Book Club Picks: The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II

So I have been trying to catch up with my book club book reviews, and I am almost there. Just three more (including this one) and I am back on track.

Alright!

So every month we read a book and I do a little post on the book we read and discussed.

There is no theme, other than with each month, a different member gets to pick a book, whichever one they want. We’ve been reading a lot of fiction books, so one of the members decided to choose a non-fiction book they had found at the library.

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan

During World War II, Oak Ridge, Tennessee; was home to over 75,00 people, used more electricity than New York City, and was shrouded in mystery.

What?

What was happening there? Why was it secret? Not even the workers knew what they were doing or “making”, as no product even seemed to come out.

Help me! I’m confused!

Women from all over the country came fresh out of high school, right out of college, when they had nothing, as a last resort, etc. These women enjoyed making their own money, living on their own, etc.

The book chronicles different women: races, to areas of the country, ages, etc; and gives each one’s story from when they start at Oak Ridge to when they close the city down.

Hmm…

Between the stories of the women there are the classified documents of the government and it shows the other side of the scientists who actually knew what was going on.

It turned out that all these men and women in Oak Ridge were helping build the atomic bomb, although none of them even knew it.

I didn’t really care for this book, and neither did my fellow book club members.

We all loved the parts about the women and their life stories. It was really interesting how they built this community, friendships, were willing to leave everything behind to work at Oak Ridge, etc.

One of the best parts was when one of the workers was dating a military man. She had to wait in line to buy everything, and because there was so many people and only so many supplies, if you didn’t get there early enough then you got nothing.

Her boyfriend used to get her soap and other important toiletries- something she found incredibly romantic as it saved her so much time. I thought it was super romantic as well!

*swoon*

Or the one woman who’s boyfriend kept asking her to marry him, but she would say no as she didn’t want to get married. He stopped asking her, and it upset her, so she told him to ask her one more time. It was really cute.

And there was another story about an African-American woman who used to have the guards bully her when she went to visit her husband (men and women lived in separate areas). One day she ran into some workers getting rid of some extra metal-something that was perfect to be a biscuit tin. After that she would make biscuits for her husband and give some to the guard-winning him over with her excellent cooking.

However, what we didn’t like was all the technical stuff about the atomic bomb. The way it kept switching back and forth was confusing and brought you out of the women’s stories.

That part was really boring as well.

It really brought the book down and I was the only one who was able to power through it.

For more book club picks, go to Book Club Picks: A Wrinkle in Time

For more non-fiction books, go to Book Club Picks: Sandcastle Kings

For more on atomic weapons, go to A Giant Metal Man: The Iron Giant (1995)

Cozy & Comfy Tea Time

So you all know how much I love tea:

In fact for Christmas I got quite a few tea things because my friends and family knew of my love.

But one gift was belated, so I decided to post it separately instead of in my earlier Christmas post. This combines my love of tea and my love of something else that I just adore:

Cats!

So now I can drink my tea and look at this adorable creature. I can’t imagine a better tea time.

For more tea posts, go to You Know Me So Well

For more Jane Austen quotes, go to Life Seems But a Quick Succession of Busy Nothings

For more cat posts, go to I’m a Bit Catty

In Celebration of Northanger Abbey

Northanger Abbey? I’m sure there are many of you out there who have no clue what I am talking about.

Huh?

Its one of Jane Austen’s last novels, published by her brother after her death. It is also an amazing book that hardly anyone knows.

It really is sad

So we are here to spread some Northanger Abbey around as this year marks its 200th anniversary!

Like what I did with Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma; I will be going through Northanger Abbey and sharing with you everything about it.

The book is a parody of romantic fiction and gothic novels.

It has a great main character, Catherine Morland (which my pseudonym comes from) who we can easily connect to. We all feel like Catherine at times in our lives, hoping that we will have an adventure and meet a dashing hero.

And it has a great leading man in Mr. Tilney. I mean it! Once you read about him, he is a real contender for the number one Austen hero.

Yep a great book that I can’t wait to start celebrating and spreading!

Besides going through the book I will be also reviewing things that are referenced in it, inspirational to the book, and those inspired by it.

Books:

A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott

Northanger Abbey (Jane Austen Children’s Stories #5)  by Jane Austen & adapted by Gemma Barder

North by Northanger: Or the Shades of Pemberley (Mr. &  Mrs. Darcy #3) by Carrie Bebris

”Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice” by Rachel M. Brownstein from The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen compiled by editors Edward Copeland and Juliet McMaster. 2003 (originally printed in 1997).

Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes

“The Art of Sinking” by J. Marie Croft, “For Mischief’s Sake by Amy D’Orazio, and “As Much As He Can” by Sophia Rose; Dangerous to Know: Jane Austen’s Rakes & Gentlemen Rogues by edited by Christina Boyd

Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos

Jane in Love by Rachel Givney

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians #1) by Kevin Kwan

Northanger Alibi (The Jane Austen Diaries #2) by Jenni James

North by Northanger by Rebecca H. Jamison

Midnight Bell by Francis Lathom

Northanger Abbey Audiobook Narrated by Anna Massey 

Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons (Supernatural Jane Austen Series #2) by Vera Nazarian & Jane Austen

 The Mysterious Warnings by Eliza Parsons

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

Clermont by Regina Maria Roche

Rational Creatures: Catherine Morland, Eleanor Tilney, & Lady Susan by Sophia Rose, Karen M. Cox, & Jessie Lewis; edited by Christina Boyd

Northpointe Chalet (Austen Series #4) by Debra White Smith

Film:

Northanger Abbey (1987)

“Pup Fiction” from Wishbone (1997)

The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)

I Watched Northanger Abbey (2007) With My Thirteen Year Old Niece

Northanger Abbey (2007)

Storybook Ending: Northanger Abbey (2007) Valentine’s Day Post 2013

Austenland (2013)

You Are My Fantasy: Austenland (2013) Valentine’s Day Post 2020

Other:

I Watched Austenland (2013) With My 14 Year Old Niece

Being a Guest on P. S. I Love Rom Coms’ Podcast, Northanger Abbey (2007)

For more Northanger Abbey, go to Read Jane Austen, Wear Jane Austen

For more Catherine Morland, go to You Put the Jedi in Pride & PreJEDIce

For more Mr. Tilney, go to Midnight in Austenland

Book Club Picks: A Wrinkle in Time

So I have fallen waaaay behind with my posts, but as you know I started a book club last year:

Every month we read a book and I do a little post on the book we read and discussed.

There is no theme, other than with each month, a different member gets to pick a book, whichever one they want. It was my turn to pick again and after doing a mystery in The Secret of Chimneys and an altered classic/romance in The Darcy Monologues: I wanted to do something different. So I decided on a fantasy/science fiction and what better than my favorite book as a kid that is going to be a movie soon:

A Wrinkle in Time (The Time Quartet #1) by Madeleine L’Engle

I loved this book so much as a kid. I used to go to the library and check it out again and again and again. After constantly doing that, my mom finally bought me the book so I had my own. It came in a set with the remaining three books-A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and Many Waters.

This is the book that started the whole time quartet series. In this book the Murry family has moved to New England. Many people are wary of them as both Mr. and Mrs. Murry are scientists. Mr. Murry is often called upon to go to Washington D.C for the President or Pentagon. He left for a trip about a year ago, and has yet to return. Many think he abandoned the family, but his wife and children have faith that he will return. Meg is the oldest, she wears glasses and braces and thinks herself unattractive.

She has a lot of problems making friends as she has a temper,

What???!!!

she also has issues in school as the math is too far below her.

After Meg are the twins, Alexander (Sandy) and Dionysus (Dennys). Both the twins excel in sports, school, and friendship. Last is Charles Wallace, only five years old and a genius. He tries to hide it, but still can’t pass off being “normal.”

One dark and stormy night; three women come in with the wind and set Meg, Charles Wallace, and a popular boy from school, Calvin O’Keefe on quite the adventure. Mrs. Which, Mrs. Who, and Mrs,Whatsit tells the trio that they need them in order to save Mr. Murry who is caught in the 5th dimension.

Help me! I’m confused!

This adventure takes them on a ride through psychics, time travel, tessering, and other planets.

The best characters in this are Meg and Calvin. Besides being intelligent, Calvin is also caring and compassionate. When Meg and Charles become his friend, his loyalty and care with protecting them knows very little bounds. And when Meg has problems controlling her temper; Calvin is able to help her realign her feelings and help her express kindness toward others.

*swoon*

Then we have Meg, oh my gosh we are just the same. Meg has a hard time connecting with people her own age as in many ways she is older, younger, and the same. She has a bad temper, is stubborn, willful, loyal, caring, compassionate, and will defend her friends/family until the end.

Amazing!

One of the best things of this book is two messages- one being, be happy in who you are. Meg is always trying to change herself, but her faults and personality are the things that can help them in this battle. She was designed that way, even though she might not like herself-she was needed to be herself in order to save everyone.

