Friday Fill-In

Graphic courtesy of Tonya!

1. Steak and salad and a glass of wine make a quick and easy dinner. (OK, so I added an item!)

2. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is the book I'm reading right now.

3. July brings back memories of my wedding 28 years ago!

4. The skin melting heat was obvious.

5. They say if you tell your dreams ... well, I don't know what "they" say, but mine are pretty vivid.

6. I have a big purchase to make and need time to think it over.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sushi dinner and a movie, tomorrow my plans include celebrating our 28th wedding anniversary with my husband and Sunday, I want to take a long walk on the trail near my house!

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Don't forget to stop by tomorrow and read Sheila Ortego's guest post here at Tip of the Iceberg. And on Sunday I will be announcing the winner of Sheila's book The Road from La Cueva. Please stop by and say "hi" to Sheila!

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Total Sobfest

I stayed home with a sore throat yesterday and decided to watch this:



Just looking at this picture makes me want to start sobbing all over again.

Have you watched Masterpiece Theatre's Tess of the d'Urbervilles?

BOOK REVIEW: The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato

Title: The Glassblower of Murano
Author: Marina Fiorato
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Date: June 2009 (U.S. edition)
Reason for reading: LibraryThing Early Reviewers

First line: "As Corradino Manin looked on the lights of San Marco for the last time, Venice from the lagoon seemed to him a golden constellation in the dark blue velvet dusk."

A little romance, a little history, and a little mystery make The Glassblower of Murano a fast and enjoyable read. Told from both the 17th century perspective of Venetian master glassblower Corradino Manin and the perspective of his 21st century descendant Leonora, you'll get glimpses of a Venice that in some ways hasn't changed much.

The Romance
Leonora (Nora) flees her failed marriage in London to begin life anew as a glassblower in Venice. It is here that she meets a handsome Venetian man who looks like he has stepped out of a Renaissance painting. Nora herself resembles Botticelli's "Primavera." Of course. Alessandro, the lovely Venetian man, is quite busy and not able to spend much time with Nora so it is no surprise that there are misunderstandings when his beautiful Italian ex-girlfriend surfaces. Typical. This part of the story is not particularly original, but it works. I was more taken with the romance of Venice and the beautiful descriptions that made me want to get on a plane and star gaze into a dusky blue sky while I lounged on jewel colored silk cushions surrounded by the soft light of hurricane lamps and tea lights glowing through the Moorish mullions of the windows that face my veranda. And don't forget the glass of prosecco.

The History
The history is the history of Venice and glassblowing. I thought the author did a very nice job crafting a story around historical Venice and the craft of glassblowing. Glass making in Venice is more advanced than it is in other parts of the 17th century world and so Venetian glass is highly prized and its secrets carefully guarded. This historical monopoly along with the machinations of a corrupt and power hungry republic are the historical focus of the novel.

The Mystery
The mystery surrounds Corradino Manin, a master glassblower who holds the secret of making flat reflective glass. He has long been a city hero and his name graces various places in Venice. The current viability of one of the ancient glassblowing factories falls on his reputation, so it is troubling when information comes to light that he may have betrayed his own country to sell Venetian glass making secrets to the French. Leonora, along with the guidance of an old professor and help from Alessandro, pursues the truth of what happened. Was Corradino a traitor? Is he redeemed in the end?

Overall, I was more intrigued by the descriptions and history of Venice, and by the rather cloak and dagger mystery than I was by the romance. Fortunately, the romance was blended nicely with the rest of the novel leaving me with a very enjoyable read that I can recommend. A nice summer read.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Book Giveaway and Upcoming Author Guest Post: Sheila Ortego

The Book Giveaway

Do you remember how much I liked The Road from La Cueva by Sheila Ortego? What? You didn't read my review? Well, you have another chance! You also have a chance to win a copy of this beautifully written novel. I have one copy to give away and you could be the lucky winner. All you have to do is let me know, in the comments to this post, that you would like me to put your name into the drawing. Yup. That's it. I will also need your email address if you don't provide it on your blog.

Want your name entered a second time? Just mention this giveaway and the upcoming author guest post (see below) on your blog. Don't forget to let me know that you have done this.

Deadline to enter:
Please let me know if you would like to be entered by midnight Saturday, July 18th. I will draw a name from the entries next Sunday, July 19th.

Who is eligible?
This giveaway is open to all and I'm willing to ship the book to places other than North America.


What Others are Saying

Albuquerque: The Magazine
"As the president of Santa Fe Community College, Sheila Ortego, Ph.D., has encouraged an unending line of students to believe in the possibility of a better life through persistence and courage. In her new novel, The Road From La Cueva, Ortego tells the story of one woman who has to find it in herself to make that same journey. The book, she says, was years in the making, and came from inspiration in Ortego’s own life—which somehow makes the journey even more worthwhile."

