The French Foreign Legion

Tonight's conversation started with Hubby mentioning that he had met Bob Irwin, the late Crocodile Hunter's father. That led, naturally to his son, and other adventurous men.

We then wandered on to discuss one of our favourite TV shows, Bear Grylls. 

The family reminisced about an episode where Bear joins in a French Foreign Legion boot camp, and the question came up, 'What is the French Foreign Legion?'


I looked in Wikipedia and learned that is was founded in 1831, is still an important part of the French military, and has fought in almost all French wars.  I was interested to read that a large number of refugees find sanctuary in the ranks.  A few of years of honourable service in the FFL offers citizenship, even though there are no FFL forces based in France except during war.


So we talked of rogues and new identities and soldiers and spies.  


We sat around our table and agreed we'd rather be here than wrestling crocs, eating spiders or serving France in a war zone.  My spaghetti and meatballs weren't wonderful, but they were definitely better than some other options...

Bargain Book Bonanza (31): Drew in Blue by J. M. Kelley

Welcome to Bargain Book Bonanza!

DeLynne is hosting this week!

Drew in Blue by J.M. Kelly was free when I 'bought' it on Kindle, but now I see it's $3.99 or free for Prime members. 

 
Even if you have to pay the full $3.99 I think you will consider it money well-spent.

This is a romance story, but it's also about raising babies and making art and becoming a parent.  Drew finds himself unexpectedly responsible for his baby Nick.  You can imagine the usual Three Men and a Baby gags about diapers and spit-up, and yes, they are here.

But this is also a well-written story that made me smile and even tear up.  Don't expect a sob story because it doesn't take much to make me moist-eyed, it's a genetic thing. 

I loved riding along with Drew as he grew up, forgave his mother for dying when he was young, earned a living, fell in love with his son, and found the woman of his dreams.
  

As an added bonus, Drew is an artist, and we get to see glimpses of an artist's life.  You know, painter's block, working at home, choosing a media, meeting buyers, hanging the canvases, etc.  Not knowing any full-time artists I am not sure about the accuracy of these details, but they were interesting and made me wish I could paint.

You should know that Drew in Blue gets a little, erm, blue at times.  So if you're a stickler for keeping your reading G rated you need to move along.  Nothing to see here.  It's certainly not erotica (which Lesa says has 'all the particulars') but there are some intimacies and a bit of swearing.

The plot is predictable.  I mean Blind Freddy can see where it's going.  But it was sweet and funny: certainly more than just a Harlequin, Mills and Boon-type story.

I think you will enjoy getting to know Drew.




Not THIS Drew in Blue.

THIS Drew in Blue.

And to see even more blues, please hop over to Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally.

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BBB is a book haul linky party for bargain loving bookworms!

Want to join the party? Just visit the Bargain Book Bonanza page for the particulars.

Seasons Greetings!

All the best 

to You

from the

Ladies at Baja

Bargain Book Bonanza (29): Kindle Mysteries

Welcome to Bargain Book Bonanza!

DeLynne is hosting this week!

We all love a bargain, and books don't come any more basement-priced than free.  Here are three Kindle mysteries I picked up for nothing, nada, niente.  Remember, folks, if you don't have a Kindle you can read these books using your laptop or apps on other devices.

Archie's Been Framed manages to be farcical yet hard-boiled in the best James Bond tradition.  Amazing gadgetry, gastronomy, a bon-vivant lifestyle and murder are a wonderful combination.  I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Julius and his electronic side kick.  Knight Rider eat your  heart out, Archie is Julius' friend, assistant, secretary and nagger.  This is a series I'd actually pay to read.

The Noon God is a quick read from Donna Carrick, and I do recommend it.  The characters and investigation are a bit shallow, but that's understandable for the length of the book.  Carrick sucked me in and I was shocked when she revealed the murderer.  I'd really like to know if other readers were able to pick who-done-it better than me, and plan to read it again to see which clues I missed the first time through. 

It's as much a family saga as a mystery, with tragic characters struggling to overcome damage done by relatives (usually parents).  Not a cheerful book, but thought-provoking nonetheless. 
 

Dark Horse is great.  I've fallen for Jim Knighthorse even if he is narcissistic and talks to a bum who thinks he's God.   Actually, those traits endear him to me, and I was hooked by his story.  

