Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's pick: By the Iowa Sea by Joe Blair

Due out: March 6, 2012

The anticipated debut of an original American voice, By the Iowa Sea is a wrenching, unsentimental account of the heartbreaks and ecstasies of marriage, fatherhood, and small-town life in the Midwest.After his first cross-country motorcycle trip, Joe Blair believed he had discovered his true calling. He would travel. He would never cave in to convention. He would never settle down. Fifteen years later, Joe finds himself living in Iowa, working as an air-conditioning repairman and spending his free time cleaning gutters, taxiing his children, and contemplating marital infidelity. “Our history,” he writes, “gains more weight day by day. And the future seems more and more unlikely to be anything cool at all.” Joe believes it would take an act of great faith or courage to revive in him the passion and promise that once seemed so easy to come by. What it takes, he discovers, is a disaster. When the Iowa River floods, transforming the familiar streets and manicured lawns of his neighborhood into a terrible and beautiful sea, he begins to question the path that led him to this place. Exquisitely observed and lyrically recounted, this is a compelling and often humorous account of an ordinary man’s struggle to live an extraordinary life. Joe Blair lays bare the moving, hopeful story of a river that becomes an ocean and a love that is lost and found again, by the Iowa Sea.

Sunday Salon

I will admit that not only has February been a slow reading month for me, but this week has been particularly atrocious. The literacy event our school had on Thursday with four authors and a Soul Food dinner went well. Now I just need to get the pictures from our principal's wife.

My husband has been at the State Wrestling Tournament since Tuesday. He was planning on coming home last night, but I encouraged him to stay another night since they had five wrestlers in the finals and wouldn't finish until late. Their team won their division, so it would be hard to leave the celebration. He has volunteered for a few years, but this is his first year as a paid coach. (Even though I encouraged him to stay, now at 8 AM I am ready for him to be home).

Work has been particularly stressful. All the district teacher librarians were called in to a meeting with Human Resources at the end of the day on Friday. Ominous? They are planning on changing our jobs dramatically. Some of it is great. Some of it is horrible and makes my stomach hurt. And there is nothing I can do about it.

Because of the above - especially the last thing- I have hardly read at all. I just can't focus very well. I have managed to be up and on the internet at 3 AM and I certainly have not been sleeping.

Last night I watched Courageous and loved it. What a great movie. My oldest daughter was attempting to sleep next to me while I watched, and I woke her up laughing so hard at certain points. Overall, the movie is not supposed to be funny, but there are a few hilarious moments, and the message is great.

What else was I up to this past week?

* Playing old Whitney Houston music at school in the library

* Buying a new pair of Dansko shoes (retail therapy after the Friday meeting)

* Taking my girls to eat at Carlos O'Kellys

*Working on Saturday at the public library

*Running 8 miles yesterday after a long hiatus from the treadmill. Felt great during, but not great after.

The sun is shining. It's a beautiful February day. I'm not sure what I will do after church yet, but I plan to enjoy the rest of my weekend and maybe even attempt reading a bit.

Strength in What Remains

Deo, from the country of Burundi, has lived a life full of hardship, surviving the genocide in his country. His story is remarkable, as Kidder traces Deo's life from it's beginning to his eventual arrival in America. Once in America Deo struggles to find a way to eke out his existence, still finding sleep elusive as he dreams of the nightmare he has survived.

Deo's story is remarkable and inspirational. Many times he could have given up yet her pursues his dream of an education. There were people along the way who helped him, opening their homes and wallets to give him a chance. Deo seizes the opportunities he has been given, attending college and eventually medical school.

This book is one that everyone should read because there is much to take away from Deo's story. While Deo struggled daily to survive, I was participating in college life, unaware that around the globe so much tragedy was occurring. Reading his account of what he endured brings to light how important it is to be aware of world events, and ready to help those struggling as newcomers in our country. Deo's first job was as a grocery deliveryman, and his boss wrote him off as someone without any real prospect simply because Deo couldn't speak English. Seeing all Deo has achieved now, it is impossible to imagine him being written off. Although Deo's story is miraculous, it is not unique. There are thousands of refugees (maybe millions) who are looking for a chance to begin again. Seeing how Deo has accomplished so much, it should be easy to off support for others like him. I am hopeful Kidder's book will give voice to an important concept and that by featuring Deo, he has provided a human face to this issue.

Tonight's the Night

After several weeks of planning tonight is the night of our family literacy night. We have put many hours into getting this event off the ground, and have high hopes that many of our students and families will show up.

