Book Picks: Mrs. Poe

Although I've never been a huge fan of Edgar Allen Poe, I was enthralled by this work of historical fiction that captures several great literary figures of its time: Poe, Frances Sargeant Osgood, Elizabeth Ellet, Margaret Fuller, and Rufus Griswold among others. A crazy love triangle mixed with clandestine meetings in cemeteries and foolhardy poems of love for public consumption.....hmmm......I can kinda relate. The story is based on a scandal in the New York literary community involving Poe and Osgood in the 1840's. I love the name-dropping of important writers and famous people of the time as well as the description of pre Civil War New York with the elite eating at Delmonico's and visiting Astor House for tea while the Irish immigrants battle for Five Points. As for the lovelorn in the story, I know this might sound mean but I'm always glad to see that life never changes much. The problems of the two are actually often the problems of many. The story is very Poe-esque, especially the denouement. The most interesting thing to do after finishing this novel is to follow-up on the author's notes as to what really happened to all the people involved. Let's just say consumption was quite the evil mistress back in the day!

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Reclaiming Your Childhood: Priceless

This story might take a minute to tell. Bear with me. When my sister and I were little girls, my mother took us to a large baptist church in town. Even as a child, I never remember feeling welcome there. But I do remember the lovely older couple that kept my Sunday School class. They gave us saltines and kool-aid, and I remember thinking they would be nice grandparents to have. At Christmastime, the Sunday School class was set to have a random gift exchange. Every child was supposed to bring a gift that could be exchanged with any other child.....no specific gift designations. I received the gift of an Avon 7 bead necklace which was very popular at the time. I loved it so much and was thrilled to have it! I was somewhere between 5 and 7 at the time. (Back in the 1970's and 80's, Avon was a cosmetic company that was also known for it's inexpensive jewelry. I couldn't find a price on what this necklace would have cost back then, but apparently there is ...

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NYE for $200, Alex

Can we all just agree that New Year's Eve is the worst of the string of winter holidays? I would even go so far as saying it's THE WORST of all the holidays. I loved when Stanford Blatch defined a party as feeling very "forced festive". To me, most NYE parties feel that way. The idea that this is a big year-end blow-out and we'd all damn well better make it awesome! The reason I hate NYE is because it combines two of things I most hate about celebrations: cold weather and crowds. Plus it's during a time of year when everyone has already spent all their money. AND you usually have to the leave the house. ADDITIONALLY, you have to stay up late. It's a big F.U. from me on all this. I would dare say that some of my happiest New Year's memories have been spent at home in my pajamas with either my child, an S.O. or happily alone. I remember one unforgettable year of moving into a 3rd floor apartment on NYE. I rememb...

Becky's Greatest Hits Vol. II

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