Alcatraz pics

Alcatraz

Alcatraz

Cell at Alcatraz

Cell block at Alcatraz

Al Capone

Al Capone's mug shot

Capone's comfy cell at Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary

Mae and Sonny Capone

"What's in a name?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet."

Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

Names are funny things. Our experiences with them are so varied and our feelings about them equally as varied. I was flabbergasted when my sister-in-law expressed how beautiful her name was and then turned around to say to me, "You must hate your name." Obviously she doesn't think much of it. It is unusual and has caused me some difficulty, but I love it because of its significance. That's why I have offered - repeatedly - to change your names. It would be a very simple thing. I certainly don't want any of you to be "stuck" with a name you don't like or one that you don't think fits you. I like all of you so much and I thought of names that were endearing to me. For instance, I love the name Queenie because that's the name of three of my favorite characters--a spunky girl in a book I loved as a child, a feisty black woman in one my favorite musicals, and a wise woman in one of my favorite British series. But, as I've said before, it would be a breeze to change.........

Our discussion last week was enlightening, fascinating, fun and funny, as usual (Thanks, Queenie!) and I loved the trifle. Here is Queenie's recipe:

1 sm. pkg. vanilla instant pudding

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

1 tsp grated orange peel

2 cups whipping cream, whipped

2 pints fresh strawberries, sliced

Angel food cake cut into bite size piece'

In a large bowl, mix pudding, sour cream, mild and orange peel until thick.  Fold in whipped cream.  In a large glass bowl, layer 1/2 cake piece, 1/3 strawberries and 1/2 pudding mixture:  Repeat, cover and refrigerate 2 hourrs.

"I used 2 packages of pudding for book group but didn't increase the sour cream or whipped cream."

Hunger Games #3

The title and cover of the third in the Hunger Games trilogy has been officially announced!

It will be released on August 24th and, because of its popularity, there will be no advanced copies released. The contents of this final book are top secret, and when David Levithan (VP Director, Scholastic) was asked what he could reveal he said: 

I am not, under any circumstances, allowed to divulge the contents of the third Hunger Games book. Nada. Nothing. Not a peep. I can, however, share with you five things that will not be appearing in the new book:

• Panem is not shaken up when District 9 is nominated for a best picture Oscar.
• At no point does President Snow utter the line, “This is Snowmageddon, baby.”
• Despite internet rumors to the contrary, it is not revealed that Cinna has been secretly designing outfits for a Capitol operative known as “Lady GaGa.”
• All rumors of a crossover appearance by Geronimo Stilton are false.
• In a tough editorial call, we decided not to have Katniss win the Hunger Games…only to be interrupted by Kanye West.

For those of you who haven't read this series yet, it's about a sixteen-year-old girl named Katniss who lives in a post-apocalyptic world. A corrupt government hosts The Hunger Games every year, choosing a boy and girl from each of the twelve districts to fight in it. The winner is the last one alive. It's a gruesome premise, but many have found it to be truly "unputdownable."

Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society

Hope to see all of you at book group tomorrow night at Queenie's.

Click here to watch a video of Annie Barrows.

Click here to see a google maps look at Guernsey.

Click here to watch a cool video of Guernsey with interviews of natives.