Uncle Tom's Cabin Book Review & New Blog Update

Writing Tuesday

2016 Reading Challenge

9. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
    Topic: book at least 100 years older than you



Pictured is the title page of the first edition published in 1852.

Synopsis

Uncle Tom's Cabin changed forever how Americans viewed slavery, the system that treated people as property. It demanded that the United States deliver on the promise of freedom and equality, galvanized the abolition movement and contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War. The book calls on us to confront the legacy of race relations in the U.S. as the title itself became a racial slur.

My Review
I have wanted to read this since my theatre company did the musical The King and I. That was several years ago (2012). One of the scenes in the show is the telling of Uncle Tom's Cabin in a play format. Although it wasn't my favorite scene, I wanted to read the book to understand it better in a way.

Harriet Beecher Stowe took a huge risk when she wrote this as slavery was considered acceptable back then. While there were people who knew it wasn't okay, no one really said a word because it would have been defying the government (in a way). I attempted to read Uncle Tom's Cabin back in 2012, but I just couldn't get into it and I put it on hold. Now that I've read it completely, I'm glad Harriet Beecher Stowe took that risk to portray that slavery was wrong.

This was an eye-opener to me. Although Uncle Tom's Cabin is fiction, Harriet's portrayal of slavery and what really went on is one of the truest accounts of that time. In this book, I appreciated how the different characters viewed slavery, from the ones who supported it in cruel ways (like Simon Legree) to the ones who saw it as wrong but couldn't do anything about it (like Eva and Mrs. Shelby).
Eva, along with Uncle Tom of course, were my favorite characters. I enjoyed how Tom stuck strong and true to his Christian faith despite everything he went through. Eva may have only been a child, but she had the wisdom of someone much older, who was also strong in her faith and that there's good in everyone. It was heartbreaking when she died.

As an American, America has had it share of mistakes. Slavery was one of them. Racism is another. I'm happy that slavery got abolished with the Emancipation Proclamation and the years after. Our country has come a long way since then in terms of racism and although we still have ways to go, I'm proud of what we have done accomplished.

I think Uncle Tom's Cabin is a must read for teenagers and adults alike.


So, I am happy to announce that my new blog is now out and I have my first post published. Check it out here: Writing With Meg.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

Meg

 

Murder in the South of France Book Review

Writing Tuesday -

2016 Reading Challenge

7. Murder in the South of France by Susan Kiernan-Lewis
    Topic: a murder mystery

Synopsis:
Maggie Newberry is sheltered, privileged but also a whip-smart advertising copywriter who's fast on her feet and a little stunned to realize that she's 34 years old and still hasn't found "the one." When her long-missing sister ends up dead in Maggie's trendy Atlanta condo, Maggie finds herself flying to the south of France to find the little niece that up until then no one in the family even knew existed. Along the way, she finds handsome Laurent Dernier, a sexy if nefarious Frenchman who it's not clear is there to help or hinder Maggie's search for the girl. Meanwhile, her sister's murderer sets his sights on the little girl - and Maggie.

My Review:
I'm going to start this a little different. It's not really a secret, but the synopsis part of my book reviews are the book blurbs (you know the part on the back of a book that sums up what the book's about). Sometimes I'll redo it or what not and sometimes I keep it the way it is. Anyway, the synopsis of this particular book is a little misleading. I didn't want to adjust it because then I'll be basically giving the full story away.

I've got two words to sum up my thoughts: badly written. There were several discrepancies throughout the book, as well as inconsistencies. That combined made the story and plot drag on. I always try to come up with something positive about each book that I read, but I really can't think of anything that was good about Murder in the South of France. Even though the title suggests that most of the story takes place in France, it actually takes place more in Atlanta. I originally chose to read this book for a book that takes places in Europe, but had to change that theory after only reading the first couple of chapters. France isn't really described that well both times that Maggie was actually there - it seemed more fake. I had French in high school and learned a lot more about France than what was not even half decently described in the book. Setting and description are really important to the story, but it was lacking in that department. Choices made by Maggie and other characters were surprising and out of place.

