Thursday, February 28, 2013

Cold Lunch

My oldest daughter has never eaten hot lunch at school. A fifth grader now, this has meant a lot of cold lunches that I've packed. My other two girls alternate between hot and cold lunches, depending on the menu. So, what do I pack for their cold lunches?  Cold pizza, sausage, cheese and crackers, sandwiches (although these are not a favorite of theirs), pasta salads, Spaghettios in their thermos...along with a fruit and veggie and small snack. Sometimes they take Lunchables, but this is not very cost effective since one Lunchable costs the same as hot lunch.

What's For Lunch? How Schoolchildren Eat Around the World by Andrea Curtis gives a glimpse into what other kids are eating for lunch around the world.  Although this is a bit text heavy, and my girls were most intrigued by the actual photos of lunches from other countries, there is great information in this book. I love that facts are shared in short paragraphs about food in various countries. For example, one fact in the section on China shares that rice famines caused many people to starve to death. Now plumpness is a sign of health and something that health officials are trying to change.

My students love learning about other cultures and are especially interested in my non-fiction collection; What's For Lunch? will be a title that is often checked out and discussed. 

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday

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


This week's pick:  Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns by Lauren Weisberger


The sequel you’ve been waiting for: the follow-up to the sensational #1 bestseller The Devil Wears Prada.


Eight years have passed since Andrea “Andy” Sachs quit the job “a million girls would die for” working for Miranda Priestly at Runway Magazine—a dream that turned out to be a nightmare. Now Andy’s on the top of the world: she’s writing and reporting to her heart’s content; running The Plunge, her wildly successful high fashion bridal magazine with Miranda’s other ex-assistant, Emily; and most importantly, getting married to the scion of a storied media family and the love of her life.


But the night before her wedding, Andy can’t sleep. As happy as she is—as happy as she should be—she’s still haunted by the specter of her former boss. Maybe it’s survivor syndrome? Or maybe it’s justifiable, self-inflicted, paranoia. From the start, Andy and Emily have felt entitled to use their rolodex of contacts—Miranda’s contacts—from Runway as they make their way in the magazine world. As The Plunge succeeds, Andy and Emily realize they’ll soon come face to face with their former tormenter at industry functions, award ceremonies, and even weddings. Still, Andy can hardly anticipate the horrifying reality that’s approaching—a reversal so profound that she will be squarely in Miranda’s crosshairs once more.

Karma’s a bitch. And Andy’s efforts to build a bright new life have led her directly to the one she fled—and into the path of the Devil herself.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald

I think my new favorite genre should be fictionalized biographies.  I have been loving the assortment of these that have been published in the past few years. And the two out in 2013 have just increased my obsession with these books.
The latest I've read, Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler, was a wonderful look at F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife.  In high school (which is seeming rather far away in my mind and therefore I can't quite recall all the details)I read The Great Gatsby and followed that at some point with Zelda by Nancy Milford.  Although the details are a bit sketchy, I had the sense that the Fitzgerald's marriage was tumultuous and their lives tormented despite their success.

Fowler conducted a great deal of research in the writing of this novel.  Although this is fictionalized, a large part is based on fact.  My limited knowledge of the Fitzgeralds left me guessing a bit about which was which, yet I was totally mesmerized by their story, adn readers won't need any prior knowledge to enjoy Z.

The Fitzgeralds were at one point a very successful pair.  Between F. Scott's writing and Zelda's contributions as a dancer, writer, and artist, they appeared to have it all. Yet, F. Scott's alcoholism and Zelda's various stomach ailments and mental illness created great challenges for them. They rubbed elbows with the elite in America, and spent a portion of their professional lives in France as F. Scott tried to finish his novels. 

While there Ernest Hemingway and Fitzgerald forged a great friendship, despite Zelda's and Hemingway's distate for each other. Having read The Paris Wife (by Paula McLain) which covers the life of Hadley Heminway, Ernest's first wife, I was intrigued to see this couple ficionalized in another book.  I loved seeing how these relationships played out in Fowler's depiction of them.

I could just be content with Fowler's depiction of the Fitzgeralds, yet reading Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald has created a desire to re-read Nancy Milford's biography and perhaps gain a greater understanding of this dynamic duo.  This is a book I will be recommending to friends, book clubs, and generally anyone else I can get to take my suggestions.

