Thursday, June 18, 2015

The Sage Book Whisperer's Book List for Summer 2015

Wait for it,wait for it..it's that Time of the Year...
 Summer Solstice June 21,2015 @ 12:38 pm EDT! Book Lovers start your Engines!

This year's Book List for Summer 2015 was a very hard decision. 

I've just come off the "Mad Men TV Series"Book List from last year with only two books remaining.Since that time, I've read a couple others not on the list & will share an Epic Book Review soon. 

The decision was hard because I'd planned on my List consisting of all of "Gabriel Garcia Marquez" major works.I fell in love with his writing " Memories of My Melancholy Whores" a couple years ago.But,I wanted to introduce my 89 year old Mother to the writings of Zora Neale Hurston,my Sorority Sister (Zeta Phi Beta). And,to carry on the tradition of our weekly over the phone discussions _our personal Book Club! Last Summer(2014) we read the work of G.K.Chesterton's "Father Brown".What Fun we had & still talk about that 1100 page book we devoured ...just the two of us! Of course,I was reading the "Mad Men Book List" as well.

                   ~ DECISION -TIME~ 
Drum-roll,please! I've chosen "The Library of America" publication of "Hurston"Novels & Stories. It includes 5 Major Novels and 9 Short Stories to the tune of 1036 pages.Can't wait to read "Their Eyes were Watching God",as I saw the movie with Halle Berry a couple years back.




Zora Neale Hurston (b Jan.7,1891 d.Jan.28,1960), the 5th child of 13 children,born in Notasulga, Alabama,moving to Eatonville,Florida in 1887 when she was 3 years old. 

In 1887 it was one of the first all-black towns to be incorporated in the United States. Hurston said she always felt that Eatonville was "home" to her as she grew up there, and sometimes she claimed it as her birthplace.Her father later was elected as mayor of the town in 1897 and in 1902 became preacher of its largest church, Macedonia Missionary Baptist. 


In 1918, Hurston began studies at Howard University,where she became one of the earliest initiates of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and co-founded The Hilltop,the university's student newspaper. 

While there, she took courses in Spanish, English, Greek and public speaking and earned an associate degree in 1920. In 1921, she wrote a short story, John Redding Goes to Sea, which qualified her to become a member of Alaine Locke's literary club, The Stylus. Hurston left Howard in 1924 and in 1925 was offered a scholarship by Barnard trustee Annie Nathan Meyer to Barnard College,Columbia University,where she was the college's sole black student. Hurston received her B.A. in Anthropology  in 1928, when she was 37. While she was at Barnard, she conducted ethnographic research with noted anthropologist Frank Boas of Columbia University. She also worked with Ruth Benedict as well as fellow anthropology student Margaret Mead. After graduating from Barnard, Hurston spent two years as a graduate student in anthropology at Columbia University. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zora_Neale_Hurston   

List of Major works in this edition:
Jonah's Gourd Vine,Their Eyes Were Watching God,Moses,Man of the Mountain,Seraph on the Suwanee,plus other short stories.



And You can take part in the yearly Zora Neale Huston Festival_

http://zorafestival.org/   or Zora Neal Hurston on Facebook page. 



        ~The Second Author....Emile Zola~ 

He was chosen because of his SCANDALOUS 1880's book called  "NANA" The History of a French Courtesan"_which btw makes "50 Shades of Grey" read like a Nursery Book! I got the Illustrated copy published in 1933 on EBay....naughty,naughty! 



...a closer look at what he's thinking....& that's the most I can show...just sayin' _it's all about the French!
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_Zola




Nana tells the story of Nana Coupeau's rise from streetwalker to high-class cocotte/courtesan during the last three years of the French Second Empire. Nana became popular, in spite of or, as some say, because of the opprobrium it garnered. I watched the movie called "The Life Of Emile Zola"

I believe there are several sites on You Tube that the Full movie is available. I will be watching this version of Nana on DVD soon.



The other book has (10) additional Novel/Novellas by Emile Zola called "Best Known Works of Emile Zola" published in 1941.Got my copy on EBay...I love to read old books & wonder who held the book before me....sigh! Book-NUT!

List of Major Works in this Edition:
Nana,The Miller's Daughter,Captain Burle,The Death of Olivier Becaille,The Inundation,Nantas,Nais Micoulin,MME Neigeon,L'Assommoir,Germinal.


  & YOU can become a Member of...
http://www.emilezolasocietylondon.org.uk/whoweare.html 


So Readers,no matter your Reading-Style...









Join Me this Summer as.... 

                                       & 



Happy Reading!

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Livin'La Vida Golden~Tonaza-Time in Peru!

