The cover for Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (authored by Ransom Riggs) intrigued me for several months before I finally picked it up and began reading. Featured is a vintage, black and white photo of a levitating girl with golden curls and an innocent expression on her sweet face. As I began reading, I was immediately drawn into this strange story, and upon finishing it today I knew I’d be looking for the sequel as soon as possible. Luckily, it just came out last week!

Jacob, teenage heir to his family’s Smart Aid drugstore franchise (think: Walgreens, Rite-Aid), lives a lonely life in Florida, where he has just one “sort of” friend his own age, and grudgingly spends his time working at the family business and mulling over stories his Grandfather Abe told him when he was younger. Since Jacob was a toddler, Abe has told him fantastical tales of peculiar children he knew who possessed different talents, such as levitating, disappearing, and lifting extremely heavy objects, among other equally strange skills. Abe told him that the characters he talked about populated an orphanage on a remote Welsh island where Abe lived during World War II, when he escaped the death camps and was placed there. Eventually, Jacob’s parents forbade Grandpa from telling these magical tales, because Jacob was beginning to believe they were real. 

 

Jacob regularly sees a psychiatrist because he has night terrors, and also suffers from emotional and physical manifestations of his anxieties. After his grandfather suffers a violent and untimely death, Jacob follows his final words and travels with his father to the island Abe described to try to figure out what Abe so desperately wanted him to know. What Jacob hasn’t admitted to anyone is that when he found his Grandfather, barely alive and horribly mutilated, he also saw a hideous monster that caused the death, a monster that nobody else could see. When he asks people on the island about the orphanage where his grandfather spent the war years, nobody seems to know what he’s talking about; when he explores the area he eventually does discover the orphanage, but it is in ruins and appears to have been bombed, and is nothing like the serene, beautiful place his grandfather had described.

As the story progresses, Jacob is taken into a type of time slip, and gradually comes to realize that he himself isn’t “normal.” He discovers true friends, but they aren’t friends who can ever live in his world for any amount of time. He meets the indomitable “Miss Peregrine” and it is she who explains Abe and Jacob’s connection to the orphanage.

Sprinkled with incredible black and white photographs of the characters that inhabit the novel, this book is a thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing read. It reminded me often of Jack Finney’s Time and Again, one of my favorite books ever. I was wondering today if I’d enjoy this book as much if I read it on my Kindle or iPad, or listened to it on my iPod, but I think this is a case where it is best read in print format, because the photos added so much to the storyline. Marketed as a book for teens, I think this story is suitable for any interested, astute reader from age 10 to 100, though the nuances will perhaps resonate more with adults who have experienced various types of loss in their lives. I’m excited that Tim Burton is making a film version of this novel, because I was visualizing it the entire time I read it. Delightful!

I’ve been listening to a lot of books on my iPod recently, and want to share some reviews. I typically buy my audiobooks from Audible, but I'm ready to investigate what the public library can offer and to see how seamless the downloading process really is.

The first book I’ll discuss today, however, is one that I read in print format in two hours. Here goes:

All the Truth That’s in Me by Julie Berry. This book covers the story, told in second person perspective, of young Judith, who was abducted from her provincial village when she was 14 and returned two years later with her tongue cut out. Her initial words are unintelligible grunts, and when she clumsily eats food, her family is disgusted. Her mother forbids her to speak again, and Judith settles into a quasi-normal lifestyle. She helps with least desirable chores, blends into the background (villagers think she’s cursed and avoid her, acting as if she is not only mute but stupid; it is a given, in their eyes, that she’s also a fallen woman and must have been “forced” upon by her captor), and silently moons over Lucas, the boy she always loved before she was so abruptly taken. When Judith disappeared, so did her best friend Lottie, the preacher’s daughter. Everyone in their tiny town of Roswell Station feels that Judith must have somehow been responsible for what happened to Lottie, who wasn’t as “fortunate” as Judith.

