Do You Love Reading Children's Books?

Do you enjoy reading books for children? Not reading children's books to children for their education, entertainment, and enjoyment. But do you - the adult-like reading them?

Several years back, my spouse and I contemplated the idea of writing books for children. We even had ourselves tested to see if we had the necessary skills and aptitude. We were looking for a means of earning income while working from home and caring for our young children and thought this might be a viable solution. The test results were persuasive, so we decided on this path to pursue our financial goals. We will never know if we would have been as successful as the author of the Harry Potter books. After a few manuscript rejections by various publishers, we turned our efforts to more practical, more immediate, income-earning opportunities.

Although no longer interested in writing books for children, I discovered something about myself that I did not know. I thoroughly enjoy immersing myself in children's books. Not reading them to my children or to children, but I like reading them for myself. Yes. It's an indulgence.


Many books for children, adolescents or young adults are about 100 to 250 pages and are a quick read. Those marvelous children's picture books with their exquisite illustrations are even shorter reads; about 25 pages, pictures included. But what a wonderful distraction they are from the daily grind of work, housework, grocery shopping, and other mundane chores. They're so adventurous and other-worldly. Reading children's books actually refreshes and energizes me.


During the course of our failed attempt at becoming children's book authors, I found numerous writers in this field that I wish I had been introduced to when I myself was a child. I had never heard of many of them and yet they were award-winning, outstanding, notable, respected authors. Laurence Yep, Katherine Paterson, Madeleine L'Engle and Jane Yolen are four such writers.

So, if you're wondering what would be a guilt-free indulgence to set yourself free from your daily routine for just a few moments, try reading a children's book. Choose books by the authors mentioned above, or if you don't know where to begin, visit Al's Book Club for Kids. Oprah also publishes a Kids' Reading List. Although these lists were created with children in mind, they are perfect for those of us who want to indulge our inner child.



References:

• Paterson, Katherine. Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1983. Print.
• L'Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1962. Print.
• "Jane Yolen." Fantastic Fiction. Web. 27 Apr 2011.
• "Al's Book Club for Kids.", TODAY.com: Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry, Al Roker, Natalie Morales, TODAY Show Video, News, Recipes, Health, Pets. Web. 27 Apr 2011.
• "Kids' Reading List - Oprah.com." Oprah Winfrey's Official Website - Live Your Best Life - Oprah.com. Web. 27 Apr 2011.
• "Author Katherine Paterson After Bridge to Terabithia - Oprah.com."Oprah Winfrey's Official Website - Live Your Best Life - Oprah.com. Web. 27 Apr. 2011.
• "FIND A BOOK: L'ENGLE, MADELEINE." Anita Silvey's Children's Book-A-Day Almanac. Web. 27 Apr 2011.

Suggested link: Children who have published books and have made an impact on the world of literature. Click this link to read Literary History: Children Authors. It's fascinating!


Original Source
( NOTE: Full article previously published a YAHOO Voices.  YCN website shut down.  Portions of republished various places around the web. )


Browse books by the authors:
Laurence Yep
Katherine Paterson
Madeleine L'Engle
Jane Yolen

Book Suggestions : Classic Literature: Francois-Marie Arouet (1694 - 1778) aka Voltaire

Francois-Marie Arouet (1694 - 1778), who later took the name of Voltaire, was once hailed as “the wittiest writer in an age of great wits”, and Candide (or Optimism) was considered “his wittiest novel”. The topic he chose to exercise his wit upon in this novel was the problem of human suffering.


Candide (or Optimism) was written in 1758. At that time, Voltaire was 64 years old. Most consider this his most important work — representative of The Enlightenment (1650-1800). The personal suffering he had endured in his own lifetime, and his study of history convinced him that there is no such thing as Divine Providence directing all human affairs.

Francois Marie Arouet, Called Voltaire (1694-1778).

