The Prodigal Tongue: The Love-Hate Relationship Between American and British English by Lynne Murphy

Goodreads Summary:

An American linguist teaching in England explores the sibling rivalry between British and American English 

"English accents are the sexiest."
"Americans have ruined the English language." 

Such claims about the English language are often repeated but rarely examined. Professor Lynne Murphy is on the linguistic front line. In The Prodigal Tongue she explores the fiction and reality of the special relationship between British and American English. By examining the causes and symptoms of American Verbal Inferiority Complex and its flipside, British Verbal Superiority Complex, Murphy unravels the prejudices, stereotypes and insecurities that shape our attitudes to our own language.

With great humo(u)r and new insights, Lynne Murphy looks at the social, political and linguistic forces that have driven American and British English in different directions: how Americans got from centre to center, why British accents are growing away from American ones, and what different things we mean when we say estate, frown, or middle class. Is anyone winning this war of the words? Will Yanks and Brits ever really understand each other?

I loved this book on American and British English differences! Lynne Murphy is sharp and witty and I loved reading about her experiences as an American linguist living in the UK for over 20 years. She has a very unique ability to talk about this from both sides of the aisle, especially as a linguist.

I would almost call this book an introduction into the study of linguistics. I sure wish I had this to read while getting my linguistics degree back in the day. She breaks language terms down and also has some history about how and why our dialects and accents have become so different.

She also brings up global English and how we as North Americans and British do not have control over how English is developing around the world and that's a good thing and we should embrace all the English in it's multi-colored and various forms.

If you love language or are curious about English its varieties, this one is for you!

Bookly Update

Summer is so weird. I love it but I hate it. Lots of BBQing, lots of sangrias to be made and frozen cocktails, holidays to celebrate, kid to entertain, work to be done, long days and short nights....All the things. Week 3 of summer vacation is still going strong. G and I have planned to hike at least once a week. We've done two so far and with minimal whining so win!

Looking forward to:

1. Planning Disneyland in October! It's a lot of planning and a lot of stress but I know it'll be worth it.

2. Planning a camping trip in September. G will be back in school but it's still something to look forward to before Fall is in full swing.

3. Birthday-- it was last week but I never mentioned it. I had a great time seeing Deadpool 2 with DH and another movie with my sister and brother and then a fun bowling night with friends.

Books Acquired:

1. Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor. I love her Akata Witch series as well.

2. The Universe edited by John Brockman

3. Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen

4. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

5. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgarov

Library:

1. People Who Eat Darkness: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo--and The Evil that Swallowed Her Up by Richard Lloyd Parry

2. The Band's Visit DVD--Hebrew original production which the Tony award-winning Boadway played is based on! I'm very excited to see this!

3. The Overstory by Richard Powers

Watched/Watching:

Movies:

The Shape of Water on DVD. A beautiful fantasy about love and acceptance from the master storyteller Guillermo Del Toro.

Hereditary. Saw this one in the theater. Great atmospheric drama with horror elements. It's bloody and weird and good! If you loved The Witch then this will be right up your alley.

Jurassic World. Oh this was terrible. When you wish all of the dinosaurs would just kill all of the humans already, you know you've crossed a line! But G loved it and he'll probably beg us to see it in July...

Mirrors. So bad it was funny. It is not a comedy.

TV:

I'm catching up on season two of Queer Eye. I'm watching Money Heist as well on Netflix. Fabulous crime drama from Spain. Westworld! from HBO! So good this season. So. Damn. Good!

And I binge-watched The Staircase.... OMG! This show got me. All the emotions. Thought he was innocent, guilty, innocent...don't know! fascinating so go watch that one.

Marcella on Netflix. It's a great British crime drama. It doesn't add to the genre...all the stereotypes are there but it's a good time.

I'm also trying out YouTube TV this summer so I'm watching all the shows I don't usually have access to like Dietland, The Last OG, The Sinner, etc.

Cat Thursday June 21, 2018

Cat Thursday is hosted by Michelle over at The True Book Addict. Join and share all things kitty!

