Notes from a Play Journal. There is a secret and very special place to hike and bike near Savannah, Georgia. Harris Neck Army Airfield in Townsend, GA is a nature preserve that provides visitors an opportunity to explore the old runways and taxiways of the abandoned airfield. You may find yourself off the beaten path and stumbling upon one of the old hangars. What happened to the interior roof? Was it a fire?
This is a must-see for any aviation enthusiasts and/or pilots!
Notes from a Reading Journal: “The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires,” by Grady Hendrix.
Wow! What started off as a bit of a campy, light-hearted, Southern-fried horror tale turned very dark (and went way deeper than I expected). Set in Charleston, SC, the ladies are old-fashioned housewives of the 1980s -1990s, but if you have ever lived or traveled there, you will know that trends move slower in the South.
Reading murder books at book club is how the ladies get some excitement in their life. At first, we are treated to some hilarious “Southernisms” and anecdotes in the beginning of the book. Everyone is eating cheese straws, shopping at the Piggly Wiggly, delivering casseroles, reading Redbook, and keeping their houses up to par. Until, one night, Patricia happens upon her elderly neighbor, Ann Savage, eating a raccoon while she is taking her trash out one night. I died laughing when Patricia’s response was a well-cultivated “May I help you?” Patricia is attacked and has her earlobe bitten off.
Pretty soon all hell breaks loose from there. Ann Savage’s mysterious nephew moves into her home and begins wreaking havoc. James Harris is a vampire, and a unique one from the typical throat-biting Dracula model. Fighting the monster is just half of the horror, though.
This book is a story of dual horror. One story line concerns the “ordinary” lives we lead. The relationships we cultivate, and what is left when things get hard. The horror themes from the everyday lives were the terrible instances of abuse, gaslighting, and manipulations that the husbands all engaged in over their wives. There is the theme of money, power, and corruption. There is the theme of racism and murder in the South. It is a much heavier and deeper book than I expected it to be going in. If you are paying attention, there is a lot to think about from a friendship/relationship perspective here. If you are paying attention, much of this book will make you angry. After all, you expect a monster to be a monster, but we don’t expect our husbands and our friends to be monsters. The ladies are flawed and late to take action as well, and sometimes it is hard to like them.
Quotes that I kept for my reading journal:
P. 61: “Everyone knew that any place up north was roughly the same: lawless, relatively savage, and while they might have nice museums and the Statue of Liberty, people cared so little for each other they’d let you die in the street.”
P. 77: “What are you reading that other people didn’t pick out for you?”
P. 224: “My family is my rock,” Slick said. “You’ve never lost everything. I have. Let Destiny’s mother worry about Destiny. I know you think this makes me a bad person, but I need to turn inward and be a good steward to my family right now. I’m sorry.”
P. 228: “You’re on your side,” Mrs. Greene said. “Don’t ever fool yourself about that.”
P. 270: “No one cares about us out here except when they need us to clean up their mess.”
P. 351: “Let me tell you something…there’s nothing nice about Southern ladies.”
P. 363: “I am singular in this world. I am what you people make legends from.”
Notes from a Reading Journal: “The Paris Hours,” by Alex George.
Notes from a Reading Journal: This was my BOTM April selection. This is a novel of four characters in 1927 Paris. Nostalgic creatives who show up: Marcel Proust, Josephine Baker, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and Guillaume (the Painter). The most compelling story line for me was that of Marcel Proust and Camille. The character of Camille was inspired by Proust’s real maid, Celeste Albaret, who was directed to (and allegedly did) burn all of his notebooks. Except… what if she didn’t? This is the story line of Marcel and Camille. I loved it.
What I needed most right now was to step into another place and travel using my mind. I needed an escape. What more appealing and picturesque place than The City of Light in 1927? Let me pretend for a moment that I am drinking cafe au lait in the Latin Quarter and indulging in story. Just let me dream. They haven’t taken that away from us yet. Story.
Collected quotes:
“You and I will never get too comfortable here, my friend. We’ll always be from somewhere else, won’t we?” P. 65 “
She knew the fragility of happiness, and for this reason he trusted her.” P. 80
“She breathes in the comforting smell of old books, and wonders how many lifetimes of stories are held here.” P. 83
“Worse still, he was yet to taste a single bite of cheese. But he could not turn back now.” P 88
“I see still waters running deep within you.” P. 133
“He likes to walk through the Latin Quarter. It is the oldest part of the city, a labryinth that meanders and intersects with itself without apparent design or purpose. The pace of life feels a little slower here. People linger a little longer at cafe tables as they watch the rest of the world amble by. One more sip of coffee, one more story in the newspaper. Generations of stories inhabit every brick in every wall. He can almost see the ghosts.” P. 145
“This is what war does, mon ami. The whole world is holding its breath, waiting for life to begin again.” P. 181
I hold my breath.
Notes from a Reading Journal: “The Starless Sea,” by Erin Morgenstern.
“Why are you here? I’m here to sail the Starless Sea and breathe the haunted air.” — P. 234
“Occasionally Fate can pull itself together again. And Time is always waiting.” — P. 73
My only regret is not being able to cozy up by a fireplace in a country inn while reading this book! If you have loved: Stardust, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, and/or The Magicians, you will love this book.
