I ran across an article yesterday from a Forbes contributor about the value of reading fiction. I always thought novels were worthwhile and now I have proof. You can find the article here.
Happy reading!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Novel Concept
A friend and I started a book club. I've never been in a book club and find it thrilling to "have" to get my reading done. As a kid, I spent entire days reading. That's not so easy now that I have kids of my own, but thanks to my book club I can justify staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish my assignment. Fiction is by far my favorite, particularly historic novels and classic mysteries.
I ran across an article yesterday from a Forbes contributor about the value of reading fiction. I always thought novels were worthwhile and now I have proof. You can find the article here.
I ran across an article yesterday from a Forbes contributor about the value of reading fiction. I always thought novels were worthwhile and now I have proof. You can find the article here.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Summertime Reading
Summer hurries towards us as do the activities that fill the long, hot days. Library reading programs
are one of the great ways to wile away the hours. My grandmother started the library in our town. She and my mother spent many summers encircled by a bunch of scruff-and-stuffs, listening eagerly as they read a loud.
The Travel Guide
Stephanie Perrault
Dishes stacked on the counter,
laundry heaped on the floor,
Letters to write, phone calls to make,
a thousand things and more to do,
But that doesn’t stop her from taking
time for a reading break.
A break in the day to nestle
with little ones by her side;
Throwing open windows
on worlds big and wide.
Worlds were anything happens
and heroes are brave and true.
Where rivers are wild, the air is free
and the sky eternally blue.
Places where goodness and truth
always take the day,
Where little ones ramble and run,
laughing all the way.
Where mommas and daddies their children love
Loved they are in return;
Lay me down to sleep at night,
the good Lord’s care they learn.
When at last she shuts the pages,
they close their eyes to rest;
Her little crew has traveled far,
and loved Her most and best.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The Lucky One
Read the rest of my review here.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Never Worked a Day...
American women gasped last week when Hilary Rosen said Ann Romeny had never worked a day in her life. Based on this video anticipating the London Olympics, it seems like Proctor & Gamble thinks otherwise. Tip: grap a tissue, you might need it.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Hubba Bubba
Whether or not you like golf, this story from Focus on the Family about 2012 Master's golf tournament winner Bubba Watson and his caddy Ted Scott will encourage you.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
"White Collar" Redemption
The crime sitcom White Collar, slated for its third season on USA this summer, is entertaining for several reasons: the criminal of interest is an art connoisseur and historian, the FBI agent is a family man, and there is very little, if any blood. Good looking actors and a decent plot don't hurt either, though season two was placid until the adrenaline pumping season finale.
The show draws from classic prototypes. The charming and likable thief, Neil Caffrey, a younger, modern version of David Niven's Pink Panther, is the criminal informant or "CI" for squeaky clean FBI agent Peter Burke, whose main weakness is his friendship with Neil.
Peter is happily married, but thanks to Neil's shenanigans, frequently finds himself in awkward situations with beautiful women. That doesn't phase Mrs. Elle Burke, a supportive and secure wife who loves her husband and laughs at his awkward attempts at flirtation for information.
While Peter's relationship with his wife provides an emotional anchor, it's his and Neil's escapades in the streets, hotels, and museums of New York, pictured as eternally sunny, that make it addicting. The crimes they solve involve stolen art, stolen Stradivarius violins, stolen diamonds, and sometimes stolen people. The criminals they deal with are bad, but not sadistic, and always get caught.
What's not to like, right? First, the show often includes gorgeous women who often show too much skin. That may not bother some, but it definitely lends a note of seduction to the show, which occasionally includes scenes that are better left off-screen. These scenes almost always involve Neil, who is kind-hearted, but has a skewed moral compass.
Thankfully those scenes are intermittent, as is the shows insistence on bringing homosexuality to the fore in the character of Peter's assistant, Diana. This doesn't play a huge role for most of season one, but midway through season two Diana gets "engaged" to her girlfriend, after New York legalizes homosexual unions. Though disappointing, this is typical for Hollywood, and not the fulcrum of the show's failure.
Weighed in the balance, the show is found wanting in a different area: redemption. So far, there is none. Neil recognizes his life of crime is wrong, but not entirely. He envies Peter's law abiding life, but still finds a good heist scintillating. He longs for a wife and family, but can't resist kissing a beautiful woman.