Other read-alikes:
The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin - click for review
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain - click for review
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

Monday, February 25, 2013

Pinterest Challenge

Sisters Share It All: Pinterest Challenge
I am addicted to Pinterest. With over 2,000 pins, I have plenty of  ideas I would love to try out.  Janssen at Everyday Reading is hosting a challenge along with her sisters. For the next six weeks, I will be picking one thing I have pinned each week to try.  My choices are below:

1.  This Hungry Caterpillar Bulletin Board - I bought the plates just last week to get started on this.


2.  Mail things to far off friends.  This is a cute idea and both Big Sister and Middle Sister have friends that are far away. I think it would be so much fun to get something cute in the mail.


3.  Little Sister has had her room repainted.  She also loves The Hungry Caterpillar. and after seeing this canvas and picking up an extra copy of the book for $2, thought I could try and whip up a canvas of it for her.  I'm not a crafty person, so we'll see how this goes.


4.  I can't begin to guess the number of recipes I still have left to try that I've pinned. This recipe for sweet potato soup looks like a winner to me. It also means I could invite our friend and former neighbor over to eat since she is a vegetarian.


5.  As I'm looking at recipes,  I can't stop at just one.  I fell in love with Amish Friendship bread several  years ago, but didn't like the baggies full of glop that I had to keep around.  This recipe looks just as good as the kind I used to make without all the mess.


6.  I read this book a while ago, and almost started one of her monthly projects, but never collected enough $1 bills.  Hoping I can start this in March.  Each girl will get 30 $1 bills in a jar.  Each day their bedrooms are checked for cleanliness. If it doesn't pass the test, they lost $1.  If it passes the test each day they could have $30 extra by month's end.  Figure it's worth a shot!

 

As I complete these pinterest challenges, I hope to post on them.. Or if I'm being realistic, I'll probably wait until the last minute and then frantically complete six challenges in a short time frame.  We'll see how this goes.


Sunday, February 24, 2013

Sunday Salon

Where does time go?! Friday I ended up having a snow day, as did my girls, meaning that we had a three day weekend.  With this extra day I should be super-caught up on everything, but sadly, I feel like I could use an extra day before I won't be feeling behind.

Here are a few things we did get done:
1.  shoveling - this was actually sort of enjoyable on Friday because it was warmish (31 degrees) and sunny.

2.  Matching socks - I knew this was not going to be a winner of a job, but I offered to pay the girls 2 cents per pair matched.  They all earned at least $1, and Little Sister was the big winner, earning $1.38.  Yes, we have a lot of socks in our house.

3.  Tried out a recipe for red beans and rice from Iowa Girl Eats. The two adults at our house enjoyed it, but the girls found it too spicy (I would agree that this isn't really a great kid meal). 

4.  Two episodes of Gilmore Girls watched with the family - still working our way through Season 2.

5.  Finally tried out my new running shoes. Can't wait til my new treadmill shows up in a few weeks!

6.  Visited with Peaceful Reader at the library - a long overdue catch-up session.

7.  Taught Sunday School, cooked cheeseburger soup, Middle Sister's indoor soccer double header, helped Little Sister with her Star Student of the Week poster.

8.  Began the Pinterest challenge hosted by Janssen at Everyday Reading (be looking for my post on this tomorrow).

Friday, February 22, 2013

Cry Your Eyes Out: Me Before You

I am not known for shedding a tear while reading books, even those that are incredibly sad. However, JoJo Moyes' book, Me Before You, is a book that I wanted to read in private simply because I would have liked to cry my eyes out.

Louisa has been hired to care for a quadriplegic, Will, despite having no previous experience as a caregiver or nurse.  Will's mother is looking for a companion for her son who feels he has no reason left to live.  Louisa's chatty personality might be the medicine Will needs to embrace life again.
And Will does test Louisa, trying to shut her out of his life.  Louisa, for her part, finds caring for a quadriplegic a bit awkward sometimes.  However, her family is in financial trouble and really needs her income, leaving her little choice. Forced to spend time together, Louisa and Will start to learn more about each other.

