That's great to hear! Thanks so much, Laura. It's always nice to have a good book to look forward to.

Two books from my wish list are on sale today: The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir and Loner

I also tried to like P.D. James, but I didn't care for it either. I've heard that "Peter the Great" is not his best book, so you may be disappointed. I'm not sure. You could always give it a go and skip the boring war parts, if that's what bores you of course. Even though I gave this book 3 stars, I do plan on reading his other books, since again, I've heard that they're better.

I read: The Man in the Queue - 2 Stars - This started out quite interesting. Once the investigation started however, it became thoroughly boring and dull. and Peter the Great: His Life and World - 3 Stars - When I started reading this 900-page tome, I said to my daughter that I can’t believe I’m reading 900 pages about Peter the Great. She laughed and said that she can. She knows me and my fascination with royalty well. I liked this just fine, but there were parts that dragged on quite a bit, specifically the lengthy and detailed war and battle parts. That sort of stuff bores me to no end. I was more interested in learning about him, his family, and lifestyle. I’m continuing to share photos of our visit to Monet’s House and Gardens. Oh my goodness – the gorgeous yellow dining room! Sorry if I go on a bit here, but I love all these fascinating details! "This large sunny room provided an elegant setting in which Monet and Alice, who were great connoisseurs of food and wine, enjoyed dining with family and friends. Meals in the Monet household were timed to the minute. Since Monet did much of his painting from life in the open air, every moment of daylight was precious to him, and he had his breakfast soon after dawn, usually alone … He would eat roasted meat, broiled chitterling sausages, some Stilton (the most Gallic of British cheeses), French bread, and Normandy butter with marmalade, accompanied by both china tea and a glass of milk. Lunch followed punctually at 11:30 A.M., and dinner at 7 P.M. A gong was struck twice to summon everybody, and lateness was not tolerated. Lunch and dinner usually consisted of at least three courses, including a salad, but desserts in the evening tended to be less elaborate affairs than those made for lunch. Paul, the butler, served the dishes in rapid succession since Monet did not like to wait too long between courses. As an early riser, Monet hated going to bed late and preferred to entertain guests at lunchtime.†MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

Eliana, I love your profile picture! You are beautiful. Yes, I struggle with that also. I'm getting better with taking care of my self, however. There's nothing like a health scare as a wake up call to put one's health first. I really did enjoy the book and would recommend it highly to homeschooling moms especially. There is a bit of language, but not the worst kind if you know what I mean.

I read How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big - 5 Stars - This is probably the best book that I’ve read on how to get my life together. It’s encouraging, motivating, and it helps that the author is entertaining, which one would expect, since he’s the creator of Dilbert. I’m not a Dilbert fan, but that didn’t stop me from loving this book. I really enjoyed his direct and simple writing style. I wish that this book had been published earlier in my life. This book was so good that I plan on re-reading it from time to time. Some of my favorite quotes: “The most important form of selfishness involves spending time on your fitness, eating right, pursuing your career, and still spending quality time with your family and friends. If you neglect your health or your career, you slip into the second category—stupid—which is a short slide to becoming a burden on society.†“I blame society for the sad state of adult fitness in the Western world. We’re raised to believe that giving of ourselves is noble and good. If you’re religious, you might have twice as much pressure to be unselfish. All our lives we are told it’s better to give than to receive. We’re programmed for unselfish behavior by society, our parents, and even our genes to some extent. The problem is that our obsession with generosity causes people to think in the short term. We skip exercise to spend an extra hour helping at home. We buy fast food to save time to help a coworker with a problem. At every turn, we cheat our own future to appear generous today. So how can you make the right long-term choices for yourself, thus being a benefit to others in the long run, without looking like a selfish turd in your daily choices? There’s no instant cure, but a step in the right direction involves the power of permission. I’m giving you permission to take care of yourself first, so you can do a better job of being generous in the long run.†“You’ve seen for yourself that when a sad person enters a room, the mood in the room drops. And when you talk to a cheerful person who is full of energy, you automatically feel a boost. I’m suggesting that by becoming a person with good energy, you lift the people around you. That positive change will improve your social life, your love life, your family life, and your career. When I talk about increasing your personal energy, I don’t mean the frenetic, caffeine-fueled, bounce-off-the-walls type of energy. I’m talking about a calm, focused energy. To others it will simply appear that you are in a good mood. And you will be.†Sharing a picture that we took of of Monet's wife's (Alice) bedroom. I know that a few of us have enjoyed the book on Monet's House. "In its unadorned simplicity, it is a far cry from the nineteenth century woman's boudoir and seems to have been planned specifically as a place to which Alice could withdraw from the bustle of the household for moments of contemplation on her own. It was here that she wrote her diary and did her correspondence." MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