Jim tries to prove his client, a high-achieving black high school student, didn't kill his white girlfriend.  The plot is tight and quick, and this book has everything a good mystery should.  Jim has a troubled past he's trying to resolve, and this is probably the grittiest of the three books reviewed here.  There are some moral dilemmas to ponder, too.   

Three good reads for free.  Actually my grandfather used to say nothing is free, and he would have pointed out that even a $0.00 Kindle book requires internet connection, a reading device, etc.  But this is as free as it gets, readers!

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BBB is a book haul linky party for bargain loving bookworms!

Want to join the party? Just visit the Bargain Book Bonanza page for the particulars.

If you have a bargain book post, please link up and share. We love to brag on bargains!

Books in my mother's house

My mother loves books in the kitchen...

...on a cake stand...

...by the couch...

...near the back door...

...and  under a lamp....

Paperback Partners

Do you read more than one book at a time?  I do, and sometimes it works and sometimes it just doesn't.  Recently I coincidentally happened to pair two tomes perfectly.  

My rousing cries of 'Vive la France' could be heard for kilometers.  Or at least the dogs came running....London doesn't speak French, but Paris does, of course. (Yes, my dogs are named after European cities.  Next I want a sausage dog named Vienna.)


Patricia Highsmith's Ripley novel, Ripley Under Water (fiction) was a bit disturbing to me, but I couldn't stop reading.  It was like being stuck in a traffic jam you know was caused by an accident, and, when you finally draw even with it being unable to look away despite your best intentions.  


Set in France and francophone Magreb, the prose is lyrical, with references to  smirking camels and yellow silk sofas and Brahms and the pattern of light reflected from a pond.


Ripley is concerned about the domestic business of a beautiful life--sketching, cutting flowers from the garden, playing the harpsichord, planning dinner, preparing for house guests and discussing the neighbours' lack of taste.  To his elegant French wife he describes with a shudder the decor of Pritchards next door as 'Style rustique. From the supermarket. Truly heavy.' 


He's also concerned about getting blamed for an old murder he thought was long buried (punny, eh?).  And so he ruthlessly, coldly goes about protecting himself and his adored wife.


I read it at the same time as Pardon My French  (non-fiction) by Charles Timoney, who absolutely charmed me and even taught me a thing or two.  An Englishman in Paris, he works in a French firm and shares what he learns about the culture and language.  

Now, without blowing my own horn, my French is pretty good and I've spent quite a bit of time in a French family.  So I'm pretty confident (read smug) in these matters.  What a surprise when Timoney both entertained and enlightened me in great measure. 


So, wherever you live you can grab these two books, pour yourself a glass of red wine or brew a pot of tisane and loose yourself in a francophile world.

Bargain Book Bonanza (26): A Pioneer Kindle Freebie For Adult Fans Of Little House On The Prairie

 Welcome to Bargain Book Bonanza!

A book haul linky party for bargain loving bookworms!

Want to join the party? Just visit the Bargain Book Bonanza page for the particulars.


DeLynne is hosting this week!

Tracy wrote here ages ago about her Kindle, and at the time it seemed to me like some incredibly modern, foreign device.  We didn't have them here in Australia. 

But then my beautiful mother bought each of our girls (aged 14 and 10) one and we got used to them. My girls just love them and use them all the time.  

I do recommend Kindle for kids, especially since Amazon replaced both Kindles when they were accidentally damaged in separate incidents.  No questions, no need to return the old ones, just a new Kindle in the mail immediately.

But, I didn't have a Kindle (aren't all mums like that?) and kept thinking that one trip to the States I'd shout myself one.  Well, lo and behold Aussies can now buy the Kindle almost anywhere, and the very first time I saw it in Australia I just happened to have cash in my wallet (now that is a miracle!). I bought it before you could slide and release that power switch. 

So now we are a Kindle family (Hubby has shown absolutely no interest in an e reader of any kind.) and very happy.  I was a bit worried that I would start spending lots on books, since most of my reading comes from BBB-type sources.  However, I have found the Kindle very economical reading after the initial purchase.

I Googled 'free Kindle books'  and was overwhelmed with choices.  There are many sites that offer free e books, but so far I have stuck to the free category in the Amazon site.  One of my finds is Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart, written in the early 1900's.

Unlike so many stories of hardship and subjugation in the West (that poor Caroline Ingalls following Pa's every whim), this collection of letters tells a life full of joy and achievement.  

There is some sorrow, of course, but basically Elinore is a woman who chooses her destiny, seeks adventure, helps those less fortunate, and thrills at the landscape around her.  She makes friends, among them a French trapper, and enjoys an active social life while raising her family. 

