Monday, May 31, 2010

After the Moment


After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr is the sort of young adult novel that will stick with me for a while. Freymann-Weyr is able to tell a love story and include some profound advice without sounding preachy, and as a way of remembering a high school romance.

Leigh is a junior when his step-sister Millie's father dies. He decides to move in with Millie, her mother and his father as a way of helping Millie through her father's death. While in Maine for his senior year of high school he meets Maia, a troubled teenager, who for whatever reason, Leigh falls for. This is not a typical love story at all. Leigh is narrating this story, looking back at his high school days after seeing Maia at a party a few years after the two parted. He is able to look back at their relationship and remember his feelings for her while at the same time seeing things differently because of the passage of time. To explain why Maia and Leigh break up would be too much of a spoiler, and my advice is only that this is a book to be savored.

One of my favorite passages:
"If he was lucky, he'd come to see it clearly. And that ache would no longer be for a first love or a lost one, but for a memory, full of pleasure and regret (328)."
What a perfect passage to describe a high school romance of the past.

Leigh is a teen-age boy unlike many others. Caring to the point of moving for his senior year of high school because he wants to be there for his step-sister. Able to realize that his relationship with Maia is different than the one he has with his girlfriend, Astra, because with Astra he is more interested in the physical aspect of things, and with Maia that isn't the focus- he just wants to be with Maia. Articulate enough that he is able to convey all of this to the reader.

I really loved this one. A lot.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

We Were Here - Matt De La Pena


Sometimes I am amazed at how long it takes me to figure something out. I have actually had two books by De La Pena sitting on my TBR pile for a while, and then happened to pick up We Were Here by De La Pena at the library, never once realizing that his work is something I have had sitting right by me for a long time, but haven't made time to read.

What intrigued me about this book is the Hispanic character, Miguel. I have a large Hispanic population in my school and am always on the lookout for a book with a character they can relate to and looks like them. While this book is definitely YA and not one for my elementary students, I did appreciate the perspective this book provides, and am happy to see that my boys will have De La Pena's work to look forward to in middle and high school.

Miguel is being sent to a group home after he did something to get in trouble. One of the first things he is given is a journal to keep track of his thoughts and feelings, something he is told to do as a part of his treatment. While in the group home, Miguel meets up with Rondell, a physically large African American teenager who is mentally not very smart, and Mong, a Chinese American, who is angry at everyone and everything.

Over time the three get to know each other, and then break out of the group home. Their time alone bonds them together, and Miguel finds out a little more about each boy's background. After learning their sad stories, Miguel is able to see how much better his life is by comparison, and can hardly fathom living through the sadness that his new friends have endured. While that does put a few things in perspective for Miguel, the even that put him in the group home is one that he still cannot share with his friends, and something he cannot forgive himself for.

I liked the suspense that De La Pena creates by only sharing why Miguel is in trouble at the very end. Rondell, Miguel and Mong are three very unlikely friends, but because of circumstances are thrown together. Their friendship is interesting because of their differences, but it is also an example of true friendship as they are able to express their loyalty and respect for each other at different times.

Another aspect I enjoyed was that Miguel was a reader. Throughout the book there are references to different books Miguel is reading, something one might not expect from his character. This entire book is written as though it were Miguel's journal and while reading I felt as though I could relate to him. Yet, whenever he is confronted, his anger and the way he reacts to things are far from anything I could understand. While I think this could have backfired and made Miguel somewhat of an unbelievable character, I never felt like his reaction was out of line to who he was. Instead, it just was yet another aspect of Miguel's personality.

I think this book will definitely appeal to my male readers as they enter middle school and high school and that they will find many things about these young men to relate to.

Friday, May 28, 2010

The Irresistible Henry House

So far my efforts to read the new stuff that is on top of my TBR pile is only going marginally well. I am trying to read new books, yet, there are too many new books for me to keep up with. Despite putting new books on the top of my stack, I am still behind, and rushing to get through things just days before they are due back at the library. This week I have managed to get through lots of different books, finishing up The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald this afternoon.

This is another book I have been interested in and am glad I took the time to read. Grunwald begins her story in 1946 when Henry House, a newborn, is taken in by a college home economics program where he is the practice baby for a class of young college girls. Henry is not the first practice baby that has come to the college, but he is the first who gets to stay after Martha, the home economics teacher is unable to let Henry go. We follow Henry through his childhood at the college where he is adored by many students and Martha. When Henry discovers who his biological mother is, he is unable to connect with Martha anymore and begins a troubled adolescence characterized by selective muteness. The novel continues through the decades with Henry growing into adulthood and eventually making his own way in the world. While the times, they are a changing, Martha's love for Henry remains constant as does Henry's need for acceptance by his mother, and the connection he feels for his childhood friend, Mary Jane.

While Grunwald's ending was not a surprise, I felt this novel was wrapped up nicely without too much predictability, and a resolution that was entirely believable.

Grunwald's idea for the novel came from a photograph of an infant used as a practice baby at Cornell University, and her ability to explore this little known method of study in home economics was intriguing to me.

This is a great book and would be an interesting book club selection with plenty to discuss.


Book Blogger Hop

YAY! It's Friday - time for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Jen at Crazy for Books. This is a great way to find some new blogs. I've already added the ones I've found to my blog roll, so anyone who stops by and visits can find some new and interesting book blogs, too.



I'll be busy all day doing inventory at my school library, but hope to find plenty of time to hop to some new blogs later tonight.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived In That House


Meghan Daum's memoir, Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived In That House is a foll0w-up to her debut novel, The Quality of Life Report, and the story of Daum's own quest to find a home she loves. Each phase in her life has led her to find a different type of living arrangement - from her twenties in New York City, to her thirties in Nebraska, followed by Los Angeles, Daum has managed to live in a variety of settings and homes. In fact, it seems that as soon as she is settled in one place, Daum is packing again and looking for a better, more impressive place to set down roots.

