December Recap

Even with Christmas shopping, baking, concerts and the busy-ness associated with this season, I managed to get quite a few books read and reviewed.

1. Good Graces by Leslie Kagen
2. Pearl by Jo Knowles
3. May B. Rose Caroline Starr
4. Bunheads by Sophie Flack
5. Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese
6. Crow by Barbara Wright
7. Where You Left Me by Jennifer Gardner Trulson
8. It's Classified by Nicolle Wallace
9. Defining Dulcie by Paul Acampora
10. Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke
11. The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale
12. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
13. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
14. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets of J. K. Rowling
15. Dreams of Significant Girls by Cristina Garcia
16. The Puppy Diaries by Jill Abramson
17. V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton
18. Bluefish by Pat Schmatz
19. Shine by Lauren Myracle
20. The End of Normal by Stephanie Madoff Mack
21. Carrying Mason by
22. No Ordinary Day by Deborah Ellis
23. The Magic Room by Jeffrey Zaslow
24. Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea by Morgan Callan Rogers
25. Sylvia and Aki by Winifred Conkling

6 of 25 books were my own, 4 were on the kindle and 15 were library books
12 of 25 books were adult, 13 were middle grade/YA
2 books were written by males, 23 were written by female
5 of 25 books were non-fiction 20 were fiction
4 books were read for the E-Reader Challenge
2 were read for the Read From Your Shelf Challenge

Highlights of 2011: Adult Fiction

I am so enjoying looking over my reading journal, finding books I have enjoyed in 2011.
I noticed one blogger posted her list of highlights, not a "Best of" list. This year that is my plan as well. It is hard enough narrowing the list down to highlights, and I have read so many really good books in 2011. I have divided them into three categories: Adult Fiction, Tween/YA, and Non-Fiction/Memoir.
Here are the highlights of my Adult Fiction titles for 2011:

Highlights 2011: YA and Tween

This year I refused to set a limit of how many books made my highlights lists. After all, since I have read nearly 300 books, it is hard to pick the top ten. There are just too many wonderful books out there. These nine titles are the highlights of my Tween/YA reading this year. Interestingly enough, many of them were not published in 2011. There were many titles I did not read when they first came out and I spent a while this year reading them. The year they came out should be irrelevant - they are all wonderful and worthy of anyone's time.

#300: The Magic Room

2011 is winding down on a high note for me. I have just finished my 300th book of the year this morning, and enjoyed the title very much. I have started another novel- a tween book that is also turning out to be a book I am enjoying and have purchased for my school library. There are many books to still look forward to.

The Magic Room by Jeffrey Zaslow is a non-fiction look at Becker's Bridal shop, a fourth generation family business that still operates in the small town of Fowler, Michigan. Although this book looks at the bridal business and also chronicles eight families' quest for a bridal gown and their story, Zaslow's initial intent was to look at the topic of love as he raises his own daughters.

Zaslow is able to alternate between the story of Becker's Bridal Shop and its history as well as the eight brides' stories he shares. Each is a unique story - from a widowed mother of five who is remarrying to a young woman injured in a car accident just a few months before her wedding and still undergoing therapy and medical procedures to correct the injuries she sustains. I enjoyed reading about each bride and their path to this small town bridal shop.

As times have changed I am amazed that this small town business can still exist and compete with the bridal chains and other competitors, a testament to the concept of hard work and excellent customer service, creating a place where mothers want to take their daughters as they look to plan a wedding.

I enjoyed Zaslow's writing, which I became familiar with while reading The Girls from Ames, also by Zaslow. Yet, there were times when I felt he made things seem too picture perfect, something I noticed in his previous book. As someone who is married and planned a wedding, I didn't really relate to Zaslow's theory of such a preoccupation with the wedding dress a bride-to-be selected. Tears were not shed by me or my mother or anyone else who saw me in my wedding dress. I didn't stand in a Magic Room on a pedestal to model my dress for a group of bridesmaids as many of these women did. While I do wish I had perhaps looked longer or had a better idea of the type of dress I wanted, the importance placed on this event in this book seems over the top to me.

Still, The Magic Room made for good reading. I enjoyed reading about the changes in brides through the years, the personal stories of future brides, and the ins and outs of this family business.

