Hazel Ceej

In this post: Teaser, Top Ten, Tune In Teasers: Should Be Reading My sin was winning. I have hidden myself in the old power, in the old skills, in woman's power. p. 101, "The Wise Woman" by Philippa Gregory • Grab your current read • Open to a random page • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! ( make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others! ) • Share the title & author , too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Top Ten: Books I Think Would Make Great Book Club Picks The Broke and the Bookish The book club in my town has international membership. I am curious how members (myself included) would discuss, think of, or react to: 1. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield 2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon 3. The King's Speech by Mark Logue 4. The Vanishing ...

Happiness is... rocking a baby in high heels. It was very late. The then husband and I just got back from a wedding. I thought CJ was fast asleep but his Grandma said he was wide awake. I scooped him up. It was my first time to carry him around in 3-inch stilettos and it was rather fun. We stepped outside for a bit of fresh air, at the same time tailing CJ's Dad as he prepared to get the car in the garage. I thought why not have a snapshot of the moment. So we did. This post is shared @ Extra Room for Happiness Hi, My Little Professor is a new blog. I am on the process of importing posts from an old blog which started as musings about the kiddo and mommyhood. That blog has ballooned into many other posts covering a few other different interests. Guess this mom couldn't just shut up. Meanwhile I am updating pages during lunch breaks. The 'organize' bug has bitten me, and I hope the 'rush' bug will bite me as well so I get this site up running smoothly soon. I lo...

In this post: Booking Through & Third Sentence What’s more important: Good writing? Or a good story? (Of course, a book should have BOTH, but…) I buy my books. So before buying any I spend time reading blurbs and reviews as of course I want value for my money. One thing that gives me pleasure in books is reading them from start to finish because of both - good writing and good story. Then I am happy knowing I haven't wasted a cent. On the other hand, good writing for me is very instrumental in tolerating a not-so- good plot. I am willing to forget it is a dull story if the writing is really good it can carry me away. *More bookish reactions at Booking Through Thursday Book : Emma 3rd sentence : "Her mother had died too long ago for her to have more than an indistinct remembrance of her caresses, and her place had been supplied by an excellent governess, who had fallen little short of a mother in affection. " Thoughts : Stepmother scenario in my mind here. A child in ...

In this post: Teaser, Top Ten, Tune In Teasers: She had resolved that one and twenty should be the period.  With the fortitude of a devoted noviciate, she had resolved to complete the sacrifice, and retire from all the pleasures of life, of rational intercourse, equal society, peace and hope, to penance and mortification forever. p. 423, " Emma " by Jane Austen (Volume II, Collected Edition) A classic look at misconstrued romance. Foolish, arrogant, sensible, oblivious or endearing characters are excellently portrayed. If you've read this before, marvel anew at how people from way way back are actually alike ourselves nowadays in many ways.  If not, get ready to observe human behavior described with humor and skill that made Jane Austen a much-loved author with millions of fans. *Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading Top Ten: Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read Perhaps easy accessibility was taken for granted. But there's no excuse for not ...

I saw this article the other day that asked, “Are you ashamed of skipping parts of books?” Which, naturally, made me want to ask all of YOU. Do you skip ahead in a book? Do you feel badly about it when you do? It depends; and about two percent of the time. You Don't Say! for example, by Barry Phelps, is about world notables and their misquotations listed alphabetically. In this case I wanted to know first what misquotations Margaret Thatcher or Napoleon Bonaparte made rather than reading accounts in order. Parts that are of least relevance or interest to me - I skip without questioning myself. Conrad Kottak's international edition of Anthropology: the exploration of human diversity once was my bible for a week. I was then preparing a PhD research proposal.  Dissect, synthesize, decide which ideas would be best for an argument on a deadline on top of other university job related readings - I was almost blue in the face as the reading turned mad. And I only needed to nail some ...

Friday's Fave Five is a meme wherein participants list five best things from their week. Now not every week is great for everyone, and that's where the challenge to come up with blessings lies. Do you hear gratitude ? Or optimism ? A few days before this just-concluded Christmas, I had to try finding what's good in a week that involved a seriously lacerated forehead on top of having to work on Christmas day . ***** Too much multi-tasking amidst anemic symptoms sent me bleeding to the ER. Two surgeons hovered over me. "Fifty-two," said one to the other. And the stitching began. I gleaned my week's best through sutures, anesthesia and an anti-tetanus shot.     i. It was fifty-two, not fifty-three stitches or more . I'd take that and be thankful.   ii. The presence of a friend . So much for independence and pride in doing things single-handedly. I mean going through all that alone was possible, but someone to whom you can say ouch without worrying how you ...