I read this book on my Kindle app. One of the things that I most disliked is that the story ended around 85%. The remaining 15% of the book was a preview for the next book of the series. My problem is that it included four or five chapters before ending in a climax. To me, I want to be sold into a story in the first chapter or two. I did have another book in this series in my library (with Kindle) as well, but there's no way I'm reading it after how horrible this book was. Both were free when I got them and I now understand why.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

Meg

Taking the Lead Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge - Writing Tuesday

2. Taking the Lead by Derek Hough
    Topic: book by a celebrity

Synopsis:
Known for being on Dancing With the Stars, Derek Hough shares some insights of his dancing career and how he got there from the beginning. And the lessons he's learned along the way to success.

My Review:
I've been a fan of Dancing With the Stars almost since the beginning, getting really into it all the way back in season three. Now, as they're getting ready for season 22, the show's come a long way from 2005 when it first started. If anyone knows me, they know that Derek Hough, along with Mark Ballas, are my favorite pros. Both joined in season five and I knew that they had/were something special. They just brought something different, that more modern approach, to the dance floor. This does not mean that I don't like the other pros as well - let's face it, there's been a lot of great pros throughout the years/seasons.

For me, I really enjoyed the book. Derek did a good job of telling us more about his childhood before starting dance. I appreciated that he talked about a time in his life when he was bullied.  The sad truth is that many children/teens have been/are being bullied, myself included when I was younger. There are different extremes, but it's wrong regardless. Many do overcome it, though. I liked learning more about his dance days in England, when he was taught by Mark's parents and training with different partners. I kind of wish Derek would have talked more about that time, being that he was a tween/teen being away from his parents. Just like it was interesting to read about his different partners on Dancing With the Stars. What I enjoyed the most was the quotes throughout the book from different people in his life. I do wish there was more behind the scenes stuff about Dancing With the Stars, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Another favorite part was how Derek incorporated the lessons he learned at the end of each chapter. It seems odd that a man not quite of 30, at the time of his writing this, could learn so much in his life. The older we get, the more we learn. However, we need to make those mistakes when we're younger to get to that point of knowledge/wisdom. He did admit to having a hyperactivity disorder (let's face it - we've pretty much known that if you're familiar with the show lol) and how he overcame that.

Throughout his fame and success, Derek still has stayed humble. I liked how he talked about his partners on DWTS without bragging, but just being proud of what they were able to accomplish. After all, he did win the Mirror Ball five times (four at the time of writing this book), but I liked how all were different and brought different things to the table. It shows that we all learn things different ways. This book is an easy read for anyone, but great for anyone who's a fan of Derek or Dancing With the Stars.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

Meg

It's Almost Time for the A to Z Challenge

Writing Tuesday

I just signed up for the 2016 Blogging from A to Z Challenge. I did it last year for the first time. I ended up enjoying it and I decided to do it again this year. Taking place in April, I will be blogging from A to Z every day except for Sundays.

For example:
April 1 - writing about something that begins with the letter A
April 2 - B
April 3 is a Sunday
April 4 - C
and so on...

I didn't go with a theme last year. Will I have a theme this year? Come back and find out on March 21.

If anyone is interested in joining or finding out about the A to Z Challenge, click the link above.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

An Irish Country Doctor Book Review

2015 Reading Challenge

32. An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor
      Theme/Topic: book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit (Ireland)

Synopsis:
Barry Laverty, M.B., can barely find the Northern Ireland village of Ballybucklebo on a map when he first sets out to seek gainful employment there. But Barry jumps at the chance to secure a position as an assistant in a small rural practice. At least until he meets Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly. The older physician has his own way of doing things. At first, Barry can't decide if the pugnacious O'Reilly is the biggest charlatan he has ever met or the best teacher he could ever hope for. Through O'Reilly, Barry soon gets to know all of the village's colourful and endearing residents and a host of other eccentric characters who make every day an education for the inexperienced young doctor. Ballybucklebo is a long way from Belfast, and Barry is quick to discover that he still has a lot to learn about country life. But with pluck and compassion, and only the slightest touch of blarney, he will find out more about life--and love--than he ever imagined back in medical school.