The Magic Room by Jeffrey Zaslow was accessed via Net Galley.

Let the Highlights Begin

I have read so many good books in 2011 (and as I type there is still 48 hours left to cram in a few more titles)! I have divided my "best" list into three parts: Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction/Memoir, and Middle Grade/YA. I'm also taking Lesa's idea and calling my lists "highlights" instead of a best list. There is simply no way to get to all the great books out there, and even as I near the end of 2011 with almost 300 books read this year, I still have so many more that I intended to get to- that might have made my list if only I had more time to read them.

In no particular order, my highlights in Memoirs and Non-Fiction for 2011:

#299- So Very Close

With just two days to go until 2012, I am on a reading frenzy. I look over the challenges I entered and realize that I don't have much hope of successfully finishing most of them. I am determined that I will read my twelfth kindle book yet today, allowing me to reach my goal with the e-reader challenge. I am also determined that I will read my 300th book before 2011 ends. After adding up my reading totals a few days ago I realized I was very close to a personal best - reading 300 books in one year. Like most bloggers, picture books are NOT included in this list. If I were to include those, I would read more than a thousand books a year, so this list is a combination of all the fiction, non-fiction, memoir, middle grade and YA novels I read in a year. I finished off #299 this morning. Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea by Morgan Callan Rogers will be out on January 19, 2012, but thanks to netgalley, I was able to read this one on my kindle.

Set in the 1960s, Florine's story is a coming of age tale, as she grows up in a small coastal Maine town. Her childhood seems idyllic, until her mother disappears just as Florine enters her teen years. The small town feel, Florine's friends, her grandmother who helps to raise her all are a perfect combination in this story that shares both grief and joy.

Amazon's product description likens Rogers' writing to a cross between Fannie Flagg and Elizabeth Strout - neither of which I see at all in this story. However, Rogers' writing rivals that of some of my very favorite women's fiction authors and was so easy to get caught up in.

Florine and her mother are more like best friends than mother and daughter. When Florine is twelve, her mother, Carlie, is just thirty years old. The two are close and Florine is in awe of her beautiful, lively mother. Her father is a bit older, swept of his feet he claims, by Carlie. Their marriage is not without its ups and downs, squabbles over different ideas and dreams, but no one could imagine that one day Carlie would leave for a trip with a girlfriend never to return. Although the police search for her, Carlie is nowhere to be found and Florine and her father must go on with their lives. The two weather the mood shifts of Florine's teen years, as Lee looks to date again and Florine tries to find closure to her mom's disappearance.

I enjoyed this book so much. I loved the Maine setting. I loved the time in which this story is set. I loved the writing, and I will be sharing this book with others as soon as it is published.

No Ordinary Day

No Ordinary Day, Deborah Ellis' latest book, explores the topic of leprosy in the current day. I read (andre-read) The Breadwinner by Ellis each year with my book club at school - and after five years this book continues to be the favorite by all the clubs. Needless to say, I have high hopes for Ellis' books as she tackles tough and important topics.

No Ordinary Day is set in India, a country famous for its overpopulation. Valli lives a life without much hope, picking up coal each day, living with a family that is not her own. She fears the "monsters" that live on the other side of the train tracks - lepers. Eventually Valli becomes a runaway, fending for herself on the streets. A doctor who finds Valli diagnoses her with leprosy, causing Valli to run away again as she is unable to understand the care she needs and the treatment for her condition.

While I have read a few books about leprosy, all were historical fiction, not set in the present day like No Ordinary Day. Ellis did a great job of explaining the condition, the ways the body is affected, and how it is treated.

I didn't love this book as much as The Breadwinner (which would be hard) but I always appreciate Ellis' ability to shed light on important topics and help middle grade readers aware of issues in our world.

The End of Normal

I've kind of been on a string of reading books by widows-at least these have been the books that I have been reading while on the treadmill, and for whatever reason they keep me wanting to run, which isn't a bad thing.

The End of Normal by Stephanie Maddoff Mack is Mack's story about her life within the Maddoff family after marrying Bernie and Ruth Madoff's oldest son, Mark. Their courtship and marriage, her role as a step-mother and her relationship with her famous in-laws are all topics Mack covers, as well as Mark's suicide.

