Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's selection: The Edge of the Earth by Christina Schwarz
Due out: April 2, 2013

Product Information Taken from Amazon:
From the author of Drowning Ruth, a haunting, atmospheric novel set at the closing of the frontier about a young wife who moves to a far-flung and forbidding lighthouse where she uncovers a life-changing secret.

Trudy is a polished, college-educated young woman from a respectable upper middle-class family, and it’s only a matter of time before she’ll marry Ernst, the son of her parents’ closest friends. All should be well in her world, and yet Trudy is restless and desperate for more stimulation than 1897 Milwaukee will allow. When she falls in love with enigmatic and ambitious Oskar, she believes she’s found her escape from the banality of her pre-ordained life. Alienated from Trudy’s family and friends, the couple moves across the country to take a job at a lighthouse in the eerily isolated Point Lucia, California. Upon arriving they meet the light station’s only inhabitants—the Crawleys, a family whose plain appearance is no indication of what lies below the surface. It isn’t long before Trudy begins to realize that there is more going on in this seemingly empty place than she could ever have imagined.

Gorgeously detailed, swiftly paced, and anchored in the lush geography of the remote and eternally mesmerizing Big Sur, The Edge of the Earth is a magical and moving story of secrets and self-transformation, ruses and rebirths, masterfully told by a celebrated and accomplished author.


Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Happy Halloween

(an Arctic Princess, Witch, and Girl in a 50s Poodle Skirt)
Here are the three girls before Sunday night's trick or treating.  My hometown had trick or treating on Sunday, and since my brother and his family live there, my kids love to join up with the cousins to take part in this tradition.  Now that my girls are a bit older trick or treating has become more fun. No more stroller-in-and-out at every stop. They just run happily from door to door while I stand back and watch.  Sunday was just a practice session for Wednesday when trick or treating is being held in our town.  Luckily I'm not a huge candy freak, because we already have more at our house than we will ever eat. 

Just Say Boo! by Susan Hood showed up at my house compliments of Harper Collins Publishers and is the perfect Halloween book. My youngest daughter, in kindergarten, enjoys the rhyming text and the fact that she can contribute to the reading a bit herself, chiming in with a "BOO" here and there.  The illustrations, depicting children and parents out for a night of Halloween fun are charming and led to great discussions with my kindergarten students at school.  This is a title I am sharing with lots of students this week and have already purchased for the library - a great addition to my Halloween book collection.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Cascade

Cascade could be any small town in America in 1935 - pharmacy and soda fountain, small theater where plays are performed, and residents who are devoted to their community.  Dez grew up in Cascade, her father having opened the theater there.  With the Depression creating a strain and her father's health failing, she marries Asa, a man she likes, but is not in love with. Asa is able to offer her stability and keep her father's playhouse alive, yet he cannot give Dez the one thing she wants- to be an artist in her own rite.
When Cascade is being considered to be flooded to provide water from Boston, Dez's discontentment with her life comes to the forefront.  She is attracted to a fellow artist, Joseph.  Unfortunately, not only is Dez already married, but Joseph is Jewish, a mounting problem in the late 1930s.
There were many times I wanted to strangle Dez; she was not the most likeable character and I questioned many of her decisions. Yet I was totally absorbed in this novel.  Maryanne O'Hara's debut novel is pitch perfect - a slice of Americana circa 1935 - along with the complexities of relationships and marriage and finding a way to reach your goals.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Armchair Traveler: Laugh With the Moon

Ever since I was a child I have had dreams of travelling all over the globe. I am interested in different cultures and people. And yet, I have never left the United States. Sigh.  My children are getting a little bit older where we can now take vacations without too many meltdowns and we don't have to bring things like strollers along, so perhaps one day we will become a bit more adventurous.
Despite my lack of actually  having gone anywhere, I feel as though I won't be all too surprised if I ever do get to visit another country.  I have learned about a variety of places through the many stories I have read over the past decades.
Recently I breezed through Shana Burg's Laugh With the Moon which takes place in Malawi.  Malawi isn't a country I know much about, but I sure feel a lot closer to it after reading Burg's book.
Clare and her father have to come Malawi for sixty-four days so her father, a doctor, can practice medicine there.  Clare isn't very happy about leaving her friends and she is still grieving the unexpected death of her mother.Life in Africa is certainly different than what she is used to, yet she manages to find friends, one in particular who Clare is able to look up to a bit as this girl has had to forge forward in life despite losing both parents.  There are many challenges that Clare encounters in her time in Malawi - attending school where children do not have enough supplies and are crowded in is just one of them. 
When Clare's new friends take her on a trip to see the beauty of their country, they are confronted with their biggest challenge yet.
Although a lot of this book deals with Clare trying to fit in to a different culture, there is also a message of healing as she comes to terms with her mother's death and the people of Malawi break through the wall she has built around herself.
Burg has spent time in Malawi herself which gives Laugh With the Moon an authentic feel.  Although merely reading about exotic locales is nowhere close to visiting them, Laugh with the Moon gave a glimpse into another culture that tween readers will be able to understand and relate to while broadening their horizons.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin
Due out: February 12, 2013

