Monday 12 January 2015

Quotable Quotes: The Understatement of the Year

"So you were out in high school?" She clicked her pen and studied me with big green eyes.       
      It was a fair question, but not easily answered. Straight people always assume that you're either in the closet or all the way out. But that's not really how it worked. You could be out for some people and hiding it from others. "My family knew, and my closest friends. But not the hockey team." ~ page 62

The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen





Copyright ©2015 Zee from A Tea Stained Page. This post was originally posted by Zee from A Tea Stained Page. It should not be reproduced without express written permission

Sunday 11 January 2015

Why I am Charlie



There has been some criticism of the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie in the past few days and I thought I would write why I chose to put it on both my twitter and my blog.

Those who criticise it state that they are not Charlie because often Charlie Hebdo's cartoons were offensive and in several instances misogynistic. I agree. Before I tweeted or put up on my blog I went and looked at several of the cartoons I could find online. And although my French is extremely limited I can agree in the criticism. They are offensive. They are misogynistic.

But...

For me, if I were to say that they can't print cartoons that are offensive or misogynistic then I am in some respect saying that some things shouldn't be published. And to me that is censorship. I won't be buying the books that will undoubtedly be coming out with the killed men's cartoons. But I will absolutely fight for their and others right to draw those cartoons. Just as I will protest against misogyny. Because it is by showing WHY they are wrong we can stop it.

I am Charlie not because I agree with their cartoons, but because no one should be killed for their opinions. No one should be killed because they say something offensive. The correct way of dealing with something offensive is to have a dialogue about why it is offensive.

So #JeSuisCharlie just as "[I am not] an island. Entire of itself" (John Donne)





Copyright ©2015 Zee from A Tea Stained Page. This post was originally posted by Zee from A Tea Stained Page. It should not be reproduced without express written permission

Saturday 10 January 2015

Books for a Snowy Day

Image Credit Zee @ A Tea Stained Page 
An old picture taken in the hamlet my parents used to live in

"...Oh the weather outside is frightful..." keeps going through my head as the snow absolutely buckets down outside. Good thing I had planned on curling up with books and watching skiing on tv today. As the weather is so frightful I thought I would go through my archives and link to some good books to read on an "indoor day" like today.



For those of you who, like me, consider bookshops and libraries your happy place I highly recommend The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee. It is one of those books that makes you profoundly happy as a reader, or as I said at the time of the review:

"This, from me, slightly rambly passage is simply what this book did to me. It got me thinking. And herein lies perhaps the greatest strength in this book, it gets you thinking about books. Books you love. Books that mean something. Books that you read when that big thing happened in your life. Your life in books quite simply". 

My next selection is the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett because I found out yesterday that there is a fifth book coming out in the series (YAY!). This is a series of books that make you laugh, but also think. So make your way to the Discworld starting with The Wee Free Men, then on to A Hat Full of Sky, followed by Wintersmith and finally (for now) I Shall Wear Midnight. You will not regret it.


My final recommendation is a book that I am going to tell you to read...but first you have to read the other books that lead up to it. It will be far more satisfactory if you do. But first, some background. Late last year my family and I were sitting around discussing what we would do if we won oodles of money. Would we continue working or would be go in to our boss and tell them to stick it where the sun don't shine? My mom commented that if I had oodles of money I would be a perpetual student. Studying this and that without any real goal...and she is right. I LOVE learning. But possibly even more I love the atmosphere with others learning along side me and around me. Since I don't have oodles of money I do the next best thing, I teach. Teaching allows me to be around others learning while still learning myself and making (albeit pity-full small amounts) money. So to the book. My final recommendation is Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers. But first you have to read Strong Poison, and Have His Carcase to get the relationship between Harriet Vane and Lord Peter Wimsey. Trust me it will be well worth it. And thanks again to Nymeth, without you I would never have found this delightful series...oh and in case you are wondering what this has to do with being a student...Gaudy Night is set in a fictitious Oxford college and is delightfully filled with Dons and studying and academics.

Do you have any recommendations for books to curl up with when "the weather outside is frightful"?





Copyright ©2015 Zee from A Tea Stained Page. This post was originally posted by Zee from A Tea Stained Page. It should not be reproduced without express written permission

Friday 9 January 2015

War Through the Generations Challenge

http://warthroughthegenerations.wordpress.com/

In addition to the Feminism Challenge I wanted one other themed challenge. I chose the War Through the Generations. This year it doesn't focus on a particular war but rather you can jump around. This appeals to my eclectic reading as it gives me a focus but doesn't force me into a particular time period.

I have some ideas of books I want to read. I also have some poems I want to discuss that I think fits nicely into this challenge.

Below are some of the books I will be reading/am considering. I've picked at least one from each of wars that have been previously featured in the challenge for a full year

Abigail Adams by Woody Holton (Just found this book and it isn't just about the American Revolution but it is about a figure that was important to the war so...)

