Good evening, faithful followers. I've had a few computer glitches recently so I haven't been able to share some good books with you. Nevertheless, I am ready to begin and I am SO excited about this one!
Martina the Beautiful Cockroach is a beautiful children's book with a gold seal on the front. The seal signifies that the book received the Pura Belpre Award. The story is a Cuban folktale that has been retold by Carmen Agra Deedy. Deedy came to the U.S. as an immigrant from Cuba, and she has been writing books for over 20 years. Her other books include Agatha's Featherbed, The Yellow Star, and 14 Cows for America. Deedy, along with her illustrator, Michael Austin, have put together a beautiful book that you will want to purchase and read to your children, grandchildren, students, and just about about everyone else. The retail price for this book is $19.95.
Since I teach English as a Second Language in a public elementary school, I particularly found this book to be very endearing. There are Spanish words scattered throughout the book, and it comes with a CD in the back that provides readings in both English AND Spanish. It could be used is a learning center for young children because it allows them to listen with headphones and they will enjoy the art work as they do so.
Upon reading the title, you may think, "How can a cockroach be beautiful?" Well, in her world she was VERY beautiful, and isn't beauty in the eye of the beholder anyway? Martina is a young, beautiful cockroach who is 21 days old and ready for marriage. Now that she is 21 days old, she is "ready to give her leg in marriage." I'm thinking, "Which leg??" Anyway, since she has reached this milestone, her loving family members give her gifts. Her grandmother's gift was "un consejo increible," some shocking advice. She told Martina that she needed to find a good husband by using "The Coffee Test." This test was given to four different suitors. Martina had to spill coffee on the man's shoes and watch his reaction; if he got angry, he would not be a good man for the beautiful cockroach. The first man who courts Martina is Don Gallo, a large rooster. He admiringly croons, "Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha, Beautiful muchacha..." Just because he knows Martina's full name does NOT mean that he will be a good husband! Martina begins the coffee test and spills the hot drink on Don Gallo's shoes. He becomes furious, calls Martina a "clumsy cockroach," and sends the young cockroach a clear message: he is NOT the man for her.
The second character who wants to win Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha over is Don Cerdo, a smelly pig. He, too, failed the coffee test when he lost his temper because Martina spilled coffee on his loafers. Martina thought to herself, "He really is quite a ham." Once again, pig humor. Martina turned down Don Cerdo's proposal because he was too "boorish." So, she's beginning to think that her grandmother's advice was a wonderful gift because it helped her sift through undesirable suitors. The third man is Don Lagarto, the lizard. At this point Martina becomes concerned that there might not be any coffee left! She does find some, however, spills it on Don Lagarto, and he becomes irate - he turned colors three times! Martina told him that he was too "cold-blooded" for her. Ironice, isn't it?
Finally, Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha meets an adorable mouse called Perez. The little cockroach is quite smitten with Perez because he thinks she is beautiful and says that she is strong and good. Even though he cannot see very well and can't testify to her outer beauty, he knows that Martina is a wonderful cockroach. So, Martina must now give the coffee test once again. When she began to spill the coffee, Perez reached over and spilled coffee on HER shoes instead. Martina wasn't angry at all - she was delighted! She asked Perez how he knew about the coffee test. He grinned and said, "Well, mi amor, my love...I too have a Cuban grandmother." Four suitors, but only one passed...a small, brown mouse who already knew about a Cuban tradition to help find a mate.
Next time I will be back in the adult literature department. There are so many books that I want to recommend to you but I know that, in time, I will get around to sharing many of them. You will probably realize that I read books from many different genres because I'm interested in quite a variety of subjects. I do tend to read more non-fiction during the past few years, mostly biographies. I greatly enjoyed books such as My Life in Green, A Girl Named Zippy, and Little Heathens. In the novels category I've enjoyed Cutting for Stone and A Prayer for Owen Meany. But I digress...that's just a taste of what is to come, so stay tuned!