And that love can defeat everything. Love, real powerful Love.

In fact, Meg actually embodies all three of those-faith, hope, love-and uses them to battle the black thing.

It is a fantastic book that has been such a big part of my life!

And you should definitely check it out!

For more book club picks, go to Book Club Picks: A Light in the Window

For more Madeleine L’Engle, go to Let It Go

For more on A Wrinkle in Time, go to The Wearing of the Green: 17 More Irish Heroes

For more C.S. Lewis quotes, go to You Know You Really Love Tea When…

For more bible verses, go to Book Club Picks: A Voice in the Wind

Life Seems But a Quick Succession of Busy Nothings

I know some of you will read that and think what a downer to start the year.

I’m going to hide under the covers with my ice cream

And yeah you can say that life is full of nothings, lots of the mundane and boring.

But you know what, life is also full of fun nothings. Things that aren’t important in the grand scheme of it, but lots of fun.

Like this blog. I know the things on here aren’t that important or ground-shattering. If I stopped writing it wouldn’t really affect anyone that much…but I have a lot of fun doing it.

And I’m not sure what I how I will be posting- every two days, every three days, every four, once a week, etc. But I know I’m going to keep on.

Why start with a Jane Austen quote? Well this will be the year of Jane as not one, but TWO JANE AUSTEN NOVELS CELEBRATE THEIR 200TH ANNIVERSARY!!!!! Northanger Abbey & Persuasion!!!!!!!

So let’s get on with our year in review! This post will only cover a few things, you really should check out the year for yourself. To start at the beginning go here.

The Views

 

This year I had over 58,121 views!

 

The most viewed day of the year was November 29 with 486 views! Although, I didn’t post anything on that day

The Top Five Posts

Here are the top five most viewed posts of the year, although strangely none were posted this year.

I mean you like what you like. I’m just happy people are reading my blog.

5) Tea Time, a quotable post on tea love (2015)

4) A True Princess from 30 Day Challenge:Disney Edition (2014)

3)I Saw Goody Osburn With the Devil: The Crucible (1996), part of Horrorfest II’s 31 Days of Horror films (2013)

2) Carry On Wayward Son, a post dedicated to the song (2014)

1) Fulfilling the List: A Walk to Remember (2002), from Romance is in the Air‘s 14 days of my favorite romantic moments (2013)

The Followers!

So this community has really grown in numbers and I can not describe how pleased I am about that. We have gone from 14 followers in 2012 to 42 followers in 2013, 169 followers in 2014, to 439 in 2015, to 616 in 2016, and now 1021!

Happy 40th Anniversary Star Wars

So last year marked the 40th anniversary of Star Wars. I couldn’t resist posting about it and did the following: A New Hope and Why the Princess Leia Crown Hairdo is Awesome

And a special post comparing Star Wars and Jane Austen characters in  You Put the Jedi in Pride & PreJEDIce

Jane Austen Film Reviews

I reviewed Pride & Prejudice (1995), Emma (1996), Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001), and Death Comes to Pemberley, Episode Two (2013)

Holiday Posts

I celebrated Chinese New Year with 4 of my favorite chickens/chicken moments in Nobody calls me Chicken: Chinese New Year; Saint Patrick’s day post on 17 Irish heroes in With a Little Luck of the Irish: 17 More Irish Heroes; Father’s Day in Dad’s Day; Fourth of July with Let Freedom Ring, Thanksgiving in Are Dean Winchester and Jane Austen Kindred Spirits? and Christmas in All I Want for Christmas.

Book Club Posts

This year I started a book club. We read one book a month, each member having a month where they choose the book (any type), and then we meet and discuss it with good food. So far we have read the books The Darcy Monologues by various and edited by Christina Boyd, The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie, At Home in Mitford (The Mitford Years #1) by Jan Karon, A Light in the Window (The Mitford Years #2) by Jan Karon, The Undoing of Saint Silvanus: A Novel by Beth Moore, A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion #1) by Francine Rivers, and Sandcastle Kings: Meeting Jesus in a Spiritually Bankrupt World by Rich Wilkerson Jr.

How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You: Romance is in the Air, Part V

Once again I reviewed 14 romantic moments from film and TV shows:  Under Capricorn (1949), Sleeping Beauty (1959), Move Over Darling (1963), Back to the Future (1985), Working Girl (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Pride and Prejudice (1995), Picture Perfect (1997), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1999), Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001), Young Justice (2012), How I Met Your Mullet, Raising Hope (2014),Age of Adaline (2015), and Doctor Thorne (2016).