Product Description taken from Amazon:
In the spirit of Loving Frank and The Paris Wife, acclaimed novelist Melanie Benjamin pulls back the curtain on the marriage of one of America’s most extraordinary couples: Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

For much of her life, Anne Morrow, the shy daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, has stood in the shadows of those around her, including her millionaire father and vibrant older sister, who often steals the spotlight. Then Anne, a college senior with hidden literary aspirations, travels to Mexico City to spend Christmas with her family. There she meets Colonel Charles Lindbergh, fresh off his celebrated 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic. Enthralled by Charles’s assurance and fame, Anne is certain the celebrated aviator has scarcely noticed her. But she is wrong.
Charles sees in Anne a kindred spirit, a fellow adventurer, and her world will be changed forever. The two marry in a headline-making wedding. Hounded by adoring crowds and hunted by an insatiable press, Charles shields himself and his new bride from prying eyes, leaving Anne to feel her life falling back into the shadows. In the years that follow, despite her own major achievements—she becomes the first licensed female glider pilot in the United States—Anne is viewed merely as the aviator’s wife. The fairy-tale life she once longed for will bring heartbreak and hardships, ultimately pushing her to reconcile her need for love and her desire for independence, and to embrace, at last, life’s infinite possibilities for change and happiness.
Drawing on the rich history of the twentieth century—from the late twenties to the mid-sixties—and featuring cameos from such notable characters as Joseph Kennedy and Amelia Earhart, The Aviator’s Wife is a vividly imagined novel of a complicated marriage—revealing both its dizzying highs and its devastating lows. With stunning power and grace, Melanie Benjamin provides new insight into what made this remarkable relationship endure.



Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Several weeks ago now I read a variety of posts about the Top 10 Series that various bloggers hadn't finished, but meant to.
Of course, I couldn't get around to posting my own list in a timely manner, but that doesn't mean I wasn't thinking about it.  Especially since I am famous for starting a series and then waiting to read the next installment - saving it for a "just in case I run out of books" moment (that never happens).

So, here is a list of series that I have started but haven't made time to read more of:

1.  I have read the first two books in the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen and really enjoyed them.  I need to get to the last two soon so I can still remember what it is they are about.
2.  Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books are so fun and entertaining.....I have read up through #10, which means I have nine more to read to catch up.
3.  I enjoyed the Hunger Games and Catching Fire, but lost steam with Mockingjay. I still plan on getting around to this.
#4 Meet the Austins....this little series by Madeleine L'Engle is one I want to read to my daughters, thus I stopped reading them myself after the the first one.
#5 I adore Alice.  However, she is growing up and I'm a few books behind AND Naylor just published another prequel novel of Alice's earlier years.
#6 Haddix writes some great high interest books and the Found series is already up to it's 5th installment.  Sadly, I have read just one.
#7 Another series by Haddix- this is a series I managed to keep up with until the last book.  Now it's been so many years, I probably will need to begin again.
#8 -Being behind on Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series was intentional at first. I just couldn't get past the fact that Cornwell allowed a character to come back to life. It seemed so unrealistic.  Now, a few years have passed and I might have made peace with that and am willing to try again.
#9 - When the first few Harry Potter books were published, I was just as crazed as everyone else to get my hands on a copy as soon as it came out, but over the years there was enough time in between books that I thought I would need to re-read in order to know what was going on.
#10- Tomie de Paola is one of my favorite authors and every year I read 26 Fairmount Avenue to my kiddos.  I was thrilled as a new title was added to this series nearly every year.  When I read these books to my oldest daughter another installment was published that she read on her own that I still intend to pick up some day.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Muck City