I read In a Sunburned Country - 4 Stars - Bill Bryson is one of my favorite authors. I love his wit and humor. Although I don’t think I’ll ever visit Australia, because this was written by him, I found it fascinating and oftentimes ever so funny. He has a real knack for intertwining all sorts of interesting facts about a place into his stories. Some parts that I thought worth sharing: “I had read in the paper that Australians are the biggest gamblers on the planet—one of the more arresting statistics I saw was that the country has less than 1 percent of the world’s population but more than 20 percent of its slot machines—and that between them they spend A$11 billion ($7.3 billion) a year, or A$2,000 per person, on various games of chance. But I had seen nothing to suggest such risky gusto until I stepped inside the World of Entertainment. It was vast and dazzling and immensely well appointed. The club movement in Australia is huge. In New South Wales alone, clubs employ 65,000 people, more than any other industry. This is huge business and it is nearly all based on a type of slot machine popularly called pokies.†“I had gone no more than a dozen feet when I was joined by a fly—smaller and blacker than a housefly. It buzzed around in front of my face and tried to settle on my upper lip. I swatted it away, but it returned at once, always to the same spot. A moment later it was joined by another that wished to go up my nose. It also would not go away. Within a minute or so I had perhaps twenty of these active spots all around my head and I was swiftly sinking into the state of abject wretchedness that comes with a prolonged encounter with the Australian fly. Flies are of course always irksome, but the Australian variety distinguishes itself with its very particular persistence. If an Australian fly wants to be up your nose or in your ear, there is no discouraging him. Flick at him as you will and each time he will jump out of range and come straight back. It is simply not possible to deter him. Somewhere on an exposed portion of your body is a spot, about the size of a shirt button, that the fly wants to lick and tickle and turn delirious circles upon. It isn’t simply their persistence, but the things they go for.†“[Australia] is the home of the largest living thing on earth, the Great Barrier Reef, and of the largest monolith, Ayers Rock (or Uluru to use its now-official, more respectful Aboriginal name). It has more things that will kill you than anywhere else. Of the world's ten most poisonous snakes, all are Australian. Five of its creatures - the funnel web spider, box jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, paralysis tick, and stonefish - are the most lethal of their type in the world. This is a country where even the fluffiest of caterpillars can lay you out with a toxic nip, where seashells will not just sting you but actually sometimes go for you. ... If you are not stung or pronged to death in some unexpected manner, you may be fatally chomped by sharks or crocodiles, or carried helplessly out to sea by irresistible currents, or left to stagger to an unhappy death in the baking outback. It's a tough place.†and The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper - 4 Stars - I was pleasantly surprised by this charming and heartwarming story. If you like books like “A Man Called Ove†or “Major Pettigrew’s Last Standâ€, you may enjoy this one also. and The Modern Rapunzel - 3 Stars - This was an okay read. If you’re concerned about hair loss, and most women will be at some point in their lives, there are some helpful tips. Many of them I knew already. Some are new to me and I’m willing to try. Others seem a little bit far-fetched. Many of her tips are her opinions about overall health and are not specifically about hair loss in and of itself, hence why I’m not rating it higher than 3 stars. Shakespeare and Company Bookstore again. The view from the window looks out to the Notre Dame Cathedral. MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

:grouphug: , sorry to hear that Rose. Best of luck!

Thank you so much. I wasn't sure if I should share or not, since I don't want to get repetitive with all our pictures. This was our second time in Shakespeare & Co. I hope that you get to go again also. The first time we went, it felt crowded also. This time around, it wasn't too crowded at all.

