Reading – Page 2 – …on the B.L.

Worth A Read Yes
Length 207
Quick Review A collection of stories for Christmas highlighting the beauty of family and the drama that comes with it.

wp-1578979774759 — Christmas at Thompson Hall & Other Christmas Stories by Anthony Trollop at River Oaks District in Houston. | Dress | Shoes | Watch | Earrings

Anthony Trollope is a fabulously creative novelist. He brings all of his intensity to the storyline and characters in the five short stories celebrating Christmas and the crazy people we love. Trollope makes a seemingly innocuous blunder become a tragic and reputation threatening incident in Christmas at Thompson Hall.

The stories are centered around simple events or moments, which turn and create emotionally charged schisms with all the pomp and circumstance anyone could dream of at Christmas. It is fabulously frustrating.

Each of the characters are completely absurd but also relatable. You can’t help but empathize with them. They all care very deeply but have self centered streaks a mile long. There are so many cringe inducing moments that make the stories absolutely enthralling and entertaining because as the reader, you know exactly what’s going to happen but can’t look away.

Trollope has amazing observations, which ground the characters and the plot in reality because everyone can identify with what is being stated. “Seats, I fancy, are regularly found, even by the most tardy, but it always appears that every British father and every British husband is actuated at these stormy moments by a conviction that unless he prove himself a very Hercules he and his daughters and his wife will be left desolate in Paris.” Ugh, it’s so true!

Even though The Mistletoe Bough was published on December 21, 1861, there are so many funny moments. “Kissing, I fear, is less innocent now than it used to be when our grandmothers were alive, and we have become more fastidious in our amusements.” No one today would probably think this about a book published over 150 years ago, but they used to have their fun too.

I loved reading these short stories. They’re such a delightfully funny look into historical Christmases.

Memorable Quotes
“But on this occasion, at this Christmas of 187-, Paris was neither gay nor pretty nor lively.”
“We know how prone the strong are to suspect the weakness of the week, – as the weak are to be disgusted by the strength of the strong.”

bisous und обьятий,
RaeAnna

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Title: Christmas at Thompson Hall & Other Christmas Stories
Author: Anthony Trollope
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 9780143122470

Books, Fiction

Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

December 20, 2019 RaeAnna

Worth A Read Maybe
Length 448
Quick Review Becky is back to her shopaholic ways, and it’s Christmas time when everyone is a bit of a shopaholic.

20191217_193206 — How my face would be if I had to shop being followed by paparazzi. | Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella | Sparkle Booties | Purple Satin Skirt | Sweater | Scarf | Earrings | Glasses |

I haven’t read any of the other Shopaholic books by Kinsella, so this was my introduction into Rebecca Brandon née Bloomwood. Honestly, I can’t tell if Kinsella has created a series to critique the consumerism of today’s capitalist society or if she’s creating a hardcore shopping fantasy incarnate in Becky for women to live through. Both? I have my preference. Anyways… Christmas Shopaholic is the newest installment in the series.

Rebecca Brandon née Bloomwood is married to Luke. They have a young daughter Minnie and live outside of London near her parents. Becky works in her best friend’s shop. Luke does financial stuff. I won’t get into the plot because it’s very well done. Kinsella manages to throw a ton of subplots together in a way that truly mimics the complexities of life. Although, I’m not sure the characters are as believable.

Being up front and honest here. Rebecca, Becks, Becky – whatever she goes by – would irritate the ever living crap out of me. After reading Christmas Shopaholic, I don’t think I can read any more of these books. The title says it all; Becky is a true shopaholic. I don’t mean she likes to shop, I mean it’s a condition. She should see a therapist. I found her to be completely delusional about everything. She truly isn’t a bad person. She has good intentions. She’s just an idiot in many ways. She makes me cringe in just about every social situation. I also don’t know why she always has to introduce herself to everyone as Rebecca Brandon née Bloomwood. Is it a way to show she’s a feminist? Does she really like her maiden name? Is she trying to sound continental? I DON’T KNOW.

