Wednesday March 9, 2011 is World Read Aloud Day!

So go out there, or stay in, and read with someone. Reading to children is wonderful but there are others out there of all ages that would like to be read to!
For more info check out my Storytelling Sub Blog post for WRAD...
Now go and read your favorite book to someone!

Winnie the Pooh, Dr. Suess, Pride and Prejudice....anything at all...just READ!!!!

Another Book List

There are lots of lists on the internet.
Many of them are supposed to be the top 100 books that we should read. I've looked at quite a few of those book lists and usually have read about 25 to 40 of the books but never all of them. Many of the books I agree with... meaning that I agree that more people should read them. But some of the books held no interest for me and I suspect not a lot of interests for other folks either.
I also think a lot of the lists cheat by counting an entire series of books...like the Harry Potter series or Phillip Pullman's Dark series... as one book. One list has the entire works of Shakespeare as one item. Totally not fair!

I like the list I've decided to put up here because it's made up entirely of free books you can find online. I love it! Books that are easily accessible to everyone. Many of the books are free because they are classics and in public domain. Some of the books, I have no idea where they are from and why they are free but hey, who am I to complain?
I've marked the books I've read completely with orange writing and the ones I've read partially with red writing.
Hmmm....interesting, I don't seem to have read any of the books in the finance, business or economics sections....surprising??? I think not ;-P

BTW, I found this list at the blog for BestCollegesOnline.com


****************************************************Classics
The Internet can be a great place to find some of the most important works of literature from the past few hundred years. Here are just a few works that have made must-read lists that you can access for free.

1. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer: Pilgrimages were a major part of medieval life and you can enjoy several different perspectives as Chaucer’s characters travel to Canterbury Cathedral.
2. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain: This well-loved novel follows the hi jinks of young Tom Sawyer, full of humor, adventure and fun.
3. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert: French bourgeois life in all of its soul-crushing triviality is explored through the character of Emma Bovary in this novel.
4. Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Follow along with this book as Captain Ahab tracks down his arch-nemesis the legendary white whale.
5. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo: Full of tragic characters, this novel explores life from its beauty to its horror.
6. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky: Is murder ever justified? This novel explores through its main character the student Raskolnikov.
7. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne: This sci-fi novel is full of adventure as a group of sailors try to track down a deadly sea monster.
8. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: This story explores the many difficulties associated with marriage and morality in 18th century England.
9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre follows Jane, an orphan, throughout her life providing readers with a compelling story full of love, social criticisms and many elements characteristic of the Gothic novel.
10. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: Get a more personalized tale of life during the French Revolution as the monarchy is replaced by a regime responsible for terror and numerous executions.
11. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: Many know little of this novel other than that its long, but the story takes readers through the impact of the Napoleonic invasion of Russia through a vast and varied cast of characters.
12. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas: Treachery and lost love form the basis for this novel by Three Musketeers author Dumas.
13. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad: This novella takes readers to the depths of the Congo to find the mysterious Kurtz, along the way exploring ideas of imperialism.
14. Ulysses by James Joyce: The classical Modernist novel, Ulysses follows the story of the Odyssey through stream of consciousness writing that’s been called everything from brilliant to obscene.
15. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse: This novel parallels the life of the Buddha, employing Eastern philosophy in a beautiful and poignant tale of a quest for enlightenment.
16. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Set in the years following WWI, this book explores the life of Princeton student Amory Blaine as he struggles with greed, morality, status and more.
17. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells: When the Victorian scientist at the center of this story propels himself forward in time he discovers a world that may not be all that it’s cracked up to be.
18. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe: This abolitionist novel helped fuel the movement towards the end of slavery in the United States.
19. Little Women by Louise May Alcott: Follow along with the young women in this novel who come of age in this 19th century setting.
20. Don Quixote by Cervantes: This famous Spanish novel follows the often absurd travels of Don Quixote and his faithful squire Sancho Panza.
21. The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce: Originally published in a magazine, this collection of definitions is entertaining, enlightening and controversial.
22. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: Readers will be familiar with the title character in this novel who leads a double life as the unpredictable Mr. Hyde.
23. Dracula by Bram Stoker: With all the hubbub about vampires these days why not read the classic vampire novel about the most famous vampire of them all?
24. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: This psychological short story will have readers questioning their own judgment about what’s real and what’s imagined.
25. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: The Metamorphosis is one of Kafka’s most famous short stories, transforming traveling salesman Gregor into a horrifying cockroach.

