Kingdom of the Golden Dragon by Isabel Allende

 

Don't you love the cover of this book? I received this story on loan from a friend. I wondered if I would like this book because I had previously tried to read two other books by this person, also given to me by the same friend, and I was leary about its' magnetism. But I didn't have to worry long. As I began to read I kept turning the pages and wanted to keep turning the pages. I wanted to sit longer in the morning with my cup of coffee or in the late afternoons with a cup of tea. I wanted to turn the TV off earlier at night so that I could go to my bedroom and read under the warm covers in the quiet of the winter night.

 

Now I will have to go out and find the two other books which go with this tale as they form a trilogy.

 

This is the second book. It is about a grandmother who takes her grandson and eventually a young friend of his as well on a journey to the Kingdom of the Golden Dragon. You learn that there are such things as Yetis and that you can transport yourself, by concentrated meditation, outside your body in order to fly among the wind. Is that really true? I do not know. You will have to make up your own mind. I do know that there are things that have been done as old as time and an open mind allows one to "see". It's a bit scary I think. What do you think?

 

At any rate, you will enter a Forbidden Kingdom in the Himalayas where a King has ruled for centuries and only he and his heir can know how to unlock the Golden Dragon's secrets. Who doesn't like that idea? But there are those who want to take what is not theirs and the Kingdom may find that it is no longer at peace.

 

I think you may like this one.

Standup Guy by STUART WOODS

 

I am a little new to Stuart Woods but my Dad's bookshelf  holds just about all of his books. So when I saw this paperback at my Rite Aid store I bought it for him because I knew he didn't have this one. But before I gave it to him, I decided to read it. Why? Because I had just finished whatever I was reading and needed something to read in bed before I turned the light out.

 

I was not disappointed.

 

The action kept up but it was also not so detailed that I thought I had to figure out the Da Vinci Code before I fell asleep or before a heavy book fell on top of my eyes and startled me back into wakefulness. But that would be a fantasy because I never fall asleep holding a book. That's just not me. And anyway how much harm could a paperback do?

 

So if you like Stuart then you will have someone that could keep the light on for you as you read a Stone Barrington novel. I know once I find a character that I like then it's a good thing.

 



SKETCHES of OLD WARRENTON North Carolina

 

I bought this book in Warrenton, N.C. at a wonderful bookstore on the main street. I was on a "day trip" with my parents and my niece. Since my parents were getting older and could not make the effort for huge trips, we had come up with a plan to take little "day trips" from our home town. It couldn't be more than 45 minutes away.

 

So we drove to Warrenton and walked around on the main street and went into some shops. But mostly we drove around in order to see all the wonderful, old homes. We let our imaginations run wild as to what life had been like and who lived there and we enjoyed fabricating our own history. I took pictures and when they were developed I made copies for my parents and put them in book for them. I included the "diary" I took that day which described our adventure.

When we left Warrenton my father said we should drive home through Wake Forest. Why? Because it would be more rustic and we could then have tea at this nice, little tea shop that mom had been to previously. In that shop were hats which were fun to try on and I bought one for my niece. She looks good in hats.

 

So this book brought me back to that day in my life and I was able to read about its true history. Believe it or not I found a reference to one of my ancestors between its pages. A Blount, of course. He had moved there from Washington in order to "give his children a better education". Warrenton, in its heyday, was known for its schools for boys and girls. Not only did they board there but also the town's children could attend as day students. There was also a horse racing track built outside of town and there was also a health spa down the road. So Warrenton was a hopping place way back when and it is fascinating to read, in this book, about the houses, the people and the institutions. Included were some old pictures of the houses, etc.

 

I really enjoyed the tour. But you would enjoy visiting that town too, I think.