I read The Divine Art of Meditation - 5 Stars - If you wish to understand what the author refers to as God-centred meditation, this is a great book. Not only is it practical but also very informative. Although it’s a book written by a Baha’i, I would think it to be suitable for anyone who’s interested in this subject. Meditation is something that I have never thought I’d be able to do. Quite frankly, I’ve always been turned off by the entire idea, but while reading this book, I realized that I have in fact often practiced a short form of meditation during my prayer time without really being aware of it. Now that I’m older, I am beginning to see the value in it and would like to improve in some areas. I’ve highlighted many parts and will be referring back to all my notes for quite a while. Here are some of my favorite quotes: “Today, many of us seem to live our lives like honeybees collecting honey which, at the end, we will leave to others for their enjoyment! Our values are often twisted. Our success is largely measured by the size of our bank account, how beautiful or handsome we are, or how luxurious are our homes, cars or boats. Reality TV shows continue to appeal to millions of us who choose to live vicariously through others, rather than taking charge of our own lives and focusing on manifesting the hidden resources that are invested in our souls. Women are often encouraged to seek superficial and temporary beauty, at the risk of endangering their health, even killing themselves, while men are encouraged to appreciate and chase a life of pleasure. In contrast, those whose lives are centered on spirituality are frequently ridiculed as old-fashioned or at least looked down upon. We seek surgical procedures to fight the natural aging process and enjoy ‘borrowed youth’ a bit longer, even though we know, deep in our hearts, that it is ultimately a losing battle.†“So, are there other paths, lifestyles or value systems to consider? Of course, there are plenty. I suggest one alternative here: a meditative life centred on God, which means to have Him in mind in our thoughts, words and deeds as much as we humanly can. And that is where ‘God-centred meditation’ comes in. Simply put, God plays the central role in my perspective on life and in my meditation philosophy and techniques. I believe that unless we connect to God through His Name and His life-giving, transformative Word found in the primary sources of the world’s great religions, we will not experience true, lasting joy and peace in life.†These are the lovely stairs in the Shakespeare and Company bookstore - the quote is from Hafiz. MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

I read Child 44 - 4 Stars - This crime fiction, thriller-type book is set in Communist Russia towards the end of Stalin’s rule, in the early 1950s. The author does a fabulous job detailing the harshness and terrible conditions that people had to go through, as well as all the political intrigues, sense of paranoia, and overall fear. My only criticism is that the ending was a bit melodramatic for me. and We Go Out - 5 Stars - Another hilarious book in this series – these are so funny, but again, not everyone will appreciate this sort of humor. and Mourning Diary - 2 Stars - Since this is a diary, that by the way was not meant to be published, I knew going in that it would be a slightly different read than usual, but let me just say that it was a bit strange. Roland Barthes, a literary theorist, philosopher, and linguist, wrote this immediately after the trauma of his mother’s death. There were some wonderful quotes, which I’m listing below, but other than that, this was quite boring. I may have appreciated it somewhat if I was familiar with Barthes’s work. Some quotes that I liked: “The measurement of mourning: eighteen months for mourning a father, a mother.†“Paradoxically (since people say: Work, amuse yourself, see friends) it’s when we’re busy, distracted, sought out, exteriorized, that we suffer most. Inwardness, calm, solitude makes us less miserable.†“It is said that Time soothes mourning – No, Time makes nothing happen; it merely makes the emotivity of mourning pass.†Another picture that we took of Shakespeare and Company, if you're not sick of them yet. MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