Monday, September 24, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Einstein: His Life and Universe
Walter Isaacson's biography of Albert Einstein is a LONG read, so you might want to make this a project for the winter. Einstein: His Life and Universe was published in 2007. It's a mere 551 pages in paperback. If you're one for details, you can read another 88 pages at the end of the book where you can see the sources and notes. The index will help you locate specific information that you may be curious about.
Just to be honest, I must state that I didn't understand all 25 chapters of this book. Still, I trudged carefully on through every page, hoping that I would somehow magically absorb the facts about quanta, molecules, and relativity. Science and physics are not my area of expertise, yet I guess I think of myself as somewhat of a "scientist wannabe." If I COULD accurately explain chapters 5 and 6, I would love to do that. I would love to be able to explain Einstein's doctoral dissertation of 1905, but I wouldn't be very good at that either. He chose a paper entitled "A New Determination of Molecular Dimensions" for his dissertation, and it was eventually accepted by Professor Alfred Kleiner, although at first the professor thought it was too short. So, Einstein added one sentence and the dissertation was accepted. So be it. The paper would turn out to be one of Einstein's most cited and useful papers with "applications in such diverse fields as cement mixing, dairy production, and aerosol products" (p.101-103).
I am an observer of human nature, so I enjoyed learning about Einstein's personal life. He was married twice. He had three children with his first wife Maric: two sons and one daughter. He never really knew his daughter and did not have a relationship with her. Very little is known about her. One of his sons was was mentally ill (Eduard) and the other son (Hans Albert) eventually came to the U.S. to live and work as an engineer. His wife, Elsa, was with him during the second part of his adulthood. Additionally, Einstein was an "inactive" Jew, but he did things to try to help the Jews after the war. He struggled with many of the things that all people face, struggles such as finding a job, fidelity, career development, finding time to relax, raising children, etc. I enjoyed reading about the "person" of Einstein, not just the scientist. His life journey took him from Germany to Princeton, and wherever he went people came to him to discuss his theories. Einstein died in 1955 from an internal hemorrhage. He was 76.
You should be well-rested when you read this book. I'm glad I read it this summer, but it's not for everyone. Still, don't be intimidated because although we all may not understand ALL things, we can understand SOME things. So be brave...read this Einstein biography.
Coming soon...I'll tell you what I think about a children's book called Martina, the Beautiful Cockroach, retold by Carmen Agra Deedy.
Just to be honest, I must state that I didn't understand all 25 chapters of this book. Still, I trudged carefully on through every page, hoping that I would somehow magically absorb the facts about quanta, molecules, and relativity. Science and physics are not my area of expertise, yet I guess I think of myself as somewhat of a "scientist wannabe." If I COULD accurately explain chapters 5 and 6, I would love to do that. I would love to be able to explain Einstein's doctoral dissertation of 1905, but I wouldn't be very good at that either. He chose a paper entitled "A New Determination of Molecular Dimensions" for his dissertation, and it was eventually accepted by Professor Alfred Kleiner, although at first the professor thought it was too short. So, Einstein added one sentence and the dissertation was accepted. So be it. The paper would turn out to be one of Einstein's most cited and useful papers with "applications in such diverse fields as cement mixing, dairy production, and aerosol products" (p.101-103).
I am an observer of human nature, so I enjoyed learning about Einstein's personal life. He was married twice. He had three children with his first wife Maric: two sons and one daughter. He never really knew his daughter and did not have a relationship with her. Very little is known about her. One of his sons was was mentally ill (Eduard) and the other son (Hans Albert) eventually came to the U.S. to live and work as an engineer. His wife, Elsa, was with him during the second part of his adulthood. Additionally, Einstein was an "inactive" Jew, but he did things to try to help the Jews after the war. He struggled with many of the things that all people face, struggles such as finding a job, fidelity, career development, finding time to relax, raising children, etc. I enjoyed reading about the "person" of Einstein, not just the scientist. His life journey took him from Germany to Princeton, and wherever he went people came to him to discuss his theories. Einstein died in 1955 from an internal hemorrhage. He was 76.
