Review of: Moving On by H.J. Holt – 4 Stars

And now to kick off another series on my blog, book and film reviews!  To start off, I’m reviewing Moving On by H.J. Holt, published from Dreamspinner Press in July 2012.  Available here:  

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_646

Moving On is the story of a young man, Luke, who’s been dealt some tough hands in life.  His home life back in the American Midwest was significantly less than ideal and involved not just the fostering system, but his own mother’s attempt to use him as a scapegoat for her drug running operation.  Even his boyfriend only adds to Luke’s troubles and self-esteem issues.  So Luke decided to beat town and immigrate to the UK where we meet him working at a burger joint in Bristol. 

When Luke meets Paul at a club, they hit it off straight away.  Paul is a teacher who has family money and is doing quite well for himself.  Paul has a few years on Luke, but that’s not much of an issue for them.  Paul’s social status (including the attitudes of some of his mates) and the fact that Paul is still grieving the loss of his partner several years ago, however, might complicate a growing but uncertain relationship.

Read on for more....

Inauguration Day

By now most of the world is probably aware that President Obama’s second term in office officially began this Monday (well, it was Sunday, but we have the big show of it on Monday), which was also Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  I’m pretty well convinced that inaugurations should always be held on public holidays to give more people (especially children) the opportunity to watch one of our country’s most important ceremonies.  Who has watched an inauguration and not, for even just a passing moment, imagined themselves up there taking (or administering) an oath of office, singing a song of patriotism, or reading a poem of hope and unity?  

It’s a great thing for young people to have that sort of inspiration. 

I can’t help myself, sometimes I still get all proud of this old place.  The trips I’ve taken to DC in the last couple years have been inspiring, despite all the political gridlock, hokum, and euchring, when I’m there, I still feel a sense of hope at what can be accomplished.  Miss Smith Goes to Washington, if you will. 

And there was so much for young, and somewhat less young, people to be inspired by Monday. 

Read on for more....

Aliments: Sustenance and Libations series - On Gin

With my renewed approach to bloggeratin' - i cheerfully offer the first in my food/drink series "Sustenance & Libation."  To start things off properly, today's topic: gin.

As evident in the quote at the top of the page ("In the absence of anyone to be rude to, i'm going to the pub for an unspecified number of gin and tonics."  Captain Stephen Peacock, Are You Being Served?), i am a gin drinker.  Generally, i find people either love it or hate it.  There's not much in between.  I also find that gin drinkers are some of the most loyal to their brands.  I'm certainly not above the occasional Bombay or Beefeater, but i'm first and foremost a Tanqueray lady.

Gin, as most alcoholic beverages, has a long history.  It's stock really rose circa 1700 when it got quite popular in England (the country it is still most associated with).  Of course, not everybody was thrilled about that back then and gin got labeled with a low-class-inebriate's reputation.  Gin fell out of favor rather quickly after that, but it was back again by the Victorian era, and like most things popular during the Victorian era, it had come back with a major style upgrade.

Alas, the whole Prohibition thing knocked gin back down a peg or two, particularly that "bathtub" bit.  But once again, gin recovered well enough.

Read on for more....

rolling into 2013

I'm going to start signing up guest bloggers and be making some guest spots of my own pretty soon.  Hoping to get my blog developed and on a regular track.  I'm thinking i might schedule things on a monthly basis, such as monthly guest spots, monthly recipes (food and/or drink), monthly reviews (book and/or film), and other such features. 

Watch for further developments soon!