This week I'd like to share a photo site that has been photographing women with their cats! Girls and Their Cats is a photo site dedicated to these women. Here a few snappy photos of these cute kitties and their staff....click on the link to see more of these beautiful kitties!

Source

Source

Source

White Trash Zombie Apocalypse by Diana Rowland

Amazon Summary:

Our favorite white trash zombie, Angel Crawford, has enough problems of her own, what with dealing with her alcoholic, deadbeat dad, issues with her not-quite boyfriend, the zombie mafia, industrial espionage and evil corporations. Oh, and it’s raining, and won’t let up.

But things get even crazier when a zombie movie starts filming in town, and Angel begins to suspect that it’s not just the plot of the movie that's rotten. Soon she's fighting her way through mud, blood, bullets and intrigue, even as zombies, both real and fake, prowl the streets.

Angel’s been through more than her share of crap, but this time she’s in way over her head. She’ll need plenty of brainpower to fit all the pieces—and body parts—together in order to save herself, her town, and quite possibly the human race.

At least for now.

My Thoughts:

This is the third book in the White Trash Zombie series. I've really enjoyed the first two. The third book feels a bit bogged down. We're getting more back story to who the zombies are, where they might come from and who are the evil private/gov't companies trying to abuse all of this? Angel is right in the thick of it all. 

It's humorous and fun. It's not great lit but it's not supposed to be. I like the other books better but I feel like it's just middle series slump. I'm sure the next one will pick up with the back story we get in this one.

Plus, the covers of each of these books are phenomenal. If you enjoy zombie lore and funny with a kick-ass female character this is the series for you!

Once Halloween gets a bit closer, I think I'll keep working on the rest of the series.

High Summer Readathon 2018

Seasons Reading

Michelle over at Seasons of Reading is hosting another readathon for July, all month long! Just grab a book or two or more and get going on that ever-piling-up TBR stack. She's also hosting a Christmas in July for the last four days of the month. Christmas can never come too early...!

I always have quite a stack to choose from but here are my official goals for July:

1. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

I've heard all the good things about this series and now that the movie is coming out in August, I figure I will get it read before I see the movie!

2. The Overstory by Richard Powers

It's a big book but I'm hoping if I plan accordingly I can make it through in July. I've been attracted to books about nature this spring and summer and this one looks right up my alley.

3. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

I just picked this one up on audiobook so I'm hoping to finish this the first week of July.

I'll do really well to get through these but here are some back ups if I have time or find a way to fit them in in between my other books:

4. The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America's National Parks by Terry Tempest Williams

5. Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

6. Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar

7. Hardscrabble by Sandra Dallas

8. Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

*all images were taken from Amazon.com.

Sci-fi Readathon Wrap-up Post

I managed to finish off two books this read-a-thon. I usually do better but some things came up and my time got away from me.

Finished:

1. The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

2. White Trash Zombie: Apocalypse by Diana Rowland

Still reading and hope to finish this week:

1. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Correy

2. The Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler

I'm going to get some reviews up for those first two and get them linked up soon. A big shout out to Michelle for hosting! It forces me to read books I usually don't make the time for!

Moab Camping Trip

It's been a tough month. We've been busy finishing off school, helping my friend and her family move to Washington, and a little vacationing along the way. Throw in a little illness over Memorial Day weekend and it's been a crazy 6 weeks or so and blogging has slogged a lot.

Summer is here and I'm excited to get back to it and share the fun stuff of summer and books and movies and TV!

G has officially finished off the 3rd grade. I really can't believe it. The last day I went to his classroom to help him gather all of his stuff and carry it to the car. Every last kid in that classroom was crying their little eyes out. They loved their teacher and the fun times they had with her this year. They will never forget her. Teachers are amazing but the special ones who can connect with kids like his teacher has this year are priceless.

The weekend before Memorial Day we were able to slip down south to Moab, UT for a little camping and hiking! G hiked all the way with lots of complaining and down time to the most famous feature in Moab, the Delicate Arch. The views were gorgeous and the spring flowers were still mostly in bloom. It was a great way to get away for a few days.

our camping trailer we rented out!

Delicate Arch trail