My Review:
This was a great and entertaining as well. I thought Fingal was hardcore and abrasive at first. Although, I have to say that I liked how he had a rough exterior, but passionate on the inside. There's nothing wrong with being that way, especially with doctors in a way, because I'm sure that they've seen it all. I enjoyed the relationship between an experienced older doctor (Fingal) and a fresh young doctor (Barry). Most young doctors can act like hotshots, but Barry didn't come across that way. Barry seemed to be very passionate about his line of work. He offered up a new perspective in Fingal's office (and house visits) and able to pick up on things if it just happened to be overlooked by Fingal. It was interesting getting to know the people of Ballybucklebo.

It's no secret that An Irish Country Doctor takes place in Ireland. I have always liked to travel and see new places. There are a lot of places that I would like to visit, but Ireland is at the top of my list. I am Irish on my mother's side and that's one of my reasons I want to visit Ireland. I've always heard and seen that Ireland's such a lovely country.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Oceans Apart Book Review

Writing Tuesday

I have decided to do book reviews occasionally on Writing Tuesdays.

2015 Reading Challenge

28. Oceans Apart by Karen Kingsbury
      Theme/Topic: book you own/have but never read

Synopsis:
Airline pilot Connor Evans and his wife, Michele, seem to be the perfect couple living what looks like a perfect life. Then a plane goes down in the Pacific Ocean. One of the casualties is Kiahna Siefert, a flight attendant Connor knew well. Too well. Kiahna’s will is very clear: before her seven-year-old son, Max, can be turned over to the state, he must spend the summer with the father he’s never met, the father who doesn’t know he exists: Connor Evans. Now will the presence of one lonely child and the truth he represents destroy Connor’s family ? Or is it possible that healing and hope might come in the shape of a seven-year-old boy?

My Review:
I had been struggling to write a review without using spoilers. I usually try not to use spoilers or give it all away in my reviews because I feel like that ruins the fun and joy of reading.

Mistakes happen and no one is perfect and that's what happens with Kiahna and Connor. They have basically a one-night stand when they know they shouldn't have. I can respect Kiahna's decision not to tell Connor about Max because she didn't want to destroy Connor and Michele's marriage. At the same time, I don't think it's right to not let someone know they have a child - I mean it wasn't that Connor was a bad father or would have been a bad father, it was just the circumstances that made it harder.

Michele's reaction was typical. I could definitely understand where she was coming from, despite how annoyed and frustrated I was at her throughout the story for different reasons, especially for not even wanting to hear Connor's side of the story. I know Michele would come around in the end, but also knew that they had to go through what they did to make that happen (like sending Max back. The only thing I really disliked was the way Michele tried to dissuade their daughters, Elizabeth and Susan, from getting to know Max. I feel that they should have been able to make their own decision from the beginning.

Throughout the story, I really liked how every situation taking place was explained to Max in a way that he was able to understand. Max was a strong little boy, who was able to deal with it all in his own way, without pressure to talk to anyone about how he was feeling unless he wanted to or was ready to. I feel that it was all handled well.

Oceans Apart is a prime example that everything can work out in the end, but it just takes time to get there.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Just Keep Writing; Writing Tuesday

It's time for another Writing Tuesday.

This is for anyone who wants to be a writer. My advice is to just keep writing (thanks to Debbie Macomber for sharing this). Follow your passion and go after the dream of becoming a writer. No matter what your passion is, the only way to get better is to keep doing it - in this case, writing. Writing is the only field that age doesn't matter and it's never too late to write a book. You can get published at any age - from kids and teens up to the elderly. Don't ever give up in chasing your dreams.

