*Note: If you haven't read part 1 of our trip, please click here to read.

Overview: My husband and I recently decided to travel to Fall River, Massachusetts to visit the Lizzie Borden House Bed & Breakfast. It may be a bit macabre, but the case is absolutely fascinating to me. (If you're not familiar with the story, check out wikipedia here for a quick overview).
I became a little bit obsessed with Lizzie Borden about a year and a half ago. I'm already quite addicted to history, and true crime stories. Lizzie's story really fascinated me. Not so much because she "allegedly" committed parricide, but more so because of the time period; (The murders happened in 1892). The way the case was handled (bungled?), how certain relevant circumstantial evidence was left out of the trial, and Lizzie's various stories about where she was at the time of the murders. "I was in the kitchen, I was on the stairs, I was upstairs, I was in the barn, I was eating pears...", and because after all that, she was acquitted! Once you delve into the story, it's really intriguing.

I found out the actual Borden house was turned into a bed & breakfast museum in 1996. (The house was built in 1845, the Borden's were the 2nd owners). I kept looking at the website wishing I could visit. Finally, I found out there's a bus terminal only a 3 minute walk from the bed & breakfast, and that kind of sealed everything for me. I booked the trip!

Hello there. Long time, no blog. :)

My husband and I recently decided to travel to Fall River, Massachusetts to visit the Lizzie Borden House Bed & Breakfast. It may be a bit macabre, but the case is absolutely fascinating to me. (If you're not familiar with the story, check out wikipedia here for a quick overview).
I became a little bit obsessed with Lizzie Borden about a year and a half ago. I'm already quite addicted to history, and true crime stories. Lizzie's story really fascinated me. Not so much because she allegedly committed parricide, but more so because of the time period; (The murders happened in 1892). The way the case was handled (bungled?), how certain relevant circumstantial evidence was left out of the trial, and Lizzie's various stories about where she was at the time of the murders. "I was in the kitchen, I was on the stairs, I was upstairs, I was in the barn, I was eating pears...", and because after all that, she was acquitted! Once you delve into the story, it's really intriguing. 

I found out the actual Borden house was turned into a bed & breakfast museum in 1996. (The house was built in 1845, the Borden's were the 2nd owners). I kept looking at the website wishing I could visit. Finally, I found out there's a bus terminal only a 3 minute walk from the bed & breakfast, and that kind of sealed everything for me. I booked the trip!

Note: Oyster Books service is being discontinued January 2016. They are no longer accepting new subscribers. And all service will cease come January. Unfortunately this means I will have to find another e-book subscription service. I've absolutely loved the year and a half I've been subscribed to Oyster, I used it more than Netflix. I'm voracious reader. I go through 3+ books a week. I will be trying out Scribd's e-book service soon, and I'll let you all know how that is.


After my disappointing 30 day trial with Kindle Unlimited (I found it too limited). I decided to try Oyster Books. You also get a free 30 day trial, but the difference is Oyster has A LOT of books. And A LOT of popular titles to choose from. It's like the "Netflix" of books, literally. Also, if any of your friends sign up with your link, you both get a $15 credit, which they will deduct from each month, instead of charging your credit card. Normally it's $9.99 a month, which is not bad considering you can read any book, anytime.

Also, what's great is once you've already downloaded a book on Oyster Books, even if you're not connected to the internet, you can still read it. You only have to be connected to the internet to browse for books, and download. You read the books within the Oyster App. It still lets you change the font, font size, and background color. It automatically remembers where in the book you left off.

I am a huge fan of Amazon.com.I constantly shop on Amazon, I buy the majority of my books and music on Amazon. I rent movies on Amazon. I've even upgraded every year that a new Kindle Fire device is released. (Since 2011).

I was pretty excited to find out about Kindle Unlimited.600,000 titles free to read, including audio books for $9.99 a month. Sort of like the 'Netflix' of books. Amazon includes a 30 day free trial so you can test drive Kindle Unlimited, so I decided to take the plunge.


Tip: You can download the Amazon Kindle App free on pretty much any mobile device, so you don't actually need a Kindle to use this service. 

[Kindle App for Android or iPhone]

Navigating Kindle Unlimited: From your Kindle you go to the store, and there's an option called 'Kindle Unlimited' that will show you all the titles listed under your Kindle Unlimited membership.


Click below to read more!

I have not been to work since September 30th. October 1st is when the Government Shutdown started... so I have had a lot of time to paint my nails and read some books.

I did a gradient tonight with some light pink striper polish, OPI Suzi's Hungary Again and 1 coat of China Glaze Fairy Dust over the pink. I stamped with Winstonia Store plate W102 & Konad Black. 1 coat of Seche Vite topcoat.