Four area authors will be coming to speak:

Karen Thalacker, author of Knitting with Gigi and Gigi Knits and Purls is one of our authors. Karen is a friend of mine. An attorney, I had a job at her firm during my college years- copying papers, typing dictation, running errands. We have remained friends and even though we don't see each other as often as we once did, can pick up right where we left off. She will be showing the kids her book, but also giving a brief demo on knitting. I am expecting that many kids will be anxious to learn how to knit on their own. All our families will receive a kit from Thalacker that includes her book, knitting needles and yarn.

Ajla Dizdarevic, a student at Central Middle School, is another of our four authors. Although Ajla is only thirteen she has already published her second book of poetry. Her family is from Bosnia, and our student body is composed of many Bosnian families. When I have mentioned her name to my classes, my Bosnian students always perk up, recognizing the name as someone from their country. Stephanie Sorensen is the author of books about Flash the Bassett Hound. She has written several books about Flash, inspired by her own dog,

Our fourth author, Maribeth Boelts, has subbed for me in the past. She has written several books including Dogarella, Sleeping Bootsie and Those Shoes.

In addition to our authors, we are serving a Soul Food dinner to celebrate Black History Month. Fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, black eyed peas, corn bread muffins and desserts are being served to our families free of charge. There will be samples of Bosnian, Latin American, and Burmese food.

Last night I made cupcakes to take for dessert, and even though I wasn't very excited about my little cooking project, I felt even worse for my friend, Becky, who had to make 350 corn bread muffins.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll have pictures to share. I know that by 8:00 tonight I hope to be relaxing at home feeling quite relieved.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This Week's Pick: True Sisters by Sandra Dallas

Due out April 24, 2012

Product Description taken from Amazon:

In a novel based on true events, New York Times bestselling author Sandra Dallas delivers the story of four women---seeking the promise of salvation and prosperity in a new land---who come together on a harrowing journey.
In 1856, Mormon converts, encouraged by Brigham Young himself, and outfitted with two-wheeled handcarts, set out on foot from Iowa City to Salt Lake City, the promised land. The Martin Handcart Company, a ragtag group of weary families headed for Zion, is the last to leave on this 1,300-mile journey. Three companies that left earlier in the year have completed their trek successfully, but for the Martin Company the trip proves disastrous. True Sisters tells the story of four women from the British Isles traveling in this group. Four women whose lives will become inextricably linked as they endure unimaginable hardships, each one testing the boundaries of her faith and learning the true meaning of survival and friendship along the way.
There’s Nannie, who is traveling with her sister and brother-in-law after being abandoned on her wedding day.
There’s Louisa, who’s married to an overbearing church leader who she believes speaks for God.
There’s Jessie, who’s traveling with her brothers, each one of them dreaming of the farm they will have in Zion.
And finally, there’s Anne, who hasn’t converted to Mormonism but who has no choice but to follow her husband since he has sold everything to make the trek to Utah.
Sandra Dallas has once again written a moving portrait of women surviving the unimaginable through the ties of female friendship. Her rich storytelling will leave you breathless as you take this trip with Nannie, Louisa, Jessie, and Anne. This is Sandra Dallas at her absolute best.

The Survival Kit

I enjoyed The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas a few years ago, and snapped up The Survival Kit when I saw it at the local public library.

This was a quick read - instantly engaging as I read about Rose and the struggles in her life. Rose is grieving the loss of her mother to cancer. There are lots of things she avoids now: football games, music, her friends, and even her boyfriend Chris has been shut out. Her father is not dealing well with his grief, often coming home drunk.

When Rose discovers a survival kit her mother made for her before her death, Rose begins exploring some of the different items in it, some that lead her back to taking part in things she once enjoyed.

A break-up with her boyfriend seems inevitable, but there is another boy, Will, who seems to be a good fit for Rose. His father passed away from cancer, so he is able to relate to Rose's own grief, even though he has not necessarily stopped grieving himself.

Although time has passed by book's end and Rose has made progress in the grief process, there is no easy answer or happily ever after to losing her mother.

This book was good and there were several points in the story where I felt as though I might be disappointed, and was happily surprised by the way Freitas dealt with different subplots. Chris, Rose's first boyfriend, at first seemed like the sterotypical jock, impatient with his girlfriend who was no longer the "fun" date. Yet, despite their break-up it was Chris who found it the hardest to deal with their break-up, and he who could not get over Rose. My initial impression of him was far off. This was a pleasant turn of events for me, and one not typical of most teen agers I know.

Anyone looking for a great YA realistic fiction novel won't be disappointed with The Survival Kit.