You should be well-rested when you read this book. I'm glad I read it this summer, but it's not for everyone. Still, don't be intimidated because although we all may not understand ALL things, we can understand SOME things. So be brave...read this Einstein biography.
Coming soon...I'll tell you what I think about a children's book called Martina, the Beautiful Cockroach, retold by Carmen Agra Deedy.
Monday, September 10, 2012
My Life in France by Julia Child & Alex Prud'homme
This week I finished reading this fun book by Julia Child and her grand-nephew. My Life in France was published in 2006, 45 years after Child's first book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1964). Child wrote 11 books in all, no small achievement when you consider all of the other many things that she did such as her cooking classes, appearances, television show, and world travel. I enjoyed the 333 pages of this paperback book that I bought as used through Amazon.com. It was a breath of fresh air and allowed me to peak into the life of a person who was truly happy. Julia Child enjoyed the simple things in life, and she never thought she was too old to learn. She saw each day as an adventure. Even the mundane task of shopping for food was a fun adventure as she sought to befriend the local merchants in Paris. She saw it as an opportunity to practice her French. She always kept an open mind when it came to changing a recipe or adjusting the measurements for the American cook. Her open mind allowed her to enjoy many new experiences.
I enjoyed this book because I, too, like to travel, and I'm usually up for an adventure. Child saw a move to a new country as an adventure, not an obstacle or difficulty. If I am in the same place or routine for too long, I get bored. Somehow I think that Julia and I could have been friends if we had known each other in a different time! When Julia and her husband, Paul, moved to Paris, she immediately fell in love with French food and the culture as a whole. Her years at Smith College had not really prepared her for any one career, but her interest in French cooking soon directed her toward the career that she would eventually enjoy. I can understand why Julia fell in love with France...it was new, it was "something different," she learned how to speak a new language, and she learned how to cook for the first time.
This summer my daughter and I went to France for the first time! We spent 9 days in Paris and 2 days in the Netherlands. We had an amazing time before my daughter left for college for the first time. It was a time to celebrate, eat, and see things such as the Mona Lisa that we had only read about before. As I read Child's book I noted that my daughter and I got to go to two of the places that Child mentions in her book: Notre Dame Cathedral and Marche aux Puces (a famous flea market). So I have walked where Julia Child walked! By the way, if you dream of traveling to Europe or anywhere, do not give up hope! Anything is possible. Do you think that Julia Child gave up on her dreams easily? I don't think so! So I dreamed of going to Europe for many years, and it actually happened when the time was right. God is good.
One thing that I admire about Child is that she truly loved and respected her husband. Although he was not formally educated, he worked for the U.S. government for many years and lived in several countries. Julia states, "Despite his lack of a college education, I considered Paul an intellectual, in the sense that he had a real thirst for knowledge, was widely read, and wrote poetry, and was always trying to train his mind," (My Life in France, p.85-86).
I recommend this book as one that will encourage every reader. It will help you realize that all things are possible. It will help you relax and enjoy the gentle musings of one of America's great personalities. It will help you to remember fondly the early days of television when it was considered very unique and innovative to end your television show with the French phrase, "Bon appétit." I still think it's a great line!
I enjoyed this book because I, too, like to travel, and I'm usually up for an adventure. Child saw a move to a new country as an adventure, not an obstacle or difficulty. If I am in the same place or routine for too long, I get bored. Somehow I think that Julia and I could have been friends if we had known each other in a different time! When Julia and her husband, Paul, moved to Paris, she immediately fell in love with French food and the culture as a whole. Her years at Smith College had not really prepared her for any one career, but her interest in French cooking soon directed her toward the career that she would eventually enjoy. I can understand why Julia fell in love with France...it was new, it was "something different," she learned how to speak a new language, and she learned how to cook for the first time.
