Book Club Friday: Divergent and Insurgent.

Now that school is out and vacation is over, I have finally been able to start reading again.  So, next week I should have a review of Khaled Hosseini's new book (which I picked up while on Vacation)!

Divergent

By: Veronica Roth

Pages: 487

Date Read: 6/28/12

"In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her."
{GoodReads}

Insurgent

By: Veronica Roth

Pages: 525

Date Read: 07/4/12

"One choice can transform you, or destroy you. Every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves, and herself, while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love."
{GoodReads}

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I picked up these books.  Goodreads recommended them to anyone who liked the Hunger Games.  I thought that the Hunger Games were ok, so I picked up the first book.  Then I started seeing reviews on different blogs, some loved it, some hated it.  I was kind of afraid I wouldn't like it because people kept saying that the Hunger Games were better and while I liked the Hunger Games, I wasn't really crazy about it.   I am so glad I picked up the first book!  I thought this series was much better than the Hunger Games books!

I loved these two books!  The story was extremely well developed and the idea of the factions is actually very interesting and I really liked it!  I also loved the characters and how well they were developed.  Four and Tris were, of course, my favorites but further into the series I really loved Tris's Mom!   I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes dystopian literature, especially if you liked the Hunger Games.  As I said before, I liked these two way better than Hunger Games.  I thought the writing was better and the story and development were better in these books.  After I finished the first book, I went right to Barnes and Noble to get the second ... I couldn't put them down!  I can not wait for the third book to come out.   The next book, Allegiant comes out on October 22 and you can bet I will be first in line at Barnes and Noble!

I gave both of these books a 5/5 on my GoodReads!

* I also just found out that they are in the process of making the movie which I am not sure yet if I will go see.  I don't know how I feel about the cast.
 

Vacation 2013: Ash Lawn-Highland

Our second Presidential tour was to Ash Lawn-Highland, home to James Monroe.  Ash Lawn is located just a few miles from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. 

Once again, no photos were allowed in the home but I will share photos of the outside and share some facts.

I knew that the home was not going to be as extravagant as Thomas Jefferson's but I was still interested to see it.   When you first turn on to the property you will notice that the drive up to the house is beautiful!  In fact, the whole property is gorgeous!

Now, the part of the house pictured above is painted yellow because it did not look like that when Monroe lived there.  That portion of the house was destroyed in a fire and instead of keeping it one story, as it was in Monroe's time, the owner decided to make it two stories.   All of the buildings and sections painted white are the same buildings that were there when Monroe lived there.  The our only included parts of the house that Monroe lived in.

This was where the tour started and was actually the last part of the home to be added when Monroe lived on the property.   When we arrived, we were greeted by a super fun snake on the roof .... I was totally not amused and neither was our guide, she kept eying it as much as me.

The house is fairly small.  Therefore, we spent a good bit of time in each room learning about James Monroe and his place in history.  I learned that Monroe was a very modest person and lived in a smaller home because he did not feel the need for a large one. 

James Monroe was quite the negotiator and Diplomat, being the one to resolve conflict with the British and acquire Florida from the Spanish.  He also proclaimed the Monroe Doctrine which declared that any European countries that try to colonize in the US or South America would be viewed as aggressive and would require US intervention.  He was also responsible for the final negotiations of the Louisiana Purchase when he was working on James Madison's administration.

Monroe was another President who viewed slavery as wrong.   He didn't abolish slavery because he feared the consequences of abolition, as the Southern States were threatening to secede from the Union if slavery were abolished. 

James Monroe and his wife unfortunately ran into financial trouble and had to either sell this property or the one that they owned up north.  Since this one sold faster, they left it behind and moved into their home up north in 1826.

When Monroe lived on the property, it was known simply as Highland.  The new owner called it Ash Lawn, so now it is combined and called Ash Lawn-Highland.

If you are visiting Monticello, I would recommend popping over to visit Ash Lawn.  The property is beautiful and the tour was both educational and enjoyable.   I knew next to nothing about Monroe before this tour and came out feeling like I knew his whole life.  Definitely worth a visit and it is significantly less expensive than Monticello.

Vacation 2013: Michie Tavern

After visiting Monticello, Josh and I were going to head straight to our next destination, Ash Lawn-Highland which was just a few miles past Monticello.   However, we were starving and needed to eat before doing another tour.  We had passed Michie Tavern on our way up to Monticello and it was just 1/2 miles down the road.  I had also picked up a flyer for Michie Tavern while at Monticello.  We decided to give it a try and I am sure glad we did!!

