*** ½ Ecco, 2008 0061470856 (ISBN13: 9780061470851) Set in 1929 North Carolina, Ron Rash’s Serena tells the story of George and Serena Pemberton, newly married timber barons. Threatened by the government’s desire to create a national park on their land and with equal ambition, the Pembertons eliminate anyone and anything standing in their way. Unlike […]
November
24
Deceptive and boozy Louisiana: New Orleans Mourning, Julie Smith
posted by lasesana
***½ Part of my Mysterious USA Challenge Fawcett, 1990 0804107386 (ISBN13: 9780804107389) Edgar Winner, 1991 New Orleans Mourning is the first in the Skip Langdon series and introduces the likeable and unusual character. Skip is the daughter of social-climbing parents; her father: doctor to the richest families in New Orleans. She’s is over six feet tall, described as […]
November
23
I was tweeted by Shatner!
posted by lasesana
I was checking my Twitter feed today and realized that the amazing William Shatner tweeted my Comet ISON article! Thank you, Captain Kirk, you made my day! Who is up for some comet watching tonight? http://t.co/b6B7XVjyNU — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) November 17, 2013 How cool is that?
November
16
So I’m kind of feeling like the eHarmony guy
posted by lasesana
When he says that it’s nice to get a love letter from time to time… It is really nice to get a rave review when you are least expecting it, and especially when it is from someone you really admire. TheWashCycle.com dubbed my article about a nasty little scuffle between residents and cyclists in Alexandra, […]
November
14
My first (successful) Pintrest project: pictures on the wall & the transformation of a stairwell
posted by lasesana
Project: Bring life to a dark stairwell This is what it looked like when we first moved into the house. We removed the wall paper and painted it white. This is what is has looked like for three years. Bo-ring! Inspiration: After a lot of looking- check out my wall hanging ideas board on […]
November
05
Real Greek first-press olive oil, enter for a chance to win a sample bottle!
posted by lasesana
My husband is Greek and we spend our summers with his family in the beautiful Peloponnesian town of Porto Heli. One of my favorite things about being there is the food in general and the olive oil in particular. Grown by one of my husband’s cousins and pressed less than five miles from our house, […]
Germany recognizes a third gender for intersex children
posted by lasesana
As Germany becomes the first European country to recognize intersex indivuduals, many activists complain that the law does not go far enough and that does not address the real problems that the intersex community faces. Read my piece at WTC: Germany recognizes a third gender for intersex children.
November
03
New advanced Spanish language resource page
posted by lasesana
I just added an advanced Spanish Literature resource page to Lasesana.com. It is a collection of essays, books summaries, and class discussions from my MA in Spanish Languages and Literatures, from 2002 to 2004. Everything is in Spanish. It was part of my Spanish language website, but I’m consolidating, and didn’t want all that work […]
October
16
Noir and charming L.A.: The Lincoln Lawyer, Michael Connelly
posted by lasesana
**** 2005 by Little, Brown ISBN 0739465511 (ISBN13: 9780739465516) Part of my Mysterious USA Reading Challenge I didn’t really think I was going to like this book, but I was wrong; I really liked it. It was fast-paced, exciting, funny at times, and conveyed a sense of being in L.A. that was perfect for this challenge. The […]
October
04
Tomorrow There Will be Apricots, Jessica Soffer
posted by lasesana
***** ISBN 1469249936 (ISBN13: 9781469249933) 2013, Brilliance Corporation This book was so beautiful that I wept openly when I finished it—my husband thought I was crazy. I immediately went online and Googled Soffer and tried to find out as much as I could about her. The first thing that struck me is that she’s incredibly young. While […]
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