Another baffling thing is the marriage between Becky and Luke. I don’t know how her husband puts up with any of it. It seems like a really odd pairing anyways. A man who is very good with money and business married to a woman who finds an excuse to buy literally anything. When there isn’t something to buy, she comes up with a reason to buy something. The two together seem like a recipe for divorce and not at all an opposites attract situation. I kept wondering what Minnie, their daughter, would grow up to be like.

That being said… There were tons of really great moments. Kinsella makes poignant observations about sexism, classicism, family, holidays, consumerism, and more. I don’t think I can read any more of the Shopaholic series because Becky is not my cup of tea. I do think there are some really great parts about Christmas Shopaholic that override my disdain for the character. It’s a good book to curl up with and enjoy cookies this Christmas.

Memorable Quotes
Online ordering isn’t really shopping, it’s “procuring.” You procure stuff online. You don’t get the buzz of actually stepping into a shop and seeing all the gorgeous stuff, feeling it, stroking it, being seduced by it.”
“Whatever the Grinch can steal, that’s not Christmas.”

bisous und обьятий,
RaeAnna

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Title: Christmas Shopaholic
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Publisher: The Dial Press
Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 9780593132821

Books, Reading Lists

11 Books to Read This Christmas

November 12, 2019 RaeAnna

Beau agrees, she can’t believe it’s Christmas already!!! | A Christmas Treasury | Christmas Dog Mug

Hi. Halloween has come and gone, which means it’s the best season of all. Christmas. I’ve been listening to Christmas music for eleven days now. Last year, I read a bunch of Christmas books in three weeks. I started earlier this year, but I have more to read. I haven’t posted any seasonal book reviews yet because I know not everyone is as Christmabsessed as I am. Anyways, here are eleven books you can and should read during the happiest time of year.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (classic, duh)
The Nutcracker by Alexandre Dumas (not the ballet)
The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn
The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum
Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
Letter from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas by Jeff Guinn

Some of these I’ve read in previous years. Some I have read this year, and there are a few I haven’t read yet, but they’re waiting for me on my shelf to read in front of the tree!!!

Books, Fiction

The Farm by Joanne Ramos

August 13, 2019August 12, 2019 RaeAnna

Worth a Read Yes
Length 336
Quick Review Golden Oaks is a gilded cage for the very wealthy to know their babies are getting the best of everything including surrogates.

Reading The Farm by Joanne Ramos in Jacksonville, North Carolina. | Dress | Shoes | Sunglasses

Cover of The Farm by Joanne Ramos. | Dress |

The Farm is Joanne Ramos’ debut novel. Ramos balances the outlandish and the painfully possible reality the near future could hold for privileged and not-so-privileged parts of society.

Golden Oaks is a place where young, healthy, pretty, desperate-for-money women go to be Hosts for lavishly wealthy Clients in want of a baby or three. Located a few hours outside of New York City, it couldn’t be a safer or more beautiful place for a baby to grow under the watchful eye of trained health professionals looking after every aspect of the baby and the Host. Women of all colors, backgrounds, and ethnicities are hosts at Golden Oaks, which is not-so-lovingly referred to as The Farm by many of the Hosts.

The story follows four women from vastly different backgrounds. Mae is an American of Asian descent who manages Golden Oaks. Jane is a Filipino immigrant trying to support her daughter. Ate is Jane’s older, Filipino, immigrant cousin who nannies for upper class New York families. Reagan is a young, wealthy, white woman trying to make enough money to support her art career without her father’s money and control. The Farm dives into socioeconomic diversity and driving forces behind poverty, emigration, and choices women make based solely on need.

Ramos fills The Farm with interesting plots and characters. There is a 1984 Big Brother kind of feel to the novel that is simultaneously overtly creepy yet almost comforting. Though, the plot has a happier rather than completely realistic ending, there are very realistic aspects and problems to Golden Oaks that ground the plot in human emotion and complexity. Ramos doesn’t simplify difficult concepts nor does she try to explain them. She tells a story about motivation, poverty, and womanhood allowing the reader to take away what they will.

