recuerdos de infancia: Oliver y Benji
When we were little there was some tv that we had to watch, this series "Campeones" starring Oliver and Benji (in Japanese: Captain Tsubasa) was a huge hit in Spain, we loved it. I wish I could get it for the boys....
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RAniIEQ6gc&hl=en&fs=1]
Blog Deleted. Beware and Back-up!
I am posting a letter that Gautami sent out, just so you all are aware of what could happen to your blog too. I am now going to back up all my stuff. I hope Gautami can find her blog again, and recover the files.
Hello friends,
As of now my blog http://readingandmorereading.blogspot.com has been deleted without any information or intimation. I am in some kind of shock. As all of you know, our blogs are our tiny worlds, our family. And loss of a book blog is like cutting of the intellect side.
I have lost 650 posts. Out of which more than half were book reviews. Starting from scratch seems like a burden. But I will do that if I am unable to retrieve it in a couple of days.
I was thinking of having a mirror blog for my book review blog like I have for my poetry blog but before I got around it, it was deleted. Why/how, I can't answer it.
I have gone to the help forum but I don't know if they will help me. As I see it, lots of blog have been deleted over the weekend.
King Rat did send me a website for searching and retrieving. I am still trying to get around it without much success.
Meanwhile I need your support love and lot more.
AND ALSO THAT TO WARN OTHER BLOGGERS TO HAVE BACKUPS OF SOME KIND.
I will leave messages on my poetry blog. Please do visit me there:
http://firmlyrooted.blogspot.com
You can also direct people there
Thanks,
Gautami
Loser of:
http://readingandmorereading.blogspot.com
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
by Dai Sajie ( 戴思杰 )
International Fiction
208 Pages
published in 2000
Anchor Books
During China's Cultural Revolution, books were banned, children of well-off parents were sent off alone to work in the rural communities, and the government held a fear of anything that did not blatantly support the movement. It was a time of darkness throughout the country, and where regulations and impediments became more important than all else. This is the time period of which Dai Sajie writes in his novel, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. A story of love, of jealousy, and of children becoming men and women in this critical time frame in China's government.
In this novel, two city boys are sent to work in the fields in the country. While there they meet and fall for the tailor's daughter, who proves to be the jewel to be had. This little seamstress, who is more beautiful than any of the other girls (at least in the opinion of her suitors).All three of them, the seamstress, Luo and Ma (the narrator) become so obsessed with reading these forbidden books that they are willing to risk it all, for they could be severely punished for their attempts at obtaining any book which is not governmental propaganda.
The longer I waited to review Balzac and the Little Seamstress, the more it sunk in, the more I just really did love it. I really did. I bought this a year ago, mostly because the cover completely captivated me and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It was actually even better that I expected, and you had better believe that I had height expectations. The simple and yet stout style of Dai Sijie is perfect for the book. He has written a superb gem here, the inside of the book is even better than the outside! I loved the main characters, the writing was just right and the story/plot couldn't have been any better. Seriously, it was just so good. Plus, it was about another country, and I love to read abroad!
If it could possibly get any better, it does. For all of us who are obsessed with books, it has a hidden special element of attraction. Can you even imagine if all books that were not written to glorify the current government were banned? What would become of us? I became completely entranced. This gets a full five chickens from me peeps, no doubt. So stop drooling over that beautiful cover and start drooling over the inside!
What would you do if books were banned? Can we even comprehend that here with all the freedoms we have?
You are in luck! Linen, Wool, Cotton giveaway!!!
Hey kiddos! I am so excited. Since so many of you were interested in this book the publisher has offered to do a giveaway on my blog. So there are two extra copies (as there is no way I am giving mine up, no way)! Two copies to giveaway here on B&b. Did you read my review? Better go do that and then enter in the comments on this post, below.
Here are some very important links you'll need to check out:
Make Good Books: A place for free patterns, and to check out the craft series this book is in. A must see!!!
B&b ex libris review: Linen, Wool, Cotton
This is what I have made so far from these this book, and my husband and boys love their little lunch bags. The boys put theirs on the end of sticks and pretend to be on a long journey. I can't say enough about this book, but for sure you will want to enter.
I am also hosting a giveaway for the above bags, and if you are not crafty and don't even want to try, you should still enter that!
Giveaway details:
This giveaway is for your very own copy of Linen, Wool, Cotton. I will give away 1 book for the first 10 entries, and then once it hits 11 I will add the other book into the mix. I will select winner(s) on the 8th of May- so you have until then to enter.
To enter, each worth one entry:
*Comment on this post
*Tweet about the giveaway (and make sure you comment back on here to let me know!)
This giveaway is open internationally!!!
ps. It is very important that you check back on the 8th, as I do not notify winners via email. If the winner does not respond within 3 days of the winner being announced I will select a new winner. If you want to be very sure you don't miss out, click on the toast (upper left) and subscribe to my feed!!
Follow Me
Follow Me
by Joanna Scott
432 pages
Fiction
Little, Brown and Company
April 22, 2009
When a young girl longs to learn of her family, of her heritage she is in for an exciting narration from her grandmother (AKA Sally Werner). She makes the young girl promise to never tell another soul what she is going to tell her, as she has never told anyone herself. In her grandmother's words she pieces together the mystery of her father's choices, and mostly the choice he made to leave her, a choice she lives with daily. Her family secrets are what make up a history of hardship and difficulty, however at the same time she realizes that within her family's history fanciful legends and tales hold the same value as the truth. However when she is confronted with her father, a man she had never known because of his choice to (after a failed suicide attempt) leave both she and her mother for a better life, she learns that he has another story all together about her grandmother. But could the elaborate story that her grandmother entrusted to her may only be fiction after all?
