Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick:

Next to Love by Ellen Feldman due out on July 26, 2011
Product Description from Amazon:
A story of love, war, loss, and the scars they leave, Next to Love follows the lives of three young women and their men during the years of World War II and its aftermath, beginning with the men going off to war and ending a generation later, when their children are on the cusp of their own adulthood.Set in a small town in Massachusetts, the novel follows three childhood friends, Babe, Millie, and Grace, whose lives are unmoored when their men are called to duty. And yet the changes that are thrust upon them move them in directions they never dreamed possible—while their husbands and boyfriends are enduring their own transformations. In the decades that follow, the three friends lose their innocence, struggle to raise their children, and find meaning and love in unexpected places. And as they change, so does America—from a country in which people know their place in the social hierarchy to a world in which feminism, the Civil Rights movement, and technological innovations present new possibilities—and uncertainties. And yet Babe, Millie, and Grace remain bonded by their past, even as their children grow up and away and a new society rises from the ashes of the war.Beautifully crafted and unforgettable, Next to Love depicts the enduring power of love and friendship, and illuminates a transformational moment in American history.

Two Kisses for Maddy

Before I even began reading Two Kisses For Maddie, I knew this book would be incredibly sad. Matthew Logelin chronicles his courtship and marriage to his wife, Liz, who was his soulmate. The two began dating in high school and were together twelve years, when just the day after giving birth to their first child, Liz collapsed after suffering a pulmonary embolism. She died in the hospital in front of Matthew on her way to hold her child for the first time. Matt began the overwhelming task of raising a child as a single parent along with dealing with the loss of his wife. This is not a happy story, yet watching Matt continue to move forward one day at a time, care for his daughter, and try to honor his wife's memory is somewhat hopeful. I was most struck by the pictures of Liz in the book's endpages, showing her as vibrant and full of life. Just as Matt seemed amazed of his wife's death- at times barely believing she had died- I also found it hard to imagine that this woman was no longer living. Logelin's website first attracted attention when the url was given in a Minneapolis newspaper, Logelin's hometown. The publicity this brought him helped him to reach out to other parents who had lost a spouse and eventually establish the Liz Logelin Foundation. Now, three years after Liz's tragic death Two Kisses for Maddy shares Logelin's story as a grieving widow, a new father, and helps put a human face to how a parent must go on after losing their partner.

Something Borrowed

This afternoon I met up with a girlfriend to see the movie Something Borrowed, based on the novel with the same title by Emily Giffin. I didn't go in with high hopes. Yesterday I read what Kay thought of this movie, and generally we seem to like the same books. I also talked to another friend who warned me that this movie had not received the highest of reviews, either.

Luckily, I was happily surprised. I read Something Borrowed when it first came out several years ago, so the book was not fresh enough in my mind where I was comparing book to movie. I also liked the casting. Kate Hudson was perfect as Darcy, the friend who is used to getting her own way -and getting the man. I loved Dex- Colin Egglesfield reminds me so much of Tom Cruise.

Normally I would never like the girl and guy who are doing the cheating, but Darcy was just not very likeable and I didn't feel very bad for her at all. Instead I felt like Rachel had just never asserted herself and let herself feel like she even had a chance with someone like Dex. I kept rooting for Dex and Rachel to get together. Dex irritated me a bit with his lack of willingness to call off his wedding. Instead he was stringing Rachel along while still getting to pretend he was marrying Darcy. ARGH! My friend and I both enjoyed this one. It was a good, fun girl movie - and considering the last time I went to a movie with a girlfriend of mine was in 2002, I think I deserved the two hours of entertainment. Of course, the book is always better, but this was a fun movie for me and you won't be hearing any complaints from me.

The Year We Left Home

The Year We Left Home by Jean Thompson has been getting a lot of buzz. From the first paragraph I knew I would like this book.

The bride and the groom had two wedding receptions: the first was in the basement of the Lutheran church right after the ceremony, with the punch and cake and coffee and pasel mints. This was for those of the bride's relatives who were stern about alcohol. The basement was low-ceilinged and smelled of metallic furnace heat. Old ladies wearing corsages sat on folding chairs, while other guests stood and managed their cake plates and plastic forks as best they could. The pastor smiled with professional benevolence. The bride and groom posed for pictures, buoyed by adrenaline and relief. There had been so much promised and prepared, and now everything had finally come to pass (1).

This evokes such memories of my own childhood - the church Thompson describes could very well be the church of my early years.

The Ericksons live in Granada, Iowa, and in 1973 when the book begins, oldest daughter Anita is getting married to her boyfriend, Jeff. The other Ericksons are there for the big event as well. As time passes each Erickson becomes more well known as different chapters focuses on different members of the Erickson family and how their lives unfold. There are joys and tragedies, births and deaths during the three decades this book spans. I loved the Iowa setting and its familiarity. I loved that Thompson created a family who experienced the normal ups and downs in life, that seemed completely normal even when poor decisions are made or secrets uncovered.

I just finished this one this morning, and already recommended it to my sister who was visiting. Book clubs and lovers of women's fiction will find this one very enjoyable. Sometimes when there is a great deal of hype surrounding a book it is hard to live up to the reviews. The Year We Left Home definitely is as good all the reviews I've read.