Fall is the perfect time to read Bryan Mealer's Muck City, the story of football in Florida's impoverished Belle Glade community. As I began reading, this book instantly reminded me of Friday Night Lights, which has set the standard for football stories.
However, unlike Friday Night Lights, Muck City also tells the story of Belle Glade's history and how the town became one filled with immigrants and sickness - and how football is the one way out of this life.
The number of players that have gone on to NFL careers is nothing short of amazing, yet for someone like me, who is not a football fan, the names given did not mean much.  I enjoyed the personal stories about the players, but the sheer number of players and stories told made it hard for me to remember each character being written about.
Although that was a flaw with Muck City, the overall story and the amazing accomplishments of these players who had so little in their lives to look forward to made me continue to pick up this book and want to read more. Muck City is a great read for a wide audience- not just sports lovers.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Middle Sister's Birthday

The day she has been waiting for! Middle Sister is 9 today!
Since I have school conferences and won't be home until bedtime, we had birthday cake for breakfast and opened presents this morning.  Time has flown by.....

Buddy: How A Rooster Made Me A Family Man

The title of Brian McGrory's memoir is a bit misleading, yet I couldn't help but be thoroughly absorbed and entertained by it.  Visions of Marley: A Dog Like No Other by John Grogan and Dewey the Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron danced in my head.  While the dog/cat stories have become de rigeur,  a memoir featuring Buddy, the Rooster is certainly unchartered terrain in the memoir world, and could provide a whole new set of anecdotes.
Although named for Buddy, this rooster is not really the primary focus of this book. McGrory's memoir chronicles the author's life from his childhood to his failed first marriage and his beloved dog. Now McGrory is embarking on a new phase of  his life - moving to the suburbs, getting married and becoming a step-father. In addition to these not inconsequential changes, McGrory also becomes the co-owner of several pets- including Buddy the Rooster.
McGrory's fiancee and daughters love Buddy, he is not nearly as enamored of this pet, who truly believes he rules the roost.  While there are a few anecdotes about Buddy - how McGrory must clear the snow so that Buddy can walk to his rooster shed without getting his feet or feathers wet, for example-there are more anecdotes about McGrory's first dog and his new life - as well as his surprise at nearing his fiftieth birthday and finally settling down into the traditional lifestyle he had managed to avoid for so long.
Buddy is a book that will appeal to a wide audience and readers will appreciate McGrory's easily readable and entertaining writing style.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick:  The Confidant by Helene Gremillon
Due out October 30, 2012


Product information taken from Amazon:

"A gripping first novel" (Le Figaro Littéraire) and an award-winning international sensation as haunting and unforgettable as Suite Française

Paris, 1975. Camille sifts through letters of condolence after her mother's death when a strange, handwritten missive stops her short. At first she believes she received it by mistake. But then, a new letter arrives each week from a mysterious stranger, Louis, who seems intent on recounting the story of his first love, Annie. They were separated in the years before World War II when Annie befriended a wealthy, barren couple and fell victim to a merciless plot just as German troops arrive in Paris. But also awaiting Camille's discovery is the other side of the story, which will call into question Annie's innocence and reveal the devastating consequences of jealousy and revenge. As Camille reads on, she begins to realize that her own life may be the next chapter in this tragic story