Now, having said all of that, I want you to prepare to suspend your predictions and read the book. Why? Because it isn’t necessarily what you are thinking it will be in any shape or form. The writing style is shared in snippets, almost as if you are seeing one small photo of an object and then being pulled back to see more scope and detail revealed with each step. I wanted to guess that this story took place in some small, remote Australian town in the 1800s, but I’ve seen others conjecture that it involves a puritan colony in early America. Again, another mystery you’ll have to chew on as you let the story unfold. The writing is very well done, and I found tears in my eyes in some sections, because Judith very much has a story that must be told, but she lacks the physical ability to do so, and she lives in a time when women are considered property not able to express valid viewpoints. I already know some terrific readers at school who will enjoy this novel.

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty. I initially planned to classify this as a typical “woman’s problem novel,” but after listening to the final words I had to admit that this read is something much more than that. Cecilia is the perfect wife and mother – she handles running a household with three precocious daughters, and a husband, John-Paul, who works internationally and is often away from their Sydney household. She is impeccably dressed, organized, and she is the number one Tupperware saleswoman in the area. In short, I found her to be very annoying. Her life revolves around her family and the parochial school her daughters attend, St. Angela’s – the same school Cecilia attended when she was growing up.

Working at the school is Rachel, a woman in her 60s who is furious at the world because her daughter was killed when she was just 16 years old. Rachel has a grown son, and a grandson who will soon be moving to New York, but spends her days desperately trying to dig up memories of her Janie, and also trying to hunt down the man she is certain killed her girl. Throw in another character, Tess, who has just discovered that her husband and formerly-fat cousin are deeply in love with each other and are waiting for her approval to consummate their love, and you’ve got a fascinating blend of intersecting lives and people converging in one powerful story.

The title comes from an event wherein Cecilia is looking for something in the attic of her home, and discovers a sealed envelope addressed to her, with instructions stating that it must be opened only in the event of her husband’s death. She later jokingly tells her husband about finding the letter, and then is surprised by how he begs her not to open it, and how he flies home early from his latest business trip. How can she not resist this Pandora’s box? Once the letter is open, the secrets begin to tumble out, and the author doesn’t let up on the surprises until the epilogue is complete. Enjoy unraveling all of the storylines and seeing how seemingly separate lives can intersect in intense moments fraught with emotions all over the map. Whew!

The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood. This is a dark novel, set in current-day England, and it concerns the working lives of Amber and Kirstie, two adults who just happen to also have been convicted as child murderers some 25 years before. Just friends for one day before the killing of four-year-old Chloe, the girls were paraded in front of the news media and the courts and set up as examples of feral children.

Amber has created a new life for herself, after being released from prison. She is the common-law wife of a theme park carney, and works the dark, secreted night shift as the head cleaner for the park. Vic, her man, is rough and surly, but he has times of tenderness and while she’s never told him about her childhood years in prison, he’s got an idea that something “big” happened in her background. In the meanwhile, he’s content to share her home, and her hard-earned dollars, as long as she is compliant and follows his strict orders about keeping their home clean. Amber looks hardened, and her cleaning crew employees respect her, but they also wonder about her rough demeanor and her lack of a social life.

Kirstie, on the other hand, received more “perks” in prison, and was recognized as a potential success story because of her intelligence, so she was shuttled into a college program and given more advantages. She works as a freelance reporter, and her income is the only thing keeping her family afloat as her laid-off husband desperately looks for work and takes care of their two children. Nobody in Kirstie’s background would ever have a clue as to her former life in prison, and she has carefully developed a façade that will evade any potential questions. Along the way, she’s also picked up a drinking problem in order to help her cope.

One night at work, Amber goes into one of the carnival houses to clean, and discovers the mutilated body of a young woman. Within a few weeks, other girls are murdered and the media jumps onto the “Seaside Strangler” wagon, eagerly spilling details and spreading gossip about the potential killer. Kirstie is sent to cover the stories, and before long she comes face to face with her childhood friend, back when they were known as Bel (Amber) and Jade (Kirstie). While both are horrified to see each other, they are weirdly drawn to discuss their lives, as nobody else could understand just what they have given up along the way in order to survive. Meanwhile, the killings are coming closer to home and soon it is obvious that someone is out to hurt both of the women.

One thing that bugged me about reading this novel was the switching back and forth behind the main characters’ childhood and adult names. This might be because I was listening to the book (beautifully read aloud by a Brit), but I found it distracting. Some of the peripheral characters were just downright nasty, and this also detracted from any sense of hope for these women. Still, this is a strong crime novel, and it explores the concept of child murderers and the environments that produce them. I enjoyed the story, but was also relieved when it was over – so much tension and angst!