January Magazine
"Sheila Ortego’s debut novel is interesting on several levels. Ortego holds a doctorate in American Studies from the University of New Mexico and she has taught Southwestern literature, women’s literature and women’s studies at several institutes of higher learning. She is currently the president of Santa Fe Community College, the first woman to hold that post. So, clearly, she is someone who has spent time exploring the intellectual side of making words that move hearts.

On the other hand, Ortego is a poet and she was recently invited to join the Live Poets Society in Santa Fe.

Both of these facets of Ortego’s life path are well represented in The Road from La Cueva..."

Those who like stories of self-discovery, those interested in women's studies, and those who appreciate gorgeous writing will especially enjoy this book. So what are you waiting for? Let me know you would like the opportunity to win this book!


Author Guest Post

Sheila Ortego will be guest posting here at Tip of the Iceberg next Saturday, July 18th. Please stop by and see what she has to share with us. I know I'm looking forward to hearing from this very talented woman!

Link:
Sheila Ortego's blog

BOOK REVIEW: Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce

Title: Tom's Midnight Garden
Author: Philippa Pearce
Publisher: Puffin Books
Year: 1958 (1976 edition)

First line: "If, standing alone on the back doorstep, Tom allowed himself to weep tears, they were tears of anger."

Philippa Pearce brings the past alive by turning it into the present in this magical time-shift fantasy about a young boy named Tom Long.

Tom is placed in quarantine for measles and is sent to live with his childless aunt and uncle for a few weeks. They live in an apartment which is part of an old converted house. A grandfather clock stands in the communal hallway of the large house and old Mrs. Bartholomew, the landlady, comes down from her top floor apartment to wind the clock each week. Tom is warned that it is better for children to remain unseen when Mrs. Bartholomew makes her weekly trek.

The clock mysteriously strikes thirteen one night, and sleepless Tom creeps through the dark to investigate. The darkness is too thick for him to examine the clock face for a thirteenth hour, so he opens the outside door to let moonlight wash into the hallway. He is surprised to find that it is daylight outside! With all of this light Tom can see that the hallway is transformed by Victorian furnishings and the small paved area outside the door has become a large and lush garden, a veritable Eden. No longer does the smell of hot asphalt permeate the air, but instead the perfume of flowers and green growing things circulates on the summer breeze. Tom steps into the garden ... and into the past.

Tom returns nightly to this magical garden where he has befriended a girl named Hatty. Time behaves very oddly with subsequent visits to the garden. Tom never knows if Hatty will be younger or older than when he saw her last and this creates questions. Which one of them is real and which one the ghost? Which one lives in the "real" world? Time has drawn them together, but Time has also placed a barrier between them. Or has it?

Tom's Midnight Garden is about loneliness and friendship and the magic of childhood. It is the story of the loss of Eden into a fuller understanding that goes beyond childish interests. In the final, and very touching, scene the mystery of Hatty and the garden is solved and we learn that time need not separate us. Generational barriers need not exist. "Then and Now.... Time No Longer."

Tom's Midnight Garden is a beautiful and satisfying story. As a child, I would have LOVED this book with its combination of mystery, beautiful eeriness, magical setting and ending that just leaves you feeling good. I don't know how I missed it then, but I'm glad to have finally read it.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Also reviewed by:
nymeth at things mean a lot

Did I miss yours? Let me know and I'll add a link to your review!

It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

Today I'm on the Silk Road. I've just left one part of China and am now visiting a monastery in Tibet. My plan is to travel over 7,000 miles following the trail of the Silk Road. It is fascinating to follow this ancient trade route that not only allowed the exchange of goods, but also the exchange of ideas. (Shadow of the Silk Road A travelogue by Colin Thubron)

Join raidergirl3 at An Adventure in Reading and let her know where your reading is taking you this Tuesday.

My First Vlog!

Following the vlogs are links to websites and books mentioned. I thought I added captions to the vlogs, but they disappeared into the ether. Maybe next time!

TBR Vlog Pt. 1


TBR Vlog Pt. 2


Links to the websites I mentioned:

Dolce Bellezza (Bellezza) Hosts the Japanese Literature Challenge
In Spring it is the Dawn (Tanabata) "Reading Japan" titles
Stainless Steel Droppings (Carl V.) Host of the R.I.P. Challenge
Things Mean a Lot (Nymeth) John Green reviews
Musings of a Bookish Kitty (Literary Feline) Reviews of Walt Longmire mysteries by Craig Johnson

Books mentioned:

Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa
The Master Puppeteer by Katherine Paterson
Coin Locker Babies by Ryu Murakami
Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse
Japanese Gothic Tales by Izumi Kyoka
Snow Country by Yasunari Kowabata
Tales of Moonlight and Rain by Akinari Ueda
I Am a Cat by Soseki Natsume

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
The Ghost Writer by John Harwood
The Seance by John Harwood

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch by Neil Gaiman
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Silk by Alessandro Baricco
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist
The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larrson

Vlogging: A Saga

I decided to create a little vlog where I chat about some of the books on my TBR pile, and about books I've set aside for the Japanese Literature Challenge (hosted by Bellezza) coming up soon, and the R.I.P. challenge (hosted by Carl V.) that I hope will run again this Fall. I've been told this is easy to do. So ... what do you think I've been doing for the last 2 whole days??? Not so easy, at least the first time.