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (link to free Kindle edition) (A classic that has been on my TBR for ages (will also fit one of the categories I am missing in the classics challenge)

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (Has been on my shelves for quite some time)

The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry

Ardennes 1944: Hitler's Last Gamble by Anthony Beevor (due out in May 2015) (My grandfather fought in the Ardennes but never talked about the war. I want to read this book to learn more about that part of the war)

Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest by Stephen E. Ambrose (Another one that has been sitting on my Kindle for ages, I really enjoyed the tv series so I am hoping I'll like the book)

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes (I've had this one sitting on my Kindle for ages so time to read) 





Copyright ©2015 Zee from A Tea Stained Page. This post was originally posted by Zee from A Tea Stained Page. It should not be reproduced without express written permission

Thursday 8 January 2015

Preview of posts to come: Dalakassen v. 2/3



Copyright ©2015 Zee from A Tea Stained Page. This post was originally posted by Zee from A Tea Stained Page. It should not be reproduced without express written permission

Tuesday 6 January 2015

Challenge: Back to the Classics 2015 Challenge

http://karensbooksandchocolate.blogspot.se/2014/12/announcing-back-to-classics-challenge.html

Most of my challenges this year are rather loosey goosey apart from a theme so I chose this one because I wanted to read broader, I also have a lot of classics sitting on my selves unread (that old mount, or lake, TBR). I have books for some of the categories (as you can see below) and some will be of the, what takes your fancy category. I am hoping that apart from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie: A Novelby Muriel Spark I won't go for any re-reads. That one was a long time since I read and having been on a bit of a Maggie Smith kick of late I really want to re-read it.


1.  A 19th Century Classic Don't quite know yet. I'll find something in my selves though :)

2.  A 20th Century Classic I Capture the Castleby Dodie Smith. It was first published in 1949 and has been sitting on my self for quite some time. On of my friends recommended it to me and she has not been wrong yet. 

3.  A Classic by a Woman Author. Don't know what I will count for this one.


4.  A Classic in Translation. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. I've wanted to read this for quite some time and I've even had it sitting on my shelf for quite some time. It is time. I'll be reading it in English and the original language is German. This one will also count for the War Through the Ages Challenge

5.  A Very Long Classic Novel Utvandrarna by Vilhelm Moberg. This is a Swedish classic that I have started reading several times but never seem to get through. Here we go again. 


6.  A Classic Novella The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie: A Novelby Muriel Spark. I've read this one before but I want to read it again. It has a special place in my heart being set in Edinburgh and because the movie version features Dame Maggie Smith. I did like the look of some of the other novellas on the list of World's Greatest Novellas from Goodreads.

7.  A Classic with a Person's Name in the Title. Dracula (Vintage Classics) by Bram Stoker named for Count Dracula, is yet another book that has been sitting on my shelf.

8.  A Humorous or Satirical Classic Don't know what I will read for this, still thinking about it.
A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift. After what happened in Paris I've decided that my seniors are doing a unit on satire so they, and therefore I, will be reading A Modest Proposal

9.  A Forgotten Classic.  Don't know what I will be reading for this, still thinking about it.


10.  A Nonfiction Classic. The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir. I'm combining this with the 2015 Feminism Classics Challenge.

11.  A Classic Children's BookBetsy-Tacy (Betsy-Tacy Books)by Maude Hart Lovelace. Another book I've wanted to read for quite some time (although a fairly new addition to my shelf)

12.  A Classic Play.  No idea, but maybe one of the Shakespeare plays I haven't read. Or something else






Copyright ©2015 Zee from A Tea Stained Page. This post was originally posted by Zee from A Tea Stained Page. It should not be reproduced without express written permission

Monday 5 January 2015

Challenge: 2015 Feminism Reading Challenge

http://questioningfeminismblog.blogspot.se/2014/12/2015-feminism-reading-challenge.html


I've done two different feminist reading challenges in the past: Women Unbound and  Feminist Classics but I have a few more books there that I want to read :) so this challenge was quite easy to join.

I have two books that I definitely want to read Sexual Politicsby Kate Millett, which I was very happy to find is now available for my Kindle (more another day on why Kindle availability is important to me) and The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir which I have sitting on my bookshelf from when I wrote my thesis using parts of it, but never actually reading the whole thing (bad student). There are other books I am mulling over, and will see how they fit in with my other reading. I am thinking I would like to read some more Virginia Wolf and I added a whole bunch of interesting looking books to my GoodReads shelf the other day so we shall see what happens.





Copyright ©2015 Zee from A Tea Stained Page. This post was originally posted by Zee from A Tea Stained Page. It should not be reproduced without express written permission

Sunday 4 January 2015

Challenge Sign-Up: 52 Books in 52 Weeks

http://www.read52booksin52weeks.com/2014/12/2015-read-52-books-in-52-weeks.html


In 2014 I did A LOT of re-reading, to the point where I don't even know how many books I actually read, I am sure I read some of the books two or three times. I needed it. But now I really want to branch out and read new books. Meatier books. so I have decided to do some challenges since in the past challenges have really helped me when I want to broaden my reading.  I also want to have a goal with my reading. I like having lists and ticking things off and with a goal I feel I can do it. Thinking about what is going on in my life, what other goals I have in other areas, reading, on average, one book a week seems like a doable goal. I have some books I want to read in the meatier category that I know will take me more than one week. I also know that Susan Mallery has four new books in the Fool's Gold series out in 2015 and J.D. Robb will have a few, these are books I read in a day or two (depending on what else is going on when they come out), so these books will "bring my numbers up".