Brief Bio of Voltaire and Intro to Candide - HUBPages.com

* * *
Interesting Link:

Long-lost letters reveal the young Voltaire | The Cotton Boll Conspiracy :  More than a dozen letters penned by French Enlightenment figure Voltaire nearly 300 years ago have been uncovered recently and are now being studied by a British professor …

volty poster by Morton91

"...Andrew Breitbart said that #politics is downstream from culture... political battles are won or lost based on the culture from which #voters derive their #values. ..."
Classical Liberalism: How Small #Government Can Regain Its Voice - @AmericanThinker https://t.co/qAshEtaZ7q pic.twitter.com/S2G7O5vlJR

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) June 8, 2024

The best way to start on Enlightenment #philosophy https://t.co/9WfCF0rbTI #continuingeducation pic.twitter.com/iowUwJVFvM

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) June 8, 2024

"Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, Leibniz, and Hume all made their mark. The Dream of Enlightenment tells their story, and that of the birth of modern #philosophy."
**The Dream of Enlightenment: The Rise of Modern Philosophy https://t.co/JxeyTVjEYo via @amazon @audible_com

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) June 8, 2024

"...this landmark study of early Western thought now appears in a new edition with expanded coverage of the Middle Ages" ... The Dream of Reason, New Ed.: A #History of Western #Philosophy from the #Greeks to the #Renaissance https://t.co/zCJ6uKhz5X via @amazon @audible_com pic.twitter.com/JGUunom7d1

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) June 8, 2024

Prezi. “Enlightenment Philosophers: Locke, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Rousseau.” YouTube Video. YouTube, August 12, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3d609dAxMg. ‌

The Black Girl in Search of God and Some Lesser Tales (Guest Post)

Book Review: The Black Girl in Search of God and Some Lesser Tales by Bernard Shaw

By: Philip Spires

The title piece in this anthology is a parable on the nature of religious belief. When first published in 1932 it caused quite a stir and I wondered whether the intervening 75 years might have rendered it something less of a shocker. I found that, apart from one violation of current political correctness and a few inevitable stylistic issues, the message had lost none of its poignancy and perhaps little of its ability to shock.

"The Black Girl in Search of God" is not a novel or a novella. It is not really a short story either. I choose to describe it as a parable because others have, but equally, it could be classed alongside Plato's symposium as a vehicle for examining a philosophical idea. It's not a discourse, but it could be a meditation, albeit a rather energetic one. The idea in question, of course, is the nature of religious belief.

The Black Girl of the title is only cast as such, I think, to provide Bernard Shaw, the author, with a literary vehicle to convey his otherwise naïve questions about Christianity. To this end, The Black Girl is presented as a "noble savage", and thus a tabula rasa. It is here - and only here - that Shaw violates current correctness. The character could have been cast as a child, but then she could not have threatened to wield her knobkerrie, her weapon, and nor could she have been portrayed as bringing no tradition of her own. We must accept, therefore, that there remains a functionality about the role of this character. She does not represent anything, except her ability to ask the questions she is required to ask.

The Black Girl has been converted to Christianity by a young British woman who has taken delight in amorously jilting a series of vicars. She then becomes a missionary, despite her clearly thin grasp of the subject matter. She is, perhaps, an allegory of colonial expansion. She goes abroad to teach others despite not having achieved fulfillment or knowledge in her own life. It might be important that the teacher and the taught are both women.

When her convert starts asking questions, fundamental questions that the missionary herself has never heard asked, never mind answered, she reverts to invention, not scholarship. Shaw's intention is clear. She invents myth to mystify myth. And this cloak satisfies the curiosity of the average Christian, but not The Black Girl, who thus goes off in search of God.

And, guided by snakes, she finds Him. And not just once, because there is more than one God in the Bible she carries. There is the God of Wrath, who demands the sacrifice of her child. When she cannot comply, He demands she find her father so he can sacrifice her. A good part of the Bible thus disappears from her new-found faith.

She meets an apparent God of Love, but he laughs at Job for being so naively and blindly devout. More of her book blows away.

She meets prophets who, one by one, deliver their different messages, most of which conflict and communicate individual political positions or bigotry rather than personal revelation.

On the way, she belittles Imperial power and male domination. She learns that most "civilized" countries have given up on God and hears a plea that people like her should not be taught things that the mother country no longer believes.

Scientists offer her equally conflicting opinions. They are careful only to describe, never to conclude or interpret. In a way, they are just modern prophets, each with their own interested positions.

There is an amazing episode where a mathematician implores her to consider complex numbers, the square root of minus x, which The Black Girl hears as Myna sex or perhaps its homophone minor sex, and is clearly a reference to feminism. Along with economic power and male dominance, The Black Girl sees guns as the highest achievement of white society. This anticipates the description of colonialism's trinity in Ngugi's Petals of Blood.

Then, in a strange section, an Arab discusses belief with a conjuror. These appear to be a pair of major prophets in thin disguise. But their discussions merely confuse the girl and their words skirt her questions.

