“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Happy 50th Anniversary Atticus, Scout, and Boo!

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Today you are you, nothing true could be truer. Today you are you, no one else could be youer!

~ Dr.Seuss

Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity | Video on TED.com

A friend shared this post on Facebook. I think the author of Eat, Pray, Love has a really great view of the creative process! Show up for your job and life! Sometimes creative genius blesses you and sometimes it doesn't! Do It Anyway!

Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity | Video on TED.com

"I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way..." John Keating, Dead Poet's Society

Eat, Pray, Love

I know, I know, I'm the last person in the universe to have read this book. I finished it a while back, but sorry to say, just now getting back to commenting on it. I had heard good things about it from several of my friends(and, now that I think about it, they were all either in the midst of a divorce or recently divorced). Although not in this circumstance, I must admit I found myself longing for faraway places where I could reinvent myself, especially when the kids were particularly "challenging" ! To me this book was like reading three different short novels, and I found myself reacting to each a bit differently. The beginning and Italian chapters were quite amusing at times. I found it a bit harder to get through the India middle chapters. I found myself wishing she'd hurry up and get on to the next country already! All the meditating and self-indulgence was getting a bit tiresome. Toward the end of this section and on into Bali, my attention was caught up again in the personalities and adventures of this new stage of Liz's journey. In general I liked it, but wasn't crazy about it,and, yes, I'm aware that many people are! I am looking forward to seeing how it transfers to the big screen with Julia Roberts and that cute guy from Vicki Cristina Barcelona.

Like so many others, I'm sure, I was very curious about what had become of all the people Liz had met on her journey and so went to her website, www.elizabethgilbert.com ,only to discover sadly that Richard of Texas, the colorful character she met while in India, just recently passed away in Austin. Richard was by far the most interesting part of the India chapters for me.

“People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you will ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then they leave. And thank God for it.”

3 stars because I liked it, but didn't love it and not sure everyone would. Plus there were times I had to push myself to keep reading.

The Sweetness at The Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

I've just begun to read this book. It's a mystery with a precocious female protagonist-already points in its favor! I'll give it a little review when I've finished.

I love language and the way it's put down on a page. In this book, I've decided to collect similes for my writing students because Alan Bradley uses them often and I love it! I am only a few chapters in so I should have a decent list by the time I finish the book. Here is a sampling of some I've come across so far, including the very first sentence in the book: It was as black in the closet as old blood. ! :)

His voice was as heavy as the lead weights of a deep sea diver's boots.

She opened the kitchen door-and let out a shriek like a cornered badger.

And suddenly he was clutching at his throat, his hands shaking like aspen leaves in autumn, his face the color of sodden ashes.

And then I heard a voice, an angry voice, like the buzzing of a bee in late summer trying to fly through a closed windopane.

Father gave out a snort like a bull in a field and his eyelids flew up like roller blinds.

Update: I actually finished reading this book weeks ago and realized I never updated. All in all,this was a very pleasant book to read. Yes, pleasant doesn't fit every book I like, but pleasant it was, and charming. Pleasant enough for me to hand over to my 79 year old mother but with enough of a mystery to keep me interested. This was a fun mystery. The protagonist is an 11 year old prodigy with a love of chemistry. (I had a hard time believing she was only 11 to tell the truth). She is secretly thrilled to find a dead body in the garden, and sets off to solve the mystery of the man's murder with special earnest after her father is arrested as the prime suspect. There is a great deal of detective work, interesting characters, and the danger you would expect an assertive, brilliant young detective would get herself into. This was along the lines of a Nancy Drew novel geared for a slightly older audience and I would definitely read more of her adventures in the future. A good book to read for a break after reading a more serious book like Eat, Pray, Love or My Sister's Keeper, for instance!