The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

(ClipsOnline)

It's led the best-seller list for weeks.  So many readers must have already read The Girl On The Train and have decided whether it was or wasn't worth the read.

We sometimes think that the Best Seller Lists are great guides as to what we should read next. Apparently, many reviewers feel that this novel is right where it should be. 

William O'Connor of thedailybeast.com headlines this novel as "The Fastest-Selling Adult Novel in History" (April 20, 2015) and cites Gwyneth Paltrow,  Stephen King, and Reese Witherspoon as "fans of the newest thriller dominating best-seller lists."  Goodreads.com characterizes it as "A debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives."  The review portrays the novel as "A compulsively readable, emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller that draws comparison to Gone Girl, The Silent Wife, or Before I Go to Sleep."

So, here's a purely personal opinion.  My  questions are these:  Why did I not see the value in this debut novel?  What made other people turn the pages compulsively while I yawned through it.  Not once did I feel compelled to turn the pages in anticipation of what comes next.  One reason might be that I enjoy a finely crafted plot and like to watch the character development as the story progresses.

The novel seemed to me a portrait of a sad, young woman living vicariously through the strangers that she sees in the houses near the train tracks as she travels past.  Her pain is evident each time she sees the house that she and her husband lived in when they were married and before he divorced her. Many reviewers describe this book as the story of a young woman who has mysteriously disappeared.  I found the focus to be much more on Rachel's angst with the disappearance as a secondary event.  So many authors use multiple points of view and /or unreliable narrators, and I love reading all of the twists, turns, and revelations.  Not so with Hawkins' story.

True, the surprise is that Rachel's ex turns out to be the murderer.  And Rachel does rouse herself sufficiently to understand that he had manipulated her into thinking that the failure of their marriage rested with her.  And she does stop him from murdering again.

 Yes, Rachel does show a glimmer of wanting to change at the very end when her mother gives her some funds so that she can get back on her feet, and she does have hope now of a job.

 Bob A writes, " I did read, or attempted to read, The Girl on the Train. I did not care for it all. I found none of the characters likable and could not empathize with their plight or misfortune. For me, it was simply not a compelling read. However, I know I’m probably in the minority here given all the favorable reviews.

When I asked others who had read Hawkins' novel, I received more negative comments.  Some were swayed to purchase the book because published reviews had noted that those of us who liked Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn would want to read this novel as well.  I enjoyed  Gone Girl, too, so that comparison was one that swayed me.  I was very disappointed. 

Others have said they liked the story at first but that it bogged down in the middle.  Still others termed it "OK" and said they were prompted to read it because of the great reviews. So what have we missed?  In my opinion, tight plot structure and weak character development. And that was coupled with a  blurry focus on the murder victim, loose ends, and too much pathos. 

My view -as one of our group also said- is not falling into the majority opinion.  Don't get me started on Anne Tyler's A Spool of Blue Thread! 

Sigh, I seem better off reading fiction suggested by people who cross my path than by using one of the Best-Seller Lists as a guide.

 That being said, here I go again.  I just ordered Baldacci's Memory Man-sure to be listed.  I'm hoping to enjoy it as I have other Baldacci works.  And will I read another Hawkins' work?  Yes, especially if someone I know has recommended it.

(Thanks to Joan H, Bob A, John C, and Erin C for sharing their opinions with us.)

 

Yoga Is Fun!

(Photo by Terry Doyle)

Yoga is fun.

From the time I squeeze myself into the yoga pants that I would never wear outside the yoga studio, through my awkward Adho Muka Shvanasana (Downward Facing Dog) and tippy Vrikasana (Tree Pose), yoga makes me smile, even outright giggle at times. It also makes me sweat, stretch, and relieves my stress.

Many experts claim yoga increases core strength and balance, both important as we grow older. And flexibility exercises are touted as “ideal” for women. I know my clothes fit better since my year in yoga practice, and I can slip on a pair of fancy heels without having to sit on the edge of my bed to do it. Tighter tummy and balance improvement from Bandhasana (Bridge Pose) and Uttihita Chaturanga Dandasana (High Plank Pose) while listening to violin music in a 75degree room is fun.
I haven’t left the snowy northeast so the yoga studio provides a weather escape several times a week. It’s warm, the music is relaxing and people speak kindly there. Class begins in Sukhasana (Easy Pose) and the instructor talks of coming to my mat and leaving the outside world. She reminds me to focus on myself and to set my personal intention each day. My yoga practice then has meaning specifically for me. I find that my intentions are often the same: 1) I want to be kinder to myself and to other people, so I focus on letting go of judgments and trying to just love myself and other people. 2) I forget to be thankful for many things in my life, so I set my intention to be mindful of that, during practice and throughout my week. Then I reach and stretch and lift and twist and bend, responding the best I can to the directions given. It feels good to move a bit more smoothly and with more grace and power every session.