Daum's childhood began in Austin Texas, with a move to Palo Alto California, and finally New Jersey, a locale her parents were ill suited for, yet boasted to friends and relatives how close they were to New York City. Perhaps these relocations set the tone for Daum's own interest in moving, because as an adult Daum moves with impressive frequency and regularity. Along with all the moving, Daum also manages to find and break up with boyfriends, develop her free-lance writing career, and experience the cities and towns she is a part of. I appreciated her foray into rural living. While I would consider Daum a true city girl, she has felt the call of country living and can find many pleasing and positive aspects to this type of existence, something I find comfortable and preferable to almost anything else.

Before I started this book, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. While I enjoy looking at homes, and could relate to Daum's interest in real estate, it is not a passion for me like it is for her. However, even someone not interested in homes or house hunting would find this memoir enjoyable. I enjoyed the humor in Daum's writing, and because I am just a few years younger, could relate to many of the phases of Daum's life.

Losing Charlotte


This week has been a week where I have been able to do a lot of reading. What has suffered since I have spent a lot of time with my nose in a book, is my blogging and my exercising. It is hard to get up when my alarm goes off at 4:15 AM when I have stayed up until 11 the night before finishing a great book. Hopefully since summer is near I can get on some sort of schedule which involves sleeping a little later, but still getting in a morning workout.

Losing Charlotte by Heather Clay was published earlier this spring. It is the story of two sisters, Charlotte and Knox who grew up in Kentucky on their parents horse farm. The story really takes place in their adult years, yet parts of their childhood are touched on in the book, as their relationship and its troubles began when the two were just children. Knox is the daughter who has chosen to remain in Kentucky, living in a home on her parents' farm and teaching school. She continues to date Ned, her father's ranch hand, not able to commit to anything more serious than what they have now. Charlotte has always been the more adventurous of the two sisters, moving to New York and away from the ties of home. There she meets Bruce who she marries and has twin sons with. When Charlotte dies due to complications of childbirth, Knox and Bruce are left to care for her children, Ben and Ethan.

Narrated by Knox and Bruce, Losing Charlotte explores the ties of family and the unique bond between sisters, that despite their differences, still share a connection that nothing can sever.

I liked this book. While I could relate more with Knox, Charlotte is still likeable. Knox's connection and feeling of responsibility toward her sister's children is entirely believable, yet I didn't entirely understand how little Charlotte's mother wanted to do with her grandchildren. Despite the fact that Knox and Bruce knew little about each other when they were forced to be together to care for the twins, they are able to find a way to work together and share their love of Charlotte. If nothing else, Charlotte's death forced Knox to examine her relationship (and whether or not there was a future in it) with Ned and what she wanted for her life.

I haven't read Summer Sisters by Judy Blume in at least a decade, but for whatever reason, Charlotte and Knox remind me of the friends in this book. This is Clay's debut novel, and I will be looking for more work from her in the future.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday



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


This week's pick is: The Writing Circle by Corinne Demas due out July 6, 2010.



Product description from Amazon:
They call themselves the Leopardi Circle--six members of a writing group who share much more than their works in progress.
When Nancy, whose most recently published work is a medical newsletter, is asked to join a writing group made up of established writers, she accepts, warily. She's not at all certain that her novel is good enough for the company she'll be keeping. Her novel is a subject very close to her heart, and she isn't sure she wants to share it with others, let alone the world. But Nancy soon finds herself as caught up in the group's personal lives as she is with their writing. She learns that nothing--love, family, loyalty--is sacred or certain.
In the circle there's Gillian, a beautiful, scheming, world-famous poet; Bernard, a pompous but lovable biographer; Virginia, a respected historian and the peacemaker of the group, who also happens to be Bernard's ex-wife; Chris, a divorced father and successful thriller writer; and Adam, the youngest of the group, an aspiring novelist who is infatuated with Gillian. And then there's Nancy, an unassuming fiction writer embarking on a new chapter in her own life. They meet to read their work aloud and offer feedback. Over the course of a year, marriages are tested, affairs begin, and trust is broken.
Through their complicated relationships, these eccentric characters share their families, their beds, and their histories, and soon find that buried secrets have a way of coming to light. Hearts break and emotions are pushed to the limit in this richly engaging tale of love, betrayal, and literature.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
"Naturally, Mr. Tall, Light-Haired didn't stand a chance. Though I dated him for five months, which was about four months and two weeks longer than I should have (he knew his way around town, and, I'll admit, it's perhaps a bit too easy to keep a boyfriend around just because he knows which way to turn off a freeway exit), I think I can safely say that the highlight of the relationship was the eight or so seconds it took him to walk through my front door for the first time and behold the awesomeness of my taste and self-sufficiency (and he liked the place; he really, really liked it!) (139)."


Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived In That House by Meghan Daum




I've had this one checked out a while and when I tried to renew it the other day I was denied because there is another hold on it. A sane person would have just taken it back and read it a different time, but I decided to start it immediately and make sure I got it done in a day and a half (as if I didn't already have several books going at once!).

Monday, May 24, 2010

While I'm Falling


Laura Moriarty is an author who likes to explore the various elements in mother/daughter relationships - in her debut novel The Center of Everything, again in Rest of Her Life, and in her latest book, While I'm Falling. And while I think some of these books have been better than others for a variety of reasons, the mother/daughter relationship in each is fascinating.

While I'm Falling by Moriarty is a book I have been working on for a while. I loved Rest of Her Life and had such high hopes for While I'm Falling.

Because it took me so long to read it, I have had plenty of time to think about this book, love parts of it, want to change parts of it, and finally last night - after I had finished reading it- appreciate it a bit more.

The story begins with Natalie, the mother, being found in bed by her husband with the roofer who was working on their house. After twenty plus years of marriage, the two divorce. (Instantly I was sucked in to this story). The oldest daughter, Elise, is done with law school, married, living in California. And Veronica is in college - pre-med. Veronica's life starts to implode- she can't keep up with her classes, she cheats on her boyfriend, her job as a residence hall director on her dorm floor is in jeopardy because of the scant amount of effort she is able to give the job, and on one icy winter day she manages to wreck Jimmy Liff's car while housesitting for him. In addition to wrecking his car, she also has a party at his house that results in it being trashed (which is where Veronica gets drunk and cheats on her long-term boyfriend, Tim). Jimmy returns to find these problems and begins harassing Veronica - using intimidation as a way of getting something out of her.