These are the books I've read lately. I'm big on history, biographies, memoirs or historical fiction. I do read some regular fiction too. The books below, some I've purchased, some I've taken out from our local e-library and others I've gotten free on Amazon. I check the free categories in my favorite subjects on Amazon at least once a day, you can find paid books that are only free for a day or two. (Note: You may not be able to see the book widget below from a blog reader).

If you're having trouble viewing the book widget above, here's a text list of the books I've read lately:

1. My Story, By: Elizabeth Smart

2. One Light Still Shines: My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting, By: Marie Monville

3. Orphan Train: A Novel, By: Christina Baker Kline

4. I'm No Angel: From Victoria's Secret Model to Role Model. By: Kylie Bisutti

5. The Language of Flowers: A Novel. By: Vanessa Diffenbaugh

6. The Fault in Our Stars, By: John Green

7. Sidonia's Thread: The Secrets of a Mother and Daughter Sewing a New Life in America, By: Hanna Perlstein Marcus

8. Eat Cake: A Novel, By: Jeanne Ray

9. Searching for Peanut Butter in Paris, By: Kat Sparks

10. Confessions of a Kidney Transplant Recipient, By: Mary Wu

(I do use Amazon Associates, but not because I've made any money- because I haven't! lol! But I like that I can show a picture/link with a product when I'm blogging. Plus I do recommend Amazon.com for their low prices. That or Ebay!)

I love to read. I read every day. Mostly on the way home from work on the train, and before I go to sleep. Reading a book before bed is how I unwind. The majority of the books I read are History, Historical Fiction, Biography or Memoirs. I do read some Fiction and Classics.

Here are some books I've finished lately and purchased for my Kindle Fire HD 8.9". I definitely recommend these! (They are also available in paper or hardback).

1. Waiting to Be Heard- Amanda Knox



Wow... I just finished this. And I am started to read it again. (I like to read books through multiple times). Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This book was so well written and brutally honest. Let me just take a quote from the book that struck me to share with you:

"The prosecution said they were certain the murder had been a group attack. Why, then, was none of my DNA or Raffaele’s DNA in Meredith’s bedroom? Their answer: because Raffaele and I had scrubbed the crime scene clean of our DNA, leaving only Guede’s. That theory gave me super powers. DNA is not something you can cherry-pick; it’s invisible. Even if I could somehow magically see DNA, there is no way I could tell one person’s DNA from another’s just by looking—no one can"

This is well worth a read or buy!

2. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness- Susannah Cahalan



I bought this for $2.99 for my Kindle Fire HD. I had heard about it on the news before. I really liked this book. I've read it 2 times already.

Here is a brief summary from Amazon:

One day in 2009, twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan woke up alone in a strange hospital room, strapped to her bed, under guard, and unable to move or speak. A wristband marked her as a “flight risk,” and her medical records—chronicling a month-long hospital stay of which she had no memory at all—showed hallucinations, violence, and dangerous instability. Only weeks earlier, Susannah had been on the threshold of a new, adult life: a healthy, ambitious college grad a few months into her first serious relationship and a promising career as a cub reporter at a major New York newspaper. Who was the stranger who had taken over her body? What was happening to her mind?

In this swift and breathtaking narrative, Susannah tells the astonishing true story of her inexplicable descent into madness and the brilliant, lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn’t happen. A team of doctors would spend a month—and more than a million dollars—trying desperately to pin down a medical explanation for what had gone wrong. Meanwhile, as the days passed and her family, boyfriend, and friends helplessly stood watch by her bed, she began to move inexorably through psychosis into catatonia and, ultimately, toward death. Yet even as this period nearly tore her family apart, it offered an extraordinary testament to their faith in Susannah and their refusal to let her go.

Then, at the last minute, celebrated neurologist Souhel Najjar joined her team and, with the help of a lucky, ingenious test, saved her life. He recognized the symptoms of a newly discovered autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks the brain, a disease now thought to be tied to both schizophrenia and autism, and perhaps the root of “demonic possessions” throughout history.

3. January First: A Child's Descent into Madness and Her Father's Struggle to Save Her- Michael Schoefield



I love this book. I have taken it out 3-4 times from my local E-Library. Then this weekend I decided to finally buy it. Michael Schoefield comes off as an asshole to some people, but to me he comes across as a father who is willing to do ANYTHING for his child.

Here is a brief summary from Amazon:

Michael Schofield’s daughter January is at the mercy of her imaginary friends, except they aren’t the imaginary friends that most young children have; they are hallucinations. And January is caught in the conflict between our world and their world, a place she calls Calalini.  Some of these hallucinations, like “24 Hours,” are friendly and some, like “400 the Cat” and “Wednesday the Rat,” bite and scratch her until she does what they want.  They often tell her to scream at strangers, jump out of buildings, and attack her baby brother. 