It Happened on the Way to War: A Marine's Path to Peace

I am going to admit something that I hope you don't hate me for. When I was in high school the only people that joined the military were those who would never have made it at a four year institution. I developed the idea that our armed forces were full of people who were not as bright as those who were college bound. Of course I have realized my error in judgement many times over by now. There are many very, very intelligent people in the military, and it is unfortunate that the only examples I had while growing up were those who were looking for something to do after high school was something that didn't involve more school.

It Happened on the Way to War: A Marine's Path to Peace by Rye Barcott is a memoir that would challenge anyone's ideas about the intelligence of our military.

Barcott was only twenty, a college student bound for the Marines, when he decided to move to Africa and live in Kibera, one of Nairobi, Kenya's slums. His aim was to better understand ethnic violence and make a difference in these people's lives. He began to study Swahili and eventually set up an NGO, Carolina for Kibera, which has focused on participatory development and received recognition from Melinda Gates and Barack Obama.

Leaving Africa, Barcott writes of his time in the Marines and his deployments to Iraq, Bosnia, and the Horn of Africa. He also shares bits of his personal life: as the son of two highly educated and successful professionals, and the relationship with his now wife, Tracy as the two dated and Rye struggled with his goals and dreams.

Had I harbored any misguided notions about the intelligence of those serving our country, Barcott's writing and his experiences certainly changed all of that. This was an amazing book, sharing the story of a forgotten people in Africa whose daily lives are a struggle for survival, and his own military experience and beliefs. When I checked this book out I thought I would be reading a memoir about Barcott's time serving in the military, and while it is that, it is also so much more.

Throwback Thursday

This week I have been so busy with working on inventory at school, I have hardly had time to think about what book I want to write about for Throwback Thursday. Luckily I jotted down some titles long ago, so when I am having a lack of inspiration I can at least go to that.

Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt is a book I read in fifth grade -my first experience where I remember recognizing what a quality book really is. I fell in love with this story immediately. Even though Dicey's song is the second book in the Tillerman series, it didn't matter to me and is also a stand-alone novel. Dicey has successfully shepherded her sister and two brothers to her grandmother's house after their mother deserted them in the parking lot at a mall. Now they are living with their mother's mother, a woman they do not know and trying to learn what she expects. While Grandma seems gruff and a bit abrupt, I loved this character and how she forms relationships with her grandchildren. As the series unfolds all of the Tillermans develop into such wonderful characters. I re-read all of these books while getting my masters degree, but I have recommended these books to various readers through the years and even though these books are now a bit older, they seem to stand the test of time.

Dicey's Song may be the first book that allowed me to experience a reading hangover and I still remember standing in front of Mrs. Warner's book shelf in her classroom trying to find anything that looked appealing after that wonderful book.

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: Second Nature by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Due out September 6, 2011

So far there isn't a product description for this one anywhere- at least in all the places I looked. Mitchard is one of the authors whose work I usually read and enjoy, so I am trusting that Second Nature will be a book I want to read as well.

Shark Girl

Just this past weekend I went to see Soul Surfer, The Bethany Hamilton story. Bethany is attacked by a shark and loses her arm in the attack. She makes a miraculous recovery (as if her survival weren't miraculous enough) and goes on to become a professional surfer.

I had already checked out Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham from the library, this year's winner of the Iowa Teen Award. Written in verse, Jane is only fifteen when she is attacked by a shark at the beach. Jane's passion is art, and life without one arm makes it difficult to pursue that dream. She goes through some tough times of depression, wondering why this happened to her, feeling different from her friends - all normal feelings for what Jane has been through. Being attacked by a shark has brough Jane unwanted attention - something she does not want. Yet, the letters she receives from people do offer encouragement and the knowledge that people from all walks of life are rooting for her. And, even though the spotlight is not where Jane wants to be, she does eventually develop an understanding that her tragedy could help others.

Of course I could find some similarities between Bethany Hamilton's story and that of Jane in Shark Girl, but I enjoyed both stories a lot and just felt that they complemented each other as opposed to trying to pick which one I liked more. Shark Girl is a fast read and will appeal to reluctant readers as well as both boys and girls. Jane provides an honest voice about a teenager who is forced to give up and make changes to her dream for her future.

No Biking in the House Without a Helmet

Melissa Fay Greene's newest book is a memoir about her family - having four biological children and then adopting five children internationally. Although nine children is nothing compared to the Duggars (Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar currently have twenty children, I think, unless I lost count somewhere), things are hectic in the Greene/Samuel household.

As Greene sends her oldest daughter off to college, the couple decide to look into adopting a child. Melissa had toyed with the idea of having a fifth child, but already in her early forties she was beginning to think that was not in her future. When she meets Jesse at an orphanage in Bulgaria the two visit for several days, and Greene returns to the US, not yet committing to adding him to their family. Add him they do, and eventually they add Helen, Sol, David and Yosef all from Ethiopia. These chidren are older when they come to the United States, and some have family that is still alive in their home country. Greene does not sugar coat the transition time and patience needed for these children to become a part of the family and for deep, emotional bonds to form. She writes of her own depression after adopting Jesse and the feeling of being unable to keep this child.

I loved reading about the different children, their personalities, and the way each of them fit in to their new family. I felt like Greene painted a realistic look at adoption (although money didn't seem to be an object for the family) and what it takes to make something like this work. I have my own personal reasons for enjoying this book: my brother was adopted from El Salvador when he was seventeen months old. I was ten at the time and my sister eight. I only have childhood memories of the process my parents went through to add him to our family, but it was a special and exciting time in our family. I also know how incomplete our family would be without him, and Greene is able to share how this is true in their household as well.

