Do You Name Your Car?

Meet Miss Flossie! As you see, yes I did name my car. :)

My roommate and I were talking about this today. I was driving and said something about Miss Flossie as I patted her console. My roomie immediately said, "You named your car?" Why yes. Doesn't everyone?! Which of course I know, probably most people don't. She then stated that she had not named hers, but had actually thought about it. Because she found out recently that her pastor and his wife name all their vehicles, and one of theirs is named "Marge". :D

As we chatted further, the idea came out that it would most likely be helpful for you to name your vehicles if, say, you had more than one. This way you could tell your children, or anyone riding with you, which car to get in today. "Okay kids, go get in Marge!" or "We're taking Chloe today!" This makes sense, right?

Just so you know, I am not afraid to admit to the fact that I am an adult and I have named every car I've ever owned. (Which is only three by the way.) My first car was Betsy, the next one was Sadie, and this one is Miss Flossie.

I talk to inanimate objects a lot actually. My computer, my phone, my shoes, my books. So talking to my car is nothing strange for me. (Perhaps it is to you, but I'm not counting your opinion on my sanity right now. ;P) Hence why I like to name my cars. I talk to them. "Come on Miss Flossie, please start today." or "I'm so sorry Miss Flossie! I cut that corner way too sharp, didn't I?"  I pet her console or her gear shift or wherever my hand can reach, and like a cat or dog, I do think she appreciates it.

Yes, I will acknowledge that you are absolutely thinking I'm crazy right now. That's okay! I'm sure I probably am crazy. But this world needs a few crazy people, right? Keeps things interesting! :D

Toodle-loo kangaroos! Happy Sunday!

Retro Friday: Savannah Trilogy by Denise Hildreth

{Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at anytime!}

Today I'm talking about Savannah. A woman who is funny and nice and talkative and insecure and quirky! And still learning about herself and who she truly is (hence the insecurity), while trying as hard as she can not to end up just like her mother. She's the protagonist in this wonderful trilogy by Denise Hildreth, which consists of Savannah From Savannah, Savannah Comes Undone, and Savannah By The Sea.  She has spent most of her life trying to distance herself from her southern mother (yes, she grew up in Savannah, Georgia, she's heard all the jokes, now moving on...), but inevitably comes back to the place of her birth. And back to her mother.

Victoria Phillips is unique to say the least. From never going out of the house without every single thing from hair to make-up to outfit to shoes looking perfect, to loving her city so much she named her daughter after it, to chaining herself to a monument of the ten commandments, to befriending other ex-beauty pageant queens........well. What more is there to say? Savannah's relationship with her mother is difficult (she's her mother!) yet loving. In the midst of trying not to be too embarrassed by what her mother may say or do next (don't forget the chaining herself to a monument in front of the courthouse; yes, the TV people think it's terribly newsworthy), Savannah comes to understand all the love and wisdom her mother carries. But it does take a while to get to that understanding. And meanwhile, that means we get loads of fun!

Savannah takes a job working for the Savannah Chronicle as a columnist. Which leads her to meeting Amber, an ex-beauty pageant queen still re-living her glory days who absolutely adores Victoria. She also spends time with Paige, her best friend since forever. And Thomas, her brother. Oh, can't forget Duke, her dad's golden retriever, or her dad either for that matter. They both feature pretty prominently. Joshua becomes pretty important in books two and three as well. (Savannah's rather fond of him, for all that she denies it like crazy. I'm rather fond of him myself! He's a genuinely nice guy and pretty adorable. Why can't I find a Joshua?) We get lots of great southern cooking and lots of great southern accents and phrases, "slow down a tad", "y'all", "oh my stars!". Yeah, I'm a fan of all of those. :)

Filled with amusing characters and Savannah's mile-a-minute talking and thought-processes, this is simply a pleasurable way to spend a few hours. Savannah is such a funny girl, and her view of her world makes for great entertainment. I've re-read this entire series many times. Highly recommended for those who enjoy stories where the characters are what keeps you reading. All the escapades that Savannah gets herself in (and there are plenty let me tell you!), the characters are who bring you back for the next book and the next book until you finally reach the end and are sad. I'd love more details on these people's lives after book three. Who knows what Savannah's getting herself into now? :)

