Cat Thursday--August 31, 2017

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s)

Atlas Obscura came out with a post on old encyclopedic book on cats by English cartoonist Charles Henry Ross.

IN THE 1800S, PEOPLE WERE just as crazed about cats as we are today. But instead of memes, Instagram posts, and viral videos, the Victorians had satirical comics and chronicles.
English cartoonist, and evident cat fanatic, Charles Henry Ross wrote an epic encyclopedic book detailing the intricacies and culture of cats. In The Book of Cats. A Chit-Chat Chronicle of Feline Facts and Fancies, Legendary, Lyrical, Medical, Mirthful and Miscellaneous, Ross makes an argument in support of the animal. Published in 1868, Ross read over 300 books, browsed newspapers, drew 20 illustrations, and gathered a mass of anecdotes about the fondness and repulsion towards cats. 

He set out to debunk a lot of the old myths of cats. So happy cats had a champion back then!

Here are a few drawings from his book:

Go and check out the whole article. Pretty interesting stuff!

Horror Movie Wednesday: Hellraiser

I love horror movies! I watch a lot of them just for fun all year long. I even a horror-movie-night every week with a few friends. I thought it would be a good idea to write down a few thoughts about some of these horror movies I watch, all the good, bad, and in between. I'm not an expert or anything. Die-hard horror movie buffs will love quite a few that I'm not all that fond of....But I'll just throw a few thoughts out every week for fun and see what sticks!

Hellraiser (1987): This is a cult classic and one on the must-see of horror lists. I finally watched it last week with my horror cohorts. The special effects were truly gruesome and well-done. Undead Frank was awfully good!

Frank his deviant sexual ways and comes across a puzzle box. He solves it and is horrifically transported to some sort of hell. Cut to Larry (we learn later is Frank's brother) and his wife taking over Frank's house after he's gone missing. Larry's wife Julia, we learn through flashbacks, has been having an affair with Frank and is desperate to find him. She finds him pretty quickly after Larry cuts his hand and bleeds all over....because Frank's been waiting to feast on some blood through the floorboards and comes back as some horrific being all sinew, muscle, and bone. He needs to feed! Will Julia bring him the bodies? What is she willing to do to bring Frank back?!

It's cheesy. The story doesn't make a lot of sense but it's probably not supposed to. The themes of pain and pleasure and sex all run throughout this movie. It's pretty out there for its time. It wasn't great but it was a fun watch.

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay

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Roxane Gay's memoir "Hunger" is the most visceral and beautiful memoir I've ever read. It's true. It is a must-read for anyone who is human. So everyone.

I was introduced to Roxane Gay when she came out with "Bad Feminist" a few years ago. I loved her raw and unflinching style. She shares her thoughts with us about her body. She's a large woman and has struggled with her weight since she was brutally gang raped as a young girl. She writes:

"I ate and ate and ate in the hopes that if I made myself big, my body would be safe. I buried the girl I had been because she ran into all kinds of trouble. I tried to erase every memory of her, but she is still there, somewhere....I was trapped in my body, one I made but barely recognized or understood. I was miserable, but I was safe."

Goodreads.com

Fat shaming is still a thing. I guess because it's what we wear every day and cannot hide. If we're thin or even within an acceptable plus size we can still move through life without getting too much attention (unless we're in our teens...but that's different). I read about women who get looks of disgust or told advice on how to lose weight all the time...like that is exactly the thing they needed to magically help them lose ALL THE WEIGHT!

Somehow it's always ok to comment on women's bodies all the time, but especially if they're too big. Unfortunately, that's still ok. We have no idea why people are the way they are. Our experiences as humans are so varied. So instead of condemning each other, let's listen and be sympathetic to all the stories out there. And this is why I love Gay's memoir so much. Her story is horrible but so real. We don't have to love our bodies or hate them but we can appreciate them for what they do for us today, whether big, small or in between. Let's just love and accept people and hear their stories. Maybe then we can be good humans and take care of each other.

Her story is one that is horrific yet hopeful. Sympathetic and terrifying. She hasn't gotten over anything and yet she's willing to let us in on her experiences, good, bad and in between. It's a moving and poignant memoir and one that needs to be read.

Friday Musings

The best thing on the internet this week happened when Andy Serkis read Tr*mp tweets as Gollum on the Stephen Colbert show! I'll take anything I can get right now and this was top notch. So thank you, Mr. Serkis!

Cat Thursday July 13, 2017

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s)

It's been awhile since I've done Cat Thursday to my ever shame but today I'm back with TinyKittens! You can watch these little guys live and see all their crazy antics. It's the most adorable thing I've seen in awhile.

The Summer of It Read-a-long

I am really behind but I'm going to try and finish before the movie comes out in September!

I love online read-a-longs. Gives me goals and ways to discuss with others. This one is hosted by Michelle over at her blog Gather Together and Read from June 1-August 31st in time for the movie which airs in September.

Schedule:

• Start reading on June 1st
• In June, read Part 1: The Shadow Before, Derry: The First Interlude, and Part 2: June of 1958 - Pages 3 - 433
• Discussion on Friday, June 30th - no set time. Just stop by here, or at the Facebook group event any time that day (or later on, if you get behind)
• In July, read Derry: The Second Interlude, Part 3: Grownups, Derry: The Third Interlude, and Part 4: July of 1958 - Pages 435 - 878
• Discussion on Monday, July 31st - no set time. Just stop by here, or at the Facebook group event any time that day (or later on, if you get behind)
• In August, read Derry: The Fourth Interlude, Part 5: The Ritual of Chud, Derry: The Last Interlude, and Epilogue: Bill Denbrough Beats The Devil (II) - Pages 879 -1138 (end)
• Final discussion on Thursday, August 31st - no set time. Just stop by here, or at the Facebook group event any time that day (or later on, if you get behind)

So as you can see I am very far behind! I'll start today and get my ass in gear!