Anyone who enjoys memoirs, books about families and children, or adoption stories will find this book hard to put down.

So Much Pretty

Cara Hoffman's debut novel So Much Pretty is a suspenseful story of a small town that experiences not one but two crimes in quick succession.

Although I had read different reviews of this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. Told by various characters, this is a story about two women involved in violent crimes. Wendy White, a young woman in the town of Haeden goes missing. When her body is discovered five months later people in town believe the crime was committed by a drifter, that no one they know could have killed one of their own. Stacy Flynn, a reporter from Cincinatti has come to Haeden to cover environmental issues, but instead finds this crime her newest news source. She is frustrated by the local reaction to Wendy's disappearance and their lack of belief that someone they know could have killed her. Alice Piper and her family have lived in Haeden for several years. Not originally from the small town, they have more education and some off the grid ideas they don't share with others. Alice is also extremely intelligent. When she becomes involved in a second crime the entire town is affected.

This is one ending I didn't see coming at all. Although I knew that White's disappearance was the main story of the novel, the changing narration and various viewpoints kept me guessing up until the end. While I didn't love So Much Pretty I also feel like this is one novel that will continue to make me think about it for a while after I have read it. Hoffman is a new author, one I would happily read again.

Sunday Salon

For weeks now I have been commiserating about the lack of warm spring weather in our area. Well, today we had a little burst of humidity followed by a tornado watch. I had just taken my oldest daughter to a graduation party for her teacher's daughter when the tornado sirens in town went off. Down we traipsed to the basement. My oldest daughter HATES storms so this almost sent her into a panic. My husband was at home mowing the lawn, but luckily he did come indoors and head downstairs with our two younger daughters. Now the sun has come out again. This is Iowa weather at its best.

Yesterday began with rain showers that cleared off leaving a beautiful warm spring afternoon. Our neighbors had a party last night that we went to for several hours. I tried to make cake balls yesterday that look so disgusting that there is no way I could ever show them to anyone except my family. My middle daughter has eaten a ton and so have I, making me feel rather disgusting.

I ran ten miles today in an attempt to ward off the few thousand extra calories I ingested by eating cakeballs. I also began to read Melissa Fay Greene's No Biking in the House Without a Helmet, a memoir of Green's life adopting five children from various countries as well as raising her four biological children. So far I am loving it.

In the past week I have seen two movies. The first, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules I enjoyed very much. I haven't read a single Diary of a Wimpy Kid book - they just don't appeal to me, but I can see why kids enjoy them. My own daughter can pick one up and read it in one sitting. The second movie was Soul Surfer about Bethany Hamilton's amazing encounter with a shark that resulted in her losing her arm. Her story is so inspiring and the movie was awesome. Unfortunately I only saw about 60% of the movie. My youngest daughter has an extreme aversion to blood. I never really thought about this when I decided to take her with us to the movie. As soon as the shark attacked Bethany my daughter complained she was sick. A few trips to the drinking fountain, pale skin, pasty skin, sweating then becoming clammy, and eventually puking in the trash can outside of the theater was the result of seeing all the blood when Bethany was attacked. My kind husband came and got our daughter, allowing me to stay for the movie with my oldest daughter and her friend she invited. I would happily see this movie again. It had such a good message and wasn't too preachy but still shared some of the Hamilton's faith.

Tomorrow it's back to school where I am busily working on inventory. I'm hoping to get a review of So Much Pretty by Cara Hoffman written tonight since I finished that up this weekend. My oldest two girls are done with school on Tuesday, so it looks like summer is almost ready to begin.

Maine

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan is a book I received from Amazon's Vine program. I had seen this book on lists of summer beach reads, and was looking forward to reading it - especially since Sullivan's debut novel is still sitting on my TBR stack.

Maine is a book about three generations of women. Alice, the matriarch is in her eighties, living alone in her beach house in Maine. She isn't a lovable character, yet when she shares her story about her own life - especially the loss of her sister Mary for which she blames herself, it is hard not to have a little more compassion for Alice.

Her daughter Kathleen, has never been close to her mother. She and her common-law husband Arlo live in California, far from the family, and have not been back to Maine for a summer in a decade. Kathleen's daughter Maggie finds herself pregnant and newly broken up with her boyfriend. She comes up to Maine to spend some time there in the cottage next to her grandmother's place. And Ann Marie, married to Kathleen's brother Patrick is also in Maine, coming to spend some extra time with Alice because she is worried that Kathleen is not coming and her aging mother-in-law will be alone for too long. Kathleen has always felt a bit irritated with Ann Marie, perhaps measuring her own job as a mother against Ann Marie's, and always aware that Ann Marie and Patrick have more than she does.

Each woman narrates various chapters in this novel, making it easy to identify with the various attitudes and dramas that unfold. I gave this book a high rating on Amazon, and genuinely enjoyed each and every page. Other reviewers were not so kind, finding fault with the characters, believing them to be too whiney, too mean, too self-involved. What attracted me to these characters is that they seemed real. I could understand why Kathleen felt as she did, even though I didn't necessarily like her. I could see how Ann Marie felt alone and worthless after devoting her entire life to raising her children. Alice was also not a likeable character, and yet, there were things about her that I did find I could relate to. A blurb for this book indicates that this book is funny, and yet I would not categorize Maine in this way at all. This is a women's fiction novel. Sullivan explores the complex relationships in families, the way ideas and beliefs about others develop over time. Even as I turned the last page on this book, I will continue to think about these characters and will look for more from Sullivan in the future.