And so she meets an Irishman, marries and settles down. She devotes herself to him, their coffee-colored children and the fruits of their garden. Note that she does not devote herself to herself. She projects out, does not analyze within. And in this utterly humanist universe she finds not only personal happiness, but also fulfillment and, with that, answers to her own metaphysical questions that religion per se could not even address.

And so, as the parable closes, we ponder whether the Irishman she marries is Shaw, and whether The Black Girl is the questioning, non-racist, non-sexist, socialist and humanist vision of the future he has personally espoused.

And as for the Lesser Tales, they are generally lesser. Don Giovanni explaining himself was fun and the Death of an Old Revolutionary Hero was prescient of the role of the Socialist Workers' Party adopted in maintaining Margaret Thatcher in power in the 1980s. A great, historical and fundamentally contemporary read.

* * *

Author Bio
Philip Spires
Author of "Mission", an African novel set in Kenya
www.philipspires.co.uk
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

The Black Girl in Search of God and Some Lesser Tales https://t.co/uhFVYJDhw7 via @amazon #books #BooksWorthReading #reading #readinglist
This book caused #controversy when it 1st appeared in 1932. It provoked a public outcry. #GeorgeBernardShaw was decried as a blasphemer. pic.twitter.com/biFhSiwgx9

— My Shopping Channel (@goshoppingbees) May 10, 2024

Entertainment: Celebrities: In Memory of: Doris Day (1922 - 2019)

Must say good-bye to "America's girl next door" and Hollywood legend, Doris Day.  She had a major influence on my childhood development.  She charmed me.  That was her appeal.  I think she charmed everyone; publicly and privately.  I loved all of her movies.  No really.  There is not one movie she starred in that I did not like.  

For me, the most memorable movie was the one where she sang "Que sera, sera" and she had to land that airplane: The Man Who Knew Too Much.  It was a departure from her usually light-hearted comedy roles.  That movie was very serious and she played her part quite convincingly.  I have wonderful memories of this fine actress.  

She wasn't included in My Top 10 List of Iconic Female Celebrities' even though she suits the definition for "iconic". It's because she deserves a spotlight all her own.

Doris Day never stopped being cover bait for CLOSER. (These are all from the past three years.) pic.twitter.com/uA2DNUnCbV

— Harry McCracken (@harrymccracken) May 13, 2019

Doris Day's Last Public Appearance Before Her Death at 97 Was Over 5 Years Ago https://t.co/TNezo6ObIl

— People (@people) May 13, 2019

Introduction to Classical Music ~ Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, and Tchaikovsky

Many of the famous classical music composers that we know of – Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky - are no longer with us.

Portrait Ludwig van Beethoven when composing the Missa Solemnis (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Popular singers, songwriters and musicians like the late Nina Simone, the late Michael Jackson, Sir Paul McCartney, and Alicia Keys have all said they draw inspiration from or have been greatly influenced by these composers. 

The above is regarded by historians as the most accurate surviving likeness of Mozart, painted when the composer was 26 years old. It is a section of an unfinished 1782 portrait by Joseph Lange. The splotchy texture of the composer's cheeks, visible in the original painting on display at the Mozart Museum in Salzburg, was verified by Mozart's contemporaries. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You heard that most music store owners are tempted to put their classical music selections in a small room at the back of the store; however, it was just a bit of humor. The least we can do is display their masterful works – whether on the store shelves or in your home music library - in plain view so that the memory of these gifted musicians will live on.

Johann Sebastian Bach (aged 61) in a portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann, Copy or second Version of his 1746 Canvas, private ownership of William H. Scheide, Princeton, New Jersey, USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Thinking about experimenting and expanding your musical taste?

You want to listen to classical music, but you don't know where to begin?

Start here.

Classical Music for Beginners

***

Fascinating Facts about Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky.

• Beethoven composed his most celebrated works after he went deaf.

• Mozart was writing his own compositions by the age of 6.

• Bach was blinded because of a botched eye surgery.

• Tchaikovsky was constantly and harshly criticized by the “music critics” of his day.

The Health Benefits of Classical Music

There is no doubt that there are benefits to be found in many different genres of music. It can often seem to help when nothing else is able to change our mood or motivate us. For thousands of years, humans have been intrinsically linked to music in all its forms. It is part of our mourning, our celebrations, and our rituals.