There is so much more I could say than this simple little synopsis. Yet, I knew very little before I read this book and ended up being blown away.  I didn't have any idea how Will and Louisa's story would turn out.  This book is classified a romance, yet it felt like so much more than a love story.  I can't help but thinking about Will and Louisa even now days after I have finished reading their story.

Just as Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn was my go-to book of the summer, the title I recommended to friends looking for a great read, Me Before You is my new go-to book - a story I want friends to have a chance to fall in love with as much as I have.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday. I'm not sure how often she reads my blog (if she does at all!), but just in case she might look at this, Happy Birthday, Mom!  I talk to her before work in the morning and at night when we get home. Our conversations can start and stop midstream.  There have been many, many times she has offered to help me out only for me to realize later that she has canceled her own plans because she knew I needed assistance. She sang to me and read to me when I was little. She helped me learn to read - and sew, sort of.  She has taught me how to knit. She was my co-worker during my first year of teaching and gave me good advice without being bossy.  Even though I just turned forty, my mom continues to teach me lots every day. 

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: Looking For Me by Beth Hoffman
Due out: May 28, 2013

Product Description taken from Amazon:
A Southern novel of family and antiques from the bestselling author of the beloved Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Beth Hoffman’s sparkling bestselling debut Saving CeeCee Honeycutt won admirers and acclaim with its heartwarming story and cast of unforgettable characters. Now, she rekindles her flair for evocative Southern settings and the inimitable eccentrics in her compelling new novel, Looking for Me.

Teddi Overman found her life’s passion for furniture in a broken-down chair left on the side of the road in rural Kentucky.  She learns to turn other people’s castoffs into beautifully restored antiques, and opens her own graciously-appointed shop in Charleston. Breathing new life into these discarded objects gives Teddi purpose, but has never alleviated the haunting uncertainty she’s felt in the years since her brother Josh’s mysterious disappearance. When signs emerge that Josh might still be alive, Teddi is drawn home to find him. It’s a journey that could help her come to terms with her shattered family—and to find herself at last.

Looking for Me is an unforgettable novel that is full of Hoffman’s signature heart and humor—and a grown-up love story to boot. It is destined to make her a bestselling novelist readers will want to read again and again as they have with Adriana Trigiani, Fannie Flagg, and Dorothea Benton Frank.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

True Colors

Set in 1952, Blue is ten going on eleven, growing up in Vermont's Northern Kingdom.  Found when she was just days old by Hannah, Blue has never known anything but life in this small, farming community.  She and Hannah have always had just each other, although Blue is starting to question who her mother is. 

Blue looks forward to her summers when her best (and only) friend, Nadine, comes for a time away from the big cities she is used to living in.  This summer doesn't quite shape up like Blue plans as Nadine is entering her pre-teen years and seeing herself as better than Blue. The Korean War has also changed things; Nadine's brother is off fighting and her father is too busy with work to spend the summer with them.
Blue resolves to find her mother this summer, and spends her time investigating -attending quilting club meetings with Hannah, finding the local helper Raleigh's house (and a big surprise when she does), and plotting a way to go to California. 

I loved every aspect of this book and have ordered a copy for my school's collection.  While reading I couldn't help but feel as though the author's name, Natalie Kinsey Warnock, was familiar.  After consulting Amazon, I was happy to remember another of the author's books, Lumbercamp Library, and how much I enjoyed it.  I'm anxious to read more from this author and enjoy how she is able to draw on her own family's history for her writing.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Here I Go Again

Last week I read a post at Stacked that talked about books set in the 1980s as being historical fiction.  Considering this is the decade I associate most with my childhood, the idea of it being considered historical is a tad bit disturbing. 
Needless to say, Jen Lancaster's new book, Here I Go Again, was a perfect trip down memory lane for me. Lancaster is within a year or two of my age, so her music references and descriptions of 80s fashion let me relive some great memories. Lissy Ryder also gets to relive her high school years.  At her twentieth reunion it becomes obvious that there were many classmates that Lissy hurt by her selfish, *itchy behavior.  When a classmate, Deva, gives her a solution to drink, Lissy wakes up with the chance to relive some of her high school days.  This time around Lissy makes a point to be nice to some of the people she hurt.  However, when she returns to the present day, the people she thought she helped by being nice, have achieved far less than they would have had Lissy been mean to them.  Back Lissy goes after drinking Deva's potion again, this time to makes amends for what she changed on her previous trip to 1992. 
This novel was a lot of fun. Yet, despite the fun, there was also more to it than just being a fluff read.  I've read a few of Lancaster's memoirs, and her first work of fiction, If You Were Here, and despite the fact that I am a memoir-lover, find Lancaster's fiction writing to be my favorite of her work.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Ruth and the Green Book