Throwback Thursday

It would be just too pathetic for me to miss a second Throwback Thursday, so even though I feel bed calling, I am also feeling the call to blog. Last week's blogger problems made it impossible to access my blog to post, but this week is so late because I had a busy day at school followed by another busy evening- this time attending my youngest daughter's spring program at preschool.

A series of books I loved, loved, loved growing up was the Love Comes Softly series by Janette Oke. In my mind I was maybe only eight or nine years old when I read the first book. I know my mom ordered it for me from a book order and I tried to read it long before I really could enjoy it without it being work. When I finally did read it, I loved it. Eventually I owned the entire series that continued the story of Marty and Clarke and their children. I'm not sure what happened to the books I owned, but eventually I have re-acquired the whole collection. This is a series that I have on my list to eventually start with my oldest daughter, and I also want to re-read these.

I did a good amount of Christian fiction reading while growing up and these books were the type that my mom could give me without worrying about the content. I loved books like Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder that center around pioneer life. The Love Comes Softly series is a pioneer series that had a lot of appeal simply for that reason.

While Janette Oke has written many, many books, and I have tried reading some of her others, nothing compared to Love Comes Softly for me. Even though these books were published long ago, they have sort of a timeless quality. It's amazing to me that even though I haven't read any of these books in at least twenty five years, the general idea and the characters in these books continue to remain in my mind and give me many happy memories.

A Bit of India

Every once in a while I catch myself reading several books in succession on a certain topic. Last week the three books I read happened to all be set in India. Rather than review each title individually, I just decided to wait and review them all together.

Saraswati's Way by Monika Schroder is an upper elementary/middle grade novel about a boy Akash, who loves math and dreams of attending school. His existence is hand to mouth at best as he and his widowed father live in a rural Indian community, trying to eke out their existence. When his father dies, Akash leaves home and begins life on the streets of India. He comes in contact with different groups of people who try to tell him how to survive, sometimes giving him bad advice. Akash's story certainly brings to light the problem of children living on the streets of India. While I've never seen the movie, I had visions of Slumdog Millionaire in my mind as I read. Akash is blessed with a gentleman who befriends him and helps guide him in a more positive direction, but certainly most of the children in India who are left to the streets are not as fortunate. Readers will certainly have their eyes opened to this population of children and the struggles they endure. Akash's love of math, the various math and number tricks that are shared make this a great book as well. I can see many a teacher enjoying this as a read aloud.

Karma: A Novel In Verse by Cathy Ostlere is also set in India - this time in 1984 when Indira Gandhi is assassinated. Maya has grown up in Canada with Indian parents who left their country because her mother is Hindu and her father is Sikh. Inter-religious marriages are frowned upon in India and the two decide to make their life far away from their homeland. Now, Maya and her father are returning to India. Maya's mother has died and the two are taking her ashes to her family. During their visit there Indira Gandhi is killed and the country is in upheaval. Maya and her father get separated and Maya is eventually taken in by a family. Their son, Sandeep, also keeps a journal and it is by reading his diary entries that Maya's story is revealed.

While I am not always a fan of novels in verse I enjoyed the way this book was written. When I first realized that this book was to be set during Indira Gandhi's assassination I was hoping to learn about this event in history. There was not as much about this as I hoped for and despite the wonderful reviews I read about this book, I had a harder time getting into this one.

The last book, and the one in which I learned the most about India by far is Sideways on a Scooter: Life and Love in India by Miranda Kennedy. I love memoirs, so getting to read of Kennedy's time in India as a reporter was fascinating to me, especially since I read her book on the heels of two other books also set in India.

Kennedy verifies everything I discovered in Saraswati's Way about children living on the street. The focus of this book is really what life is like for women in India, and the different ways in which Indian women live compared to women from the United States. Kennedy was accustomed to being independent, yet when she moved to India it became obvious from the start that her life would be dramatically different. Even renting an apartment was difficult since many landlords didn't want to rent to single women. While there Kennedy made friends with some different women who she also writes about as they date and are also on a quest to find a husband. Even today marriages are mostly arranged, and love matches are not common. Kennedy writes of the smells and sounds of India, the weather, the fashion, the caste system all with the ability to make me feel as though I were transported to this faraway country.