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Cleaning House

I enjoyed reading Amy Chua's Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother right along with Bringing up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman.  Chua's child-rearing methods were not ones I would employ myself, although the work ethic she managed to elicit from her children was remarkable and enviable.  Bringing up Bebe shared some child rearing strategies that many French parents employ and showed how children are not necessarily the focal point in French families, allowing parents a bit more freedom than we Americans allow ourselves.
Cleaning House: A Mom's 12 Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement  by Kay Wills Wyma, my most recent parenting read, is perhaps the most usable by me, the mother of three girls ages 6 to 11.
Wyma is the mother of five children aged 4 to 14 and she is dealing with some teen issues I have not yet seen in my house, but know are coming. She is also dealing with a lot of issues that I am concerned about.  The children we are raising comprise Gen-Me, and truly believe it is all about them.  Wyma is well aware of this fact, and her own hand in helping to create Gen-Me.  I have seen the entitlement rights my own children have and unfortunately have contributed three members from my household to this group who think everything is all about them.
The point of Wyma's book is not to lay blame, but rather how to go about helping our children be productive and independent people.  She lays out twelve different tasks she wants her children to know how to do before they leave home. They include such things like making their beds, knowing how to prepare food and host a party, and get a job outside the home. Her list is one that all parents should look over, because every time I do a job for my child I am taking away an opportunity for them to feel pride in what they can accomplish and a chance for them to build their self confidence.
Each month the Wyma household focused on one area in this experiment.  (Her children were none to excited to realize the "experiment" was their new normal).  I plan on employing some of her suggestions with  my own children.  For the month focusing on keeping a clean bedroom and making the bed, Wyma gave each child glass jar filled with thirty one dollar bills.  Each morning she would inspect their room after her kids departed for school. If their room passed inspection, the jar of money was left alone. If it failed inspection, a dollar was removed and Wyma kept it.  I have purchased my own glass jars and started loading them with dollar bills in anticipation of a month where we focus on this.
Although Wyma does have to counteract some whining and resistance, I fear that my own brood's dramatics could do me in.  With Cleaning House as my new Bible, I am resolving to hold firm in this effort to raise independent, confident children.
Cleaning House has not received the attention that Tiger Mother or Bringing Up Bebe has, yet it is by far the one that is most applicable and helpful to me as a parent.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Once Upon a Toad

Heather Vogel Frederick's Mother/Daughter Book Club series is one of my favorites. My daughter is also in love with these books. So, I was excited to see that she had a different book out recently. Once Upon a Toad didn't really look like my cup of tea, but because of the author I decided to give it a chance.  And, while it is rather silly, I did enjoy it quite a bit.
Cat is moving in with her father and stepfamily in Portland while her mother, an astronaut, is in space at the International Space Station.  Cat already knows that she and her step-sister Olivia are going to clash.  However, things get worse when Cat begins spewing toads from her mouth every time she talks. Things aren't much better for Olivia- when she speaks diamonds and flowers fall from her mouth.  Cat is able to keep her condition under wraps feigning laryngitis.  And after speaking to her mother, she is informed that her godmother is not the person she thought she was- Abyssinia is really Cat's fairy godmother.  And apparently her "help" is what has created this catastrophe. Amid a great deal of chaos, Cat and Olivia decide to try and find Abyssinia on their own in an effort to cure their diamond and toad problem.
Their adventures bring them into contact with a cast of interesting characters, and while this story is entirely unbelievable, it is also quite a bit of fun to read.
I can think of plenty of girls who will enjoy reading Once Upon a Toad and this is a title that I added to my school's latest order as well.

Breathing Room

Tuberculosis (TB) was a contagious disease several decades ago.  Evvy is thirteen years old, suffering from this disease when she is taken to the Loon Lake Sanitorium to recover.  She, like, the other residents there are confined to bed rest, discouraged from talking, encouraged to breathe cold air, and undergo various tests and procedures. 
Evvy misses her family- especially her twin brother, Abraham.  She looks forward to earning the privilege of receiving letters as her condition improves. Although strangers at first, Evvy's roommates soon become friends.  While some are released because they recover, others succumb to their illness, and everyone grieves. 
Set in 1940, the United States is full of war news and what is happening to Jews in Europe.  Evvy and Sarah are especially curious about this as Evvy is German and her friend Sarah is Jewish. 
Hayles chapters begin with photographs of various artificacts of this era, and Hayles herself grew up in Rochester, Minnesota, with a pediatricain father who worked at the Mayo Clinic. Her own experiences certainly help give this novel more depth and I loved Evvy and all the girls who became her friends in Loon Lake.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick:  The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley
Due out: February 5, 2013

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

Matt Beaulieu was two years old the first time he held Elle McClure in his arms, seventeen when he first kissed her under a sky filled with shooting stars, and thirty-three when he convinced her to marry him. Now in their late 30s, the deeply devoted couple has everything-except the baby they've always wanted. When an accident leaves Elle brain dead, Matt is devastated. Though he cannot bear the thought of life without her, he knows Elle was afraid of only one thing-a slow death. And so, Matt resolves to take her off life support. But Matt changes his mind when they discover Elle's pregnant. While there are no certainties, the baby might survive if Elle remains on life support. Matt's mother, Linney, disagrees with his decision. She loves Elle, too, and insists that Elle would never want to be kept alive on machines. Linney is prepared to fight her son in court-armed with Elle's living will. Divided by the love they share, Matt and Linney will be pitted against each other, fighting for what they believe is right, and what they think Elle would have wanted resulting in a controversial legal battle that will ultimately go beyond one family...and one single life.