Things aren't going well for Veronica at all, yet when she calls her mother, her mother is unable to help her. Natalie has managed to lose her apartment because she is keeping a dog, Bowzer, in a rental that doesn't allow animals. Things are so bad for Natalie that she moves in with Veronica in her dorm, despite the fact that that is against the dorm's policy.

There are a lot of really bad things that both Veronica and Natalie get thrown at them, and some -like the refusal to get rid of the dog - are a result of poor decision making. Yet, almost all of these things I felt were sort of trivial and hard for me to imagine a three hundred page book being written about. Each problem just made me wonder what else Moriarty could come up with to challenge her characters.

And yet, by the book's end, I really did like Veronica and Natalie and felt like Moriarty had created believable - if flawed- characters. Maybe their decision making skills are lacking, yet there are real people - not just characters- who are unable to make good decisions every single day.

The mother/daughter relationship between Veronica and Natalie changed a bit throughout this book. Veronica grew up and didn't necessarily expect her mother to fix everything, while Natalie had to let Veronica make decisions for herself, even if they weren't what she would have chosen. Much of this is true to life as daughters grow into women and become independent.

This may not be Moriarty's strongest book, but I do enjoy her writing and will look for anything new that she has coming out in the future.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Think Twice


I have been reading some of Lisa Scottoline's books for several years, but never have developed such a passion for her work that I just have to read each book the moment it comes out. A few months ago I read Scottoline's book Look Again, the story of a mother who saw her son's picture on a missing child flier. I was instantly intrigued by this story and absolutely loved that book. So, I was very excited to see Scottoline's latest book Think Twice come out. I started last night, and was immediately into the fast paced story. However, almost immediately I realized that the people that Scottoline was writing about were recurring characters in a series she writes. Because I have read the series so sporadically I am never quite sure if things actually follow in any order or if these books could stand alone and simply have the same recurring characters. Even though I didn't need any previous information to get into Think Twice, I'm the type of person who likes to read a series in order, so knowing that these characters were a part of some form of a series continues to bother me as I wonder what I am missing.

Bennie Rosato is an attorney who happens to have a twin sister, Alice. While Bennie is the "good sister," Alice is the evil twin, full of ways to cause harm and sadness to others. While the two grew up separately, in adulthood Bennie has to deal with Alice, first by defending her against a murder charge. When Alice comes back into Bennie's life this time, she drugs her sister then buries her alive and then tries to assume her identity in order to get at Bennie's money. Alice is able to fool everyone in Bennie's life, and when Bennie finally breaks free and tries to resume her identity and put Alice away no one is sure who to believe. The two are identical and Bennie's story seems rather implausbile.

This one was fast paced and entertaining. Anyone looking for a bit of suspense and light reading won't be disappointed.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Sources of Light


Today was a day filled with a fair amount of reading - a beautiful Saturday of sunshine and the feeling that summer is just around the corner, made even more perfect by the wonderful book I found to read.

Sources of Light by Margaret McMullan is a book that caught my eye at the library a few weeks ago. I was even more excited to see it make the Indie Bound Children's Book List for Summer 2010, giving me some reassurance that this would be a book I would enjoy.

Well, not only did I enjoy Sources of Light, but I will be highly recommending it, and it has left me with a little bit of a let down, not knowing how I can find something next that will measure up.

Set in 1962, Jackson, Mississippi, Sam and her mother are freshly transplanted there after her father's death in Vietnam. While Sam wants to fit in, her mother, who teaches art at the local college doesn't have any intention of blending in, and garners some attention when she speaks at a black institution. Sam and her mother start to receive threatening phone calls, their mailbox is set on fire, and several other warnings are sent to them to try and reign in their desire to help the civil rights movement. Perry, another professor at the college becomes a friend of theirs (eventually dating Sam's mom), and introduces Sam to photography. With her camera from Perry Sam is able to capture Mississippi at its best - and its worst. This is something that most people in Jackson aren't willing to accept or acknowledge at this point. Perry is also someone who wants to help blacks escape the racism they experience, and while he knows it's danger, he is unable to live his life as a bystander, allowing this to go on.

Eventually Sam gives up on trying to fit in with the popular crowd, no longer caring what Mary Alice McLemore wears or what she says. Stone McLemore, Mary Alice's older brother, asks Sam to the school dance, and the two begin a romance impeded by the Klan activities of Stone's father.

This book was absolutely perfect. From the bomb shelter that Mary Alice's family constructed to the Tang served at breakfast, to the space race, and mention of Kennedy's worries over Castro, Sources of Light is a flashback of America in 1962. McMullan captures what life in Jackson was like in the 60s and the small ways in which ordinary people helped create change. Perry's talent at photography helped communicate so much about life in Mississippi, showing in black and white how life continued.

And this book broke my heart and gave me hope - all at the same time. I rarely re-read, but this is one I would happily read again, giving me a chance to find snippets I had not yet had time to think about and appreciate.

Sources of Light is full of references about how photography and life are similar, yet it is this quote that I most enjoyed:

"I thought about courage and how it must be more hidden than anything like love or hate, grief or mourning. Something inside tells you what's right and you know you have to do that right thing to go on living with yourself and with others (217)."
Watch the trailer for Sources of Light below

Game Change


Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heileman and Mark Halperin is the book I have been working on all week (along with The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli), that has taken a lot of time to get through. This book gives an in-depth, behind the scenes look at the 2008 election, and is fascinatingly hard to put down as anecdotes and other never-heard-before information is exposed.
Almost two years after the election, it is fun to relive some of the events that it will be known for, but also very entertaining to be in on all the juicy gossip (or maybe they're facts) of this election. Elizabeth Edwards, who I have long admired, and whose biography, Saving Grace, I enjoyed immensely, is actually a shrew. Bill Clinton tried to take over Hillary's campaign. John Edwards became full of himself and ultra concerned about his appearance, and had a fling with Rielle Hunter, who went on to give birth to his child. Sarah Palin was initially calm and collected when asked to be McCain's running mate, yet after she was announced as the vice presidential candidate, almost appeared to come undone at the instant celebrity bestowed on her, and was shockingly ill-informed about important topics. Even Barack Obama doesn't get off entirely in Game Change as his conceitedness is well documented as is the rift that his decision to run for president created between him and Michelle.