India is such an interesting country and all three of these books did a great job of generating even more interest in this culture.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.
This week's pick: The Girl in the Blue Beret by Bobbie Ann Mason

Due out: June 28, 2011

Product Description taken from Amazon:

Inspired by the wartime experiences of her late father-in-law, award-winning author Bobbie Ann Mason has written an unforgettable novel about an American World War II pilot shot down in Occupied Europe.When Marshall Stone returns to his crash site decades later, he finds himself drawn back in time to the brave people who helped him escape from the Nazis. He especially recalls one intrepid girl guide who risked her life to help him—the girl in the blue beret.At twenty-three, Marshall Stone was a U.S. flyboy stationed in England. Headstrong and cocksure, he had nine exhilarating bombing raids under his belt when enemy fighters forced his B-17 to crash-land in a Belgian field near the border of France. The memories of what happened next—the frantic moments right after the fiery crash, the guilt of leaving his wounded crewmates and fleeing into the woods to escape German troops, the terror of being alone in a foreign country—all come rushing back when Marshall sets foot on that Belgian field again.Marshall was saved only by the kindness of ordinary citizens who, as part of the Resistance, moved downed Allied airmen through clandestine, often outrageous routes (over the Pyrenees to Spain) to get them back to their bases in England. Even though Marshall shared a close bond with several of the Resistance members who risked their lives for him, after the war he did not look back. But now he wants to find them again—to thank them and renew their ties. Most of all, Marshall wants to find the courageous woman who guided him through Paris. She was a mere teenager at the time, one link in the underground line to freedom.Marshall’s search becomes a wrenching odyssey of discovery that threatens to break his heart—and also sets him on a new course for the rest of his life. In his journey, he finds astonishing revelations about the people he knew during the war—none more electrifying and inspiring than the story of the girl in the blue beret.Intimate and haunting, The Girl in the Blue Beret is a beautiful and affecting story of love and courage, war and redemption, and the startling promise of second chances.

Hopefully I can get myself back into the groove of blogging daily. Aside from being busy with school, I'm not sure what else I can attribute my slacker-ness to. I am still reading - and my TBR stack is higher than ever.

Book Blog Hop

The Book Blog Hop is hosted by Jen at Crazy For Books.

I am finally able to access my blog again. YAY! I'm not sure what happened for a day or so, but it looks like I'm back in business.

This week's question:

Are you going to Book Expo America and/or the Book Blogger Convention this year?

Sadly, no. Unfortunately neither are held anywhere close to where I am located geographically. And, BEA falls at the end of my school year. I can't be gone from work during this time of year, so it seems at this point that I will never get a chance to attend this event. Sigh. I love reading all the blogs about others trips there and I am so jealous of the amazing ARCs they come home with.

I am so ready for a weekend! I can't wait to get home and relax - and probably begin cleaning because my house looks frightening!

The Lemonade Crime

When I saw The Lemonade Crime by Jacqueline Davies available through Amazon Vine, I knew it was going to be one of the books I picked to review in May. I read The Lemonade War a while ago and enjoyed it. The students I have given it to have loved it - more than I thought they would. My own daughter really, really liked the Lemonade War and was so excited to get a copy of The Lemonade Crime that I had to promise her I would let her read it before I did.

As far as The Lemonade War goes, I liked it. The story centers around siblings Evan and Jessie and the competing lemonade stands they run. The siblings who used to get along are at odds over the summer because Jessie is being skipped ahead a grade and will be in the exact same class as Evan, much to his dismay. At book's end all the money that both sibling have earned mysteriously disappears and Evan and Jessie are pretty sure they know who took it.

The Lemonade Crime picks up where the first book left off and Jessie goes about trying to prove that Scott Spencer, a fourth grade boy in their class, took the money from Evan's shorts pocket when he changed from his swimsuit at a friends house in the room where Evan's shorts were. No one saw him take the money, but Jessie is sure that her circumstantial evidence means he is guilty. Jessie, who has read a legal flier her mother has written begins to set up a trial that will be held to decide Scott's guilt or innocence. Things don't go exactly as planned and Jessie's "slam-dunk" case isn't easily resolved.

I liked this one a lot. A lot. More than The Lemonade War. Sometimes in The Lemonade War it felt like it was written with the intent to teach - making it a bit unbelievable to me at times. I don't think student readers felt the same about it, but that was my initial reaction. Although there is still teaching done in The Lemonade Crime, it didn't feel as forced or contrived. Jessie is able to teach a lot about the legal system and how it works. Each chapter begins with a vocabulary word directly relating to the idea of conducting a trial. While The Lemonade War left off with a bit of a cliffhanger as we wondered what happened to Evan and Jessie's money, there is a good resolution in this installment.

Readers won't be disappointed by this sequel at all. I already have a fifth grade class begging me to let them read The Lemonade Crime, and it also received at thumbs up from my daughter.

The Four Ms. Bradwells

Meg Waite Clayton's sophomore novel, The Four Ms. Bradwells, is one I was anxiously looking forward to. I loved, loved, loved The Wednesday Sisters so much when it was published a few years ago. Over the past few weeks I have been in a bit of a reading slump and even though I have some really great books - probably TOO many - really great books to read, I don't have a lot of motivation or time to get them done.

The Four Ms. Bradwells was started a while ago. I picked it up and got a ways into it, and then started some other things that were due back to the library sooner than The Four Ms. Bradwells. I started it again, and then put it down again. By this point I was far enough into it that I was frustrated by not really feeling connected to the characters at all. So, I put it down again. On Monday I pulled it out of my school bag and decided I was really going to put some effort into this book. And that meant starting to read it all over again. Doing something like that is really painful for me. In fact, I can't even remember the last time I have had to start a book over from the beginning. But the pay-off was worth it. Although I didn't love The Four Ms. Bradwells as much as The Wednesday Sisters, I did like it, and I am happy I made decision to give this book a fair shot.