I liked Mack's writing, but had a very hard time relating to her. She shares experiences where she is upset with someone and fires off an angry email, or confronts many of the people who have irritated her. I do understand her feelings of helplessness after her father-in-law was arrested and she and her family became the subject of paparazzi, but there are few, if any, examples of how Mack was able to take the high road and ignore the minor irritations in life. My husband, who is also reading this now, also questioned her decisions while we were talking about it last night.

Despite everything Mack has gone through both of us agreed that in some ways she still doesn't "get it." She is still living a life of affluence - being able to go and take college classes, live in a home, even having a babysitter come in and care for her children- are all things that many people cannot afford to do. And while she says she doesn't need all the material things that went with being a Madoff, she has continued to live better than most.

Her husband killed himself just a year ago, which I mentioned was perhaps one of the flaws with this memoir. Had more time passed, Mack's own feelings might not be as raw (or as bitter).

Mack's memoir does provide an inside look (by an outsider) at the Maddoff family, which is very intriguing and very informative. Another book, Truth and Consequences by Laurie Sandell is also out now, written with Ruth and Andy Madoff's cooperation. I am very interested in comparing these two perspectives, already believing before I begin that I will find Mack's far more reliable.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme is a way to share titles that will soon be published. What are you waiting on this week?

This week's pick: Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand

Due out June 26, 2012

Product Description taken from Amazon:

It's June 15th, the night of Nantucket High School graduation. Four juniors are driving home from a party when something goes horribly wrong and there is a crash. The driver of the car, Penny Alistair, is killed, and her twin brother, Hobby Alistair, is left in a coma. Penny's boyfriend, Jake Randolph, and Penny's friend Demeter Castle are unhurt--but suffer tremendous emotional damage. Jake and his family move to the other side of the globe--to the west coast of Australia--in order to escape the horrors of the accident. Demeter falls prey to alcohol abuse and other self-destructive behaviors that nearly lead to her destroying her own life. SUMMERLAND delves into the circumstances surrounding this accident, the roots of which lie deep in the past, with the first interactions between these four friends and their parents. It's a novel about how tragedy affects individuals, families, and the island community as a whole, and how healing can happen, in even the most devastating circumstances.

Shine

Had it not been for the debacle surrounding Lauren Myracle's Shine being accidentally nominated, then un-nominated for an award, I probably wouldn't have picked up this book to read. So, despite the fact that Shine really wasn't nominated for an award, the press surrounding this event didn't necessarily result in something bad for Myracle. I am guessing there are many readers like myself who were intrigued enough to look into reading this book.

My one other experience with Myracle's work was Peace, Love and Baby Ducks which I absolutely loved. While Shine is an entirely differen type of novel than Peace, Love and Baby Ducks, the quality of writing is just as good. Set in a poor mountain town, Cat is trying to determine who hurt her childhood friend, Patrick. Patrick is in a coma, beaten and left for dead because he is gay. As she snoops around reconstructing the events of that evening there is a lot Cat learns that she hadn't bargained for. Although she is well aware of her poor, mountain upbringing and the meth addiction that many in her town have faced, until she begins asking questions, Cat had no idea of how prevalent this problem was and how many of her friends are also involved in drug use.

I had my suspicions about the real culprit in Patrick's beating, and was happy to see that for once I was right on target. Myracle has crafted a novel full of twists and turns that will keep readers trying to determine what really happened the night Patrick was left for dead.

The Puppy Diaries

Jill Abramson's book The Puppy Diaries: Raising a Dog Named Scout chronicles a year in her life raising a puppy, Scout. Abramson was no stranger to dogs. She and her husband had owned and raised a dog, Buddy, but after his death hesitated to start over with a new pet.

In The Puppy Diaries Abramson shares how they arrived at the decision to adopt another pet and the ups and downs they faced in Scout's puppy days. Abramson and her husband both have successful careers that allow them some advantages and resources that not every pet owner has. They purchase health insurance for Scout, take her to a doggy day care so her husband can finish his work on time, and for a special treat take her to a swimming pool for dogs.

There is a vast difference between Scout's life and that of my puppy, Sammy. However, even with these differences I never felt that Abramson meant to flaunt her affluence, and perhaps is unaware of it to some extent, living and mingling with people much like herself each day.

