If books could have more, give more, be more, show more, they would still need readers who bring to them sound and smell and light and all the rest that can’t be in books.
The book needs you. Gary Paulsen
May 17, 1939: Happy birthday, Gary Paulsen! It's no wonder that he writes adventure novels like Hatchet—he's raced in the Iditarod, lives part-time on a boat, and, at 14, ran away to join a carnival.


Although Gary Paulsen is most "famous" for his book Hatchet
I enjoyed Harris and Me much more.  Harris is a young farm boy, "Me" is his cousin.  Me is probably based on childhood experiences of Gary.  Harris is constantly getting "me" in all types of trouble around the farm.  Set in rural Minnesota during WWII.  Over the years, I have suggested this title to children and adults - I have never had someone return it who didn't enjoy the antics of Harris, and sympathize with "me".  Laugh out loud funny.
Newer release has a different cover, I have always liked this cover as it was done by one of my favorite cover illustrators, Wendell Minor.

Hope you will consider this one, if you need a good laugh.

Just finished "Reckless" by Cornelia Funke

Hope you find a good book. 

Two Italian "flicks"

You have to watch this one first, to get the cast of characters in your mind.

 

We just watched this one the other evening.  Having watched Italian flicks from a very early age, I rarely thought of them as comedy, however, "The Salt of Life" is that rare bird of an Italian flick.  Since this has subtitles, most of the humor is body languare, facial expressions.  We really enjoyed this one!

 

Hope you will give them a shot!

 

Currently reading  Reckless by Cornelia Funke

Quote of the Day----Goodreads

There ain't no sin and there ain't no virtue. There's just stuff people do. John Steinbeck
May 6, 1940: John Steinbeck received a Pulitzer Prize for his best-seller, The Grapes of Wrath, 73 years ago today. The title, based on a lyric from "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," was suggested by his wife.


Currently reading  "The Fire Chronicle"

Quote of the Day-----Goodreads

The minute you become conscious that you are doing good, that's the minute you have to stop because from then on it's wrong.
Paula Fox
April 22, 1923: Happy birthday, Paula Fox! The decorated children's book author has enjoyed a resurgence of interest in her adult novels, thanks to Jonathan Franzen's championing of her Desperate Characters. Fox is also the grandmother of musician Courtney Love.


Currently reading  Jon Katz's  Running to the Mountain.

Quote of the Day----Goodreads

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.
Cynthia Ozick
April 17, 1928: Happy birthday, Cynthia Ozick! A master of fiction and essay, Ozick was born in New York City, 85 years ago today.


Perhaps on this day, several days after the tragic event in Boston, we should all sit quietly for a bit and consider all that we have to be grateful for - family, friends, community and our country - let no one take these things from us.

"The Lady and the Panda" a book by Vicki Constantine Croke

"China is a country of unforgettable color, and often, quite unbidden, come vivid pictures to my mind--sometimes it is the golden roofs of the Imperial City in Peking, or again it is the yellow corn on the flat-roofed little stone houses in the country of the Tibetan border land" Ruth Harkness

February 19, 1936 William Harvest Harkness, Jr. lay dying in Shanghai, his bohemian, socialite wife, Ruth Harkness was in New York City, totally unaware of what her husband was facing. He had left for China on a quest to bring back a live Panda - at this time in our history folks such as Teddy Roosevelt had journeyed to China to hunt pandas, bringing back only their "trophies" of their hunts - so Harkness' journey was something totally unique at the time.

When Ruth learned of her husband's death, she made the decision to embark on the most unusual journey of her time. Leaving her own career in dress design, she traveled to China on the quest of a lifetime - her's and her husband's.

There are many obstacles in being a woman traveling in China at any given time, during the 1930's obstacles were even greater. Her quest to bring back a live Panda was filled with many up's and down's, the threat of World War II looming, her lack of understanding the culture and language, yet none of these obstacles prevented Ruth Harkness from completing her husband's "appointed" task.

Ruth kept going through all types of conditions, until one day ...............

You will just have to read this one for yourself to find out what happened to her expedition.


Hope you will enjoy this one.
Good reading!

Quote of the Day------Goodreads

Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.
Anne Lamott
April 10, 1954: Happy birthday, Anne Lamott! The humorous and heartfelt advice giver was born in San Francisco, California, 59 years ago today