I read: Dennis Prager: Volume 1 - 5 Stars - This is a collection of Dennis Prager’s articles from 2014. As always with Dennis, I loved it. All I can say about him is that he’s spot on. I wish that I had his wisdom and eloquence. Some of my favorite quotes: “While individual human beings do enormous good, mankind has always been morally unimpressive.†“There is no limit to suffering human beings have been willing to inflict on others, no matter how innocent, no matter how young, and no matter how old. This fact must lead all reasonable human beings, that is, all human being who take evidence seriously, to draw only one possible conclusion: Human nature is not basically good.†“If nothing is holy, nothing is profane.†and We Go to the Gallery - 5 Stars - This book is hilarious. I’m so happy that my daughter spotted these during a recent visit to a Miami bookstore. She knows my taste and knew that I would love them. “John sees the painting. ‘I could paint that,’ says John. ‘But you didn't,’ says Mummy.' I don’t care for modern art at all, so this book was especially funny for me. The sarcasm and wit are the best. These books are very similar to the Ladybird books for adults. They’re not at all appropriate for children, and also some adults would likely find them offensive. and The Complete Guide to Fasting - 5 Stars - I loved his first book and enjoyed this one equally. It has tons of helpful information on fasting and how beneficial it may be for weight loss and for overall health. Although his approach is quite simple, I haven’t yet been able to fully implement it due to various circumstances and the craziness of life these days. My heart hasn’t really been in it. I have one major concern. I have to cook for a family and here is where the problem lies. I have never, ever been able to lose weight when I cook and that’s not even considering fasting. He mentions that fasting and cooking are not a good mix. I can understand why. I fast once a year for religious reasons and I barely cook during that time. For me, cooking while fasting is simply not happening. He does have some short and simple fasts: 12 hour and 16 hour ones, but then when the weight loss starts to plateau, as it inevitably does, he recommends longer and different types of fasts and I honestly can’t see myself being able to do that, unless if the entire family was on board. He mentions that fasting is most successful among couples when both commit to it, but not everyone is in that situation. So although this is an excellent book, I can’t honestly recommend it unless if one is able to avoid the kitchen and cooking on fasting days or during fasting hours. If I didn’t have to deal with the cooking issue, I would feel far more confident that this approach would improve my health and help me to lose weight. Don’t get me wrong. When the time is right and hopefully it will be someday, I’ll still give his approach a go, but I feel slightly less confident as to it working than before I started the book. Some of my favorite quotes: “Hunger is a state of mind, not a state of stomach.†“Fasting, by taking a completely different approach, is much easier to understand. It is so simple that it can be explained in two sentences: Eat nothing. Drink water, tea, coffee, or bone broth. That’s it.†“We are wired for feast and famine, not feast, feast, feast.†“The basics of good nutrition can be summarized in these simple rules. Eat whole, unprocessed foods. Avoid sugar. Avoid refined grains. Eat a diet high in natural fats. Balance feeding with fasting.†“Try to physically remove yourself from all food stimuli during a fast. Cooking a meal or even just seeing and smelling food while fasting is almost unbearably difficult. This is not simply a matter of weak willpower. Our cephalic phase responses are fully activated, and to feel those responses without actually eating is like trying to stop a piranha feeding frenzy. This, of course, is the same reason you should not shop for food when hungry, or keep snacks in the pantry.†“Interestingly, I’ve seen the highest success rates with husbands and wives who try fasting together: the mutual support is a big help and makes fasting far easier.†and We Learn at Home - 5 Stars - As with the other book in the series, I laughed my head off. Some would be offended. I wasn’t. Every page in this short and quick read had me either smiling or laughing uncontrollably. Here’s an example of one of the pages: “We are having a debate. ‘How do you win?’ asks John. ‘You must tell the other person they are hurting your feelings,’ says Mummy.†Another picture that our daughter took while in Paris. As you can probably tell, we loved Shakespeare and Company. Oh, can you imagine if we were all there together? MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

Congratulations, Stacia!

Oh my goodness! That's a lot of cooking. I hope that you're able to get a break from time to time.

:grouphug: I read: Stonewalled: My Fight for Truth Against the Forces of Obstruction, Intimidation, and Harassment in Obama's Washington – 3 Stars - This was interesting at first, quite gripping actually, but as the book progressed it became a rather tedious read. I think that I would have appreciated it more had read this when it was published a few years ago, when it was current and fresh. I wish that I had read it then. and From Julia Child's Kitchen - 3 Stars - This cookbook is a delightful read, but I can’t really recommend it, since I don’t care for the layout as far as cookbooks go. I like recipes to be easy to read – line-by-line, short, and user-friendly, as opposed to long paragraphs. I got my copy used and I didn’t pay much for it, so I’m happy that I have it and I know that I’ll refer to it from time to time. I love Julia Child and all her stories, but I can’t imagine that I’ll use it much as a cookbook. My favorite quote: “I like to cook for 2, or for 4 or 6 at the most 8 people. Beyond that you get into quantity cooking and that is just not my field at all. The last time we had 12 for a sit-down dinner and I did all the cooking, and Paul and I did all the setting up, serving, and washing up afterwards, I said never again. I’ll do a buffet, but I don’t consider that civilized dining; it is feeding, and I like to sit down at a well-set table.†and Because They Hate – 5 Stars - This was a fascinating and compelling read from an insider on the militant Islamic takeover of Lebanon by someone who was there. The author, a Lebanese Christian, is a survivor of terrorism and she warns the rest of the western world, telling it like it is. One starts to realize how terrorists take over a country one bit at a time and very gradually. I try to not push books very often, but to me this is a must-read.I highlighted so many quotes that I loved, that at times I felt as if I was highlighting most of the book. My quotes are included in my review on Good Reads and below it as well. Finally, thought to share this photo that my daughter took in Shakespeare and Company while we were in Paris. This bookstore was magical. I thought of all of you and wish that we'd been there together. MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