This is a fast and easy read. There is no exciting plot to keep readers engaged, but I have no doubt that animal lovers will enjoy this book. While it was no Marley by John Grogan, there was a certain enjoyment I found reading about another family's account of raising a puppy.

(A little known fact that I most enjoyed is that Abramson's sister is the author Jane O'Connor, the creator of Fancy Nancy, a favorite elementary school book character).

Although Abramson had raised another puppy, she and her husband work hard to train Scout and offer some different suggestions and training theories they have looked into. As a puppy owner myself I did enjoy hearing different ideas about training a dog and the success and struggles they went through with Scout.

Under the Tree

Merry Christmas! Now that my children have all unwrapped their gifts and I no longer have to worry about surprising them, I can share the titles that made the gift list this year.

Each girl receives a Christmas book every year, and these are the three that I chose for this year. I loved The Carpenter's Gift when I read it to my students at school and I can't wait for bedtime tonight when we can read the others as well.

In previous years more books have been given than this year, but there were some bookish things given - the first five Harry Potter movies on DVD for us all to enjoy as we make our way through the books - and a DVD of The Help for me.

My youngest daughter received two more books to add to her collection:

I know we will visit a book store over break at some point, and hope to add something to my own collection then. Already I am excited about the titles I see coming out in January and Spring 2012 - certainly not a shortage of great books to look forward to!

Dreams of Significant Girls

I'll admit that this book was chosen for its cover on a recent library trip. Seeing the three girls on the cover, looking out over water, I couldn't imagine not enjoying this one. Luckily, the cover love proved to be an accurate predictor of my enjoyment of this book.

The summers of 1971, 1972, and 1973 are covered in this book as three very different girls meet and attend a summer camp together in Switzerland. Vivien is sent to summer camp as she struggles with friendships, fitting in, and her parents. Shirin, an Iranian princess, attends camp, bringing with her her spoiled attitude from home. And Ingrid, the rule breaker, rounds out the trio.

It is hard to imagine these three forging a friendship, and yet through time and shared experiences they form a tight bond. All three prize the friendship they have formed and are closer with each other than they are with friends from their homes. I enjoyed the friendship portion of the story, trying to decide if this friendship was realistic or not. Ultimately I decided that while the three girls are extremely different their shared circumstances as a powerful connection.

Each summer there are challenges the girls face and a plot that continues to unfold over time. By the third summer the storylines converge in a way unexpected to me, but done so expertly

I also enjoyed the 1970s setting. The girls struggle to stay in touch with each other, having to write letters (the old fashioned way of corresponding!) and await a reply from their friends. Tensions with Iran are revealed as well, as are events which led Vivien's family to leave Cuba.

Read alikes: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares and Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

Customer Dissatisfaction

Mostly I like ordering online. It is convenient. Things are delivered right to my doorstep. Until this year. I have had more problems this year with online ordering than ever before.
The first problem occurred when a packaged I ordered from Amazon was at my local post office. I anticipated the delivery the next day and looked for the box when I returned from work. The box was not there. Lucky me. I can track my package online. The package that was just a few miles from my home was sent to Kansas City. I was happy that this happened on the 15th, with ten days until Christmas for this to be resolved. Each day I checked to see where this package was. The trouble was, until this morning it didn't get scanned again and has apparently been hanging out in Kansas City. I was annoyed. And irritated. But I got over it.
The second problem, which I am more upset about, is that a package I ordered for my children was dropped off at my doorstep today. When my husband returned at lunch, the contents were strewn around our yard, eaten up by our dog. It is our dog that did this, so perhaps it is our fault. But, I am still mad. Why did the Fed Ex delivery man just drop this off at our door (and yes, I did call them and was told that this is common practice)? Was it really taped shut? Because I have received many things over time that are partially opened. I have a hard time believing it was taped up tightly. When I called Justice they told me to call Fed Ex. Fed Ex told me to call Justice. Meanwhile I am out $80 and gifs for 2 of the 3 girls. The middle daughter's gift was sent seperately and will arrive tomorrow. Since all three children wanted them I am not sure how to give one child this gift and not the other two. I would happily get them replacements, but they are out of stock.
Although many may blame my dog, I think both companies are also at fault. Neither seem to care if the ordered item actually was received by me. All they want is the money I spent. They can happily blame the other company involved and I am left with nothing.
Bah humbug!

