Like Me Too

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

2012-02-07T09:32:00.001-08:00

I'm just going to preface my review with the fact that I read this entire book in sunny, sunny California. Most of it while sitting or laying in the sand by the ocean, with NO kids. It was the perfect setting for this book. I totally believe in books fitting your mood, and maybe if I was in my normal life chaos, I might not have been as taken in.
That being said, I really liked this book! The premise is very creative, and allows the book to read more like short stories than a novel. Each chapter follows one member of a cooking class. Not just any cooking class, but these amazing ones taught by Lillian who gets food, and seeks to teach her class about "Essential Ingredients." The first chapter gives us a glimpse into her sad childhood, and perspective into her love affair with cooking. "It was the cooking that occurred in her friends' homes that fascinated Lillian."

The food is described romantically. I can't think of a word that fits it better. "The flavor opened like a flower across his tongue, soft and sweet." And, "the sauce, an untouched snowfield, its smell the feeling of quiet at the end of an illness." See what I mean? And I love this description, "he was full of philosophy, his favorite class of the previous term, reciting passages of Plato and Kant as if they had just been written and he the first to find them." I love that kind of passion for knowledge or litereature.

As the characters cook with each other, they support and love one another. This can sometimes feel contrived, but I bought into it. They pass on the things they know to each other. "Life is beautiful. Some people just remind you of that more than others."

Isabelle, the oldest student, is dealing with losing her memory. She describes, "Our bodies carry our memories of them, in our muscles, in our skin, in our bones. My children are right here.' She pointed to the inside curve of her elbow. 'Where I held them when they were babies. Even if there comes a time when I don't know who they are anymore, I believe I will feel them here.' She's talking to a younger man who is grieving, and I thought it was a sweet exchange.

I liked it from the beginning. The writing is smart, and the characters are interesting and real, if a little romanticized.

Erica Bauermeister lives in Seattle, and this book is set in the Northwest, without disclosing a specific city that I remember. If you live here too, you know how true this is: "It was a clear, cold evening in early February, the end of a miraculously blue day blown in from the north like a celebration. People in the Northwest tended to greet such weather with a child's sense of joy." That's exactly how it was here yesterday!

Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

This is a short little volume that is told in a unique narrative style. Ellen is the main character and as she tells her tragic life story, she switches from present to past, to a more recent past and around and around. As a reader you're not sure of the timeline and how long different periods last. There are two Christmases, but I imagine the whole story takes place over about 18 months. It is set in the rural South, I would have thought in like the 1950's, but then there is a reference to the 60's, so my best guess is mid 1970's.

I liked it pretty well. I think maybe it would be better suited for studying in school where you could discuss how the narrative added to or distracted from the story. You could have students create their own timeline and piece together what is going on. I can imagine good book club discussions about it.

The story itself is very sad. Ellen is 10 then 11 and her mom dies first, her father is a monster and alternately treats her horribly or just neglects her. She is of course a resilient character and works hard to make things work out. Every family member who takes her in is bad to her.

"Everything was so wrong like somebody had knocked something loose and my family was shaking itself to death. Some wild ride broke and the one in charge strolled off and let us spin and shake and fly off the rail."

Ulitmately, she saves herself and it has a happy ending. In such a short time you do see growth and more understanding in Ellen. I liked her as a character.

"Have you ever felt like you could cry because you know you just heard the most important thing anybody in the world could have spoke at that second?"

Has anyone else read it? It's only 126 pages long, and I read it in just a couple hours.

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

2012-01-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

I can't remember how I found Bookshop Talk, but I've found some good book recommendations there. They have a really good variety of books reviewed, and most of the time I have never heard of them. One review I read was for Princess of the Midnight Ball, and Jessica Day George is one of the hosts of the website. So I was curious, and ready for something quick and easy after The Winter Sea and Jane Eyre.

I enjoyed this book! It is a re-telling of the Grimm fairytale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. All I know about the story I learned from the Barbie movie that my daughter has checked out from the library a few times. So I don't know how much is fairytale and how much is the author's imagination. Either way I think this was a fun, simple story. It is written for upper elementary grades, so there isn't a lot of character development, and many of them are stereotypes. But that's what I expect in a fairytale.

Galen is the hero of the book. He has just fought in a war and lost his whole family. He travels to a relative's house where he is employed to work as an undergardener at the palace. The princesses mysteriously wear out their dancing shoes during the night, but can't tell anyone why. As a reader, we are slowly let in on the curse that binds them. I like how it is revealed a bit at a time.

I like Galen's character. He adapts quickly to his new situation and does his best to help others. "Here, though, was an intriguing new word. A world of thinning, mulching, bandaging, grafting, and pruning--it was like building fortifications against an enemy invader."

I liked Jessica Day George's writing style, "She held the flowers to her stuffy nose and tried to breathe in some of the scent. Only the faintest trickle of the flowers' perfume came through, so she gently stroked her cheek with the soft petals instead, savoring the exquisite feeling."

If you like fairytales, I would recommend this book. I think my daughter will love it in a couple of years.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

2012-01-18T14:27:00.000-08:00

FINALLY! I've started it three times since I saw the movie this summer. The beginning is just so, so tragic and awful. I haven't read this since high school, and I'm wondering how I ever got through it before.

I really, really liked it. I've been thinking a lot about what makes something a classic, and whether I really think books deserve the title. For this book, I think it should be studied and held up as a classic because Jane Eyre is a heroic character. She thinks through her decisions, she chooses what is right and what she is inspired to do. She does not sacrifice what she knows is right just because she wants something dearly.

I've been struggling to form a review, and putting it off for over a week!

I assume everyone knows the basic story or has at least seen a movie version. So I'm including spoilers. I marked so many great passages as I read, which again, is a sign of a good classic.

Jane is treated so poorly by her aunt and cousins. But I love that it doesn't break her spirit. I love this dialogue as she stands up for herself.

"I am not deceitful: if I were I should say I loved you; but I declare I do not love you; I dislike you the worst of anybody in the world except John Reed; and this book about the liar, you may give to your girl, Georgiana, for it is she who tells lies, and not I."

Or this amazing wisdom that Helen gives her:

"But I feel this, Helen; I must dislike those who, whatever I do to please them, persist in disliking me; I must resist those who punish me unjustly. It is as natural as that I should love those who show me affection, or submit to punishment when I feel it is deserved."

(Helen responds.) "Heathens and savage tribes hold that doctrine, but Christians and civilised nations disown it."

I think that is kind of the key to life. To be able to move past what we feel like we deserve, or are justified in feeling.

Along the same lines, "Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs."

And again wisdom from sweet Helen, "Everybody Jane? Why, there are only eighty people who have heard you called so, and the world contains hundreds of millions."

Mr. Broklehurst has got to be among the worst villains in any book, right? I love how his power and authority is taken away after the epidemic that takes the lives of so many of the girls.
But for me the best part of the book is when she lives at Thornfield hall. I love how Charlotte Bronte narrates, and occasionally speaks to the reader. She explains that this is no ordinary biography, and just skips over the unimportant years. Of course, Mr. Rochester is so rough, and so rude at the beginning. I feel like this character has been copied and remade so many times in later fiction.

But his lines are funny, like when they first talk, "I cannot see you without disturbing my position in this comfortable chair, which I have no mind to do."

or "It would please me not to draw you out--to learn more of you--therefore speak." Hilarious.

He also says, "I mentally shake hands with you for your answer." Doesn't that seem like a really modern phrase?

The passages as she begins to fall in love with him are so well-written.

"The ease of his manner freed me from painful restraint; the friendly frankness, as correct as cordial, with which he treated me, drew me to him."

And, "Gratitude, and many associations, all pleasurable and genial, made his face the object I best liked to see; his presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire."

"Never had he called me more frequently to his presence; never been kinder to me when there--and, alas! never had I loved him so well."

For me Jane Eyre is romantic. But it is just weird enough, that it doesn't get sappy for me. I like the way that Jane responds to Mr. Rochester. I don't love the way he messes with her. His whole fake courtship with Miss Ingram seems just cruel. Especially with Jane having to sit in the window witnessing it all.

But this description is great: "She was not good; she was not original: she used to repeat sounding phrases from books: she never offered, nor had, an opinion of her own." I like how Jane can't really be jealous of her because she feels above her. I can relate to that, even if she sees Miss Ingram getting what she wants. "She could not charm him."

As a reader, I look up to Jane Eyre. For persevering through a hard, sad, lonely childhood, and then for being self-motivated to change her working situation, but especially in refusing Mr. Rochester after their failed attempt at marrying. He is so convincing, so logical, that I wanted her to say yes. To feel justified in running away with him. But then I like her more for sticking to what she knows is right.

"Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigor; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth?" See, she is a hero. And this is the lesson I feel myself repeating over and over to my children and the girls I teach at church.

And then, when she hears her mother's voice! I love it. I do think the way that she flees is a little melodramatic. Is it really necessary that she forget her bag in the coach?

I love Jane's dialogue with herself, and how she is so practical. "But let me not hate and despise myself too much for these feelings; I know them to be wrong--that is a great step gained;" Totally reasonable. Check yourself, but forgive yourself.

I love that she resists St. John and his power to guilt her into going with him. I like that she can resist and even though it is a noble cause, realize that she doesn't have to go. She doesn't have to sacrifice that much. "God did not give me my life to throw away."

And then the reuniting. "Choose then, sir--her who loves you best." Ah. I love happy endings. Even if the actual ending is a little abrupt.

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

2011-12-31T23:03:00.000-08:00

This book tells two stories. First, Carrie McClelland is a successful historical fiction writer working on the story of Slain's castle in 1707 and the attempt of the Jacobites to restore Young King James to his rightful throne in Scotland. The second story is the novel she is writing. I really liked the format of the book. Sometimes books that go back and forth can seem gimmicky, but this worked flawlessly. Carrie's chapters are told in the first person, while the chapters that focus on Slain's and Sophia's story are told by a third person narrator. So you kind of hear Carrie's voice as a writer. They are also marked differently, one with numbers while the others are with Roman numerals.

The Winter Sea provides a lot of history as the story unfolds. I still can't keep all the nobles straight, but I do feel like I learned something about British history. Only a couple of times did I feel like the author was giving us too much historical background. This is a long book, 527 full pages,  but it wasn't overwhelming to me. I read it quick, but it helped that we are on Christmas vacation. I really cared about both stories and found them interesting and intriguing. I think I liked the 1707 story a bit better.

Both stories have romance, but only a couple times did they seem cheesy. Kearsley treats her characters with respect (and her readers) by writing about grown-up relationships with out having to give us the graphic details.  Both romances are written tastefully, with an understanding that we can fill in what has happened. I appreciate that. I was a little nervous about how she would write the scenes that seemed inevitable, and I was pleasantly surprised.

One of the fun magical aspects of the book is that as Carrie is researching to write her story, she hears her characters. "Watching, I could feel again the stirrings of my characters--the faint, as yet in audible, suggestions of their voices, and their movements close around me...in that strange writer's trance that stole upon me when my characters began to speak." She always hears and feels her characters as she writes her books. But, this time the character she writes about is her ancestor and she hears the details of her life through her character's voice. Carrie is shocked as time after time her research turns up facts that she has already written about. I think she over analyzes this phenomena a bit, I think it would have been cool to just have it be a little supernatural. I know it sounds a little weird, but I thought it was a clever way to tell the story.

The story that Carrie is writing is at first focused on an a group of nobles and colonels who secretly meet and plot to return the Scottish king to his throne. I guess this is one of the lesser known attempts. She begins to focus on a young girl who has recently come to live in Slain's castle, Sophia. Again I appreciated the authors restraint to not overwhelm the writer with tragic, graphic details of Sophia's past. Sophia alludes to a troubled upbringing after both her parents die, but even when the full story is revealed, you are spared the sordid details. Sophia is a great character, and I grew very attached to her. When tragedy strikes again toward the end, she makes a decision that is hard to sympathize with. For me, I took it in stride with the context of her age and station in the early 1700's. I don't want to reveal too much, but I read in some other reviews that it was shocking to some readers. I think it is sad, and not the best choice, but it didn't ruin the story.

I loved the Countess of Earl. She is a smart woman who keeps her cool and is not fooled by anyone. She provides a great home for Sophia, and makes lots of wise decisions. "Her voice, as always, calmed the waters."  She was very influential in the planning and preparations for the '08. In one of her early conversations with Sophia she says, "Do you not believe that the opinion of a woman is of value? For I tell you, I would rather have a woman's thoughts on character than those of any man." Later she remarks to Sophia, "Were it up to God alone, I do not doubt but that the king would have been here already. But God passes His affairs into the hands of men, and there the trouble lies." See what I mean? Wise.

In the modern day story, I loved the Keith family. The sweet charming dad that speaks in a strong dialect, and the two handsome sons. Carrie says about them, "Stuart might be nice to look at. Graham was the kind of man I couldn't look way from." (Yes, her love interest is named Graham. Loved it.)

I love the description when Sophia wades in the ocean for the first time, "though she had come to it reluctantly, it proved to be the greatest pleasure that she could remember since her childhood." Later she has to have some difficult conversations with men who are playing both sides of the attempt too return King James. She does great staying calm. Another great description, "Their conversation was a sort of dance, she thought, with complicated steps, but as the time wore on she grew to know the way of it, and when to step, and when to twirl, and when to simply stand and wait."

This is a good book. I thought both stories were captivating, and I couldn't wait to get back to reading each time I had to stop. Susanna Kearsley knows how to write a good story. If you're up for something a little longer, I would definetly suggest this for a fulfilling read. And be sure to let me know what you think.

The Return Journey by Maeve Binchy

2011-12-27T22:49:00.000-08:00

I got a Kindle for Christmas! Hooray. I've avoided any type of e-book reader for a long time because I do love books. But I'm excited for the portability, easy access to library books and the ability to highlight and add notes. We'll see if it is as helpful as I hope writing this review.

The Return Journey is a collection of short stories that seem to have a thread or two of similar themes running through them. Years ago, after seeing the movie, I read Binchy's Circle of Friends and really liked it. I liked these stories too. I sometimes forget how much I like the short story genre, and these were good examples of what makes a good short story.

There are 14 stories, and I think most are dealing with moments of catharsis or possible turning points in the character's lives. I've decided to list them and add a little commentary or quote for each.

"The Return Journey" is a collection of letters between a mother and daughter. It ends on a hopeful note.

"The Wrong Suitcase" is clever and about two people who take the wrong suitcase, then form opinions of each other based on the contents. I loved the line, "always better to say what you want at the start and say it pleasantly. Alan's motto." There are several characters in her stories who have strict rules and codes of conduct for themselves. I liked them and thought they made for quick character development. You have so little time in a short story.

"Miss Vogel's Vacation" was one of my favorites and has a great story line. I loved Miss Vogel's attitude and was pleased with her happy ending.

"The Homesitter" wasn't a happy story, but I think poignant. A couple in a strained boring marriage leaves for a guest professorship for three months. The woman who comes to sit at their house is kind of the opposite of the wife, Maura. I could relate to Maura's feelings about Allie because I do see women who aren't that different than me, but seem to be doing it better than me. Do you know what I mean? I just thought it was sad that Maura couldn't be encouraged by this, and make positive changes in her life.  "She felt a physical shock, like the feeling you get if you think you've swallowed a piece of glass." Perfect description. Even without the happy ending, I liked this story too.

"Package Tour" is another perfect example of the short story form that I love. A relationship hinges on a piece of luggage. Really. It's so well done. Here's a quote I loved, "suddenly everything looked bright and full of glitter instead of commercial and tawdry as it had looked some minutes before." I love people or conversations that are great enough to change your opinion of your surroundings in a single moment. It doesn't happen often, but it is awesome. Sadly, I think the opposite can happen too. Someone can totally ruin the mood or event in an instant.

"The Apprenticeship" is a story about two friends who have gone to great lengths to rise above their humble upbringings. It reminded me of a good friend of mine when I was 12 and all the magazines we read and the people we studied in an effort to unlock what it took to be popular. Fashion rules, make-up tips and relationship advice.  As Camilla marries into the upper class, Florrie ultimately opts out. And thankfully, so did I!

"The Business Trip" also compares two women who have chosen different ways of living their lives. Thankfully the younger one, the niece, takes advice from her aunt and saves herself from a mislead life of heartache. I really liked this one too.

"The Crossing" is mainly a conversation between two women who are strangers on a ship from England to Ireland. I loved it. They pass on advice and words of wisdom and encouragement, but will probably never meet again.

"The Women in Hats" was OK. It centers on an employee of a cruise ship who wrongly identifies the two thin good looking friends in a trio as the married couple. When instead, it is the good looking young man and the really fat young lady that are married. It kind of shakes his reality. It definitely struck a chord with me, because I can be so judgmental, but the story wasn't that interesting.

"Excitement" was clever because it read to me kind of like a sitcom. Murphy's law, really, about a woman who is so bored with her life, but her attempt at excitement backfires. It made me want to say "ha" to her.

"Holiday Weather" also ends on a hopeful note. It has an affair and traveling in Europe as themes like a few other stories, but the descriptions of the weather in Ireland spoke to me. "Then one morning the sun came out, and everything was different." That is exactly what it is like here, so many gray days in a row, but when the sun comes out you can't help but feel lucky. Here's a conversation that Frankie has with the hotel owner about the change in the weather:
     "'It's like heaven.' She sighed....
     'Thank G-- we don't get weather like this all the time,' said Shane
      'Why do you say that?...' Frankie had been about to say the very opposite; she had been on the point of wishing that every day could be so sunny.
     'Because we would be parched and dry, it would not be a green island, and we'd be so used to it we woldn't be calling out our thanksgiving to the very heaven.'"


I can totally relate to what he is saying and lots of times feel the same about Seattle.

"Victor and St. Valentine" is sweet, and again, I like a happy hopeful ending.

"Cross Lines" is another story about making snap judgements about someone based on their appearance. It feels brief, and leaves you with just a clue of what might be in the future for the two characters.

"A Holiday With Your Father" seemed like a bad choice to end with. It felt sad to me, and I like happier endings. While so many of the other stories leave you hopeful that the characters are going to make a change in their lives for the better, this one ends with the daughter realizing that things aren't going to change. I wish she had chosen one of the more uplifting stories to go out on.

If you like short stories, or if you don't have a lot of time to read right now, try this collection out! I think a lot of these stories would be great to discuss.

Bookshop Talk

2011-12-24T10:22:00.000-08:00

My review of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is posted over at Bookshop Talk today.

Check out their cool site with tons of book reviews!

Merry Christmas and Happy Reading!

Winner and a Bonus

2011-12-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

I visited Mabel last night and she donated a copy for me to giveway too. Hooray!

So I have two winners.

I was too lazy to do my own drawing, so I used Random.org, and here's the breakdown.
(Not to make the lower ranking comments feel bad, but I wanted to show them all.)

Random Sequence Generator

Here is your sequence:

Timestamp: 2011-12-19 08:40:28 UTC

Lori and Jill are the winners!

I'm going to have Mabel sign them, so comment below and let me know if you want them personalized. Otherwise I'll have her keep it generic.

Thanks for playing friends!

GIVEAWAY---GIVEAWAY---GIVEAWAY

2011-12-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to announce my second ever giveaway!

You can enter to win your very own copy of Mabel D.F. Cowie's first book, Awakenings.
(See my full review below)

This is a fun young adult fantasy novel that I would recommend for readers 10 and up. I think it would be enjoyed by even younger kids if you read it aloud.

You can have two entries:

1) Leave a comment, telling me why you'd like to read this book.

2) Link up to this giveaway on your blog, and then tell me you did in the comments.

Deadline to enter is Sunday, December 18 at midnight. I will draw a number randomly and announce it Monday morning.

Good Luck!

Awakenings by Mabel D.F. Cowie

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is the first book in a trilogy, 'Neath Ancient Ruins Lie, written by my good friend Mabel! I read an earlier draft 3 years ago, and really enjoyed reading her polished, published version this week. Her imagination is admirable and she has created an intriguing, fun story.

Young Adult Fantasy is not my favorite genre, but a lot of people close to me love it, so I end up reading a few here and there. Mabel's book takes place in Scotland, 1932, but the story begins (and ends?) in a parallel world that is integral to the story. Awakenings has castles, mermaids, fairies, ghosts, selkies and kelpies. Not sure what a couple of those are? Well, you'll find out!

The first chapter takes place in Ormiscaig, the parallel world, and the second at the castle in Scotland. Both of these chapters introduce and describe characters and setting. For me this can be a little slow, and it really took me until the fourth chapter to get into "don't want to put it down" mode. So read on if the first couple of chapters seem a bit detailed. The good news that in true YA style, the chapters aren't very long.

Arran is a young servant girl about to turn 14. She is at first sweet and kind, but as the story progresses you discover (as she discovers) that she is also smart and brave. The excitement in the story picks up as a stranger appears in the castle's dungeon, and begins to prove true the legends and folklore that have surrounded the castle. I liked how the staff and the laird (lord) come together to solve the mysteries and help this stranded stranger.

One of Mabel's talents is in description. She creates vivid pictures of her characters and their surroundings. For example,

"The room was plush and beautiful; rich red tapestry curtains hung from the windows, and several tartan rugs covering the floor added warmth to the room. On the table, lay 24 large pewter plates, each with a pewter goblet by its side, with perfect spacing between."

"The gentle gliding of the gull's wings and the sound of the water on the shore lulled her into a soft, gentle slumber."

"Above the glen, an eagle was stretching its long elegant wings out into the blue sky above soaring high above the tree tops."

The writing is also humorous at times. A young relative of the Laird comes to live in the castle (don't castles always need a sweet young ward living in one of the towers?) He is concerned that he might not have anything to talk to her about. When they sit down to their first meal together, Isla begins talking and doesn't stop. Her rambling, excited sentences remind me of several children I know.