I read: Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making it Work - 4 Stars - I adore Tim Gunn and really enjoyed reading this. This book is partly a memoir and partly an anecdotal guide to manners and decency. Some of my favorite quotes: “You can be too rich and too thin, but you can never be too well read or too curious about the world.†“I am a stickler for good manners, and I believe that treating other people well is a lost art. In the workplace, at the dinner table, and walking down the street--we are confronted with choices on how to treat people nearly every waking moment. Over time these choices define who we are and whether we have a lot of friends and allies or none.†“I don’t believe in texting while dining, sending one-word e-mails in lieu of formal thank-you cards, wearing shorts to the theater, or settling for any of the modern trends that favor comfort over politeness, ease over style. Manners are simply about asking yourself: ‘What’s the right thing to do?’†and About Alice - 1 Star - Since I was unfamiliar with the author and his wife, this book did not resonate with me at all. It’s possible that those who are familiar with the author’s writings may enjoy it. Not me. At first, I liked how much he missed and loved his wife. As the book progressed, I didn’t particularly care for the name dropping and the perfect life – perfect wife, perfect daughters, everyone’s beautiful, Ivy League, you get the idea. I’m sure that there are people like that. In fact, I’ve met a few, but it’s not exactly what I wanted to read about. I felt that this memoir didn’t have much depth. MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

I've had luck with all of these: Jockey Women's Underwear Slimmers Brief Jockey Women's Shapewear Staycool High Waisted Shaping Brief Maidenform Sleek Smoothers WYOB Bodybriefer Shapewear Maidenform Flexees Women's Shapewear Romper

I read A Dark Time in America - 5 Stars - Dennis Prager is a favorite of mine and I always enjoy his wisdom and insight. This fantastic and thought-provoking read is a collection of his columns from 2014. Some of my favorite quotes: “If your parents bring you no shame, be very grateful. If you're proud of them, celebrate.†“No matter how old you are, as long as a parent is alive, you are still a child. It is only after both die that you cease being a child. And then, all of a sudden, not only are you no longer a child, you are also next in line.†“Israel is the only country in the world targeted for annihilation.†MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

Robin, I read Pearl S. Buck's "The Good Earth" a few years ago and loved it. I didn't even know that it's part of a trilogy or something until fairy recently. Interesting coincidence that you posted "Girl with a Pearl Earring". Early this morning, I remembered that a friend has loaned me her copy and that I should start reading it soon. I read The Stranger Beside Me : Ted Bundy - The Shocking Inside Story - 3 Stars - My feelings about this book are mixed. On the one hand, I didn’t know much about Ted Bundy, so I learned a lot about that. On the other hand, I just don’t like the author, who happened to be one of Bundy’s close friends. I really didn’t care for her confusion, misplaced compassion, and sympathy for him. That sort of mentality simply infuriates and frustrates me to no end. She even sent him money while he was in prison. He was a cold-blooded evil monster and she continued her friendship with him. I hate that sort of thing, never mind the stupid excuses for his behavior. While reading this, I kept saying in my head, “Just die alreadyâ€. Thank God that he was stupid enough to head to Florida where those types of evil monstrosities were simply not tolerated, unlike some other states that seriously messed up. Some interesting quotes: “The most basic bit of advice given to women who have to walk alone at night is, ‘Look alert. Be aware of your surroundings and walk briskly. You will be safer if you know where you are going, and if anyone who observes you senses that.’ The stalking, predatory animal cuts the weakest from the pack, and then kills at his leisure.†“Yet, in reality, Ted loved things more than he loved people. He could find life in an abandoned bicycle or an old car, and feel a kind of compassion for these inanimate objects, more compassion than he could ever feel for another human being.†“Dr. Benjamin Spock, who worked in a veterans’ hospital dealing with emotional illnesses during World War II, commented at the time that there was a pronounced cross-sex problem in dealing with psychopathic personalities. The male psychopaths had no difficulty in bewitching female staff members, while the male staff picked up on them rapidly. The female psychopaths could fool the male staff but not the women.†MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

Last night I had a really beautiful dream. I met Ayaan Hirsi Ali, one of my favorite people ever. I wish I knew her in real life. I've read and loved all of her books.