I received an ARC of this title through Bookreporter.com and loved it.  I can't wait to discuss it with other readers.


Tuesday, October 9, 2012

150 Pounds

Kate Rockland's novel 150 Pounds is a humorous novel that carries a deeper message than the cupcakes on the cover suggest.
Shoshana Weiner has been overweight her entire life.  She makes her living as a blogger, chronicling her journey with obesity.  She meets fellow blogger, Alexis Allbright, on Oprah one day as the two are interviewed about their disparate views on body image and weight. Alexis weighs in at 100 pounds and counts calories religiously.  Her entire life revolves around exercise, dieting and criticizing those who are not as thin as she is.
Shoshana and Alexis each share their stories as they alternate narrating chapters.  As time progresses, they are confronted with different life events that caues their blogs and focus on food to alter.  Shoshana inherits an apple orchard that requires a great deal of physical labor and a change in diet.  Alexis perhaps changes the most. She is forced to confront the death of her brother in Iraq, her mother's alcoholism, and her father disinheriting her for refusing to have a career as a lawyer.  Her best friend Billy battles cancer, and she breaks up with Noah, the one good and decent thing she has going for her.
Interestingly enough as the story unfolds, Alexis begins to gain weight and Shoshana begins to lose weight.  As a reader, I could identify with Shoshana. Alexis' behavior was over the top - her calorie counting, and extreme way she controlled her weight did cause me to chuckle to myself a bit, but it was Shoshana with her desire to accept herself for who she was and what she looked like that I think most women would see a bit of themselves in.
Despite the fact that Shoshana's name was Weiner, as I began reading - and before  I even knew this character's last name- I felt as though 150 Pounds was a novel much like some of Jennifer Weiner's earlier books.  While this has some chick-lit tendencies, there is a deeper message about accepting yourself and seeing beyond a person's physical appearance that is also conveyed.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Christmas Came Early at My House


Harper Collins has made my day! When I arrived home from work a large box was waiting for me in my entry.  Normally I might get a book here or there from a publisher.  In fact, I am always kind of envious of other peoples' Mailbox Monday posts. They look much more exciting than mine.  (In reality, I still get more ARCs than I could ever read in a timely manner, so I am trying not to be this way).

Today, though, I received all nine books from Harper Collins - and every single one is one that I am anxious to read and review.  My girls quickly pawed through the stack as well.  I think we will all be looking forward to story time tonight before bed!

Saturday, October 6, 2012

My Own Little Library

A few weeks ago I ran across a cute idea - someone had posted a picture of a little house with a door on it that contained books. People could help themselves from this box  - a little library at a person's home.  Seeing the number of books I have - despite my major book purge this summer- I have been holding this idea in the back of my head and mulling over it.  I talked with my neighbor, a handyman who is great at building and designing all sorts of things as well.

Little did I know that this was just one random picture from the Little Free Library website.  And that there were people all over the nation with their own little free libraries.  If I had an extra couple hundred dollars just lying around I would order myself one right now.  As it is, I feel like I should investigate having my neighbor create one for me, or wait until it is spring and the regular walkers that frequent my street will come back oustide after a winter of indoor workouts in order to get people to actually look at the books in my little library.

At some point I'll have to update you on how this idea is working out for me.  This is one of those things that I saw and immediately knew it was for me, and even a few weeks after I was first introduced to the idea, my enthusiasm hasn't lessened.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Third Quarter Recap

Earlier this week Peaceful Reader inquired whether I had written a monthly recap.  In case of some of you have been reading this blog closely, you may have noticed that I haven't been posting monthly recaps these past few months.  I am hoping Janssen won't be offended if I copy her, but I love reading her quarterly recap of books with just a short snippet about each title along with a link if a review was written. So here goes:

The Book Lover by Mary Ann McFadden- I loved this book when I read it, but unfortunately had to go back and re-read my review in order to jog my memory.  A great book for someone who loves books (obviously) and aspiring writers.