Follow Me is an interesting portrayal of family difficulties, discrepancies in family history and more than anything the lives that become that history. Since lives are lived only by one person, and seen by others in a much different light than one intends, history of the living is difficult to nail down. Follow Me is a novel of mysteries, family secrets and after a full dose of half-truths and some lies, there is a family history that evolves.
My thoughts are scattered on this read. I did enjoy the writing, it was as fluid and practical as it was elegant. Joanna Scott is an amazing storyteller and an extremely gifted writer, the tale flows from her words with ease. The only problem was that sometimes it seemed like it was too at ease, too leisurely, and I wished to learn faster. I found it interesting, but felt myself lagging behind in the thrill of it. I didn't completely fall head-over-heels with Sally Werner either, who this story is really about. For me it was mostly that somehow I felt I needed to be guarded against her because her choices made me nervous, and when I was allowed to know her thoughts about herself they were so harsh- that it just made me distrust her. By far the biggest fault of the book, which may be my own, is that I just lacked that personal bond with the characters. I did enjoy this read though, just not as much as I had hoped when it started out.
When you don't connect with the characters, does it make it harder for you to fall in love with the book? Do you find it harder to connect with characters you feel consistently make the wrong choices?
Some other perspectives:
Peeking Between the Pages
Bermudaonion
My Friend Amy
S. Krishna's Books
Booking Mama
Caribou's Mom
Savvy Verse & Wit
Sunday Salon!
This wasn't a very productive week for me, as I was just coming off of the intensity of the read-a-thon and it took me several days to catch up around the house. I am easing back into it and have finished some books this week and started others. I had a hard time wanting to sit inside so I brought my macbook outside and posted away between gardening breaks.
I posted a discussion post this week, if you care to join in, it is about reviews and what you think is a must have in a review you read. Do you like a personal touch? That the review is more formal? put in your two cents telling the rest of us What do you think makes a good review?
I am also currently hosting a giveaway for some two sweet homemade lunch bags that I made from a pattern out of Linen, Wool, Cotton (a fab book) check out the review and giveaway !
Reviews posted this week:
Books that I read this week:
So lately I have fallen in love with Mangas (AKA Graphic novels) I love them! I didn't ever think that I would, or that I would love them this much. These are perfect for me this week, as since the read-a-thon I have had a hard time with my attention span and reading. What are your experiences with graphic novels? Is there a certain genre which you were surprised by?
Heart Z Ranch, Crawfordsville Oregon.
Last weekend we went to Crawfordsville, there is so much to see on the way! I was happy to not be driving so I could hang my camera out the window for some shots off of Peoria Road. It is so pretty.
Lazy M Ranch is Brad's Grandparents ranch. His uncle John does most of the ranch stuff now though. It is really fun to go out there with the boys.
Why does food always taste better in the country? Well I think it is because you work for it!
After a good lunch we went to 'help' Uncle John load some cattle at Heart Z Ranch. He bought some little Holsteins for a friend. They are about 6 months old here.
I learned some things when we went to the ranch. Holsteins are not the kind of cows a rancher wants to buy, they are cheap and dairy cows...but are only good for hamburger meat. I didn't know that, maybe you did. Brad's uncle bought them for the lady who is on the fence in the pictures. She wants them to train stock dogs, which are dogs who herd cattle.
Info bit number two is that not all bulls have horns, and some cows have horns!Yea, Mr. Heart Z Rancher thought I was joking when I was astounded that that "black cow" in with the babes was a bull."Well, hey! I grew up in Spain, man where no bull would be caught dead without horns!" I told him, he laughed and said that many Mexican cattle have horns too, but that most American ranchers opt to breed it out, or dehorn babies- since horns can be pretty dangerous to people and to the other cattle. Every time I go I learn more, I love the whole thing.
Thanks Uncle John, it is always fun to 'hang out' and learn from you! Oh, and he gave us some Tenderloin S
teaks- yes, we are vegetarians but, only fair weather veggies as we are always willing to make exceptions. Especially for tenderloin from Knee Deep Cattle Company it is Free Range Beef, Born and raised on Oregon's lush green pastures. No added Antibiotics or Hormones. (a company based out of Eugene, Oregon!) He also gave us jerky from Knee Deep Cattle Company- the owner of the company is in the pictures above in the blue hat on the fence. She warned us, " make sure you refrigerate the jerky after opening it, as we don't use any preservatives!" I just had to laugh. " You know this will be gone before we get home, right?" I asked. "Well good!" she answered smiling.
We all worked hard, and the boys were certainly ready for some good rest at the end of the busy day.
I would love to live in the country. And I love jerky. I love Oregon.
The Latest Posts:
- Mrs. Wanda Wilson’s Spicy Pickled Asparagus {Recipe}
- Off To The Oregon Coast
- To Open My Hands
- The Strength that Moves Me
- He Wished for Snow for Christmas, He Got it For His Birthday.
- Oh I Wonder, How I Wonder…Who Would You Be, Shiloh?
- Reminding My Heart to Be Thankful
- What Love Looks Like
I (adoringly) HEART—>