Bring out the pioneer woman in you and read this book.  It's available in paperback, so even if you're an old fashioned girl you can read it, too.

Images from http://commons.wikimedia.org, all oil paintings by Cornelius Krieghoff.

If you have a bargain book, please share. We love to brag on bargains!

Salvation Creek

I have just finished reading Salvation Creek, and was enthralled.  It's not always an easy read, as Maggie Tabberer (an Aussie icon) alludes on the cover, but it is an excellent read.


The autobiography centres on the life of  Susan Duncan during some extraordinarily difficult years, through to her ultimate, wait for it.... salvation.  


It's about life, love, cancer, death, dogs, nature, cooking, boats and island living.  Reading it made me rush to the phone and contact my friends and family who had recently battled cancer, just to let them know I was here if they needed me.  They may have won their battle years ago, but still bear the scars in so many ways.


But don't think this is a depressing book.  Yes, almost every major character has or has had cancer, and some die, but this is an uplifting book--one of those life-affirming stories.  She, like me, was mad enough to get two puppies at a time, and I was nodding in agreement about her travails. I was also wanting to move to an island just like she did, and start cooking more like Tracy and Lesa.


Many autobiographies are self aggrandizing, but this one seems so honest, with Susan willing to share her failures and failings.  I felt as if I just might respond in a similar way to her situation.


It's a wonderful book to read if you are interested in the Australian bush and wildlife.  Susan moves to Pittwater and lives close to nature most tourists have to pay extra to see.  She develops a love of nature she hadn't known during her high-powered city life.


This is a beautiful story, and you should pour a glass of your favourite refreshing beverage and read it with your feet up on a verandah, deck or porch.  That's what I think, anyway...






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Location Dislocation

Enbrethiliel over at Shredded Cheddar blogs regularly about settings in her Locus Focus posts, and I have always enjoyed the idea of pondering settings a bit deeper. However, the importance of place was truly brought home to me during my recent marathon Southwest road trip with girlfriends.

I had posted ages and ages ago about purchasing a book at the Brisbane airport.  For the long-haul flight to the US I grabbed Mezza Italiana by Zoe Boccabella about an Italian-Australian's somewhat unwilling connection to her mother land.


It did look wonderful, it was wonderful, I started it and enjoyed it, but I just couldn't finish it.  For many nights during our 4,305 mile (6,800km) road trip it languished on bed side tables in various hotels across the Southwest, or even unpacked in my day bag.  In the end I gave it to my lovely sister, who was excited to read it.  I am hoping I can reclaim it when we next meet. 


I took a few moments out of an incredibly packed itinerary to ponder why I was neglecting such a great book.  Then I realized the problem was the setting.  Not the book's setting, but mine.  Or rather, the disparity between the two.  The land of the Zuni, Tiwa and Acoma is neither Australian nor Italian.  Yes, we could be extrapolating to overarching themes of roots and culture in general, but it would be a huge stretch.  So I gave up on poor Zoe and bought a book more suited to the area.

Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac deals with the Navajo Marines who bravely served in World War II by sending messages that could not be translated by the enemy.  It was fabulously suited to the area, of course, since more than once I saw gentlemen of the right age proudly wearing hats proclaiming their service in that branch.


Sitting on a shelf in a trading post next to jewellery and rugs, it appeared to be a local publication, and it was priced accordingly at about $8.  However, the historical fiction was so well written, I immediately forgot any pre-concieved notions of amateurism.  


It seems so real and true, yet is not autobiographical.  Bruchac is of Native American heritage and his connection to his people and the Navajo is evident in the authentic tone of the novel.  I was transfixed, reading in the car travelling through Monument Valley, putting in a bookmark to wander through pueblos and (yet more) trading posts.  It was a perfect fit.

Actually, I bought this book for Hubby as part of his thanks-for-looking-after-the-kids gift collection, but ended up enjoying it so much it got a little worn...

Have you ever chosen a book to suit your holiday destination?

Aeroplane reading, Mezza Italiana

Location: Brisbane International Airport (BNE)

Time: 11:22 am

Book: Mezza Italiana by Zoe Boccabella

Price: $27.26, duty free

Note: Waiting for Air New Zealand flight to Aukland, with a connection to LAX

I had planned on reading only second hand books during this trip, but realized upon arrival at the airport that I had forgotten not only my toothbrush but also my reading material.