Truly, truly, this is one of the most magical reads of recent memory. You have to put your logical brain on hold for this one, though, and just let the brain candy do its work. There is no “why” except story for the sake of story, and that was fine with me for this joyride. If you think about it too much, you may not get past all the unanswered questions you will inevitably have, and I think that is where the critics seem to strike. The reader is just going to have to use his own imagination to fill in the blanks. I loved that the ending leaves it open for a sequel!
Zachary stumbles across a mysterious book in his campus library and discovers that the story is about him. It leads him into a world far beneath the surface of the Earth. Down the rabbit hole, if you will. Drink me.
Fans of New York’s the “Strand” will delight in the references to the famous bookstore. Many kicks were had by me. It’s a bookmark of the Strand, from the Strand, inside a book that is talking about the Strand. “Are we at the Strand?”
Notes from a Reading Journal: “The Giver of Stars,” by Jojo Moyes.
“We women face many unexpected challenges when we choose to step outside what are considered our habitual boundaries.” — P. 386
Book of the Month’s November selections were amazing! “The Giver of Stars” is a beautifully written story involving love and friendship (and even a murder trial) between the female librarians of the WPA’s Eastern Kentucky Packhorse Librarian program. It also will serve as a reminder that no matter what, women living in modern times are experiencing the best time in history to be women.
This is a perfect selection for your ladies’ book club. There are so many themes to discuss! Probably the biggest issue that will stick in your mind is just how hard life was for everyone in that region of the country during the Depression. From the miners and families being exploited by Van Cleve and the company, to the women getting abused and oppressed by their husbands and fathers, it was a real eye-opener.
It has been awhile, but I am vaguely reminded of Fannie Flagg’s “Fried Green Tomatoes.”
Suggestions for discusssions:
Notes from a Reading Journal: “The Toll,” by Neal Shusterman.
“And isn’t it wrong for me to pretend to be a god? Define ‘wrong,’ the Thunderhead said.” — P. 359
The much appreciated last book of the “Scythe” trilogy has arrived and wraps everything up perfectly for fans.
Scythe Goddard has removed quotas on gleaning, which means scythes are encourage to “make-up” for those scythes who choose to glean less. He’s the same psychopath he always was, except maybe worse if that’s even possible. Spoiler alert – we find out he was behind a historic gleaning. Texas secedes from his jurisdiction, and his response is to cut off goods and services to the region.
I can’t help but see parallels of our modern society within the themes of this series. Do others see them too?
Scythe Faraday has traveled to the Kwajalein Atoll to “unlock the secret of the atoll and access the wisdom of the founding scythes. Their contingency plan for the scythedom’s failure.” The Thunderhead also has a new plan for humanity , and boy is it a doozy. Getting too tough there on Earth? No problem. Let’s just pack up the ships and launch into outer space. It’ll be fine. Humanity won’t repeat the same mistakes on a new planet. Yeah, right!
Citra and Rowan have a good closure. What is inside the Scythes’ rings? You will find out. What does a Scythe do once rendered obsolete? You will find out.
It has been 6.5 years since my first visit. The Crescent remains a timeless and charged place, but not the same to me. I guess I am changed, and there is no going back. Whatever I was looking for passing through this time, it was gone. I am gone. It’s funny the perceptions we hold of the past. We go back to a place, looking to recapture a moment. To capture something that can never be caught. What? It’s a special place, but ultimately it’s just another place along the road of my life. It’s just another stop. Have I seen too much? Have I stayed out too long?
The Crescent is fun, and every bit as crowded as The Stanley. It is best appreciated in retrospect, it seems, as while I was in it all I could hear were the other tourists. But it is fun. To explore the museum on the 4th Floor, and pass others as you roam the hallways. Exchanging smiles of camaraderie and perhaps a bit of embarrassment. Yes, we are all tourists snapping photos in a “haunted” hotel, trying to capture a moment. All looking for something we can’t place, but can almost feel in the air as we go up and down the back staircase.
What is here? I am digging into the corners of my mind trying to remember. But not too much. I don’t really want to know, after all. I just want to tread lightly here on the surface, never getting in too deep. Stay in the shallow end, where the water is warmed by the sun, and your feet can reach the bottom. People can and do drown in the shallow water, but I know how to swim. I am safe swimming here if I stay in my lane. Now, I hear what I want to hear. I see who I want to see. I will mostly just go quietly.
I couldn’t properly process the place until I had many hundreds of miles between us. There is place memory here. It could be the history and all of the death. It could be the geology. Or all of the above, most likely.
I wish I could’ve seen it after the Baker Hospital was cleared out. I wish I could feel it empty, pre-renovation. I wish I could time travel and see it during different periods of the past.
The sheets were fantastic in 401 and dinner in the Crystal Dining Room was great as well. The shower was not great. The foot traffic from the ghost tours might disturb some.
Notes from a Play Journal. I know I said that Wyoming was “so cool,” but so is South Dakota in more of a touristy beaten-path type of way. Sioux Falls has a fantastic park! It was a little too cold for biking during our visit, but this is on our list for a getaway once we establish ourselves out West. Alltrails.com lists the Sioux Falls Bike Trail Loop as a 19.1 mile paved (and looped) trail.
The Corn Palace in Mitchell:
The Badlands:
Mt. Rushmore:
The closest hotel that I have ever stayed in that has invoked the “American Horror Story: Hotel” feel.
Jamie Davis Writes 