Original source

Round Up: Ten Popular Posts About Celebrities

Thank you to my blog visitors.  I have been getting more traffic to this blog and readers have been leaving comments to let me know they dropped by.  As you can see, this blog's Archived Posts date back to 2014.  

It's been a while since I've done a round-up of popular posts.  My Blog Stop! publishes content about a wide range of topics; from art to zen.  Rather than choose posts based on a time period (30 days, a year, etc.), the round-up below are popular posts about a specific topic.  

Below are 10 posts about "celebrities".  Many are about famous people that are now referred to or described as "vintage", "iconic", "legendary", "Hollywood legends", etc.

(P.S.  I also included some posts from my other blog, Joie de Vivre Magazine.)

(1)

My Top 10 List of Iconic Female Celebrities

In America, we love to apply the word "icon" to people who sort of serve as symbols or are symbolic of something much larger than themselves, and are representative of an ideal that we, as individuals, hope to achieve in life. It's almost as if these people are idols. Almost.

(2)

Entertainment: Celebrities: In Memory of: Doris Day (1922 - 2019)

Must say good-bye to "America's girl next door" and Hollywood legend, Doris Day . She had a major influence on my childhood development. She charmed me. That was her appeal. I think she charmed everyone; publicly and privately. I loved all of her movies. No really.

(3)

Hollywood Legends : Iconic Female Celebrities: Marilyn Monroe (1926 - 1962)

Today, Marilyn Monroe would be 90 years old, but the diva passed away in 1962. Many people know her celebrity persona, and she still is viewed as an icon of beauty and femininity. But let's take a look at her off-screen personality. Here are seven (7) biographical facts.

(4)

IN MEMORY OF: Humphrey Bogart (1899 - 1957)

Died: January 14, 1957 Won't be much longer now and all the glamorous Hollywood movie stars that I grew up watching will be forgotten. Stars like Humphrey Bogart, who was actually already dead by 1957, a couple of years after my birth.

(5)

Celebrities : In Memory Of : Christopher Lee (1922-2015)

"What Christopher Lee movie is this?" Care to share your love for the late great Christopher Lee? 

(6)

Celebrities : In Memory Of : Omar Sharif (1932 - 2015)

In 2015, we said farewell to one of my favorite actors, an unforgettable screen legend, Omar Sharif . He may be gone but he is not forgotten. At least not by me.

(7)

Asian-American Legend ~ Bruce Lee (Nov 27, 1940 - July 20, 1973)

God bless the Internet and especially social networks, bloggers, and online writing communities. So there's this really cool guy - Nathan Bernardo, aka NateB11 - and he is a loyal and devoted martial arts disciple. He knows a lot about MA and writes articles on the topic.

(8)

Celebrity Birthdays : Happy Birthday Ms. Nichols!

For those who were dedicated fans of the original Star Trek sci-fi TV series which aired 1966 through 1969, no doubt you remember Nichelle Nichols who played Lieutenant Uhura. Born Grace Nichols on December 28, 1932, in Robbins, Illinois. Today is her birthday Happy Birthday Ms. Nichols! *

(9)

Bob Marley - Rastaman Trivia 2

February 6th was the singer's birthday. But there was this interesting article at Bubblews about his memorial services with some trivia to be shared. You never know when you may need to know it! Rather than wait for May 11th, the anniversary of Mr. Marley's death, my reasoning was that since it was still February, it could be considered a sort belated birthday remembrance.

(10)

Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009)

Michael Jackson was so much more than an eclectic and consummate entertainer. He was an extremely generous humanitarian and would no doubt like for people to remember his love and genuine care and concern for children.

Hope you enjoyed the round-up. Visit often!

Book Lovers – An Assortment of Books for Your Reading List or Personal Library

Once stayed in a temporary residence when my family was being relocated from one state to another.  We stayed in this house for a few months until we found our permanent home.  What a memory!

This house was right out a dream home magazine.  My favorite room in this house was the office/library.  Public libraries have always been one of my favorite places.  But I had never lived in a house that was big enough to have my own personal library where I could retreat to and shut off the rest of the world.  

If you had your personal library, what kinds of books would be on your bookshelves?  Here are some of the books you might find in my library.


