Book Review ~ A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

You may have determined by now that when I review a book I write mostly about how I liked it and why. I will leave the details of themes and plots and other mysteries to those more qualified than I. I write only as a person who loves to read.

I now know where two quotes I've often heard actually come from . . . A Tale of Two Cities. What quotes? See if you recognize them.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--

and

It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.

I never read this book in school or any other time. I don't know why. It was always on my to do list and now it is done. I read this book in installments through DailyLit .com which is a great way to receive novels through your email a bit at a time. I really enjoyed it. Enjoy isn't really the appropriate word but a better word escapes me right now.

Charles Dickens is a master at blending stories with twists and turns and amazing surprises. There is intrigue, danger and adventure. There is love and romance and trust and family. This book has everything and it is so masterfully written that you are constantly on tenterhooks, wondering what will happen next. The plot is very complex and includes several characters with hidden pasts that come back to haunt them in the shadow of Madame Guillotine during the French Revolution. Dickens also has a habit of commenting on the times in which he was writing and offers many comparisons between the the horror of the Revolution and the peoples involved in Paris with the suffering and intrigues of the people in London England . . . in this way it is truly a tale of two cities.

Don't be nervous. Pick up this classic novel and thrill to the adventures within.

A Taste of Canada ~ Fiddleheads

I do enjoy fiddleheads. They have a green bean-y, asparagus-like, pea-ish taste and they are just fun to look at. From Chateline Magazine: HOW-TO It’s Almost Fiddlehead Season! Here’s How To Cook This Springtime Veggie Properly Fiddleheads are a Canadian delicacy, but undercooking them can lead to food poisoning by Amy Grief Updated Apr 9, 2019 Fiddlehead season is short, so when you see the adorable green curlicues at your grocery store or farmers’ market, buy them while you can. Before chowing down on these little springtime delicacies, there’s a few things you should know first since fiddleheads can cause food poisoning if they’re not cooked properly. What are fiddleheads? These tightly curled coils are ostrich fern fronds. They start appearing in late April and early May in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and are usually found in forests, marshes and by rivers and streams. Taste-wise, fiddleheads, which are popular amongst food foragers, are...

Week #2 Challenge: Paper . . . and I mean ALL of your paper.

Annual Organization Challenge Week #2 How did you make out with last week's challenge? Did you find your work table? Here's this week's challenge: Your challenge this week is to S.P.A.C.E. your paper - - and I mean ALL of your paper: cardstock, patterned paper, specialty papers, and all those SCRAPS! SORT: Bring all of your paper to one area. Sort it all into piles: KEEP, SELL, DONATE, TRASH PURGE: bag up, and assign a price to paper bundles that you want to SELL at a garage sale or online, and put the bags in the garage sale box. Throw out the TRASH pile. Bag up the DONATE pile and immediately make arrangements for drop-off/pick-up or put in your vehicle. ASSIGN: separate your paper into categories that make sense to you. For example, you may want to divide it simply into cardstock and patterned paper. If you have a huge stash of paper, you may want to divide it by colour, theme, or manufacturer. **Another way to...

Journal Prompt ~ One Thing You Do Really Well

Name one thing you do really well . . . One thing I do really well is solve crossword puzzles.

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