While the election results aren't a surprise, all the little tidbits keep this book interesting and entertaining. And, for those of us who can't wait a few more years until the next election, Game Change helps keep politics front and center.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Random Friday


I was thrilled to see this new bag from Deux Lux waiting for me when I got home from school. Today was mentally exhausting - I finished up all my library classes, am busily preparing to inventory, and am still trying to figure out how to catalogue the new reading curriculum that teachers are going to be in charge of keeping track of themselves. My brain hurts. Getting this bag, which was featured in Oprah's May O List was a good way to end the week. This is not just any old bag, either. Wrapped in tissue paper and then packaged in its own protective drawstring bag, this is quite a nice little number. I am definitely remembering this website for future purchases. Now, if only I could get a little reading done. I have several books started, but none are very quick reads, and I really just need some free time to finish them up. I also need to do some birthday shopping for my husband - if only he needed a new bag. I know just the place to get one.

Book Blogger Hop

It's Friday again - time for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Jen at Crazy For Books.

Head on over to look at the enormous list of book bloggers out there! I found a few more new book bloggers to add to my list last week:
The Reading Ape









I'm excited to stop back later tonight and see how many more new blogs I can stumble upon!
Happy Hopping!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday



Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

My pick this week is A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer due out June 25, 2010
From Publisher's Weekly:
Penicillin operates as the source of romance, murder, and melodrama in Belfer's (City of Light) evocative WWII–era novel. When Life magazine sends strikingly beautiful photographer Claire Shipley to report on a promising new medication made from green mold, Claire, 36, the single mother of a young son, who lost her daughter to blood poisoning eight years before, is moved by the drug's potential to save lives. She also becomes smitten with resident doctor James Stanton, a man with two interests: penicillin and bedding Claire. But as the war casualties pile up, penicillin becomes an issue of national security and the politics of the drug's production threaten to disrupt the pair's lust-fueled romance, especially when James is sent abroad to oversee human trials of the drug. The pharmaceutical companies—including one owned by Claire's father—realize the financial potential in penicillin, which leads to a hodgepodge of soapy plot twists: suspicious deaths, amnesia, illness, exploitation, and espionage. Belfer handily exploits Claire's photo shoots to add historical texture to the book, and the well-researched scenes bring war-time New York City to life, capturing the anxiety-ridden period. (June)


This one sounds kind of intriguing to me. Also due out on August 10, 2010 is the ninth installment of the Judy Moody series, Judy Moody, Girl Detective.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

More Pinkalicious


Oh, what a lovely day! The sun was shining when I got home and my three girls were outside playing with the neighbor boy. The UPS truck was just pulling away, having dropped off a small package that my husband was holding. What should it be? A new Pinkalicious book! Pinkalicious and the Pink Drink is a cute addition to the first book introducing this character. In this short book Pinkalicious wants to open a lemonade stand, but must fix up her lemonade since it is not pink. She adds a few pink foods, and has quite a unique recipe. As soon as I had the envelope open and was exclaiming over the fact that there was more Pinkalicious, I had three girls clamoring to see what I had. We enjoyed this story at bedtime and I can already tell this one will be on the night-time story pile for a while. And, Pinkalicious has left herself open for another adventure- next time planning on selling pink cupcakes.
Visit the Pinkalicious website.
Thanks to Harper Collins for a copy of this book

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This week's teaser:
"Alone, her breath slow and deep, she meditated on the tragedy of Linh's family. If one's meaning came from being a brick in the wall, what did it mean to have no one? To be unmoored? What did it mean in Vietnam not to be part of any family? Was that the answer to the sadness she sensed in him (175)?"
The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli


I am also so far behind that I have yet to write a review for last week's Teaser Tuesday. This end of school year stuff is making me way too busy!

Broken Memory


Broken Memory by Elisabeth Combres is a novel of Rwanda, originally written in French, but translated to English. There are only 138 pages in this book, yet the story is powerful, as we follow Emma's life after the genocide in her country that took her mother from her. Orphaned, Emma eventually finds a Hutu woman to care for her, but continues to have nightmares of what she has gone through. She is befriended by an elderly gentleman who has seen more than his share of tragedies, and a young boy who also survived the genocide though his family did not. Over time Emma's memories of what she went through return. When she makes a trip to her old home, now a heap of ruins, she is able to remember her mother, and finally let go of some of her nightmares.
This is a powerful story about an event that devastated Rwanda. I have read memoirs written for adults about the genocide, but have not seen a single book for young adults until now. This is an important book, giving a voice to those who suffered.
By book's end, Emma is able to find some hope in her future:

"Emma realized that every thing and every person had an outside and an inside, and that the two were not necessarily the same. She also saw how beautiful her country was (112)."

"At the beginning of the journey, she had been ready for anything to happen, especially the worst. She never imagined she would be surprised by so much, feel so carefree. She could see no signs of the past horror, no scars. She saw nothing on the faces around her that reminded her of the tragedy she had lived through and that had shaped the entire country (113)."

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Life In Spite of Me: Extraordinary Hope After A Fatal Choice - Giveaway


When I look at the smiling picture of Kristen Anderson on the cover of the inspiring book about her life, it is hard for me to even imagine Anderson as the depressed and desperate teenager who tried to kill herself. Anderson recounts this in her book Life In Spite of Me: Extraordinary Hope After a Fatal Choice and the aftermath of the accident. When she was just seventeen years old, Anderson lay down on railroad tracks near her house and waited for a train to run over her, ending her misery. Instead, when Anderson looked around after the train had passed over her body, she saw her legs lying ten feet away from her. Anderson shares what led her to some of the darkest days in her life and how, by developing a relationship with God, she now is able to see a life without legs as a blessing.

This book is a fast read, full of inspiration. As an adult, there are certainly things I took away from reading this book, but I especially feel that teens will find Anderson's message resonating with them. While she appeared to have it all on the outside, Anderson didn't feel happy at all inside. It is only after truly developing a relationship with God - not merely attending church and saying memorized prayers- that she is able to accept what has happened in her life. Things did not automatically turn around for Anderson after her accident. She is able to recount the various ups and downs she experienced, but watching her transformation after her acceptance of Christ is an example of the way in which faith in God works.

