SPRING HAS SPRUNG!
I have now lived in North Carolina for 2 years, and I still marvel at the beauty of Carolina springs. I think, living in Florida for 10 years, I was spring-deprived.
In any case, spring this year is again delicately beautiful, and then lushly so when the magnolias, wisteria, and soon the azaleas bloom. The trees too are coming alive, gently unfurling their new leaves into full-fledged glory.
FORTHCOMING NOVEL: A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL
The Take by Kelly Yang
In The Take, Maggie, a young woman in her twenties, is eager to get her first novel published. An encounter with Ingrid, a seasoned movie producer, gets Maggie help with her writing, some useful introductions, and maybe the chance to create the screenplay for a new film. This assistance, however, is part of a lucrative deal she enters into with Ingrid that has momentous consequences for them both, especially Maggie.
Initially, I thought the novel’s premise was wacky, but then I bought into it and got hooked. I found Maggie incredibly naïve and trusting and wasn’t sure she would truly see what was happening and how she was being used. A fast-paced read about money, morals, race, and gender, it’s played out against the movie industry.
This is Yang’s first novel for adults, and it has a breezy quality to it. Issues are not treated in depth, and some characters are less well defined, but the book is still good entertainment. (~JWFarrington)
(A version of this review appeared in Bookbrowse.com as part of their First Impressions feature. The book will be released to the public in mid-April.)
NO KINGS 3
On a cool, sunny March afternoon (cold compared to the 85 degrees of the previous day), the Chief Penguin and I lent our support to Cary’s No Kings protest. Angered and saddened by affairs in the U.S. and by the country’s loss of stature in the world, we believed that by demonstrating peacefully with our neighbors, we helped send a message.
Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)
We have just had a huge demonstration in London and what is happening in the Mid East is truly ghastly and I feel we will all be feeling the consequences in the future.
But your flower photos definitely brought some brightness into our dreary Spring.
Hugs, Serenax