The Roots of the Olive Tree by Courtney Miller Santos - a multi-generational story about a family of women who seem to have found the fountain of youth in their family's olive raising business.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick- I pretty much loved everything about this YA romance

You Came Back by Christopher Coake - Mark's son Brendan died in an accidental fall in his home. Now divorced and having moved on with his life, Mark feels as though he's worked through his grief until the woman who bought his house finds him and announces that his son's ghost visits her.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjajmin Alire Saenz - a great YA title with Mexican American characters and sexuality issues thrown in

The Girl Is Murder by Kathryn Miller Harris-this the first in a new mystery series set in World War II - love this time period and this book

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson - YA title dealing with a parent's death and growing up.  More than just a fun beach read

The Care and Handling of Roses with Thorns by Margaret Dilloway -  Somehow I've read this title and still have Dilloway's first book waiting to be read. 

Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach - Bought this one on my kindle and my one regret is that I wish I had a paper copy. Loved looking at the pictures and the recipes, can only imagine paging back and forth through the print version.  Also love her website.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn-This is probably the must read book of the year.  So Single White Female-ish
I'm still talking about it two months later.
The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty

The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe- just now published, this is such a touching memoir about a man and his mother and her impact on him

Bloom by Kelle Hampton- Another title I read on my Kindle Fire. Complete with beautiful photographs, Kelle allows us to journey with her as she gives birth to and raises a daughter with Downs Syndrome

Tumbleweeds by Leila Meacham - I can hardly believe I didn't review this one. Oh, the drama. The Texas setting and soap opera-esque plotline had me from the beginning. 

The Meryl Streep Movie Club by Mia March - Enjoyable and my list of must see movies has increased immensely.

Gone by Cathi Hanauer - I feel like "gone" is the word to use in recent titles.  A father leaves his family unexpectedly and both he and his wife try and deal with their issues.

Say Nice Things About Detroit by Scott Lassiter - A sparse mystery set in Detroit written in multiple perspectives. Meh.

One Moment by Kristin McBride- Another one that I can remember nothing about even after seeing a cover picture.

In The Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner- One of the best books I've read all year.  A fictional account of the author's own experience during the Khmer Rouge.  Heartbreaking. Hopeful. Amazing.

How I Came to Sparkle Again by Kaya McLaren- a good little more than chick-lit read set in a Colorado ski town. Entertaining.

So Far Away by Meg Mitchell Moore- a solid sophomore novel, not quite as good as the first

Where We Belong by Emily Giffin- love Emily Giffin and her chick lit-ish novels

The Girl Is Trouble by Kathryn Miller Haines- the second in the series. Loved the first book, loved this one, too.  Can't wait for #3

Shunning Sara by Julie Kramer- maybe not my favorite in Kramer's murder mystery series - perhaps because I am in love with Linda Castillo's Amish mystery series, and this was read so close to my reading of Castillo's book....but whatever the cae, I will still be waiting for the next installment.

City of Women by David Gilham-good writing, but I wish I could  have liked the women in this book a bit more.  I almost felt some similarities to The Reader.

The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley - still have not reviewed this title since it won't be published until 2013.  A great moral dillemma- to keep a woman with brain damage alive for the entirety of her pregnancy in order to give her child a chance at life, or to take her off of life support.

Love Anthony by Lisa Genova- a good women's fiction novel; Lisa Genova is now a must read author.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare- a children's classic.  I hadn't read this since my own junior high years. This was the first book for our staff book club - a great discussion and a book I want to share with my daughters

Off the Grid by PJ Tracy- Lucky me that another favorite mystery series had a new book.  I enjoyed the change in setting in this one, as well as getting to catch up with some favorite characters

 Gold Medal Summer by Donna Freitas- realistic fiction for my gymnast girl readers. Perfect for my own daughters

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison- usually I don't like road trip books but I did enjoy this read....more than just fluff, The Revised Fundamentals has some real words of wisdom

The Letter by Marie Tillman- I have been intrigued by Pat Tillman for a while and really liked this inside look at his life

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein- rave reviews for this book are everywhere. Sadly, although I liked it, I felt like I wasn't quite understanding it.  I'm blaming my kids who felt the need to interrupt me constantly while I was trying to read this one

Motherland by Amy Sohn- sequel to Prospect Park West - love this type of urban mommy-lit a la Candace Bushnell's novels. 