As a child I read and re-read Joni Eareckson Tada's story about the diving accident which left her paralyzed and how her faith in God allowed her to accept her accident. Kristen Anderson's story reminds me so much of this, and is perhaps a present-day role model for young Christians, and those who have not yet accepted Christ in their lives, but are searching to make meaning of things.

I am lucky enough to have a copy of Life In Spite of Me to give away! Leave a comment on this post including your email address by 11:59 PM on Friday, May 21 to be eligible to win.
This book was provided by Waterbrook/Multnomah Press
To purchase this book, click here.


Claiming Ground


Laura Bell's memoir Claiming Ground is one that grew on me as I read...one that I wish I had been able to read without interruptions the entire way through. This weekend started with a sleepover at my house and the reading time I found was not large chunks of time, but just moments in-between getting, helping, finding things for a group of girls. Finally yesterday afternoon when I returned from my library trip I was able to read uninterrupted for an hour and really get into this book.

Bell's writing is beautiful, and it is no wonder that her book is on Barnes and Nobles' Discover New Writers Summer 2010 list. In the 1970s Bell became a sheepherder in Wyoming's Big Horn Basin after graduating from college. Her life there was one of solitude, an only woman among other males in the profession. Bell writes of the beauty of the land, but also of the hardships she faces. Decades pass and Bell experiences a marriage that eventually fails, different jobs, heartache and joy all the while looking for a place to make a home.

I truly did love this book, and uncharacteristically, I really tried to slow down my reading and enjoy Bell's writing (I will admit that usually I am a very fast reader- looking over my TBR stacks and knowing I must be quick in order to get through the other items I have waiting).


"...but what he couldn't have known then was that these were just two of a generous handful of seeds that would germinate and start up the trellis, sending out runners and binding us together (82)."


This is a beautiful, honest memoir - definitely worth my time. My only regret is that it took me so long to get into it and find some quiet time to read.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Library Loot


Today I made a stop at the public library where I dropped several things off, but like always managed to pick up quite a few more things.

Here's what I'll be reading after I get through the enormous stack of library loot already accumulated at my house:


Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine (I have been wanting this one for a while now)

Tracktown Summer by Elizabeth Holmes

All of a Kind Family Uptown by Sydney Taylor (our next read aloud at bedtime)

Kaleidoscope Eyes by Jen Bryant (this one will count for the Vietnam War challenge)

The Great Death by John Smelcer

The Importance of Wings by Robin Friedman


Adult Picks

Come Sunday by Isla Morley

The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry

All of a Kind Family


Lately I have been struggling to come up with a chapter book to read aloud to my daughters at bedtime. My oldest daughter reads chapter books to herself now, and seems to prefer that to my reading to her (this makes me a little bit sad, but I remember feeling the same way when I was her age). Often if we do start a book that we all seem to be enjoying, she will pick it up again before bedtime, reading far past where we last left off. Then she no longer has a need to listen and finds other things to do during our nightly reading ritual. Part of me would like to restrict her from reading in-between our nightly reading time, yet I also know what it is like to want to keep reading and would have hated anyone restricting me!

I ended up picking All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor to try as our next read aloud, not sure if I had read it while growing up. It was an instant hit with my middle daughter who begged for me to read more each night. And, while I don't remember the entire book, I do remember snippets of it - like when Mother hides the buttons in an effort to get her daughters to do a better job dusting. Each chapter provides another new adventure for the five sisters, and also gave us a lot to talk about - because of the time period this book takes place there are things to discuss and describe to help them understand. Because my children don't have any exposure to the Jewish culture many of these things also needed to be explained. My oldest daughter did manage to listen to the entire story and today when we make our library visit we will be looking for the next book, All of a Kind Family Uptown.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Indivisible - Blog Tour


Despite my best intentions, here I am at the last minute working feverishly on finishing Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann for its blog tour. This week has been crazy - school is trying to wind down as the kids seem to be winding up - and I have been frantically helping seventy plus fourth graders work on state reports and suffering from the departure of my fabulous student teacher whose help the past seven weeks has been wonderful.


Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann is the first book I have read by this author, and I must say that I feel a bit behind the times as I read over her biography and accomplishments. Indivisible is a book full of psychological suspense, a page turner, set in a beautiful Colorado small town.

The story is entirely believable: Jonah Westfall, the chief of police comes across a pair of raccoons that have been mutilated- sewn together. Westfall begins to investigate this crime, hoping that by his early involvement things don't escalate. This small town setting provides an interesting cast of characters in Tia, a Redford native and shop-owner, Piper who has relocated to this beautiful setting, Liz Rainer, the town's veterinarian, and a host of other people whose friendships and relationships make up the small town's dynamics.

As I said, this novel is one of suspense, and I don't want to give away too much, except that from early on I felt there was something a little bit off about one of the characters. As things progress it becomes evident that things aren't just a little off - they are completely bizarre - frighteningly so and what has been hidden is a very scary psychological problem.

These hints kept me turning the pages, racing to the end to find out how things would be resolved. Those looking for some suspense should try Indivisible.

Click here to listen to an interview with Kristen Heitzmann.
This book was provided by Waterbrook/Multnomah

Friday's Book Blogger Hop

It's Friday again! Time for another Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Jen at Crazy For Books. This is a place for book bloggers to find some new and interesting blogs to check out.

Here are some of the blogs I've found in the past week:
Caroline Bookbinder
Audrey's Country Crafts
A Sea of Books
5 Minutes Peace
Reading Junky
I am looking forward to finding time tonight - or perhaps tomorrow - since two of my daughters are having friends sleep over -to check out some new book blogs. Happy Hopping!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Men and Dogs


Katie Crouch's latest book Men and Dogs was a fun read - full of things I enjoy most in a good book.

Hannah Legare is a grown woman who drinks too much, cheats on her husband and is still unable to come to terms with the loss of her father who disappeared in April of 1985 from his boat without a trace. Hannah leaves her home in San Francisco and visits her hometown in South Carolina, full of Southern charm. Because Hannah has always believed there was more to her dad's disappearance than she knew, she sets about learning a bit more about her past, uncovering some old photos that explain more than she realized. While there Hannah also manages to evaluate some things in her past - like her relationships with her high school boyfriend and stepfather. Hannah's brother, Parker, is also affected by his father's disappearance. Although he has always believed his father is dead (unlike Hannah who continues to look for him wherever she goes) he is a professional gay man who finds it hard to actually commit in a relationship -ending them when things appear to be getting more serious. While he seems stable in comparison to Hannah, there is no mistake that he has also been affecte by his father's departure, and has felt since childhood that he was responsible for it.