This week my fifth grade students began a unit on historical fiction books. One of the main things we discussed is the fact that historical fiction books are different than realistic fiction because we could not take the events that occur in the book and set them in the present time.  And, some of the events in the book really did occur while others are a story and are made up.  We had a good discussion about this and read a Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey.

Set in the early 1950s, Ruth and her family take their new car on a trip to Alabama from Chicago. As they venture South, Ruth is made aware of segregation and Jim Crow.  Her family is turned away from hotels, gas stations and restaurants. Finally, after staying with a friend of her father's, they find out about the Negro Motorist Green Book.  Started by Victor Green, an African American salesman, these books list the places that black people can shop, have their hair done, stay overnight, and a variety of other services.  As one traveler explained to Ruth's family, a green book was essential to him. 

I think the students liked this book, and it opened their eyes to what life was like not all that long ago (although the 1950s probably seem like the Stone Ages to them!) We noted that it was 1964, 99 years after the end of the Civil War, when the Civil Rights Act was passed.  And, in the age of the internet, we were able to find a copy of the Negro Motorist Green Book online and look through it.  It was especially interesting to find our town listed, with just a mere three tourist homes for African Americans to stay in.

Ruth and the Green Book is definitely a worthwhile read, and shouldn't just be brought out for Black History month. I'm already planning on reading and discussing this one at home, too.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker

As some of you may recall, last summer I went with my girls and my mom to Springfield, Illinois, to Abe Lincoln's home and museum.  I have always been interested in Lincoln, ever since first grade when I began reading about him and writing plays for classmates to perform.  (I apologize to any audience who had to sit through a play I wrote and directed as a first grader).

Getting to learn more about him this summer just rekindled some of that interest, and I was happy to read Jennifer Chiaverini's book, Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker.  Elizabeth Keckley is a name I have heard in conjunction with Mary Todd Lincoln, but didn't know anything more than that about her. Chiaverini brings Keckley to life in her book, writing in her perspective.
Keckley was a former slave, a woman who earned her way by sewing for Washington, D.C.'s elite.  Before Abe Lincoln was elected president, she sewed for Varina Davis, the wife of Jefferson Davis until they left for the South where Davis became the President of the Confederacy.
When Lincoln moves into the White House, Keckley begins to sew for Mary Todd Lincoln and develops a friendship with her.  From Keckley's story we are able to imagine the Lincoln's marriage and relationship, their parenting, Mary's excessive spending, and the way in which she was viewed by the public.  Lizzie shares about her past as well: having a son, running her own sewing business which allows her a measure of freedom, and her earlier life in the South.

While I know this is fictionalized, I am curious to know how much about Keckley is based on fact, and how much Chiaverini made up in her writing.  Without a doubt, Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker has sparked more curiosity about the Lincolns and their lives.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

The Center of Everything

I read The Center of Everything quickly and handed it off to my eleven year old daughter with the reminder to her that this is the author that wrote A Crooked Kind of Perfect, which she recalled quickly after I described the cover as having feet different socks on it. A Crooked Kind of  Perfect was a book Big Sister really enjoyed and commented on. Her fourth grade teacher recommended it to her last year, and she loved it.  Despite the fact that I wanted to tell her "I told you so" since I had been telling her about this book for a while, I was mostly just happy she loved Urban's first book.  And now, Urban's third book  (we've both read her second) is about to be published and I don't have to sell Urban at all. She has already sold herself.

Ruby Pepperdine's story takes place in just a small window of time. She is waiting to read her prize-winning essay at the Bunning Day Parade, all the while thinking back to the past as she reflects on the different events that led her to this time.  Right now Ruby is dealing with her grief over the death of her beloved grandmother, Gigi.  It is her wish to set everything right, to go back in time to before she lost Gigi. As her twelfth birthday nears, Ruby knows she must seize her chance to set everything straight. 

