This book is the perfect meditation book for the person in your life who doesn't really believe in meditation but knows they need to do something to calm themselves down and slow their roll. I highly recommend it because I was laughing the entire time and felt amazingly positive by the end of the work.
I received a copy of this work from Blogging For Books in exchange for my review.
Listen to this as you read:You can never go wrong with Ella!
My current soundtrack(s): a mix between Ella Fitzgerald and Regina Spektors newest album {Firewood is my favourite, though it's sad}
CAT CUTENESS!
Dear readers, I have so much to be thankful for this season, and I'm not just talking about books or my new Kindle. {GAHHH! BUT IT'S AMAZING!} or even yummy seasonal foods that I look forward to every year {my dad and I picked up 3 mini bread loaves: Pumpkln Spice, Cinnamon and Gingerbread as well as more snickerdoodle Coffeemate-we're addicted!} but I'm thankful for the dramatic wonderful changes in my life, fast and pleasant like the changing of the leaves. My sister is back in our lives after a lot of personal struggle and estrangement, and next week I'm to spend Thanksgiving with both of my parents, which is nice as they're separated. {yes, I will post a blogful of pictures of my holiday meal!}
My only regret is that I don't think I'll be able to get Bryce here this Christmas, but there's always my birthday in June. I'm just so happy everything is coming together in my life and the worries of last year have all faded away like the sunshine this season.
I wanted to tell you about a Youtube project I'm starting to work on, after the idea sparked this week. I'm going to do multi-part montages of singers, actresses, dancers and musicians from the twenties silent era to the seventies, starting with females. I'll also do a male version, a Broadway specific version (male and female too, but from thirties to present)
I've started the first female part for screen, radio and record and the first person I will show is my favourite Judy Garland, but the rest will be secret for now. My Youtube username is Hannah Lynn Phillips, if you want to subscribe or check them out. I want it to be as extensive and international as possible, so feel free to drop me names {Remember, 20s-70s female drama/musical actresses, recording artists, performers, dancers etc. No general celebs like Eleanor Roosevelt or Amelia Earhart}
Things I'm excited for upcoming in 2014 and 2015: INTO THE WOODS MOVIE COMING OUT CHRISTMAS DAY NEXT MONTH OMG MY FAV MUSICAL!, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell BBC miniseries possibly premièring the end of the this year/beginning of next, new Cinderella movie in 2015, the last hobbit movie, the new Night at the Museum movie, biopic of JMW Turners life starring Timothy Spall, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel coming out March 2015, A Little Chaos starring Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman coming out March 2015, Child 44 coming out April 2015, The Age of Adaline coming out April 2015, WWI drama Testament of Youth coming out in teh Uk Jan. 16th 2015, Strange Magic an animated musical coming out Jan. 23rd 2014 (Alan Cumming, Evan Rachel Wood, and kristen Chenoweth OMG).
Also, I've become obsessed with Downton Abbey...like BADLY. Now that I've seen the full seasons online up until the most recent fifth season episode, I'm desperately waiting for the 2014 Christmas Special to come out in the Uk and be posted on the website where I watch them. Gah. WITHDRAWL. Due to that, I've got some Downton Abbey-esque books.
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher {a book I've gotten for my December wintry reads list} Summer and Bird, The Captains Daughter by Leah Fleming {set during the Titanic}, The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin {first book I got to deal with my Downton Abbey withdrawal} Mrs. Queen Takes The Train by William Kuhn, Grand Central: Original Stories of of Postwar {WWII} Love and Reuinion, and The Pigeon Pie Mystery by Julia Stuart.
(bottom to top then sides) First book in the Dido Kent mystery series Belfield Hall by Anna Dean, The Book Of Summers by Emylia Hall, Major Pettigrews Last Stand by Helen Simonson, The Italian Garden by Judith Lennox, The Downstairs Maid by Rosie Clarke and The Last Summer by Judith Kinghorn {2nd and 3rd books for Downton Abbey withdrawal} C'est La Folie by Michael Wight, The Summer House by Mary Nichols, Mr. Rosenblum's List by Natasha Solomons and An Important Family by Dorothy Eden.
(bottom to top) second book in the Dido Kent mystery series, A Gentleman of Fortune by Anna Dean, more books for my Downton Abbey withdrawl, a trilogy by Jane Sanderson. 1. Netherwood 2. Ravenscliffe 3. Eden Falls. The Broken Gate, the first in a trilogy set in early 1900s by Anita Burgh, Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart and a vintage, Royal Mistress by Patricia Campbell Horton. Might be a delightful bodice ripper.
Last but never least: presents from my mom, Knitting for Dummies and a book of yummy looking smoothie recipes, as that's my thing now, Dreamers Pool bu Juliet Marillier, Ravenburn by Laura Black, a vintage gothic romance with a bookish heroine and my favourite type of hero, a beta. China Shadow by Clarissa Ross, King Of Morning, Queen of Day, an Edwardian fantasy by Ian McDonald, and books six and seven in the Jane Austen mystery series by Stephanie Barron.
My pretty Kindle case with my shiny new Kindle inside. Autumn wallpaper comes from my favourite bloggers website under "Free Stuff"
Susan Branch's beautiful blog.
Peaches photobombing, as usual.
Herbie photobombing my picture taking.. I can tell this is my cat, because he LOVES the smell of books. No, really!
I'll keep you guys informed about my projects when they're finished.
I couldn't resist starting my Virago Modern Classics marathon before I finished Inkdeath---sorry Cornelia Funke. I've accumulated quite a few VMCs, so I figured it was time for a marathon. Ah...my first Virago. How perfect it be this...