I loved the Southern setting. Crouch reeled me in almost instantly with her references to Hannah's childhood in 1985, a year I remember rather well, being just a year or two older than Hannah. When Men In Truck's, Crouch's first book, came out, I will admit I didn't just love it. In fact, I wasn't sure I was going to read Men and Dogs, but fell in love with the cover, and felt like perhaps I had not given Men In Trucks a fair shot. (I remember this as one of the books I read while running on the treadmill, and perhaps the half hour long snippets of reading with several days in-between was not the best reading experience for this book).

I ended up thoroughly enjoying this book. I would happily pass this on to friends looking for a good read, and I will be looking for Crouch's next book with anticipation.
Visit Crouch's website.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday



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



This week's pick is Healer by Carol Cassella. Cassella's first novel, Oxygen, came out in 2008 and was wonderful and suspense filled.



I can't find much information about Healer yet, aside from this quote. It is set to be released on September 7, 2010.


“A deeply powerful story about the intricate intersection of marriage, motherhood, and career. Clear-eyed and compassionate, Carol Cassella takes her readers on the roller-coaster ride of a marriage and family shaken by financial upheaval.”
-- Erica Bauermeister, author of The School of Essential Ingredients


I just know that Oxygen was one of my favorite books of 2008, and I am anxious to read another book by Cassella.





The other book I am anxious to see this fall is a kids book -
Olivia Goes to Venice by Ian Falconer. My kids at school (and my kids at home) absolutely love Olivia, and it's about time for another adventure! This one is due out September 28, 2010.



Monday, May 10, 2010

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers
!


"But the truth was that Maia wasn't a girl he simply liked. Neither was she a girl he wanted only to kiss. When he was Maia, Leigh wanted to touch her, make her laugh, help her to eat, or ask her questions (170)."
After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr


I am totally in love with this cover as well and can't wait to get a little farther into this one.

Girl In Translation


Ah! What a wonderful, wonderful read! I have decided to adopt Diane's philosophy and start reading the books that I really want to read first....not forcing myself to read every book out there. So for me, that has meant bumping a few of the books I have from the library that I have been looking forward to, to the top of my stack instead of waiting and waiting to read them.

Thus, I started Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok last night and finished it this morning. I just could not put it down - I can see why it has been getting a lot of press.

Kimberly and her mother have come to the United States from Hong Kong after Kimberly's father dies. Her aunt, Paula (her mother's sister) is already in the United States and is sponsoring her sister and niece. However, when they arrive, Paula puts her relatives to work in the sweat shop she and her husband run. Despite this, and living in a condemned building that lacks heat, Kimberly and her mother work to find the American dream. Kimberly, with her brilliant mind and the help of some teachers and friends is able to continue pursuing her education despite their extreme poverty.

Despite all the initial sadness that Kimberly and her mother experience and the many things they must overcome, this is still a feel-good book, providing an ending that made me smile. This is one book that a review cannot do justice to, but that I can happily recommend to many friends and will appeal to a wide audience.

Kwok's own biography on the back jacket makes me wonder how much of Kimberly's story is autobiographical. She came to the United States from Hong Kong, like Kimberly, and also worked in a sweatshop. Like Kimberly, her story has a happy ending as well. Hopefully this is just the start of Kwok's writing career.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Dirty Little Secrets


Last fall I caught an episode of Hoarders on TLC. For some reason I find the whole idea of hoarding sort of fascinating in a sick way, and while I was totally disgusted by the way these people live, I just couldn't help but watch.

CJ Omololu's book Dirty Little Secrets gives an entirely different slant on the subject of hoarding. Lucy is sixteen, living with her mother who is a hoarder. While Lucy recognizes the way her mother chooses to live as abnormal, there is little she can do about it. Her mother seems verbally abusive, although Lucy can faintly remember a time when her mother was kind and their home was not an embarassment. Now their home is not just cluttered - it is a health hazard. Old food, stacks of newspapers and magazines, and bag after bag of items purchased, but never opened or used take up much of the space in Lucy's home. The one time her mother was hospitalized and Lucy's aunt Jean came to stay with them, Lucy, Jean and Lucy's brother Phlip cleaned the house from top to bottom. Proud of their accomplishment, they quickly came to realize how unhappy (in fact, angry) their mother was with them. Jean quickly packed her bags and left, and Philip and Lucy were alone with their mother- once again subjected to her hoarding.
Dirty Little Secrets takes place in less than twenty four hours, the story beginning when Lucy discovers her mother dead in their home. The obvious response would be to call someone for help. However, because Lucy is so embarrassed by the state of their home she just can't make herself do that- worried that people will judge her and make fun of her when they see how she lived. Lucy's response is to attempt to clean up her home, making it possible for her to then call for emergency help. It is only after hours of cleaning that Lucy realizes how desperate her situation is and must make a decision to end this nightmare.
I really found this book rather fascinating - how interesting to find that Lucy's mother at one point was a neat freak, and that her mother (Lucy's grandmother) was a hoarder. Lucy and her siblings all had different reactions to the hoarding as well ranging from supportive to anger. And the lengths that Lucy went to in order to protect her secret were amazing.
This book is definitely timely with a television show focusing on this behavior, offering a very interesting look at a teenager's life in a household dealing with this disorder.Visit CJ Omololu's website