Recording the video was easy enough ... after I adjusted the lighting so you could see me, after I recorded the video 3 times since the first 2 times I didn't seem to have any audio, and then recorded the whole thing yet again since the phone rang, the trash truck arrived, and several people decided to bang on my front door during recording. I finally had a video that I was mostly happy with, though I will be working on things like not closing my eyes while talking, looking at the camera instead of the screen and not saying "um" or "ah." The things you learn from watching yourself on a recording!

The next step was to upload the video to YouTube. Problems? You bet! I learned that I must first "publish" my video so that the software can turn it into something with a file extension that YouTube accepts. Also, a 9 minute and 58 second 2GB video is just too big for YouTube (even though the upload page says it will accept 10 minute 2GB videos). The video looked like it was uploading (all night), but it was not. Lying computer. So, I decided that maybe I should split the video into two shorter bits. That entailed a learning curve with my software.

Anyway, here I sit waiting to see if YouTube will indeed accept my new, shorter uploads. Hope, hope, hope ...

BOOK REVIEW: The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

Title: The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Children's High Level Group
Year: 2007
Purpose for reading: Once Upon a Time Challenge III

First line: The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a collection of stories written for young wizards and witches.

My sister gave me this book at Christmas (thanks A.!) since she knew I had so much fun reading the Harry Potter series. It was a nice fit for Carl V.'s Once Upon a Time Challenge III that just ended.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a piece of fantasy that purports to be "a collection of stories written for young wizards and witches." It was, of course, translated by the fictional Hermione Granger with extensive footnotes by the equally fictional Professor Dumbledore. The very non-fictional J.K. Rowling has clarified Dumbledore's notes, when needed, for us muggle readers.

The tales seemed very similar to the old slavic folk tales I remember from my own childhood (e.g. Baba Yaga, etc.). I loved the tales of Beedle the Bard, but was more intrigued by the continuation of the Harry Potter world that this book provides.

Don't you just love the titles of these tales?

The Wizard and the Hopping Pot
The Fountain of Fair Fortune
The Warlock's Hairy Heart
Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump
The Tale of the Three Brothers

The Fountain of Fair Fortune was, hands down, my favorite tale. The Warlock's Hairy Heart was the most disturbing and made me shudder. And I can't stop saying "babbity rabbity," so Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump gets my vote for best title.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard was a charming way to keep the Harry Potter magic alive.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Sunday Salon: Catching Up!

This year has been a difficult one so far. Blogging has been rather sporadic for me due to my earlier unexpected medical episode and then the "race" to catch up in all areas of life after that. I'm beginning to feel a little more in control of my time now. Hope it lasts for awhile!

To celebrate, I've spent some extra time in the last week or so doing some blog maintenance and writing some book reviews. I was delighted to see that I wasn't the only one feeling the need to give my blog some attention and do some writing. Natasha at Maw Books Blog hosted Bloggiesta! last weekend. I wasn't quite up to full participation, so I joined in unofficially. I was able to clean up my tags (labels) a bit and also added a social bookmarking button to my posts template. I've got a list of other things I'd like to improve/change, but it felt good to get this much done.

I've written six book reviews in the last two weeks. I haven't been terribly prolific in this area, so three per week is quite good for me. Not sure that I'll keep up THAT pace, but I would like to be more disciplined about writing reviews. Soooo ... one of the things I will be trying to do is to write a review immediately after finishing a book instead of jumping right into reading another. Anyone else have this tendency?? I know I'm not alone!

Books reviewed in the last two weeks (links are to my reviews):

Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez
In the Company of Ogres by A. Lee Martinez
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
Seldom Disappointed: A Memoir by Tony Hillerman
A Nameless Witch by A. Lee Martinez
Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey

The books I completed for Carl V.'s Once Upon a Time Challenge still need reviewed and are patiently waiting for me on my desk. Still to come:

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Even with all of these reviews to write, I'm still reading! On my "nightstand" now:

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
This is for the Battle of the Prizes challenge hosted by Rose City Reader. It is beautifully written with much to think about.

Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce
I'm reading this one because so many of you have recently written about this charming book and I want to be charmed!

Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron
Eva at A Striped Armchair vlogged about this book recently and it sounded fantastic. I'm also starting up something new on the library blog at work. I will be functioning as the editor for book reviews submitted to the library by our faculty and students. So far I've got one student lined up and several faculty. Not bad for the summer when there aren't many people around campus. I will also be contributing reviews and thought that this book would work well for one of my own submissions.

Read about the Sunday Salon and find out how to join by going here.