The quote “Sometimes a person has no choice but hard choices…” is incredibly insightful and the entire point of The Farm. Though simple in concept, it can be hard for people who have never experienced that kind of desperation to understand what women will do when their backs are against a wall looking into the mouth of a hippo.

The Farm is heartbreaking and infuriating. Joanne Ramos’ has quite a literary career ahead of her if this is what she brings to the table with her debut novel.

Memorable Quotes
“But babies are stronger than people think, and smarter.”
“the monumental efforts taken to make Clients feel food about outsourcing their pregnancies.”
“As if being a good girl and being strong willed were in conflict.”

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Title: The Farm
Author: Joanne Ramos
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 9781984853752

Books, Fiction

China Rich Girlfriend

May 21, 2019May 16, 2019 RaeAnna

Worth A Read Meh
Length 479
Quick Review Rachel Chu and Nick Young are newlyweds, but not everything is honeymoon perfect when they decide to spend the summer in China.

Reading China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan in Houston’s Museum District. | Red Dress | Shoes

I have mixed feelings about the Crazy Rich Asians the book and the movie. You can read that review here. I have a thing about always finishing every book I read. I don’t often read series, but when I do, I read the whole thing. Since is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I thought I’d read Kevin Kwan’s China Rich Girlfriend.

Rachel Chu is an economy professor in New York with her new husband, Nick Young, a history professor. They get married even after opposition from his wealthier than shit Singaporean family. Due to random circumstances, Rachel finds her biological father and spends her honeymoon in China getting to know her brother. She and Nick get swept up in Hong Kong high society and all the drama the uber wealthy find.

The issues I had with the first book are pretty much the same issues I have with China Rich Girlfriend. The plot is engaging and moves very quickly. It’s easy to keep reading. The fast moving, drama filled plot distracts from the flat and empty characters. It’s hard to have any emotional connection with the characters because they don’t seem to exist in a human realm of emotion. If it weren’t for the great acting done by the cast in the movie – especially Constance Wu – I would have no thoughts or connection to any of the characters. It’s all story and drama with no depth. It’s a great mindless read to get swept up in while by the pool watching your kids, a bird, or napping. You don’t have to pay that much attention to this book.

China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan | Dress

The lack of character development doesn’t take away from the fun narrative style Kwan brings to China Rich Girlfriend. The narrative style was equally fun and satirical in Crazy Rich Asians. There’s a lot of grandiosity and throwing around of wealth, which, honestly, sounds like a heap load of fun if I had a gold bar pooping unicorn in my backyard. Like in the first book, Kwan utilizes footnotes to bring the reader into his high-society world full of drama with fun tidbits, gossip, and more. Footnotes are also used to alert the reader to cultural things most [Western] readers probably wouldn’t pick up on. He does a good job highlighting the hypocrisy of the uber wealthy. One fun one is the women carrying Birkin bags but cutting out coupons. It seems ridiculous, but I whole-heartedly believe women like this exist in the world. (I would probably be one of them.)

Overall, China Rich Girlfriend has a lot of redeeming points as a vacation or summer read. If you’re looking for an insightful look into the meaning of life or quintessence of humanity, this is not it. It’s a soap opera in book form. Fun but not good.

Memorable Quotes
““Bernard has no money. He only gets about ten million a year to live on,” Carol confirmed.”

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I absolutely love this red dress from Target. It’s such a cute wrap dress. I have terrible luck finding wrap dresses that won’t blow wide open at the thought of wind, but this one doesn’t! Also these shoes from Target are perfect. I love a good pointy-toed nude shoe.

Title: China Rich Girlfriend
Author: Kevin Kwan
Publisher: Anchor Books
Copyright: 2015
ISBN: 9780804172066

Books, Fiction

Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin

May 18, 2019May 17, 2019 RaeAnna

Read Yes
Length 706
Quick Review The Targaryens came to Westeros. Aegon I united the seven kingdoms and began a three hundred year dynasty leading to the events being played out in the beloved show Game of Thrones.