♦ Picture Books for Children (or for grown-ups who never grow up)

• "The Eagles Are Back" : Jean Craighead George tells the story of how the American bald eagle was saved from extinction.
• "Annie and the Old One" : Written by Miska Miles.  It is an introduction to the customs and traditions of  the Navajo people and touches upon a very sensitive subject for children: explaining the death of a loved one.
• "The Emperor and the Kite":  Jane Yolen tells the tale of a young child who saved a kingdom all because she knew how to fly a kite.  So the next time someone says to you "Go fly a kite!", just imagine yourself on a secret mission saving an empire.

♦ Hot and exciting reads. Suspense Thrillers or Romance.

• FC Etier Writes Political Thrillers : "The Tourist Killer" was FC Etier's first novel; followed up by "The Presidents Club". Two novels written for those who enjoy a web of conspiracy and intrigue with lots of political overtones.
• Two Thrillers and One Romance : Just the titles of these books should tempt you. "Power Of Persuasion"; "Trusting Evil"; and "All the Beautiful Sinners".  Which one do you think is the romance?  :)
• Irresistible Historical Romance Novels : “A Rose in Winter” and “Shanna”  ~ Both books authored by the late Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, the lady who pioneered the historical romance genre and should be credited with it being one of the most popular book genres, based on book sales in the USA.

♦ History or Mystery.

• Dickens Junction Mystery Series : Love Charles Dickens and murder mysteries? Perfect!
• The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence : History and mystery set in the ancient Roman empire, written to encourage children to learn history but adults will equally be fascinated.
• Book Selections From the Vintage Series : Choose from reading about the American Civil War to life in 1930s Bombay.

♦ Science Fiction or Fantasy.

• Books by Kev Heritage, S. M. Reine and other popular authors in the sci-fi genre
• Gifts for the Tolkien Enthusiast - Can't say the word fantasy and not mention Tolkien.

♦ Inspiring Biographies.

♥ ♥ ♥ 

Now that you've picked your book (or books), 

settle down for some good reading!  :)

Movie Pick for Friday Night: The Truth About Charlie (2002)

Looking for a movie to watch on Friday night?  Here's my pick.  “The Truth About Charlie” (2002) is a movie which starred Mark Wahlberg and Thandie Newton. When the movie was being advertised in the media, I listened to an interview with Mark Wahlberg discussing his character. He played an American agent who was assigned to a post in Paris, France. He said to make his character more believable, he decided to wear a beret. He figured since he was an American agent performing “undercover” activities, wearing the beret might help him blend in and be less noticeable.

Image credit

Hmmm? Interesting fashion tip! Come to think of it, I don’t often see American men wearing berets. But I guess the men in France wear a beret? Ya think?  Here's the answer to that question. 

It turns out that berets were adopted by the French military. In the 1920s, a beret became a popular fashion accessory for both men and women. However, according to Trip Advisor, these days it's mostly just tourists you will see wearing the felt berets. (LOL. Kind of like in The Bahamas. It's only the tourists who carry the straw handbags.) 

In USA not many men wear berets but women often sport them to accessorize their outfits. 

* * *

LINKS OF INTEREST: 

How to Style a Beret like an American | STYLE REPORT MAGAZINE ~ https://stylereportmagazine.com/style-beret-like-american/ 

Beret Style Inspiration - How to Wear a Beret ~ https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/trends/g5125/how-to-style-a-beret/ 

Have you visited my entertainment blog?

You Think You Know All About Witches | earthpages.ca (Reblog)

A very informative post:  Witch. Two ideas (or facts, if you prefer) presented that were news to me!

(1) Witches are born witches. Sorcerers get to apply for the job later on in life.

(2) Witch doctors were called witch doctors because people called on them to cure an illness believed to have been caused by a witch.

Original content source link:  ForumCoin.com

♦ ♦ ♦

Additional Links of Interest:

• Witchcraft:  Past and Present
• Book Suggestion: Witch Hunt by SM Reine
  - If you're into urban fantasy.
• The 18th Century Vampire Controversy | wizzley.com- Think witches had it rough? 

 

Image credit: By Immanuel Giel - Own work, Public Domain, Link

 

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• Elizabethan Witchcraft: An Era of Persecution
• UN urges PNG 'witch attacks' action

Throwback Music: Everybody Wants To Rule The World ~ Tears for Fears

My YouTube pick for Throwback Thursday is the original video by an awesome duo from my generation called Tears for Fears. Threw in the other video just because. 