Give Me Some Good Cooking!

So I added recipes last year and continued this year. Check out Apple Pie, Aunt Neal’s Old-Fashioned Tea Cakes, Baked Potato Soup, Cherry-Pistachio Tea Cakes, How to Make a London Fog, and Triple Berry Salad.

Jane Austen Book Reviews

I reviewed What Would Jane Do?: Quips and Wisdom from Jane Austen by Jane Austen; Suspense and Sensibility (Or First Impressions Revisited) by Carrie Bebris; Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife: Pride and Prejudice Continues (Darcy & Elizabeth #1) by Linda Berdoll; The Darcy Monolgues: Part I, The Regency edited by Christina Boyd and written by Various; The Darcy Monolgues: Part II, Other Eras edited by Christina Boyd and written by Various; Prude & Prejudice by Francine Carroll; Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg;  Too Pretty by Andrea Grigg; A Visit to Highbury: Another View of Emma by Joan Austen-Leigh; Pride and Prejudice Paper Dolls by Brenda Sneathen Mattox; For Darkness Shows the Stars (For Darkness Shows the Stars #1) by Diana Peterfreund, and Reason and  Romance (The Austen Series #2) by Debra White Smith

The End of the Fangirl Posts…For Now

We finally reached the end of the fangirl posts with You Can’t Keep a Fangirl Down and To Fandom With Love; which cover Jules Verne, Longmire, Raising Hope, V, Veronica Mars, Wishbone, Whitechapel, X-Files, X-Men, and Young Justice.

Scenes of My Everyday Life

There was the time I was stopped and checked to see if I was a possible terrorist in An Explosive Trip; a funny time justice was served in Road Rage; and when I was scared someone was trying to break in in Something’s Scratching at the Window.

Phangirl

I brought back my love of The Phantom of the Opera in President of the “I Don’t Like Raoul Fanclub” and Is Christine the Ultimate Femme Fatale?

Tea Lover for Life

If you love tea like me check out I Made My Own Teabags, Perfectea, A Perfect Cup of Tea or Tea for Two, and You Know You Really Love Tea When…, and You Know Me So Well

Painted Portrayals of Christ

This year we looked at The Last Supper by Andrea del Castagno; Triumphal Entry of Christ into Jerusalem from the Florence Baptistery by Lorenzo Ghiberti; “The Crucifixion” from  The Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald; “The Arrest in the Garden” from The Passion Altarpiece by Hans Holbein the younger; and Risen Christ by Michelangelo.

Continuing with Emma

We continued posting on the book Emma with Should We Pity Miss Bates or Strive to Be Her?, TO the Person Who Hated My Review of Emma (1996) AKA the Kate Beckinsale Version, and A Visit to Highbury: Another View of Emma by Joan Austen-Leigh

The Darcy Monologues

So I was contacted by Christina Boyd to do a honest review in return for a free copy of the ebook. I agreed as you know I will review anything Jane Austen. So the book is a collection of monologues or short stories; told from the point of view of Mr. Darcy. Some take place in the Regency time period, some take his point of view of the novel, some after the novel, and some asking the question of what would happen if..? The second half takes the story and shows it in different time periods. I did several posts on it: The Darcy Monologues: Part I, The Regency, I Have Been Remiss, My Deepest Apologies to The Darcy Monologues; The Darcy Monologues: Part II, Other Eras, and Book Club Picks: The Darcy Monologues.

A Horrible Horrfest Hangup

So my charger broke during Horrofest VI, and I tried to catch up but failed to have 31 posts. I know, so sad!!! These are what I did manage to review- film:The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946), The Beast Must Die (1974), Silver Streak (1976), Alien (1979), Friday the 13th, Part II (1981), Psycho II (1983), Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Pet Sematary (1989), The Witches (1990), The Addams Family (1991), So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993), My Boyfriend’s Back (1993), Hangman’s Curse (2003), Candlestick (2014), Doctor Strange (2016) & The Mummy (2017) –and the TV episodes: Scarlet Night: Archie’s Weird Mysteries (2000), Graveyard Shift, Spongebob Squarepants (2002), & The Cruel Giggling Ghoul: Teen Titans Go (2016)

So what will the new year hold?

We shall see!

For 2016 in review, go to A New Hope

For 2015 in review, go to To Boldy Go Where No Man Has Gone Before

For 2014 in review, go to Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Roads

For 2013 in review, go to Looking at the Past, Focusing on the Future

For 2012 in review, go to Looking Back, Moving Forward