Michie Tavern was built in 1784 by Corporal William Michie and provided food and lodging for travelers during this time.   It was open and active until the mid-1800's when stagecoach travel began to diminish.  At this time, the tavern become Cpl Michie's private residence. 

A tour is offered but we decided to just eat lunch.  If you eat lunch at the tavern, the tour is only $2 per person!  Part of me wishes we did do the tour and part of me was ok with just eating there.   Lunch is buffet style and includes southern foods made with 18th century recipes.  There is also a server who will bring you more food if you wish and desserts.  I also loved that all of the employees were in Period attire! 

Obviously, it was self seating.  We chose to sit on the enclosed porch area so that we had a nice view. 

 This was my lunch.  I was in love!  Mashed Potatoes, Biscuits, Green Beans, Fried Chicken and Pulled Pork.  I also got an apple cider along with the water that is pictured.  It was all delicious and I would eat there again in a heartbeat!

 

Of course this homemade peach cobbler was the best part of the meal!  Josh and I ordered two but the server suggested that he bring out one and then decide.   That was an excellent suggestion because there was no way we each could have finished one!  We barely finished it while sharing!

 Pictured above are the areas for seating.  Our table is in the top photo and the others are indoor dining areas. 

I absolutely loved this place!  It was a little pricey at $17 per person plus extra cost for any drink (other than water) and desserts that you order, but in my opinion it was totally worth it.  The food was absolutely to die for if you like a good southern meal!   The service was impeccable!!  Everyone was so nice and I loved that they stayed in character! 

If you are ever in the Charlottesville area, I would HIGHLY recommend Michie Tavern.  Please note: The Tavern is open specifically for lunch, the hours are 11am to 330pm.

Vacation 2013: Monticello

Due to wedding planning, our vacation this year was pretty low key.  Josh and I both love history and that is basically what this vacation was about, learning American History.  And what a great week to do that, the week leading up to Memorial Day. 

Our first stop (history wise) was Thomas Jefferson's Monticello which is located in Charlottesville, VA.  Monticello was TJ's home until he died on July 4, 1826.  He was one of three founding fathers to die on July 4th, the others being John Adams (who died the exact same day), and James Monroe who died 5 years later.

Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed inside of the house but I will share some interesting facts as well as my pictures from outside and from the grounds.

The picture above is from the front of the house where we first walked in.  Before modern roads were built, it was rather difficult to get to Monticello.  People would have to actually circle the Mountain 3 times before arriving at the top.  It was too steep to go straight up, especially with a horse and carriage.

If you know anything about Thomas Jefferson, you know that he was pretty much interested in EVERYTHING, and I mean everything.  This house was built by Jefferson with his knowledge of architecture.  He began building at 26 and continued to expand Monticello throughout his life.   He lived at Monticello throughout his retirement years.

Jefferson had quite the collection of books.   A large sum were donated to the Government in what is now known as the Library of Congress but a good bit of books remained at Jefferson's home.  It was written that at one point the Library/Study was so filled with books from floor to ceiling that the only way to walk through the room was by a narrow passageway.

During our tour, we were guided through the first floor of the house.  The rooms visited include the Bedchamber, Dining Room, Cabinet, Library, Entrance Hall, Tea Room, Octagonal Rooms and Square Rooms.

Jefferson was a slave owner, as was typical of wealthy families at that time.   However, Jefferson did oppose slavery and was actively involved in legislation that he hoped would abolish slavery.   Jefferson pretty much predicted that if slavery were not abolished that states that had slavery and that states that didn't would not be able to live peacefully.  As we all know, that was definitely the case.

Above are photos from the Plantation including crops and the Path along Mulberry Row.  Mulberry Row featured a blacksmith shop, joinery, nailery, storehouse and textile factory (all of which are no longer there).  There were many different crops produced at Monticello including tobacco and wheat/grains.

Last, we visited TJ's grave site.  Jefferson, along with all of his family were buried on the property.  Jefferson had the following etched on his Tombstone:

Here Was Buried
Thomas Jefferson
Author of the Declaration of Independence
of the Statue of Virginia for Religious Freedom
And the Father of the University of Virginia.