A dear friend had given me a copy of Under the Tuscan Sun, and told me to abandon it when finished. Oh well, the Tuscan sun will still be shining next month when I get back.

So, a quick trip to the aeroport kiosk solved my print-less state.

Two tomes were weighed up (literally and literary-ily) , and Mezza Italiana beat Heartless by a nose.

Mezza Italiana is heavier, by far, and maybe not the flying fluff I usually read (XXX to Evanovich), but it is related to my day job and tax deductible. It also looks like one of those mouth wateringly yummy travel-and-find yourself books that are so popular. A bit like Under the Tuscan Sun, eh?

Heartless by Alison Gaylin does look like fun; put out by the Little Black Dress publishers. Has anyone read any of their books?

Mezza Italiana was more expensive, but will take me longer to read. It's got gorgeous photos on the cover (no camera with me, so no photo unless Lesa adds one!)

Which one would you choose? I'll let you know if I've made the right decision…

Scholastic Book Club and Dinner Dictionary

Warning-- silly, base and scatological humour ahead. Read at your own risk.

We often read at the table after dinner.  Sometimes even during dinner.  We're so literary.  Tonight Dellylu brought her Scholastic Book Club catalogs to the table to browse.  

 

She first commented on the pony series, comprising I Want a Pony, A Pony for Keeps, A Pony in Trouble, Give Me Back My Pony, Pony to the Rescue, Too Many Ponies, Runaway Pony, Goodbye Pony, The Wild Pony, Don't Hurt Me, Pony, Keep Out Pony, and Circus Pony.  The entire set is on sale for only $45, a savings of $86.88 (a BBB post, maybe?).  She reckons the best one of the series must be Too Many Ponies, because there are definitely too many.

 

Then Izzy commented on the fine book, Dr Proctor's Fart Powder.  We laughed at the title and the blurb, which reads, 'Nilly and Lisa must help Dr Proctor keep his super-strength Fart Powder safe from the neighbourhood bullies!'   Since Hubby is the only boy in the house we found the idea of a fart book hilarious.  I tried to tell them about proctology and the pun with the Dr's name, but couldn't find the word in our dictionary. It was in Wikipedia.

So then Hubby commented on a set he found, saying, 'Here are some books about ponies who don't eat enough fibre. It's called Magic Ponies Bind Up.' 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books We Want To See Made Into Movies

Hi! Lesa here!  Thanks for commiserating last week about my cold of apocalyptic proportions.  Wish I could say it dried up like a well behaved cold should but, NO, it morphed into bronchitis.  The symptoms are not fun and the associated head/eye pain and exhaustion have kept me off the computer quite a bit.  But, I am now with antibiotics so hopefully will kick this crud soon.   Hope all of you are staying healthy and crud-free! 

Now for Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is very appealing because some books are just perfect for film. 

 For me, it is usually action thriller or fantasy reads that I'd like to see on the big screen. Surely, I'm not the only girl who grew up watching Bond, Sinbad and all manner of cowboys and swashbucklers. Ooo--love those swashbucklers!

I was very curious which books the other ladies of Mrs. BG would choose so here is our collaborative Top Ten Tuesday!

Lesa's Picks:

1. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

    This is my favorite newish fantasy series. I would love to visit a sanctuary for fairytale and mythical creatures but the next best thing would be to see it on the big screen.


2.  Any of the Pendergast novels by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
Pendergast is an amazing cross between Bond and Sherlocke Holmes. If you aren't familiar with Pendergast, I wrote about him here.

3. Repairman Jack Series by F. P. Wilson.
Jack is so cool-- he lives off the grid in New York City and creatively 'fixes' situations for people who can't go to the authorities for help. If you aren't familiar with Jack, I wrote about him here.

4. Any James Rollins science thrillers-- the old stand alones or the Sigma Force series.

5. Temple by Matthew Reilly but I want to see all his action thrillers made into movies-- reading a Reilly book is just like watching an intense action movie. 

 Temple  takes place in the jungles of Peru with two storylines, one from the past and one in the present. Several factions are furiously hunting for a lost Incan idol that holds the secret to a deadly weapon of war. 

Fun fun fun!! I'd love to have that sort of  jungle adventure--  except for the parasites and creepy crawlies, of course!  

6. Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan

This fantasy series is too massive to be made into films but it would make an amazing animated series. I'm thinking something similar to the style and complexity of Avatar:The Last Airbender series. Do you watch it?