To be fair, it is humbling when some women are wrapping their hands around their ankles in Uttanassana (Standing Forward Bend) when I’m pushing to reach my shins. And the day I fell out of Garudasana (Eagle Pose) and knocked over the 19 year old next to me was a little embarrassing. But I retreat to my mat and settle into Balasana (Child’s Pose) eyes closed, smiling to myself because I’m wearing bright blue yoga pants today, and that in itself is fun.

(Thanks to Dawn for sharing her enthusiasm about yoga. )

For Every Publicized Hero, There Must Be Thousands We Never Hear Of

We can tell everyone our exact location when 9/11 happened.  We can list the people who helped with the injured and those who were killed:  firemen, policemen, Red Cross workers-some of whom we knew personally like Wally Jewell.

But with all the anniversaries of this tragedy, I never knew about a large group of people who came immediately to answer the call for help.

Put in perspective, the evacuation of Dunkirk during the Second World War took 9 days and saved 339,000 British and French soldiers. But these people, never acknowledge in any press release that I've seen, rescued over 500,000 people  in fewer than 9 hours that day. It was the largest boat lift in history.

 And what kind of heroes were they?  Ordinary people doing extraordinary things. As Romain Roland said in this video, "A hero is a man who does what he can." And another of the boatmen said, "Everyone has a little hero in him.  It'll come out if needed."

Watch this video narrated by Tom Hanks to see what I mean: " The Untold Story of 9/11."

https://www.youtube.com/embed/MDOrzF7B2Kg?rel=0

(Our thanks to Penny W for sending this to us.)

Why Not Make This Your First Do-It-Yourself Spring Project: Tom and Claudia's Garage

OK, I might not think of a garage makeover as the first project on my spring 'to-do' list.  But, wait a minute!  This would be an eye-popping addition to enjoy each time I pull into my fantastic, newly-designed garage. Have a nicer car than my trusty minivan?  Even better, your vehicle will be happy here. 

Here's Tom and Claudia's  garage.  Are you jealous yet?

 

How did they do it?  In his own words,

 

 "The material comes in 12x12 inch squares and snaps together. It is called Race Deck flooring made in Utah. (RaceDeck.com)  I picked out the colors, called the company with my garage dimensions, and they figured out how many pieces I needed. No prep was needed to the floor except to sweep. 

As for the wall decor, we put my old Steelers posters, car pictures and a painting I did years ago. Oh, the surf board, I bought at a garage sale when we lived in Ft Lauderdale, couldn't pass it up for $5.00. No, I don't surf, never have!!!!

So, to make a long story short, we decorated the garage together.

 

(Our thanks to Tom and Claudia for sharing their creation.  It's amazing!)

So What Is Epigenetics and Why Should We Care?

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According to the famous Dr. Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen, MD of the Cleveland Clinic, epigenetics
is "your epic ability to assert control over your DNA by switching certain genes on and silencing others.  They point out that genes can't be changed, but whether they are switched on or off is in our power to control by "changing your gene expression."

Epigenetics is a new field, but thousands of researchers have published articles on it in the last decade.

Amazingly, this can be accomplished by doing consistently what many of us are already doing-sporadically. You might be doing all six of their suggested gene switchers  already.

1.  Eat less saturated fat.  Foods like red meat, ice cream, hard cheeses activate the gene that makes the body store fat in your belly; it urns on genes that promote inflammation, and it turns off cancer-fighting genes.

2.  Switch on cancer-fighting genes.  Foods like broccoli, garlic, Brazil nuts, cruciferous veggies, green tea, soy and turmeric all switch on the cancer-fighting genes.

3.  Put on your sneakers-or your bathing suit  Why?  Regular exercise affects the activity of over 5,000 genes.  Doing30 minutes a day will help your body, brain, and blood sugar.

4.  Relax.  Hard to do, right? But researchers at Mass General found that meditation, yoga, mindfulness all create changes in DNA immediately.  These changes target the genes governing immunity, inflammation, blood sugar control, and the body's ability to burn fat and sugars for energy.