I definitely enjoyed visiting Monticello.  I enjoyed learning about the President how his ideas shaped this country.  The grounds were beautiful and our guide was great.   She talked as if we were back in the late 1700's and the family was still living there.  I am sure I missed a lot of information but it is not hard to find on the internet if you are interested in learning more.

Also, one last interesting fact.  Monticello is the only Presidents Home which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site!

Vacation 2013: Luray Caverns

For the next week or so, I will be talking about the different places we went to on our Vacation! 

Our first official stop on our VA Vacation was Luray Caverns.  Luray is right on the way from our house to Harrisonburg; about 45 minutes before Harrisonburg.  I always wanted to visit the caverns while I was at school, but sadly never got the chance.  Josh had been there once before but he was very young.  This was one thing that we definitely knew we wanted to do on this trip and it didn't disappoint.

Luray Caverns was discovered in 1878.  The formations are mostly made from limestone and a mildly acidic mixture of water and carbon dioxide and formed over millions of years.   These formations form really slowly at about 1 cubic inch per 120 years.  The formations that form on the ground and work their way towards the ceiling are called Stalagmites and the formations that form from the ceiling down are called Stalactites.  When these two meet, they form columns.

This is Dream Lake an this picture is actually of a reflection.  The bottom part is a very large but shallow pool of water which reflects the top part.  It really does look like there is formations growing from the bottom.  The guide shined a light into the water to show us how shallow it really was, 20 inches at its deepest.

The formation that is glowing is called Pluto's Ghost.  This is because the men who first discovered the caverns saw this formation 3 different times, and each time they saw it, it got closer.  So, they believed it was haunting them.  We also saw this formation three different times.

That little ball there is actually what happens when people touch the formations.  The oils from your hands will actually stunt the growth of the formations.  However, when the caverns first opened, they did not know this.

This formation is called the cave bat.  There are no real bats in this cave because of the way is formed, there is really no entry and exit points for bats.  So, they say that this is their cave bat.

Some pretty formations.

They called this one the Shaggy Dog for obvious reasons.  It is huge.

The Camel

National Geographic called this one of the most beautiful drapings in the world.  It is located in Saracen's Tent.  

Saracen's Tent is one of the most perfectly formed stone draperies in the world.

This column fell during in earthquake thousands of years ago.

This area is refereed to as Totem Pole area for obvious reasons.

This is the Double Column located in Giant's Hall.  This formation is 74 feet tall!  This is the largest room in the Caverns.

This is the Wishing Well.  People make wishes and toss their coins in and then Luray Caverns Drains this water and donates all of the money to Charities.  The water is discolored due to the copper in the coins.

These are the Fried Eggs, another example of what happens when people touch the formations.

That is the end of the Tour at Luray Caverns.  We had a really small group on our tour which made it so much better.  The tour was a little over an hour long and requires about a mile of walking with frequent stops.  Our tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable (and super nerdy, which I loved).  There are also other small museums right next to the Caverns which are included in the ticket price but we decided to skip them.   I would definitely recommend a trip to Luray Caverns if you are ever in the area, it really is very beautiful.

P.S. It is really chilly in the caverns as you are underground.  I didn't think of this and went down in a tank top and shorts.  I wasn't freezing but I would have been more comfortable had I worn a sweater.

Book Club Friday: The General's Daughter

The General's Daughter

By: Nelson DeMille

Pages: 464

Date Read: 06/04/12

"Captain Ann Campbell is a West Point graduate, the daughter of legendary General "Fighting Joe" Campbell. She is the pride of Fort Hadley until, one morning, her body is found, naked and bound, on the firing range.

Paul Brenner is a member of the Army's elite undercover investigative unit and the man in charge of this politically explosive case. Teamed with rape specialist Cynthia Sunhill, with whom he once had a tempestuous, doomed affair, Brenner is about to learn just how many people were sexually, emotionally, and dangerously involved with the Army's "golden girl." And how the neatly pressed uniforms and honor codes of the military hide a corruption as rank as Ann Campbell's shocking secret life."
{GoodReads}

I really enjoyed this book.  I like books that don't give away the ending, especially when there is a mystery involved.   I was never bored with this book and I really liked that everything was fast paced and relevant.  I liked that the book was told as if you were right there with Brenner, so you find out things as he does, which I really like because it keeps you guessing.  I also really liked the character Paul Brenner; if I were a cop, I'd want him on my team!  I don't really know what else to say other than that this was a good book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes murder mysteries and even if you don't it is still a good book. 

I gave this book a 5/5 on GoodReads :)