"Anyone with half a pea-pickin' ounce of perception can tell that Vicky and I are nothing alike. We don't talk alike, act alike, or do anything else alike.
And you wouldn't know I was hers by my looks, either. I have two inches on her five-foot-four frame. And I don't think our hair is the same color, although no one really knows what her original hair color was. My hair has always been golden brown and straight as a stick. Vicky has been blond, frosted, and redheaded. The best color of all was when she wanted to be platinum blonde, and woke up the morning of the annual Savannah Chamber of Commerce Ball with the majority of her hair lying broken off on her pillow. But we don't talk about that much.
The only remote proof that Vicky could actually be my mother is that I do, on rare, necessary occasions, feel the need to freely express myself in, shall we say, clear tones. My father, Jake Phillips, has the amazing ability to sit back and breathe before responding. I, however, like Vicky, tend to speak before thought has had a chance to register."

Toodle-loo kangaroos!

Review: Feeling Sorry For Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty

Feeling Sorry For Celia

About the Book:

Life is pretty complicated for Elizabeth Clarry. Her best friend Celia keeps disappearing, her absent father suddenly reappears, and her communication with her mother consists entirely of wacky notes left on the fridge. On top of everything else, because her English teacher wants to rekindle the "Joy of the Envelope," a Complete and Utter Stranger knows more about Elizabeth than anyone else.

But Elizabeth is on the verge of some major changes. She may lose her best friend, find a wonderful new friend, kiss the sexiest guy alive, and run in a marathon. 

So much can happen in the time it takes to write a letter...

My Thoughts:

I see loads of bloggers exclaim over Australian authors and I'm inclined to agree with them. Every single new book I pick up written by one of them has yet to truly disappoint me! And this one is very far from being a disappointment. I've never read a story that was written only as letters before. I've seen some around, but didn't think it would be something to capture my attention. The format of letters and notes and postcards seems like it would be jarring, and I was worried it wouldn't allow me to connect with the characters as well, but somehow it worked wonderfully here. This was such a laugh out loud, shake my head, and breeze right through it kind of book! I'm so glad I saw it mentioned somewhere this week and picked it up from the library. 

Elizabeth is a writer, although she wouldn't say she is. But somehow she is able to take the most mundane things happening in her daily life, and make it interesting in a letter to her new penpal. Of course, being a teenager, she's got plenty of angst to complain about also. For Ms. Moriarty does touch on some hard issues, but doesn't focus on them completely either. She offers just enough to make you realize that the issues are serious and need to be dealt with seriously, not just brushed aside, yet that's not ultimately what the focus is. The focus seems more about Elizabeth (and Christina) learning that friendships and relationships are hard, and they do change as you grow older. And that's okay. It doesn't mean it's easy, it simply means it's life. Everyone learns these lessons at one point or other, and this is Elizabeth's turn. She handles it well, all things considered. Christina (her penpal) definitely helps with the transitioning. Their friendship is so fun! Writing their thoughts and feelings down help them get to know each other a whole lot quicker. It's easier sometimes, to be more honest with a stranger than with someone you know well. Especially if your relationship with that someone you thought you knew seems to be changing majorly. But they quickly move beyond acquaintances and truly become good friends. It doesn't take long for Elizabeth and Christina to start relying on one another for encouragement and support. But that's not the only relationship that's awesome. I absolutely loved Elizabeth's mother! (Her dad, not so much.) Her notes (with lots of exclamation points!!!!) always made me laugh, as she slyly tried to get her daughter to help come up with new ad slogans for her job. Of course Elizabeth always saw right through her, but humored her anyway. They simply have a great mother/daughter dynamic. Supporting each other, cheering for each other, and readily talking about things and being honest with one another. That was a big plus for me-the fact that Elizabeth pretty well tells her mom everything! I've always been the same way with my mom and I loved that.

There's a quiet little romance here too, but it's mostly in the background. Which isn't to say that Elizabeth and Christina don't talk about it, because hello, they are teenage girls! :D But it's not the main push of the story, just a fun little sideroad. This book is a relatively quick read and brings lots of entertainment, I definitely recommend it!