"One fairy in particular even knew my name. Her name is Tona, by the way, and she thinks I am a princess. She has beautiful long wavy hair the color of the wheat fields and..."

The fairies are another part of the story I really liked. When they talk or sing, those who believe in them are instantly comforted. They are soothed and filled with peace. I think this is symbolic of the pureness and goodness that the characters are searching for, but also reminded me of the power of mothers. Kind of how newborns can be comforted by the sound of their mother's voice. And how your mother's care and concern can wipe away your worries. It makes me hope my children feel that way about me!

Toward the end of the book, Arran must make a difficult decision. As she is pondering her choices, Elgol says to her,

"You have great potential, Arran. There is much about yourself that you have not discovered yet, but it is nothing that you need to fear."

I think this is going to be important in the next two volumes. It reminded me a bit of what her former teacher tells Penelope in book two of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place. I always like books in which young protagonists rise to their potential, and become the amazing people that the adults around them know they can be.

I also enjoyed Mabel's use of Scottish landmarks in her story. When they venture to Loch Ness, it reminds me a bit of Peter and the Starcatchers series which includes an important use of Stonehenge. I like when fantasy novels tie into mythology and locations that really exist.

Don't you love the cover artwork? I think it sets the stage perfectly for the novel.
I think this is a fun story that you and your children will enjoy. And probably your parents and aunts and neighbors.

You can purchase it on Amazon , only 99cents for the Kindle Edition or for your Nook. You can also read the first chapter online, but I'm not sure that it alone will hook you.

OR....Enter my giveaway that will be posted shortly, and win your own copy hot off the presses. (You might even get it in time for Christmas)

Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, The Hidden Gallery (Book 2) By Mayrose Wood

2011-12-10T23:23:00.000-08:00

I don't usually review two books in a series back to back, but I am desperately trying to meet my goal of reading 50 books this year. It's going to be close!!

I think I might have even enjoyed this second book more than the first. Because I knew what I was getting into in regards to the pace and length of the book, I was better prepared.

Penelope is just as charming and clever as she was before, and this book picks up right where The Mysterious Howling left off. However book two doesn't really answer any of the questions that you have after finishing book one. So you have to keep reading, BUT number three isn't out yet!!! I was not aware of this fact, or I might not have rushed out to read number two.

All of that aside, I am dying for someone else to read this and let me know if you think they are as great as I do.

Here are some quotes to entice you:

"Oh, my head! Bring me a cold compress, please, I am quite at my wit's end--and some tea--and a chocolate, quick! Make it a whole box!" (This is Lady Constance, who is hilarious in her ridiculousness.)

"Therefore, she now proceeded to do something quite rare and brave--something you yourself may find it necessary to do someday, if you have not already had case to try it out. In short she stood up to a person of authority..."

"The London General Post Office as so impressive that Penelope could hardly imagine how Buckingham Palace might surpass it."

"But many forces shape a person's destiny, Penelope," she added. "And a prophesy made before you were born cannot take into account the greatest influence of all."
"Which is what?"
"You. Your own character. The kind of person you choose to be--and that you inspire others to be."
I can't explain why this touched me. The idea that we are more powerful that we know and that we can have that kind of powerful influence is so inspiring.

"Instead, just as one might use a ribbon to hold one's place in a fascinating book that one is temporarily forced to put down, Penelope simply made a note of her confused and disappointed feelings and then put them gently to the side, for there was nothing to be done about them at present."

The characters are good, the story is good and the writing is good. Trifecta.

Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place:The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood

2011-11-30T13:29:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed this fun story about little Penelope, a 15-year-old orphan who gets her first job as a governess. This book is written for 8-12 year olds, and I think I would recommend it for the younger half of that. It felt really short to me, and has kind of a fast ending. But I think I've just forgotten how books for this age group are.

Penelope has recently graduated from the "Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females." The title of the school alone made me determined to love the book. When Penelope arrives, is hired and then meets the children, she is told that they were raised by wolves and only found a week ago in the woods. She just takes it all in stride, and goes about what she was hired to do. The circumstances are almost absurd, and her progress with the children is definetly absurd, but I think it made for a really fun story. Some moments are completely hilarious in their ridiculousness.

For example, upon realizing that she should teach the children the evils of eavesdropping Penelope thinks to herself,
"I will have the children read Hamlet as soon as it is practical. There are some useful cautions against eavesdropping to be gleaned from that. In the meantime, we shall deal with the squirrels."

Another thing I like was how she is constantly remembering little mantras that she learned at school. Sayings of Agatha Swanburne, such as,

"All books are judged by their cover until they are read."

"No hopeless case is truly without hope."

"A well-organized stocking drawer is the first step toward a well-organized mind."

And I loved how she always thought about what she had been taught.

"Swanburne girls were encouraged to be confident and bold."

"Agatha Swanburn would not waste a moment worrying about things that couldn't be helped,"

or "She was a Swanburne girl, through and through."

There are some moments that remind me of Anne of Green Gables. Penelope is picked up from the train station by a quiet older gentleman, and rides in a carriage taking in all of her new surroundings. The absurdity and kind of deadpan writing reminded me a little of Lemony Snicket.

The story is told from a third person narrator, who occasionally addresses the reader directly. It was odd at first, because it speaks to you in present time, referring to the fact that the book is set in the past. I think it actually works, and is probably helpful for young readers. Here's one example,

"The truth is that one cannot go through life without being annoyed by other people, and this was just as true in Miss Penelope Lumley's day as it is in our own."

The ending wraps up one big event, but then drops a couple of clues to lead you into the next book. I was a little surprised at that, but again I think it's because the audience is intened to be middle grades. I'm excited to pick up the story where it left off as soon as it comes in at the library!

Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith

2011-11-25T14:33:00.000-08:00

Fair and Tender Ladies is a story about Ivy Rowe. It begins when she is around 12, and follows her whole life until she's in her 80's I think. Her story is told entirely through letters she writes, no responses. And I think it works. I thought the letters were used cleverly to reveal the characters and the plot. I do wish dates were included on every letter, but I think they were intentionally left off so you had to discover how much time had passed.

The first few letters are kind of hard to read. They introduce a bunch of characters, mostly Ivy's family, and are written in her vernacular. It reminded me a bit of These is My Words, and similarly, her voice becomes easier to follow as you stick with it.

I love that Ivy loves to read, and has memorized poems. She quotes them naturally as she thinks. Her are a few quotes to give you a feel for her voice.

"I am going to mary somebody that makes me feel like a poem that's for sartin."

"Little Danny just smiled, he is the cutest thing. I do not think I will have any children ever as they will brake yor hart."

"Oh Molly, I wish you culd see my dress it is so beutiful! It is green with puff sleeves and a round white coller." Anne of Green Gables, right?

Ivy lives in the mountains of Virgina, and like other books about living in the Appalachians, she has a hard time. There is a lot of sadness, hard work, and dying. She has opportunities to get out, but ultimately chooses caring for her family. Ivy doesn't always make smart decisions, but I do think she is tries to do what is right.

"She is serious, Silvaney. She hates Sugar Fork when she thinks of it, and yet I love it, now isn't this odd? us being from the same family and all. She hates Sugar Fork and all the old ways. She will not even talk about it..."

"I have lost my spunk some way. It is like I was a girl for such a long time, years and years, and then all of a sudden I have got to be an old woman, with no inbetween. Maybe that has always been the problem with me, a lack of inbetween.
For all of a sudden when I saw those lights, I said to myself, Ivy, this is your life, this is your real life, and you are living it. Your life is not going to start later. This is it, it is now. It's funny how a person can be so busy living that they forget this is it. This is my life."
I think this tells a lot about how Ivy feels about herself. Sometimes I feel this way too.

I can't think of another book that covers so much of one person's life in just 367 pages. I really liked reading her letters, and I enjoyed the book. EXCEPT that she makes a decision toward the end, that really taints the rest of the book for me. It's not just her actions, but the way that she feels like it saved her life. Like it was a turning point, and not really in the way I think it should have been.

But I still enjoy her wisdom on other topics. For example,
"I guess you would think that when a woman has a lot of children, then each one means a little less. It is not so. Children will swell up your heart. I know you say you are glad that you and Stoney have not had none of your own, that his have been enough of a headache, but I would bet it is not true, Ethel. You just talk big, in my opinion. But you are a soft as a featherbed underneath."

There's a letter toward the end that Ivy writes to her daughter Joli, and tells about a visit from her sister and her new husband. Both Ivy and Ethel are older ladies by now. Like in their 70's I'd guess. I don't want to quote the whole thing, but the way she retells their conversation and their interactions, you can tell they are just the same as they were as kids, or in their 20s. I loved it because it reminds me of getting together with my sisters, or when I see my mom with her's. How you still feel like giggly girls, even though you have had this lifetime of experience apart. Do you know what I mean?

I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it, but I didn't LOVE, love it.

Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos

2011-11-13T12:43:00.000-08:00

I loved it. I love her. I was not disappointed. This is the kind of book that I love from the beginning and thought all day about when I could read it again. Luckily I had a free night to read into the wee hours, and it was so worth it.
This is the story of Pen (Penelope) who is raising her 5 year old daughter, living with her brother Jamie and still grieving from her father's death. In college she had two best friends, Cat and Will, with whom she was inseparable. At some point after graduating, the three split up. It's been 6 years, and the details of the events leading up to that moment are sprinkled through out the story. Pen and Will receive a cryptic e-mail from Cat, which leads to them meeting up, and ultimately working through the details of their years spent apart.

What's that? A story about three close college friends? Lots of poignant reflections on losing your father? Longing for people you've lost? This is a book for me.

At the start Pen reflects, "Since you left there's been a you-shaped space beside me, all the time. It never goes away."

I also love this perspective on harboring hate. "She could imagine sustaining certain emotions at that pitch for that long--love absolutely, grief probably, guilt maybe--but hatred was exhausting and gave so little back. Once, after her father died, Pen had tried to keep hatred alive, but it kept losing its firm shape, kept smudging and blurring until it became an immense black, impossible heavy sadness that lived inside her body and made it hard to move, so she had given it up."

Doesn't this remind you of college? "They'd walk out of their apartment door, with their lipstick fresh and their hair and eyes lit by the streetlights, and anything, anything would seem possible to Pen."

There are so many great realizations and conversations I enjoyed reading and thinking about in this book. There's a moment when Pen realized a guy may not be as big a jerk as he seemed at first, and it is written so well.
"It was simply this: for the first time, she understood that it was possible to form an opinion about a person, an opinion based on solid evidence and a vast quantity of justified self-righteous anger, to even have this opinion reinforced by trusted colleagues, and to be, at least partially, wrong."

The book takes them on a journey, literally and figuratively, to find Cat. I think the story is interesting and well developed. But really it's the writing more than the story that I fall in love with when I read Marisa de los Santos.

"'I'm beside myself with happiness,' said Pen. "And gratitude. And relief. I just came home from work and saw her sitting there with Augusta, and it took my breath away. It was like someone fixed my television.'.....
the fact was that he knew immeadiately what Pen meant. 'Colors got brighter,' said Will. 'Edges got sharper.'
'Everything gleamed,' Pen said. 'Like sometimes happens after it rains.'"

Just like her first two books, I felt like the prevailing theme was love. How love, in all its forms, is what is most important.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

2011-11-02T08:19:00.000-07:00

If you really like Tina Fey and think she is hilarious, you'll probably really like this book. I did. But it wasn't as funny as I hoped it would be. It's a nice quick read, and had some really great parts. It confirmed to me that she is smart and original and just super funny!

She does us the f-word, and there are some jokes that I think of as the easy way out, ie. periods, body humor, crude words, dumb responses to rude comments online. BUT it could, of course, been a lot worse. I still feel like she goes for the smarter punchline, rather than potty humor. But just from a few references, it is always shocking to me that real comedic writers think that kind of stuff is funny.

I think my favorite chapter is the one titled, "Sarah, Oprah, and Captain Hook, or How to Succeed by Sort of Looking Like Someone." It tells about the weekend that she filmed with Oprah for 30 Rock, first parodies Sarah Palin, all while preparing for her daughter's 3rd birthday. Having watched both 30 Rock and SNL during that time, I found it fascinating! Really.

It's shouldn't be surprising that she has some really hysterical lines in this book. I loved that it really carries an easy narrative voice, and you laugh as you go. I'll share a couple to give you a taste, but I don't want to spoil the whole feel if you want to read it.

"All the windows were covered, and you had to be buzzed in through two different doors. This place was not kidding around."

"I hope you enjoy it so much that you also buy a copy for your sister-in-law."

I also loved the chapter where she explains the step-by-step process of a photo shoot.

"You must not look in that mirror at your doughy legs and flat feet, for today is about dreams and illusions and unfiltered natural daylight is the enemy of dreams."

"When people say, 'You really, really must' do something, it means you don't really have to...When it's true, it doesn't need to be said."

Because I love 30 Rock, I really liked all the behind the scenes stories about how it became a show, and how different episodes came about.

Also, Tina Fey includes real life pictures from growing up. Hilarious.

I love her non-chalant humor, and I enjoyed reading more about her!

LOVE THAT DOG by Sharon Creech

2011-10-20T01:51:00.000-07:00

A short, sweet book that is written like a young boy's poetry journal for a school class. Of course the English teacher in me loved the idea of inspiring a student to express themselves in poetry. I love that Sharon Creech references all those poems that we introduce kids too in an effort to get them to love poetry. They are the best ones!

I enjoyed reading this book. I'm going to hand it off to my boys and see what they think about it. It was a fun change from what I'm usually reading, and I like books that present their story in a clever way. This is like a poem of a book.

"Maybe he was just making pictures with words..."
Isn't that a great definition of poetry?

Cold Sassy Tree Olive Ann Burns

2011-09-25T19:38:00.000-07:00

This is just what I needed this week. It has been a while since I've read a book that I loved. Thank you Colby for the advice to "stop what you are doing and read this now." I loved this book! Years and years ago (during high school maybe?), I read this after my aunt recommended it to my mom or something. I remember I liked it, but I didn't remember anything else. Now I can't believe I could ever forget forget it because I enjoyed reading it so much.

Cold Sassy is a fictional town in Georgia, and this book takes place in 1906. Will Tweedy is 14, and tells the story about his family and the events that changed them that summer. I enjoyed his voice and the southern accents, "ast," " 'tweren't," "swannee." Olive Ann Burns uses her characters' voices to create the whole feel of the town.

In the second page of the book Will Tweedy says, "I and my little redheaded sister, Mary Toy, always followed him down the hall and he usually gave us each a stick of penny candy." Don't you love how he added that little detail about Mary Toy? I liked him right away. Just a few pages later, when describing Miss Love Simpson he says "I had always admired Miss Love, with all that wavy brown hair piled atop her head, and that smiley, freckledy face and those friendly gray-blue eyes. She was a merry person, like Grandpa." Wouldn't you love to be described as a "merry person"?

There is a sweet story that his Grandma would tell about his Grandpa, "When he come back to Cold Sassy after the War, he was the handsomest man you ever seen and I was a old maid. Twenty-one year old and never had a beau in my life. I was fixin' to go to church one Sunday morning when this good-lookin' feller, he tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'Ain't you Miss Mattie Lou Toy? You don't need no sermon today. Stay out here and le's talk.'...So we stayed in the churchyard, like a re'lar courtin' couple, and talked one another's ears off.....Fore that day was over Mr. Blakeslee said he was a-go'n marry me..." Cold Sassy Tree is filled with these little heart-warming moments.

I also loved the sweet wisdom that Grandpa shares in nuggets throughout the book. Like, "Livin' is like pourin' water out of a tumbler into a dang Coca-Cola bottle. If'n you skeered you cain't do it, you cain't. If'n you say to youreself, 'By dang, I can do it!' then, by dang, you won't slosh a drop." Later after Will escapes a close run in with a train he is asking his Grandpa if it was God's will that he survived. His Grandpa said, "What God give you was a brain. Hit's His will for you to use it--p'tickler when a train's comin'." Grandpa's religious explanations were especially meaningful. He offers a "family prayer" right after Will's accident that is so great.

Cold Sassy is a small town, the kind that makes "small town" an adjective. I loved how when tragedy strikes, they gather together, bring food, and take care of each other. Of course, the other side of the coin was how when anything happens, there is someone there to judge, report and repeat what had happened. There are so many examples of this in the story.

I loved the family dynamics, and really how no one is perfect. Will makes some choices that drive you crazy, and Aunt Loma is such a pill, but by the end they have really endeared themselves to you. At least they did to me. I loved the Grandpa's teachings and his critiques of preachin' and where he thought the pastors were getting it wrong.

This book is getting a spot in my top 10.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

2011-09-19T23:52:00.000-07:00

I have seen links to Randy Pausch's last lecture on the internet, and recently noticed that he had also written a book expanding on the lecture he gave at Carnegie Mellon. I was curious about the hype and drawn to his story of living with a terminal diagnosis, but I was worried it might be too sad to get through. I got through it fine, but it didn't change my life. I think Randy Pausch has some great insights and perspectives and he shared them in a really approachable way. It reminded me of books like Don't Sweat the Small Stuff, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, or Life's Little Instruction Book. All fine books, but not really my favorite thing to read. This book is, of course, set apart with personal stories, and always with the understory that this man knows he only has a few months left to live.

When he was asked to give the lecture, he asked himself: "What do I, alone, truly have to offer?" I think that is a worthwhile reflection for all of us. He also mentions a coach that taught him, "You've got to get the fundamentals down, because otherwise the fancy stuff is not going to work." That made me think of teaching. You have to teach them basic principles and values or the other stuff doesn't stick.

On building self-esteem he says, "You give them something they can't do, they work hard until they find they can do it, and you just keep repeating the process." I like that, and it resonates with several things I've read lately. I think about that a lot raising my kids!

There was a section about his habit of leaning back in his char at dinner and how it drove his mom crazy. I kind of get his point, but my boys have broken a few chairs in our house that way, so it was kind of annoying to read. I sympathized with his mom more than him!

There's a section where he shares that he would send a box of Girl Scout Thin Mint's with every paper he asked another professor to review, along with a short note. "Thank you for agreeing to do this...The enclosed Thin Mints are your reward. But no fair eating them until you review the paper." Clever. He finished the section with, "I've found Thin Mints are a great conversational tool. They're also a sweet reward for a job well done." I think that is a good example of his "voice" in this book. I found it annoying sometimes. But he also mentions that he's aware of his "social" flaws. A mentor once told him, "Randy, it's such a shame that people percieve you as arrogant, because it's going to limit what you're going to be able to accomplish in this life." He does sometimes come off as arrogant, but then again, he did accomplish A LOT in his short life.

There are chapters where he says that, "brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They're there to stop the other people." There's another section titled, Earnest is Better Than Hip. He explains "the head fake" and then refers to it a few times. Some of these sayings and sections seemed a little too cliche to me. The seemed dumb. I think to really do Randy Pausch justice, I need to watch the video of his lecture. I think in a more concise format, it might move me more.

I was most touched by the chapters about his family that he concludes with. It is such a tragedy to lose your father or husband, and to loose him at such a young age and so early on in your marriage is really heartbreaking. He concludes his lecture by explaining that one of the main reasons he wanted to give it, and expand it into a book, is so his children can know him. So he can pass on the wisdom he won't be around to give them. I think that is beautiful, and I admire him for taking the time to write the book.

If You Could See Me Know by Cecilia Ahern

2011-09-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

I tried to start reading this a couple times, and I felt like the beginning was just too much. Too much information, too forced, and I didn't really like the writing.

But because I've put down a few books lately, because the main character is named Elizabeth Egan (!), and because I liked the idea of the plot, I kept reading. Honestly, the whole first half kind of got on my nerves. I think the story was OK, but the writing style and the characters kind of bugged me.

Elizabeth has had a sad life. Her mom abandoned her family, she mostly raised her sister and her dad is emotionally distant. And now she is raising her nephew because her sister is terrible mess. Elizabeth is kind of a control freak, but is successful in her career and her younger life is revealed haphazardly throughout the book. Her nephew meets an imaginary friend "Ivan" who take turns with Elizabeth in telling the story. So because she is lonely and needs him, eventually Elizabeth can "see" Ivan and their friendship helps to relieve some of the sadness and pain in her life. Imaginary friends come to help children with what they are struggling with and he does the same for Elizabeth.

Because I knew what the story was about, I decided to follow the book through to the end. I know some people love it, so you might too. But for me there were just too many annoying things.

There is a meeting of the Imaginary Friends, and they all give a report of their friend they are helping. The conversation is so trite. Like maybe the author looked up reasons kids have imaginary friends, then created the profiles by going down the list. It was dumb.

Then there's this cheesy conversation between Ivan and Elizabeth when she's trying to figure out what his job is. In fact a lot of the conversations between them are supposed to be clever with Ivan attempting to answer her literally as she misunderstands over and over. Assuming he's Sam's dad, then assuming he's a silent partner, that he works with children, etc. It was annoying to me.

So many times I felt like the whole character of Ivan was a copycat of Will Ferrell's character in Elf, and maybe even a little borrowed from Tom Hank's character in Big. Like a child trapped in an adult's body, but most of what he says seems really profound, and only sometimes ridiculous. Everytime he says things like, "spinning is my favorite" I couldn't help but hear Will Ferrell's Buddy's voice. Not very original.

I will say that the overall idea and story is heartwarming. The idea that Ivan could fill a void in Elizabeth's life and help her learn to love again, is very sweet. There is this moment of clarity when Elizabeth relives a tragic moment from her childhood, that seems to embody all her fears, and give her all the answers she's been running away from. I felt like it was almost great. It was a little too tidy for me, and the writer was trying too hard for me to really get into it.

Here are a couple of sweet quotes.