Saturday, May 8, 2010

The Red Thread


Once again Ann Hood has written a book that I love, love, love. A few years ago I read The Knitting Circle by Hood and was instantly raving about it. I have been looking forward to The Red Thread now for a while and am not disappointed this time around, either.
Hood certainly writes what she knows. The Knitting Circle, while a novel, shares one woman's heartbreak after losing her child. She joins a knitting circle, and while this doesn't fix her grief, it does help her see that others have their own trials in life, and eventually she does find a way to go on. Hood's own daughter died unexpectedly in 2002 and her own experiences with the loss of a child helps the emotions in The Knitting Cirlce ring true. She is able to convey in words the enormous loss and grief a child's death creates. Now, in Red Thread Hood writes a novel of adoption. Maya is the director of an adoption agency, matching couples with young girls in China. Throughout the novel the different couples' stories are shared- each having their own reasons for adopting, their own struggles with creating a family, and their own challenges in their marriages. Maya also has a few things to come to terms with. The reason she started the adoption agency is because her own daughter died after a horrible accident in her home, and unable to forgive herself she leaves Hawaii, where she lived, and her husband behind. Maya faces opportunities to allow herself to feel alive again and to share herself with others, yet she must make peace with her past first. Also included are the stories of the different babies that were given up to be adopted and how each came to the adoption agency for placement. Each story was heartbreaking - wanted by their mothers in most cases, yet not considered worth much in their country.
Adoption is also something Hood knows firsthand. Three years after her daughter's death she adopted a daughter from China. This story once again covers the feelings of loss, love and heartbreak, as well as hope.
While I am saddened for Hood's own loss, the fact that she shares a part of herself in her books makes me trust her writing that much more and has helped her to create believable, authentic characters.
I started this one last night and had a hard time putting it down to run some errands today. I absolutely love The Red Thread and Ann Hood's work.

Friday, May 7, 2010

A Faraway Island


Annika Thor's book A Faraway Island has been on my radar for a while...one of those books I thought I would like, but didn't have access to at my library yet. I read it yesterday, thrilled with it and amazed at how much I really did like the book...and totally irritated that I cannot find the next three books about Nellie and Stephie in English. If I spoke Swedish things would be great, but for right now I am stuck wanting to know more about these remarkable girls.

Thor's story is set during the very beginning of World War II. Nellie and Stephie are two Jewish girls from the cosmopolitan city of Vienna, the daughters of a doctor father and opera singer mother. When their parents begin to fear for their safety, they send their children away to Sweden, still a safe haven, to live with foster families. Nellie, at the age of seven, adapts more easily to her new way of life, learning a new language and making friends more quickly than twelve year old Stephie. Stephie finds her foster mother cold and distant and is bullied and teased by the other girls at school. Life in Sweden in a rural setting is nothing like the bustling city of Vienna. When the girls first arrived in Sweden both had been told by their parents that they would be reunited within six months, and then travel to America where they would make a new life. Time passes and as the war escalates and other European countries fall to Hitler, the idea of being reunited quickly seems remote, and Stephie receives a letter from her father asking for her help - that she talk to her foster family about trying to help them get out of Germany. It becomes very obvious that Aunt Marta and Aunt Alma, the girls' foster mothers,

do not understand the dire situation in Germany and at first seem unconcerned. Yet as time passes and Stephie shares the story of how the Nazis rounded up her family along with all of the neighbors, Marta begins to see what Stephie and her family have been through and begins to show a tender caring side that Stephie has so needed to see.

This story is nowhere near over by book's end. I am so curious to see how things unfold for Stephie and Nellie. Thor leaves readers with resolution to some portions of the plot, but the reason for Stephie and Nellie's presence in Sweden- the need for them to be apart from their parents is unresolved, and World War II is just heating up.

I had a hard time reading about the bullying that Stephie experienced...it just seemed so unfair that after being taken away from her family that she wouldn't be able to find some happiness at school or with the distant Marta. Thor redeemed herself a little on this point by the ending, and things appear to be looking up a bit for Stephie, although she is no closer to being reunited with her parents than she was at the beginning of the novel. I am soooooo hoping the rest of these books are published soon in English.

A great historical fiction novel for tweens and those interested in World War II.

Book Blogger Hop


It's Friday! Time for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Jen at Crazy for Books. Last week I added several new blogs to my favorites (I still need to add them to my blog roll!).






I'm hoping to get some time tonight to hop over to a few more new blogs!



Thursday, May 6, 2010

Falling Apart In One Piece


Yesterday I finished Falling Apart In One Piece: One Optimist's Journey Through the Hell of Divorce by Stacy Morrison, a memoir chronicling Morrison's own divorce experience. Morrison thought she had it all: a great career at a magazine, a new baby, and a recently purchased house. When her husband, Chris, announces one night that he is wanting a divorce, Morrison is shocked and devastated. The life she thought she had worked so hard for is gone - without any say from her. What follows is a period of grieving and self discovery as Morrison learns how to live as an independent single mother, making sense of her life and learning some truths about herself as well.

Throughout the book Morrison shares her feelings about how her life is unfolding and how little control she feels she has. While Chris is able to start over without having to deal with the day to day parenting issues - daycare, sickness, lack of time for herself- Morrison must deal with all of these things on her own.

I enjoyed Morrison's writing- the fact that she is a magazine editor is a good indicator that she is very capable of pulling off writing a memoir. As I was reading this book (which took me a while only because I read it only while running on the treadmill), I was amazed to discover two more divorce memoirs recently published. It seems that it is often feast or famine in terms of book topics, and apparently the topic of divorce is hot right now.

I'd like to check back in with Morrison in a few years and hear her perspective as more time has passed, and see what has transpired in her life.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday



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


This week's pick was hard for me to come up with. There are so many things out right now that I can't wait to read, but a lot of what is coming out this summer has already made it to someone's Waiting on Wednesday post. I try not to repeat books I have already seen elsewhere, which makes it tricky sometimes.


Anyway, my pick this week is Slow Love by Dominique Browning. Since this one is out in just a few days, there's not long to wait.