The Dark Witch by Nora Roberts. Okay, so this is totally a chick novel. But, having said that, it is a lot of fun. Iona is an American in her 20s who is at loose ends, and she can’t seem to maintain a relationship or a job. She has no filter on her actions or words, often with hilarious results. She isn’t close to her parents, who view her flippant attitude towards life as a big mistake and disappointment. But she loves her grandmother dearly, and it is this gentle soul who convinces Iona to visit County Mayo, Ireland to see the family cousins. She also reminds Iona that she is one in a powerful line of witches and that it is her destiny to be with her other supernatural family relatives.

Iona travels to Ireland on a lark, hoping she’ll like her cousins and be able to pick up some type of job to support her visit. Once there, she immediately (unbelievably, really…) bonds with cousins Branna and Connor, and finds a job that not only includes handling her favorite animals (horses) but also includes working for a devastatingly handsome man who will do anything he can to ignore her charms. While all of this wonderful family/employer bonding is occurring, Iona is also accosted many times by a dark spirit who wants to destroy the family. Branna sets Iona to practicing witchery so that they can all battle the demon together to vanquish him. The back-story on the dark witch lineage occurs at the beginning of the book, when past relatives and their magical actions are examined and described.

This book isn’t deep or meaningful. But, it is nonetheless a pleasant, beach-style read and is part of a planned trilogy. Iona is an incredibly positive character, and that resonated with me. I’ve read some other books by the author and enjoyed them a lot. There’s a bit of steaminess in this novel, and a lot of touristy information about Ireland and the coast and flora/fauna. The main character is impetuous and impulsive, so she’s somewhat refreshing from your typical damsel in distress. Her connection with horses is the best part about the book, but romance readers will also enjoy her shenanigans with her employer Boyle, who can’t wait to peel her layers (clothes included) away to get to know her better. Read it, enjoy it, forget it and move on!

This is my review of some fitness DVDs I’ve been trying out at home. I’m not endorsing any one product, nor am I suggesting you jump into using these DVDs without first determining if you are at the correct level of personal fitness – and this will vary by person. Read the reviews on Amazon to really get a feel for what you might enjoy. By the way, did you notice that I did not use an apostrophe for the word “DVDs?” That is because you don’t need one – I will never know why people feel the need to apply possession to the pluralized form of DVD, but this is one of life’s mysteries that I am not interested in solving!

My ultimate exercise preference is to be running outdoors underneath a sunny sky, or kayaking on a choppy lake, or bicycling down a long, winding trail. However, when you live in the Midwest, you have to make allowances for what they call “inclement” weather, of which we seem to be receiving a lot this year. So, working out indoors makes sense, whether you have a gym membership or try to do this at home. I really hate doing anything on a treadmill, even though I’ve gone this route several times when I had gym memberships. Today’s information is based on my home gym efforts.

1.     Kettlebell Workouts

First of all, they are called kettlebells, not kettleballs! Certain people in my family insist on calling them kettleballs, because they think this is hilarious!

Swing Yourself Fit Total Body Workout – features fitness guru Gin Miller, who looks like a scary German who will beat you silly if you look at her the wrong way. Her arms are huge…It’s a great DVD! I bought this at Target for around $50, and it includes an adjustable kettlebell that ranges from five pounds, to eight pounds, to 12 pounds. The kettlebell is fairly easy to adjust, and you will need to make adjustments throughout the different workouts, which include 15 minutes or so sessions based on overall fitness, arms, and legs. The legs one is killer – loved it!

My first time using the five-pound bell, I thought I’d die. It was a real paradigm shift for me. I was swinging that thing all over the place and my husband was sure I’d throw it right into the large-screen television.  I worked up to the eight and 12-pound workouts pretty quickly. For the summer, I focused on doing one session every other day, so I was alternating full body, arms, and legs every other day and then starting over. I ran on the alternate days.

I’ve read some reviews of Gin’s technique, and while I was never injured doing her video, it bears mentioning that she does not teach you how to do the all-important kettlebell foundation “hip snap” that propels the bell outwards, and upwards as you swing. I think she should have covered this.