Philosophy and Religion
These famous works will help you get a better understanding of religious and philosophical theories from around the world and through many different periods of time.

26. Voltaire’s Philosophical Dictionary: This series of essays is highly critical of French life during the 19th century and takes aim at the government, society and religious institutions.
27. Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes: This 17th century book on social contract theory explores the nature of legitimate government and the structure of society.
28. Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche: This book deals with ideas such as the "eternal recurrence of the same", the "death of God", and the "prophecy" of the Overman, themes expanded on from earlier writings.
29. Beyond Good and Evil by Freidrich Neitszche: This work expands on Thus Spoke Zarathustra, attempting to move beyond traditional definitions of good and evil and tries to gain a better sense of the nature of knowledge and the condition of modern man.
30. Discourse of a Method by Renee Descartes: This philosophical and mathematical work is essential to understanding modern science and thought.
31. The Tao Te Ching by Laozi: Written in the 6th century, this text is fundamental to the Taoist school of Chinese thought and has had influence throughout the centuries since its creation.
32. The Bible: Even if you’re not a Christian, the Bible will help inform your understanding of numerous aspects of Western society from great art to historical motivations.
33. Martin Luther’s 95 Theses: Breaking with the corrupt and indulgent Catholic Church of the Baroque era, this work marks the beginnings of Protestantism.
34. The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant: Regarded as the most important work by this German philosopher, The Critique of Pure Reason investigates the limitations reason itself.
35. The Sayings of Confucius: With lessons on morality, social relationships, justice and society at large, these teachings form the foundation of Confucianism.
36. The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell: This book is an attempt to create a more accessible guide to the issues of philosophy.
37. Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E.M. Berens: The mythology of ancient Greece and Rome is a part of any complete reading of Western history.
38. The Golden Bough by Sir James George Frazer: This study of mythology and religion takes a logical approach to understanding the place of these in modern society.

Politics, Economics and History
Check out these free books to learn more about some important political and economic ideas.

39. The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels: Even if you don’t agree with the tenets of socialism you can’t argue about the importance of this work that’s essential to understanding political and philosophical thought in the 19th and 20th centuries.
40. Common Sense by Thomas Paine: Those looking to learn more about American history will appreciate this work that encouraged colonists to pursue freedom from British rule.
41. The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith: Scottish economist Adam Smith’s well-known work explores the intricacies of the economics at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
42. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli: While today Machiavelli’s name bring negative connotations, this Italian work is essential reading for those interested in politics and the maintenance of political entities.
43. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair: The burgeoning industries of the U.S. brought about many positive changes but some pretty negative ones as well, and this novel was one of the first to expose the seamy underbelly of turn of the century factory work.

Plays and Poems
While novels are a great source of learning, plays and poems shouldn’t be neglected if you want to be well-rounded in your knowledge of literature. These free selections can be a great place to start.

44. Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson: Get a good background in the works of a great American poet though this free collection.
45. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: With this complete collection of works, you’ll be able to pick and choose the plays and poems you find most interesting.
46. The Complete Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley: Learn more about the works of this Romantic poet through this large collection of his works.
47. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw: While many people may have seen the film adaptation of this play in My Fair Lady, the written version is just as full of wit and charm.
48. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri: Explore the depths of hell through this highly important work of Italian literature.
49. Paradise Lost by John Milton: This epic poem follows the fall of Lucifer and his subsequent seduction into sin of the human race.
50. The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe: One of the most well-known poems ever written, this work by Poe is essential to any reading list.
51. Hedda Gabler by Heinrich Ibsen: In this play, a bored housewife dabbles in the lives of others with disastrous results.
52. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde: With plot twists and turns about mistaken identities, love triangles and romantic affairs this play is an entertaining way to spend an afternoon.
53. The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth: The works of this English Romantic poet helped bring about a new style and approach to literature in 18th century England.
54. The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot: This influential modernist work deals with death, grieving and coming to terms with loss.