This is a novel of independence, femininity, self-satisfaction, {in the best of ways} what living really means, but also of masks and facades and when to tear them off. Lady Slane is a woman after years of being in the public eye and basically babied and severely underestimated by her selfish children, whom are all almost as old as her, mind you, peels away her suit of gentle obedience and boldly faces the world, wanting to live freely and finally make herself happy. She decides, after all this time, to let herself have what she wants and live a life of peace and quiet, rather than letting it be chosen for her. Better late than never, I'd say. She is very admirable in this way, and I'd like to think that there's a lot of her in all of us, some of us more afraid to jump into the ocean of life like Lady Slane. Even if you knew you didn't have much time left, but you had the means to live out even your simplest dreams {mine being retiring in a cottage with lots of gardens and lands and a dapple grey to ride everyday--I suppose that's why I related to this story} would you do it? I should hope that we would. Because even men, when they're trapped in a conformist or unhappy lifestyle have this yearning---of course in Lady Slanes period, it was much more difficult and questioned by her peers for a woman to claim independence, especially on their own. Sure, it may be easier now--and while I believe in gender equality; who's to say much has changed? A woman who ants to become independent is still questioned, perhaps for different reasons.
Even at the beginning of the novel, I could tell Slane's children were fake--through their characters I could practically see the dollar signs in their eyes. I won't even mention when they sorted through her late husbands jewels, as you can imagine how that went. It's sad to think about what age and circumstance can do to you: we recount a memory of Henry, Slane and their children rollicking through the house, then as their father became more succuessful, they had become selfish and uncaring, leaving their father to wonder if he even cared for them. It seems that the children's have been passed down their fathers ruthlessness and coldness, never expressing genuine feeling and only doing things for their own gain. Lady Slane is the complete opposite, stuck in the middle of money hungry monkeys and used for their benefit.
At the final pages, I felt a pang of regret for Lady Slane, a woman who had to give up her dreams because other people stifled them and she had no other options. I wanted to will her to carry on and paint at least one landscape before she left us, but she left in peace and had people around her that truly cared for her as never before. The ending really affected me, showing the differences between human hearts, particularly those of Lady Slanes daughter Carrie and Lady Slanes closest friends, her landlord and carpenter. I adored almost all the characters and enjoyed this novel thoroughly. It is a thoughtful novel full of real people and not so honest people and lots of "what ifs". This is a Virago you will not want to pass up. Perfect reading with a cup of chamomille on a sunny fall day.
I made an exciting adventure to a flea market in New Castle DE today and while there were not many book tables, they had really good deals, so I did get some random stuff just for the heck of it. Cuz...books. Also found some other neat things. Altogether I think I only spent 70-80 dollars on the whole lot. There was another table of books, but the lady wanted like...30 dollars a hardback and 10 dollars and paperback--they were good looking books too....but I was like...nu-uh.
*
*
The first book I picked up is a beat up hardback about horse racing, as I wanted to be a female jockey when I was little, before moving to English riding. Then I picked up the second because of the lovely cover, a book about a mans adventures in the south of France.
*
*
Now I have yet another Pilcher in my collection, being the third, and from what i can gather, it's set in the 30s and 40s, during WWII. I like the cover. The second is a little vintage childrens book that caught my eye, a hardback with black and white illustrations.
*
*
These two books are definitely me, the first being a little book of glossy photographs of The Longwood Gardens, and then a small guidebook to the birds of Eastern North America, a hardback.
*
*
Then I found a vintage collection of short stories by Hemingway and a very large maritime saga set in 1896. Should be interesting. {I also saw someone with a pug near the table where I got these books. So ugly, yet so cute.}
*
*
Two mysteries, one by an author who I'm a pretty big fan of. I'm mad I couldn't procure the first William Monk novel, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to read "Slaves Of Obsession" until I do. I have read a few of Perry's Thomas and Pitt novels {1, 2, 3, and 4, I think}, but not any of her William monk. "Dying For Mercy" sounded interesting from the inner flap. We'll see how it goes.
*
These last books came from a place in a store on the inside building part of the flea market, which is lined with stores--it's the only book place in the whole building and called Between The Pages--it should really be called Between The Sheets, as it consists of nothing but romance novels--mostly smut and books with half naked guys dipping silk clothed damsels, but I was surprised this time to find it well stocked with historical romances, my favourite and my dessert as far as books go..my girlish indulgence. I was in a hurry as my mom was sweating to death, so I snatched up "The Fountain" without even looking at it, but I'll give it a shot. The others besides "End Me A Tenor" I found through scouring the book laden shelves for authors names that were familiar or were mentioned in the Historical Romances Goodreads group. Both are Regency, I believe, though I maybe wrong. "End Me a Tenor" just looked like a light fun read.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now onto the non-book stuff... :)
*
I bought these two DVDs out of nostalgia and love. 
*
Then I found a lovely blouse with purple feathers and blue...what I'm assuming is waves, and a floral dress that looks just about my size. Also, a little pair of strawberry earrings! :P 
*
Lastly, and what I love most of all besides the books, is this darling figurine which is also a spinning music box. The poor gentleman lost part of an arm, but my fathers trusty glue-gun will turn him alright again, I'm sure. I shall have to think of names for them..
*
*
I think this may be the last of my hauls for a while, unless temptation sneaks up and points me in the direction of an nearby secondhand bookshop---the older stuff always lures me and I'm still waiting till I find a Virago Modern Classic at any thrift store/flea market/etc-this doesn't seem to happen in America, but I heard the UK peoples are lucky. For now, I will read what I have unread on my shelves. I had a really great day and also got a delicious strawberry banana smoothie and got to be outside in the sun, though I appreciated it much more than my mom did...On a side note, I convinced my mom to get some Danielle Steel books for herself, as she's her favourite. I may just turn my mom back to reading yet...
Log in with Facebook 