"My special power is friendship. I listen to people and I hear what they say. I hear their tones, the words they use to express themselves, and most importantly, I hear what they don't say. Sighs and silences and avoided conversations are just as important as the things you do talk about."

"Those were the best times because her mother would be in one of her happy moods, delighted to be home, telling Elizabeth how much she'd missed her, smothering her with hugs and kisses so much that Elizabeth couldn't remember ever feeling sad."

I read the back flap of my library copy of this book and learned two things that say a lot.

A) Cecelia Ahern is 24. Or was when the book jacket was made, which means that she was even younger when she wrote this. Maybe her writing with improve with age. (PS. She wrote the book P.S. I Love You)

B) Film rights to this book have been bought by Walt Disney Pictures. I bet they could make a pretty good movie out of this story. With the right editing, it could be a really good story, the book just didn't pull it off in my mind.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

2011-09-03T18:17:00.000-07:00

I put this book on hold based on Tara's recommendation. I liked it.

The story begins with a 17-year-old girl, Jenna Fox, who has come out of a year long coma and is struggling to remember everything. I thought the beginning was a little boring, but I think that is intentional because Jenna is so awkward and confused at first. It gets better as she makes friends, and begins to solve the mystery of her "accident" and her recently awakened self.

This is science fiction, and poses ethical questions about what might be possible in the future of bio-medical advances. I thought that aspect was interesting, but really its just not my favorite genre. What made this book interesting to me was the idea of how parents expectations or dreams for their kids influence their ethics. I thought the title was very clever.

"Jenna is so used to every move being recorded at this point that she seems to have surrendered herself to the adoration of Jenna Fox."

"Sometimes a person gets tired of being fixed all the time. Where every little problem becomes a project. Where every shortcoming needs to be addressed."

I don't expect my kids to be perfect (have you met my kids?), but I do want them to find one true passion and excel at it. I want them to be good at something, or a few things, and reading this made me think about my dreams for them. Do I adore my kids enough as their normal selves?

Although I found it thought-provoking from a parent's point of view, I think the best audience for this book is a female young adult. Maybe 12-16? I passed it on to my son who is 12, and he read it on the way too and from an outing and finished it. He liked it too. He did point out a few things they mention but don't develop much, but if I mention them it will spoil the book.

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels -- A Love Story by Ree Drummond

2011-08-29T15:51:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I've visited The Pioneer Woman's blog before, I've certainly heard her name around, and always connected to good things. I keep seeing ads for her new TV show, so I was really interested in reading this book.

I really enjoyed reading this fun story of how she and her husband met. Like so many of us, they met when she was at a crossroads in her life, and their relationship drastically altered her future. She has a pleasant writing style, and while her story could have been too romanticised and gaggy, it's not. Her re-telling made me feel sentimental about my own love story, and brought back those emotions that you feel when everything is so new and so uncertain.

Both Ree and "Marlboro Man" as she refers to her cowboy are like able personalities. I liked the embarrassing stories that she shares of their early relationship, and I understood many of the stresses and heartache in their first year of marriage. I think her writing style is comfortable and relate able, and a nice way to spend a couple of evenings. You can read it fast, and it won't change your life, but you'll enjoy it.

Here are a few of those relate able excerpts:

"To talk about our future would be premature; but to totally dismiss that we'd happened upon something special wouldn't be right, either. Something extraordinary had occurred between us--that fact was indisputable. It was the timing that left so much to be desired."

"And I knew it, even then: Marlboro Man, not only that night but in ht emonths to come, would prove to be my savior, my distraction, my escape in the midst of troubles, my strength in the face of upheaval, my beauty in times of terrible, heartbreaking ugliness."

"I was exhausted, unable to make it through one day without crying or gagging or worrying. I'd fallen in love, married a cowboy, and moved to the peaceful, bucolic contryside. But it was peace that eluded me the most."

"Any identity I'd previously had as a wife, daughter, friend, or productive member of the human race had melted away the second my ducts filled with milk."

Savvy by Ingrid Law

2011-08-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

This is a fun quick read that I would say would be most appealing for 4th and 5th graders. The story is told through Mibs Beaumont, who comes from a family with special powers. They refer to them as "savvy" and the special "how-to" usually appears on the child's 13th birthday. Of course the savvy is powerful, and it takes time and effort for the kids to keep it in control. As a result, one of her brothers started an hurricane on accident, and another quite often causes power outages.

Right before her 13th birthday, Mibs' father is in a horrible accident. Most of the book is about the adventure she and two of her brothers go on trying to get to the hospital to see him.

I think it teaches simple lessons about the difference between what people show on the outside, and what they are on the inside. It is sweet and simple.

The Optimistic Child by Martin Seligman

2011-08-04T00:32:00.000-07:00

Proven Program to Safeguard Children from Depression & Build Lifelong Resilience

This book was recommended to me during a parent advisory committee meeting by the assistant director of elementary ed of my kids' school district. She was talking about how gifted kids often have depressive thoughts because their intellect is so far ahead of their maturity level. Like they are aware of problems and injustices that they don't have the life experiences to cope with yet. This made sense to me, and I do have some concerns about depressive tendencies in some of my children, and I was very interested in this book.

I have really enjoyed reading it. It is specific and precise in explaining the philosophies and then how-to's of Dr. Seligman's ideas. It has taken me a long time to get through the whole thing, but considering the amount of this type of non-fiction books that I set aside and don't finish, my determination to get through it is a testament to it's value in my eyes! I have taken tons of notes and am going to buy my own copy.

Here's a good quote that comes near the end, "Raising children, I realized, is more than fixing what is wrong with them. It is about identifying and amplifying their strengths and virtues, and helping them find the niche where they can live these positive traits to the fullest." Yep.

Dr. Seligman's basic idea is that you can vaccinate children against depression by helping them be more optimistic. He is careful to explain that "optimism will not make the problems disappear. On the contrary, it allows your child to get to the root of the problem so that she can focus on correcting the situation." He is also very concerned with the scientific proof that his Penn-Prevention program has been successful. He gives a lot of data and examples. I didn't care as much about this. But I suppose it helps you know he isn't just making things up.

I've decided not to try to outline his whole book and the philosophies, and instead share with you a few nuggets that rang true with me.

A big part of his program is teaching your kids to evaluate the things they tell themselves. To notice the dialogue in their head and then take control of it, "we aimed to teach children that thoughts are verifiable and changeable, that they do not need to believe the first thought that pops into their head." Recognizing what we are telling ourselves, and realizing that it isn't always accurate seems like a really important skill.

"Children who habitually blame themselves when they fail have low self-esteem. They feel guilty and ashamed. Children who blame other people or circumstances.....feel less guilt and shame and they like themselves better. They are also angrier children."

One part that I've been talking to everyone who will listen to me about is the "ABC model." It was developed by Albert Ellis who helped found cognitive therapy (this means nothing to me). "The A stand for adversity. An adversity can be any negative event: a failed vacation, a fight with a close friend, the death of a loved one. The C stand for consequences: how you feel and behave following the adversity. Often it seems that the adversity immediately and automatically produces the consequences. Ellis, however, argues that it is the B--the belief and interpretations about A--that cause the particular consequences." So if I get a D on a test, I might tell myself I am stupid and worthless and won't ever succeed. Or I might tell myself that my teacher is a jerk and writes bad tests. Or I might tell myself that I didn't study enough and I need to work harder next time. Consequently, I would feel depressed, mad or disappointed.

"Although thinking about the worst case--catastrophizing--can be productive in some situations, it is counterproductive in some situations, it is counterproductive when the worst case is actually very unlikely. In these cases, planning for the worst is a bad use of your time. It is a drain on your energy, and it ruins your mood."
There is a cool quiz you can give your kids to test their optimism levels. It is based on bad and good events, and whether your child perceives them as permanent or changeable, whether the responsibility is theirs or another, and how pervasive it is in their life. That was also very cool. I gave it to my two oldest, and the results were very interesting to me.

There are three chapters of discussions and role playing and assignments to work on with your kids that are modeled after his Penn Prevention program. While I haven't followed this, I have had some conversations with my kids using these ideas. One example is reading a dialogue of a boy at a school dance and what he tells himself after he is turned down for a dance. Then you explain to your kid, "When Greg thinks___, he is explaining his rejection by Cindy with Permanent thoughts. This causes Greg to feel sad and he decides....." Then of course there are contrasting dialogues that show other possible reactions. I liked reading through these, and thought they were valuable in explaining and really spelling out what his program is about.

There is valuable information about depression. For example, "The depressive's habit of thinking that the future is bleak, the present unbearable, the past filled with defeat, and the self without the ability to improve matters creates the low mood, the lack of zest, and the somatic symptoms of depression." And, "teach the depressive to change her habits of thinking, to decatastrophize, and all the rest of the symptoms would evaporate."

There is a section about the right way to criticize. This was perfectly logical and helpful to read. It goes well with the right way to praise that I learned in NurtureShock. "The first rule is accuracy. Exaggerated blame produces guilt and shame beyond what is necessary to galvanize the child to change....The second rule is that whenever reality allows, you should criticize with an optimistic explanatory style.....When they blame changeable and specific causes of the problem, the child begins to learn optimism. Any time you find your child to be at fault, it is important to focus on specific and temporary personal causes....and avoid blaming the child's character or ability." He uses lots of examples to illustrate his points.

At times phrases are repeated and some ideas even seem repetitious, but it didn't get on my nerves like some books. And given the length of time it took me to get through this, sometimes I even liked the reminders!

I have more good quotes, and I feel like I'm just barely touching on the content of this book. But I'm going to stop now.

I recommend you read it, then we talk about it! I found it enlightening, helpful and I am excited to continue implementing it in my life and my childrens' lives.

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees

2011-07-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

My mom loaned me her copy of this book. I liked the story, and I think it's cool that someone would attempt to fill in some of the unknowns about a beloved author. The idea of researching all they can, finding holes, then using facts and imagination to fill them in appeals to me. I think that's why I liked this book.

The story is exactly what the title says. It takes place during the summer of 1955 when the Bronson Alcott familymoves to Walpole, New Hampshire. Louisa comes alive as a young woman who desperately wants to be a writer and struggles with society's rules and expectations for her. "Why would God give a woman talent if He meant her to be confined to the kitchen and washtub?" Her character is of course similiar to Jo, and the story for awhile seemed too much like a Little Women copy cat. But then as I got more into the romance, and the inner struggle that Louisa wrestles with, I felt like it did have merit of its own.

I loved studying the transcendentalists in high school and college, but I don't remember a whole lot about Bronson Alcott. It was interesting to read the author's ideas, which are probably fact-based, about the effects that having a highly philosophical father might have had on his daughters. Bronson refused to work for money, and so the family was always poor, however their mother Abagail thought constantly of those less fortunate, and gave away anything they might store up. I hadn't really thought about how living those transcending ideals would work in a family. Thoreau could go live at Walden without depriving anyone but himself, but the Alcott daughters didn't have a lot of options themselves. This theme is mentioned a few times throughout. Emerson is portrayed well here, and it made me wonder how many of his friends he helped keep afloat!

Joseph Singer is introduced as a young man who might be a intellectually stimulating match for Louisa. They connect over Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, so of course now I've got to read it. Louisa describes it,
"Her father would say that the chaos of life, its unpredictability, existed to challenge one's commitment to improvement, that one must extract himself piece by piece out of the wildness and assemble a spirit that transcends the sum of mere body parts. Mr. Whitman seemed to say, rather, that the wildness itself was the thing to cultivate. For him, the spirit and the flesh were one, the physical experience of the world was divinity."
Then she says that men will go on arguing these matters forever, "The women, meanwhile, would continue to peel the vegetables and soak the linens in boiling tubs and mend the torn seams and bring new lives into the world."

Another thing this book reminded me of was how much work there was to be done in 1855. These young women spent so many hours of each day doing menial tasks. I feel that way a lot, but reading this made me so grateful for my leisure time. For not having to mend clothing each day, or wash dishes by hand, and glad to have vacuum cleaners.

As a reader, I wanted Louisa to fall in love, to believe Joseph when he says, "There are some men out there who are charmed by an independent woman, who feel that marriage can be an equal partnership of head and heart. Who would love you just as you are..." But I do like her choice at the end better than her choice in the middle. I don't want to spoil much, but if you read this, lets talk!

I also thought this comment was insightful, because haven't you heard people try that excuse before?
"I think this real love you talk about is only an excuse for selfishness. It is the love of an inpatient boy, not a grown man. A grown man knows that in life we may not always simply have whatever we want."

I liked this book and I think it was a fun idea for a story. I think this qualifies as a fun, light summer read.

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

2011-07-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure I put a hold on this book after hearing about it from my cousin Betsy, but I can't remember. I haven't written a review for awhile. I'm still working my way through The Optimistic Child, which I am really liking, and it's just been a busy end of school-start of summertime around here!

This book was a nice dive back into novel reading for me after taking a few weeks off. You know how I love a spunky 12 year old girl protagonist! Abilene has been sent to live with strangers while her father works on the railroad for the summer. She is brave and knows how to take care of herself, but is still lonely for her father that loves her and worries that their separation might not be temporary. She has a sweet voice, and talks about "universals," the things you can count on in any town. Things like snobby rich girls, chalky classrooms and things "everyone knows" except the new girl.

Abilene is anxious to learn more about her father's life in Manifest, and is searching for any stories about him. There's a really poetic part where she notices footprints all over the wood floors, and wonders if any might be her father's from when he lived there. She sets off to discover the mysteries hidden in a box of letters and mementos she has found. As she reads the letters, her neighbor Miss Sadie fills in more stories. So the book switches back and forth from 1936 when Abilene is living in Manifest, to 1918 when her father was living there. I think the two stories weave together well.

I liked how the characters were nice! The circumstances were often sad surrounding both Abilene and Jinx, but you could feel that they felt safe and loved in Manifest. My favorite part was when the town (in 1918) worked together to outbid the coal mine bosses for some property. It was a perfect example of coming together and making something good out of what seems like a hopeless situation. (Even if it did involve alcohol and a con!)

"'Amen,' they said in unison, these citizens of the world, and they held their breath as the many and varied ingredients that had been simmered and stewed, distilled and chilled, were combined to make something new. Something greater than the sum of its parts."

There were times when the story felt a little slow to me. Like there were a few threads going, and many of them weren't going anywhere. The search for "the rattler" for instance, seemed to go by the wayside, then was wrapped up at the end without much to do. And Sister Redempta, who I loved, seemed to fade away too.

I liked the characters in this book, but didn't really fall in love with them the way I hoped. The small town setting, characters trying to discover more about their past, growing up, working together, these are the kind of themes that endear books to me, but this one fell a little short for me.

BUT, I would recommend this. It is a good read. I think it would be great for anyone who likes heart-warming stories, and especially if you like historical fiction. I would recommend it for kids too. Maybe 9 and up? This is Clare Vanderpool's first book and it won a Newbery medal! I'm looking forward to reading the next books she writes and I hope I like them even more!

The Honey Thief by Elizabeth Graver

2011-06-05T23:03:00.000-07:00

I think this book was OK. Because the characters and the story had so much potential, I think it could have been a really great book, and it fell short. (Mine had different cover art, but I couldn't find the image)

The chapters alternate between three different characters' perspective, but their stories are wrapped up together. Miriam is mother, whose husband died a few years ago, and she has just moved her daughter out of New York City because she is worried about her. Eva is her 11-year-old daughter who had started shoplifting small items, and is lonely in their new house out in the country. Burl lives near Miriam and Eva, and runs a little farm. Eva begins hanging out around his place, and as he teaches her about keeping bees, they become friends.

I really liked reading the dynamics between Miriam and Eva. They were sad and even painful at times, but you feel like there is hope for their relationship. You want to sit them down and mediate! Both were interesting characters. In Miriam's chapters, she goes back and explains her whole relationship with Eva's father, Francis. I think that may have been my favorite part, even as it ended in tragedy. Burl was interesting too, but I got a little distracted by his relationship with Alice. I felt like I wasn't always getting enough information to really understand who the author intended him to be.

I was also annoyed by what seemed like unneeded little sexual details. Little shocking phrases or moments. And there is this one scene that is so unnecessary and so uncomfortable.

The writing was really beautiful at times. I liked when Miriam heard her deceased mother give her instructions, advice and courage. I liked the self-reflection in each of the characters.

Here are a few good quotes: (Which I just realized are all from Miriam's chapters!)

"Watching him, she felt an almost painful tenderness for all the muffled parts of people, all the far, far parts."

"Later, when she thought back on that night, Miriam would be struck by how time was the most elastic, the most flexible of properties, a year in a minute, an hour in a second."

"It's over, she had said, but it was over and not, just like he was Francis and not, just like this was a life she could want an regret at the same time."

I think ultimately, I wanted to find out more about Eva. Is she just going through a tough time in her life, or is she teetering on the edge of mental illness. Is anyone going to try to figure out? Will she please open up to someone about her fear and compulsions? I didn't need a perfect, tidy ending, but I needed more than the writer gave.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

2011-05-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

I was given this book for my birthday by my fabulous sisters. When I first read the back of the book, I thought the topic was very interesting, and I would definetly like to read an article about it. At the same time, I kind of worried that an entire book might be a little too much. BUT, I was pleasantly surprised. I would have read this all in one sitting if I lived that sort of life! I did read it as much as I could during the day, and way later into the night than I should have. The book focuses more on the human story of HeLa, than the scientific importance. The science is definitely there, but it is explained in a way everyone can understand and relate too. I think maybe because I can relate to Rebecca Skloot (really just being the same age and race) more than the Lack family, I enjoyed that her efforts to get the information and write the book were also included in the story. (I read a couple reviews that did not appreciate this aspect.)

Henrietta was a poor black woman who grew up working on a tobacco farm with her extended family. Shortly after the birth of her fifth child, she found out she had cervical cancer. This was in 1951, she was treated, but the cancer spread and she died. Samples of both her healthy cells and cancer cells were taken by scientists at John Hopkins when she was treated, and the cancer cells were the first human cells to survive and keep reproducing outside the body. This was revolutionary, and the cell line called HeLa changed the world in many different ways. Everytime Rebecca Skloot lists off scientific advances that have used HeLa, it is impressive.

Even though they were responsible for taking the cells without asking or informing Henrietta and her family, I really enjoyed reading about George Gey and his wife Margaret. I liked that Gey built his labs out of scrap metal and invented amazing things for scientific research without patenting them. He sent the HeLa cells to anyone who was using them for scientific research. I feel like his motives were good, he wasn't looking for fame, he was just a really smart guy that was obsessed with science. I enjoyed the simplified explanations of how cells were used, and how specifically HeLa's cells allowed scientists to study so many different things.

Henrietta's family really suffered after she died. Her children were mistreated and abused by the cousin who came into take care of them. I actually skipped a couple of pages that went into detail about this. Three of her kids were still really young when she died, and an other one had been institutionalized for epilepsy and other illnesses. Luckily, the oldest brother married a woman, Bobette, that figured out what was going on and rescued the kids. Sadly, the damage had already been done. Add to that poverty, un-diagnosed hearing problems and struggles with the law, and her children had really hard lives. When they were asked for blood samples years later, bits and pieces of the history of their mother's cells were explained to them. But not explained well. They each struggled with it in different ways. I think their reactions are well-justified, and as they slowly confide in the author and explain their experiences, you can really understand why they each reacted they way they did. Some of the descendants wanted financial retribution, which is also understandable since they are all struggling with different illnesses, and many don't have health insurance. Ultimately, they just want people to know who their mother was, and better understand themselves.

Much of the story comes from Deborah, who was only 2 or 3 when her mom died. She has a lot of spunk, and definetly grows on you as she searches for information about her mom. I think the biggest tragedy in the book is not that the cells were taken, but that those 5 kids lost their mom when they were so young. I'm sure they would have still had struggles, but if they had had Henrietta to love them and teach them, I think things would have worked out better.

Rebecca Skloot explains different advances in patient privacy and disclosure. She outlines different agencies' attempts to prevent what happened to the Lacks family from happening again. But doctors can still store and use your cells without you knowing. As I read the different issues and concerns, I wondered how I would feel if I found out 20 years later that my cells had been used. Honestly, if anyone asked me, I would happily donate blood or tissues for scientific research. I know when different kids of mine were born, we were asked to participate in different studies. I find that kind of stuff fascinating. One of them is in a data base for hearing loss, when my last baby was born we were finally able to donate cord blood. I'm sure if it isn't used for a transfusion, they'll use it for research, and I'm really OK with all that. One study even says that my appendix that was removed a while back could still be around in a lab somewhere. But I'm OK with that.

I recommend this book. It will be different than anything else you've read. It is very interesting, educational and thought-provoking. It seems to be very popular, so I'd love to hear what you thought of it.

Wish You Well by David Baldacci

2011-05-23T23:43:00.000-07:00

I really liked this novel and recommend it. I realized about 30 pages in that I had read this book before. I went a little crazy trying to remember when, and who had recommended it to me. I still haven't figured it out. I enjoyed reading it again, and found I already had all the imagery of the setting in my head.

Lou is 12 and her brother is 7 when they are in a tragic car crash that leaves their mom in a catatonic state, and they move to live with their Great-grandma high in the mountains of Virginia. Of course Lou is spunky, smart and endearing. You love her from the start, faults and all. Oz is a sweet little boy who teaches Lou through his limitless faith and ability to love.

The story is predictable (even if you haven't read it before), but it's still nice. The main characters learn what you hope they will learn, and their relationships grow as they have to rely on each other. Life is hard, there's a very real "enemy," and the poor kids have to deal with loss after loss. BUT overall you leave with a good feeling. It reminds me most of To Kill a Mockingbird. And it has a nice storybook ending.