5.  Connect with friends and loved ones.  According to researchers at the U of Chicago, loneliness can alter the workings of over 200 genes.  People who said they felt more alone had extra activity in 78 genes that boost inflammation and reduced activity in over 100 genes that control inflammation and fight viruses.

6.  Pinpoint your purpose.  People who indicated in a UCLA study that they were happy and also had meaningful lives had more low inflammation, virus-fighting genes switched on.  Finding purpose? Belonging to an organization that matters to you or spending time  doing something that you believe contributes to your community or the larger world can accomplish this.

Want to learn more.  The authors cite two books:  Reprogram Your Genes and How To Hack Your Own DNA.  Or find some articles in scientific journals on studies that have been done since 2005.

(All information here including 99% of the text  is from "Six Ways to Switch On Your Healthy, Happy Genes" by Drs. Oz and  Roizen. Arizona Republic, March 9, 2015.)

Do you want some more suggestions?  See  "The Alphabet of Happiness"  at  https://www.facebook.com/JustBczIappearHappy.5/posts/515786781823958

(Our thanks to Joan D. for sending us the "Alphabet of Happiness." )

Birthday Blues

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We're very fortunate to have writers among our friends.  Barbara's memoirs resonate with us and inspire us to see our age in a positive light.

                              one woman's story.

 When I turned fifty I remember friends helped me celebrate and sing some silly tune
about turning old and gray. They gave me presents tied with black balloons. We laughed and enjoyed our birthday cake, wine and song. We were happy and never depressed; basically we were young and light-hearted. We thought we should pretend we were anxious but it was a ritual that was fun and far from serious or maudlin.

Our birthdays throughout our fifties and sixties were honest attempts to gather friends and family.

We noticed a difference in our collective behaviors in our late sixties and in the beginning of our early seventies. We were still full of laughter, yet there was a slight hint of serious statements by age seventy, like a shading of a painting in its final stages.

 One friend suggested gathering for lunch more often, and added, "you just never know."
Another friend said, "make hay while the sun shines, don't wait until tomorrow."
Our cadre of friends began to say "I love you," before ending a conversation.

 At Sunday mass we listened to the letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians,
7:29-31: "...Time is running out." The reading rang loud like church bells. My husband
turned seventy-six.

 As I approached my seventy-fifth birthday I fell into an age-related nadir, a serious slide
into a preoccupation of limited time. The word " time" kept creeping into my mind, like a
worm in an apple, always uncomfortable, permeating my inner balance.

 How did I untie the knots of negative thoughts? I did what many do: I looked around at
others around me, listened to their conversation.

Then wham, that's when I saw Bobby Vinton, age eighty(his bio via a Google search), walking around in shorts with a bounce at the Venice ( Florida) airport without a cane.

 I had lighthearted inner talk with myself: Bobby V. is 80 and I'm five years younger also
without a cane. At that moment I remembered dancing to his Roses Are Red and Blue Velvet in 1962-63: happy hours, happy times.

 There will always be those who are younger in age and others older. If I am happy in my
own skin I will cherish my memories and look forward to each day with a song in my
heart.

 Thank you Bobby Vinton for being at the Venice airport on January 24, 2015. On that
day I was reminded that we can be sad or we can inspire others. I plan to send a letter to Bobby V., tell him how much I loved dancing to his songs.

Barbara Reese January 2015

(Our thanks to Barbara for sharing her memoir so that we, too, might share  in her wonderful outlook on life.)

The People in Our Lives

So many people deserve our thoughts on Valentine's Day-and every day.  Barb U has sent us this message so that we can do just that.

THE TRAIN   At birth we boarded the train and met our parents, and we believe they will always travel on our side. However, at some station our parents will step down from the train, leaving us on this journey alone. As time goes by, other people will board the train; and they will be significant i.e. our siblings, friends, children, and even the love of your life. Many will step down and leave a permanent vacuum. Others will go so unnoticed that we don't realize they vacated their seats. This train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, goodbyes, and farewells. Success consists of having a good relationship with all passengers requiring that we give the best of ourselves. The mystery to everyone is: We do not know at which station we ourselves will step down. So, we must live in the best way, love, forgive, and offer the best of who we are. It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to step down and leave our seat empty we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life. I wish you a joyful journey on the train of life. Reap success and give lots of love. More importantly, thank God for the journey.  Lastly, I thank you for being one of the passengers on my train. -Author Unknown

(Our thanks to Barb U for sending this to us.   If anyone knows the author of this piece, please tell us so that we can post it. )