A Favorite Passage:

"I hate mornings. 
It's unfair how quickly you get out of the habit of getting up too. I mean, all you do is sleep in for two weekend days, and next thing it's Monday and your body's going, "uh, this is like four hours before getting-up time or something; you want to turn off that noise and go back to sleep?"
Anyway, right now the only thing stopping me from falling into a coma on my desk is writing to you. Thanks. It's a combination of the Monday-morning tiredness thing and the most-boring-man-in-the-world-congratulations-come-on-down-Rattlesnake. Rattlesnake is Mr. Rivers, our stupendous science teacher, and I don't think it's fair that he gets to be called a cool name like Rattlesnake."

Toodle-loo kangaroos!

Literary Heroines - Lady Meliara Astiar {Crown & Court Duel}

Another heroine from literature! This one is not from a historical novel however, but from a fantasy story published only 15 years ago. But I feel she's worthy of the title "literary heroine" simply because I think she's so delightful.

(So I recently re-read Crown/Court Duel by Sherwood Smith. Which I have read and re-read and re-read countless times! I love this story so much that I now own the Kindle version, the paperback version, and the hardback version-of book two only. What can I say? I love the cover shown above-which is only on the hardback, plus I wanted all the extra details and chapters that the paperback and the Kindle versions have! Besides, you can never have too many copies of stories you love. :)

(Also there are probably spoilers for both books, so you now have your warning. Proceed at your own risk.)

I love Mel! She is absolutely one of my favorite characters. Thus I decided she deserved a post all about her awesome-ness. Or at least what makes me love her so. :)

Her bravery and courageousness are shown very much in book one, Crown Duel. I enjoy her escapades in that part of her story. But it's book two, Court Duel, where she truly wins me over. Her bravery in battle, in eluding her enemies, and in standing her ground against her enemies (and those she thinks are her enemies), is wonderful, don't get me wrong! But I just enjoy her adventures at court a little more. All the fan language and the proper bows and curtsies and the way of talking. It's kind of like a battlefield in a way, just more dignified. And of course, in book two is where the romance comes much more into play, so that's a big point in its favor right there. ;P

In book one she has to learn a lot of things about herself. Things that aren't pleasant. Book two is her journey to becoming a better person; realizing that her initial judgements aren't always right. She forces herself to really look at who she is and what she believes and why. The fact that she is willing to change and desires to work on her faults is very admirable.

"...she flailed bravely into adventure not because she wished to figure as a hero, but because she was determined to battle for right, even if she struggled from day to day to define just what "right" might be."

That quote gives a pretty good idea of Mel's personality. Stubborn, brave, courageous, and always wanting to do well for those under her care. For anyone around her really! If you are lucky enough to call her friend, she will defend you until the cows come home. But woe unto you if she considers you her enemy! I did say she's stubborn and many, many times this comes into play. She also has a temper, and certain people are likely to be on the receiving end of that whether they truly deserve it or whether they do!

She also has the hillfolk who listen to her and help her as much as she helps them. And the hillfolk are never wrong! They have great instincts and thus, if they like her and support her, then she's definitely worthy of it.

She has a good heart and a great head on her shoulders. She's not dumb. She makes lots of mistakes yes, but she's very smart. Once she decides to rectify her ignorance, she proceeds to get the education she was unable to when she was younger. By the end of the story, she is most certainly a formidable woman. And definitely a legendary one!

"Vidanric thinks I am the kind of person who is destined to be in the midst of great events despite myself."

Most people underestimate her, but it doesn't take them long to figure out that she's a force to be reckoned with. Not afraid to stand up to kings, or large numbers of people wanting to do her in, or any of the other numerous occasions where she uses her brain to outsmart and out-think someone who supposes that she's only a country bumpkin. She also holds her own until help gets there, because she does finally get to the point where she can acknowledge when she needs help.

"It desolates me to disappoint you, but your brother is not here. Despite two really praiseworthy attempts at rescue."
... The hint of amusement irritated me, and sick and hurt as I was, I simply had to retort something. "Glad... at least... you're desolated."

Mel always refuses to go down without a fight. Never underestimate her! ;D Also it's just wonderful to witness her journey. She changes so much during the course of her story, yet she stays true to herself at the same time. Ultimately, Mel is simply a girl from the country who becomes a roll-model and a woman to be admired. She would deny until her last breath that she's anything extraordinary. She finds it hard to see beyond her own faults. But she is extraordinary, and incredible, and awesome!

If you haven't read her story, I highly recommend it! I'm sure my attempts to tell you why I like her so much have been pretty puny. Suffice it to say that she's a character well worth getting to know!

Toodle-loo kangaroos!