At six years old, January Schofield, “Janni,” to her family, was diagnosed with schizophrenia, one of the worst mental illnesses known to man.  What’s more, schizophrenia is 20 to 30 times more severe in children than in adults and in January’s case, doctors say, she is hallucinating 95 percent of the time that she is awake. Potent psychiatric drugs that would level most adults barely faze her.

(I do use Amazon Associates, but not because I've made any money- because I haven't! lol! But I like that I can show a picture/link with a product when I'm blogging. Plus I do recommend Amazon.com for their low prices. That or Ebay!)

 

I've taken some books out from our e-library and I've also bought a few for my Kindle Fire. (Eek! I get my Kindle Fire HD 8.9 on Nov 21st, I can't wait! So excited!) I love to read. I read on the train home from work and I also love reading at night before I fall asleep, I've done that since I was a child. My favorite genres are mostly: History, Historical Fiction, Fiction or Biography.

Here's what I've been reading lately:

1. Rena's Promise: Two Sisters in Auschwitz



I LOVED LOVED LOVED this! I've always had an obsession with Holocaust history. Of course Anne Frank started my obsession, but I've wanted to dig deeper, and this book is beyond fascinating, real, in depth & raw. I've read this 3x's already. (Rena Kornreich Gelissen).

2. Sarah's Key



I liked this, but I didn't love it. It's a bittersweet story, told from two different time periods. But I wish it was more in depth and you got to know the characters better. This fictional book takes place during World War II. 

3. Surviving the Angel of Death: The True Story of a Mengele Twin in Auschwitz



Can you see a theme with the books I've been reading lately? I actually watched a documentary on Netflix, that the author of this book; Eva Mozes Kor did. (It's called Forgiving Dr. Mengele). It was really good. This book is written more for young adults so it doesn't delve as deep in depth as I wanted it too, but it's still a fascinating read.

4. The Archivist : A Novel



This book also takes place partly after World War II and then again in the present. It's told from the point of view of a man in his 60's who is an archivist at the university library he works at. He is in charge of rare unreleased T.S. Eliot letters (the poet), that a curious college student in her early 30's wants to see & she reminds, Matt of his wife that committed suicide years & years earlier. The letter's aren't to be released yet though. There's a lot of flash backs in this book. But it's written so well... and now I'm contemplating buying a copy of this for myself. (Took it out from the e-library). It's really intriguing.

5. Anne Frank's Family: The Extraordinary Story of Where She Came From, Based on More Than 6,000 Newly Discovered Letters, Documents, and Photos 


 
I can't remember if I shared this one in a prior post, but it's another book I purchased recently. If you are interested in Anne Frank's family history this is definitely a good read. It tells a lot of the background story of her relatives.

(I do use Amazon Associates, but not because I've made any money- because I haven't! lol! But I like that I can show a picture/link with a product when I'm blogging. Plus I do recommend Amazon.com for their low prices. That or Ebay!) 
 
 

So excited! I've been following the news very closely about the release of a newer bigger Kindle Fire from Amazon.com. I've owned the original Kindle Fire since it came out on it's release date in 2011. I love it, I use it every day, on the train commuting, at home in bed, etc. (Here's my blog entry on the original Kindle Fire).

This afternoon was Amazon.com's press release to talk about the new products. (I was following along on Twitter for all the updates!) They are releasing 3 different new Kindle Fires. Kindle Fire HD 7" & 8.9". Plus a Kindle Fire HD 4G. Kindle Fire HD 8.9" also comes in either 16GB or 32GB storage. (I ordered the 16GB). They are available for pre-order on Amazon.com and will be released November 20th, 2012. I will be selling my original Kindle Fire once my new one arrives. :-)

• 1920x1200 HD display with polarizing filter and anti-glare technology for rich color and deep contrast from any viewing angle
• Exclusive Dolby audio and dual stereo speakers for crisp, booming sound without distortion
• High performance 1.5Ghz dual-core processor with Imagination PowerVR 3D graphics core for fast and fluid performance
• Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi for 40% faster downloads and streaming
• Over 22 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, books, audiobooks, and popular apps and games such as Facebook, Netflix, Twitter, HBO GO, Pandora, and Angry Birds
• Integrated support for Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! and more, as well as Exchange calendar, contacts, and email
• Free Skype video calls with front-facing HD camera
• Free unlimited cloud storage for all your Amazon content 

I've started purchasing books for my Kindle Fire, (there's a lot of free books in the Amazon Kindle store & I also check out e-books from my local library). I wanted to share what I've been reading lately. 

1. Girl in Translation



2. The Story Sisters



3. Heaven Is Here



4. Prairie Tale



5. Confessions of a Prairie Bitch



6. Prison Nation



(And if you don't have a Kindle, these books are also available in paper).

Any good books you've been reading lately, that you'd like to share?

(I do use Amazon Associates, but not because I've made any money- because I haven't! lol! But I like that I can show a picture/link with a product when I'm blogging. Plus I do recommend Amazon.com for their low prices. That or Ebay!)