This summer my daughter and I went to France for the first time! We spent 9 days in Paris and 2 days in the Netherlands. We had an amazing time before my daughter left for college for the first time. It was a time to celebrate, eat, and see things such as the Mona Lisa that we had only read about before. As I read Child's book I noted that my daughter and I got to go to two of the places that Child mentions in her book: Notre Dame Cathedral and Marche aux Puces (a famous flea market). So I have walked where Julia Child walked! By the way, if you dream of traveling to Europe or anywhere, do not give up hope! Anything is possible. Do you think that Julia Child gave up on her dreams easily? I don't think so! So I dreamed of going to Europe for many years, and it actually happened when the time was right. God is good.
One thing that I admire about Child is that she truly loved and respected her husband. Although he was not formally educated, he worked for the U.S. government for many years and lived in several countries. Julia states, "Despite his lack of a college education, I considered Paul an intellectual, in the sense that he had a real thirst for knowledge, was widely read, and wrote poetry, and was always trying to train his mind," (My Life in France, p.85-86).
I recommend this book as one that will encourage every reader. It will help you realize that all things are possible. It will help you relax and enjoy the gentle musings of one of America's great personalities. It will help you to remember fondly the early days of television when it was considered very unique and innovative to end your television show with the French phrase, "Bon appétit." I still think it's a great line!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Getting Started
We find time to do the things that we love to do. How many busy moms and dads do you know who find time to play golf, meet friends for coffee, shop, or go to the lake every weekend? What about time spent on the computer or watching TV? Most Americans choose to spend time on entertainment, computers etc., but they claim they don't have time to read. Ba-low-nee! Where there is will, there's a way. So if you love words and you want to enrich your life with ideas and dreams, go to the library! No more excuses... get out your library card or dust off the books on your shelf...it's time to get started.
I have loved books all of my life. My mom used to read to my sister and I on a regular basis. Mom still loves to read so I guess she passed on this interest to us. I remember her reading Robinson Crusoe and Charlotte's Web to us when we lived in Brazil. Many years later after my own kids were born, mom had an excuse to buy them beautiful books that we enjoyed over and over again. Now that they are both in college, these books are in storage for our next generation to enjoy! Don't worry - most of them will never end up in a yard sale, Mom.
Back in 1984 I had a professor on graduate school who suggested that we keep a record of every book that we read. Am I the only person in the class that did it? I don't know but I'm still doing it! Yes, that's right...I have kept a card catalog list of every book that I've read since 1984. The grand total number of books that I have read in the past 28 years is 405 books. That's an average of more than one book per month. I did it while taking classes, raising two children, attending church, keeping house, and working at least part- time during most of the 24 years. So it can be done! If you love to read, then do it. Now is the time. Get a good book and begin. You will thank me later for it.
As I was thumbing through my card catalog today, I realized that three of the authors stood apart because I have read several books by them. I've read five books by Jimmy Carter (An Hour Before Daylight, Christmas in Plains, Living Faith, A Remarkable Mother, Sharing Good Times). I've also read five books by Anita Shreve (The Weight of Water, Low Country, The Pilot's Wife, Sea Glass, Light on Snow). Then there is Barbara Kingsolver. I've read six of her fantastic books (Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; The Bean Trees, Pigs in Heaven, Prodigal Summer, The Poisonwood Bible, and The Lacuna). Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible is in my top ten list for Best Novel. If you have never read it, put it I you "must read" list today. It's a great novel for several reasons.
In my next post I will review My Life in France by Julia Child and her grand-nephew, Alex Prud'homme, published in 2006. What a fun, inspiring story. If you've seen the movie "Julie and Julia", you know that part of the information comes from My Life in France. So until next time...happy reading!
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Welcome!
Welcome to One Good Book Blog! One good book deserves another, so I'll share with you my journey through the great reads that I've enjoyed during my childhood and in the past 24 years. I've kept a careful account of everything that I've read since I became an adult, the titles are recorded and I'm ready to embark on this exciting new endeavor that I trust will enrich all of our lives. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!