Forgotten Country

Catherine Chung's debut novel Forgotten Country was a random selection from this month's Amazon Vine newsletter. I love women's fiction and after reading the description I thought it sounded like a book I might like. Yet, I hesitated a bit wondering if I would enjoy it. I should not have worried at all. I fell lin love with this book from very nearly the first page.

Janie, the older sister in a Korean American family, must live up to the expectation of caring for her younger sister, Hannah. In each generation in their family a daughter has been lost, making Janie's job more important than ever. As the book opens, Hannah has cut herself off from her family, refusing to talk to them or even let them know where she is. Janie's father is diagnosed with terminal cancer and must go to Korea to try a new form of treatment. Janie recollects portions of her childhood that were meaningful, giving glimpses into what may have gone wrong with her relationship with Hannah.

This is truly a story based on characters and their development, a type of book I love. Despite her anger with her sister, Janie decides to locate Hannah and uncover the secrets of their past. I loved the Korean setting for a portion of this story and also the way in which Janie and her family moved to the United States and became acclimated to American culture and way of life.

Both before and during reading I felt hints of Amy Tan's work, high praise for Chung's debut novel.

The Fault in our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars is a book I have been worried about reading. With experience as a cancer mom myself I wasn't sure I could handle reading a book about teen-age cancer patients. It is a topic I have steered away from in my reading for several years now. But I have been so tempted because of all the fabulous reviews that have made me feel like I would be missing out if I didn't give this book a chance. Ironically, Green is an author I always intend to read and I own his other books but have yet to read them. This title, the only one I don't own, is now the only one I have read.

Thankfully, I didn't find this book an emotional read for me. That's not to say that reading about two teenagers, Hazel and Augustus, is not a bit sad. Both of them are battling different types of cancer- Hazel a Stage IV thyroid cancer that has metastasized to her lungs, and Gus is in remission after losing part of his leg to osteosarcoma. They meet at a support group - the one place where other people totally "get it." And then they fall in love. But unlike other kids their age, their future seems limited with cancer being the one thing they know they can't get away from.

Green's writing is amazing and it makes me want to go and dig out his other books. I loved the witty and sharp dialogue. Not only was it good to read, I think it also took some of the trite-ness or cliche-ed-ness away from a story that could have been very sappy and predictable.

At first when I finished reading I wasn't sure if I loved this one as much as my friends who have been pretty much raving about it. But, as a bit of time has passed, I am aware of how these characters have stuck with me and how I am continuing to think of them again and again.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers

Katherine Boo's book Behind the Beautiful Forevers has been garnering quite a bit of attention. It is narrative non-fiction at its best, as Boo writes of life in Mumbai for the city's poorer residents. Annawadi is a settlement next to the Mumbai airport, full of makeshift homes and residents struggling to get by. Abdul picks and sells trash trying to earn money to help his family make a better life. Asha, is a kindergarten teacher who plots and schemes about ways to make easy money, and who has sent her daughter Manju to college. Fatima "One Leg," another woman in the community, has set herself on fire and died, her family accusing the Hussains of her death. Each person has dreams and desires, but their life circumstances make them nearly impossible to achieve and for many their lives are cut short.

While I was reading I had to constantly remind myself that this was a work of non-fiction. The goings-on seemed storylike and in some ways unbelievable. The poverty in India is not news to me, but Boo has put a human face on the lives of Annawadians.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers is such an amazing book - both for its content and its writing. Even readers who do not normally enjoy non-fiction would be hard pressed not to find this book a brilliant read.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's pick: The Sleepy Hollow Family Almanac by Kris D'Agostino

Due out March 20, 2012

Product Description taken from Amazon:

Calvin Moretti can't believe how much his life sucks. He's a twenty-four-year-old film school dropout living at home again and working as an assistant teacher at a preschool for autistic kids. His insufferable go-getter older brother is also living at home, as is his kid sister, who's still in high school and has just confided in Cal that she's pregnant. What's more, Calvin's father, a career pilot, is temporarily grounded and obsessed with his own mortality. And his ever-stalwart mother is now crumbling under the pressure of mounting bills and the imminent loss of their Sleepy Hollow, New York, home: the only thing keeping the Morettis moored. Can things get worse? Oh, yes, they can.Which makes it all the more amazing that The Sleepy Hollow Family Almanac is not only buoyantly fun but oftern very, very funny. In this debut novel, Kris D'Agostino has crafted an engrossing contemporary tale of a loopy but loving family, and in Calvin Moretti, he's created an oddball antihero who really wants to do the right thing-if he can just figure out what it