Book Review Time!

I will just go ahead and say it, I am officially a bloggy slacker.  This summer has been full, even overflowing at times, of activity.  One of those activities has been reading.  One of my favorite books I read this summer was The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin.  The story grabs you quickly and does not let go until the final pages.  The novel is set, mostly, at a rustic fishing camp in Maine.  The story revolves around the camp's owners: Joe and Lucy Crosby.  After many years of visiting the camp, Harry Wainwright becomes and important part of the family.  Justin Cronin does a masterful job of weaving the story line through time and slowly revealing the each character. 

The relationships in this story seem to create another character of it's own.  There is love and heartbreak, anger and jealousy, forgiveness and redemption.  There is much more to these characters than and their individual stories than originally assumed.  It is a joy to read and let it all unfold before your eyes. 

The ending is far from surprising, but it is totally believable.  I would definitely say this is a great summer book.  It is enjoyable without being difficult to get into or follow.  The storytelling style is enjoyable and always leaves you wanting more.  I found it hard to put down each night.  I hope each of you has had a summer full of activities you love. 

Book Review Time!

Recently I finished Henry's Sisters by Cathy Lamb.  This novel is about a family of three sisters and one brother, Henry.  Henry is mentally disabled in some way that is not ever fully explained (although the actual diagnosis is not important to the story).  The four siblings had a very difficult childhood.  Money was scarce, security was nonexistent and parental affection was absent.  The three women grow up to live very different lives.  One is a bestselling crime novelist.  Another is a world-renowned photographer.  The third stayed in the small town of Trillium River and became a teacher.  A family situation causes the three sisters to have to come together and care for their brother and their family business, a bakery. 

Much of the story explores the relationships sisters share.  Lamb writes, "Sisters are the worst.  And they are the best.  A sister can be awful and complicated and loving and protective and petty and competitive, and when you die she is the person you want beside you holding your hand."  I found the author's take on sisterhood to be insightful.  These sisters love each other fiercely, but fight bitterly.  They pull no punches when dealing with each other, but always come to the aid of a sister in need.  The relationships are both painful and touching.

It is, however, a bit of a dark read.  If you dislike injustice or pain in books, this is not the story for you.  However, if you can hang through the darkness, it is a really good book.  I truly enjoyed it.

Book Review Time!

I am going to lump two books together today.  I recently read both of Mia King's books that chronicle the life of Deidre McIntosh: Good Things and Table Manners.  Deidre is a forty year old single woman with her own successful local television show, Live Simple.  She has a wonderful apartment which she shares with her best friend, Will.  She loves her life and would not change a thing.  Then, at the beginning of the first novel, everything changes. 

Deidre finds herself living in a shack in a tiny town called Jacob's Point, OR.  She is escaping her life in Seattle and hoping to build a new one.  The story is far from unusual.  It is even predictable in many ways.  However, it is uplifting and enjoyable to read.  The plot is even engrossing at times.  I was in the mood for light reading after tackling some pretty heavy novels lately, and these filled the bill beautifully. 

Especially if you consider the two books together, the characters are everything from heroic to hopelessly flawed.  I loved getting to know each one of them.  The second novel leaves off at a good point to finish out that segment of Deidre's story.  However, there is more that can be written.  I can't wait to see where Ms. King takes us next.

Book Review Time!

I read a wonderful book last week: The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom.  This is a story about a white indentured servant named Lavinia.  She is orphaned on a transcontinental journey from Ireland.  The ship's captain takes her in and she lives with the black slaves on his plantation in Virginia.  As Lavinia grows up she is surrounded by heartbreak, pain, fear and abuse. 

Each character is beautifully developed.  The author created incredible strength and bitter weaknesses within each character.  While I could not personally relate to the issues presented, since the novel takes place in the late 1800s, I appreciated the way each character responded to the difficult circumstances presented in the story.  They respond genuinely to the heartbreak and abuse rained on them.   

The story is masterfully crafted.  The plot is not contrived or unbelievable.  I laughed, I cried, I got angry.  I am certain I could not do the story justice, no matter how I praise it.  Please know I truly loved this novel and I plan to read it again in the future.  It was simply wonderful. 

Book Review Time!

I have been busy reading lately.  I have had lots of time in the last month where all I could do was lay down to try to escape my pain.  During that time I read an amazing book, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.  This is Verghese's first novel but not his first literary endeavor.  He has also written a couple of memoirs.  Let me tell you, I am wanting to go read those memoirs right now.  He is an amazing writer who can use words to convey difficult concepts simply and concisely.  One example I highlighted, "The key to your happiness is to own your slippers, own who you are, own how you look, own your family, own the talents you have, and own the ones you don't.  If you keep saying your slippers aren't yours, then you'll die searching, you'll die bitter, always feeling you were promised more."  As I wrote, he has a way with words.