Sit Down and Write Writeathon

I've never been a big writer but I do enjoy when I do it. I'm not great but hey that's what practice is for. Michelle is hosting a writeathon starting today June 15-July 15 over at her blog Stories Inside.

My goal is to write about 750 words a day or 3 pages. I have no specific goal in what that writing will be but it'll either be book reviews, journal entries, or maybe even the start of a story. We shall see. The goal is just to write and see what happens.

Kindred by Octavia Butler

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From Goodreads.com:

The first science-fiction written by a black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of African-American literature. This combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction is a novel of rich literary complexity.

Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning white boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life.

During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes the challenge she's been given: to protect this young slaveholder until he can father her own great-grandmother.

My thoughts:

I thoroughly loved listening to Kindred. It was a short and smart but also brutal story. I don't know how Butler managed to pull it all together like she did but it was brilliant. How does one deal with the past and how it connects to your future? She offers up a wide range of feelings from horror to empathy.

I look forward to reading more of her sci-fi works.

Cat Thursday May 4, 2017

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s)

Spring is almost here! It's been here for a bit but it is finally starting to feel like summer is getting a bit closer. We had snow last week and it still gets pretty chilly at night but the weather should climb up to the high 70s this weekend! The trees just turned from their blossoms to green or red leaves. Flowers, flowers everywhere and birds! My kitties love all the birds. Thus my theme this week!

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Warren the 13th and the Whispering Woods by Tania del Toro

Quirk Books

Warren the 13th is back for his second adventure with his walking hotel and all of his friends. Things start off going pretty well but this does not last long when his uncle accidentally drops his drink on the hotel's controls. Warren must find parts for the repairs and hope he can get his hotel back up and running and get his guests back.

A mimic soon kidnaps Warren and takes his tooth so he can take Warren's place and take the hotel and the perfurmier Beatrice to the Black Caldera in the Whispering Woods to the evil witch.

Can Warren get back to his hotel and save his friends? Lots of fun puzzles and adventures await Warren. My son and I had a lot of fun reading this one together. My son couldn't wait to read this every night.

*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Spring Break April 2017

April was tough. Lots of sickness floated our way and I think it's because of the changing weather. Utah has had lots of rain, snow, wind, and sleet this last month. We did get to do Spring Break with G out of school that week. And we headed down to Moab, Canyonlands, and Escalante in southern Utah to get some awesome hikes in and see our beautiful Earth.

We live in a gorgeous state with so much beauty and nature around. I loved Canyonlands. Gorgeous layers and colors. G enjoyed the Moab Giants outdoor dinosaur museum. DH and I loved the hikes despite the exhaustion. The petrified forest was also an amazing hike.

Books Finished: March: Book One by John Lewis, Warren the 13th and the Whispering Woods by Tania Del Rio, Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh, and Kindred by Octavia Butler.

Currently Reading: Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid They'd Ask): The Secrets to Surviving Your Child's Sexual Development from Birth to the Teens by Justin Richardson and Mark A. Schuster, The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman, and Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter.

Listening To: Podcasts. "You Must Remember This" by Karina Longworth is so amazing. I just listened to her 6-part series on Joan Crawford. It's a must if you love old Hollywood and history or if you just love a good story.

Watching: I am loving Dear White People, the new series on Netflix. Funny and insightful. Also Netflix put out a new Mystery Science Theater 3000. So funny. I also saw HBO's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and found it OK but not nearly as interesting or compelling as the book, unfortunately.

Looking Forward To: I'll tell you what I'm not looking forward to. DH is headed out of country for the month of May and it'll be tough not having him here. But I've got book club Friday and I have scary movie nights every Tuesday.

Making: I'm really going to try a lot harder this week to cook more at home. Stir fry and kabobs are on the menu along with some beef stew since it's been pretty chilly around here.

My Week in Pictures: Here are some pictures from our fun spring break vacation!

Spring Into Horror Read-a-thon Wrapup

I had to change my book from NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (682 pages was way too ambitious to finish in two weeks!) to The Delphi Room by Melia McClure.

It was a fast and creepy ride. After Velvet dies by suicide she wakes up in a room where where she has childhood sheets on her bed and a large mirror. Sometimes she sees the Shadow Man who has haunted her since she was a little girl. But then she hears someone next door Brinkley. They share letters through the grate between their rooms and in their mirrors they see mini movies of each other's lives when they were alive. They must discover what it all means.

A fun and enjoyable story. I recommend it to all.

Cat Thursday April 27, 2017

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s)

On National Pet Day on April 11 a cat stormed the Marlins' field and held up the game! It even got adopted by an anonymous employee!

There is good in the world! I hope this cat has a happy life!

Spring Into Horror Read-a-thon

Spring Into Horror

My goal is to read Joe Hill's NOS4A2. From Goodread's:

NOS4A2 is a spine-tingling novel of supernatural suspense from master of horror Joe Hill, the New York Times bestselling author of Heart-Shaped Box and Horns.

Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it’s across Massachusetts or across the country.

Charles Talent Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing – and terrifying – playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.”

Then, one day, Vic goes looking for trouble—and finds Manx. That was a lifetime ago. Now Vic, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx never stopped thinking about Victoria McQueen. He’s on the road again and he’s picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son.

I just bought this at a library sale and figured it would be a good one to read for the spring challenge! I enjoyed listening to his Heart-shaped Box story last Halloween so I am looking forward to this one.

To sign up head over to Michelle's site and have fun reading!!