About Brisinger...

Okay, I finally gave in and picked up our copy of Brisinger. Katy had requested it several months ago but I had refused to read it. The first in the series, Eragon, had been a fun read. The writing was a little derivative but Kyle had wanted me to read it and I admit I enjoyed it. Eldest, the second book, was a little more of a grind- endless action with no end in sight for 700+ pages- but I forged ahead, seeking resolution. Of course, being a trilogy (and now a "cycle" of four books), there was no conclusion; Eldest ended with a plot twist. Now, part three, Brisinger, is out and has been laying about the house. Kyle refuses to read it and I was trying to be snooty about it, too, but Guns, Germs, and Steel was getting a little repetitive so I put it aside for some action and a mythic hero (I'm a sucker for the lonely hero who's not sure he's up to the task).

While it's still action, action, action with more detail than I want or need, Paolini's writing has improved. I do occasionally find myself skipping pages to the end of battles, but I do care what happens to Eragon so I continue to soldier on. I won't ever reread these books like I did Harry Potter but I am committed to hanging in there until the end. Kyle can mock me all he wants but I want to know what happens (the mark of a good story?).

And while I'm admitting my guilty pleasures reading, know that I read and enjoyed all the Twilight books!

Guilty admission #2- I have never been able to finish the Lord of the Rings series.

Christmas Newsletter: The Saga, Part ?

The Christmas newsletters may start arriving this week so I wanted to remind you that the solution to the puzzle was originally posted on January 10th so you'll need to scroll down to find it. Please put us out of our misery and leave a quick comment here if you actually receive one. In an attempt to view-the-glass-as-half-full, I'm thinking how nice it was for the postal system to give our letters such a nice six-week trip for only 42 cents.

Banana Teddy Bear, By Michael

I begged my parents to go to Smyk , the polish toy store, to buy a giant teddy bear. I named it Banana for some reason. I wasn't really thinking about the name so I just thought of something fast. Banana is, I think, four feet tall. He was the biggest one in the toy store. He usually sleeps right next to my bed because he takes up too much room in my bed.

The National Shovel of Poland

I was shoveling this morning (third time since the weekend) because even though only about four inches had accumulated, a city ordinance requires that homeowners keep the sidewalks in front of their homes clear of snow. I was using the shovel that the State Department placed in our residence. Take a look at our shovel- it's a thin piece of wood spliced onto a wooden rod. This is the type of shovel used by ALL Poles, even the city workers in charge of snow removal. Only once have I seen a "store bought" shovel being used. At least we don't have as much sidewalk as we did in Greece, where we lived on a corner. My Greek neighbors disapproved of how little I swept and washed our sidewalk (yes, I said "wash"- Greek women wash their sidewalk every day!) so here, in Poland, I'm trying to be very neighborly and maintain the sidewalk (I'm doing better than a lot of the neighbors!).

Monkey Fun

Further proof that we need to get out more- Tim enjoys chocolate with a banana so I made him a little snack friend.

OMG!! Robert Pattinson!!

Wow!! Robert Pattinson of Twilight fame visited us at our house! As you can see, his hair is already growing back since he cut it short! No computer photo programs were used, I promise.

Can't wait to see what he looks like in New Moon!
(Clearly we have too much free time.)

Yup...

they all came back, all 50+ Christmas newsletters and photos. Now the question is "why?"

Another Blog I'm Following

I stumbled onto Roger Ebert's blog via a recommendation in some other, long-since-forgotten, online article I was reading. I almost didn't click the link because I thought, "Roger Ebert, the movie guy? What, other than movies, could he possibly be writing about?" But I had always enjoyed his banter with Gene Siskel so I surfed on over. I read one entry and immediately pasted the link onto my toolbar of favorites.

I consider myself a reasonably intelligent, literate, and thoughtful person but Roger's blogs, and the hundreds of perceptive and astute comments that follow, are not suitable for a quick glance while mindlessly bouncing around the world wide web. Go when you have time to read and think.

One other point- it's possible I may like Roger's blog because I agree with so much of what he says. Admittedly, we all prefer to listen to people with similar views because it "confirms" how "right" we are; it's easier and more comfortable than hearing opposing points-of-view. So be forewarned- I'm a liberal with edges smoothed by age and 26 years in a military environment!

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/

Christmas Newsletter, Part 4: The Saga Continues

Hmmm, I don't know what this means, but today we received two newsletters returned to us as "undeliverable" but with no reason stated. I don't think they even made it out of the military postal system and they certainly didn't go anywhere near their destinations (Ryan and Lisa in Colorado and my friend Patricia in Massachusetts). The addresses were absolutely correct so I don't know what the problem is. Monday Tim will meet with the embassy postal person to see if they can figure out what happened. My fear is that 50+ more letters will be appearing in our box over the next few days. But I guess that could be good news because it means they aren't lost! Stay tuned!

New Feature

I have added a new feature to the blog. Since we all love to read so much, I thought people might be interested to see what we are currently reading. I'll try to get each family member to review their books but for now, here's my input on my most recent reads.

I just finished rereading The Professor and the Madman, an account of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. The author's love of words shines through as he describes the huge undertaking of creating the first complete dictionary of the English language. Imagine- Shakespeare did all his writing without either a dictionary or a thesaurus! A fascinating story.

A Question of Honor tells the true story of the Polish pilots of the Kosciuszko Squadron before, during, and after WWII. If, like most Americans, you have no idea about the significance of Polish history and it's contribution to the US and the world, then I highly recommend this book. Some of it will be painful to read because you'll be ashamed of some of the US decisions during the war but it will open your eyes to what is usually ignored by American history books.

I am rereading Jane Eyre because I think it has been 30 years since I first read it! Charlotte Bronte was ahead of her time in voicing her belief in equality and independence for women. In her preface to the reader she writes, "Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion. To attack the first is not to assail the last." A smart woman who's words are still appropriate today.

I have a pile of books on my night stand (some women buy shoes, I buy books) so I'll keep you posted as I read. What about you? What are you reading? Would you recommend it and why?