The basic story follows the main character, Marion, from birth to adulthood.  His is a story of abandonment, heartbreak, anger and sadness.  He is richly drawn in a way that allows you feel you truly understand him.  You may not always agree with him or like him, but you understand him.  His character was not the only well developed one. I felt that all the characters were described beautifully and thoroughly.

The story has an element of mystery.  There are some parts of the plot you must wait until the author allows them to unfold naturally.  No part of the story felt forced or unbelievable.  In many ways this is historical fiction.  However, the author does not feel confined by actual history in all situations.  There is a coup that is based on an actual event, however the timeline is vastly different from history.  Thus, this is not a book to read to learn about the history of Ethiopia.  However, it is an amazing story and a fabulous book.  I highly, highly recommend this book.

Book Review Time!

Recently I read the book Mommy Tracked by Whitney Gaskell.  This is a "mommy lit" book.  It has some interesting characters and story lines.  However, it is a mindless read at best.  If looking for a light read, I would look elsewhere.  Sorry, just my opinion. 

Book Review Time!

As promised, I am trying to catch up on my book reviews.  Today I am reviewing The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker.  This is the story of a woman who was born a giant.  Truly was a huge baby and she continued to grow into a huge woman.  She did not fit into any societal norms.  Growing up Truly struggles with being different.  She is essentially the town's sideshow.  The journey her life takes is unexpected and interesting.  Her character development is thorough.  I found myself rooting for her and hoping good things would come her way. 

The story shows how society treats those who are not outwardly beautiful in any way.  It also explores how inward and outward beauty can be totally unrelated.  People's treatment of Truly reminded me of high school.  I was lucky in high school.  I was neither cool nor nerdy.  I had plenty of friends.  However, there was the crowd of beautiful people who loved to ridicule those less physically attractive.  Even as a teenager I knew that those who are very attractive, or at least think they are, tend to be less kind.  This novel is full of 'mean girls' who make Truly's life difficult. 

The story also had a bit of a mystery surrounding it.  All in all it was a delightful read.  It was well-written and well developed.  It is one of those books that makes me not want to read lesser literature again.  It was a true joy to read. 

Book Review Time!

I have to apologize for not reviewing my books lately.  I have continued to read compulsively during my review drought, I have just been lazy about reviewing my literature.  I am going to start with Olive Kitteridge: Fiction by Elizabeth Strout.  This book is totally different from any other I have ever read.  It tells the tales of Olive's life through a series of short stories.  They are mostly told in chronological order.  As a character she is very real.  She has strengths, faults, heartbreaks and triumphs.  She is a mother, wife, teacher and friend.  There are times you love her and times you loath her. 

While at times the chosen style can seem disjointed, in the end I enjoyed the book.  I would not say it was one that I could not put down.  However, if you are looking for a well-written enjoyable book, this is a good read. 

Book Review Time!

I am finally attempting to review The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Rubin was riding a bus with her daughter on the way to school one morning. She realized she was not as happy as she should be with her life. She was financially comfortable, she had work she enjoyed, and she had a wonderful family. Thus came a question: Why was she not overwhelmingly happy? What was standing in her way? In that moment The Happiness Project was born.

In order to find a place to start, Rubin started reading everything she could about happiness. Once she had learned about the various happiness theories to which people ascribe, she set out to test them for herself. She had no idea how many of them would apply to her personally. Rubin also realized this was a daunting undertaking, so she broke the theories down into smaller more manageable tasks. To provide structure, she created a theme for each month of the year. Her themes include: Vitality, Marriage, Work, Parenthood, Leisure, Friendship, Money, Eternity, Books, Mindfulness and Attitude. Each theme had several specific resolutions. These resolutions included: laugh out loud, keep a food diary, write a novel, keep a gratitude notebook, give something up, make three new friends, take time to be silly, sing in the morning, ask for help, quit nagging and go to bed earlier. Before she embarked on these months she created twelve personal commandments. These commandments ranged from "Be Gretchen" to "Act the way I want to feel" to "Do it now".

Throughout the book Rubin learns what works to help her happiness each month. Some theories work well, others not nearly as much. She also discovers her own personal "Four Splendid Truths" for her happiness. One of her great discoveries was how keeping her resolutions at the forefront of her mind via a chart was incredibly helpful in maintaining focus. All of these discoveries lead up to a central idea about what truly makes up happiness for her.

