Hoop Skirts
A hoop skirt is a skirt stiffened with or as if with hoops. For one, I don't see how anyone could find a hoop skirt comfortable. I especially don't see how hoop skirts were once ever fashionable. I mean, it seems like you could fit an entire cavalry under one of those things during something along the lines of a raid. Next thing you know we'll be learning about the Trojan hoop skirts and their impact in the battle of fashion common sense.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
My Top Twelve Book List
12. Lyddie- Lyddie is one of my top twelve books because of the historical impression it left on me. A young girl, Lyddie, had her family split apart and was searching desperately for any kind of work. Like many girls of the 1930’s and 1940’s, she began working in a factory operating looms. This book gave a fresh insight on the old factories, such as the abandoned ones right here in Massachusetts. Lyddie’s inspiring strength and courage is something I wish I could muster up every now and then.
11. A Countess Below Stairs- I am a big fan of fairy tale-like stories. A Russian countess lives in near poverty after the Russian Revolution and she and her family move to England, where she goes to work at the palace of an earl. The author, Eva Ibbotson, develops a thorough plot and multi-dimensional characters that enhance the quality of the story and make it very appealing. Themes within the story include finding one’s own identity and true love. The countess eventually overcomes many obstacles and “gets the guy”. What girl wouldn’t want a happily ever after?
10. I Have Lived a Thousand Years- I’m an avid reader of books on the Holocaust. I find is amazing how a mass murder of millions souls could ever take place. Survivor’s stories need to be told and I am touched by each account.
9. The Outsiders- It’s Socs verse Greasers, the white trash with cars and money against the white trash with long greasy hair. “Rumbles” are the norm and even chains and switchblades are not uncommon. S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders is one of my all-time favorite books. It amazes me how lack of understanding causes much of the fighting and violence is prevalent in the characters lives. This is one of my favorite books simply because it reveals the truth about human nature.
8. Déjà Dead- This book was probably one of the first adult murder mystery novels I have ever read. Some people find this genre to be quite disturbing and gruesome. I can’t keep my hands off the stuff. The author, Kathy Reichs, is a forensic anthropologist and has a seemingly omniscient and distinct knowledge on the topic which allows for her novels to be thoroughly accurate. In fact, a television program, Bones, is based upon her novels and happens to be my favorite show. Reichs has a rich vocabulary and a great literary mind. For example, the title itself refers to the repeated and violent murders of a serial killer. That’s déjà vu for you!
7. Summer of My German Soldier- I find that the story of World War Two and the Holocaust to be both captivating and horrifying. So far I believe I have read three other Holocaust books, but this story had a different outlook. It told the story of how a Jewish girl sheltered a German soldier. Many people I talk to find that Holocaust stories are heartbreaking, which they are. But this story, even though it is sad as well, sheds a new light on the matter while taking on universal themes like love and stereotyping.
6. She Said Yes- This book tells a mother’s story about her daughter who was essentially killed by gunmen in her school in Columbine, Colorado. I found this story to be one of the most moving and spiritual I have ever read. Though it took me a while to get into the book since it was heavily based on religion, it was a gripping tale. But by the end of the story, the daughter was asked by her attackers if she believed in God. Risking her life, she said “yes”. At the beginning of the story, the daughter was described as being insecure and “hanging around with the wrong people” yet she managed to find a deep relationship with God by the time of her death. Saying that she believed in God was a tremendous thing for her to say, let alone any person staring death right in the face.
5. Harry Potter series- Many say that the series is overrated and I have often been questioned as to why I ever started reading it. Frankly, the timing was perfect when the first book came out. I was somewhere around the age of ten and what tween wouldn’t read about a boy who discovered he was a wizard facing many supernatural challenges? I found that the twisting plot and humorous and witty characters always put a smile on my face. There was always a new challenge for young Harry Potter in each book, from battling Voldemort to practicing new spells in class. Sometimes I even found myself out in my back yard practicing some of those spells. Wingardum Leviosa!
4. The Primrose Way- This historical fiction book made my fourth favorite book because of its historical accuracy and its outlook on American colonization. I couldn’t put this book down and by the time I finished I only wanted to process all of the information. This book makes it hard to believe that people had actually come to this “forsaken” land in search for a new life. Knowing what New England weather is like, it is hard to fathom how anyone would be able to settle here and live in temperate “houses”. Personally, if I were living in England at the time and knew of the harsh conditions of the New World, I would chain myself to my house.
3. To Kill a Mockingbird- This book was named as a “timeless classic”. It is for this particular reason that it is my third favorite book. This book truly spoke to me and offered up historical information on the Great Depression. I have read this novel twice, one for pleasure and the second for school. I couldn’t help but adore Harper Lee’s message, writing style and unique characters like Scout, Jem and Boo.
2. The Bible- As a Catholic, I was taught to look to the Bible for answers. In fact, the Christian religion is built upon this most sacred book. The Bible is my second favorite book because it truly does hold the answers to our society’s past, present and future. The Bible bears so many stories documented over so many years dating back to before the birth of Christ. How can Christians not look to the Bible, which embraces many of today’s universal and ethical messages?