The Four Ms. Bradwells are four women who attended law school together. Betts, Laney, Mia, and Ginger are all from different backgrounds, but forge a friendship at law school and are close even 25 years (give or take a few years) later. They have raised families, been in and out of love, married, divorced, buried parents, achieved professional success and failures in this time. Now as Betts awaits a Supreme Court nomination the four women come together again. They return to Ginger's family's summer home on a secluded island where they plan to relax and leave the media scrutiny that Betts is under, behind. However, the women all reflect on what happened on the island during their first visit, an event that Betts was questioned about during her confirmation hearings.

There is a bit of mystery surrounding the events of this weekend so many years ago, even though I don't think it was Clayton's intent to create suspense. This book is truly a women's fiction novel that explores friendship between women and how these bonds grow and change over many years. I was interested by Clayton's decision to write this novel in the present over the span of just three days with little of the action truly taking place in this time frame. Much of the book is dedicated to the weekend that Betts is questioned about and the friendship these women forged. I have read many books with alternating narrators and enjoy that style of writing. I enjoyed it in The Four Ms. Bradwells, but also recognized that I was having to pay a great deal of attention to who was narrating each chapter. Still, even with restarting this book, I didn't feel a strong connection to any one character and was not able to discern one narrator's voice from the others.

As with The Wednesday Sisters, I wonder how much of this novel was farmed from Clayton's own experiences. She, like the Four Ms. Bradwells, also graduated from law school. Knowing that I found this novel more engaging and interesting because I assume there must be a personal connection somewhere in this story.

Although I may seem critical of this novel, I also admit to enjoying it a great deal. While this is not a novel I am gushing about, I feel it is one that - even now and as time passes- I will grow to appreciate more after having completed it.

I'd love to hear other thoughts on The Four Ms. Bradwells. Discussion, anyone?

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.
This week's pick: The Magic Room by Jeffrey Zaslow

Due out January 2012

Information from MagicRoombook.com:

Jeffrey Zaslow, The New York Times bestselling journalist, takes us to a remarkable small-town bridal shop, where generations of mothers and daughters have shared precious dreams of love and life. You may not have heard of Fowler, Michigan, much less Becker’s Bridal. But for the thousands of women who have stepped inside, Becker’s is the site of some of the most important moments of their lives—moments that speak to us all. Housed in a former bank, the boutique owners transformed the vault into a “magic room,” with soft church lighting, a circular pedestal, and mirrors that make lifelong dreams come true. Illuminating the poignant aspects of a woman’s journey to the altar, The Magic Room tells the stories of memorable women on the brink of commitment. Run by the same family for years, Becker’s has witnessed transformations in how America views the institution of marriage; some of the shop’s clientele are becoming stepmothers, or starting married life for a second time. In The Girls from Ames, Jeffrey Zaslow used friendships to explore the emotional lives of women. In The Magic Room, he turns his perceptive eye to weddings and uses the tradition to explore the hopes and dreams we have for our daughters. Weaving together secrets, memories, and family tales, The Magic Room explores the emotional lives of women in the twenty-first century.

Another Day...

This morning my oldest daughter reminded me that I have not blogged in two days. Time does fly, I guess. I have been in a bit of a reading funk this past week. Not because I don't have tons of awesome books waiting for me, but mostly because this time of year is busy. I am finishing up my classes at school and will begin inventory soon. My daughters will be getting out of school before I do and have had soccer, a spring concert, Girl Scout activities, and various other things taking up our evenings. The new puppy is fun but time consuming. I would love to look ahead to summer and plan a fun trip or two, but I'm just not there yet.

I had a great Mother's Day yesterday. Both of my younger daughters had already given me their gifts on Saturday. My oldest daughter surprised me with a plant in a pot she decorated. My husband took my oldest daughter on an errand on Saturday and the two of them also picked out a beautiful bracelet for me. Usually I am not so lucky on Mother's Day. At church all of my daughters played in a bell choir. Afterwards we had lunch at my mom and dad's house and even took a walk to our creek - or crick- as we have always called it. (My oldest daughter seems confused by how we would ever get "crick" out of creek. I agree). The weather was nice. We saw the sun.

Last night we finished (finally!) the tenth and last book of the Phyllis Reynolds Naylor The Boys Start the War series. All of us enjoyed every single installment in this group of books, and since I often read in the living room, I noticed my husband listening in often. I am on the hunt for more good read alouds for our family over the summer. Tonight we are starting The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis. After that we will begin Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. If you have suggestions, please share. I would hate to run out of books!

And, I will have new reviews to post shortly. I have a couple books I am working on and just got back from a lunchtime trip to the library where I acquired another huge stack!

Book Blogger Hop

Friday's Book Blog Hop is hosted by Jen at Crazy for Books.

I have missed the past few hops just due to general busy-ness at this time of year. This week I am a bit late, but figure it's better late than never.

This week's question:

"Which book blogger would you most like to meet in real life?"

Instantly several bloggers come to mind. There are so many bloggers I feel as though I know just from reading their posts.

Lisa from Books, Lists, Life, Kay from My Random Acts of Reading, Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea, Ti at Book Chatter, Jannsen at Everyday Reading, Melissa at Gerbera Daisy Diaries, Katie at Book Love and Margo at Fourth Musketeer are a few of the bloggers I have enjoyed getting to know through their blogs.

The weather is nice and beginning to feel like spring, and I am hoping for some reading on my screened in porch as opposed to lawn work.