From Publisher's Weekly:


Starred Review. Browning's 13-year-job as editor-in-chief of House & Garden fulfillingly defined her days and her identity; when the magazine folded two years ago, she was shaken to the core of her being. Having maintained her Westchester house, family of two grown sons, extensive garden, and frequent dining out, her life and general sense of self was radically shaken over the next year, and in this enchanting, funny, deeply gracious memoir, Browning, many years divorced, recounts how she found enlightenment at the other end. Writing was one way to absorb the panic; she went on a muffin-baking binge and gained 15 pounds; lost track of days, remaining comfortingly in her pjs and yearning perilously to reconnect to a former lover she calls Stroller, who was deemed wrong for her by everyone she knew. A few small decisions had enormous impact, such as when insomnia compelled her to tackle Bach's Goldberg Variations on the piano, and poignantly she refocused on her artistic nature. There is such feeling and care on each page of Browning's well-honed memoir—her rediscovery of nature, her avowal to let love find her rather than seek it, tapping satisfying work at her own keyboard—that the reader is swept along in a pleasant mood of transcendence. (May)



Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Panama


I had such high hopes for Shelby Hiatt's young adult novel Panama. Set during the time the Canal was being built, I was very intrigued by a novel in this place and time period. And while the novel was interesting, it did not live up to my hopes.

The narrator, a teenage girl, relays the story about how her family ends up in the Canal Zone - her father is an engineer, recruited heavily to come there to work. Despite her mother's protests, they eventually move. While in Panama a few years pass. In addition, she falls in love and carries on an elicit affair with a Spaniard, Federico, who has fled his homeland after an attempted murder against their king (and his former friend) fails. In Panama he must live as a worker and loses the trappings of his former life.

I read a review on Amazon calling this a "bodice ripper." I don't think it is entirely inappropriate for a high school girl....no more revealing or adult than Judy Blume or Norma Klein. And I wasn't really that interested in the romance, anyway. I was very interested in finding out that the girl's neighbors back home in Dayton, Ohio, were Orville and Wilburt Wright. Yet since the family moves to Panama, that aspect of the story isn't explored fully. (Why waste this awesome detail in this book when you could write another book about that in itself?!)

Overall, I felt like this book was average. I am not sorry I read it, but sort of lost interest somewhere in the middle when it became apparent that the story didn't really have anywhere to go. Still, fans of young adult historical fiction novels may enjoy it, and this is the only book I have ever read offering an account of the Panama Canal Zone's construction.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers
!

"Worth was handsome enough, and he could be charming, but, as in most marriages, with the passing of years Worth directed the energy of his charm to the outer world and expected his wife to make do with whatever was left over. And Worth was becoming dictatorial (228)."


Summer House by Nancy Thayer




Kathryn Stockett


In March of 2009 I read The Help by Kathryn Stockett and instantly fell in love. Early on, I declared this book to be the best one I had read in a long, long time, and still contend it is probably the best book I read in 2009.
When I heard that Kathryn Stockett was making a visit to the Iowa City Public Library who was hosting her along with Prairie Lights Book Store, I instantly knew that I wanted to go and see her. I don't live in an area that gets a lot of big name authors very often, and having her visit - on a weekend no less- was definitely sparking some planning on my part.
Lucky for me, my husband was around this weekend and so was my mother, which helped me with childcare for the day. (For the record, my husband would have been happy to have the kids all day, but I decided that they could split their time between home and Grandma's, giving them some different things to keep them busy besides fighting with each other!) Peaceful Reader was also available, so without anything standing in our way, we decided to go for it.
And I am so glad we did! Stockett is cute, petite, and blond with a Southern accent I loved listening to. She did read from her book - a part in the back that isn't even included in the copy I own - and later on from a portion in the book where Skeeter has been called ugly and she is talking to her maid. From the moment she stepped up to the podium, Stockett felt like a friend. She didn't give advice about how to write or the steps to being published, but instead talked a little about herself and her life and the characters in The Help. After about twenty minutes she held a Q and A session. When Stockett explained that her characters sort of in control of themselves...she is just along for the ride, a woman in the audience asked if her characters were planning on writing more about themselves. Stockett didn't discuss any new books that are actively being worked on right now, but she did say that there may be a little more story left to tell. While a sequel to The Help seems unlikely, a prequel may be something to be considered, sharing where these interesting women came from.
I loved The Help back in March of 2009 and I love it still. Hearing Stockett speak was a thrill and something I am so glad I made the effort to do. So for anyone who has not yet read The Help, please put it on the top of your list. And if Stockett is ever in your town, go and see her speak.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Random Saturday- Collections

I will tell you right away that I am a collector. As a child I had several different collections: stickers, stamps, stuffed animals, Soap Opera Digest magazines, and other common childhood collections. But I also had a unique collection of items about the British Royal Family. From the age of eight on, I have collected things about Princess Diana. I have books, dolls, tins, postcards, and other random items all depicting the royal family. This is also a collection I don't go around showcasing....right now it is boxed up because I lack any space to really set everything out, and because it is, well, a little bit weird. My husband assured me when we moved that I shouldn't feel the need to unbox these items. I haven't bought anything to add to my collection in several years, and I no longer cut out every newspaper clipping about the Royal Family, or purchase Royalty Monthly magazine (yes, there is such a thing). But I do possess a wealth of knowledge about the monarchy and still try to keep up on some of the goings on in their lives.
My daughters have seen the books about Princess Diana and enjoy looking at the wonderful pictures of a princess and her different clothes and travels. Right now they are trying to decide upon something they would like to collect themselves. When Barack Obama was elected president I started cutting out items about the First Daughters - how historic to have young children growing up in the White House?! Those items are in a binder that my girls look at every once in a while. However, that collection isn't really what they are thinking of. So, we have been doing a bit of brainstorming. Mostly they are taking my suggestions about collections and thinking hard on their own. I suggested picking something that they like, but that they could also collect their entire lives (and not have to hide from the general public! :) ) . Big Sister has decided to collect cows items- Holsteins to be more precise. Middle Sister has started collecting owls (and spends a lot of time on etsy looking for things I should buy her). Little Sister is too little to really know what we are talking about, but I have made the executive decision of starting a Russian Nesting Doll collection for her. A while ago I saw an article in Working Mother magazine and the woman collected these dolls, something Little Sister enjoys playing with at my parents' house, and something she could collect over many years.
Today we were shopping at Target with Big Sister's friend, E, and discussing collections. Within the span of minutes she had decided she was going to collect monkeys and had started her collection by purchasing a monkey from the dollar section at the front of the store.
There is a reason my house is cluttered and looks lived in, and having collections of various kinds doesn't help the problem. However, the girls and I are having some fun with the idea of starting a collection that could grow up with them and that they could gradually add to.
Who else is a collector out there? What other good collection ideas have I missed?