 It is no SECRET...the Incas Lived La Vida Golden! So I raise my glass as I get this overdue Blog Post on the way...
                       Yes,those are Golden Flakes ! 

Aka,Goldschlager a Swiss cinnamon schnapps (43.5% alcohol by volume or 87 proof originally it was 53.5% alcohol or 107 proof),a liqueur with very thin, yet visible flakes of gold floating in it. Well,I confess,I will NOT have a shot of that_but to continue the importance of Gold to the Universe,I decided on "Livin'La Vida Golden" at "MY Peruvian Tonaza Birthday Party" 5/17/15!

The Incas referred to gold as the "Tears of the Sun." BUT,they were not the only ones.Gold dates backs thousands of years...Phoenicians, Egyptians, Indians, Hittites, Chinese,The Greeks & Romans,etc.During the Classic period of Greek and Roman rule in the western world, gold and silver both flowed to India for spices, and then to  China for silk. At the height of the Empire (A.D. 98-160), Roman gold and silver coins reigned from Britain to North Africa and Egypt. Money had been invented!  Its name was GOLD. So much History in Gold Worldwide. 

Who knew these Mask were made of Gold & went on to the Afterlife!
                             Tutankhamun Death Mask, Golden, Mask, Gold Head 

No wonder Pyramids and other Ancient Burial Grounds have been robbed for years. Here's a few other examples of the GOLDEN Stuff...
                         Golden Wreaths found in Greece 
                  Inca Face Mask in National Gallery of Peru 

GOLDEN WOMEN

1st Century Roman Woman in Wedding Golden Jewelry 
                      Adioukrou African Queen Mother  


                       Chinese Women in Traditional Gold 
                   Traditional Gold on Women from India

No "Fashionable" Inca,Mayan or Aztec would be without some kind of ornamentation.It was most likely to be "Golden"! 
  http://www.fashionencyclopedia.com/fashion_costume_culture/Early-Cultures-Mayans-Aztecs-and-Incas/Body-Decorations-of-Mayans-Aztecs-and-Incas.html

And...then there's always these "Golden-Nut" Jobs...








                     "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME"  just sayin'

                     Liquid Gold Rush..It's Everywhere!


Pan Pipe Music at the Party...






Rimaykullayki!....it's "Tonazo-Time" Peruvian Style_

Let's get this Party/Tonazo started...this is the 14th Year of "Passport Parties in my Living Room" with Friends...some have moved to other Cities/States_we missed Y'all,a couple couldn't make it...so we raised our glasses to Ye!

            Passport Picture: Morocco_2010 "Mo'Rockin Harem Nights Birthday Party"

                   Passport Book filled with all the Countries...PERU Representin'~

The Inca Queen,Birthday Girl.I found out via DNA Ancestry Testing that my Ancestors were part Inca in January 2015. I had decided in December 2014 that Peru would be our next stop. Didn't know I was part Inca!!!


                                                               My Peeps!
                                     Sorors & Friends..Fa-Ever!...Zeta Phi Beta!

                                                            My Posse! 




                             ~Peru Decor~






                       Birthday Prize_"Woman in Gold" Gustav Klimt on the wall.



                              ~MENU~

Spicy Baby Back Ribs w/Peruvian Garlic Sauce ~ 

Jalapeno Sausages~ Aji Amarillo Maycomba (Peruvian 

Beans) ~Andean Tri-Color Quinoa Salad served on 

Butter Lettuce ~ Roasted Fingerling Potatoes w/ 

Peruvian Aji Verde Sauce ~ Variety of Spicy Condiments 

 & Hushpuppies~ 

~Cheesy Dip~ Inka Chile Picante Corn ~ Plantain Chips 

Chica Morada Corn Drink ~ Peruvian Wines/Prosecco












~Side Notes~

While My Peeps were talking,I was having my personal Wine/Prosecco Tastin'...just sayin! My gurlfriend introduced a new Prosecco(Italian). Wait Italian at a Peruvian Party?

Yep!..there are many ethnicities in Peru! Little known FACTS_ Between 1532 and 1560, 50 Italians established in Lima (Vice royalty of Peru) and Callao, mostly from Liguria and Tuscany, such as Martin from Florence, Pietro Catagno, Pietro Martín from Sicily (all of them involved in Atahualpa's capture),Juan Bautista Pastene,born in Genoa in 1505 and also present since the beginning of the Spanish Conquest of the Inca Empire. It is worthy to say that, in 1584, the first printing press was brought to the Vice Royalty of Peru by an Italian named Antonio Ricciardi Pedemontanus.




~Good Tonaza-Times~

  • Huq Kutikama _ (see you later) in "Quechua" spoken by about 13 percent of the Peruvian population, making it the second most common language in Peru and the most widely spoken native language. 

  •