In his Author's Note, David Baldacci says: "Once we reach adulthood, most of us assume we know all there is to know about our parents and other family members. However, if you take the time to ask questions and actually listen to the answers, you may find there is still much to learn about people so close to you." I had this type of experience right before my dad died. My sisters were filling out a little Grandpa book, and I learned some great stories about my dad's life as a child that somehow I hadn't ever heard before. So I agree with his sentiment.

Here's a quote from one of the new friends they make on the mountain: "See, that why I ain't go to church. Figger I got me a church wherever I be. Want'a talk to God, well I say, 'Howdy-howdy, God,' and we jaw fer a bit."

Another one I liked: "________ had had no material possessions to his name and yet had been the happiest creature Lou had ever met. He and God would no doubt get along famously."

My favorite, that choked me up a bit:

"One day you're gonna get bigger than me, then I'm going to be running to you when I get scared."

"How do you know that?"

"Because that's the deal God makes between big sisters and their little brothers."

There's an afterward titled, Today, which kind of felt like those updates on the characters that sometimes roll at the end of movies. It seemed a little unnecessary to me. I did really like the Letter from the Author, which followed it, that included old photographs of his ancestors that lived in the mountains.

Have any of you read it? Did you recommend it to me years ago? Like 6 or 7? I hate when I can't remember stuff!

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

2011-05-15T23:58:00.000-07:00

I saw this book on my cousin Betsy's blog, then a few places after that, but I was way down the list on the library hold request. Luckily, on Saturday I saw a copy in the teen section of the library! Yay! It is a Newberry winner, and the back says it is for 8-12 year old readers. Because of that, you can read it quick. Probably one sitting. I liked it very much.

I was a little put off in the beginning with all the references to the past, or future, or whatever. But after getting over that, there wasn't anything else I didn't like in the book.

Miranda is the main character. She is 12, and lives with her mom in an apartment in New York. She learns a lot about friendship and being nice through the course of the book. She is smart, relatable and likable. I liked Rebecca Stead's easy writing style.

Miranda's favorite book is A Wrinkle in Time, and hopefully you've read it because she does reference it a lot. If you love A Wrinkle in Time, there's even more of a chance that you will really like this book. She has a bit of an mystery to solve herself after notes that seem to predict the future start appearing. She feels nervous about them. In fact, she is scared about a few things, and I like that. I feel like she seems very normal, and even though she has a good life, nothing is too perfect. She starts the story talking about how her best (only) friend had decided to take a break from her. Because of that, she starts making new friends. I thought that those relationships were portrayed really well. I also liked the clever backdrop of helping her mom prepare to go on The $20,000 pyramid.

Here are a few quotes I really liked.

"It's all still there, like a movie I can watch when I want to. Which is never."

"Sometimes you never feel meaner than the moment you stop being mean. It's like how turning on a light makes you realize how dark the room had gotten. And the way you usually act, the things you would have normally done, are like these ghosts that everyone can see but pretends not to."

"They were circling each other and laughing and racing around and I wanted to be part of it so much that my heart almost broke watching."

The Blue Castle by L.M.Montgomery

2011-05-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

I really liked this book! Having re-read Anne of Green Gables recently, I was excited to read something else by L.M. While the story is different, it leaves you with a similiar happy feeling.

Valancy is 29, in the 1920's in Canada. She is part of a stuffy, snobby and controlling family. She lives in an ugly room, does the same boring things each day and takes the brunt of rude behavior from her mother and extended family. "As far as she could look back, life was drab and colourless, with not one single crimson or purple spot anywhere. As far as she could look forward it seemed certain to be just the same...." The beginning felt kind of slow to me. I didn't really want to try to keep all the relatives straight. I did think it was funny when Valancy plays out in her head what each relative would say and do because her life and the people in it are so predictable.

Then, bom-bom-bom, she gets some news after a sneaky visit to a doctor, and Valancy decides to start living her life for herself. She will say and do only what she wants. Then her life really begins.

And as in any good fairy-tale, there is a sweet romance. (Although I don't love how it gets started.) I love this description, "When he said good evening you felt that it was a good evening and that it was partly his doing that it was. Also, you felt that some of the credit was yours."

The Blue Castle is the imaginary home that Valancy used to escape to as a refuge from her boring, controlled life. Her fantasies about it remind me of Anne. But I also loved how when her life improves, she refers to her new home as The Blue Castle. Not because it was what she had imagined, but because it made her dreams come true. As she is reflecting on her happiness, she thinks, "It was amazing to be able to sit up half the night and look at the moon if you wanted to...Dawdle over meals as long as you wanted to....Sit on a sun-warm rock and paddle your bare feet in the hot sand if you wanted to. Just sit and do nothing in the beautiful silence if you wanted to." Sounds good to me.

I found this a charming little book. I would recommend it for a quick fun read. I think Disney could make it into a cute cartoon princess movie. It's that kind of book.

Swimming by Nicola Keegan

2011-04-23T16:26:00.000-07:00

I picked this up from the "Best Bets" shelf at my library. I chose it based on the cover (see image right), and this description on the back, "Keegan's energy jumps off the page....Swimming is a wonderful coming-of-age story, a richly detailed account of a young woman channeling her rage, grief and insecurity into a passion to win. The voice Keegan has invented for Pip is sarcastic, thoughtful, elegant, irreverent." Plus, Judy Blume said, "I loved Swimming. It's the most original novel I've read all year. I can't get Pip's voice out of my mind. Give yourself a treat this summer--read this book." Seems like a book that I would like, right? And while I didn't hate it, I wouldn't really recommend it. There are so many better books.

I haven't ever read a book written in exactly this style. It's first person, kind of stream of consciousness and all in Philomena's head. The dialogue is only differentiated with italics, and chronology, ages, even settings, are often vague. Sometimes she is telling you an old memory and then switches to what's happening now without any transition. I thought it was interesting, and for me it worked sometimes, but other times it didn't.

Philomena is an interesting character. You like her, then she and her friends are so mean and vulgar that you don't, then you feel bad for her and her falling apart family, then you feel proud, then annoyed. I'm just not sure if over all I like her. And even though you are in her head the whole time, it still feels detached.

The story is really sad. Her sister dies of cancer, a little later her dad dies in a plane crash, her mom stops leaving the house, her dog dies, and another sister ODs. It has some good moments (like 11 Olympic gold medals!!) and some family reconciliations. I enjoyed all the swimming stuff and also some insights the characters make. I also liked how she uses "nervous breakdown" instead of "anxiety attack" because, that's what they were called in the 80's.

Here are some quotes I thought were worth sharing:

"I feel the immense power of the dead, as if someone's flipped a switch and now I can see what's been making the shadows."

"If you move an atom, somewhere else an atom stops and starts twisting in the opposite direction. Something like that has happened; things are exactly the same but twisting. This is the opposite of joy."

"I only appreciate drama when it happens to fake people. Roxanne doesn't like drama unless she's creating it. Dot accepts drama as the weight she has to carry as naturally as her bones, but drama open a third eye in my mother, who now sees the drama in all things."

"So I opt for an English major with a French option. English is better than perfect. I sit around listening to real people talk about fake ones."

"There are two sea turtles swimming in front of her, an old one and a new one, with green froggy faces, two marble eyes, a round snout. I feel my heart flood with love. I am at one with everything as my breath bubbles out my tube into the hot dry air."

"Babies are...I've never thought...I stop mid sentence, filled with a dose of terror so intense my palms start to weep...What if you forget about it for a second and it rummages around in its bed until it buries itself in a blanket? What if you leave it on the bed and it rolls on to a knife?"

So, I enjoyed parts of this book. I'm interested to see what Nicola Keegan will do next. I think she's a pretty good writer. But I think there are enough other, better books for you to read.

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag By Alan Bradley

2011-04-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

Griff brought this purple beauty home from the library. It's the next Flavia de Luce Mystery, and it didn't disappoint me. If you liked The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, I think you'll like this. She's still 10 going on 11, her family is the same and she solves another murder. I thought it was another fun read, but the crime is a bit more tragic this time around. Also, one of the things I liked about the first book was discovering Flavia's spunk and charm, but this time I already knew and loved her so that spark wasn't there. Even so, I loved reading her next adventure and I'm looking forward to A Red Herring Without Mustard.

Here are some quotes to further devote you to Flavia:

"Very well, then, I thought. Actually, I thought more than that, but since I'm trying to be a better person..."

"You are unreliable, Flavia." he said. "Utterly unreliable."
Of course I was! It was one of the things I loved most about myself!"

"At this, a great laugh went up from the children in the audience, and I have to admit I chuckled a little myself. I'm at that age where I watch such things with two minds, one that cackles at these capers and another that never gets much beyond a rather jaded and self-conscious smile, like the Mona Lisa."

"All was in readiness. The house lights had already been lowered to a level of delicious expectation. Incidental music floated from backstage, and from time to time, the red velvet curtains on the puppet stage gave an enticing twitch." I think this shows the perfect amount of description and adjectives.

If you were worried that the next book wouldn't be as good as first, you might be right. But it's not far behind. I recommend picking it up.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

2011-04-13T21:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple weeks and a fabulous vacation since I finished this book, so I've kind of struggled to focus my thoughts into a review.

I liked Cutting for Stone, I got into the characters and their lives, and couldn't put it down. But it is long, it is sad and it includes a lot of details that can be hard to read. The book centers around doctors working in a charity hospital in Ethiopia. There are a lot of surgical procedures, medical conditions and social interactions described in great detail. To me it didn't seem too graphic, it seemed more National Geographic, but I didn't take the time to really visualize the gory details. If you are looking to commit to a good, long story, I think you should try this book.

Now that I've got my warnings out of the way, it's important to say that the real story is more about family, loyalty and decisions the characters make. Marion and Shiva are twins whose mother dies during their birth. They are then raised by another man and woman at the hospital. This all unfolds so sweetly, that I hate too summarize to much. I really like the way Verghese writes and introduces his characters. He also has a cool way of dropping hints, not quite foreshadowing, that I loved.

"But now, when her newborns, her Shiva and Marion, cried, it was like no other earthly sound. It summoned her from sleep's catacombs and brought shushing noises to her throat as she rushed to the incubator. It was a personal call--her babies wanted her!
She remembered a phenomenon she'd experienced for years when she was about to fall asleep: a sense that someone was calling her name. Now she told herself it had been her unborn twins telling her they were coming."

Isn't that pretty? I think maybe Verghese could be edited down a bit. But I feel that way about a lot of LONG novels. He gives a lot of background to each of his characters, and some people might find it tedious.

There's a part where Ghosh is teaching Marion about what to listen for when checking a patient's pulse. As Marion begins to understand he reflects, "How exciting to be able to touch a human being with one's fingertips and know all these things about them. I said as much to Ghosh, and from his expression you would think I'd said something profound." The philosophies that each of the doctors adopt and explain through out the book are fascinating to me.

I really liked Marion, he chose to be a moral person when he was young. Then there were moments when others assume he has done something his brother did, and he doesn't set them straight. I wanted to scream at him to clear his name and explain what was really going on. But of course he doesn't. That drove me crazy, but also drove the plot for good and bad. I felt like the main characters were really noble, and I thought about them when I wasn't reading.

In the prologue, it says "Life, too, is like that. You live it forward, but understand it backward." I liked thinking about that too.

Here's another part I liked, "When Ghosh emerged from the house, running as fast as he could, and when he grabbed me, fear and concern in his eyes, the last of my illusions vanished. The adults weren't in charge." I can remember that feeling when you are young and you realize that your parents can't control everything.

On a lighter note, he describes his parents bridge nights. "A burst of conversation like a collective sigh signaled the end of a round. I loved to observe them play." I remember hearing the exact same thing during my parents' Nertz parties!

And I LOVED this, "I spent as much time as I could with Ghosh. I wanted every bit of wisdom he could import to me. All sons should write down every word of what their fathers have to say to them. I tried. Why did it take an illness for me to recognized the value of time with him? It seems we humans never learn. And so we relearn the lessons every generation and then want to write epistles."

And this, "He sat self-consciously on the edge of the bed. He touched my hand. His lips parted.
'Wait,' I said. 'Don't say anything yet.' I looked out of the window at the clouds, at distant smokestacks. The world was intact now, but I knew once he spoke it wouldn't be so.'" This reminds me of a quote from Spanglish. Something like, "can you repeat that because I couldn't hear anything after the crack in the planet." Both referring to horrible life-changing moments when you know having heard something, nothing will ever be the same. But I think it's beautifully written here.

I liked Verghese's writing style. I can't read book after book that is this detailed and involved, but every now and then I like a really meaty novel. I thought there were some really good character traits illustrated, and I loved the way that the doctors at the hospital functioned as a family. Even when the events were heartbreaking, I loved reading how they handled them. I also felt there were really profound statements thought and spoken through the characters.

This is definitely a thought-provoking discussion-worthy book. Tell me what you thought about it!

New Title List

2011-04-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

For awhile I've been trying to figure out how to use the "search this blog" feature at the top of my page. It only seems to bring up results for the past few months, instead of my whole blog. Super annoying. So, while in DC, Colby gave me an idea of how to make EVERY book I've reviewed easily available from my front page.

Now I have an "All the Books I've Reviewed" list on my sidebar.

I hope it's helpful. Sorry I left the "The"s in the titles. I might change that.

I've been on vacation, but I promise to get a new review up next week!

Happy reading!

Kammy

Charms for the Easy Life by Kaye Gibbons

2011-03-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

Thank you Tara for the great recommendation! I liked this book and I think it's one I can univerally recommend. It is a testament to women and reading. The characters are great and the story is original. It was a nice change of pace from other books I've read this year.

The story is told through Margaret's eyes as a teenager living in the South during World War II. Her grandmother is known all around for being a midwife and healer. Both Margaret and her mom Sophia go along with Charlie Kate on house calls and help take care of the sick. I loved the relationship between these three smart, strong women. They stick together, they watch out for each other, and they take care of everyone. This book has some really sad moments, but overall you feel good reading it.

Here are some quotes (mostly wisdom from the grandmother) that I really liked.

“What is most fascinating with regard to her dentistry is that she would put women patients under, but work on the men as is. She believed that although women, as a rule, could stand more pain and take more punishment than men, they should not have to and would not ever suffer under her care….The degree to which a woman looked tired in the face dictated the amount of chloroform she received, and sometimes when my grandmother recognized that a woman was too taxed by her life, she did her the favor of knocking her out to the point that she couldn’t neither lift her head nor say her name the rest of the day. She said, 'Some of these women, if they didn’t have me work on their mouths, they’d never have gotten off their feet.'"

“She told me once, with great assurance, ‘I have read two books a week for thirty years. I am satisfied that I know everything.'”

“My grief had been plain and unpoetic, and the hole in my heart would’ve grown wide enough and deep enough to consume me had my mother and grandmother not kept me with them, and still.”

“In our house, the point of reading and learning was neither to impress outsiders nor to get a job or a husband, nothing like that. It had nothing to do with anybody but the three of us. When a good book was in the house, the place fairly vibrated. We trained ourselves to be exceptionally fast readers so a book could be traded around before the nagging and tugging became intolerable……We shared a curiosity about the world that couldn’t be satisfied in any other way.”

“My grandmother said, “When a marriage goes sour, two things start to happen. You can’t look at the other person chew and so you stare at your plate all through dinner, and you can’t sleep at night for harboring thoughts of how the one laying beside you spoiled something you wanted. Things go downhill fast when you can’t eat and sleep together, which are what married people are supposed to enjoy doing the most.”

Don't you love those? I really loved these three women, and I think you'll like this book!

I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

2011-03-20T00:10:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about writing about this book for a couple days. I contemplated not reviewing it, since I hate to have two negative-ish reviews in a row. Last week I found this book review blog that only does positive reviews. Which I guess I kind of understand, but I like to be warned about books and read a different opinions. When I remember to, I like to look over Goodreads and decide if I want to read a book based on which of my friends like it and which don't. SO I am going to tell you why I didn't like this book. And I feel like I can be kind of mean because if you publish a book, you are asking people to judge you. I say so at least.

I believe these essays are supposed to be funny. Little slice of life, sort of self-deprecating, observations and experiences that she has chosen to re-tell for our entertainment. I think Sloane Crosley has some good topics and stories to tell, but when she does, they just don't work for me. They aren't funny. Several of them felt like a whole different observation was tacked on in the last paragraph. Others just didn't seem interesting enough. Like maybe she needed to embellish what actually happened a bit more. Some seemed to not explain enough, and others seemed to explain too many irrelevant things.

I remember trying to write this type of thing in college and I was terrible at it. Really. I didn't know how to not tell it exactly how it was, and I didn't know what was universal or actually appealing for others to read. I'm mentioning that to show that I know how NOT to write these kinds of things. Also, I read a lot more funny and interesting essays on blogs. And I have funny friends. All of whom are way funnier than Sloane Crosley.

There's also this shock factor she seems to throw at you sometimes. Like choosing to use the F-word when it isn't even funny, and seems forced and out of place. Are you just trying to show us you are edgy? Dumb.
Some of her essays seemed like something I would like to read in a magazine, and might even take a mental note of her name to look up sometime. When I was reading I kept thinking that maybe the next essay would make me laugh and I would join her fan club. But it didn't happen. I guess it wasn't so awful that I stopped reading, but I wouldn't recommend it. Not at all.

I'd like to throw Sloane Crosley a bone, and admit that there were a couple essays that were OK. They are the ones I wouldn't mind reading in the doctor's office waiting room. There's an essay, The Height of Luxury, about going through her mom's jewelry the night before her 16th birthday, and finding out her mom had been married before. It was OK. There's another about her stint as a volunteer at a butterfly exhibit. Sign Language for Infidels. The thing is that it seemed like there were all these funny things about it, but when I read it, it was not funny. I probably enjoyed Lay Like Broccoli the best, where she goes into her vegetarianism/vegan/sushi decision making. The very last one, Fever Faker, is about when she finds out she might have a disease. I really almost thought it was going to be funny.

I'm sad this book wasn't funny. I think that the title is awesome. I think the idea of it was great. But it kind of reminded me of watching Saturday Night Live sometimes. You know how that is, funny people, funny idea, dumb skit?

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

2011-03-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

I wanted to love this book. It is told by Cassandra who has started writing a journal in an attempt to "capture" her family and their surroundings. I liked her use of the word, and I liked her voice. Her age was a little confusing, because she's 17, but I kept picturing her closer to 14. It takes place in the 1930's, and definitely feels more modern than the Victorian novels it might be compared to.

Cassandra's family has been leasing a rundown castle for years. She still finds the charm in it, but it's wearing off for everyone else. They are desperately poor, without a lot of options to improve their situation. Her father has become a recluse, and has not been able to write anything after his highly acclaimed first novel. And that's where the story begins. Then, surprise! Their financial troubles are at least temporarily cured by a handsome, rich love interest. But it's not quite as bad as it sounds.

My favorite parts of this book are the funny parts. In one of the first scenes, Topaz and Rose find a bottle of green dye. Because their clothes are all worn and old, they start dying everything! I thought this whole part was really funny. Also, there is a dress form in Rose and Cassandra's room, and Cassandra talks for it in a fussy older woman's voice. Every time she started with "Miss Blossom's" voice and motherly advice, I found myself smiling. "Well, it's a start, girlies, there's no denying that." When they first meet Simon Cotton, he has a beard. The girls can't get over it and all their conversations about it crack me up. "Simon Cotton's black beard looks queerer than ever by day light.....How can a young man like to wear a beard?" and "Rose, you couldn't marry a man with a beard." I also really liked the symbolic shift of power when his beard is shaved. But I don't want to spoil it anymore.

Here are a few other lines in Cassandra's voice that I liked:

"When I read a book, I put in all the imagination I can, so that it is almost like writing the book as well as reading it--or rather, it is like living it."

"That evening of the row was our lowest depths; miserable people cannot afford to dislike each other. Cruel blows of fate call for extreme kindness in the family circle."

"I heard myself explaining to God as I always do about good, kind, useful lies."

I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading this, especially since it has been really well-received over the past 60 something years since it was published. I enjoyed the story, but I wouldn't give it as a gift, or tell you to rush out and find a copy. I liked it fine.

I'm guessing a lot of you have read it, and I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

A side note or two: This is the cover of the paperback I got from the library. Not until I searched for a jpeg to post did I notice the faces in the clouds, gag. Also, the cover says, "the acclaimed novel is now the most romantic movie of the year." That was surprising to me because I don't think the book is terribly romantic. But researching the movie that came out in 2003 (R), I can see that they took a lot of liberties. And apparently focused on some private nude scenes with the step-mom. In the book, Cassandra just mentions how she "communes with nature" and it wasn't sexual.

Winning Selections

2011-03-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

2011-03-09T09:50:00.000-08:00

This is a great young adult book. I would even say upper elementary. Remember when I read Sammy Keyes? I forgot too, but this is the same author. Rob Reiner made a sweet PG movie based on this book. And by based, I mean exactly the same. Although he took it back a few decades to the early 60's.

Flipped is told creatively from two different narrator's point of views. Bryce Loski, and Julianna Baker who loves him. They are neighbors, and have lived across the street from each other since they were in second grade. The majority of the story takes place when they are in 8th grade, with some flashbacks to earlier days. The chapters alternate between Bryce and Juli, and are clearly marked that way. Although I might classify this as an innocent romance, it really is more of a coming of age story. It is short and sweet.

Bryce's grandfather comes to live with his family, and serves as a better rolemodel than his father. He is worried about Bryce, and tells him, "One's character is set at an early age, son. The choices you make now will affect you for the rest of your life." I think this can be true. Kids are really working out what kind of person they want to be when they are Bryce's age, and patterns of behavior seem hard to break down the road.

