I binge-read Swans of Fifth Avenue, and needless to say, I really enjoyed it. As I mentioned, it's a novel based on fact, and the author has an afterword where she says people are curious as to what is real and what she made up. She says, of course, that she made up the conersations but all the facts and perceptions of the people are true. It made me go and look up the various characters on line, study their bios and photos on Wikipedia, etc. It also sort of made me curious to reread Capote's book In Cold Blood which I read when it was first published in 1966. That's a book that stayed with me, and I remember a few of the details all these years later.
So from Fifth Avenue to Kidbrooke Lane outside of London...
If you can't read the subtitle its' "A true story of Victorian Law and Disorder" and I'll let Amazon describe it more succinctly than I would:
On April 26th, 1871, a police constable walking one of London’s remotest beats stumbled upon a brutalized young woman kneeling on a muddy road―gashes were cloven into her skull; her left cheek was slashed open and smashed-in; her right eye was destroyed; and above it a chunk of the temporal bone had been bashed out. The policeman gaped in horror as the woman held out her hand before collapsing into the mud, muttering “let me die” and slipping into a coma. Five days later, she died, her identity still unknown.
Within hours of her discovery on Kidbrooke Lane scores of the officers of Greenwich Division were involved in the investigation, and Scotland Yard had sent one of its top detectives, John Mulvany, to lead it. After five days of gathering evidence, the police discovered the girl’s identity: Jane Maria Clouson, a maid in the house of the renowned Pook family . . . and she was two months’ pregnant with Edmund Pook’s child when she died.
Murphy carefully reviews the evidence in the light of 21st century forensic science in order to identify Jane’s killer as Edmund Walter Pook. Using a surprisingly abundant collection of primary sources, Murphy aims to recreate the drama of the case as it unfolded, with its many twists and turns, from the discovery of the body to the final crack of the gavel―and beyond. 16 pages of color and B&W illustrations
me again: So far, the woman has been found; she's in the hospital in a coma and loads of people are coming to look at her to try to identify her. She's still alive and the police and Scotaland Yard are gathering evidence.
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Real and Pretend Lobster Fest
Fran alerted Mary that it was Red Lobster's Lobsterfest and they made me jealous by going there today. A favorite of mine are the cheesy biscuits, and Mary supplied a photo to make my mouth water.
And here's Mary's meal:
So I was definitely jealous so I splurged on my own delivered dinner... shrimp stuffed with crabmeat, baked potato and fresh corn. It was good.
And here's Mary's meal:
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| this looks like shrimp and lobster and chivey mashed potatoes and macaroni & cheese.... |
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| Mary captioned this "Don't touch that biscuit!" |
So I was definitely jealous so I splurged on my own delivered dinner... shrimp stuffed with crabmeat, baked potato and fresh corn. It was good.
No cheesey biscuits, but I did get a good salad that was cool and fresh.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Another Good Read
If you like following someone having an adventure, here's one. This is an author I've worked with who has taken a sabbatical to ride his bike from South Carolina up the coast and then west to Oregon. It's hard for me to imagine, but it's a fun trip to follow. He also has incredible "everyday" type photos which remind me of some I would take. He also talks about what he eats. He's now on Day 18 and in Virginia.
Here's the link -- no registration or sign in necessary.
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=tS&page_id=451383&v=8
Here's the link -- no registration or sign in necessary.
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=tS&page_id=451383&v=8
What I'm Reading
I finished the Fannie Flagg book, and I liked it. It's one of those books whete the characters I believe will stay with you. It got too complicated at the end -- too many side plots and side characters for my taste. I was thinking that I only have a limited amount of "care" for characters, and there were too many good-guy characters to care aboout.
In any event, now I'm reading Swans of Fifth Avenue, which is a novel based on real events. Google books says:
In 1975, a clique of Manhattan socialites discover that literary lion Truman Capote revealed their dirtiest laundry to the world in a story published to great fanfare in Esquire—a real-life event that inspires this novel. As the women (the metaphorical swans of the novel’s title) face his perfidy, they attempt to untangle an intimacy with Capote that dates back to 1955.
In any event, now I'm reading Swans of Fifth Avenue, which is a novel based on real events. Google books says:
In 1975, a clique of Manhattan socialites discover that literary lion Truman Capote revealed their dirtiest laundry to the world in a story published to great fanfare in Esquire—a real-life event that inspires this novel. As the women (the metaphorical swans of the novel’s title) face his perfidy, they attempt to untangle an intimacy with Capote that dates back to 1955.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Just Checking In
Lazy weekend of puttering around. I devoted way too much time sitting here, with junk TV, playing a computer game. Did a bit of work-work... watched various crime documentaries -- missing person and murder type things. Spring has gone away. The wind is so strong that I can actually hear it. When I can hear weather through the 100-year old brick walls of my apartment, I know it's something. The week ahead continues this dreary spring... can't wait for the warm weather... and no, I won't complain about the heat!
Oh, I am enjoying the Fannie Flagg book... have about 100 pages or so more to go. I would never have gotten this book had it not been recommended. She's really a good writer -- about a step or two above "beach book" standard.
Oh, I am enjoying the Fannie Flagg book... have about 100 pages or so more to go. I would never have gotten this book had it not been recommended. She's really a good writer -- about a step or two above "beach book" standard.
Friday, April 1, 2016
Sleepy Milo
Mary says:
Milo used to move as soon as I started making the bed. Now he just
snuggles down and relaxes.
Pat says:
I know the feeling!
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