Image Source: Sewanne School of Letters
Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

Meg

Writing Tuesday: Too Much Said Going On

Writing Tuesday

Too Much Said:
From a writer's standpoint, I think we tend to use the word "said" too often and that also goes to everyone in general. I've probably been guilty of using said more often than not. For some of us, it might be hard to come up with other words for "said" and when I came across this, I thought it would be a good aide.

Credit:
The Writer's Circle

I linked this to their Facebook page as that is where I saw this. For more information about The Writer's Circle Magazine, check out their website here.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

Meg

Writing Personalities

Writing Tuesday

For something a little different today, I came across this on The Writer's Circle Facebook page and thought it would be fun to write about.

As a reader, I enjoy mysteries and romance books the best and that would make my personality EDBK.

From a writing standpoint, I'm most interested in writing children's books. As a writer, my writing personality would be closely related to SCBK and EDBP.

What is your writing personality?

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Writing Tuesday: 40 Rules for Writing Good

Writing Tuesday

40 Rules for Writing Good

1. Each pronoun should agree with their antecedent.
2. Between you and I, case is important.
3. A writer must be sure to avoid using sexist pronouns in his writing.
4. Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
5. Don't be a person whom people realize confuses who and whom.
6. Never use no double negatives.
7. Never use a preposition to end a sentence with. That is something up with which your readers will not put.
8. When writing, participles must not be dangled.
9. Be careful to never, under any circumstances, split infinitives.
10. Hopefully, you won't float your adverbs.
11. A writer must not shift your point of view.
12. Lay down and die before using a transitive verb without an object.
13. Join clauses good, like a conjunction should.
14. The passive voice should be avoided.
15. About sentence fragments.
16. Don't verb nouns.
17. In letters themes reports and ad use commas to separate items in a series.
18. Don't use commas, that aren't necessary.
19. "Don't overuse 'quotation marks.'"
20. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (if the truth be told) superfluous.
21. Contractions won't, don't and can't help your writing voice.
22. Don't write run-on sentences they are hard to read.
23. Don't forget to use end punctuation
24. Its important to use apostrophe's in the right places.
25. Don't abbrev.
26. Don't overuse exclamation marks!!!
27. Resist Unnecessary Capitalization.
28. Avoid mispellings.
29. Check to see if you any words out.
30. One word sentences? Eliminate.
31. Avoid annoying, affected, and awkward alliterations, always.
32. Never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
33. The bottom line is to bag trendy locutions that sound flaky.
34. By observing the distinctions between adjectives and adverbs, you will treat your readers real good.
35. Parallel structure will help you in writing more effective sentences and to express yourself more gracefully.
36. In my own personal opinion at this point of time, I think that authors, when they are writing, should not get into the habit of making use of too many unnecessary words that they don't really need.
37. Foreign words and phrases are the reader's bete noire and are not apropos.
38. Who needs rhetorical questions?
39. Always go in search for the correct idiom.
40. Do not cast statements in the negative form.

Keep in mind that a few of these have grammatical errors to prove the point.

Credit: Writing Good

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Writing Tuesday: Commonly Misused Words

Writing Tuesday

 

Let's be honest. At one point or another, we have all gotten the above words confused or messed up. As writers, we probably know them well enough and know the difference. However, a gentle reminder now and then never hurts.

 

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

 

♥Meg♥

Grammar Nazis

Writing Tuesday

The Battle of a Grammar Nazi

We all know people out there who are grammar Nazis - you know what I'm talking about, those who have to correct others on their grammar/misspellings. I admit that I can be a bit of a grammar Nazi myself at times. It doesn't help that I was copy editor on my high school newspaper for two years. I notice mistakes easily and can be the first one to point out if something is spelled incorrectly.

