Last week I spotted a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak peeking out at me from behind a tree trunk at the park. I was surprised to see one in the Chicago area this late in October. By now they are usually on their way south to their winter homes. They will return in the spring, about mid-May, and I often see the males at my backyard feeders stopping for a quick, easy meal on their way to their summer nesting grounds.
Sexual Dimorphism
The male and the female look very different. In many species of birds the male is often more brightly colored than the female. In some species there are also differences in size. This is called sexual dimorphism and is common in plants and animals. This is one of the many challenges facing new birders when they attempt to identify a bird. Females can be mistaken for large sparrows.
Male
The male is very showy and boldly colored with a black head and black upper parts, white underparts and a rosy triangular breast patch. He is almost always singing and you can usually hear him before you see him. He has a beautiful song which is similar to the American Robin but more melodic. If you hear what sounds like a robin that took singing lessons, it might be a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Female
In contrast the female resembles a large sparrow with a big white eyebrow and streaky breast. I’ve never had a female stop at my feeders and when I see them in the forest they are elusive and difficult to photograph. Most of the leaves had fallen off this tree so she couldn’t hide in the foliage although that didn’t make her a willing subject. I had about a minute to get a shot before she few away.
Long-distance Migrant
The Grosbeak is a long-distance migratory bird that winters far south in the topics of Mexico, Central and northern South America. Amazingly they fly across the Gulf of Mexico in a single night. In the spring they return to their breeding grounds in the northern US and parts of Canada.
Even if you live outside their range you may find one at a backyard feeder during migration. They enjoy suet or sunflower seeds, a fast-food meal for a bird on a long journey home.
Saturday Snapshot was originated by Alyce at At Home With Books. For the summer it will be hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Thanks to the publicist, I have a copy of the memoir Songs of Three Islands by Millicent Monks to give away to one of my readers with a US mailing address. I haven’t had a chance to read my copy yet but I am looking forward to diving into it soon.
Following is a little information about the book and the author.
Songs of Three IslandsA Story of Mental Illness in an Iconic American Family
by Millicent Monks
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Prospecta Press
Publish Date: October 8, 2013
Format: Paperback | 264 pages
About the Book
Songs of Three Islands is a stunning memoir about the wealthy Carnegie family’s struggle with mental illness, combined with a beautifully evoked meditation on motherhood.
In describing five generations of mental instability in the female line of her family Millicent Monks attempts to bring mental illness out of the shadows and comfort those who are suffering from thoughts and feelings they don’t always understand.
In her own words “People, they say, are divided into two kinds: those who have known inescapable sorrow and those who have not. Because sorrow cannot be changed, one’s lifestyle and feelings must be changed to accommodate it.”
This heartfelt account highlights the struggle and frustration felt as you watch those you love being destroyed by mental illness. It’s easy to presume that having riches beyond your wildest dreams automatically means you have it all, but being blighted by mental illness is something many families, rich and poor alike, struggle to come to terms with. This memoir will not only leave the reader feeling positive and enlightened, but filled with enormous admiration for and gratitude towards Millicent Monks for sharing this unique story about her legendary family. This frank account highlights her own personal struggle and determination to survive against many odds.
About the Author
Millicent Monks was born into the legendary Carnegie family, in which serious mental illness has affected four generations of women. Mental illness has played a prominent and overwhelming part in her life. Her search for answers led her to Jungian analysis, meditation and sutras, which have helped her to find a delicate peace amid the devastating mental illness in her family. She shares her story in the hopes that it will help other families.
“If I can do something worthwhile to help people with children who are mentally ill,” says Monks, “I would think that was something worth accomplishing in my life.”
Giveaway Information
Giveaway is open to those 18 years or older with a US mailing address. To enter, leave a comment on or before November 13, 2013. For an extra entry tweet or blog the giveaway and leave the link in your comment. I will draw a random winner who will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address.
[Giveaway has ended]
Winner: Suko
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© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Today is Halloween, the last day of October, and that means RIP VIII, is ending. I’m not always good with challenges or events where I have to commit to read a certain number or type of book. Something always gets in the way. But not this time. About mid-summer I began setting aside spooky books that I really wanted to read so I would have a tempting choice of audio and print for this event.
My challenge was Peril the First:
“Read four books, any length, that you feel fit (the very broad definitions) of R.I.P. literature. It could be King or Conan Doyle, Penny or Poe, Chandler or Collins, Lovecraft or Leroux…or anyone in between.”
So, how did I do?
I exceeded my expectations! It helped that these are all genres I enjoy. I read eight books and have just started on my ninth, Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield.
Read and Reviewed:
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo (Fantasy/Supernatural)
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (Scifi/Dystopia/YA)
Joyland by Stephen King (Mystery/Crime)
Silence of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski (Fantasy/Supernatural/Voodoo)
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (Horror)
Evil Eye: Four Novellas of Love Gone Wrong by Joyce Carol Oates (Horror)
The Never List by Koethi Zan (Thriller)
The Preservationist by Justin Kramon (Psychological Thriller) Review will be posted on 11/5.
Did you participate in RIP VIII? Have you read any of these?
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© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Almost wordless: Hunger or insomnia lured this young possum to my compost pile on a sunny day. This little guy has not yet learned he is supposed to sleep during the day and to play dead when someone approaches him with a camera. He’s been here several times in the past week.