The Wilder Life

Laura Ingalls Wilder's books were introduced to me at such a young age that I can hardly imagine not knowing about this amazing girl and her pioneer family. Even as an adult these are some of my most beloved books I remember from childhood and ones I try and introduce young readers to. Two summers ago I read the entire series to my children, and will probably do so again in another few years as my younger two daughters become older and will need to hear the stories again in order to really remember them.

Wendy McClure's book The Wilder Life chronicles her own obsession with all things Laura. Having read the books just a couple of years ago, McClure's references to different anecdotes in the various books are fresh in my mind, helping me to appreciate them all the more. And, although I would have considered myself fairly knowledgeable about the Ingalls family, McClure's research and intensity for this subject brought many things to light for me.

First of all, I was surprised by how much of the Little House books was fictionalized. Although I might have suspected that some of it was, I couldn't - still can't- believe that much of what Laura wrote never really happened to her. Yet, McClure's research proves it true, and while I believe her, I still can't quite grasp that fact.

McClure's own interest in the books wanes in almost the same place mine does. After The First Four Years, there is another book, Going West, that my mother bought me. Although I tried to read it as a child, I had little interest in it. I feel somewhat vindicated when I hear that was also McClure's response.

I have thought of taking my own children to Laura's various homes that are scattered in a few midwestern states. So far we have only visited the one in Burr Oak, Iowa, and when McClure talks of her stop there, I will admit to enjoying it especially much because I am able to visualize exactly what McClure writes about.

The Wilder Life was recently named a Barnes and Noble Discover New Writers Summer 2011 pick. It was interesting, entertaining, and an essential read for Laura fans.

Throwback Thursday

This week I have been digging out some classic picture books (at least classic to me) to share with students. I am always sad that these books rarely get checked out because even though the illustrations are not bright and colorful, I love these books. I read them when I was a child and have read them to my children. When I share them with groups at school, the kids really like these books....it is just a shame that they often go unnoticed.

Bedtime For Frances and A Bargain For Frances by Russel Hoban and Lillian Hoban are the two titles I have been sharing with my second grade groups. We have some good discussions about Frances and her friend, Thelma. We predict outcomes. We talk about what it means to be a friend.

There are a few more Frances books out there that I love. These have been around for many years but shouldn't be forgotten or overlooked.

Charlie the Ranch Dog

Mostly I am not impressed with celebrity attempts to write children's books. Yet, when I saw that Ree Drummond was publishing a children's picture book, I still was interested. And, lucky for me, I received a copy this week from the publisher. Also, when I discussed this with a friend, we decided that even though Ree is a celebrity of sorts, she has achieved that status because of her writing. So, her writing a children's book isn't quite the same as if some other type of celebrity would just decide they were going to be an author. And, this picture book has a lot of appeal. As soon as I opened it up I had three girls ready to take it for themselves.

Charlie the Ranch Dog is a cute picture book. Its illustrator, Diane deGroat, is best known for her Gilbert series of picture books and has illustrated more than 120 books. This time deGroat's main focus is Charlie, Drummond's own basset hound.

Charlie narrates this story, telling of an average day on the ranch. Although ranch life is very busy - there's cow chasing, keeping the animals off the porch, helping in the garden, fixing fences, and fishing - Charlie can't help that he is slow-moving and in need of many naps.

I loved deGroat's illustrations. The Charlie of Charlie the Ranch Dog looks and acts just as I imagine a basset hound behaves. I also appreciate the recipe for lasagna included at book's end -Charlie's favorite food. With any luck, Drummond will decide to write a few more books about this lovable creature.

This will be a bedtime story staple for quite a while at our house. Charlie is irresistible.

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin Due out June 21, 2011

Product Description taken from Amazon:

"Anyone suffering Downton Abbey withdrawal symptoms (who isn't?) will find an instant tonic in Daisy Goodwin’s The American Heiress. The story of Cora Cash, an American heiress in the 1890s who bags an English duke, this is a deliciously evocative first novel that lingers in the mind." --Allison Pearson, New York Times bestselling author of I Don’t Know How She Does It and I Think I Love YouBe careful what you wish for. Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the twentieth century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts’, suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals. Money, Cora soon learns, cannot buy everything, as she must decide what is truly worth the price in her life and her marriage. Witty, moving, and brilliantly entertaining, Cora’s story marks the debut of a glorious storyteller who brings a fresh new spirit to the world of Edith Wharton and Henry James. "For daughters of the new American billionaires of the 19th century, it was the ultimate deal: marriage to a cash-strapped British Aristocrat in return for a title and social status. But money didn’t always buy them happiness." --Daisy Goodwin in The Daily Mail

I'm seeing this book a lot of places and the more I hear the more I want to read it. How about you? What are you waiting on this week?

April Recap

April has been rainy and cold here, but for some reason despite the fact that this is perfect reading weather, I read fewer books this month than any other this year. I still ended with 25 books read for April - not too shabby, really, and hopefully May will see me reading a few more on these towering stacks sitting around my home. I also have a separate link on the sidebar of the blog listing books I have read, but I can't get the list to post without it deleting all the hard returns I've put in. Thus, it looks like a paragraph and not a list, and is way too ugly to read.
Until I figure that out, I will just need to do a monthly post on this blog.

1. The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady by Elizabeth Stuckey-French
2. Bringing Adam Home by Les Standiford
3. Three Stages of Amazement by Carol Edgarian
4. Boys in Control by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
5. Learning to Swim by Sara Henry
6. United by Meredith Baxter Birney
7. Second Fiddle by Roseanne Parry
8. The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang
9. Split by Swati Avashti
10. Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming
11. The Children in Room E-4
12. Girls Rule by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
13. Where She Went by Gayle Foreman
14. Deadly by Julie Chibarro
15. History of a Suicide by Jill Bialosky
16. Tiger Tiger by Margeaux Fragoso
17. Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper
18. Made for You and Me by Caitlyn Shetterly
19. Big Girl Small by Rachel DeWoskin
20. Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobs
21. The Girls Take Over by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
22. Cleaning Nabakov's House by Leslie Daniels
23. Queen of Water by Laura Resau
24. The Other Life by Ellen Meister
25. Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee

12 of 25 were YA/Middle Grade
13 were Adult
7 were non-ficti0n, 18 fiction
Only 1 of 25 books was written by a male author
5 were books I own, 20 were library books

I know several other bloggers list their plans for the upcoming month, already having a list of books they intend to get to. While I do have stacks of library books checked out that I do intend to get to, I don't have an actual list of other books I plan on reading. I have a few ideas in my head, but then if something catches my eye, I am famous for going into an entirely different direction. So, we shall see what May brings.

One Was a Soldier

Oh, how I have been waiting for the latest installment in Julia Spencer Fleming's Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Allstyne mystery series. And, oh, what a great read it was! This one moved ahead of several others on my TBR stack because I know there are other library patrons waiting for it.

Clare Fergusson is back home after serving her country. She is dealing with memories of her time in the military - what she saw and what she did. However, being the Reverend Clare Fergusson, she is used to helping others and doesn't give herself much time to adapt to civilian life again. She does, however, join a support group where other soldiers who have seen combat can discuss various issues they are going through. Each of these support group members adds a bit to the story and has their own drama surrounding them. Of course, One Was a Soldier wouldn't be complete without some suspense, coming in the form of a murder and millions of dollars being redirected into a civilian's own pocket. While I love these mysteries and enjoy the suspense, I enjoy knowing the people in Miller's Kill even more and am always happy to see these recurring characters and get to know them better. Julia Spencer Fleming left me begging for more by book's end....there is a nice little surprise at book's end, and while Clare seems to have found true love with Chief Van Allstyne, I am now hoping for Hadley Knox, the woman on the police force, to finally realize her feelings for another policeman on the force. This storyline was started in Fleming's last book, added to here, and is still without a satisfactory resolution....So....I hope Fleming is working feverishly on her next installment because I am wanting it now!

Emily and Einstein

Emily and Einstein falls into the fantastical realism genre that seems to be popular right now. Yesterday I blogged about Ellen Meister's The Other Life which falls into this category, and then read Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee. I have enjoyed Lee's other books, and was at first skeptical when I heard what this one was about. You know I just don't do fantasy very well. However, I had enough faith in Lee's work to think that I might enjoy her latest book.

Emily and Einstein is a fast and fun read - one I liked a lot. This book is narrated by Emily and Einstein, a dog she adopts after the death of her husband. Emily's husband Sandy died unexpectedly and she is grieving his loss and trying to move on with her life. Sandy, who was not ready to die is actually inhabiting the body of Einstein, trying to make amends for his many mistakes. He is able to communicate different ideas to his wife and give her some guidance as she goes up against his parents who plan to evict her from the home she and Sandy shared. I loved reading the alternating narration between Sandy and Emily. Both characters share enough backstory about their life together that it becomes obvious that despite what appeared to be a picture perfect marriage, there were many flaws. While Emily really did love Sandy, it is clear that Sandy did many things he is not proud of and needs to atone for his sins.

While I wouldn't normally think a book with a talking dog would beckon to me, I did really enjoy this read. Emily and Einstein was fun and entertaining and hard to put down.

Sunday Salon

This is me, Little Sister and Sammy the dog. We have survived the first week of pet ownership, working on training him to go to the bathroom OUTSIDE. After one day this week of multiple accidents, we seem to be having a bit more success. It seems that if I avert my eyes for even a moment - to do something like get breakfast for my kids- that is when he decides to poop or pee, even if he has already been outside. Hopefully we get this figured out sooner rather than later.

Our weather here is still not warm, but I cannot complain after seeing the devastation in the south. Today needs to be filled with cleaning, laundry and lesson planning as well as reading the rest of Julia Spencer Fleming's newest book that I have been waiting for anxiously. So far I am not disappointed a bit. I still need to write a recap of my April reading and a post on my thoughts of the royal wedding, too.

I am feeling well planned out on this week's menus and have everything we are eating this week listed out. At least I can go into this week with a plan in mind even if I need to make alterations as time progresses.

I can't believe it's May Day already. Now we just need the weather to catch up! My kids have just a few weeks of school left - I can hear the pool calling my name.

A Look Back

As May kicks off, I have actually remembered to look at my old reading journal from many years ago just to see what I was reading ten years ago. Ten years ago I was teaching first grade, pregnant with my first child. May was a good reading month for me. Some highlights include:

As I look at these titles, I can remember reading them and can't believe it's been ten years ago - some of these books are fairly fresh in my mind. Apparently times flies.

Do any of these books look familiar to you? Do you keep track of what you are reading and look back over your list?