The problem is this. When it comes to social media, I have seen people correct each other a lot recently (mostly on Facebook) when someone has made a grammatical error. It's driving me a little crazy. Having correct grammar is important, but does it really matter when it comes to social media and texts? I don't think so. To be honest, all of us have probably made some grammatical errors in our life. The social media platform is the one place(s) where it shouldn't matter if we make that mistake or not. And here's why: you never know why they made that mistake in the first place. Maybe they were in a hurry to say something or, pardon my language, damn autocorrect got in the way - I think all of us has been a victim of an autocorrect mishap and we can laugh about it later. To me, correcting someone on social media about a grammatical error is rude. It can embarrass the person if they didn't mean to make the mistake in the first place. It's just something that happens and at times, is out of their control. Maybe some people have trouble differentiating different words (like any commonly misspelled words - for example, their, they're and there) and some words are just plain tricky.

Since I mentioned that social media is the one platform that grammatical errors can be looked at as slip-ups, now let's talk about where having correct grammar is important. The following list includes just a few examples:

1. business letters
2. school papers (whether elementary, high school or college)
3. correspondence of any kind (e-mail, business, etc)
4. books/stories/articles (if you're a writer or want to be a writer)

There's nothing wrong with being a grammar Nazi. However, just like in everything else, there are times when it would be considered appropriate to correct someone on a grammatical error and times when its inappropriate or doesn't have to be made into a big thing when it shouldn't be.  By the way, it can drive me crazy if I see something said wrong, either grammatically or spelling wise, but I let it slide (especially on social media) because mistakes happen.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Writing Tuesday: Feelings

For most of us in the writing world, this is not new. I've decided to go with this just to remind you or just in case you've never heard of this before.

This is a Feelings Wheel. It helps explain how we feel in a more elaborate way. Feelings are comprised of feelings - there's always a reason why we get sad, happy, angry, etc -  and that's the purpose of this. As writers, this wheel aids us in finding other words for the same thing. Instead of writing someone's sad all the time, we have the option to use lonely or ashamed, etc. Keep in mind there are more feelings than this wheel allows. Its purpose is to help us understand how we feel.

There are two typos in the wheel above.
*estatic = ecstatic
*remoresful = remorseful

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Writing What You Know...or Not?

Writing Tuesday

Tackling Writing What You Know...

Over the years, I've read lots of writing magazines and articles on writing tips, advice and such. What I have found out is that while some of those articles recommend writing what you know, there are other ones that say that writing what you know isn't the best tactic. I've decided to share my input on this.

Writing What You Know

 

~ You know what to write about

~ You don't have to research the topic as much

~ Possibilities are endless

~ More inspiration/motivation to write

 

Not Writing What You Know

 

~ Endless possibilities (multiple topics to choose from)

~ More research required

~ You may find something that interests you

~ Writing may take longer

 

 

It all comes down to this. Writing what you know may be a bit more easier, but it's also important to learn new things as well. Whether you write what you know or not, research is always a necessity. Over the years things change and it's good to know more about what you're writing about. Like I pointed out in both situations, there are endless possibilities/topics to write about. Choose what you feel comfortable with and run with it and see what you come up with. Most stories get repeated through the years - it's how they are written that makes them different and unique. Making a story different is the key to becoming a successful writer.

 

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

 

♥Meg♥

Writing Tuesday: Bucket List

For today's Writing Tuesday post, I'm going to be using a writer's prompt.

Prompt #1 List the top 10 things on your bucket list

My top 10 are:

1. Get published

2. Swim with dolphins

3. Hold a koala bear

4. Have a closer relationship with God

5. Go on a helicopter ride

6. Visit all 50 States in the US

7. Travel the world

8. Be a mom

9. Learn how to play the guitar

10. Climb a mountain

 

 

These are just a few of the items on my bucket list. Now it's your turn. What are some of your things on your bucket list? Have you accomplished anything that's been on your bucket list.

 

One of the things I wanted to accomplish on mine was to become an aunt. That got accomplished almost a year ago when my brother and sister-in-law had their son. And for one more - when I got to go to Yellowstone National Park back in 2011.

 

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

 

♥Meg♥