These guys held a concert in Austin, Texas in 2015; Austin Music Hall. Did not attend but was so glad to see the advertisement in the paper and to know these two brothers childhood friends were still around making their awesome music. ((I always thought they were brothers.  But I discovered later they were just good friends.)  I converted some of my kids and got them to listen to this talented duo. :)  The music of Tears for Fears is still relevant today.

Image credit: By KWa (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

You want to know a secret? It's a genuine secret. Never told this to anybody but always thought it. You see the guy with the long black hair and the curly locks?  He looks like one of my cousins.  Never told anybody because my cousin was a girl named Helen.  Kept that secret for almost 30 years.  Guess it's OK to reveal it now.  :)

* * *
Tears For Fears - "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" - 



Find Info on Future Concerts

*

Tears for Fears: Rule The World: The Greatest Hits via @amazon @amazonmusic #streaming #MP3 #CD #Vinyl #collectible #music #music #musiclovers pic.twitter.com/WLPFLQzkdn

— My Shopping Channel (@goshoppingbees) June 3, 2022

Asian Cinema : Movie Review : The King of Masks (1999)

The theatrical masks of Chinese opera were promoted by emperors and high court officials. As a result, they became a traditional art form and along with this tradition, came other traditions. 

Many films are gems that get lost or buried. Even award-winning films like “The King of Masks”. It's a foreign movie: Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles.

Time period is the 1930s. A master of an ancient Chinese art is growing old. He must pass on his skills to an heir. A male heir.
It's tradition!

Unfortunately, he's childless. In a desperate effort to honor the custom and maintain the trade and the tradition, he buys a young child. In China, poor children are often sold via a black market. He and the child develop a close relationship, however, a “complication” also develops.

"The King of Masks" 

is a wonderful and touching story. 

• View theatrical trailer - https://youtu.be/OjXVfF4GQO0
  

Related articles

• History of Masks - Ancient Use of Masks

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Book Review: 'The Man with the Golden Gun' by Ian Fleming

Many people know a lot about Bond movies. 

What about the Bond books?

• "Casino Royale" was the first Bond book published in 1953. 

• After that, Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, wrote a book a year. This brilliant writer died of a heart attack in 1964. That's a little over ten years!! 

• Bond novels were published between the years 1953 – 1966. 

It is not often that I come across a review of one of the Fleming books. Lots of movie reviews but not book reviews.  Sharing a link to a book review of "The Man with the Golden Gun" from The Friendly Shelf.  It might tempt to want to READ ALL of Fleming's original books. :)




****

Bond Novels by Publication Date:

• Casino Royale (1953)
  
• Live and Let Die (1954)
  
• Moonraker (1955)
  
• Diamonds are Forever (1956)
  
• The Diamond Smugglers (1957)
  
• From Russia With Love (1957)
  
• Dr. No (1958)
  
• Goldfinger (1959)
  
• For Your Eyes Only (1960)
  
• Thunderball (1961)
  
• The Spy Who Loved Me (1962)
  
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1963)
  
• Thrilling Cities (1963)
  
• You Only Live Twice (1964)
  
• The Man With the Golden Gun (1965)
  
• Octopussy & The Living Daylights (1966)
  

- - Info Reference: literary007.com Includes book summary and related blog posts.

- Aug 12, 1964: James Bond creator Ian Fleming dies. Read full article at history.com

- The Best James Bond Novels: Ranking the Fleming Originals by “Jeff” at bookriot.com

- Obviously, great info can be relished at the official website: James Bond | Ian Fleming Publications

 

Original Source: Read.Cash

Related articles

• Every First-Edition Ian Fleming James Bond Book Cover (1953-1966)
• "Before he wrote it, he lived it"?
• Casino Royale (1953) by Ian Fleming

AUDIOBOOK

The Man with the Golden Gun

Priyanka Chopra Started Her Crossover Efforts With Music, But ...

Huge Priyanka Chopra fan and "In My City" is her collaboration with a talented American artist Will I. Am (of Black Eyed Peas fame) in order for her to “cross over” and expose her talent to more Westerners. Why not? American artists collaborate with American artists, all the time. That's how they survive. Why not mix and match?  The game plan seemed sound.  But the efforts were not very successful.

Continue reading.