Based on this I will be joining the ladies in the 52 books in 52 weeks again. The biggest danger with this challenge is that my wish list for books always grows exponentially whenever I join in discussions.

The nice thing about this challenge is that you can choose what ever type of books you want and read at your own pace but you can usually find someone to have a discussion about a particular book with.

For some of the books I will be reading this year see my other challenge sign-ups (which I will be putting up in the next few days).





Copyright ©2015 Zee from A Tea Stained Page. This post was originally posted by Zee from A Tea Stained Page. It should not be reproduced without express written permission

Saturday 3 January 2015

Old Book Review: Madicken

Today I have an old review for you. I've picked this one because my blogging nickname for my oldest niece is Madicken. She now has a younger sister, who gets to be called Lisabeth, if nothing else because she looks a great deal like the actress who played Lisabeth in the movies. And both of them are inquisitive, inventive, and boy howdy are they stubborn ("Lisabeth" didn't put a pea up her nose but she DID fall of a bed and split her lip on New Years Eve requiring a visit to the emergency room).


Madicken by Astrid Lindgren
Category: Children’s chapter book

Synopsis: 7 year old Madicken lives with her parents, little sister Lisabeth and family maid Alma in a large house at the edge of town. Madicken has a knack for getting into trouble even when she doesn’t mean too. The book follows her through most of her first year in school in an episodic fashion. In addition to her family and Alma we also meet their teenage neighbour Abbe who Madicken intends to marry one day and an assortment of other residents of the small town and surrounding area. The story is set in Sweden during the First World War. 


My Thoughts: This was a childhood favourite of mine. Like Madicken I have a bit of a stubborn streak, but I too love my younger sister (even when she drives me round the bend).
The book is episodic telling snapshot stories of the things Madicken and Lisabeth get up to. There is a great deal of innocence to the story that I loved as a child and possibly love even more now. The girls roam more or less free and make up games all on their own.


I can’t actually remember the first time my parents read to me but I can’t have been more than four or five. I do remember emulating Lisabeth at one point, in one of the stories she puts a pea up her nose (she likes putting things in other things to see if they fit). I didn’t put a pea up my nose, but much to my fathers distress I put a piece of apple in mine :D.


Astrid Lingren is one of my favourite children’s authors because she manages not only capture the innocence of childhood but also to give each individual character a voice of their own. She makes liberal use of dialect and children’s versions of different words, for example, Lisabeth says “abselut” instead of “absolut”. This enhances the uniqueness of each character and also makes it easier for children to follow along in the story.


Like The Little House on the Prairie books the books about Madicken (there is at least one more plus some picture books I think) helped shape the woman I am today. Madicken showed me the value of independence and curiosity. She helped me in my imaginative games (I liked exploring). She was anything but ladylike but still very much a girl, much like me.


It is such a shame that this book has yet to be translated into English because it really is a fun beautiful read.


Not available in English at this point.






Original Copyright ©2009-2010 Zee from Notes from the North.clip_image001This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission. 

Copyright ©2015 Zee from A Tea Stained Page. This post was originally posted by Zee from A Tea Stained Page. It should not be reproduced without express written permission. 

Friday 2 January 2015

Winter light


Copyright ©2015 Zee from A Tea Stained Page. This post was originally posted by Zee from A Tea Stained Page. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Thursday 1 January 2015

Starting (over)




In the past I loved blogging. Then it became a chore and I stopped. Then I missed it and tried reviving my blog only to feel constrained by the fact that it was a book blog and I would stare at the page and not be able to get my thoughts about a book down on it. And so I stopped again. Only I still miss it. So I've decided to start over with a new blog that isn't a specific type of blog but is mine. And I can write what I want (I can even start sentences with conjunctions).

My new blog home is named A Tea Stained Page because as I sat reading yesterday I, once again, managed to dribble some tea on the page of the book I was reading. I am reasonably sure that a majority of the books I own have pages with tea stains on them. And I do not appologize for that.


So what might I write about here? Well off the top of my head, books, teaching, technology, apps, school systems, politics, crafts, being single, cooking, organizing, travelling, studying, exercise, sports, being the worlds most awesome aunt, really anything that happens in my life. Sometimes I will blog in English and sometimes in Swedish, use google translate at your peril. I will also be posting old posts from my old blog Notes from the North here.

So welcome to my little corner of the world. Pull up a comfy chair and have a cup of tea.








Copyright ©2015 Zee from A Tea Stained Page. This post was originally posted by Zee from A Tea Stained Page. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.