When Juli is upset, her mom tucks her in bed and, "And she made me cry all over again when she kissed me goodnight and whispered that of all her many blessings, I was her best and brightest." I love it, and even more when you see how it affects Juli. The next day she is working to fix up her yard and recognizes that, "Surely, I thought, a few bushes and some dilapidated wood couldn't stop someone's best and brightest blessing!" It makes me hope my kids internalize what I tell them.

There are some tender conversations between Juli and her dad that I really liked. Also between Bryce and his grandpa.

"I went to bed that night feeling very full and very happy. And as I lay there in the dark, I wondered at how much emotion can go into any given day, and thought how nice it was to feel this way at the end of it."

I recommend this book. I think it is a sweet story with good character development and a nice resolution.
I also recommend the movie. Reading the book actually felt a little redundant to me since I already knew the story, and the movie stayed so true. I think I'd recommend reading the book first. Both are really good.

One Day by David Nicholls

2011-03-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

I really, really liked this book. It is a story of a relationship that takes place over 20ish years. Emma and Dexter hook up right after college (university) graduation, then go their seperate ways. BUT, they stay in touch, and their lives wind in and out of each others. They become best friends, always with that question of something else. The unique format of the book just gives you snapshots of what is happening. Each chapter tells you what is happening on July 15 of that year. Sometimes it's a letter, sometimes they each get their own section, and other times the narration takes you back and forth between both characters.

During the years, Emma and Dexter both go through career ups and downs, personal tragedies and triumphs. Their relationship is fluid and fluctuates throughout the story. I was afraid at the beginning that it would be too sad and unfulfilling, like they would never speak their true feelings, or be on the same page. But really the opposite is true. While they both hold back at times when you want them to put themselves out there, there are many moments of sweet honesty and tough decisions. I think it makes for a great story.

Both Emma and Dexter grow on you, and I think they are well developed and likable. Even though Emma has a bit of that everyone knows she's pretty except her, and Dexter does a lot of drinking, drugging and sleeping around. Did I mention this is definetly an adult book? Plenty of Foul Language, Sex, Drugs. But for me it wasn't overwhelming, and is for the most part not offensive. But again, their British, so....there are quite a few profanities, etc.

Here are some parts I liked to give you a feel for the book:
Dexter writing a letter to Emma. "It's raining like crazy outside, harder even than in Edinburgh. It's CHUCKING IT DOWN, Em, so loud that I can barely hear the complilation tape you made me which I like a lot incidentally except for that jangly indie stuff becaue after all I'm not some GIRL."

About Emma after reading a poem she had written in the past. "Once more she shuddered, as if peeking beneath a bandage, and snapped the notebook shut.....She had reached a turning point. She no longer believed that a situation could be made better by writing a poem about it."

"While not sentimental, there were times when Dexter could sit quietly and watch Emma Morley laughing or telling a story and feel absolutely sure that she was the finest person he knew. Sometimes he almost wanted to say this out loud, interrupt her and just tell her."

She suddenly felt a startling sadness, so stopped for a moment, turned and took both of Dexter's hands in her own.
'Can I say something? Before we go back to the party?'
'Go on.'
'I'm a little drunk.'
'Me too. That's okay.'
'Just...I missed you, you know.'
'I missed you too.'
'But so, so much Dexter. There were so many things I wanted to talk to you about, and you weren't there--'
'Same here.'
Actually just re-reading that brings up so many emotions for me!

'Sometimes it seems that she can chart her life by what she worries about at three a.m. Once it was boys, then for too long it was money, then career, then her relationship with Ian, then her infidelity. Now it is this.'

There is also cool insight from the narrator. Like this whole page about weddings and the different waves. The first being during university, then 20's, then early 30's, then the second marriages. It is well-written, and then all the weddings in the book after that follow neatly into those categories, as if proving his theory.

The relationship between Emma and Dexter is the best part of this book. Watching them each struggle, succeed, and really just grow up is a good read. I just have to warn you that it is not all happy. I shed a few tears. And remember I warned you about the profanity and sleazing. Mostly Dexter.

So they are making a movie about this. I'm crossing my fingers it won't be R. Because really, it doesn't need to be to tell the story, but it so easily could be.

PS. My sister,who recommended the book, is upset about the casting because this book is SO BRITISH, and an american was cast as Emma. We'll have to see if she can pull it off!

The Alchemist by Paul Coelho

2011-02-25T11:32:00.000-08:00

(Here's my second and much shorter review, I just didn't have it in me to redo it all!)

The Alchemist has a dreamy feel to it. It is calming to read and I agree with another reviewer that it feels like a bedtime story. It is written simply, and doesn't try to hide it's intended meaning very deep. I liked it and I recommend it.

This story is an allegory or a parable about a shepherd who is referred to as "the boy" and the journey he makes toward self-actualization. I think it would have fit well in my high school philosophy class, you know with Siddhartha and Candide. In the beginning he meets an old king. The King explains, "Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is.....but, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend." So the boys sets off to follow his. He, observes, "No matter how many detours and adjustments it made, the caravan moved toward the same compass point. Once obstacles were overcome, it returned to its course, sighting on a star that indicated the location of the oasis." And so it goes for him.

Along the way he discovers the Language of the World, which connects everyone regardless of culture or language. He eventually explains this as the Soul of the World. I always like allusions to us all being connected. When the boy taps into this, miracles happen.

Here are some more quotes I liked:

His father said, "Amongst us, the only ones who travel are the shepherds."
"Well, then I'll be a shepherd."

"There was a moment of silence so profound that it seemed the city was asleep...It was as if the world had fallen silent because the boy's soul had."

"It is we who nourish the Soul of the World, and the world we live in will be either better or worse, depending on whether we become better or worse. And that's where the power of love comes in. Because when we love, we always strive to become better than we are." LOVE IT.

When the book is almost over, the boy has an epiphany and realizes, "On the way toward realizing his own Personal Legend, he had learned all that he needed to know, and had experienced everything he might have dreamed of." And maybe that should have been the end. He had realized truths, gained knowledge, shared beliefs, and I really liked all of it. But what happens next seems kind of dumb to me. Maybe that was Coelho's intention, that we realize the journey is more important than the end. Because the end kind of altered my affection for the book.

Having re-read my notes, and typed up some of my favorite quotes, I realize how much there is to like in The Alchemist. I really liked the boy, and how he was sincerely questioning and learning all the time. I like the simple characters that he associates with and how they each help him understand something.

So what did you think? What were your favorite parts? If you haven't read it, hopefully you will know from this review whether or not it's your sort of book!

Pity Party

2011-02-25T00:44:00.000-08:00

I hit something wrong while doing my final spell check, and my The Alchemist review was auto-saved into nothingness. I just spent the first 45 minutes of my birthday desperately trying to recover it because, obviously, it was my best review ever. So now I will cry myself to sleep.

Umbrella Summer By Lisa Graff

2011-02-20T22:45:00.000-08:00

So, I think going in if I had realized this was written for upper elementary (which I now think it is), I might have liked it a little more. There are times when Annie comes off a little like Junie B. Jones, and it caught me off guard.

I liked the sweet characters. Annie is a 10 year old, who has become overly cautious since her older brother died. She wears a lot of bandaids, wears knee pads and a helmet even after she gets off her bike. It is a sad story of how this tragedy is affecting her family. She offends her best friend, snubs a boy in the neighborhood, and ultimately befriends an older woman who moves in across the street.

I liked Annie, I think she was an interesting character. I loved when she got her hands on a huge medical reference book, and how she poured over it. Or when she describes what another girl is wearing then adds, "I wish I had a polka-dot headband."

There are some really sad moments when her parents are failing her because they are consumed with their grief. Like when her mom tells Annie to say one thing she is happy about, and Annie thinks hard, then comes up with a good list. But then her worries about Annie are overshadowed with her own sadness and she doesn't go to the picnic. If she had gone, it would have giving Annie something to be happy about. So sad.

This story does end on a better note. Annie's parents wake up a bit, and having sweet Mrs. Finch as a friend helps Annie deal with her sadness. The title comes from the analogy that Mrs. Finch tells Annie. "So there you are, with your umbrella still open above you, and there's no more rain at all. You may not be getting wet, but you're missing the sunshine." She also tells Annie, "It's easier to be worried than to be sad." It ends with reconciliations, fun, and sunshine.

I would recommend this book. I passed it on to my 11-year-old, and he liked it OK. I think a girl his age would like it more. It deals with adult themes, but I think in a younger way. I would have liked it in elementary school for sure.

WINNER

2011-02-19T05:30:00.000-08:00

CONTESTCONTESTCONTEST

2011-02-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years By Donald Miller

2011-02-11T13:05:00.000-08:00

I was really excited to read this because my sister loved it so much. She has been giving me good book recommendations my whole life! And I really enjoyed reading it. I'm still thinking about things he wrote.

Donald Miller wrote a book that was successful, and some guys wanted to make it into a movie. As they start writing, they need to create a more interesting protagonist. And so Don begins to evaluate his life as a story. "The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won't make a life meaningful either." When I did some research about this book, the two things mentioned are his progress in making a movie about the first book, and his bike ride across the US to raise money for clean water in Africa. And I think those are the book ends to this story, but what was most valuable to me, was his self-evaluations and efforts to positively change what he was doing in his life. I know I've mentioned this before, but I always wonder if we really, really can permanently change our lives. I know in theory it's true, but to actually overcome bad habits, stay motivated, and be successful seems almost impossible sometimes.

As Don begins to find positive ways to spend his time and invest his energy, he comes in contact with and makes friends with tons of interesting people. Bob, one of them, is absolutely amazing, you will enjoy reading his story. Another friend, an artist, says, "He wondered out loud if the point wasn't the search but the transformation the search creates." Don writes about how we often need a catalyst to change, something that forces us out of our routine. "Humans are designed to seek comfort and order, so if they have comfort and order, they tend to plant themselves, even if their comfort isn't all that comfortable. And even if they secretly want for something better." And also, "People love to have lived a great story, but few people like the work it takes to make it happen." Oh, I am so often one of those people! And reading this really did make me want to make my life a better story! I can totally relate to that plateau you reach and sometimes stop at in your efforts to improve. "They get into the middle and discover it was harder than they thought. They can't see the distant shore anymore, and they wonder if their paddling is moving them forward...."

It doesn't take long in the book for Don to begin talking about God. At first he mentions imagining talking to God after he dies, and being held accountable for what he did with his life. (This fits in great with my beliefs.) And he realizes that "God will probably sit there looking at me, wondering what to talk about next." While it becomes obvious that Don is religious, I believe that he wanted those who might not share his beliefs to also benefit from this book. So the meaning is there, but I wouldn't call this entirely a religious book.

"If I have a hope, it's that God sat over the dark nothing and wrote you and me, specifically, into the story, and put us in with the sunset and the rainstorm as though to say, Enjoy your place in my story. The beauty of it means you matter, and you can create within it even as I have created you." Yes, I think so.

There is a chapter that I REALLY liked called, "The Reason God Hasn't Fixed You Yet." And I've been trying to quote from it or paraphrase, and I'm afraid if I do it will be misunderstood. Just believe me, it's good. Oh, and the story, "How Jason Saved His Family" made me cry, seriously.

Don Miller has a sense of humor, and the parts in this book that made me laugh aren't forced. Like he talks about reading an article about advertising and how it causes us to think in "wish-fulfillment dynamics." On the other side of the page was an ad for a specialized remote control. Then he says, "I had trouble finishing the article about the effects of advertising because I kept pressing my finger against the picture of the remote, imagining my television turning on and off." Also he doesn't over explain, he just assumes his readers are intelligent and can draw the conclusions he's making throughout his book.

Here's another great point, "When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are."

And another, "A good storyteller doesn't just tell a better story, though. He invites other people into the story with him, giving them a better story too."

He talks about the need for opposition and sacrifice. He comes to the conclusion that, "It wasn't necessary to win for the story to be great, it was only necessary to sacrifice everything." This made me think about Young Women lessons that I've given about sacrifice. Which have in turn made me ask myself, "what do I sacrifice?" And the truth is that often it's not very much. I am usually willing to do great acts of charity or service when it fits neatly into my life. I know that it is more meaningful when it requires me to miss out on something, or inconvenience myself to help someone else.

"It made me think about the hard lives so many people have had, the sacrifices they've endured, and how those people will see heaven differently from those who have had easier lives."

I could seriously quote this book all day long. I'll end with this one:
"I knew a story was calling me...and once you know what it takes to live a better story, you don't have a choice. Not living a better story would be like deciding to die, deciding to walk around numb until you die."

I recommend it. I thought it was great start to finish. I took lots of notes (obviously).

PS. THIS IS MY 100TH REVIEW! Look for a commemoration next week!

All About Lulu by Jonathan Evison

2011-02-08T23:29:00.000-08:00

So, I don't recommend this book. The language, subject matter and actions of the characters are not what I would recommend to my friends! But even if those things had been cut, or handled more delicately, I'm not sure I would have liked this book very much.

Will is a tragic character. His mom dies when he was 10, and his brothers and Dad are meat-loving body builders. He doesn't fit in, and literally stops growing when he loses his mom. "I was living inside of myself; that is, my world was inside out. I had senses, but they were all on the inside. The sense that something was missing. The sense that this missing thing would elude me forever..." It is so sad. Then his dad remarries an old sweetheart, who is also a grief councilor. Along with her comes a step-sister that Will falls in love with. "...allowing this miracle of a girl to tickle the edge of my despair simply by listening to the sound of my voice, and something opened in my chest and tingled like a frostbitten had regaining its warmth." They become best friends, he keeps notebooks filled of his memories of her, and a few other weird obsessive things happen. You are happy for Will because he is happy. Of course that is all mysteriously shattered when Lulu goes away for the summer and something happens. Next there are these painful years where she ignores him. Then as young adults they have a few intense emotional scenes together. It goes up and down and up and down. Not until the VERY end is the big secret revealed to Will and the reader (although I was pretty sure what the deal was about half way through.) For me it went on too long. I couldn't help but think that in real life it would have been talked about sooner. BUT the ending is done well.

There are somethings I liked alot about this book:

1) I think Evison has a nice way with words. They are clever without being too over the top. I liked the style of his writing.

2) I liked the way the family sticks together and in the end there are two great scenes of reconciliation. First with his younger brothers, and second, with his father. Both are really beautiful. Really. There is this time when Will looks back at awkward family dinners and realizes how much he misses them, and how they held the family together.

3) There is some good dialouge about whether people can or do change. Some of this is trite, but it's a theme I think about a lot. I think there are some good ideas expressed by the characters, and more good ideas shown through their actions.

4) Like any true coming-of-age novel, Will grows up. Most of the supporting characters go through some type of life-altering change.

But sadly, for me, the cons out weighed the pros.

Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren F. Winner

2011-02-03T15:38:00.000-08:00

It's safe to say I have never read any book like this before. I can't even think of a comparison. But I loved reading it, and I would recommend it to almost everyone I know.

Lauren Winner converted to Christianity from Orthodox Judaism when she was in college. That alone is mind-blowing to me. In this book she writes about 11 spiritual practices she misses from her "jewish ways." Then as she gives clear explanations of each practice, she explains how she is trying to incorporate it into her Christian life. The information is great, the writing is great, and reading it made me want to be a better person. It inspired me to evaluate my devotion, my spiritual practices, and what I could learn from traditions and practices of a religion I know very little about.

In her introduction she says, "Practice is to Judaism what belief is to Christianity." Then she writes, "your faith might come and go, but your practice ought not to waver." This totally resonates for me. There are times when I might be questioning my beliefs, or not feeling as convinced about something, but I just keep doing the things I know I'm supposed to be doing, and it comes around again. You know? And I think it's when you stop doing the things, that you stop believing. Not the other way around.

I loved when she talked about the Sabbath. "In observing the Sabbath, one is both giving a gift to God and imitating Him." Her descriptions of ushering in the Sabbath, and then enjoying it, were beautiful. I'll admit I've let some things slip in my observance, and reading this made me want to work more on Saturday, so that my Sabbath can truly be Holy.

The chapter on mourning was fascinating to me. Judaism has these very specific, structured time lines for mourning. I loved the part about the prayer that must be said twice a day, but must be said with 10 other people. So no one is left alone in their sorrow. When Winner has a close friend die, she is reminded that "I might not know what to do in the face of this death, but the tradition that raised me knew what to do." This made me think of the way that having practices and procedures can help you to deal with the pain.

Winner has a chapter on fasting. I love that she admits up front that she doesn't like to fast. So I think this chapter was especially personal in her attempts to find meaning and balance. "It is not meant to distract us from the really real, but rather to silence us so that we can hear things as they most truly are." This is a nice way of saying what I know, that fasting humbles us and makes it easier for us to be sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit. She also quotes a Rabbi saying, "When I am sated, it is easy to feel independent. When I am hungry, it is possible to remember where my dependence lies." One thing she doesn't mention, which is the only way I can fast, is fasting with a purpose. Having a particular need that I focus on all day gives meaning to my fasts.

Another great quote: "Most good and holy work is sometimes tedious, but these tasks are burning away our old selves and ushering in the persons God has created us to be." I love it.

There's another chapter about community, and I love that our church puts so much emphasis on creating a community, or family among believers. I know it isn't always successful, but it can be.

Look this one up. Its a tiny little volume that was both thought-provoking and inspiring for me!

TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY by Jay Asher

2011-02-01T21:35:00.001-08:00

This is book is about a girl who commits suicide in highschool. But before she does she records cassette tapes telling all the stories that led to her feelings of hopelessness that led to her choice. Then she makes a list of the people on the tapes, and insists they listen to and pass on the box full of tapes. It is very sad, but also captivating. Just as the narrator is sucked in and listens to the tapes continuously, even though he wants to stop, I couldn't put the book down. This is a book I would have really liked in highschool. Just like I liked Go Ask Alice, or Goodbye Paper Doll, or any number of YA books that deal with difficult dark topics. I might even put it with A Separate Peace or Catcher in the Rye. (In topic and style, not necessarily quality), I think this book does a good job of showing highschool dynamics. I think it is realistic. Sadly, it made me think of a few teenagers that I know.

The first time I ever heard of suicide I was 9, and a girl at the junior high up the hill killed herself. Everyone was talking about it for awhile, and I remember hearing it was because of a mean note some girls gave her. My mom helped me understand a bit more by explaining that there was probably a lot more to it than that. The note might have just been the final thing that made her do it. Everytime I hear tragic stories like these, I want to know why. Maybe so I can make sure they don't happen, or couldn't happen to people I know, but also just because. I think we all do. So I liked the premise of the book. All these students are stunned by the suicide, then they get their chance to really know why. BUT since they are all "on the tapes," they are somehow connected. Either a reason why, or someone who didn't stop her.

The writing switches back and forth between the narrator's, Clay's, thoughts, and Hannah's recorded voice on the tapes. There are parts where this is done really well, switching rapidly.

Here are some well-written phrases I marked:

"Hitting PLAY that first time was easy...I had no idea what I was about to hear. But this time, it's one of the most frightening things I've ever done. I turn the volume down and press PLAY."

"This tape isn't about why you did what you did, Alex. It's about the repercussions of what you did. More specifically, it's about the repercussions to me. It's about those things you didn't plan--things you couldn't plan." This is a recurring theme. One person does something, and it affects others' opinions of Hannah, and then they act accordingly. So maybe what someone does isn't as bad as the series of events that occur because of what they did.

"Right then, in that office, with the realization that no one knew the truth about my life, my thoughts about the world were shaken."

I was annoyed by the endingn when she drags a teacher into it. It felt tacked on, and not as developed as the rest. Almost like a poorly done afterthought. Also, she alludes to her parents being overwhelmed by other issues, and also to her life before moving here, but both are just casually mentioned. I kept waiting for either topic to be explored further, and I think it's kind of weird that they weren't.

So who would I recommend this too? It's hard to say. If you are intrigued by my review, read it. I think that the right highschool student would like it, but it addresses some tough topics so I might not put it in their hands. Only a couple of swear words, and the more graphic scenes are in sinuated instead of spelled out word for word. Chris Crutcher is quoted on the cover. It's been years since I read anything by him, but I think this book would fall in the same category as his books.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

2011-01-28T23:11:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned enough times that I love precocious, young female protagonists? I don't care if their expertise and eloquence are over the top, I like them a lot. Flavia de Luce fits right in with my favorites! She is 11, growing up in England in a sprawling mansion, and loves chemistry. She has discovered a well-stocked laboratory from an ancient uncle, and has made it her "sanctum sanctorum." Throughout the book she interprets and relates to happenings in terms of chemistry.

Flavia has two older sisters, one a book worm and the other lovesick. The interaction between them is entertaining. Her mother tragically died, and her father, an avid stamp collector, is reclusive and disconnected from his daughters. The mystery begins when a dead bird is found on the back doorstep with a postage stamp stuck on its beak. (See cover illustration.) Next Flavia discovers a body in the cucumber patch. Being a child she is questioned, but not let in on much. So she begins an investigation of her own. She takes off on her bike, named Gladys of course, and solves the mystery.

The story is sometimes out there, and maybe not entirely realistic. But it is a great mystery, has fun dialouge, endearing characters, and it is nicely resolved. I liked reading it. Griffin, who is 11, tore through it too, and was excited to discuss it with me along the way. It is murder mystery, and I recommend it!

Here are some of Flavia's great lines:

About reading her first chemistry book, "Within moments it had taught me that the word iodine comes from the word meaning "violet," and that the name bromine was derived from a Greek word meaning "a stench." These were the sorts of things I needed to know!"

When she found the town library was closed, "It occured to me that Heaven must be a place where the library is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. No...eight days a week."

"Wrapped up in the music, I threw myself into an overstuffed chair and let my legs dangle over the arm, the position in which Nature intended music to be listened to, and for the first time in days I felt the muscles in my neck relaxing."