All in all I learned much about happiness from reading her book. It helped me understand some of my own obstacles to joy. It has reminded me of what is truly important in life. While I am not currently ready to take on a happiness project of my own, it is an idea that appeals to me. The book was well worth the time to read. I truly enjoyed the ideas and the writing. You will have to read for yourself exactly how she fared in her own project. I hope you do, it will be time well spent. It will not only teach you the theories behind happiness, it may also help you find more joy in your own life.

Excuses, excuses

I have finished two books that I have not reviewed. I need to get on the stick and get it done. Hopefully I can get on it tomorrow. I am still ruminating over how to review each book. I guess we will see what I come up with soon. Thanks for your patience, this has been a crazy week.

Book Review Time!

There is a book I had been wanting to read for a long time. However, I kept pushing it back to "later". I'm not sure why I didn't just take the plunge and read it. I think I was afraid I would be disappointed by the story. It had been hyped by many I know and respect. The book in question is Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Like me, I am sure you have heard of this book. Don't be afraid of the story, you won't be disappointed.

This book is a memoir/biography of Greg Mortenson. Greg accidentally stumbled into a small Pakistani village on his descent from K2. While there he was taken care of by the village elder and his family. He realized the village did not have a school for the children. In his gratitude for the hospitality extended to him, Greg promised to return and build a school for the village. Thus begins a new direction in Mortenson's life.

The book follows his falterings and successes. It shows the development of his philosophy for building schools. It explains the lack of education in Pakistan and Afghanistan, especially for girls. It shows how much he sacrificed for his vision of education for all children. It also outlines his personal life during the years he was starting up his Central Asia Institute.

It also shows how we, as Americans, are not likely to help poor Muslims yet we jump at the chance to help Buddhists and indigenous peoples. Especially after 9/11 Americans have a tough time understanding the culture in Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, etc. We still fear them because of the extremism we have all witnessed in the media. Instead of fearing them, Greg Mortenson has learned to understand them. He has stumbled is way through their culture in a way that is inspiring.

Overall, I found Mortenson's story inspiring. It was not a quick read for me. First, it was over the Christmas holidays. I did not have much reading time to spare. Second, it really made me think. I would stop reading and just think about what I had just learned from the book. I wish the story had been told in first person. I think that would have given the story a bigger emotional punch. However, it is well written and interesting. Thus, I recommend the book and hope it opens you up to a new way of thinking.

Book Review Time!

I went to go see "New Moon" with a friend a few weeks ago. One of the previews was for an upcoming film called "Dear John". It is a film based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks of the same name. I am not always a big fan of Sparks' work. I loved his memoir he wrote with his brother. It was a fantastic read. This film trailer caught my eye because of the name of one of the characters. It is a name I love. I correctly assumed it would be an easy and entertaining read.

Dear John is a novel about the nature of true love. John and Savannah have a chance encounter on the beach. John is on leave from the army and is visiting his father. Savannah is a college student in town to build homes for the poor. It is the classic good girl falling for the bad boy routine. The story is told from John's perspective and his character is well developed. Savannah's character is likable and sweet. Circumstances unfold in such a way that Savannah sends John a Dear John letter. John is eventually confronted with the questions of: "What is true love?" and "What would you do for true love?".

While the concept of the story is not new and the outcome is not a surprise, it is a good story. It was a perfect book to read over Christmas since is was fast and easy. Thus, if you are looking for the light and easy read, this just may be your next book.

Book Review Time!

I am a fan of Jeanette Walls. I loved her memoir, The Glass Castle. It was amazing. I was thrilled when Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel was published a couple months ago. To say I had eagerly anticipated reading another book of Walls' is akin to saying Sweet Pea is a bit excited about Christmas. Walls writes a mostly autobiographical novel in her grandmother's voice. Lily Casey Smith was a tough as nails frontier woman. She was resourceful and smart. She lived in a dugout house for many years. She rode a horse for 28 days from New Mexico to Arizona alone at age 15. She broke wild horses and played poker. She was a bootlegger during prohibition. She was essentially a half broke horse herself.

The narrative uses the dialect Jeanette remembers hearing from her grandmother. The stories told are those Jeanette learned from her mother and grandmother. Walls also used newspaper stories and public records to substantiate much of what she writes. However, the details that give this book life and allow it to read like a novel were filled in by Walls' imagination.

The story is entertaining. It is full of flash floods, heartbreak, and humor. The writing style lends personality to Lily. I thought the story was well paced and interesting. The characters were well developed, interesting and likable. Overall I truly enjoyed the book and I highly recommend it.