Overall, I think this is a pretty good introduction to swinging a bell, without investing in a whole set of kettlebells. The workout will make you sweat and it will tone you up fairly quickly.  Once I got the workout sequence down, I turned off the volume (her side comments get old fast) and listened to a book on my iPod. I loved the on-screen timer showing you how quickly you are moving through the sessions.

The Ultimate Body Sculpt and Conditioning with Kettlebells. The DVD is led by Lauren Brooks, kettlebell expert from San Diego. I purchased it on Amazon for around $30 after doing pretty extensive research. You should check out Lauren’s web page: http://www.ontheedgefitness.com/. Let me tell you, this chick has got it going on and her workout is tough. She holds certifications in Russian kettlebell training, and is degreed. I started out with a 10-pound bell, eventually got comfortable with a 15-pound bell, and just graduated to a 20-pounder. Her workout (with warm up) lasts approximately 45 minutes. The workout is an interval workout, so you’ll bust your butt for two minutes and rest for one minute. I do my workouts in my bedroom, so during the one-minute break I walk around, drink water and recover, and even put away laundry and make the bed. The person working out with Lauren is a 53-year-old woman in amazing shape and their demeanor is easy-going and focused, and not peppy at all, which is a delight after so many annoying “chirpy” DVD exercise videos. They don’t feel the need to fill up empty spaces with chatter.

This workout will make you sweat something fierce, because along with swinging a heavy kettlebell, you’ll be doing pushups, squats, modified burpees, and mountain climbers. Don’t let this scare you, because you will get better at all of these exercises. I’m still doing modified pushups, and I’ve been doing this DVD for about two months. The sweat factor may mean that you need to get some gloves to help you maintain your grip on the kettlebell. The very last session on this DVD features ab work, and I never thought I’d get through the whole two minutes without a break, but I finally did. I can’t wait to work up to a 25-pound kettlebell, and then I hope to purchase her next DVD. Lauren gives great, detailed instruction on her 18 kettlebell movements, and you will learn the “hip snap” that is so necessary for properly propelling the kettlebell forward and up, and avoiding back injury. I could see that for some people this workout could be really tough on your shoulders, so you might want to use a lighter kettlebell for those sessions. This workout has changed the way my clothing fits me – it is worth the money, effort, and sweat!

This workout DVD also includes a 12-minute gut buster (bootcamp style) workout, but I haven’t tried it yet. Still, 12 minutes is better than doing absolutely nothing, so I may use it one day when I’m really short on time.

Note: I’ve purchased my stand-alone kettlebells from Amazon. The reason I do this is that because I have a Prime membership, so I get free shipping and great prices. I bought cast-iron bells in 15, 20, and 25-pound sizes, and hope to get up to lifting 35 pounds at some point.

2.     Walking Workouts

Leslie Sansone Walk at Home 5-Mile Fat Burning Walk. Ever worked out with Leslie before? She’s the queen of home walking videos. Really, it’s a huge franchise, and for good reason. She basically takes you through five miles of walking, side steps, knee lifts, with minimal arm work. She’s super peppy, and once you have her moves down you might want to listen to something else while you are walking with her and her team. There is a timer on screen showing you when you’ve reached a half mile, and once you see this, you know you only have about 6 minutes left for that particular mile.

If you are new to walking at home, you could easily just do the one-mile walk, and then work your way into the whole five miles (which takes about 60 minutes). There isn’t much of a warm up or cool down (minimal), but the DVD is pleasant in that it features people from her gym who have lost rather incredible amounts of weight and are highly motivating. Some of the participants model easier, modified walking, while others turn up the intensity with higher-stepping legwork, more exuberant arm swinging, etc. Leslie is not intimidating at all. This DVD is also great if you are already working out doing something else and want to tack on a couple of miles after dinner for a little extra workout. I add in 3-pound handheld weights to amp up the burn sometimes, usually using them for miles 1, 3, & 5. No complaints, and I only paid $9 on Amazon!