Gone Missing by Linda Castillo- this might be my favorite Kate Burkholder mystery.  A change of venue seems to have broken the Cabot Cove syndrome

Dear Blue Sky by Mary Sullivan- I liked this one while I was reading it, but like it even more now as I continue to think about it...covers some great discussion topics from life in Afghanistan to The Giver to losing a family member who leaves to serve in the military. I think it would be a great companion novel to Breadwinner

The Train of Small Mercies by David Rowell- shares the stories of several characters after the death of Bobby Kennedy and his train ride across the country.  A perfect snippet of America in the late 1960s.

A Killing in the Hills by Julia Keller- I really really liked this mystery and really really want it to be just the first in a series- loved the setting and the characters

A Smidgen of Sky by Dianna Dorisi Winget- realistic fiction, debut novel. This one will be on my next school order.

Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin - ending the quarter on a good note. A great self-help/memoir. To be reviewed soon.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Pinterest Winner

I have become obsessed with Pinterest and love trying out new recipes.  This recipe is one I found and fell in love with simply because of how colorful it looked.  I will admit my version didn't look so beautiful, but it did taste great.

My own version:

Cut a turkey ring sausage into 1/2 inch pieces.  Saute in skillet. Then put aside.

Break 12 oz. of angel hair pasta in half. Saute in oil in skillet you used for sausage. Then set aside with meat.

Saute 1 1/2 c onion and 1 t garlic powder in skillet.

Add 3 cups of chicken broth, 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained), and diced tomatoes.  Add meat and pasta back in and cook.

At this point my skillet was no longer large enough to hold all of the items, so I moved it to my wok, which worked great.

Add 1 cup of frozen peas (already thawed) and con queso cheese or another favorite type of cheese.

If you care to see the version of this recipe I pinned, click here.

Interestingly enough, while the website claims it is a common Hispanic recipe, the Hispanic families I shared this with at my school had not heard of it.  I loved it and so did my husband. This is one dish that we didn't have to worry about throwing away the leftovers because it was quickly gobbled up.

Each week I am trying to make a point to cook one of the many recipes I pin - if not more.  Luckily most of them are winners!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday


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

This week's pick: Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Ann Fowler
Due out: March 26, 2013

Picture a late-May morning in 1918, a time when Montgomery wore her prettiest spring dress and finest floral perfume—same as I would wear that evening…

Thus begins the story of beautiful, reckless, seventeen-year-old Zelda Sayre on the day she meets Lieutenant Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald at a country club dance. Fitzgerald isn’t rich or settled; no one knows his people; and he wants, of all things, to be a writer in New York. No matter how wildly in love they may be, Zelda’s father firmly opposes the match. But when Scott finally sells his first novel, This Side of Paradise, Zelda defies her parents to board a train to New York and marry him in the vestry of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Life is a sudden whirl of glamour and excitement: Everyone wants to meet the dashing young author of the scandalous novel—and his beautiful, perhaps even more scandalous wife. Zelda bobs her hair, trades in her provincial finery for daring dresses, and plunges into the endless party that welcomes the darlings of the literary world to New York, then Paris and the French Riviera.
It is the Jazz Age, when everything seems new and possible—except that dazzling success does not always last. Surrounded by a thrilling array of magnificent hosts and mercurial geniuses—including Sara and Gerald Murphy, Gertrude Stein, and the great and terrible Ernest Hemingway—Zelda and Scott find the future both grander and stranger than they could have ever imagined.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Little Sister Can Read!

 
Big new at our house! Little Sister can read.  Old Hat, New Hat by Stan and Jan Berenstain was her book of choice. Yes, I know part of it is memorized, but I also notice how she is tracking the words with her finger and if she comes to a word she doesn't know, at least she guesses a word that starts with the correct letter.  I wish I would have taped my other kids first read alouds, but I just have to rely on my memory about how cute they were. 

Monday, October 1, 2012

Blast from the Past

These are a few of the titles that I was reading in October 2002.  I loved, loved, loved American Girl by Meg Cabot and have always been "saving" the sequel for the right moment.  How have ten years gone by without me getting that read?! While I remember most of what I read - at least a little bit- I have no recollection of The Demon in the Freezer and am thinking it looks awfully good!
How about you? Were you keeping track of what you read a decade ago? Last year?