The purpose of my blog is to recommend books to you and to review them so that you will be inspired to read more. My hope is that you will want to journey through many of the great reads that have enriched my own life, books that satisfy my own curiosity on topics such as history, human nature, travel, and spirituality. And the list goes on. So many books and so little time...
Books provide a sense of escape. When I enter the world of a novel, I am in a different place and time where anything can happen. And it often does! Texts give me a new perspective on life and add meaning to my life. They help me realize that I'm not alone in my struggles, that I'm not the only new "empty nester" in the world, and that there are many tools available to me when facing the hurdles of la vida. Books are the imaginations of others as seen in novels. They are the recounting of people's lives as seen in memoirs such as Little Heathens and My Life in Green. They are the observations of faraway places as seen in travel books. Books are puzzles to be solved. They are word plays as seen in poetry. They tell us how to do something that we have never done before such as the time I read about how to remove a toilet safely. They give us expert advice when we can't actually talk to the expert in person.
Books bring people together. We go to Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, restaurants, and book clubs so that we can be with other people who share our passion for the written word. How many times have you said to a friend, "Guess what I'm reading?" Or how many times did you jump at the chance to tell your friends about your most recent great read? Explaining why you loved the book was the best part! This is when you see people who otherwise may be quiet introverts come out of their shell because they are so excited about a great book. What fun!
Books help us relax. We have to be still to read unless we are on the treadmill or listening to a book recording. Abraham Lincoln loved to relax with a good book. He read just about anywhere he could fit his tall frame, even in the window seat at Mary Todd Lincoln's home in Lexington, Kentucky. Since my tour there a few years ago, I've wondered how Lincoln squeezed himself into that small space, but apparently he did! And we all know the story that has been told about how much Lincoln loved books when he was younger. He would walk many miles to borrow a book. Today we complain about walking just about anywhere, and we don't have to leave our home to find a zillion things in print via our own unread books, the internet, the newspaper, etc. But what if there were no words in print, what would life be like? Thomas Jefferson said, "I cannot live without books." I genuinely understand his sentiment here. What a thrill it was for me to visit the Library of Congress this past March and see many of the books from Jefferson's personal library, books that survived fires, moves, and the passage of time. To see these original books is to realize that Jefferson was a true Renaissance man who loved knowledge and put into practice many of the things that he read about. He was curious about many, many topics. Jefferson , Lincoln, and many other people throughout history were curious about life. Readers like us are also curious and find that curling up with a good book is just about the perfect thing that we want to do on our day off because its relaxing and invigorating at the same time. Reading is my favorite way to recharge, to fill my spirit with beautiful words and ideas.
To love books is to go where other seekers hang out. To love books is to feel that you are in good company at libraries, bookstores, art museums, historical sites, yard sales, book clubs, lectures, and book signings. To love books is to get it when a fellow reader practically jumps out of his or her seat while describing a recently read mystery or autobiography. To love books is to laugh at the Berenstain Bears or the memoir of Doris Roberts from the sitcom, "Everybody Loves Raymond." Roberts' book, Are You Hungry, Dear? will give just about every personality a good laugh!
Ive been fortunate to be able to attend several book signings during the past 15 years. I greatly enjoyed the appearance of Jimmy Carter here in Durham, NC soon after he published his book, The Hornet's Nest. I also saw Rabbi Harold Kushner when he came out with his book, The Lord is My Shepherd. I can't forget to mention Frank McCourt and his visit here as well. After he published Angela's Ashes and 'Tis he spoke here at a local public school. Incidentally, one member of the audience asked him if the feature film, Angela's Ashes was similar to his real life experience. He answered by saying that for the most part, it was accurate, except for the scene where the children run through the first floor of his Ireland home as if they were enjoying the high water! McCourt added that they never would have splashed through the house like that because they rarely were dry and warm in their poverty stricken life.