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: Tumbleweeds by Leila Meacham

Due out: June 19, 2012

Product Description taken from Amazon:

Devoted readers of Leila Meacham will devour this long, juicy page-turner. TUMBLEWEEDS is the story of three young friends-the saint, the sinner, and the angel-growing up together in the sort of small Texas Panhandle town that lives and dies by its Friday night football games. A fateful event casts a long shadow over these three intertwined lives and leaves the reader turning the pages desperately to see how it all plays out.

I am still working on The Roses, Meacham's latest novel-although it is already a few years old. It has come highly recommended by several friends, so I am excited to see that Meacham has another one coming out already.

Inside Out and Back Again

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai is a book that I cannot even imagine saying enough about. Anne from My Head is Full of Books reminded me the other night, while I read her review, that this book has been lingering on a pile in my home for far too long. Fortunately, this is a quick read, because her review had me digging through my piles and I started reading immediately.

Ha and her family live in Vietnam, enduring the war. She is able to see the beauty of her people and her country, once remarking,

"No one would believe me but at times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama."

However, Ha and her family relocate to Alabama where she is made fun of by classmates, as she struggles to learn the customs of American life. And while life is a struggle, there are some joys that Ha finds in her new home: a kind teacher, some caring classmates, and people who are willing to help them begin a new life.

Inside Out and Back Again recently won the National Book Award, a fitting honor for this powerful book. Although spare in text (the entire novel is written in verse), there is so much packed in to each page. I could see many of my own students in Ha's character, as they try to find their way in an unfamiliar setting. Lai includes information about herself at book's end, indicating that this story is somewhat autobiographical; my heart aches for Lai and her own assimilation into American life.

I will be pressing this book into many hands in the future. This is an amazing novel, a real gem!

Maisie Dobbs

It's unfortunate it has taken me until this point in the year to get to the Read From Your Shelves books. Maisie Dobbs is one of the books on my list that I can now check off - and that I can say that I very much enjoyed.

Set in 1929 England, Maisie has just opened her own private detective agency. The case she must solve seems pretty straightforward, but it is the story that is shared about Maisie and her childhood that created a connection to this character. Maisie's mother died when she was just thirteen, and she is left with her father. Her father, although kind, decides to send his only child away to work for another family. The two see each other on weekends. Although Maisie's life seems anything but hopeful, there is a ray of hope. Maisie discovers the library at the home she is working in and begins to awaken early each day to read and learn. When she is discovered, her love of learning is encouraged.

Now in 1929, Maisie is a young woman embarking on a career of her own. We learn about her first love which occurred during the war, and her ability to persevere despite many challenges. Although the war is over, Winspear writes of the war and its aftermath, which was felt for many years by the soldiers who served and their families. I particulary appreciated this portion of Maisie Dobbs, and all it added to the overall story.

Lucky for me, I waited so long to read Maisie Dobbs there are many more in this series already. Hopefully it won't take me as long to delve into the next installment. This is a series I imagine I will become more attached to with each book, and can't wait to read more of.

Defining Dulcie

Iwas introduced to Paul Acampora's work recently having been recommended Rachel Spinelli Punched Me In the Face, Acampora's second novel. I immediately reserved Defining Dulcie, his debut novel and was not disappointed.

Sixteen year old Dulcie's father has just died, and in addition to grieving for him, Dulcie's mother decides to move across the country to California. I will admit that at first this storyline didn't much interest me. I have read a lot of books with a road trip theme, and although some are better than others, this plot seems a little repetitive to me. Thankfully, the move across the country is a very short portion of this story, and certainly not the focus. Dulcie misses her home and takes her father's truck (the one her mom intended to sell) across the country and back home. Once there she is left to deal with her dad's death, starts working with her grandfather in his janitorial position at the high school and becomes friends with a girl her father had befriended, unbeknownst to Dulcie.

This book is filled with quirky and unique characters, humor, despite the sad topic, and great writing. Defining Dulcie is a short novel about how one girl and her family do to deal with their grief and continue living.

Another excellent book by Paul Acampora!