It definitely provides story fodder, but the human heart has a redemption-shaped key and unless the writers start creating some for Neil, fans are going to grow weary of watching him vacillate between light and dark.
What do you think? Have you seen the show? Are stories satisfying when the "hero" can't find some type of redemption? Write in and tell me what you think. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
The show draws from classic prototypes. The charming and likable thief, Neil Caffrey, a younger, modern version of David Niven's Pink Panther, is the criminal informant or "CI" for squeaky clean FBI agent Peter Burke, whose main weakness is his friendship with Neil.
Peter is happily married, but thanks to Neil's shenanigans, frequently finds himself in awkward situations with beautiful women. That doesn't phase Mrs. Elle Burke, a supportive and secure wife who loves her husband and laughs at his awkward attempts at flirtation for information.
While Peter's relationship with his wife provides an emotional anchor, it's his and Neil's escapades in the streets, hotels, and museums of New York, pictured as eternally sunny, that make it addicting. The crimes they solve involve stolen art, stolen Stradivarius violins, stolen diamonds, and sometimes stolen people. The criminals they deal with are bad, but not sadistic, and always get caught.
What's not to like, right? First, the show often includes gorgeous women who often show too much skin. That may not bother some, but it definitely lends a note of seduction to the show, which occasionally includes scenes that are better left off-screen. These scenes almost always involve Neil, who is kind-hearted, but has a skewed moral compass.
Thankfully those scenes are intermittent, as is the shows insistence on bringing homosexuality to the fore in the character of Peter's assistant, Diana. This doesn't play a huge role for most of season one, but midway through season two Diana gets "engaged" to her girlfriend, after New York legalizes homosexual unions. Though disappointing, this is typical for Hollywood, and not the fulcrum of the show's failure.
Weighed in the balance, the show is found wanting in a different area: redemption. So far, there is none. Neil recognizes his life of crime is wrong, but not entirely. He envies Peter's law abiding life, but still finds a good heist scintillating. He longs for a wife and family, but can't resist kissing a beautiful woman.
It definitely provides story fodder, but the human heart has a redemption-shaped key and unless the writers start creating some for Neil, fans are going to grow weary of watching him vacillate between light and dark.
What do you think? Have you seen the show? Are stories satisfying when the "hero" can't find some type of redemption? Write in and tell me what you think. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Back in the Game
Hello, Blogosphere!
Forgive my long absence. The Lord blessed me with some great writing opportunities in the past eight weeks. Here's the result:
Giving God Glory in the Boardroom
Arizona Moves to Protect Conservative Professors
Idea for Medical Aid Becomes Business Plan
Multisensory Exhibit Shares Story and Talent of Van Gogh
I also manage the Events Calendar for the East Valley Tribune. If you're ever wondering what to do in the Phoenix area, visit www.eastvalleytribune.com/get_out or follow Get Out AZ on Facebook for ideas.
Letters from Mudville is still my first love though and it is here I will post thoughts, reviews, events, and opinions about life and the world as we know it. I would also like to include some reader reviews from time to time. If you've read a book or seen a movie you love or hate, shoot me an email and a brief synopsis. I'd love to broaden our base and foster more reader interaction.
Stay tuned for an upcoming review of USA's sitcom "White Collar" - why I like it, and why it misses the mark in one key area.
Forgive my long absence. The Lord blessed me with some great writing opportunities in the past eight weeks. Here's the result:
Giving God Glory in the Boardroom
Arizona Moves to Protect Conservative Professors
Idea for Medical Aid Becomes Business Plan
Multisensory Exhibit Shares Story and Talent of Van Gogh
I also manage the Events Calendar for the East Valley Tribune. If you're ever wondering what to do in the Phoenix area, visit www.eastvalleytribune.com/get_out or follow Get Out AZ on Facebook for ideas.
Letters from Mudville is still my first love though and it is here I will post thoughts, reviews, events, and opinions about life and the world as we know it. I would also like to include some reader reviews from time to time. If you've read a book or seen a movie you love or hate, shoot me an email and a brief synopsis. I'd love to broaden our base and foster more reader interaction.
Stay tuned for an upcoming review of USA's sitcom "White Collar" - why I like it, and why it misses the mark in one key area.
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