Ok, I've monopolized long enough!

DeLynne's Pick:

7. The Phyrnne Fisher mystery series by Kerry Greenwood because the costumes would be stunning!

Phryne (pronounced Fry-knee) has more money than she knows how to spend, luxuriates in expensive cosmetics, wears bespoke clothes, and solves mysteries while shocking society. She is a ballsy, unconventional woman with an amazing intellect who began her life distressingly poor. DeLynne wrote about Phryne here.

Leslie's Pick:

8. The series by Celestine Vaite - Frangipani, Bread Fruit, and Tiare in Bloom.

I think it would be a fabulous movie for a mother, daughter, sister, best friend, aunt, cousin, neighbor....the women in the story are beautiful, hilarious, wise, and familiar...you know these women, you are these women....and it is set in Tahiti...


Tracy's Pick:

9. Wicked by Gregory Maguire... I know, it's been a play, but I don't do jazz hands...

Izzy's Pick:  

10. The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda.

And a Mary Poppins that is true to the original (i.e. Mary Poppins is stern and a bit scary), not Disney-fied. Also, L.A.Candy by Lauren Conrad.
Love Izzy.

What book would you love to see made into a movie? or a better remake?  That might make an excellent Top Ten Tuesday Topic too. Hmm...

Bargain Book Bonanza (6)

Welcome to the sixth edition of Bargain Book Bonanza!

BBB is a linky party to showcase all the great books (new, used, vintage, electronic, audio) that we book lovers score on sale.

Each Monday through Thursday, all book lovers are invited to carouse, make merry and revel with bargain book abandon!

Want to join the party? Just visit the Bargain Book Bonanza page for the particulars.

DeLynne is hosting this week!

Trips to the big city are rare for me, but even more special because they don't happen often. They involve a two hour train trip each way, which is a great opportunity to sit and read.

Last time I went I found I had nothing to read for the trip home, so whilst racing to the train I ducked into a book store.

Almost a year ago, Miss Shirley, an Off the Beaten Page reader on Heron Island, talked to me about Agatha Christie's complete short story collection. She said they were too short for her taste. I wasn't sure if the same would apply to Sir Doyle's collection, but decided to take a punt on them anyway.

I was really happy with my purchase. It cost $6.50, which is nothing to crow about when some of us are posting about free or 25 cent books. However, with the price of new books in Australia this is a bargain. And I got lots of enjoyment from it.

On the train I ran into some of my students, and was able to chat occasionally in between stories. It was also great by my bedside for weeks, where I would read one story before lights out.

This counts as a bargain in my book, but I have some even cheaper ones to post about someday soon.

Can't wait to see everyone's Bargain Book Bonanzas!

BBB is linking up to Mailbox Monday hosted this month by Passages to the Past.  Welcome Mailbox Monday visitors!  Are there bargains in your mailbox?  If so, you are invited to join Bargain Book Bonanza to show them off. The more bargains the merrier!  

What to read when you are sick...

I have a cold. It's not a flu, as Aussies are apt to label anything that involves sniffing or sneezing. But I am resting in bed with a calendar mostly cleared for the next two days. And what does a book worm do when she has a cold? She puts chicken soup in the crock pot (check) and she reads and she blogs about books.



What do you read when you are sick? When I am sick I want to read easy, short-story type texts. Nothing too challenging or taxing. I found a wonderful book that's just right for girly reading whether you are sick or well.

I've just finished Dreaming of Dior by Charlotte Smith. She is a shameless name dropper who lunches with princes and sultans, a clothes horse who 'would rather dazzle than underwhelm'. Despite the vast chasm that separates our lives (what with me currently in bed wearing a daggy t-shirt and clutching tissues) I did warm to her.



Charlotte Smith currently lives in Sydney, so we can call her an Australian author, but she was born in Hong Kong, raised in the US and lived in Europe. This is a globe-trotting author and a globe-trotting, time traveling book.


Smith inherits from her godmother a priceless collection of vintage clothing from many different eras. And she decided to turn her gift into a book. Each outfit gets two pages, one for a fabulous illustration by Grant Cowan, and one for its story. Through the garments, the reader gets glimpses into the lives of women. We meet not just Charlotte, her godmother and family, but also American pioneer women, flappers, Edwardian adventuresses, brides and socialites.



This book would make a great gift for a clothes horse friend. You really can't go wrong here.



I loved the stories and vibrant images, and the book made me want to dress better. Right after I get over this cold...