1. My Sister’s Keeper- I read this book only last year and I found it mesmerizing. This novel is overflowing with ethical issues concerning the survival of a teen with leukemia. Luckily for her she has kid sister who acts as her guardian angel whose only reason for existence was for harvesting her bone marrow so that her older sister may have a chance at surviving cancer. I usually don’t like gushy drama-like novels, but in this case I couldn’t put the book down. I like to read about real-life situations. If they have occurred in the past or occur in the modern world, I will read it. This book truly touched me and helped to show me the true value of human life. It is human nature, portrayed by the characters, to wonder, “Why didn’t I do anything to prevent this? Maybe things would be different”.
11. A Countess Below Stairs- I am a big fan of fairy tale-like stories. A Russian countess lives in near poverty after the Russian Revolution and she and her family move to England, where she goes to work at the palace of an earl. The author, Eva Ibbotson, develops a thorough plot and multi-dimensional characters that enhance the quality of the story and make it very appealing. Themes within the story include finding one’s own identity and true love. The countess eventually overcomes many obstacles and “gets the guy”. What girl wouldn’t want a happily ever after?
10. I Have Lived a Thousand Years- I’m an avid reader of books on the Holocaust. I find is amazing how a mass murder of millions souls could ever take place. Survivor’s stories need to be told and I am touched by each account.
9. The Outsiders- It’s Socs verse Greasers, the white trash with cars and money against the white trash with long greasy hair. “Rumbles” are the norm and even chains and switchblades are not uncommon. S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders is one of my all-time favorite books. It amazes me how lack of understanding causes much of the fighting and violence is prevalent in the characters lives. This is one of my favorite books simply because it reveals the truth about human nature.
8. Déjà Dead- This book was probably one of the first adult murder mystery novels I have ever read. Some people find this genre to be quite disturbing and gruesome. I can’t keep my hands off the stuff. The author, Kathy Reichs, is a forensic anthropologist and has a seemingly omniscient and distinct knowledge on the topic which allows for her novels to be thoroughly accurate. In fact, a television program, Bones, is based upon her novels and happens to be my favorite show. Reichs has a rich vocabulary and a great literary mind. For example, the title itself refers to the repeated and violent murders of a serial killer. That’s déjà vu for you!
7. Summer of My German Soldier- I find that the story of World War Two and the Holocaust to be both captivating and horrifying. So far I believe I have read three other Holocaust books, but this story had a different outlook. It told the story of how a Jewish girl sheltered a German soldier. Many people I talk to find that Holocaust stories are heartbreaking, which they are. But this story, even though it is sad as well, sheds a new light on the matter while taking on universal themes like love and stereotyping.
6. She Said Yes- This book tells a mother’s story about her daughter who was essentially killed by gunmen in her school in Columbine, Colorado. I found this story to be one of the most moving and spiritual I have ever read. Though it took me a while to get into the book since it was heavily based on religion, it was a gripping tale. But by the end of the story, the daughter was asked by her attackers if she believed in God. Risking her life, she said “yes”. At the beginning of the story, the daughter was described as being insecure and “hanging around with the wrong people” yet she managed to find a deep relationship with God by the time of her death. Saying that she believed in God was a tremendous thing for her to say, let alone any person staring death right in the face.
5. Harry Potter series- Many say that the series is overrated and I have often been questioned as to why I ever started reading it. Frankly, the timing was perfect when the first book came out. I was somewhere around the age of ten and what tween wouldn’t read about a boy who discovered he was a wizard facing many supernatural challenges? I found that the twisting plot and humorous and witty characters always put a smile on my face. There was always a new challenge for young Harry Potter in each book, from battling Voldemort to practicing new spells in class. Sometimes I even found myself out in my back yard practicing some of those spells. Wingardum Leviosa!
4. The Primrose Way- This historical fiction book made my fourth favorite book because of its historical accuracy and its outlook on American colonization. I couldn’t put this book down and by the time I finished I only wanted to process all of the information. This book makes it hard to believe that people had actually come to this “forsaken” land in search for a new life. Knowing what New England weather is like, it is hard to fathom how anyone would be able to settle here and live in temperate “houses”. Personally, if I were living in England at the time and knew of the harsh conditions of the New World, I would chain myself to my house.
3. To Kill a Mockingbird- This book was named as a “timeless classic”. It is for this particular reason that it is my third favorite book. This book truly spoke to me and offered up historical information on the Great Depression. I have read this novel twice, one for pleasure and the second for school. I couldn’t help but adore Harper Lee’s message, writing style and unique characters like Scout, Jem and Boo.
2. The Bible- As a Catholic, I was taught to look to the Bible for answers. In fact, the Christian religion is built upon this most sacred book. The Bible is my second favorite book because it truly does hold the answers to our society’s past, present and future. The Bible bears so many stories documented over so many years dating back to before the birth of Christ. How can Christians not look to the Bible, which embraces many of today’s universal and ethical messages?
1. My Sister’s Keeper- I read this book only last year and I found it mesmerizing. This novel is overflowing with ethical issues concerning the survival of a teen with leukemia. Luckily for her she has kid sister who acts as her guardian angel whose only reason for existence was for harvesting her bone marrow so that her older sister may have a chance at surviving cancer. I usually don’t like gushy drama-like novels, but in this case I couldn’t put the book down. I like to read about real-life situations. If they have occurred in the past or occur in the modern world, I will read it. This book truly touched me and helped to show me the true value of human life. It is human nature, portrayed by the characters, to wonder, “Why didn’t I do anything to prevent this? Maybe things would be different”.
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