The purpose of my blog is to recommend books to you and to review them so that you will be inspired to read more. My hope is that you will want to journey through many of the great reads that have enriched my own life, books that satisfy my own curiosity on topics such as history, human nature, travel, and spirituality. And the list goes on. So many books and so little time...
Books provide a sense of escape. When I enter the world of a novel, I am in a different place and time where anything can happen. And it often does! Texts give me a new perspective on life and add meaning to my life. They help me realize that I'm not alone in my struggles, that I'm not the only new "empty nester" in the world, and that there are many tools available to me when facing the hurdles of la vida. Books are the imaginations of others as seen in novels. They are the recounting of people's lives as seen in memoirs such as Little Heathens and My Life in Green. They are the observations of faraway places as seen in travel books. Books are puzzles to be solved. They are word plays as seen in poetry. They tell us how to do something that we have never done before such as the time I read about how to remove a toilet safely. They give us expert advice when we can't actually talk to the expert in person.
Books bring people together. We go to Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, restaurants, and book clubs so that we can be with other people who share our passion for the written word. How many times have you said to a friend, "Guess what I'm reading?" Or how many times did you jump at the chance to tell your friends about your most recent great read? Explaining why you loved the book was the best part! This is when you see people who otherwise may be quiet introverts come out of their shell because they are so excited about a great book. What fun!
Books help us relax. We have to be still to read unless we are on the treadmill or listening to a book recording. Abraham Lincoln loved to relax with a good book. He read just about anywhere he could fit his tall frame, even in the window seat at Mary Todd Lincoln's home in Lexington, Kentucky. Since my tour there a few years ago, I've wondered how Lincoln squeezed himself into that small space, but apparently he did! And we all know the story that has been told about how much Lincoln loved books when he was younger. He would walk many miles to borrow a book. Today we complain about walking just about anywhere, and we don't have to leave our home to find a zillion things in print via our own unread books, the internet, the newspaper, etc. But what if there were no words in print, what would life be like? Thomas Jefferson said, "I cannot live without books." I genuinely understand his sentiment here. What a thrill it was for me to visit the Library of Congress this past March and see many of the books from Jefferson's personal library, books that survived fires, moves, and the passage of time. To see these original books is to realize that Jefferson was a true Renaissance man who loved knowledge and put into practice many of the things that he read about. He was curious about many, many topics. Jefferson , Lincoln, and many other people throughout history were curious about life. Readers like us are also curious and find that curling up with a good book is just about the perfect thing that we want to do on our day off because its relaxing and invigorating at the same time. Reading is my favorite way to recharge, to fill my spirit with beautiful words and ideas.
To love books is to go where other seekers hang out. To love books is to feel that you are in good company at libraries, bookstores, art museums, historical sites, yard sales, book clubs, lectures, and book signings. To love books is to get it when a fellow reader practically jumps out of his or her seat while describing a recently read mystery or autobiography. To love books is to laugh at the Berenstain Bears or the memoir of Doris Roberts from the sitcom, "Everybody Loves Raymond." Roberts' book, Are You Hungry, Dear? will give just about every personality a good laugh!
Ive been fortunate to be able to attend several book signings during the past 15 years. I greatly enjoyed the appearance of Jimmy Carter here in Durham, NC soon after he published his book, The Hornet's Nest. I also saw Rabbi Harold Kushner when he came out with his book, The Lord is My Shepherd. I can't forget to mention Frank McCourt and his visit here as well. After he published Angela's Ashes and 'Tis he spoke here at a local public school. Incidentally, one member of the audience asked him if the feature film, Angela's Ashes was similar to his real life experience. He answered by saying that for the most part, it was accurate, except for the scene where the children run through the first floor of his Ireland home as if they were enjoying the high water! McCourt added that they never would have splashed through the house like that because they rarely were dry and warm in their poverty stricken life.
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