Lounging in a burgundy ballgown at Glassell in Houston and Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin.

Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin | Burgundy Mermaid Gown

I love the HBO show Game of Thrones based off George R.R. Martin’s series A Song of Ice and Fire. I’m sad to see it go tomorrow night. I’ve been holding off reading the books until the show is over. I didn’t hesitate to read this prequel, though.

I started watching Game of Thrones the show in its second season. I don’t read fantasy because I don’t like it. The exception being Harry Potter, everyone should read that; it’s culturally important. Game of Thrones is one of those series that has gripped the world. It’s incredibly well done, but I haven’t read the books. I finished George RR Martin’s first prequel (there will be two) Fire & Blood, and it was not what I thought it would be.

I don’t know what I expected out of this book, but this wasn’t it. I liked it, but it was boring. Like really boring. I love history books, I think they’re far more interesting than novels to be honest. I’m the kind of person that enjoys reading textbooks. Fire & Blood read like an incredibly dry history book. In all honesty, it kind of is.

Fire & Blood is the first of a two part prequel documenting the 300 year reign of House Targaryen over Westeros until their demise leading to the storyline played out for the world to watch on HBO. The Targaryens came to Westeros after the Doom of Valeria and resided on Dragonstone for awhile. Then, Aegon I decided to hop on his dragon and conquer/unite the seven kingdoms of Westeros WITH his sisters Visenya and Rhaenys, which Arya points out to Tywin Lannister in season 2 episode 7. FYI, Aegon’s sisters are his wives. This is totally normal and fine for the Targaryens, which could be more pointed out in the show. The book follows the ruling Targaryens in Westeros for a good 150 odd years. Including the Dance of Dragons.

Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin calls for dressing up in a ball gown. Obviously. I’m fancy.

After reading the prequel, things happening in the show made a LOT more sense. Names and stories from history made in passing during the show come to life within the 700 pages of Fire & Blood. The dialogue is a little rudimentary and clunky at times: “But not so high as to keep out dragons. Dragons fly.” Not so riveting. There is a lot in this book. Dorne is probably my favorite. Yay strong warrior women and female leaders.

Martin has an incredible mind. History is made up of people who actually lived, breathed, and did stuff. Creating that kind of intricacy in an imaginary world really deserves a great deal of applause. The book might be a bit dry, but the amount of information he comes up with and gives background to is truly remarkable. I love history, so it’s fun to find the historical parallels. Martin also has a great deal of respect for women. The female characters are incredibly powerful and probably more dimensenial than the male characters. That said, Martin doesn’t shy away from the difficulties facing women historically and documents the expectations, violence, cruelty, and blatant overlooking of their existence within the pages. The illustrations throughout Fire & Blood are quite beautiful. What is interesting is the fact the men age, but the women stay young and beautiful when illustrated. (Unless they are old and mean to begin with. Old being a relative term.)

It took me awhile to read the book because a) it is a big book b) it reads fairly dryly. Over all, I really enjoyed Fire & Blood as a whole. The story and Martin’s imagination are quite fantastical. I would suggest it, but it can get a bit dry at times. I love being able to watch the show and understand the history and the references much better than I did before.

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Memorable Quotes
“The game of thrones takes many a queer turn…”
“And in songs, as ever, love conquers all. The truth, we submit, is a deal less simple.”
“Save my wife, you should have said, but what are wives to men like you.”
“…no plan made by man has ever withstood the whims of the gods above.”

Title: Fire & Blood
Author: George R.R. Martin
Publisher: Bantam Books (Penguin Random House)
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9781524796280

Tag: Reading

Christmas at Thompson Hall & Other Christmas Stories by Anthony Trollope

Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

11 Books to Read This Christmas

The Farm by Joanne Ramos

China Rich Girlfriend

Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin