Sunday Salon

Yesterday I got so busy cleaning that I barely found time to read. This rarely happens to me. Usually I let my cleaning wait and the reading sort of takes me over. Books suck me right in. However, I go back to school on Wednesday and I have been on a mission to de-clutter my house. I still will have too many books, but as far as other stuff goes, I am being fairly ruthless. I am up to seven bags of trash and 4 vanloads of stuff that is going to my in-laws to be put on a garage sale. There is another load at least waiting in the basement.

Last night we went to an 80's party and in the process of digging through my closet found lots of stuff at the bottom of it that I could also part with. Soon I will be going in there with a trash bag to begin dumping out. It is a good feeling to just get rid of this stuff. Honestly, trying to find places for things and having all this clutter is sort of stressful. If we had a house with some storage space it would all be fine, but we have a split level home with next to no storage space. Therefore we just need to keep less stuff. We'll see how far I get on this enormous project. My husband has been a bit amazed - perhaps even scared- of all the bags he sees leaving our home.

This is us before the party. Notice the popped collar on my husband. I don't have much for 80s clothing at all - but my good friend, Robin, was happy to loan me her Esprit butterfly shirt. I actually really like it for 2011.

Before I officially go back to work I have a few unofficial work things I need to get done like on-line trainings for bloodborne pathogens and three others we need to complete each year. I have a massage scheduled for Tuesday, the girls would like to go to the pool a few more times (and the weather is sunny and hot), and I plan on sitting down today and reading some more of The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy.

What about you? What do you have planned for this Sunday?

Save Me

I have become a recent fan of Lisa Scottoline's stand alone mysteries. Save Me came out this spring, and even though I am supposed to know better than to judge a book by it's cover, the cover alone had me wanting to read it.

Rose is a lunch helper at her daughter Melly's school and happens to be in the lunchroom the day of a huge explosion in the kitchen. Rose, Melly, and two other students are in the lunchroom area during the explosion leaving Rose to make a huge decision: which child should she save? There is a great deal of publicity about this tragic event, and while Rose is first lauded as a hero, she eventually takes a great deal of criticism for how she handled things. While Rose is hurt and angered by others reactions she can understand the anger the other parents feel. Yet, she also thinks there is more to the explosion than what investigators are willing to look for. In order to find out what really happened that day, Rose decides to hunt for the truth herself, bringing her into a great deal of danger as she works to clear her name.

I started reading this one last night and finished it off early this morning. This is a fast paced story, and even though I felt at times that some of it was predictable and the characters responses to Rose were a bit over the top, I wanted to keep reading. Scottoline did a great job of explaining the aspects of the law in terms of criminal versus civil suits. Rose's husband, Leo, is a lawyer and one of my favorite parts of Save Me is the way in which Leo and Rose's lawyers are able to develop the strategies of their case. While the ending is a bit trite as well, I wasn't disappointed with Save Me. This was a fun, suspenseful story that provided me with plenty of entertainment.

The Man in the Rockefeller Suit

A few years ago I remember hearing about a very interesting case on the news. A man claiming to be Clark Rockefeller had kidnapped his daughter, upset after losing custody of her to his ex-wife. While looking for the young girl, the fact that Rockefeller was not who he claimed added a great deal of intrigue to this story. In fact, not only was Clark Rockefeller not a Rockefeller, it was uncertain who this man really was.

After reading The Man in the Rockefeller Suit by Mark Seal I feel as though I understand the ins and outs of this case I remember hearing on the news so much better. I also am amazed by the many lies Rockefeller was able to easily pass off as truth. Not only did he live as Clark Rockefeller he also had two other identities he had one point used. He was originally born in Germany, and came to the United States at the age of seventeen. Despite having graduated in Germany, he also attended his senior year in the U.S. He passed himself off as a film producer, an art collector, a financial expert who worked on Wall Street. Eventually he married a brilliant business woman with an MBA from Harvard, totally fooling her for the fifteen years they were together.

This book is a fascinating look at a serial imposter, and provides in-depth information on a case I was very interested in learning more about. The Man in the Rockefeller Suit is a great non-fiction read.

Throwback Thursday

Beverly Cleary's books have long been favorites of mine. I cannot even begin to explain how much I have enjoyed her books over the years, or count the many times they have been read. When people think of Cleary the Ramona books come instantly to mind as does Ribsy, Socks, and Ralph S. Mouse. After I had exhausted what I thought was all of Cleary's work, my mom introduced me to Cleary's books she authored for older readers. What a joy!

Luckiest Girl was the first of these books geared toward tween/teen girls. Shelly Latham lives with her family in Oregon, an only child. When her mother's college friend suggests that Shelly come live with her family in California, Shelly is intrigued and excited by this proposal. Despite her mother's reluctance to let her go, Shelly does indeed spend a year in California learning how another family lives, making new friends, and participating in activities she is unfamiliar with. And Shelly manages to find a wonderful boyfriend as well.

I loved the sunny California setting, the scenes I could envision of orange groves, the busy household Shelly became a part of, the boy Shelly longed to date. As an adult I also appreciate the wholesomeness of these books as well, providing quality reading material without adult content. I absolutely love The Luckiest Girl and Beverly Cleary.

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's selection: Ed King by David Guterson

Due out October 18, 2011

Product Description taken from Amazon:

A sizzling, darkly funny, propulsive new novel—his most daring yet—by the author of Snow Falling on Cedars: a sweeping, dazzling story of destiny, desire, and destruction.In Seattle, 1962, Walter Cousins, a mild-mannered actuary—“a guy who weighs risk for a living”—takes a risk of his own, and makes the biggest error of his life. He sleeps with Diane, the sexy, not-quite-legal British au pair who’s taking care of his children for the summer. Diane gets pregnant and leaves their baby on a doorstep, but not before turning the tables on Walter and setting in motion a tragedy of epic proportions. Their orphaned child, adopted by an adoring family, becomes Edward Aaron King, and grows up to become a billionaire Internet tycoon and an international celebrity—the King of Search—who unknowingly, but inexorably, hurtles through life toward a fate he may have no power to shape.A thrilling reimagining of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex: a riveting new novel that brings a contemporary urgency to one of the greatest stories of all time

Anna and the French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins was an enjoyable YA book. The sad part is, I doubt I have anything original to say about this book - it seems I may be one of the last bloggers to read this one.

Anna has been sent to Paris to an American boarding school there. She leaves behind her family in Atlanta as well as her best friend and a potential boyfriend. In Paris she meets and makes new friends, and also finds a boy, Etienne, who she is interested in. Of course, Etienne already has a girlfriend, and even though he may not be that happy in his relationship, doesn't seem inclined to change things. When Anna returns home for the Christmas holiday she realizes how little Atlanta now feels like home and longs to be with her new friends, especially Etienne. Etienne appears to be interested in Anna, but the signals are definitely mixed considering he still has his girlfriend. While this is the major storyline, there are other minor plots occurring as well - Anna's problems with the friends she left behind in Atlanta, Etienne's relationship with his father, and her adjustment to life in Paris.

While I have never visited France, I would love to see this country. This is a quick fast read for any teen girl who needs a little romance. I also enjoyed Perkins' descriptions of life in France, and am looking forward to reading her next novel, Lola and the Boy Next Door, due out in September.

Lost in Shangri-La

I always like reading good non-fiction books and have been pleasantly surprised by the ones I have managed to get done this summer. Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff was one of these books, quickly devoured over the weekend.

Zuckoff researched this little known and forgotten story. During World War II soldiers were stationed in New Guinea, an island close to Australia. In addition to the male soldiers, WACs were also stationed there. On May 13, 1945 a group on the island decided to take a sightseeing flight, looking for an area set in a valley between mountains. An indigenous settlement existed there and was a curiosity to the Americans on the island.

Instead of a pleasant plane ride, what occurred was a tragic accident resulting in the death of twenty-one of the twenty-four people on board. The remaining three survivors were injured and in need of rescue. They were also able to spend some time interacting with this native group of people. Rescue did not come quickly. The location of the accident made it impossible for a rescue plane to land. Instead supplies were airlifted in and medics were parachuted to assist them.

This was an incredible story, an amazing story of survival. Zuckoff included photographs of these people, taken during the rescue and the survivors' time on the island. I appreciated Zuckoff's introduction to the passengers on the plane, making them real people whose loss could be felt. While this story ends with the rescue of the survivors and their return home, Zuckoff also shares what occurred in their lives in later years. The one piece I would still like to have filled in is the way in which life continued for the natives on New Guinea. Is that group of people still living as they were back in the 1940s? I am always fascinated by these groups that live closed off from the rest of the world.

If you are looking for a great non-fiction read, love history, or want to learn about a little known event in World War II, this is a great selection.

Heat Wave

Nancy Thayer seems to be publishing a book each summer much like some other authors I know and love. This year's title Heat Wave is another beach book I can check off my list and let others know about.

Carley is newly widowed after her husband Gus dies unexpectedly of an undiagnosed heart problem. Now left on the island of Nantucket with her two daughters, Carley must try and make a life for her family. Gus' parents are from Nantucket, both from old money. Despite the fact that Carley did not have their same background they all get along well. Now, however, Carley must make her own decisions, despite pressure from her in-laws to take charge of her life now that she is alone. Throw in a little bit of romance and some friendship drama and Thayer provides an entertaining read in many ways. I did find some of this novel a bit predictable, and yet was totally unsuspecting when some other drama arose. I knew how this novel would end long before the last page, but still enjoyed reading it. This is a great beach book- one that is entertaining and light.

I am also amused by both Thayer and Hildebrand's continued Nantucket settings. While I do love the setting and I have always heard the phrase "write what you know" I am curious how many more novels they can write in this same setting. Sadly I don't think my Iowa background would allow me to write something set in Nantucket, and "writing what I know" would produce a book that wasn't very interesting at all. Since Nantucket seems to be working for both of these authors, I may have to look into a change of scenery :)

Sunday Salon

Officially I have only one full week of summer left and just a couple days of the next week. Part of me is ready to go back to school and have a routine, but I have enjoyed running around with my girls and going to the pool, sleeping in a bit later and having an entirely different routine. I used to have a list of things I wanted to get done each summer. That was before I had kids. Now I still have a mental list, but I haven't really become too stressed when I don't get everything on it done. One thing on the list this year was the making of a quilt/throw for our daycare provider. She has watched all my girls (my oldest daughter started with her when she was three and my middle daughter started when she was one). This spring my youngest daughter finished up with daycare. She will be starting an all-day Pre/K program in the fall and is with us at home all summer. I meant to have a nice gift for our daycare lady but of course could never get something done on time. So, the last day of daycare came and went. We visited her a few times just to say hi. And a few weeks ago my mom (who would have to be the one to make this gift since I don't even know how) asked if I had given up on the idea. After we talked, we stopped by a quilt shop in Des Moines and purchased our supplies. That was only last Friday, and yesterday my mom had it done. I went to her house last night to help clip the squares and we delivered the gift on our way home.

I hope Karen, our day-care provider for six and a half years knows how thankful we were to have her taking care of our children. And just in case she misses my three, all of them have volunteered to spend some time with her cuddling up in her new blanket.

Tasty Muffins

Beth Fish Reads hosts each week's Weekend Cooking meme.

During our vacation in Colorado, my mom spent two nights with one of her older brothers. Everyone in my mom's family is health conscious and does a good job of eating good foods. My uncle made some tasty muffins for breakfast one morning which my husband also had one of when we stopped to pick up my mom. Both of them enjoyed these muffins and my uncle helpfully sent along the recipe for my mom to make.

Bran Muffins

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/3 c. margarine, melted

1/2 c. brown sugar

Mix

1 c. milk with T. lemon juice

1/2 c. oat bran

1/2 c. white flour

1/2 c. wheat flour

1 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

2 1/2 c. wheat bran

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Makes six large muffins

Book Blog Hop

Jen at Crazy for Books hosts this weekly Book Blog Hop.

This week's question:

What’s the ONE GENRE that you wish you could get into, but just can’t?

My answer: Science fiction/fantasy. There are a few books that fall into this category that I have read and loved (ie. Harry Potter), but mostly I steer away from these books. I always feel like I am missing out as others rave about them, but find myself extremely disinterested when
I try reading them.

This question is great, and I can't wait to hop around and see what other genres bloggers struggle with. I've missed hopping the past few weeks, so I am happy to be back at the Hop again.

The Midnight Tunnel

Suzanna Snow dreams of being a great detective like her famous uncle Bruce. However, not much happens in the small town where her parents manage a hotel. Until seven year old Maddie Cook goes missing. Suzanna is sure she saw Maddie on the night of she disappeared walking in the servant's tunnel, but no one will take her seriously - she's only a child. Suzanna continues to keep her journal of observations and is overjoyed when her uncle comes to town to help solve the case. However, the uncle she has idolized isn't quite as wonderful as she dreamed. He calls her by the wrong name and dismisses everything she says, treating her like a young child. Lucky for Suzanna her uncle's apprentice, Will, does listen to her. The two of them do some real detective work and with their powers of observation are able to solve not only the puzzle of Maddie's disappearance, but another crime as well.

This is the first Suzanna Snow mystery and I will be awaiting more. The early 1900's setting of a hotel in New Brunswick was a perfect place for this mystery. Frazier left a few details to the imagination - what really created the rift between Suzanna's uncle Bruce and her father? - that there will be more to explore in future installments. I enjoyed reading this book's twists and turns, and while I did have my suspicions about what happened to Maddie, tween readers will find this book suspenseful and entertaining.

Book Recommendations

After nearly fourteen years of marriage I can't even begin to count the number of books I have tried to recommend to my husband. I love recommending books to people. And I feel like I know the guy fairly well so the books I pick out are ones he is sure to like. Except he hates when I recommend books to him. He will go out of his way to read a book I hate, but if I tell him there is a book he should read, it is almost certain he won't touch that title. I find this extremely frustrating, but have decided to ignore it. My husband is not a reader like me. He reads magazines and reads a lot of different things on-line, but his reading is confined to a short span of time before he goes to sleep. A few years ago I started a book journal for him where I keep track of the titles he reads. He does like looking back over that, but his normal yearly reading total is right around 12 books a year.

I have been giving him a hard time lately because this year he may be off to his slowest start ever. So far he has read five books in 2012. In his defense, the one book he read was very long and took quite a while to get through. He also started helping at high school wrestling practice, so was booked up for wrestling season, too. All of his reading then consisted of wrestling, wrestling, and more wrestling.

Right before vacation our neighbor handed him Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. He didn't touch it on vacation, but started reading it a few nights ago. Tonight he has been glued to the couch and just minutes ago proclaimed that he wouldn't sleep until he was through reading. It seems he rather likes this book. Which is great. But, what about the fact that I recommended this one to him right after I read it? I decided not to even bring that up when he was given this book in fear that he would immediately decide not to like this book. I'll wait til he is done to share that. And maybe someday- another decade and a half into our marriage- he will trust that I can recommend books to him that he will enjoy.

Throwback Thursday

I'm not sure what happened to my copy of Joni by Joni Eareckson, but I remember reading and re-reading this book many times. As I mentioned before, my access to purchasing books was somewhat limited. The general store (a true throwback to an earlier era) had one rounder of Christian books to choose from. Whether this was a gift or something I saved for and bought with my own money, I can no longer remember.

This biography/memoir chronicles Joni's life after she was in a serious diving accident in her teen-age years. Paralyzed, Joni spent months in the hospital and had to learn how to do things for herself without being able to use her arms or legs. While this accident greatly changed to course of Eareckson's life, Joni went on to become a motivational speaker and someone with a great faith in God. Now married, Joni Eareckson Tada is also an advocate for people with disabilities, a famous mouth artist, a radio host and author.

I was amazed by Joni's story each and every time I read this book, but will admit to skimming through some of the book that detailed Joni's time in the hospital. Reading this book made a great impression on me about the dangers of diving in shallow water, something I didn' really need to add to my list of paranoias, and something I still am aware of today.

This book has stuck with me over many years and I am always amazed how God worked in Joni's life. She has been able to reach many people through her own tragedy - more than she could ever have imagined back when this book was published.

Summer at Tiffany

Marjorie Hart set about writing her memoirs for her children and grandchildren as a way to share her younger years with them. What she eventually finished writing was the book Summer at Tiffany, about how she and her best friend spent a summer in New York City working at Tiffany Jewelers.

Marjorie grew up in Story City, Iowa, and while I am several decades younger than Marjorie, I, as an Iowa native myself, can appreciate the culture shock of going from a rural setting to a major urban city. New York City in 1945 was an exciting place to be, and the girls were able to spot a variety of different celebrities, and appreciated their glamorous job at Tiffany. While their salary was meager, the girls managed to eke out their existence, going to dances for fun and meeting up with midshipmen. Marjorie includes some of the letters she sent her family during this exciting summer.

At book's end, Marjorie includes information on what happened to her friends and family in the years after this magical summer. She also asks the question and leaves a website to include information on readers' own memorable summers.

Sadly, I can say that I do not have a summer that would compare to Hart's. Yet, I did manage a semester program sponsored by my college in Denver, Colorado. That time away on my own exploring a different city and seeing sights was truly a memory-making adventure, and gives me an idea of Hart's own experience in 1945 New York City.

While I didn't love the writing of this book, I did enjoy Hart's story and felt as though my own grandmother could have been the one telling of her adventures as a young woman. I also appreciate the fact that Hart was able to convey to her grandchildren and children that she was a young woman at one time and still remembers how it feels to twenty years old with a life full of possibility. Hart in her eighties now is still a beautiful woman and I also enjoyed knowing that her inner struggle of deciding what she should do with her life professionally did eventually work out as she became a professional cello player.

Summer at Tiffany was a fun, fast summer read that got me reminiscing about some of my summers during my college years.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This week I have two selections that I can't wait to get my hands on. Even with TBR stacks that are still much to large- full of summer books that I have yet to read- I can't wait to see what is coming out this fall.

This week's selection: Holy Ghost Girl: A Memoir by Donna M. Johnson

Due out: October 13, 2011

Product Description taken from Amazon:

Donna Johnson's remarkable story of being raised under the biggest gospel tent in the world, by David Terrell, one of the most famous evangelical ministers of the 1960s and 70s. Holy Ghost Girl is a compassionate, humorous exploration of faith, betrayal, and coming of age on the sawdust trail. She was just three years old when her mother signed on as the organist of tent revivalist David Terrell, and before long, Donna Johnson was part of the hugely popular evangelical preacher's inner circle. At seventeen, she left the ministry for good, with a trove of stranger- than-fiction memories. A homecoming like no other, Holy Ghost Girl brings to life miracles, exorcisms, and faceoffs with the Ku Klux Klan. And that's just what went on under the tent. As Terrell became known worldwide during the 1960s and '70s, the caravan of broken-down cars and trucks that made up his ministry evolved into fleets of Mercedes and airplanes. The glories of the Word mixed with betrayals of the flesh and Donna's mother bore Terrell's children in one of the several secret households he maintained. Thousands of followers, dubbed "Terrellites" by the press, left their homes to await the end of the world in cultlike communities. Jesus didn't show, but the IRS did, and the prophet/healer went to prison. Recounted with deadpan observations and surreal detail, Holy Ghost Girl bypasses easy judgment to articulate a rich world in which the mystery of faith and human frailty share a surprising and humorous coexistence.

Home for the Holidays (Mother Daughter Book Club) by Heather Vogel Fredericks

Due out October 4, 2011

Product Description taken from Amazon:

This Christmas season, join the girls of the mother-daughter book club for a variety of holiday-themed adventures! Becca, Megan, Emma, Cassidy and Jess have plenty of reading material to bring on their trips, too, because the book club is tackling the Betsy-Tacy series before their next meeting on New Year’s Eve.
But unfortunately, nothing goes quite as planned for any of the girls. On a Christmas cruise with their families, Megan and Becca fight over the dashing son of the ship's captain. Cassidy and her family fly back to California to visit Cassidy's sister Courtney... but when the West Coast causes homesickness for their former life in Laguna Beach, the family begins to question what state they should call home. And a disastrous sledding accident causes both Emma and Jess to completely change their holiday plans.
Between squabbles, injuries, and blizzards, everything seems to be going wrong. Will the girls be able to find their holiday spirit in time for Christmas?

Your Friend in Fashion, Abby Shapiro

This summer, despite my best intentions to read the two enormous crate of tween books I brought home from school, I have spent much of my time reading adult books. So, finally, finally I read a tween novel (not even from the crates I brought home).

Your Friend in Fashion, Abby Shapiro by Amy Axelrod has many things going for it. Set in 1959-1960, I loved this time period. Abby is up enough on current events that she knows about Jackie Kennedy, recognizing her flair for fashion. Abby also has a flair for fashion and pens many letters to Jackie accompanied by some sketches of different outfits she has designed for Senator Kennedy's wife. At first Abby is designing these outfits as a way to earn money so she can purchase her own Barbie doll - a recent trend. Abby is dealing with a few things at home as well. Her parents fight often and her home situation is unique. Abby's family lives with her mother's two brothers and sister, all who have never married. There are issues with a mean girl at school, Abby's desire to wear a bra, and her family's history and Jewish faith.

Abby is such a likeable character. She struggles with many things tweens will understand, and her letters to Jackie are a way in which she can express her thoughts and feelings. Axelrod includes many sketches of Abby's clothign designs (Axelrod's own sketches from her childhood). While Abby's relationship with her father is not a happy one, she does have the support of the rest of her family, and while some girls might have tried to hide her father's abusive behavior, Abby shares everything in her letters to Mrs. Kennedy.

I loved this book and will be passing it along to many tween readers, too.

Check out another review at Fourth Musketeer.

Sunday Salon

The summer is flying by. I can say that because I am now counting down - with mixed feelings- to our first day of school. I go back on August 3. Right around the corner. I don't feel like I've accomplished much this summer, but I didn't have high hopes of that, either. With three children who like to be on the go, I have done a great job taking them to piano lessons, the pool, and a variety of fun and entertaining day trips. We also managed a "real" vacation this summer.

On Friday we took one of our day trips. My mom went with us which is always nice. Despite the extreme heat- we are in the middle of a heatwave- we managed to visit Living History Farms in Des Moines. (The picture is of the Flynn House - an original home built on the Living History site). I had never been there before and had no idea what to expect. I thought there would be farm animals, but there weren't really animals. Instead there was a replication of a town circa 1875. It was amazing. The poor volunteers dressed in their period costumes were sweating buckets- especially the blacksmith who showed us how he heats up metal and then can bend it. The homes were wonderful to tour as were the other town buildings. We ended up not doing the mile long crop walk, forseeing a lot of whining that would be involved. When we went to lunch the air conditioning felt so good. A quick trip to a quilt shop followed since my mom is helping me and making our former daycare provider a quilt. And we finished up the day with a visit to Trader Joe's. I had never been there before, and had been itching to go since it opened in November. I'm not sure what I was anticipating, but I will admit feeling a bit let down. There are some unique items there, but it isn't as awesome as I thought. Each girl picked out something they wanted to try. My mom bought oat bran for a muffin recipe she wanted to bake, and I bought some different Clif bars for myself.

This weekend we have been avoiding the heat. I have been very vocal about stating my love for this hot and humid weather. And I do love it, but wow! It is hot and humid!

Tonight I am hoping to work on a few books I have begun. We made a trip to Dairy Queen and then bought a pizza at Dominoes on our way home. My oldest daughter read the first three book in the Babysitters Club series this weekend.

How about your weekend? Is there anything exciting on your agenda?

State of Wonder

Lots of people have raved about Ann Patchett's books. This is another case of my hearing so much about an author's work that I feel like I have read more of her books than I have. This is both good and bad. It means that I have missed out on an amazing author, but it also means that I have lots of great books that I can discover. Several years ago I read Patchett's non-fiction book Truth and Beauty which I loved and Run, which I enjoyed but did not love. As I cracked this book open I realized these were the only two books I have ever read by Patchett.

State of Wonder is perhaps not a book I would think of myself reading or raving about. Yet I loved it.

The premise of this book is an unusual one. Marina works for a company that is developing new drugs. When her co-worker dies in Brazil while he was traveling for work -going to find a scientist employed by his company who had been avoiding reporting her progress- Marina is sent to discover what really happened to Anders. The scientist in Brazil was someone Marina had studied under while in school, and she continues to be as elusive now as she was in the memories Marina shares of her. Life in Brazil - both the city of Manaus and the jungle - is interesting and Patchett writes in a way that made these places so real. Although Marina continues to search for answers, she finds herself being sucked in to Dr. Swenson's research and the two week trip she had planned stretches out longer and longer. Eventually the secrets around Anders' death are revealed as is the research Swenson has long been guarding.

My synopsis is brief, but there is much more to this wonderful novel: the lush jungle setting, interesting characters ranging from Mr. Fox, the owner of the drug company, to the young couple who are connected to Dr. Swenson and befriend Marina, and the Lakishi tribe. Marina must also face her own regret, having changed her career pursuit after a tragic accident while under Dr. Swenson's tutelage.

Although I began State of Wonder with some trepidation, wondering if I would enjoy this story, I was sucked in almost immediately, finding every page beautifully written.

Breaking Silence

A few years ago I was introduced to Linda Castillo's mystery series. This summer the third installment is out. Breaking Silence carries on the story of the Chief of Police Kate Burkholder, a woman who grew up Amish and is no longer, and is now the Chief of Police in her hometown, Painters Mill.
This time there are two separate situations Kate is presented with. Hate crimes are being committed against the Amish, and what appeared to be an accidental death at an Amish farm may not have been an accident. There is a great deal of suspense as Kate tries to determine what happened to the Slabaugh family as the parents and an uncle are found dead in a manure pit, overcome with the toxic fumes. Many surprises- including an ending I never would have guessed- kept me guessing.
I love these characters and the setting. In this installment Castillo once again does a good job of conveying information about the Amish way of life by including it within the story. Castillo's novels are a bit graphic and while this doesn't stop me from enjoying them, I have heard from a few readers that find the descriptions a bit too much for them personally.
Yesterday I gave my mom the first in the series, Sworn To Silence, which she is now working on. Castillo's books are fast, entertaining and suspenseful reads, and now a series I look forward to reading more of.

Weeding

Weeding books is not my strong suit. Today, however, I decided that I needed to get rid of some books. Why this sudden desire to clean out? After visiting a friend at her new home I was amazed at the little clutter they have. That is just not my house. Books are spilling out of every shelf. Right now I have a stack in my bedroom that is almost reaching the ceiling (much to my husband's disgust). I also have scrapbooking stuff, shelves full of family games, knitting supplies, scads of magazines.....lots of things that take up space. For several weeks now I have been thinking about weeding out some of my books. I have owned some of them for a long time - years- and they have never made if off the TBR pile. And now, several years later, it seems there is not a great desire to read some of them anymore. It is amazing how reading tastes change. I am not much into fluffy chick lit anymore. At least not enough into it to keep every chick lit title I have not yet read. Currently there are between 75-80 titles in my garage sale pile. It feels rather good to have moved some things out. Of course, 75-80 titles is just a drop in the bucket. I should probably get rid of 3 or 4 times that many books. But it is a start.

Do you weed your books? What do you do with books you no longer want to keep? Any feelings of guilt that you are getting rid of your precious books?

A Bit of Ambivalence

Today I finished up Laura Dave's novel The First Husband. I really rather enjoyed Dave's writing style. The kind of writing that allowed me to feel as though I really knew the character from the first page. Kind of like we were having a conversation. But as I was reading I couldn't help but feel ambivalent.

Annie Adams is happily -at least that's what she thinks- living with her boyfriend Nick working as a travel writer, a career that takes her all over the globe. When Nick breaks up with her it seems to come out of nowhere. However, within a short amount of time Annie has found Griffin, who she falls in love with and marries quickly. When Nick shows up to ask her to re-think their break-up and give their relationship another chance, Annie has to make a decision.

Sometimes - most times- when I am reading I have a clear sense of which characters I want to end up together. Not so for me in this book. While I did think it was ridiculous that Nick even asked his married ex-girlfriend to give their relationship another chance, I didn't much have a sense of whether Annie would be happier with Griffin or with Nick. While I have heard the term "starter marriage" used to explain the many short lived first marriages that seem to occur, I still couldn't quite buy the idea that because Annie had been married for such a short time to Griffin her marriage "wouldn't count."

I won't spoil the ending by revealing who Annie chooses, and there are several subplots within this novel that entertained me. While I did enjoy Dave's writing style, I just couldn't really get into the whole Annie/Nick/Griffin love triangle.

Anyone else read this one? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

Due out August 9, 2011

Product Description from Amazon:

Wickedly hilarious and utterly recognizable, Girls in White Dresses tells the story of three women grappling with heartbreak and career change, family pressure and new love—all while suffering through an endless round of weddings and bridal showers.Isabella, Mary, and Lauren feel like everyone they know is getting married. On Sunday after Sunday, at bridal shower after bridal shower, they coo over toasters, collect ribbons and wrapping paper, eat minuscule sandwiches and doll-sized cakes. They wear pastel dresses and drink champagne by the case, but amid the celebration these women have their own lives to contend with: Isabella is working at a mailing-list company, dizzy with the mixed signals of a boss who claims she’s on a diet but has Isabella file all morning if she forgets to bring her a chocolate muffin. Mary thinks she might cry with happiness when she finally meets a nice guy who loves his mother, only to realize he’ll never love Mary quite as much. And Lauren, a waitress at a Midtown bar, swears up and down she won’t fall for the sleazy bartender—a promise that his dirty blond curls and perfect vodka sodas make hard to keep. With a wry sense of humor, Jennifer Close brings us through those thrilling, bewildering, what-on-earth-am-I-going-to-do-with-my-life years of early adulthood. These are the years when everyone else seems to have a plan, a great job, and an appropriate boyfriend, while Isabella has a blind date with a gay man, Mary has a crush on her boss, and Lauren has a goldfish named Willard. Through boozy family holidays and disastrous ski vacations, relationships lost to politics and relationships found in pet stores, Girls in White Dresses pulls us deep inside the circle of these friends, perfectly capturing the wild frustrations and soaring joys of modern life.

How Did I Miss This?

On Saturday I ran across an article in More magazine listing many summer reads. I love lists like this because of course I can add a few more titles to my already ridiculous TBR pile. Somewhere in the list a book by Julie Otsuka came up. The name sounded familiar. And then it went on further to state that it was a follow-up to her novel When The Emperor Was Divine. The title sounded familiar, too. Hmmmmm. Did I read this book? I hate when I can't remember. I did a little research on Amazon and finally decided that I had not read it, even though it sounded like a book I would enjoy. I also had a sneaking suspicion that I had bought this book when it came out. And lo and behold, when I went downstairs this slim volume was sitting right on my bookshelf staring at me. Despite the huge TBR stack of library books waiting for me upstairs, I plucked this one from the spot its been resting since 2002 (for shame!) and started reading.

When the Emperor Was Divine tells the story of a family uprooted during World War II. Japanese Americans, each family member narrates a chapter of what life was like during this time. The mother prepares the family to leave their home and report as they must to a location that will eventually send them to an internment camp. Her children - a boy and girl- narrate what life is like in the camp. Their father was sent away first and it is several years before they are reunited and return home.

Ostuka's writing is spare and unemotional, yet her writing style certainly shows the way in which a family is traumatized by the government's actions. Upon coming home life does not immediately return to normal for this family who must still battle racism and anti-Japanese feelings.

I raced through this book in an afternoon. It is quick read, but also one that is beautifully written. While When the Emperor Was Divine took me far too long to get to, I am putting Ostuka' s new book (to be released in August), Buddha in the Attic on my list already.

The Arrivals

I love reading debut novels and discovering new authors. The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore was everything I could have hoped for in a debut novel - women's fiction at it's best.

Ginny and William, parents of three grown children, spend a summer where their children come back home for a variety of reasons. Lillian, their oldest daughter has returned home with her two young children, Olivia and Phillip. She is exhausted from motherhood and angry with her husband and in no apparent rush to return to her life as a stay at home mother. Stephen, Ginny and William's son, has arrived for an impromptu visit with his very pregnant wife Jane. While there a medical emergency necessitates Jane remaining on bed rest- at the home of her in-laws- until her child is born. Rachel, the youngest daughter is also having her own problems. After a break-up with her live-in boyfriend Marcus, Rachel faces financial problems as she is unable to pay her bills on just one salary and is emotionally devastated as well. Her arrival home completes William and Ginny's family and fills the house once again. Each child struggles to find their way as the summer passes and the family adjusts once again to living together.

There is so much I loved about this novel. I loved the Burlington, Vermont, setting. I love the cover on this book. I love Moore's writing which allowed me to feel as though I could have been sitting in the Owens' house with the family taking everything in. Moore created an entertaining story of something easily imaginable.

This may be the best debut I read all summer and is certainly one I am recommending to any women's fiction readers. After checking Moore's website I am happy to find that her second book will be published in 2012.

Silver Girl

For the past few days I have been humming and singing Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel. All because of Elin Hildebrand's newest book, Silver Girl. Peaceful Reader happened to bring up the subject of Hildebrand's books the other day when we met up at the pool, asking me which ones I had read and enjoyed. Embarrasingly, I have read only two or three. I own several others and have enjoyed them so I was surprised to realize how few of these books I had actually read.

The plotline of Silver Girl centers around Meredith Delinn who has lost everything. She and her husband had it all - at least everything money could buy. When his Ponzi scheme is revealed and he is arrested, Meredith is left with nothing and no real friends, either. Her longtime girlhood friend, Connie Flute, decides to let Meredith stay with her at her home on Nantucket Island, even in spite of their falling out a few years before. While there Meredith tries to remain out of the media spotlight, someone on the island knows she is there and commits several different crimes to show her dislike of Meredith and what she feels she is guilty of. While Meredith may look guilty to much of the world those who know her best realize that Meredith was also a victim of her husband, Freddy Delinn. While Connie and Meredith did have a falling out, the two manage to resurrect their friendship. Connie, widowed for the past two and a half years, finds a widowed gentleman whose friendship she enjoys, and Meredith is also in for a surprise of her own.

I have read a few reviews of Silver Girl that have felt Hildebrand's plot was not overly imaginitive - seemingly based on the Bernie Madoff scandal that made headline news a few years ago. While I will admit those images came to mind while reading, I didn't mind a fictionalized account of what once consumed the news. I enjoyed Island Girl a great deal, took it with me to the pool a few times (where I was approached by a woman wondering if this would be a good read), and finished it on our trip to Des Moines on Friday where we spent the day at Adventureland with college friends. Now that I have another Elin Hildebrand book to add to my reading log, I will admit that I want more of her work. I have four books of hers stacked on my TBR pile as we speak and am looking forward to them.

Heritage Apple Cake

It is much to early for me to be thinking about fall and apple pie, but I have had an abundance of apples sitting in my fruit bowl this summer. I am used to taking one to school nearly every day for breakfast or lunch, and since my summer schedule seems to depart greatly from my school year schedule, the apples have stacked up.

One of my mom's recipes - and a favorite of mine to eat -is Heritage Apple Cake. This tastes more like what I would call a quick bread, but as a child I really felt like this was a cake and it was often served with a scoop of icecream or a spoonful of whipped cream. A few weeks ago I made this for my own family. Right now it is something my husband and I eat and one of our children might take a bite or two.

Heritage Apple Cake

2 c. sugar

1 c. oil

2 eggs; well beaten

4 c. chopped fresh apples

Combine and let stand 20 minutes

2 1/2 c. flour

1 t. salt

2 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. vanilla

1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Add to first ingredients. Stir together. Bake in a floured and buttered Bundt pan at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes. When cool, remove from pan and dust with powdered sugar.

I've read other posts from Beth Fish Reads' weekend cooking meme, but this is my first time participating. There are tons of other great cooking posts, and I have jotted down several things I want to try. I wish I had a picture of Heritage Apple Cake to share, but my camera seems to be having problems today and I am sure that by the time I get it fixed the cake will be long gone.

Rawhide Down

I've been on a roll of awesome beach reads lately, but my reading has not just been confined to these fun, summery books. Rawhide Down: The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan by Del Quentin Wilber is an awesome non-fiction title I just finished and will be recommending to everyone. Wilber writes of the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan in 1981. Back in 1981 I was in the second grade, but still remember coming home from school and parking myself in a dining room chair where I proceeded to watch the news up until my bedtime(in a day before we had cable TV this meant viewing ABC, NBC or CBS' coverage of this event), learning more about what had transpired in Washington, D.C., that day. Just as most people who were alive when Kennedy was assassinated remember what they were doing back on that day in 1963, the assassination attempt on Reagan is an event in history that most people can recall.

While some non-fiction books might be dry and boring, Rawhide Down reads like a story. Wilber has done extensive research on this event, and shares not only Reagan's story, but also the stories of other people affected by it. From Secret Service agents who still busy getting to know the newly elected Commander In Chief, to Nancy Reagan (attending a luncheon that day), to Vice President Bush (on his way back from an event in Texas), and of course John Hinckley (arrived in Washington, D.C., and looking for a way to get actress Jodie Foster's attention), Wilber has detailed the events of this day for all key players. While I could have given you the general outline of the assassination attempt on Reagan, Wilber has managed to clearly explain how events unfolded.

Rawhide Down was such an informative piece of non-fiction, and yet I was entertained by it as well. This is a must read.

Best Staged Plans

Claire Cook has been writing beach reads for several years now, and hers are always ones I seem to read during the summer. I loved her first novel Must Love Dogs, and have enjoyed many of the others as well. This year's title, Best Staged Plans, was a hit with me.

Sandy Sullivan spends her time staging homes for sale. She is working on staging her own home, hoping to sell it so she and her husband can move on with the next phase of their lives. Both children are grown, although their son still lives in the basement, and Sandy is hoping to move closer to where her daughter and son-in-law now live. Her constant pushing doesn't do much to spur her husband to action - he can't understand what is so wrong about their lives right now. In the midst of working on staging her own house, Sandy is hired out by her best friend's younger boyfriend to help stage a brand new hotel he has bought in Atlanta. While Sandy heads off to Atlanta to stay with her daughter, she finds out that all the things she is complaining about are just minor irritations in the big scheme of things.

While this book is pure fun, there is also a bit of a message in it, too. I enjoyed reading about Sandy's job as a home stager and references to HGTV and Trader Joe's (which I unfortunately have never been to!). I would recommend this book to women of all ages, but certainly women who are facing an empty nest may be able to relate to Sandy quite well.

So far I've enjoyed some great beach reads, and Best Staged Plans is another book I can add to this list.

Yankee Doodle Dixie

Lisa Patton's debut novel Whistin' Dixie in a Nor'easter was a book I absolutely enjoyed when I read it. Leelee Satterfield has just moved to Vermont to help fulfill her husband Baker's lifelong dream of running an inn. While Leelee doesn't want to leave Memphis she does her best to find something positive in her new life, even when Baker takes up with an aging ski instructor leaving Leelee high and dry to run the inn by herself. The weather in Vermont is less than ideal as well and Leelee is first snowed in and then must experience mud season. Although there are many things in Vermont that are not going Leelee's way and her friends are encouraging her to move back home, her chef Peter is someone she might not mind being more than friends with.

Yankee Doodle Dixie picks up right where Patton's first book left off. Even though it has been months since I read Whistlin Dixie and I do remember a lot of it, Patton does a great job refreshing this story again and even readers who didn't read her first book could pick up this second installment.

While I still love Leelee, I also loved the cast of quirky characters that Patton created to surround Leelee with. Her new job at the radio station provides interesting co-workers, an aging rock star who gets Leelee's heart beating again, and a narcissistic boss. Her new neighbor in the house Leelee is renting is a Pampered Chef consultant. And a Tupperware consultant. And an Amway consultant. And he cannot pronounce his r's leading to rather entertaining conversations.

Leelee's exploits made me laugh, but I most of all wished for her to find some happiness with Peter who she left in Vermont. Although the two talk on the phone, there is 1,473 miles between them and long distance relationships aren't known to work. I loved Leelee's girlfriends who are introduced in Whistlin' Dixie. Now that Leelee is back in Memphis the three friends are in on the daily events in their friend's life and the girls are good for a few laughs.

Although Patton tied this one up neatly, I am holding out for a third installment. I enjoy the different predicaments Leelee finds herself in, and am sure with the opening of the new restaurant she is running there are numerous story possibilities. Perhaps Patton can find another great Dixie title (Way Down South in Dixie? or Look Away Dixie Land?) to continue Leelee's story. Once I started Yankee Doodle Dixie it was hard to put down, and I'll be recommending this one to many friends.

Click here to visit Lisa Patton's website and pre-order this title.

Throwback Thursday

This week's Throwback Thursday selection has a television connection again. In case you can't see a pattern, I apparently watched quite a bit of television as a child- especially sitcoms. I loved the show Eight is Enough while growing up. I am still waiting for it to come out on DVD, but until then I have amused myself by re-reading Tom Braden's account of his life fathering eight children. The show is based on Braden's family, so there are some differences - a major one being the fact that in real life Braden's wife Joan was alive and well, while in the show Mr. Bradford was remarried to Abby after his wife died of an illness. Braden writes of different anecdotes that occurred with his children, and even though I have the actors' images in my minds while he recounts stories of his children (who did have the same names as the children on the television show), I so enjoyed hearing about what life in a large family was like. Nowadays the Bradens would be outstaged by the Gosselins and Duggars, but back when I was growing up Eight is Enough provided a unique look at life in a large family.

Has anyone else read this book? I managed to pick up my library's copy when they weeded it and after seeing how much this book is going for on Amazon, am happy I got it so cheaply.

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This Week's selection: It's Classified by Nicolle Wallace

Due out: September 27, 2011

Former White House Communications Director and current political media strategist Nicolle Wallace offers more of the insider intrigue and D.C. drama readers couldn’t get enough of in her acclaimed debut, Eighteen Acres.
For her first novel, Nicolle Wallace drew on years of experience as a capital insider to write a fast-paced, impossible-to-put-down page-turner. Now she’s back with a sequel that offers more of the juicy political gossip and scandalous affairs of Washington’s power-hungry elite.
President Charlotte Kramer, the nation’s first female president, returns for her second term after re-election and Tara Meyers is now Vice President of the United States. For Tara, making the transition from the New York Attorney General’s office to working on the national level by President Kramer’s side creates issues that blur the line between personal and professional. After botching a live television interview that gets everyone in D.C. clamoring for her resignation, she attempts to redeem herself by wading headlong into a sensational terror investigation. Unfortunately, Tara’s leading role in the case puts her in the crosshairs of an edgy public with questions about the White House’s role in the plot—and what the administration did or didn’t do to keep the country clear from danger.
Just like Eighteen Acres, It’s Classified has all the drama, heart, and page-turning delight of such runaway bestsellers as The Senator’s Wife and The American Wife .

Untold Story

There are a few things to know before reading my review of Monica Ali's Untold Story. The first- and perhaps most important- is that I am not your run of the mill American when it comes to knowledge of Britain's royal family. At the age of nine I began avidly collecting things about Princess Diana, so if Untold Story wasn't factually correct, I would definitely know it. The other thing to know is that as a child I dreamed that Diana would decide to visit me in the midwest and would fit right in with my very average lifestyle.

The idea that perhaps Princess Diana staged her own death is one I have heard before. Because she died in a car accident and - as far as the general public knows- there was a body, it seems impossible that her death was staged. Ali's book, however, changed a few facts about Diana's death in order for this plot to work. Instead of a car accident taking Diana's life, she instead stages her death as a drowning accident where no body was ever recovered. Now, ten years later she is living in a midwestern town trying to recreate her life. Her hair color is changed and she has undergone plastic surgery. And she is very careful not to get too close to anybody. When a papperazo from her days as a princess turns up in Kensington where she now lives, Lydia as she is now known, must make some careful decisions about her future.

I really liked this book. A lot. Before I started reading I wondered how I would feel about this book, realizing that I would either really like it or really dislike it - that there probably wouldn't be a whole lot of middle ground. Ali's Untold Story reminds me very much of American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld which is a fictional take on Laura Bush's life - and I loved, loved, loved American Wife.

Ali is careful never to call Lydia Princess Diana, even though it is obvious that it is Diana's life this story is based on. My one bone to pick -and it is me being rather critical- is the first sentence on the book's jacket. I rarely read book jackets, already having read enough reviews of them that I seldom need to read yet another brief synopsis. Yet, for some reason I did read this book jacket. And the first sentence is wrong. Within the first sentence it states that Princess Diana died when she was thirty seven years old. So read the sentence again and then I re-calculated Diana's birthday -a fact I know backwards and forwards- with the day she died another fact I know backwards and forwards. I still arrive at Diana dying at the age of 36. (July 1, 1961 - August 31, 1997). Not to be really picky, but it would seem that somewhere along the line someone should have caught that mistake. Especially since this is a book receiving a lot of buzz.

After I got over that, I really did enjoy Untold Story. The part I find the most unrealistic - Diana being able to leave William and Harry, who were truly the loves of her life, is well dealt with by Ali, and this story is so believable. You may want to start looking yourself in your own town for new and unusual faces who resemble the beautiful Princess Diana.

Princess Diana was a woman known the world over, and her death was also mourned the world over. Ali's novel allowed me the chance to look at the "what if" which I much enjoyed.

Summer in the South

Today is another beautiful summer day and I am just about ready to pull up a chair outside and a cold drink while I begin another summer book. Yesterday I polished off Summer in the South by Cathy Holton.

I love books with Southern settings, so this one already had a check in its favor with setting alone. Add in a little suspense and Holton's novel was a perfect read.

Ava has gone to Tennessee for the summer to stay with her college friend, Will's, elderly aunts while she starts to work on a novel. Ava grew up without money, constantly moving with her mother from place to place, and what she encounters in Will's hometown is entirely different from the life she is used to. Will comes from a family of old money. His aunts were friends with Zelda Fitzgerald, William Faulkner and even Ernest Hemingway. They happily welcome her into their home where Ava suffers writer's block initially. Yet, this is a family with a few secrets and Ava can't resist doing a bit of sleuthing to find out what really happened to aunt Fanny's first husband, and why her friend Will and his cousin Jake no longer get along. Ava knows it would be better for her to leave these things alone, but can't help herself - especially since finding out more about this family is giving her plenty of material to write about in her novel.

I truly found Will's aunts fascinating- I loved their old money and the people that they surrounded themselves with. Although Holton's novel is not a mystery- I would still classify it as women's fiction, I enjoyed the suspense in this novel. The only rather implausible aspect of this novel was that Ava actually decided to give up her life and move in with some elderly aunts of a college friend she had not been in contact with for years- and who she was not interested in romantically. Aside from having a hard time thinking that would really happen, I felt the novel was very entertaining and enjoyable.

I am trying to get through a great number of beach books this summer and Summer in the South is a perfect read for this time of year.

June Wrap-Up

Another month has zipped on by. I have been out of school for four weeks, and have just four weeks until I go back. Sigh. Already half of 2011 is over and gone. I managed to get a fair number of books read in June, with no end in sight to my overflowing TBR pile. Here's the rundown:

1. Once Upon a Time There Was You by Elizabeth Berg

2. Faith by Jennifer Haigh

3. Dogtag Summer by Elizabeth Partridge

4. Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe

5. The Bee Eater by Richard Whitmore

6. The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew

7. The Pile of Stuff at the Bottom of the Stairs by Christina Hopkinson

8. The Bride's House by Sandra Dallas

9. If You Were Here by Jennifer Lancaster

10. Long Drive Home by Will Allison

11. Mother Number Zero by

12. The Girl With the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts

13. Junonia by Kevin Henkes

14. a Million Miles from Boston by Karen Day

15. The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry

16. Fire Season by Phillip Connors

17. Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

18. So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti

19. The Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen

20. The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

21. Reading My Father by Alexandra Styron

22. Ask Me Why I Hurt by Randy Christensen

23. This Must Be The Place by Kate Racculia

24. In The Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larson

25. Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews

26. The President's Daughter by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

27. A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pyron

9 books were middle grade/YA 18 were adult

6 books were non-fiction 21 were fiction

9 books were written by male authors, 18 by females

6 books I owned, 21 were library books

1 book was read on my Kindle

So far in 2011 I have read 161 books, well on my way to reaching my 300 book goal. However, I know that with school starting and the holidays I don't necessarily read as much in the second half of the year. I'll just have to read when I get the chance and try to get through as many books as possible.

South of Superior

In McAllister, Michigan, located on the southern edge of Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, life is hard and residents in this small town take care of each other and live frugally to make ends meet.

Madeline Stone comes to McAllister to live with two elderly women, Gladys and Arbutus. Madeline knows of these women through her grandfather who had a relationship with Gladys. When Madeline was deserted by her mother as a child her grandfather refused to take her in, and now even after his death, she wants to know more about him and this woman who knew him. Plus, Madeline is running away from a few things herself- her broken engagement and the loss of the woman who raised her are both fresh in Madeline's mind and heart. Although life in McAllister is different than what she is used to, Madeline begins to enjoy her time in this small town and appreciate the residents ability to accept each other for what they are.

South of Superior was another title I had awaiting me as a summer beach read, and it did not disappoint. Parts of it reminded me a bit of my own small town upbringing, although McAllister is much more remote and almost had a Northern Exposure feel to me. While this is primarily Madeline's story, Airgood introduces to a cast of interesting characters who reside in McAllister, all unique and memorable.

I loved the setting of this one especially, and hope Airgood plans on writing more books in the near future.

A Blast From the Past

Ten years ago I was pregnant-still- with my first child. I was finishing up library classes at UNI and slogging across campus with enormous cataloguing books in total discomfort. UGH! I know I had a lot more free time back then, so what was I reading a decade ago? Five books from July 2001 include:

Recommended by a good friend, this is a LONG book. I enjoyed it but think I should re-read it more slowly instead of devouring it in a day.

What's not to like about a book about librarians bringing book to people in remote areas? Very interesting.

I can't believe it's been 10 years since Weiner's first book came out. This is still one of my favorites.

Mostly Deaver's books creep me out, but this one I found fascinating with the technology. I wonder how it would stand up ten years later.Joan Bauer- another author I love for her unique, quirky characters. I think this is the first book I read by Bauer. I haven't missed one since.

What about you? What were you reading in July of 2001?