try out your creative side. While this book does not include pictures of the actual smoothies, Koslo does include a color swatch that indicates the primary benefit of the recipe – high protein, high fiber, meal replacement, veggie lover, and others.

Using both books as the foundation for my smoothie basket, I bought the unique items and separated them into small jars and labeled each appropriately. Because some of the ingredients can be quite expensive and only a teaspoon or tablespoon is used in a recipe, I thought sharing the items among family members made sense. The basket was quite full of goodies with a few extras like reusable straws, bowls, glasses, and spoons. A healthy and fun gift for someone who has almost everything!

Meanwhile, I am having fun trying new smoothies and smoothie bowls using the recipes in these books. Many books are available which have equally delicious options. Smoothies and smoothie bowls are easy ways to pack a lot of nutrition into a small space! They are delicious, nutritious, and make you feel ambitious (or so the saying goes!). Enjoy!

Cynthia

Every night after the news and Wheel of Fortune, I seek out a movie to watch with my 94-year-old mother who has a mild case of dementia, congestive heart failure, and COPD. After six years of entertaining my mother as she slowly declines, it is difficult to find a movie that is simple enough for her to understand, devoid of the f-bomb in every sentence, and doesn’t cause nightmares from violence.

Recently I came across a delightful film based on a novel by Elizabeth Taylor – her 11^th novel, actually, which was written in 1971. The movie perfectly captures the feelings of many of us as we age.

Mrs. Palfrey is a gentle woman who has a snippy daughter and a grandson who makes no extra effort to see her. She has rented a room in the Claremont Hotel, which has become an independent living establishment for older adults. They gather at mealtime in the dining room, although each resident sits at his or her assigned table. The movie is sadly humorous.

One day Mrs. Palfrey is out walking when it begins to rain. She picks up the pace, only to trip on the sidewalk and fall. A young man, Ludovic, happens to see her take the tumble and runs to her rescue, ushering her into his borrowed apartment for a cup of tea. Ludovic and Mrs. P become fast friends. They adopt one another in a grandmother/grandson type of relationship.

The flick is simply a sweet comedy drama on the surface. However, underlying messages arise as one delves into the characters and the plot. Do we retain or develop a sense of pride as we age? If we feel rejected by family, how do we deal with the hole in our hearts? Why does Mrs. Palfrey need to develop a relationship with a pseudo grandson? Why does Ludovic enjoy time with an old woman? What is the film telling us about aging and familial relationships?

In an effort not to spoil the ending, I encourage you to take time to view the film. Cuddle up with a soft blanket, a cup of Earl Grey, and a tea biscuit. Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont may strike you with varying emotions and leave you with thoughts to explore. Prime members can view the movie at no extra charge.