Prevention: 2-Week Turnaround Cardio. Now this is definitely a step up from Leslie’s relaxed walking pace. Chris Freytag, who probably shows no less than 18 teeth when she smiles, takes you through a brief warm up, then two different 15-minute walks. You can combine the walks, or just do one if time is short. The first one utilizes three-pound handheld weights (if you like – up to you) and a lot of arm work while you are walking, which will ramp up your heart rate. It is fun and goes by really quickly. The second 15-minutes is an interval training walk, and you wind up doing a lot of fast-paced walking steps and then doing something much more challenging (jogging in place, jumping rope – without really needing a jump rope, jumping jacks, etc.) for 30 seconds. I actually like this walk even better because it really gets your heart pounding. I’m sure everyone downstairs in my home hates it because I’m probably crashing all over the place trying to keep up. This DVD ($9 on Amazon) includes a brief yoga-based cool down, which works pretty well. Chris is kind of hilarious in that she’s super peppy (“I like this!” and “It is good to sweat” and “You can do anything for 30 seconds!”), and she works out with one person who does an easier version, and another who takes up Chris’ moves into more rigorous levels. Based on this DVD purchase, I will definitely be checking into the other offerings from Prevention magazine.

Walking for Weight Loss, Wellness & Energy. This DVD features Jessica Smith, who is one of the “extras” on Chris Freytag’s video (above). This may be my new favorite video. Jessica is upbeat without being annoying, and her interval walk is a butt-buster. Her DVD ($20 on Amazon) is somewhat more intensive than the ones described above, because it includes a five-minute warmup, and two 30-minute interval sessions (high energy walk and power walk) and then a five-minute cool down session. There are two additional exercisers modeling easier and more challenging forms of what Jessica is doing. Both sessions will make you sweat, and include some high-cardio moves such as jumping, running, scissor legs, box stepping, and other moves. Again, the interval sessions within each walking session are challenging, but they don’t last too long, and before you know it you are back into the basic walking move and getting a brief rest. There is no on-screen timer, but Jessica reminds you that when the “Happy Song” comes on it means you are almost done!

Richard Simmons. I bought the Richard Simmons DVD box set ($25 on Amazon) just for fun, because I used to do his workouts when my three kids were babies and I had limited amounts of time to workout. In fact, my adult children came into my bedroom the other day and commented on the music playing during his DVD, saying they remembered hearing some of the songs when they were toddlers! “Sweating to the Oldies” has great songs, some great energy, but you will need to work it, in order to work up a decent sweat. It is doable. Add in some handheld weights. Exaggerate the movements.

Richard is even more likable to me now then when I was in my 20s, because I think he was on the forefront of the whole fitness movement by incorporating people of all abilities in his DVDs. His other ones are also fun, but not as good as the original, but this may be a personal bias because I was so familiar with the main DVD. So, I’ve got this one for some variety, but it isn’t my “go to” DVD. You won’t get hurt doing this DVD because he’s got some great models showing the easier modifications. I think the set includes a motivational DVD, but I haven’t taken the time to watch it.

3.     Stretching.

Karen Voight’s Deep Stretch. I just have one stretching DVD and it is a killer. But a good killer. Meaning, I must have needed to be stretching more because when I started, it was very hard for me to do all of the moves, and now I can do most of them pretty easily. When I’m sitting in a chair, I can bend my leg so that my knee touches my chin and I can easily trim my toenails. This probably sounds silly, but this is what made me notice how much more flexible I have become. It would be nice if you have a yoga block ($9 at a sporting good store) and stretch strap (I got a phenomenal, graduated one online from Amazon for $12) for some of the stretches, but you can still do the DVD without them.

Karen, who is about as buff as you can possibly be, takes you through nearly 50 minutes of warm up and deep stretching moves, many of which are based on yoga poses. She performs these on a matt in the Montana wilderness, and the scenery is fabulous. This DVD has been great for loosening up my shoulders, upper back, and neck, which are all cramped from typing at computers. It is also great for opening up stubborn hip muscles/flexors, and stretching your torso. When you finish this DVD, you feel amazing! Lighter, more flexible, and more at peace with the world. I can’t say enough good things about it. I got the DVD on Amazon for around $20. Karen isn’t super chatty or annoying – she just talks you through the poses and there is some pleasant music playing in the background.

So there you go – I’ll try to update this post when I purchase some new DVDs, but for now these are keeping me healthy and happy through a particularly nasty Kansas winter.