Robin, I was very close to reading it. Then I saw that most of my Good Reads friends with similar tastes to mine didn't care for the book at all. I chose not to. If you do read it, I'm eager to hear your thoughts. I read: We'll Always Have Paris: A Mother/Daughter Memoir - 2 Stars - This memoir/travelogue wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be. The book alternates in what I thought was a rather tedious and predictable style, going back in the past remembering her musician hippy father and again forwarding to the present. It was mostly boring and made me fall asleep quickly several times. Ambition and Desire: The Dangerous Life of Josephine Bonaparte - 3 Stars - I enjoyed learning about Josephine, Napoleon, as well as the history of France during that period. Before reading this, I really didn’t know much about Josephine at all, other than the fact that she was born in Martinique, not that far from where we live. Our local museum claims to have her bathtub, but I have my doubts as to whether that tub was really hers! Josephine was a survivor. Her first marriage was simply dreadful. Her marriage to Napoleon was doomed most especially when she was unable to bear his child. Mind you, I would think that any marriage to either of them would likely be doomed. Oftentimes, this book got far more detailed than I would have liked. I can’t say that I loved it or would recommend it. I most enjoyed reading the parts about her love for Chateau de Malmaison. She loved botany and collecting rare animals. One of my favorite descriptions: “Her most cherished animal was a female orangutan possessed of a remarkably sweet nature. The little lady strolled about the house fully dressed, and when anyone approached her, she pulled her coat over her legs and would ‘assume a modest, decent air to welcome the visitor.’ She always ate at the table, using a knife and fork, and was particularly fond of nibbling on turnips. After dinner, she loved to cover her head with a napkin and then pull funny faces. When she fell ill and was put to bed, she lay with the cover drawn up to her chin and her arms outside it, completely hidden by the sleeves of the dressing gown. If anyone she knew came into the room, she greeted him with an appealing look, shaking her head gently and pressing his hand affectionately.†MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: So sorry, Stacia.

My thoughts exactly. I have to admit that I love the aroma of her products, the ones I've tested anyway. My skin isn't sensitive, so I personally don't have a problem with fragrance, but that's not the point really. It is odd that her products have so much fragrance. If I remember correctly, she attempts to justify it in her book, something to do with not too much or whatever.

I loved that series.

Robin, thank you for this thread, as always. I've loved all the HP books and have read them twice. I'm catching up on reviewing some of the books that I've been reading. Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic - 5 Stars - This is the third book in the Jennifer Scott boxed set, and as with the other two, I enjoyed it immensely. This one focused on living with dignity, poise, and grace, something that’s sadly often lacking today. This book even inspired me to buy a lovely apron on our recent visit to France. The French Beauty Solution - 2 Stars - I didn’t learn much from this book at all. She is quite pushy about her own skin care line (Caudalie), but to be fair, I knew that she would be before I even read it. I may try her grape detox and am curious to see if it works. What irritated me is her overall attitude that Americans need to pretty much become French in order to be beautiful. That sort of mentality rubs me the wrong way. There’s one part in particular that I thought was particularly condescending, where she refers to “the prudish Americans†and that being one of the reasons why American women apparently hide behind a ton of makeup. Since I personally don’t favor the idea of nudity or sunbathing topless I’m sure that she would consider me a prude, which quite frankly, I don’t mind, since I wear my badge of prudishness with honor :D! The funny thing is that she would likely be baffled by the fact that I don’t wear any make up at all really. Some of my favorite quotes: “The key for me is keeping it simple, with an emphasis on the best skincare rather than makeup.†“There should be a palpable pleasure in pampering your skin.†A Year in Provence - 2 Stars - I read right this before our visit to Provence, which has turned out to be one of my favorite places on earth. I was quite excited to read this since I’d always heard such great stuff about it. The book started out nicely enough but then became rather repetitive. Most of the stories were about renovating the author’s home in Provence and various dinner parties. There wasn’t much of a plot at all. I ended up skipping lots of pages and being quite bored, except of course for the parts describing food, since I really do love food! According to the author, the French simply adore their food, something that I can fully relate to. Some of my favorite quotes: “The French are as passionate about food as other nationalities are about sport and politics." “We remembered being told that the French spend as much of their income on their stomachs as the English do on their cars and stereo systems, and we could easily believe it.†MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.