This is gross, but she's describing the linoleum floor in a retirement house. "Whenever I stepped on one of its pustulent brown blisters, the stuff let off a nasty hiss and I made a mental note to find out if color can cause nausea."

I can totally relate to her explanation of how to solve a problem or remember something. "I could feel an answer to the question nibbling at the hook I'd lowered into my subconscious. Don't look straight at it, I thought, think of something else--or at least pretend to."

I've been unsuccessful remembering where I saw this recommended, or who talked to me about it! I thought I was the last one to read it, but it turns out no one I've talked to has read it. So if you have...tell me what you thought!

Oh, I almost forgot. The title comes from this quote:
Unless some sweetness at the bottom lie, who cares for all the crinkling of the pie?
Wiliam King, The Art of Cookery (1708)
Clever, I thought.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

2011-01-24T21:02:00.000-08:00

My mom read this book for a children's lit class, loved it and gave me a copy. I started it, but didn't get sucked in, then read something else and left it on my nightstand. I'm telling you this, because I think The Wednesday Wars is a good book. For some reason I had to get into it a way to realize it. The narrator's voice wasn't really interesting to me at first, and I think I had to understand the characters before I cared about them. I wasn't sure what or who to focus on because there seemed to be a lot of little storylines going on. Each chapter is a month in the school year starting with September. Once I fininshed October I was hooked.

Holling Hoodhood (I know, I think the name was a dumb choice too), is a 7th grader in the late 60's. Teachers and staff members have husbands serving in Vietnam, he and his friends idolize Mickey Mantle, and his sister wants to be a hippie. I liked the social references, and I think the story provides a realistic look at life during this time, (although I wasn't there). I liked Holling. The story kind of revolves around his relationship with his teacher Mrs. Baker. He believes she hates his guts because he is the only student that doesn't go to Jewish or Catholic classes on Wednesday afternoon, so she makes him do menial jobs, or read Shakespeare. As the book goes on they become allies, and she seems to be the kindest person in his life.

I liked how things weren't perfect, but turned out OK. Holling is picked on, embarrassed, and dissappointed, but he does alright. There are a few really sad parts, and a few really funny parts.

A few of Holling's thoughts:
"How do parents get to where they can say things like this? There must be some gene that switches on at the birth of the first-born child, and suddenly stuff like that starts to come out of their mouths."

"Let me tell you, it's a pretty hard thing to be a seventh grader with new death threats hanging over you just about every day."

"Mrs. Bigio opened her mouth, but the only sounds that came out were the sounds of sadness. I can't tell you what they sounded like. But you know them when you hear them."

"Spring Break. Warm and green days. You know they aren't going to last, but when you start in on them, they're like a week of summer plunked down as a gift in the middle of junior high school."

This is age appropriate for middle grades, but I think maybe it would be best read aloud in class or at home for 10-12 year olds. I think students of this age would like the story, but would need encouragement to dig into it. Probably because it took me a second try.

I really liked how Holling would drop little Shakespeare phrases into his narration from whatever play he was reading. At first it was just the "cusses" like "toads, beetles and bats" or "pied ninny." But then he moves on and compares his life naturally with characters, and borrows phrases like "blithe and bonny." It works.

I think this is a really well-written book, and worth picking up. It is appropriate for kids, I'd say 10 and up.

Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

2011-01-19T22:54:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed reading this book. I've been struggling to come up with this post, and I'm not sure why. I'm guessing a lot of you have read this, it seems to be going around.

First of all, this title is perfect. It is the story of a 12-year-old Chinese American boy growing up in the International District of Seattle during World War II. His father is a Chinese Nationalist, and has fierce allegiances, which in turn translate to fierce hatred of Japanese people. Henry is on a scholarship at a white prep school, where he is taunted and tormented. When a Japanese American girl (second-generation) starts working in the cafeteria on scholarship also, the two become close friends. Their story leads us into Japanese Interment, and really captures the bitter sweetness of their friendship.

That's half the story. The other half is Henry as a recent widower, in 1986. He has a son of his own who is attending college. The Panama Hotel where Keiko's family stored some of their belongs has been recently purchased, and a basement full of Japanese families' belongs have been discovered. In these chapters Henry struggles to reconcile his old feelings of love and heartache.

I didn't mind the switching chapters at all. There were some elements that reminded me of Amy Tan's books, just the difficulty of raising children in a different culture than you live in. Henry's father goes from forbidding him to speak English, to suddenly forbidding him to speak Chinese. In the course of the book, their conversations go from strained to non-existent. In the 1986 chapters, you see how some of those communication problems have repeated themselves with Henry and Marty.

What I loved about this book is that love triumphs. Really sad things happen, a lot. But the characters keep trying. Also it has a good ending. I liked Jamie Ford's writing style, and I'm curious to see where he goes from here. I enjoyed the historical significance of what he captured. But for some reason, I had a little disconnect. I liked Henry and Keiko, and Sheldon and Marty, but I didn't fall in love with them. I read this pretty quick, but I wasn't anxiously sneaking in pages throughout my day.

Here are some good examples of Ford's talent for writing, that also show the tone of the book:

"As he left the hotel, Henry looked west to where the sun was setting, burnt sienna flooding the horizon. It reminded him that time was short, but that beautiful endings could still be found at the end of cold, dreary days."

"He envisioned staying at his uncle's house....and being teased by the locals for not being Chinese enough. The opposite of here, where he wasn't American enough. He didn't know which was worse."

"Inside had been a piece of hard candy and a quarter...The candy was so that everyone leaving would taste sweetness--not bitter. The quarter was for buying more candy on the way home--a traditional token of lasting life and enduring happiness." Henry is explaining the envelopes that were passed out at his wife's memorial service.

So I recommend it. I think it's a great book, and one of the best I've read lately. But it didn't have the impact on me that my favorite books have.

Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

2011-01-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

So this memoir begins as Ruth Reichl accepts a job as a food critic for the New York Times. It is a good combination of her experiences, her reviews, and recipes. I think it is well put together and was an interesting read. I've marked several recipes to copy and try. I think I'm trying her Spaghetti Carbonara next week.

Ruth developed characters complete with costumes, personalities and back stories in order to eat at restaurants without receiving special treatment. In fact, she often went in disguise, then again as herself. It was entertaining, if not surprising, to read the differences in the food and experience.

Sometimes the story is just a little too tidy and hard to believe things happened in the way they did. As I was reading, that bugged me a few different times. When Dan asks her to the exact restaurant she needed to eat at again, I just felt annoyed. In her Acknowledgements in the back of the book she talks about exaggerating, combining several days into one, and changing people around. I think if I knew she admitted that upfront I wouldn't have had problems with the less believable parts.

I loved reading her descriptions of food and the actual reviews that she reprints in this book. She has an amazing talent for description and you really can almost taste it as you read. Just like Gourmet Rhapsody, it made me hungary! This type of writing is obviously her best.

"I felt the sea urchin slide beneath my tongue, as subtle and sneaky as the glow of a buttercup under your chin, and then admired the pop of the caviar as it was crushed beneath my teeth."

"The sun poured from the sky like honey, and people threw back their heads and drank it in."

The characters and story are interesting, but I just didn't feel as connected as I do in other books. Because she is vague with time, I wasn't sure how old her son was at different times. Carol who didn't seem like much of a player in the first part of the book is suddenly really important, and I was trying to remember exactly who she was. The story ended up feeling a little disjointed to me.

Her husband is bothered by her one-upping an annoying dinner guest one night and tells her she was reminding him of a line from a T.S.Eliot poem, "Garlic and sapphires in the mud." I looked up the Quartet and it didn't seem to direcly relate. That being said, I like the title she chose for her book, and I hope he really said that and that she didn't make it up later to be clever.

I enjoyed reading this book, I might even look up other books Ruth Reichl has written.

I liked it, but I didn't love it.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M.Montgomery

2011-01-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

SORRY ABOUT THE SPACING ISSUES AGAIN! UGH. I CAN'T GET MY SPACES BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS TO STAY ONCE I PUBLISH.

It has been YEARS since I've read this book. I knew I liked it, but it's hard for me to remember the book when I watched the PBS miniseries so many times as a kid. I was curious to see if it would still stand up in my mind. And it did. I love this book!

My older sister had all the Anne of Green Gables books, and I'm sure she's the first one to loan me a copy. I just can't remember when I read it last. We read this for book club, and I'm excited to go see the musical in a few weeks.

So, I think the book works because Anne is such a lovable character. From the beginning her life is so tragic, you want to feel sorry for her. She talks incessantly, so she should be annoying, but she's not. I love the way she charms everyone she meets. They all end up loving her.

Aunt Josephine says, "Anne has as many shades as the rainbow, and every shade is the prettiest while it lasts....she makes me love her and I like people who make me love them. It saves me so much trouble in making myself love them."

A few of my favorite things Anne says in this book:

"Why must people kneel down to pray? If I really wanted to pray I'll tell you what I'd do. I'd go out into a great big field all alone or into the deep, deep woods, and I'd look up into the sky--up--up--up--into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness. And then I'd just feel a prayer."

I love all her talk about kindred spirits. I feel the same way, there are those people you meet and you know just know you are going to be good friends. Isn't discovering a new friend the best feeling?
"Miss Barry was a kindred spirit, after all. You wouldn't think so to look at her, but she is.....Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world."

"Oh, I was so nervous, Diana. When Mr. Allan called out my name I really cannot tell how I ever got up on that platform. I felt as if a million eyes were looking at me and through me, and for one dreadful moment I was sure I couldn't begin at all. Then I thought of my lovely puffed sleeves and took courage. I knew that I must live up to those sleeves, Diana. So I started in."
This is one of my favorite passages, I actually laughed out loud.

L.M. Montgomery has a great style of write super descriptive passages without being obnoxious. My 6th grader is working on descriptive writing at school, and with all the adjectives and metaphors he's trying to squeeze in, its often painful to read. But, I appreciate what his teacher is encouraging, and I think Lucy Maud is an amazing example.

It was a pretty road, running along between snug farmsteads, with now and again a bit of balsamy fir wood to drive through or a hollow where wild plums hung out their filmy bloom. The air was sweet with the breath of many apple orchards and the meadows sloped away in the distance to horizon mists of pearl and purple. Really good, right?

When I read this as a kid I had no concept of tragic loss or sorrow. So I'm sure these next few passages didn't mean much. This time they made me cry because they are so perfectly expressed.

"It was the last night before sorrow touched her life; and no life is ever quite the same again when once that cold, sanctifying touch has been laid upon it."

"It seems like disloyalty to Matthew, somehow, to find pleasure in these things now that he has gone...Today Diana said something funny and I found myself laughing. I thought when it happened I could never laugh again. And it somehow seems as if I oughtn't to."

"We resent the thought that anything can please us when someone we love is no longer here to share the pleasure with us, and we almost feel as if we were unfaithful to our sorrow when we find our interest in life returning to us."

"When I left...my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does...I wonder how the road beyond it goes--what there is of green glory and soft, checkered light and shadows--what new landscapes--what new beauties--what curves and hills and valleys further on."

If it's been awhile since you've read Anne, maybe these quotes will put you in the mood to pick it up again. I'm so glad I did!

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

2010-12-28T00:04:00.000-08:00

Every year Graham picks me out a book for my Christmas stocking. He usually picks a winner, and this year it was too.

This story is about a family, but it is told by their dog. Sound like it's going to be cheesy? I have to admit it doesn't sound like my kind of book. But Garth Stein has an effortless writing style that I liked from the beginning. Even sweet Enzo the loyal dog was believable and not talking-dog goofy.

Denny is the main character and he has raised Enzo since he was a puppy. Denny gets married, has a baby daughter, and struggles to advance his race car driving career while being a responsible husband and father. The characters are all endearing. Well, except the awful in-laws.

Sprinkled in between the story chapters are short metaphoric references to racing. I know nothing about racing, but it all makes sense in the book. Refernces like "Racing is about discipline and intelligence, not about who has the heavier foot. The one who drives smart will always win in the end." Good stuff, huh?

This story is sad, but I promise the ending is happy, all things considered. The title is great. Denny's specialty as a driver is his ability to race well in the rain. Denny faces a lot of adversity and sadness in this story, but he stays in control and wins. I feel like that theme carries the story well.

"The true hero is flawed. The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph, but whether he can overcome obstacles--preferable of his own making--in order to triumph." I usually like my heroes to be very, very good, but I think this is a good point. Maybe we want heroes to be more like us.

"Denny and I worked at slowing the breathing of our hearts so we wouldn't feel so much pain." Isn't that well said, and so sad?

I enjoyed the Seattle references. Especially when they go to Denny Creek that I hiked with my kids this summer. I also liked the references of the rain, and the beauty. If you grew up here like me, you'll like them too.

I saw a question posed as to whether having the family pet narrate this book added anything to the story. I've been thinking about it. I liked the point of view, and I definitely think it allowed for a unique perspective. I think the coolest aspect was that as a reader, you feel helpless like the dog. You see what is happening, sometimes with more insight than the characters, but you can't do anything to help. You can't warn anyone, you can't speak as a witness, but you still feel the anxiety. SO I do like the chosen perspective, and I look forward to reading more of Garth Stein.

Made By Hand by Mark Frauenfelder

2010-12-27T23:29:00.000-08:00

This is a book about Mark Frauenfelder's attempts to make things by hand. He refers to this at DIY, but includes everything from home repairs to raising chickens to building musical instruments just for fun.

At the beginning he tells about moving his small family to a tropical island in an attempt to live a more authentic life. I absolutely loved this set up and his explanation of making coconut milk (which I saw beautifully demonstrated at the Polynesian Culture Center this fall), and how it changed his life. He writes, "I promised myself I'd come up with a "coconut-day" equivalent in Los Angeles-something that would allow me to slow down, use my hands, and become more engaged with the world around me in a meaningful way." I like to make things, but I also see the value of when it's better just to purchase something at Target. So I was really intrigued by his philosophy.

"The purpose of DIY is learning to take back control of your life from outside parties." The way he used DIY as a noun kind of bugged me, but he really is approaching it as a way of life, so it makes sense. He kind of uses DIY as an attitude and approach to problem solving. I found the part where he was building an instrument and went "scurrying" around his house looking for things he had lying around that might work very relatable. There's another part where he doesn't want to have to go back to Home Depot to get the right parts, and looks around his yard for something he can use to make shift. I love moments like that when I can use stuff I have to make something new. I love it.

Now when he starts explaining all the reasons to keep chickens, I could feel myself getting sucked in. Like it was all so reasonable and responsible. I know a few families that raise chickens. But when he says, "Now that we have chickens in our life, we don't want to go back to living without them," it is not as relatable to me.

Later Mark quotes a cartoonist explaining that some tasks require that we only use half our brain, and so the other half is free to wander. He talks about how people may garden or knit to reach a kind of "unusual state of consciousness. Some people might be able to achieve it by meditating, but using your hands seems to do the trick too." This made me think of those moms who knit during their kids' baseball games, but there is absolutely truth to it in my life. I like to have a project to work on with my hands while I watch TV. I used to think out college papers while I mopped the bakery at BYU, so I really think there is something to having something to do with your hands while you are thinking about something else.

Because of his job, Mark meets all different types of people that make things by hand for all different reasons. I thought these introductions were really interesting. I especially liked his mention of Anil Dash who encourages people to use cast-off technology. Not to throw things away just because a faster or better model exists. This makes perfect sense to me, and while I do buy new things, I refuse to just upgrade just because I can. Don't you see that kind of wastefulness all the time?

Some of his ideas and attempts make sense to me, and some don't. But one of the families he meets with was particularly disturbing to me. They embrace the philosophy of "Unschooling," the philosophy of not sending your kids to school, and not homeschooling them either. It's the idea that kids are learning before they go to school, and you just keep that up. Living and learning together. The founders believe fundamentally that school is a wrong idea, and that learning shouldn't take place in a contrived space. So I kind of get those ideas, it reminded me of Whole Language. But here's where they lose me BIG TIME. The family says that their son didn't learn to read until he was 10 1/2, and only then because he was playing Super Mario 64 all the time and wanted to know what the characters were saying when their dialogue appeared on the screen. When he wanted his parents to read the words, they told him he needed to figure it out on his own, so he did. Seriously? Two things here. One, I might buy into unschooling if your child was spending their day working on the farm, building your home, or even walking through museums. But I think you are doing a grave disservice to your kids if you let them play video games all day. Believe me, mine would do just that if I let them, and sometimes I do. The author of the book mentioned that his kids might watch TV or sit in front of the computer all day if he didn't send them to school. The parents said it would happen, but then your kids would get bored and move onto something new. And Two, I couldn't help but think of all the good reading your kids would miss out on if they didn't choose to learn to read until they were 10 1/2. I think of all the things outside of books that my kids love to read. Signs, maps, instruction booklets, newspaper, advertisements. On a road trip this spring my 5 year old daughter was ecstatic when she spotted "Entering ....." signs when we crossed the border into new states. All of my kids love to read maps when we are travelling or just navigating through the zoo or Disneyland. And of course books. Think of all the fun books you would probably never read if you didn't learn to read until you were 10 1/2.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I didn't change my life, or even convince me to make changes in my life. But it did reconfirm things that I already believe. Like, there is value in making something yourself: both in the process and the end result. And we should be thoughtful in our purchasing, and not throw things away just because we can afford a new one. And educating our children goes far beyond sending them to school. I like to read books that make me think.

Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

2010-12-08T00:26:00.000-08:00

Actually it has a subtitle, A True-Life Novel.

I read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls just before I started this blog, so I didn't do a review of it, but I thought it was a really good book. That was a while ago, and I had forgotten how much I like her writing style. Walls writes in a straight forward honest way that I love.

The Glass Castle was a memoir of Jeannette Walls' life growing up with parents who often chose to be homeless. Half Broke Horses is a memoir of her mom's mom, Lily Casey Smith. She acknowledges in the back that she calls the book a novel because she had to use her imagination to fill in details, and changed somethings to protect other's privacy. But the stories are real, and they are good.

Lily grows on you. She was a good woman who was humble, honest and worked hard. She made her way through trials without feeling sorry for herself. There are decisions that she makes that seem hard, but you can see how she ultimately trying to do what was best. I love that Walls wrote this book in the first person. It feels like you are listening to your grandma tell you the stories of her life.

As a teacher in one room school houses in rural areas, there are several mentions of beating and punishing kids. I hate that kind of stuff. It isn't a focus, and I know that given the time period it's realistic. But I thought I'd give you a heads up. In that same vein, there is a heartbreaking scene where Rosemary defies Lily and sneaks out to swim with boys. Lily loses control in her anger, but you feel for her as you read, "I was also plain furious with Rosemary. I'd slept next to that girl every night to protect her. I thought that I had taught her to be smarter than this." There is heartache and sadness, but also so much love. The characters are trying to do what is best.

I loved when Lily met Big Jim. I loved their marriage and how they approached problems together. There are so many great moments between them in this story.

I also loved how Lily broke horses, worked hard on her ranch, but embraced progress. She loved to drive fast in cars, learned how to fly airplanes, and loved indoor plumbing. When they had some savings, she and her husband invested in new "chompers." She wasn't vain, but she wanted to have nice teeth. I loved that. She went to a premier of Gone with the Wind, and made herself a gown out of her red velvet curtains! There's also a magical night where she hooks up electric Christmas lights to their car battery for her kids. (They didn't have electricity at the ranch.) Another example of how she wasn't afraid of modernization even though they lived without most conveniences.

Here are some quotes from the book that were my favorites:

"There was nothing finer than the feeling that came rushing trough you when it clicked and you suddenly understood something that had puzzled you. It made you think it just might be possible to get a handle on this old world after all."

"Working in those little desert towns during the war years--teaching illiterate ragamuffins how to read--I had felt needed in a way that I never had in Chicago. That was how I wanted to feel again."

"Sometimes after I finished a particularly good book, I had the urge to get the library card, find out who else had read the book, and track them down to talk about it."

"We found a beautiful site at the top of a rise overlooking a shallow forested valley--so beautiful that I knew in God's eyes it must be sacred--"

"When people kill themselves, they think they're ending the pain, but all they're doing is passing it on to those they leave behind."

These next two are quotes from Jim to Lily about Rosemary when she decides to marry Rex.

(If you read The Glass Castle, you can imagine why her mother was wary of Rex.....)

"She might not have turned out like you planned, but that don't mean she turned out wrong."

and, "Our daughter's found something she likes, this painting, and someone she wants to be with, this Rex fellow, so she's way ahead of a lot of folks."

I am planning to re-read The Glass Castle with this new perspective on Jeannette's family history. I remember Lily being in it, but I don't remember much about her.

I recommend this book!

Greetings from Somewhere Else by Monica McInerney

2010-12-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

Why the crazy spacing issues blogger? I've re-done my paragraphs over and over.

This is another "Staff Pick" from my library. I'm guessing it might be the same staff person that picked Table Manners.

Lainey is the main character, and she has to leave her friends, family, and career in Australia to run a bed and breakfast in her native Ireland for one year.

This was an OK book. Again, I would watch it as a movie on TV. But the writing is only so, so. Especially the dialogue. For example, Lainey is thinking about a character in one of the Celtic legends and I quote, "Poor Grainne, Lainey thought. And she thought she had relationship problems." UGH, so trite.

I did find it interesting that families migrate from Ireland to Australia and vice versa. I had no idea and wouldn't have expected that this is fairly common.

What I liked best in this book is the personal growth of the protagonist, Lainey. Not in the gradual ways, like how she learned to be more domestic or recognized her romantic feelings. But she actually has this painful moment when a close friend criticises her during a dramatic scene. AND she takes it to heart, asks more people about their honest feelings, then she tries hard to improve that element of her personality. Even though I found the early development of Lainey kind of painful, full of stereotypes and unrealistic reactions, I liked the idea of someone consciously trying to improve their personality. I hope we can change what seems innately part of us.