*Bollywood Actress Priyanka Chopra to Play Lead Role in ‘Quantico’*

“Mary, Did you Know?” - incredible acappella version by the Pentatonix

Diary Note: Today is November 21, 2014. Woke up this morning, charged up and ready to face the day. Checked my eMail and my husband's aunt had sent me this. Gotta admit it made me slow down, take a deep breath, and START MY DAY ALL OVER AGAIN!!!  Ever heard of this website. GodVine? I never heard of it. Know it now! :)

Blessings to all!!
Here Is One A Cappella Song That'll Give You Chills. THIS Is What CHRISTmas Is All About!

* * * 

That's Christmas To Me ~ Pentatonix

Glittering Xmas tree from glitter-graphics.com

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• Genealogy of Jesus: Women Named in the Gospel
• 
  

Find Free Music for Halloween to Enjoy the Holiday

Looking for something you can use as background music (in addition to Michael Jackson's Thriller) that will create the spooky scary horror-full mood of the Halloween holiday? 

Royalty Free Horror Soundtracks for Download

DJ playing music at a Halloween party
© Photographer: Texelart | Agency: Dreamstime.com

glitter-graphics.com

Book Review: The Signature of God (and Other Book Reviews)

Wrote some book reviews a few years back. 

Sharing the links.  The first is actually my favorite; published 2013.  

How do we know that God wrote the Bible? Simple! He signed it!

Book Review: The Signature of God by Grant R. Jeffrey

The Handwriting on the Wall - St Benedicts Catholic Church | Source: Wikimedia Commons

● ● ● ● Other Book Reviews:

• A wonderful book for children written by Miska Miles, which was published in 1971: “Annie and the Old One”.

• "Unstoppable Me!: 10 Ways to Soar Through Life"  ~ Dr. Dyer's first children's picture book where he lays out a plan that encourages children to achieve their dreams.

• If you like true stories, mysteries that are finally solved, and ever wondered about ships that set sale and then disappeared - here are four books about Ships Lost at Sea that tell the tales.

• Into classical literature?  Voltaire's "Candide" has been deemed his most significant work.  I disagree.  But that's just me. Brief Bio of Voltaire and Intro to Candide.

The Seven Kings of Rome

The Seven Kings of Rome

There was once a group of villages on seven hills which grew into an empire. But how did it happen?

If your curiosity is peaked by this brief presentation of the history of ancient Rome and wants to learn more, you will find two book recommendations at the end of the article.

Entertainment: 6 Bollywood Films With An Awesome Soundtrack

These days video rental stores are practically nonexistent because of online video streaming. But three (3) decades ago, video rental stores changed my life. How so? The stores introduced me to foreign films and in particular, to Bollywood films. What’s so great about these Indian movies? The music! Yes, the dancing is awesome too. But you can’t have dancing without music. Right?

Many of these films have an awesome soundtrack. In fact, it’s fun to search YouTube just looking for the songs. There are lots and lots of films but these are my Top 6. Yes, 5 out of 6 are Priyanka Chopra-Jonas movies. I’m a huge PCJ fan.

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*Karam (2005 ‧ Drama)A young married couple should be able to lead a fairy tale “happily ever after” lifestyle. If only the husband wasn’t a paid contract killer; a bad guy who made some other bad guys really angry. It made their lives really complicated.

*What’s Your Raashee? (2009 ‧ Bollywood/Comedy)
A guy needs to find a wife or lose his inheritance. He decides to choose his bride according to her “raashee” (her astrological sign).



*Fashion (2008 ‧ Bollywood/Drama)
A young woman pursues her dream of being a top fashion model, making sacrifices and bad decisions, along the way to get to the top.

*Yuvvraaj (2008 ‧ Drama)
There were light-hearted moments. But there was nothing funny about the plot. There are 3 brothers. One brother is mentally challenged and when the father dies, he leaves all the money to this son. The other 2 brothers, who feel that have been cheated, scheme to try to get the inheritance.

*7 Khoon Maaf (2011 ‧ Thriller/Drama)
The film is called “7” because the woman has seven husbands. Each time she marries, she is certain the man she chose will be her soulmate for life. It doesn’t work out and she conveniently becomes a widow, albeit she is never charged with any crime. In the end, she does find her soulmate. To be fair, the other six had it coming.

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*Dostana (2008 ‧ Comedy/Drama)
Two guys need to rent an apartment at a complex in Miami, Florida USA with one catch. They have to be gay. They pretend to be gay, sign the lease, and their roommate is a hot young heterosexual female that both of them fall for; only she doesn’t know it because she thinks they’re gay. The movie is cute and funny!
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♦ Source: Virily.com