Ancient Writings
Go old school with your reading by taking a look at these important texts. You’ll find ideas and stories that have influenced people in the thousand-plus years since they were written.

55. The Iliad by Homer: This epic poem about the Trojan War is one of, if not the oldest, work of literature in the Greek language.
56. The Odyssey by Homer: Homer’s other epic poem, the Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus and his long, problematic journey home.
57. The Art of War by Sun Tzu: The Art of War was written in the 6th century and contains explanations about military strategy and tactics that can still be useful today in any competitive field.
58. The Works of Aristotle: Aristotle’s writings influence writers in the centuries following his life and are still part of philosophy and liberal arts educations today.
59. Symposium by Plato: These speeches by Plato explore love and passion.
60. Apology, Crito, and Phaedo of Socrates by Plato: Socrates was executed for his supposed corruption of young minds, and Plato expands upon the ideas of this great thinker through this series of writings.
61. Aesop’s Fables: From simple morality to classic tales you’ve likely heard before, this collection of fables is full of humor, wit and insight into human nature.
62. Beowulf: This ancient epic work is full of manly fights, hideous, bloodthirsty monsters, revenge, action and adventure that is at your fingertips after you learn to get past the Old English writing.
63. The Aeneid by Virgil: This epic poem tells the story of Aeneas, ancestor to the Romans, and his travels from Troy to Italy.
64. Poetics by Aristotle: Aristotle’s theory of poetry is a classic work that lays out terms you may already be familiar with from catharsis to mimesis.

Technology and Business
Learn more about the basics of business online and off with these free online texts.

65. How to Speak and Write Correctly by Joseph Devlin: Learn how to improve your communication skills from this book, helping you go further in many aspects of life.
66. Professional Customer Service: If you own a business the customer is the real boss, so learn how to provide efficient, high-quality customer service from this ebook.
67. Fail As Fast As You Can and Other Contrarian Business Secrets: Don’t want to run your business into the ground? Check out this online book to learn how to avoid that fate.
68. Beginners Guide to the Internet: Whether you’re trying to get your business on the web or just want to learn to navigate it a little better, this text can give you the information you need.
69. Web Marketing Success: Web marketing is an essential for most businesses today and you’ll get the basics from this ebook.
70. Art and Science of Obtaining Venture or Angel Investor Capital: Need some capital to get your business off the ground? This text can help you find great investors in your business.

Finances
With an economy on the decline, you should be aware of where every cent you have is going. These free texts can help you make sound financial decisions even in tough times.

71. What Women Need to Know About Retirement: This text is a great read for women who want to make sure they’re well-prepared for their golden years.
72. ID Theft: What It’s All About: Worried you might have your identity stolen? This short book will help you understand what happens in ID theft and what you can do to prevent and recover from it.
73. Estate Planning: Make sure your loved ones are well-provided for even if you’re not around with some careful estate planning. Check out this book for tips and advice.
74. Savings Fitness: A Guide to Your Money and Your Financial Future: You worry about getting your body in shape why not your finances too? In this book you’ll find some ways to pump up your savings and investments.
75. Get the Facts on Saving and Investing: This book will give you the basics on saving and investing for newbies in the financial field.
76. Building a Better Credit Report: From getting the free credit report to which you’re entitled to helping improve your credit score, you’ll find loads of helpful advice in this government produced text.
77. Consumer Action Handbook: If you feel like you’ve gotten ripped off you may be able to take action against the perpetrator. Find out more by reading this ebook from this government consumer action group.
78. Taking Control of Your Finances: Feel like you’re going in financial down spin? This text can help you get a handle on your spending, increase saving and deal with a variety of other financial issues.
79. Banking Basics: Learn how to use your bank the right way from this ebook.
80. Know Before You Go: To Get a Mortgage: If you’re thinking of buying a new home this guide can help you make sure you don’t make any big blunders.

Not Just for Kids
While many of these books are today considered children’s literature, their enjoyment is hardly limited to the youthful.

81. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: Take a tumble down the rabbit hole into the topsy-turvy world of this classic book.
82. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams: The stuffed rabbit at the center of this story wants nothing more than to become real through the love of his owner.
83. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie: The iconic character of Peter Pan saw his beginnings in this well-received story.
84. Grimm’s Fairy Tales: With evil witches, beautiful princes, enchantment, adventure and more, these stories will keep adults and children engaged for hours.
85. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: Anyone who’s ever really loved an animal will appreciate this simple, touching story of the life of a horse.
86. Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame: The collection of animal characters that form the cast of this book wander about on the river, ultimately pursuing storylines that provide valuable moral lessons.
87. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson: From swashbuckling on the high seas to hidden treasures, this novel explores themes often uncommon in children’s literature like the ambiguity of morality making it a work that holds up for adult readers as well.
88. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum: While many are familiar with the film version of this classic, the original book is well worth a read at any age.
89. Beatrix Potter Collected Works: Beatrix Potter wrote and illustrated many well-loved children’s stories that appeal to adults and children alike in their simplicity and charm.
90. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift: From the diminutive Lilliputians to the giants of Brobdingnag this book provides plenty of adventure with a little satire on human nature as well.

Miscellaneous
From great biographies to essential historical writings, these varied books are well-worth your time to check out.

91. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: One of the best loved founding fathers, this story tells about the life of Franklin in his own words.
92. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: Here you’ll find an epic success story of the child of slaves who grew to be a great intellectual and public figure.
93. The Education of Henry Adams: This book records the experiences of Henry Adams as he comes to terms with the changing and modernizing world in his old age.
94. The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci: Explore the mind of one of the greatest artists and thinkers through his many notebooks.
95. Concerning the Spiritual in Art by Wassily Kandinsky: This modernist painter explores how painting affects the viewer in this theoretical work.
96. Lives of the Artists by Giorgio Vasari: Often regarded as the earliest art historian, Vasari writes about the lives of the artists that play an important role in the Renaissance and the years leading up to it.
97. On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: While it may not make for the most exciting reading, this book is essential for those who want to understand the origins of modern biology.
98. Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson: From advocating the rights of women to speaking about the joys of nature, this collection of essays is great non-fiction reading.
99. Walden by Henry David Thoreau: Get some inspiration on moving closer to nature in this classic work.
100. The Kama Sutra by Vatsyayana: Keep your relationships spicy by checking out this ancient text full of advice on the art of lovemaking.

How sad.....

World Read Aloud Day

Yes, it's another day dedicated to reading, books and kids....well, you can read to adults too.

World Read Aloud Day

March 3, 2010 has been established as LitWorld's first World Read Aloud Day to celebrate and encourage the invaluable practice of reading aloud and to bring attention to the importance of literacy across all countries and for all of humanity.

info found at www.litworld.org

Here's a short tale about Nasreddin Hodja. Read it to someone today.

A beggar was given a piece of bread, but nothing to put on it. Hoping to get something to go with his bread, he went to a nearby inn and asked for a handout. The innkeeper turned him away with nothing, but the beggar sneaked into the kitchen where he saw a large pot of soup cooking over the fire. He held his piece of bread over the steaming pot, hoping to thus capture a bit of flavor from the good-smelling vapor.

Suddenly the innkeeper seized him by the arm and accused him of stealing soup.

"I took no soup," said the beggar. "I was only smelling the vapor."

"Then you must pay for the smell," answered the innkeeper.

The poor beggar had no money, so the angry innkeeper dragged him before the qadi(judge).

Now Nasreddin Hodja was at that time serving as qadi, and he heard the innkeeper's complaint and the beggar's explanation.

"So you demand payment for the smell of your soup?" summarized the Hodja after the hearing.

"Yes!" insisted the innkeeper.

"Then I myself will pay you," said the Hodja, "and I will pay for the smell of your soup with the sound of money."

Thus saying, the Hodja drew two coins from his pocket, rang them together loudly, put them back into his pocket, and sent the beggar and the innkeeper each on his own way.

Have you written your letter yet?