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
The Gravity of Birds
by Tracy Guzeman
Narrated by Cassandra Campbell
Genre: Historical / Literary Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publish Date: August 6, 2013
Format: Audio, 12 hours | 46 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Intermediate – Difficult
Rating: 4 of 5
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Sisters Natalie and Alice Kessler were close, until adolescence wrenched them apart. Natalie is headstrong, manipulative—and beautiful; Alice is a dreamer who loves books and birds. During their family’s summer holiday at the lake, Alice falls under the thrall of a struggling young painter, Thomas Bayber, in whom she finds a kindred spirit. Natalie, however, remains strangely unmoved, sitting for a family portrait with surprising indifference. But by the end of the summer, three lives are shattered.
Decades later, Bayber, now a reclusive, world-renowned artist, unveils a never-before-seen work, Kessler Sisters—a provocative painting depicting the young Thomas, Natalie, and Alice. Bayber asks Dennis Finch, an art history professor, and Stephen Jameson, an eccentric young art authenticator, to sell the painting for him. That task becomes more complicated when the artist requires that they first locate Natalie and Alice, who seem to have vanished. And Finch finds himself wondering why Thomas is suddenly so intent on resurrecting the past.
My Thoughts:
This isn’t an easy book to describe or review. The story had a slow start and was at times difficult to follow, but in the end it was worth the effort and I’m glad I stuck with it.
This is a very literary, complex novel that moves back and forth in time between 1965 and 2007. It is multi-layered, has numerous characters, complicated relationships, and is told from multiple points of view. There’s a lot going on: Love, loss, a decades old mystery, a few unexpected twists plus an interesting look into the world of high-priced art.
The book is beautifully written with vivid descriptions, lyrical prose and well-developed characters. It is, at times, a haunting, emotional read. I did enjoy the bird references. In particular, the Blue Grosbeak, a gorgeous bird and not often mentioned in literature. His presence in the artwork is important, which isn’t revealed until the end.
This may have been easier to follow in print if it wasn’t for the excellent narration by Cassandra Campbell. Her reading kept me alert to changes in point of view and flashbacks in time. It required a little additional attention but regular audio listeners will be pleased with this production.
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Source: Review copy provided by Simon & Schuster Audio
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week. Currently on tour, it is hosted by a different blog each month.
The October host is Book Dragon’s Lair.
A variety of books arrived last week. Some more audiobooks plus a couple of print books.
Later this week I will be hosting a giveaway for a copy of Songs of Three Islands for a reader with a US address.
Print Books
Songs of Three Islands: A Memoir by Millicent Monks from FSB Media
Songs of three islands is a stunning memoir about the astounding Carnegie family’s struggle with mental illness combined with a beautifully evoked meditation on motherhood and madness.
The Deepest Secret by Carla Buckley from Random House
Diagnosed with XP, a rare medical condition which makes him lethally sensitive to light, Tyler is a thirteen-year-old who desperately wants just one thing: to be normal. His mother Eve also wants just one thing: to protect her son.
Audiobooks
From Penguin Audio:
The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
Spanning much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the novel follows the fortunes of the extraordinary Whittaker family as led by the enterprising Henry Whittaker—a poor-born Englishman who makes a great fortune in the South American quinine trade, eventually becoming the richest man in Philadelphia.
Rasputin’s Shadow by Raymond Khoury
An ingenious, fast-paced historical thriller from the author of the New York Times bestseller The Last Templar.
Just One Evil Act (Inspector Lynley #18) by Elizabeth George
Elizabeth George delivers another masterpiece of suspense in her Inspector Lynley series: a gripping child-in-danger story that tests Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers like never before.
Storm Front (Virgil Flowers #7) by John Sandford
In Israel, a man clutching a backpack searches desperately for a boat. In Minnesota, Virgil Flowers gets a message from Lucas Davenport: You’re about to get a visitor. It’s an Israeli cop, and she’s tailing a man who’s smuggled out an extraordinary relic—a copper scroll revealing startling details about the man known as King Solomon.
Eminent Hipsters by Donald Fagen
A witty, revealing, sharply written work of memoir and criticism by the co-founder of Steely Dan.
What are you reading?
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© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
The Witches
by Roald Dahl
Narrated by Miranda Richardson
Genre: Children
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publish Date: September 26th 2013 (Orig. 1983)
Format: Audio, 4 hours | 30 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Easy
Rating: 5 of 5
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Grandmamma loves to tell about witches. Real witches are the most dangerous of all living creatures on earth. There’s nothing they hate so much as children, and they work all kinds of terrifying spells to get rid of them. Her grandson listens closely to Grandmamma’s stories—but nothing can prepare him for the day he comes face-to-face with The Grand High Witch herself!
My Thoughts:
A young boy (if he had a name I didn’t catch it) whose parents die in an accident is sent to live with his grandmother in Norway. Grandma warns him about witches who steal children. They are everywhere and he must learn how to identify them. She then tells him a series of stories to help him stay safe.
There was a lot I didn’t know about witches. First of all, they look like everyone else. No pointy hats and broomsticks, but there are ways to find them. They are bald and always wear wigs, they have nasty fingers and wear gloves to hide them, and they can smell clean children but not dirty ones. Grandma advises the boy to stay dirty and not take a bath. They can turn children into mice and do lots of other scary things.
Although this is a children’s book, some of the images it conjures up could be a little scary. Most children will find this fun, others might want to hide under the bed! As an adult, I enjoyed the wit and humor.
I listened in the car over the past week while I did errands. The book is broken into a series of stories about witches making it easy to stop and pick up again. The narration, performed by Miranda Richardson, was delightful, dramatic and entertaining. It would have been even more fun if I had a young person listening with me but still very enjoyable by myself. Perfect for Halloween.
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Kid Konnection is hosted every Saturday by Julie at Booking Mama.
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Source: Review copy provided by Penguin Audio.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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