Tag Archives: media
The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux
The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a romance novel about second chances. Three young women meet on their birthday at the New York DMV. Ellie, Madison, and Leslie are seated together and they instantly decide they want to be friends. We learn that Madison is beautiful and is sent from her hometown in Montana to become a model. Leslie is a graceful dancer wishing to make it big. Moreover, Ellie is going to become an artist that shows her creative spirit. It seems that these women have their whole life ahead of them.
Flash to nineteen years later when the three meet up again at a borrowed old summer house in Maine. Things have not quite worked out the way they had envisioned when they were young. The three are then given a magical opportunity to go back in time to change the mistakes they made.
I thought this was decent read. I enjoyed Madison’s story more than the other stories. Some of the later concepts introduced by the author were not very believable. There were some areas of the story that I flipped quickly through, because I was bored. In the chapters that discussed Madison’s life, I felt very connected with the character and sympathized with her problems. Morally, I had a few issues with the choices the main characters made. Nothing horrible, but it still made me question. The writing was light and easy to follow. I feel that book was good and it generally held my interest; however, it was not the greatest book I have ever read.
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A uniquely written collection of short vignettes that are linked together by the character, Olive Kitteridge. Olive is a retired schoolteacher who lives in Cosby, Maine. She is snotty, cantankerous, and a busybody and is married to the town’s Pharmacist. Their home life is stoic and lacks the passion that Olive and her husband desire. In one story, Olive, who has babied her only son, is trying to talk to him about his wedding. He is cold and unwilling to talk to Olive who most desperately wants to be involved. It is sad. Olive creates this relationship with her son, and must deal with all its ramifications. This book deals with everyday people and real human nature. The stories are profound and show that people are composed of many layers. I really enjoyed this book. I felt I could relate to the complexities of the characters, especially Olive.
Copyright © Jamie Nowinski and Grandmother Wisdom/ Grandmother Musings 2012-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jamie Nowinski – Grandmother Wisdom/Grandmother Musings with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.Facebook Manners
The lessons of life never stop educating. It does not matter how old or young you are, everyday there is something new to learn. Let us take the Facebook phenomenon for instance… people are learning how to socialize in a revolutionary way. In some cases, they are learning the hard way that good old fashion manners are necessary even when using new fangled devices. Here are some manners and etiquette rules that any Face book user should try to abide:
1. Never say anything on Face book that you would not say around the table at a family dinner.
That means…if you would not discuss politics at Thanksgiving with Uncle Matthew, then do not discuss it with him on Facebook.
2. Swearing is rude and should not be used in a social context.
3. You do not have to be friends with every person who requests a friendship. Just like in real life, we have true friends and then acquaintances. We do not invite every acquaintance over every day for a chat.
4. Some things are personal and should not be shared with everyone. Discussing your bedroom antics, personal body issues, and foot fungus is not only disgusting and offensive; it is downright stupid.
5. Remember: What you speak can be denied, but what you write is written in stone. Things you write can be copied and possibly used against you. Be careful what you engrave in the stone of eternity.
Copyright © Jamie Nowinski and Grandmother Wisdom/ Grandmother Musings 2012-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jamie Nowinski – Grandmother Wisdom/Grandmother Musings with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Grandmother Musings 