January 8-12 is Universal Letter Writing Week. This is a great time to practice the almost lost are of letter writing. In this computer age, we tend to write short email messages,text messages or IMs. If we're not careful we may lose the art of writing a letter.





Everyone enjoys receiving mail. Sending a letter is the next best thing to showing up personally at someone’s door and says "I'm thinking of you." (that picture is kinda scary isn't ? but I just love it!) Don't your eyes just light up when you receive an actual personal letter in the mail? Mine do. Of course, I can't remember the last time I received a letter. Emails and text messages..yes...a letter...no. The best way to get a letter is to send a letter. So, I suppose I need to start writing. Not wanting to do this alone, I invite all of you (yeah, the few who read this) to join me in sending a few letters out into the world. Hey, maybe we can start a whole letter writing resurgence! (the post office would love us!)



IF you really want to make letter writing and receiving fun, you can make your own stationery. Using paper bags to make stationery is simple and can usually be done with objects you already have on hand. If you want to get really fancy you can actually Make Your Own Paper by recycling scraps of paper that you have at home.
You'll find information on a simple ways of making paper at home at this link

To get started right away on your letters (I know you can't wait) try making Paper Bag Stationery

Materials needed:

* Paper bags (you can use brown grocery bags or bags from department stores)
* Scissors, if you have any with decorative edges they make very pretty stationery
* Paper punches, many paper punches come in shapes (hearts, stars etc)
* Colored Pens or Pencils
* Optional - Rubber stamps and ink; stickers

How to:

1. Cut pieces of the brown bag into rectangles, squares, hearts or whatever stationery shapes you wish. The size of the "stationery" depends on the size of the envelopes you'll be using.
2. The paper will look more decorative if you cut it using scissors with shaped edges. Or you can use regular scissors to round the edges of the paper.
3. Use the paper punch to decorate the edges of your stationery.
4. Draw designs on you paper using colored pens and pencils or decorate with stickers and rubber stamps.
5. Be sure to leave space in the center of the stationery to write your letter.
6. If you wish you can cut designs and patterns from old cards, wrapping paper or fabric with plain or decorative edge scissors and then use the designs to decorate your paper bag stationery.


Now that you gone through the trouble of making your own writing paper, why not make a few special envelopes too? You can make envelopes using leftover wrapping paper or attractive magazine pages.

How to make Envelopes from Recycled Paper

Materials needed:
* Pages from old wallpaper sample books, leftover wrapping paper, magazine pages, slightly heavier paper holds up better
* An envelope
* Cereal box cardboard
* Pencil
* Scissors
* Glue

How to:

1. Search your home or your friends homes for old magazines or wrapping paper. You can also go to stores and see if they have any old wallpaper sample books. Usually they give them away.
2. Take a small mailing envelope and carefully pull the glued edges apart. Use this as your pattern.
3. Trace the envelope on a piece of cardboard (cereal boxes work well) so that you have a durable pattern.
4. Place your cardboard pattern on the paper you have chosen for your envelope and trace.
5. Cut out the pattern.
6. Fold carefully and glue.
That's it! You now have a unique envelope ready for mailing!!



For parents and teachers, Universal Letter Writing Week is the perfect excuse to get kids to practice "traditional" letter writing which also includes a little work on penmanship, grammar, spelling and sentence structure (but you don't have to tell the kids about that). Need something to jumpstart their interests (or yours) in letter writing? Check out this list of Picture Books that Inspire Letter Writing that I put together on Amazon (don't ya just love Amazon?).
One of my fave "how to" books on this list is Messages in a Mailbox: How to Write a Letter by Loreen Leedy . It's a fun book but full of all kinds of information on letter writing, some of which we may have forgotten.

Happy Writing!!!

Now they're just being silly!!!

Good Grief!!
First there was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, it came out in April of this year and I read it (here's my blog on that book).

It's actually a fun, though strange, book, especially if you know P&P backwards and forwards.

But noooow....we have Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange.

Just when you think it's safe to go back to the bookstore!

Apparently Ms. Grange starts her story where Pride and Prejudice ends and introduces a dark Darcy family curse.
Okay, like....how the heck did we miss that the man was a vampyre???
I'm sure she explains it.