The Summer We Read Gatsby by Danielle Ganek

2010-11-24T07:16:00.000-08:00

I really liked this book. It takes place in about 4 weeks during the summer of 2008. The two main characters are half-sisters that have never lived together, but have spent a few summers together at their aunt's house. When she dies, she leaves the house to the two women, with the stipulation that they live there a month together.

It's about family, love, summertime, reading, and figuring out what you want. I think. I enjoyed it, but I wish it had been filled out a bit more. Even though some parts were slow moving, I felt that other times the character development jumped a bit. I did like the ladies relationship with each other, and I liked both of the romances.

I am inspired to re-read The Great Gatsby, because it is relevant to the story and is referenced through out.

I do recommend this book. I really liked the characters, the story was pretty good, but overall it wouldn't make any of my most favorite lists. I think it is written for adults, and there are a few f-words, but other than that it is tastefully written, and modern without being racy. I did keep imagining the ladies as being younger than they were. I felt like the author had to give the characters grown-up careers and mention them to remind us of their ages. I think early 30's.

What I did like were some very valuable points made by individual characters. So maybe Cassie's internal thoughts were the strong point.

Here are some quotes to prove my point:

"She delivered her opinions as though she'd received some divine wisdom that told her she was right, despite any evidence or logic to the contrary."

***"Later I would look back at this moment as the beginning of what I would come to think of as a sort of awakening in me, the first in a series of shifts that led me to want to write a different story for myself."

"Missing her--that physical ache in the heart that made it feel as if it could sometimes break in two--dredged up the feelings of loss over my mother from which I'd thought I'd recovered."

"We stayed up until the sun rose, talking about everything and nothing. Not since university days had I spent this kind of late night time with women, and I'd forgotten how much fun it was."

Re-reading the sections these quotes come from has reminded me how much I liked reading this story. Maybe I'm over analyzing it. I can't remember where I got the recommendation for this, anyone? Anyone read it?

***I LOVE this quote.

PS. I think this would make a great movie!

Table Manners by Mia King

2010-11-22T23:47:00.000-08:00

***Post Edit***I originally posted this under the title of a different book by the author! Sorry!

So as I was looking for a cover image, I realized that there is actually a "prequel" to this book. It's the second book featuring the main characters. I picked this up from the Staff Picks section of my library, and had no idea.

I liked it. I think if we're looking at good, better, best, I'd rank it good. You know how there are some movies you would watch on TV, but not pay money in a theater, or even seek it out to rent? That's how I felt about this book.

It's a nice story about a nice woman named Diedre whose life seems really great, then lots of things start falling apart around her. I like how she deals with her roadbumps. I like the characters enough. I was a little annoyed with the whole idea that her boyfriend was part of this socially elite family, and that Diedre's life was being watched by gossip columnists. It just seemed a little goofy.

Each chapter has a short quote about etiquette, and I think that's what the title is referring too. But I didn't think they were anything too special.

Overall its a nice book, I enjoyed reading it, but I wouldn't go out and buy a copy for a friend.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

2010-11-19T14:05:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I blogged a book!

My son read this book a while back and really liked it. I vaguely remember him explaining the plot to me, but only vaguely. He checked it out to re-read from his middle school library, and I borrowed it when he finished. Because of that, I can tell you that it is labelled as AR level 5.6 and 18 points. So if your kids need to keep track of that kind of thing. I would guess it would be interesting for 4-7th graders. I hope to convince my 4th grader to read it. It is 485 pages, so it took a chunk of time to get through.

All that being said, I liked this book. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Quirky,brainy kid characters. I love them, don't you?

2. A story with enough twists and turns that it wasn't all together predictable. Including one moment when I genuinely felt exactly like the characters.

3. Good, if not unoriginal, messages about believing in yourself, working together, resisting the dark side.

4. A happy ending. Did I give it away?

A few good quotes to give you a feel for it:

"Although most people care about the truth, they can nonetheless--under certain circumstances, and given proper persuasion--be diverted from it. Some, however, possess an unusually powerful love of truth, and you children are among the few."

"What if he created a fear, a fear everyone would hold in common, a fear the entire public would share?.....Then his next step would be to soothe that fear with just the right message."

(He, of course, being the bad guy.)

"He'd never expected doing the right thing to be so hard. But it was."

And of course being religious, I loved the parallels. Toward the end, at the moment when Reynie just doesn't think he can resist the evil, he thinks of Mr. Benedict. He doesn't think he can go on, so he sends a message, and knows if it is heard and returned he can do it. And he does. The whole moment is so great.

I enjoyed the characters, the story and the writing style. I'd love to hear what you think!

Enna Burning

2010-10-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I reviewed a book, sorry. At least this review is chronological. Enna Burning is the next book after Goose Girl. I liked it just as much.

Keeping in mind that this is a fairy tale and written for young adults, I think it accomplishes its goals. I like the characters. Even more than the first book, the protagonist is flawed. Enna is a good person, and her motivations are also good, but she has to combat urges and desires that lead her astray. I think that's an important and realistic theme.

Isi is a supportive character in this book, while Enna takes over as the story's main focus. I was drawn in and wanted to keep reading to see what choices she would make and how they would affect those around her.

There's a cool quote, "what she had seen when she loved him had faded and in its place...." I think it sums up exactly what you want to be able to do when you have moved on to a new interest. Being able to see someone more objectively, and not be taken in by them.

I recommend this book. But read Goose Girl first.

And one warning. This is more violent than the first. After all there is a war, and the main characters are soldiers in the war.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

2010-08-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

I have heard about this book for years and have several friends who are fans of the Bayern series. I finally picked up a copy. (Actually I was trying to give Shannon Hale a chance to redeem herself in my eyes after the Actor and the Housewife disaster.)

I enjoyed reading this story. Its re-telling of a Grimm's fairytale, which I knew nothing about. Maybe that's why the book felt so dreamy and magical. Of the Shannon Hale books I've read, I think her writing style worked the best in this book.

I liked the character of Ani. I especially liked the decisions she makes once she gets to Bayern. I think she is a strong female protagonist for upper elementary/middle school readers.

I do think the story started too slow. I think the build up of her feelings about her life, being a princess, and her relationship with her mother could have been conveyed more briefly. I was also confused when Ani's special power of talking with animals, especially birds, kind of transformed into the power to talk to and use the wind. It seemed weird to me.

Overall I think this is a nice middle grades book. I'm interested in reading the other stories in the series.

The River Why by David James Duncan

2010-08-04T20:22:00.001-07:00

How about a couple of mini-posts since my summer is fading fast? Lists are so much easier than real writing. I've read a few books in between my beaching, hiking, laying arounding.

I re-read The River Why in July. I really like this book, but it had been YEARS since I read it last. Like, maybe before having kids. It is long, and, at the risk of using terms I don't fully understand, I would say this in an EPIC novel. But I didn't even think of stopping reading, it's that good.

Things I really like about this book:

1. Bill Bob. Gus's younger brother has all these amazing terms and ideas. The segment where he explains to Gus about Garden Angels might be one of my favorite passages ever. The dreefrees, all of it. I love smart kid characters.

2. Personal growth. Like any sucessful epic novel (in my definition), Gus learns through his life experiences and comes to some important conclusions. It also has the feel of philosophy books, some of which Gus reads. You know like, Candide, Tao, Bhagavad Gita, those kind.

3. The dialouge between characters in this book is great. I think Duncan creates very entertaining, eccentric characters, and makes them believable. Crazy, but believeable. This, of course, leads to very entertaining conversations between them.

4. When Gus meets Eddy. I love the moments where he tries to talk to her but can't. And then the night they sat by the fire and tell each other everything. Doesn't every great relationship have one of those nights toward the beginning? It make me sentimental to think of it. Plus, I love a little romance in a big novel, and their's is magical.

5. It's toward the beginning, but I really like his references to Jesus leading his disciples to catch the 153 fish. I enjoyed his speculation about why there is a specific number, you know, who counted the fish.
Some new things I found out: This version was a 20th anniversary and had a cool afterward by David James Duncan. He talked about getting inspired to write this book, and getting it published, and other stuff. I found if very interesting, of course I like his writing style. His parents were conservative and religious, and he wasn't. He was facing the Vietnam draft, which reminded me of The Brothers K. Anyway, he talks about getting the idea to boil down all the conflict with in a family to one issue, fishing. And that's what he did with this family. I thought that was a cool idea. I'm always fascinated with how people translate their life experiences into works of fiction.
He also talks about novels creating an atmosphere where readers discover their inner wisdom. And I'm sorry Mr. Duncan, but I already returned the book, so I can't use a direct quote. Which would explain it much better.
Also, some people have made a movie of this book. I'm so curious to see when it might come out. They bought the rites 20 years ago, so there's some controversy, and lawsuits involved. But my research online shows that it was shown at some film festivals this year, so I'm assuming they need more money to actually release it. I'll cross my fingers.
One day I took this book to the gym to read on the stationary bike. I ran into a friend who asked me what it was about. And I said, "Well, fishing." Then I tried to explain a bit more.
So, in summary, Gus graduates from high school, takes out a one year lease on a cabin, then proceeds to follow his well-crafted plan to fish as many waking minutes as possible. It doesn't provide him with the fulfillment he expected, so then he figures out what really makes life meaningful, and so on. Oh, and his dad is a famous fly-fisherman, English and educated. His mom is a bait fisherwoman, and kind of a hill-billy. His family is awesome.
Anyone else read this? Like or Dislike?

ScreamFree Parenting

2010-07-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

So I've seen this title around, and kind of dismissed it. But I read a comment on another blog, that made me curious. I liked it.

I would say that it is more philosophy than practical "how-to's", although the author does include examples and stories.

Initially I was a little put off by his writing style. He comes off a little pompous, and seemed like he was trying to hard to convince you that his "ScreamFree" patented principle was unique and contrary to all that you've ever heard before. But its not. That being said, his ideas are still good. They are common sense. I think you can summarize his whole philosophy to the idea of keeping yourself calm and incontrol at all times. And I think we all want to do that, and know that that is how we should parent.

The author uses several catch phrases that he repeats. One that I thought was good was “In order to be in charge you have to bring yourself under control.” And that is the best part of this book. It doesn’t give you any illusions about your own powers, but instead focuses on what you can realistically do to have great results in your family.

Another thing I really liked is "if you are experiencing a pattern of behavior with your children, you are some how contributing." And ALL patterns can be changed. If one person changes what they are doing, the pattern has to change. This makes sense to me, and doesn’t require blaming the whole problem on the child or the parent.

Another piece of wisdom is that “no one is always ever anything.” Don’t you hate when someone labels you or assumes you are going to react a certain way, when you know you won’t? He explains, just because a child acts a certain way in a situation 10 times doesn’t mean he will do the same the 11th time. Labels limit our children’s freedom to evolve and develop. I loved that, for me and my kids. I love the belief that we can always change and improve ourselves and our behavior.

A few more nuggets of wisdom:

Insanity is “Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.”

“Asking any child, from toddler to teenager, to account for his motivation at the time of his mistake is a fruitless exercise. He simply doesn’t know most of the time. And your need to know is much more about you than it is about him.”

He paraphrases four levels of love as defined by a French monk: 1)I love me for my benefit. 2) I love you for my benefit. 3)I love you for your benefit. 4) I love me for your benefit. More than parenting, this really got me thinking about friendship and service, and what my motivations are.

The same chapter was titled, “Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask First.” I liked it. “The less we take intentional retreats for ourselves, the more we will find ourselves unintentionally finding ways to escape.”

Sometimes the examples that Runkel uses don’t seem to correlate well with the point he is trying to make. Other times he takes too long to explain or get to the point. Overall, I liked reading this book. It did make me think about several different aspects of parenting, and relationships in general. I recommend it because even if you don’t buy into his ideas, I think it will inspire you to evaluate yourself and your thoughts on parenting!

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

2010-06-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

My mom loaned me this book and reminded me of what happened in Sarajevo in the early 90s. I kind of remember "Benefits for Bosnia" during my freshman year of college, and I feel guilty I didn't know more of the plight of this city. As the story takes place, Sarajevo is surrounded by snipers, "the men in the hills," who target civilians sending shells and bullets at random into the city. The water supply, electricity, everything has been cut off from these people. Their lives are in constant danger.

I really liked this book. It focuses on 3 characters who are living in Sarajevo during the seige that lasted about 3 years. It is fiction, but I'm sure paints a very realistic picture of how the war affected everyone's daily lives. It is so sad. The chapters alternate between a father carring empty plastic bottles tied to a rope across town to get water for his family, a man heading to the bakery where he works so he can eat a meal, and a young woman who is a defensive counter sniper.

The story is inspired by true events. Twenty-two people in line for bread were killed, and an acclaimed cellist witnessed it all. He then chose to play his cello, Albinoni's Adagio in G minor, for 22 days, in public, in their honor.

The Cellist is introduced in the first chapter, but then is only mentioned by the others. He is used as a catalyst for self-reflection and reasoning in the other characters lives. They are not heros, but they are trying to find meaning and purpose in the horrific situation they find themselves.

I liked the writing style of this Steven Galloway. I liked how it realistically shows the tragedies of war, without being gratuitous or gory. The characters are interesting and likeable.

Here are some quotes:

"But he could not refuse her. No person he would want to be would do that."
"Even if every building is rebuilt so it's exactly as it was before, he doesn't know how he could sit in a comfortable chair and drink a coffee with a friend and not think about this war and all that went with it. But maybe, he thinks, he would like to try. He know he doesn't want to give up the possibility."

In recalling his son's birth:
"Afterward he had an overwhelming feeling of benevolence, not just for his son, but for the world around him, wishing it were everything it wasn't, wondering what he could do to make things better."

the summer i turned pretty by Jenny Han

2010-06-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed this sweet Young Adult Summer Romance. I would have really liked it when I was 14.

It is a story of a girl who spends every summer at a beach house with her mom, brother, her mom's best friend and her two sons. Who, of course, are handsome, funny, and cool. The story is sweet, as all the teenagers are dealing with different emotions of growing up. There's divorce, first kisses, cancer.

Belly is the girl, of course she has an embarrassing nickname. Most of this book is cliche, and would make a sweet teen movie. One thing that I really liked about Belly's character is that she bravely faces situations. There are a handful of times where she sees something, or hears someone talking about something, and I think she's going to hide and pretend she didn't. But she doesn't, she confronts them head on. I liked that about her.

There is a vulgar insult hurled from one of the minor characters in the story, and some mention of "getting to second or third base." But it doesn't explain what that is. Just so you have a heads up if you want to recommend it to a younger reader.

It was a nice story, and mainly made me nostalgic for the summers I spent reading books like this!

NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

2010-06-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

Often I forget where I first hear of a book, or who recommended it. I usually just put holds on them online right away, and then by the time they come in I don't remember. But I'm pretty sure I first heard of this book from Kacy, whose blog is awesome. So of course I trusted her opinion. And, phew, this was a worthwhile read for me.

First complaint, the title. I understand it needs to be catchy, but I think the subtitle, New Thinking About Children, is more representative of what you'll find as you read. And there are lots of new ideas in here. Some are kind of obvious, but others are more surprising. Overall I found it very intriguing.

Sometimes it is hard for me to get through non-fiction books. Especially ones that deal with a lot of statistics and results. I really am interested in those things, but I'm skeptical. Like I have to think if those could actually prove something else, and if I really believe the results really show what the author is telling me they show. I felt that way especially when I read Blink, but this is a way better book.

So here are somethings I thought were cool:

When you praise children, make sure to emphasize their effort, which is something they can control. Like if your child does well on a math test, don't say "you are so smart at Math." Because then, if and when they do poorly, they will think it's out of their control, they just aren't smart enough. And even worse, they won't try hard things because failing will mean they aren't smart. But if they understand they did well because they studied and worked hard, then if and when they do poorly, they will think they just need to work harder and study more. Doesn't that make perfect sense? These studies were very cool to read.

I thought the info on why kids lie ( to avoid punishment and to make their parents happy) were interesting too. And especially the part about tattling, because isn't tattling the worst? But their studies show that kids actually only tattle once for every 14 times there is an offense. So maybe give them a break, they were trying not to.

Third grade is when public school curriculum gets much harder because kids are asked to reason through math problems instead of just memorizing, and read for comprehension and not just to learn how to.

The need to do intelligence testing at an older age (at least the end of 2nd grade), and to retest students was very interesting. When you test really young, like kindergarten, you are mostly testing social skills and good parenting. Well, that's over simplifying, but it's too hard to explain briefly.

The chapter that follows gifted education is about sibling fighting. Both of these are real concerns and interests of mine, so by this point in the book, I was totally hooked.

I especially like the idea that if siblings fight, but also spend lots of time playing together and enjoying each other, they will probably stay friends as adults. Phew! It's much better to be best friends/worst enemies, than to take no interest in each other. The latter kind of siblings probably won't be friends as adults.

I also like the explanations about teenagers risk taking. My favorite part was that when teenagers argue with their parents, it usually means they are telling the truth, and they think there's a chance they might be able to get you to change your mind. So if they argue with you it's more respectful than if they lied to avoid any conflict. Like they lie and then just do what they want. It's more intersting than I'm making it sound.

I have read the concept before that you should listen to your kids, and maybe be flexible to change your mind about something, or to compromise. This reinforces their ablity to stand up for their ideas and to present their case. But of course you should never give in just to get them to shut up! I really believe this, and with my obnoxious children, I usually have to remind them that if they want to suggest something or make a deal with me they need to talk to me politely and I would be glad to consider it. At least when I feel like being a good mom.

And then on another note, "being disciplined is more important that being smart...being both is not just a little better, it is EXPONENTIALLY better." I think that makes perfect sense. Being smart is nice, but you have to have self-control and work hard to actually accomplish anything. I think, and so does Po Bronson.

There is a great study of a new preschool/kindergarten curriculum called Tools of the Mind. I am totally going to have my kids set goals for what they want to accomplish each week this summer. Maybe have them write up play plans too. You have to read the book to understand what I'm talking about.

And lastly, the speech studies with the 9 month olds were so cool. Turns out it doesn't matter how much you talk to your babies, but how quickly you respond to their efforts to talk. Kind of made me wish I had an infant to try it out on.

Sometimes I had a hard time really getting the common thread of each of the chapters. They were all cool, and seemed like pretty fresh and new ideas, but not always inter-related. The Conclusion chapter finally helped me understand the authors' thoughts on what all these had in common.

Have you read it? What parts did you find interesting. I'm sure I've left out some really important parts!

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

2010-06-02T14:47:00.001-07:00

The Thirteenth Tale is one of those books that I have seen around and heard bits and pieces about for awhile. I mainly like to read books that people LOVE, because I'm picky. So I finally picked up a copy after hearing people use the L word.

This story is dark. That's my over all impression. It has interesting characters, good mysteries, and a story within a story within a story really. There is modern (1980's maybe?) woman who is an expert on old books, and she is approached by a dying famous, successful writer who wants to finally divulge her life story. The truth this time. Margaret has her own secret past that has shaped her life, and she decides to take on this writing assignment.

I was a bit disappointed in the Margaret story. I felt like the author kept coming back to it and giving us a few details then immersing us in Vida Winter's story. The back and forthing was kind of weird for me. I'm not sure if the book would have been any better without giving us so much of Margaret's, but I think I would have preferred it. It felt kind of like extra stuff to me.

Just as with The Book Thief, I am in awe of Setterfield's ability to come up with such a crazy, complicated story. I definitely give her credit that the story is in the style of the Bronte sisters. Remember how I read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall a little while back? It's been years since I read Jane Eyre, which is consequently mentioned throughout The Thirteenth Tale, but I know it well enough to categorize this in the same genre. That being said, it's not my favorite type of book.

And since I'm starting with the negative first, the most disturbing part of this book to me (and there are quite a few to choose from) is the idea of an evil child. Adeline is so awful. Most of the book I kept the hope that she grows out of it in the end (you'll see why as you read) but sadly, that isn't the case. Maybe it's just too close to home for me with my 4 stinkers, but it was upsetting. If you've read it, you understand that she wasn't given a fair chance from the beginning, so maybe I can pass it off as one of those terrible results of horrific circumstances.

Now, after all that, I did like this book! I recommend it! Specifically if you like Emily and Charlotte's work. But just know I warned you of the DARKNESS.

At the beginning, Margaret is asked in a letter by Vida Winter to write her biography, and Margaret has no interest. She doesn't think of herself as a contemporary writer, and has no interest in Ms. Winter's wildly popular fiction. UNTIL she starts to read her books. Then she is hooked, and I love the description of how she devours them. "these days when i read all day and half the night, when I slept under a counterpane strewn with books, when my sleep was black and dreamless and passed in a flash and I woke to read again--the lost joys of reading returned to me." Nicely said.

Here's another example of Setterfield's good writing:

"the water logged sky that pressed down claustrophobically on the land, on the road, on the car."

"Weightless, I wandered all night long in Miss Winter's story....peering at the mysteries beyond its bounds."

I loved Miss Winter's description of the characters in her future books appearing to her as a large group, then disappearing one at a time as she wrote each of their stories. Her explanation for why she was finally telling her life story, was that her sister was the only one left in these visits.

I also liked Margaret's description of reading books in a row, "You leave the previous book with ideas and themes--characters even--caught in the fibers of your clothes, and when you open the new book, they are still with you."

I'd love to hear why you did or didn't like this book. I can think of many reasons for both. Plus I have more thoughts about the ending, but I don't want to spoil anything.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

2010-05-24T17:11:00.000-07:00

This is a great book. I've taken awhile to write up this review because there is just so much to talk about. It was recommended highly to my by many friends, and now I recommend it to the rest of you!