Book Review Time!

I am still behind in my reviews! Today I am reviewing Spinning Forward by Terri Dulong. The debut novel follows Sydney Webster on a journey to rediscover herself. At 52, Sydney finds herself alone and penniless after her husband's sudden and unexpected death. His large gambling debts, previously unknown to Sydney, have left her homeless. She is lost. She is confused. She is angry. A dear friend invites her to come and stay at her B&B in Cedar Key, FL to help Sydney regain her footing in her life. To relieve her stress, Sydney turns to spinning wool and knitting. This hobby helps her turn her life around and learn who she will be without her husband.

Overall it was a good, not great, light read. I found the twists, turns, and secrets that came to light somewhat predictable. If you are not one to sit and think about why information is included in a story, you may not see all the "surprises" coming. There is also a semi-spiritual component to this story that I found odd. I did enjoy the characters. While I think Sydney could have been developed better, I enjoyed the quirky secondary personalities.

Overall, I am glad I took the time to read this story. It was a well-paced and enjoyable read. The characters and their dialogue had me laughing on several occasions. If she writes another novel, I will probably read it too.

Book Review Time!

I realize I have been remiss in reviewing my books lately. So, I start today with The Late Bloomer's Revolution by Amy Cohen. This memoir was a joy to read. There is sadness as well as lightheartedness throughout the book. It follows Amy's life from her late 20s well into her 30s. She brings us along on bad first dates. She lets us experience her heartbreak. We follow her career.

Amy is essentially trying to learn who she is and who she will become as her life ebbs and flows. Does she want to be married? Does she want a family? It is clear in the beginning of the story that she and her mother are close. However, her mother has been battling cancer of one form or another since Amy was young. As the story begins her mother is dying. Amy wonders who she will be without her mother. Her mother tries to impart as much wisdom as possible before she passes. Some of the advice causes Amy to pause as she is not sure she agrees with the sentiments imparted.

Some of the circumstances and opportunities that come her way are hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occassion. There are moments in which you feel supreme pity for her. In those moments you feel the pain she is in and want to take it away for her. There are also a few times when you want to smack her and tell her to get over it. As someone who took a more traditional route in life, I could not really relate to the angst of her single girl world. However, the theme of loneliness is one all of us understand. As is the idea that we are all unfinished. Amy spends time exploring where she belongs and with whom. While I have found the people I intend to spend my life with, I too feel unsettled sometimes about my place outside of the four walls of my home.

Amy ultimately finds answers to her questions. While they may not be the answers she expected she finds satisfaction in them. I hope we can all find our unique place in this world. I am certain I am uniquely qualified for something. Since I have no idea what that something is, I am going to continue to wait and be still and allow the answers to come.

Finally, another book review!

I have finished two books since I past wrote a review. Life has been so busy that it has definitely been infringing on the literature I love. So, today I am going to review A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. Overall, I enjoyed this classic novel. This coming-of-age novel was originally written as a memoir. However, the publisher decided it would sell better if it was fictionalized into a novel. I have a feeling that was a good decision. The story is set in Brooklyn, New York in the early 20th century. Francie is a second generation American with Irish and Austrian roots. Francie's father, Johnny, was Irish and "had a hankering after immortality which made him a useless dreamer." Francie's mother, Katie, was Austrian and "had a fierce desire for survival which made her a fighter." Much of the story results from Katie cleaning up Johnny's messes, including his alcoholism. Katie was constantly working and Johnny was constantly drinking.

Francie and her younger brother Neeley are often left to fend for themselves growing up. Francie's best friends were books. She endeavored to read a book a day. Francie's main desire was for school and learning. As Francie grows up she becomes more disillusioned with her life. She realizes the poverty that has marked her childhood. She becomes aware of her father's drinking problem. She witnesses first hand her mother's favoritism toward her brother. Her character unfolds beautifully as she is faced with very adult situations while still a child.

This story made me feel grateful. I have never gone hungry. I have never had to watch my children starve. I have always had access to good education. I was not forced to grow up way too fast. For all of these things, and of course much more, I am feeling thankful. Especially as we approach Thanksgiving on Thursday. I pray you can take some time to think about what makes you grateful too.

Book Review Time!

I loved The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Thus, when Her Fearful Symmetry came out, I had high expectations. She sets this novel in London, mostly Highgate Cemetery. This particular cemetery has the remains of many famous people, including Karl Marx. Elspeth Noblin dies of cancer at age 44 to start out the story. While you may expect that to be the end of Elspeth, it most certainly is not the demise of her soul. She leaves her estate to her nieces, twins Julia and Valentina. Thus begins a creative and original tale.