Ms Grange also wrote Mr. Darcy's Diary which I have read. It was okay not my favorite Mr Darcy background book. The best of those might be Pamela Aidan's trilogy of books in the Fitzwilliam Darcy: Gentleman series. I enjoyed Ms. Aidan's books, there are three of them, and read them simultaneously while rereading P&P.

Mr Darcy, Vampyre comes out in August. I doubt if I will be able to stop myself from reading it. Hopefully it will be as fun and lighthearted as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

I wonder what's next???? Elizabeth Bennet-Darcy, Werewolf????

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies?????

Is nothing sacred??

I just found out about this new book, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
It just came out in April.

At first, I was in shock but then asked myself why???
I mean, really, nothing is sacred...anyone who has read Christopher Moore's Lamb knows that(I have to admit that the book was funny).

So, why should I be surprised that someone added zombies to Pride and Prejudice???

You may have guessed by now that I am a HUGE Pride and Prejudice fan.
I have read the book countless time.

I have the audiobook which I have listened too so many time that I think I can say the lines with the characters now (okay not all of them just Elizabeth and maybe a few of Darcy's).

I love the mini series version of P&P that the BBC put out in.....I think it came out in 1995.

The 2005 movie version was too, too dark for me

And I have read many of the P&P continuations.
My fave is Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife.

That book was fabulous!!!

Anyhoo, I read a few reviews of the new PP&Z and it doesn't sound half bad.
I suppose, I will HAVE to go buy the book and read it

Dang it!! I just left the bookstore 2 hours ago...aaaand I had a coupon!!!

The first line of the book is.....

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."

Too, too funny!!! Especially if you have the first line memorized.

Here's what Amazon has to say about the book.....

So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton—and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Can she vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you'd actually want to read.

Here are a few scenes from the BBC mini series set to one of my fave songs!!


OMG!! The very best scene....the end when they FINALLY get together!

Love, Laughter, Peace, Blessings and watch out for zombies!!!

"How can anyone be afraid of Love?"

She didn't understand that. "How can anyone be afraid of love?"

"How can they not?" His face was completely aghast. "When you love someone...truly love them, friend or lover, you lay your heart open to them. You give them a part of yourself that you give to no one else, and you let them inside a part of you that only they can hurt___you literally hand them the razor with a map of where to cut deepest and most painfully on your heart and soul. And when they do strike, it's crippling__like having your heart carved out. It leaves you naked and exposed, wondering what you did to make them want to hurt you so badly when all you did was love them. What is so wrong with you that no one can keep faith with you? That no one can love you? To have it happen once is bad enough.... but to have it repeated? Who in their right mind would not be terrified of that?"

Excerpt from Devil May Cry by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Why did I put this up?
Because when I read this it meant something to me.
Okay, I like to think I am an upbeat person and I don't dwell on the negative but this seemed to be soooo.....ummm.....I don't know....true???

So, what do you think?
Really.....I want to know.

I'll be waiting....somewhat impatiently for your answer!

Love, Laughter, Peace and Blessings y'all!
La

My Favorite Relationship Song

Alright, I exaggerate, it is "one" of my fave relationship songs.
But I swear every time I hear it, I think, "Yep, that describes many a relationship, mine and others."
The standard "can't live with them, can't live without them" syndrome.

Oops! I realize I have yet to name the song.
It is "I Hate You Then I Love You". I still haven't found out who wrote this song but I know that it was around in the mid "80's because there is a youtube of Julio Iglesia and Dionne Warwick singing it. I have to say that I prefer the version sung by Celine Dion and Luciano Pavarotti.

After I put this first vid up, I noticed that someone had set scenes from Pride and Prejudice to this song and I thought, "Oh my god! This is the perfect song for that story!"

In case you don't know, and why would you, I absolutely LOVE that book!
I have read it countless times and have read the contemporary continuations of the story. Some of them are darned good!

I hope you enjoy the song and the vids! And please do watch the Pride and Prejudice vid. It is fab!
PSSSSST!!! The words to the song are to the left in a cute little scrolling box.

Celine Dion & Pavarotti - I Hate You Then I Love You



Pride & Prejudice ♥ I Hate You then I Love You