It is told from a very unique perspective, Death. During the first part, the style was kind of bugging me, but after I got in about 50 pages or so, I was really hooked. I also hated the violence, especially when it was directed at poor Liesel.

The Book Thief takes place during World War II, so of course it is filled with sadness. And like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, it shows the horrors of war no matter which side you are on. It was very interesting to read about the less obvious ways the character's lives were affected by war, ways you don't usually think of. Thankfully, like Man's Search for Meaning, or Life is Beautiful, it shows the triumph of the human spirit, and the power of kindness. SO that is good!

I loved Liesel and her relationships with Papa, Rudy and Max. The characters are great in this story. Very original and well developed. While you feel terribly for all of them, none of them are pitiful. They have these small victories that make them heroes. For example, one day after finding a coin and buying one piece of candy to share (they count their sucks), the book says, "The day had been a great one, and Nazi Germany was a wondrous place." And you actually feel that way.

I love books that focus on the power of books. Liesel is at least 10 before she really learns to read, and then it becomes central to her life. I always love that. She underlines the words she doesn't know then paints them on the walls of the basement to practice. So great.

I enjoyed Death's narration more than I thought I would at first. He often foreshadows by saying, "the next time I saw him..." or talks to the reader directly about the significance of a moment, like "he put his arm around her, best-buddy style, and they walked on....You can love Rudy for that, if you like." And again, that's exactly how you are feeling.

One of my favorite parts in the book is when Liesel is reading aloud in a crowded bomb shelter and, "A voice played the notes inside her. This, it said, is your accordion." Her Papa was an accordion player, and it had brought comfort to many people through out the story. This was such a magical moment when she realizes the gift she has to share and bring comfort to others.

I really liked this book. I've mentioned it tons of times, but I enjoy how novels written for a young adult audience can touch on difficult topics, but still protect you from horrific details or imagery. This book made me cry, and did find its way into my dreams, but I wasn't haunted by nightmares.

What did you love about it?

The May Queen edited by Andrea N. Richesin

2010-05-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

subtitle: Women on Life, Love, Work, and Pulling it all Together in Your 30'sAttention: This is in no way a self-help or motivational book (COLBY!)
What this book is, is an interesting collection of essays by women about their 30's. Many of them center on moments of enlightenment or change. Many are about motherhood and marriage. But the editor did a fabulous job of getting a variety of writers. She explains that there was "no single image of womanhood that we are striving for." The subject, writing style, life style, each is refreshingly different. And I think because of that I felt like I was gaining all sorts of different insight and ideas. And you know what? It was motivational for me. I didn't feel unaccomplished, or like I've put my life on hold for the last 11 years since I started my career as a mother, not at all. But it did get my mind going. I love that all these women have lived different lives, but the point is we all have something to say.

I kind of felt like I was reading a literary magazine. The stories are all short and worked great when I only had a few minutes to read here and there. I'm kind of sad that I've run out of them!

Three more things I liked:

1) Each chapter started with a quote. I'm a fan of that.
2) Most of the essays had digressions and ramblings. I'm also a fan of those.
3) At the back of the book is a photo and short bio of each of the women. I flipped back to see the women over and over. I loved that part.

Here are a few quotes from the various authors:

"I could tell her that, in a way, the pressure's off, and that there's a new set of challenges ahead." Jennifer Weiner

"They are friends who have stuck around since I was five and friends who I was smart enough to spot when I was older." Sara Woster

"Thank G-- all those men were just not that into me. They did me a bigger favor than I could have ever known." Veronica Chambers

"I was able to muster the courage to take a step toward my deepest dream while still staying light enough on my feet to follow the path when it took a most unexpected turn." Tanya Shaffer

"No matter what the journey you chose, if you hang on, it will ultimately lead you to discovering your true nature." Samina Ali

"I ran through a roster of all the men I knew. And I realized there wasn't one whose face I wanted to see staring back at me for the rest of my life--except my husband's." Heather Chaplin

"I cried through the mask as John held his dangling body up for me to behold...And from then on, everything up to that point in my life was utterly insignificant." Erin Cressida Wilson

"Twenty years of writing was only practice to do that thing that everyone I went to school with did right away..." Erin Cressida Wilson

"For me, at least, going to the margins was something I had to do as a younger feminist, but to stay there would just be admitting I couldn't handle the rest of the world." Jennifer Baumgardner

I loved this last quote because I think it rings true of any extreme views, including religion. What good is it to set yourself apart if you can't participate in the world? I was thinking of working together for good, sharing opinons, evening influencing people. You can't do that if you ostracize yourself.

A few of my favorite essays:

Wide Awake by Marisa de los Santos (the reason I found this book)
She explains the feeling of getting up early with your toddler to keep him from waking up the baby, then goes into how she arrived at the decision to have kids. As with everything she writes, it's her words and phrases that get me everytime.

A Hungry Balance by Julianna Baggott
She writes about balancing, or not balancing, being a mother and a writer. How she knew she must have a family and write, if she gave up one she would resent the other. I loved how she didn't tell people she was a writer, but instead told them she was a stay-at-home mom, knowing the sterotype that would occur. I loved this essay.

I'm the One by Erin Ergenbright
She writes about bad relationships, and one particular break-up. She writes about coming out of it and finding herself.

A Random Sampling Age Thirty to Forty by Ayun Halliday
This was creatively done in lists. Lists of things that she did or didn't do in different decades of her life, goals she had, things that didn't happen to her, things that affected her. I enjoyed reading these.

To All the Men I've Loved Before by Amanda Eyre Ward
She writes a series of letters addressed to the men she has loved, like old boyfriends dating back to childhood. They are funny, interesting, and seemed honest. I loved this idea, and think it would be fun to write up my own.

This collection might be one of those things you can only like if you relate to the time of life. I really liked reading them, and reflecting on them. I recently turned 35, and have been reflecting on that quite a bit myself.

I'd love to hear which ones you liked if you pick this up!

The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland

2010-05-04T12:38:00.000-07:00

I loved this guide. It had a ton of tips that applied to me, and tons that did not.

My 10-year-old read it as much as I did. I found it very helpful both before and during our Disney vacation.

I checked it out from my library and kept it until it was determined "lost" and I was "charged," but I live in a nice library district and they don't really charge you as long as you return it.

And consider this mini-review an explanation for my blogging absense. Fun family trip, fun out of town guests, not much reading time.

But the children's book blocking my library card was found last night. My husband, my hero. Now I'm back in business.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

2010-03-25T20:40:00.001-07:00

Oops, missed my Wednesday goal.

For those of you who haven't read Hunger Games yet, I'm going to try and review this carefully.

So, I had to start Catching Fire the day after I finished Hunger Games because it is so intriguing. But, I have to say that the beginning seemed a bit slow for me. Of course I was going on very little sleep, but I just couldn't get into it for a bit. THEN I did not care for the big surprise, and got a little annoyed with the whole thing.

While I'm at it, another thing that annoyed me was Katniss's self-doubt. I just kept thinking, come on, you have to know you're amazing. You know? But sometimes I think that comes with age and that I need to remember that she's just a teenager. Oh and also, I was so annoyed that it took them SOOO long to ask Haymitch how he won his season. It seemed like something they would have asked in the first book. But, they finally do. And it is important, like you knew it would be.

Now that I have my criticism off my chest, I would recommend this book. But only if you liked the first one. Duh. I did like it. I think the characters are very interesting. The plot is strong, and it is cool to see how the events from the first book have affected the second book. Did it seem weird to anyone else that Peeta's mom is never mentioned? I think the way the media handles the events in the story is very telling. I think it is good social commentary.

For some reason I couldn't help but think of the Twilight series when I read this book. Like Gale vs. Peeta. Katniss having self-esteem things. Doing forbidden things, but they seem morally right. Maybe when you are old, all young adult books seem to evolve around related themes.

So, those of you who've read it, how do you think it compares? I did like it, I did. But as I sit down to write this, it's the negatives that are coming to mind.

Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos

2010-03-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

So this is the follow up novel to Love Walked In. You should read that one first. And if you really like it, read this one. I loved the first one, and I loved this one.

Belong to Me begins a few years after Love Walked In ends. I don't want to divulge too many details because I want you to read the first one! But this one continues Cornelia's narrative, and adds two new ones. One is a woman who is Cornelia's new neighbor, the other a young man whose path will cross her's. I missed Clare, but she does play an important role in the story too.

I like these characters. Even the seemingly un-likable Piper is so well developed that you are rooting for her in the end. And she's not un-likable anymore.

I have to say I'm a huge Marisa de los Santos fan right now. I can't wait to see what she'll write next.

Here are some quotes that I liked:

"The fact that I was thus diverted from my self-righteous indignation didn't mean I wasn't still indignant. And the fact that my indignation was self-righteous didn't mean it wasn't also righte
ous. Right?"

"So the rest of the day Dev walked around with the sentence 'What Dev said yesterday made me think of this poem' stretched over him, like a rainbow only he could see." (And his whole experience at his new school make me want to teach highschool, and be that kind of cool teacher--in my dreams.)

There is this perfect paragraph that I have to share even though it is so long.....

"As she performed these tasks, Piper had a sense that they were more than tasks, that they were the edge of something large that would unfold, pushing its way into the future. As Piper tidied Emma's ponytails, wiped peanut butter off Peter's chin, assembled potatoes and wedges of onion around the chicken, she understood that she would go on to fill days and weeks with helping, would wake up mornings feeling the day's emptiness, how it stood waiting to be filled with duties the way you'd fill a jar with coins." (It makes me want to cry having just re-read it because a) I've felt exactly that way, and because b) it is written so beautifully.)

There is a great excerpt from a letter written to Cornelia by her sister that says while men operate on the "fight-or-flight" response in a new environment, women cope with stress through "tend-and-befriend" behavior. I love it.

"Whenever Dev remembered that night, and he'd remember it for a very long time, what never stopped amazing him was how normal it felt. Not everyday, no-big-deal normal. More like extragalactic, superradiant, night-in-a-million normal. " I think this is a good description of how you feel after spending time with a new friend or group of people that you just know are going to be important to you for a long time, but that feel completely natural to be around.

And just like the comments Teo makes in the first novel about mental illness, he has some great insight on to suicide on page 276. "Maybe she wasn't even really thinking about death, but just about ending how bad she felt right at that particular moment." (Spoiler--she didn't die, and she's not a character from Love Walked In. Just in case you are worrying.)

I'm so happy to have read this book. Don't you love the title and the cover art? They work perfectly for me.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2010-03-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

So many trusted friends recommended this series to me, that I knew it would be worth it. Even my husband, who knows me best, thought I would like this book that centers on a cruel game where teenagers fight to the death. I was nervous. I'm glad I finally dove in. I think that because the book seemed so far removed from real life, I didn't really register the deaths. It wasn't as horrific as I would feel if it was closer to something I could relate too. Make sense?

I did read this book almost non-stop until I finished it. It's not difficult to read. At my last book club a friend of mine mentioned the term "plot-driven." I think The Hunger Games is a great example of a plot-driven book. I didn't feel compelled to read because I was loving the story, so much as I was dying to know what would happen next. The story is captivating.

I thought of a few different books as I was reading this. The first was City of Ember. The whole post apacolyptic genre and bright teenagers that are going to save the day theme was similiar. I also thought of Lord of the Flies. It's been ages since I've read it, but the Careers' mentality seemed similar.

So I really like The Hunger Games, but I didn't love it. I think the story is good, if not a little bit predictable.

Here are some quotes I liked:

"I stand there unmoving while they take part in the boldest form of dissent they can manage. Silence. Which says we do not agree. We do not condone. All of this is wrong."

"The saltiness reminds me of my tears."

"When I fully awaken, I'm momentarily comforted. I try to hold onto the peaceful feeling of the dream, but it quickly slips away, leaving me sadder and lonlier than ever." Such a bittersweet side effect of dreams. This has happens to me a lot.

The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo

2010-03-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered that there was a novel by Kate DiCamillo that I hadn't read yet, so I did, and I liked it. The Tiger Rising feels more like a short story to me. Obviously it's longer, but that's just the feel. I read a quote about DiCamillo when I was researching the order of her novels (I'll get to that in a minute,) that said she was "opting for the economy of poetry over elaborate prose." I agree.

The Tiger Rising is Kate DiCamillo's second novel. Because of Winn-Dixie was her first. Which I also didn't know. I think it remains my favorite. I read The Journey of Edward Tulane, and The Tale of Despereaux back to back awhile ago, and while I liked them, they were dark and tragic. The Tiger Rising is too. Rob is the 12-year-old main character, and is treated horribly by many characters. He has recently lost his mother and his father is distant and harsh. He discovers a tiger in a cage in the forest, a new friend at school, and gets great advice from a woman who works as a maid at the hotel he lives in. I especially liked his imagining and dreaming.

I have been trying to think of the target audience for this book. I love that DiCamillo's books all seem to have a magic element. Part fairy tale, part morality tale, and full of symbolism and metaphors. They seem like children's books, upper elementary I'd guess, but have such meaningful themes and layers of meaning that I think kids of that age would miss a lot of what I think is great. With this book in particular I could see high school students studying it and looking for meanings within the different symbols.

The writing is so nice. Here are a couple excerpts that I like and I think represent the book.

"He imagined himself as a suitcase that was too full.....He made all his feelings go inside the suitcase; he stuffed them in tight and then sat on the suitcase and locked it shut....Sometimes it was hard to keep the suitcase shut."

"And the whole way home, while his brain doubted what he had seen, his heart beat out the truth to him. Ti-ger. Ti-ger. Ti-ger."

"That sounded right. If God was going to talk though somebody, it made sense to Rob that he would pick Willie May."

"That was another truth he had known without knowing it, the same as he had known that Sistine's father was not coming back. He must, he realized, know somewhere, deep inside him, more things than he had ever dreamed of."

The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle

2010-03-03T22:43:00.000-08:00

I read about this book in last month's Costco Connection. I'm glad I did.

This is a story about a family that lives on and owns a horse ranch in the desert. The desert is in Colorado, which I never knew had a desert. It is told by a 12-year-old girl. Their situation is sad, even desperate sometimes. But good things happen too, and the ending isn't the happiest, but it is hopeful.

I liked the writing style, and I appreciate that there are no angels in the book. Every character has flaws. I even struggled with Alice (the 12-year-old), who, although I felt sorry for her, wasn't always super likeable. I do think that is nice, making your characters realistic. I liked the characters she created, and I appreciate that she stayed away from common stereotypes.

I'm not the kind of person who keeps her emotions and feelings bottled up. I don't have a dad that did that, so I was frusterated by the interactions between these two. Sometimes I just wanted to scream, "give her a hug and tell her you love her," or "just tell him your clothes are too small," you know, stuff like that.

Here are some quotes to give you a feel for it:

"Tomorrow, in the honest truth of daylight, our own private swimming pool would be only what it was: a rusty bucket made for watering livestock."

"(I) wondered how I could have believed I was protecting anyone from anything. The world was what it was. There were no secrets. There were only things that went unsaid."

"The places we come from don't leave us as easily as we leave them."

I really liked how the weather was a reflection of the events in the story. For so many months they are enduring a heat wave and drought, then the moment something amazing happens for Alice, the rains come. At the end the snow comes at the onset of their grieving.

I liked reading this book, it's an unintimidating 300 or so pages, but does have obscenities. The story is creative and the characters original. It gave me a glimpse into a life much different and much more difficult than mine.

Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos

2010-02-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

I loved this book. The first chapter was a little too filled with explanations, disclaimers, and asides, but get through that and the writing was superb. The author is an award winning poet, and this was her first novel, so maybe she had trouble reigning it in. Just as a heads up, she also uses the f-word. It's interesting to me that when she does, it seems to be clustered with other ones, then go hundreds of pages with out any obsenities. Just so you know when you come to them, that they aren't going to appear on every page.

I couldn't put this book down. Do I say that too much? But it was exactly what I was in the mood for. I guess celebrating my anniversary, and then Valentine's put me in the mood for a book about LOVE. This book covers so many different kinds and stages of love.

The story is told in alternating chapters. The first character is Cornelia. I loved her. I'm not an expert in cinema, so many of her references were lost on me. That being said I really liked her point of view, and clever remarks. But the whole thing isn't too clever if you're getting worried it will be one of those over-wordy, over-scripted stories.

I also loved Clare, the 11-year-old co-protagonist. Her chapters are equally well-written, and while she is brave and smart, she is written as an 11-year-old. There were several moments when she didn't understand what was going on, and the conversation she has with Teo walking down the street at the end is exactly what I think a girl her age would try to do.

This book was perfect for me. It is definetly an adult book (there is S-E-X), but the adolescent insight and coming of age aspects were exactly what I like to read. And did I mention how much I love this author's writing style?

Thanks to Betsy and Amy for reviewing this on GoodReads!

Some quotes:

"She put her faith in the crunch of bread, in the saltiness of butter on her tongue; she took their goldenness into her body and, afterward, felt that her soul had been restored."

"In my experience, people love what they love. They just do." This is in explanation about why it's useless to argue about which Shakespeare is best.

"Clare understood suddenly. She's the main character in her story, just like I'm the main character in mine."

"There are people whose deaths make you ache with sadness. And then there are people whose deaths prevent the sun from rising, deaths that turn the walls black in every room you walk through, deaths that send storm clouds and a wail swirling through your head so that you can't hear music and you can't recognize your furniture or your own face in the mirror."

"There are facts and then there is knowledge that has nothing to do with fact."

"I think things out by talking." ME TOO!

"I've always been on the side of love."

The Candy Shop War by, Brandon Mull

2010-02-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

Edit: I had a complaint that I didn't explain enough about this book. So, this book is about four 10-year-old kids who make friends with the owner of a new candy shop in town. She provides them with magic candy in return for strange favors. See how they are flying on the cover?

This book was scary for me! I'm not exactly sure what the target audience is. I'd guess 10-14. It's definetly only PG-ish, but I have to admit after reading late at night, it was hard for me to fall asleep! But the scariness came from the magicians, so if you're more of a realist, you will laugh at me, and not be scared.

I was super impressed with this author's creativity. I haven't read the Fablehaven series, but now I'm going to! Several times while reading I couldn't help but wonder how he came up with these ideas. The candy and all the effects were crazy!

I was a bit worried at the beginning when Mrs. White had them keeping secrets. That always makes me nervous, but then of course, the lesson was learned. This is an adventurous story, with lots of twists and suspense. I liked it. I'm glad I read it, and I can see why my 10-year-old enjoyed it so much.
I recommend it for a quick, exciting read. It is very different from the books I've read lately, and that was good.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2010-02-05T14:27:00.000-08:00

I'm guessing many of you have read this. I can't remember where I first heard it mentioned, but then I kept hearing it mentioned, and always in the context that someone really liked it.

I did too! I recommend this to everyone.

It is well-written. From the beginning I was drawn into the lives of each character. The characters are well-developed. I couldn't put this down, that's how interesting it was.

I've said this a bunch of times already when talking about the book, and my sisters said it to me before. There are times in this book where you brace yourself for something really horrible to happen, but it doesn't. I think Ms. Stockett wisely chose what she included in this book so that it is easier to read. Of course, I did not live in the 1960's in the south, so I can't judge it for it's accuracy.

I read this fast, and I've already passed it on so I don't have a list of quotes. My notes don't make sense with out the book. But really, I was too busy reading to jot as much down as usual.

I'd love to hear if and why you liked this book!

The Parents We Mean To Be by Richard Weissbourd

2010-02-02T09:29:00.000-08:00

Subtitle: How Well-Intentioned Adults Undermine Children's Moral and Emotional Development

It has been a few years since I've read any kind of parenting book. I used to read them a lot. But I think this book is a little more philosophical than practical. Dr. Weissbourd isn't trying to tell you how to be a parent, how to have obedient children, or even happy children. He is attempting to pin point "the role of parents and other adults in cutivating key moral qualities in children and adolescents."

I really liked this book. I agree with the majority of what Dr. Weissbourd is suggesting. I liked that I didn't feel guilty because I am trying to do many of the things he suggests. (Not neccesarrily succeeding....)

Right off I liked his comparison of shame vs. guilt. I liked how he says we should teach our children to be concerned about others' happiness as well as their own. And especially that we should teach our children that being moral doesn't just lead to happiness, it can be difficult and lonely. I liked when he said that parents feel ashamed because they see their childrens' flaws as directly resulting from their parenting flaws. I'm not the only one right?

Here are some direct quotes to give you more of a feel for this book:

"Children need...a stable enough self-image that their self-evaluations are more important than others' evaluations of them at any given moment."

"When it comes to ridding ourselves of painful flaws, and mood improvement, our faith in the plasticity of personality appears to be endless."

I have to paraphrase this one a little, he talks about when students trangress, the "reflex of teachers and other administrators is to simply tighten or create more rules and step up punishments" rather than using these moments as "opportunities to engage students in understanding why the transgression occurred, how it impacted others, and why certain moral standards exist."

I liked his emphasis that sports are not a metaphor for life, and that sports are not a test of whether children have certain qualities. But he does acknowledge that, "It can help children morally to be asked to sacrifice, to endure some pain, for a communal goal."

When he talks about young adults being disillusioned about their ability to positively affect the world he suggests that we should be "routinely providing children with stories that can help them imagine a life built on their convictions."

As a devoutly religious mother, I feel like many of Dr. Weissbourds ideas positively reinforced many ideals and goals my husband and I have with our family. He did, however, give me a lot to think about.

Although there were some parts that seemed only to apply to very affluent families and communities, I liked reading this book. It has a refreshingly different perspective and approach. I highly recommend it!!

ONE MORE THING:

I loved what he said about teacher conferences. He shares an experience with one of his son's teachers, and then says how as parents what we really want is for our kids' teachers to really know them and like them. Yes!! Me too.