This story is certainly fantasy. If suspending disbelief is a concept you dislike, this is not the book for you. I found it easy to lose myself in this intriguing story. I thoroughly enjoyed it. While it is certainly not believable, it made me think. It was well written and was full of wonderfully flawed, well-developed characters.

As the climax loomed, I could not put the book down. I had to know for sure what was going to happen next. I had an idea, as there is excellent foreshadowing and character development. However, I wasn't sure if there was going to be another twist or not. I won't tell you of the story's twists and turns. To find out those you will have to read it for yourself. I hope you will.

I probably liked The Time Traveler's Wife better than Her Fearful Symmetry. However, this is still a wonderful read that is worth the time and energy.

Cleopatra Selene

I took Latin in high school. I thought it could help me have an illustrious legal career later in life. I was sure knowing basic Latin would help me with the legal terms I was certain to encounter. Life doesn't always turn out as you plan. So instead of a legal career, I have a "Mommy where are my shoes?" career.

During that class we learned a bit about ancient Rome. It makes sense to teach in the context of a Latin class. I don't remember learning about Cleopatra. While she was not Roman, she had an impact on ancient Rome. I knew she hooked up with both Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. What I did not know is that her union with Marc Antony created three children. The first two were twins. The son was named Alexander Helios (sun) and the daughter was named Cleopatra Selene (moon). The third was a boy named Ptolemy. When Octavian (later known as Caesar Augustus) captured Egypt, Cleopatra and Antony both, famously, committed suicide. I knew about their demise. I had not understood that they left behind three young kids. I can't imagine placing that burden on my children. Think of the therapy bills!

The book I just finished was: Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel by Michelle Moran. The novel tells the story of Selene and her brother's through Selene's voice. This made for a fascinating novel. I learned about ancient Egypt. I had known Alexandria had been a cultural and intellectual center of the ancient world. It wasn't until this novel that I understood the disparity between Alexandria and Rome.

The book was paced well. It was interesting to read. The characters were well developed and interesting. The history came alive. It is heartbreaking and full of hope. There is definitely some fiction in the book to help the story. However, since the players lived over two thousand years ago, there is much of their lives that has been lost anyway. The author does separate the truth from the fiction in the prologue. She also tells how each of the main character's lives play out. I was grateful she took the extra time to complete each character's story. It helped create closure.

While I probably should have taken Spanish, I do live in Texas, I am glad for the history I did learn in high school Latin. It helps give me a great context for books like this. While that was not the intended usage, it is enough for me.

Review!!

I recently finished The Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center. This was Center's debut novel. The plot was not particularly original. In many ways the story is as old as time: Boy meets Girl. Boy moves in with Girl. Boy proposes to Girl. Girl gets pregnant. Boy leaves Girl. We have all read this story, seen this movie, had this friend.

However, what makes this novel worth reading is the characters. Jenny, the protagonist, is wonderfully written. Her emotions are real. She has a big heart. You root for her, even when she makes stupid mistakes. We see the mistakes from a mile away. She, however, does not. I found her endearing.

While I liked Center's second novel better, this one is worth reading. It is light. It is quick. It would make a wonderful beach book.

Inspirational

My book club chose Same Kind of Different as Me for our current selection. If you are looking for an inspirational read, I highly suggest this memoir. It tells the story of two very different men's lives. These two men have polar opposite situations in life. They are brought together by one incredible woman. The story is told in two distinct voices. Denver's is told in his dialect. Ron's has a more proper voice. I enjoyed the two styles, but I don't mind dialects.

Denver is a black man living on the streets of Ft. Worth, Texas. He was never given much of a chance for a "normal" life. Born into a sharecropping family, Denver never attended school. Never. The "Man", who owned the land Denver and his family farmed, purposely kept his workers uneducated. Denver and his family was completely illiterate. Thus, they had no way of knowing how much cotton they had produced or how much it was worth. All of their belongings were purchased on credit from the "Man". He kept the books. Thus, they were basically modern-day slaves.

Ron is a wealthy international art dealer in Ft. Worth. Luck brought him his career and much of his success. He attended Texas Christian University. He married a wonderful woman and had two great kids. He took everything he had for granted. Everything. He became complacent and judgemental.

Ron's wife Debbie brings these two men together. They never expected to become friends. However, life brought them together in an unbreakable way. The story is interesting and full of contrast. I laughed and I cried. Sometimes I loved each character and sometimes I loathed each character. They are so true and real. In the end the story was irresistable.