As with her other books, Urban has created some very real yet unique characters that comprise Ruby's circle of friends and are a part of Bunning, New Hampshire.  Urban has also managed to develop a story that deals with a lot of emotions and issues that kids go through and communicates them in a very real way. I loved Ruby Pepperdine, and am anxious for my daughter to read this novel to see what she thinks of Urban's latest book.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: The Lost Husband by Katherine Center
Due out: May 7, 2013

Product Descrption taken from Goodreads:
Fans of Jennifer Weiner and Emily Giffin are sure to fall in love with Katherine Center's most heartwarming and engaging novel yet-about how even losing the most important thing in your life can help you find yourself again.

After the sudden loss of her husband in a car crash, Libby Moran falls on hard times-so hard, in fact, that she's forced to move in with her hyper-critical mother. There, sleeping on the pull-out sofa so her two children can share the guest room, she can't stop longing for the life she had. So when a letter arrives from Libby's estranged aunt offering her a job and a place to live on her goat farm, Libby jumps at the opportunity. But starting over is never easy. With an aunt who is nothing like she imagined, a shaggy farm manager with a tragic past, a psychic at the feed store who claims to be able to contact the dead, and a bully at her daughter's school, country life isn't at all what Libby expected. But it also offers her what no other place can: A chance to define the good life for herself. A chance to piece together the mysteries of her own past. A chance, even, at love. And, finally, a chance to bring herself, and her family, back to life.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Saturday Night Widows

I've been waiting to review Saturday Night Widows by Becky Aikman since I read it a few weeks ago.  Aikman is a widow herself. After losing her husband, she tried to find a group of people who had gone through the same thing to talk with them. However, since Aikman was only in her forties she found it difficult to locate other women who really understood what she was experiecing. The age gap between her and other widows presented challenges. Older widows viewed Aikman as having an advantage because she would be able to reinvent her life since she was so young, and perhaps begin another relationship. Aikman, still grieving, didn't feel that way at all.
Finally, Aikman found a few women in a situation similar to her own.  She decided to bring them together, and perhaps forge friendships with these women. Although time had passed since she lost her husband, and Aikman didn't initially think she would be a part of this widows' group, instead being more of a facilitator for them, she also connected with these women.  This group of widows began to meet regularly, finding different activities that encouraged them to embrace life.  From visiting a lingerie shop to taking some trips, this group of seemingly very different ladies forged a friendship based on the one event they all had in common. Yet, despite the fact that they were all young widows, these women were very different, and it was more than just the fact that they were widows that caused them to become friends.
Aikman alternates her chapters, writing of her own experiences as a widow and of losing her husband, as well as the research she has done on grief and grieving.  Even though widows may be able to especially relate to Saturday Night Widows, this book should appeal to many readers.  Book clubs, women's fiction readers and memoir lovers will all especially enjoy Saturday Night Widows.

Monday, February 11, 2013

When My Baby Dreams of Fairy Tales


When I first received this book, I will admit I was somewhat skeptical. I was merely looking at the cover of a photograph of a baby posed cutely.  This made me think of Anne Geddes' photographs which are cute, but are nothing I am particulary drawn to.
However, when I read Adele Enersen's When My Baby Dreams of Fairy Tales to my daughters, I fell in love with this book. Yes, there are pictures of a cute baby. But this book is just downright clever.  Each page features the baby in a fairy tale scene that matches the text.  We all had a great time looking at the clever props around the baby (such as the pacifier tied to the fishing pole), and determining which fairy tale is being depicted. 
My initial skepticism faded, and this is now a book I plan on giving to my nieces and purchasing for my library collection.
Thanks to Harper Collins for providing a copy of this book.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Sunday Salon

Sunday is almost finished and I'm just now sitting down at the computer to read some blogs.  Where did the day go?  Or the weekend, for that matter.

On Friday night my husband and Big Sister and Middle Sister attended the final home wrestling meet of his college coach who won his twenty-first conference championship in twenty-one seasons. Amazing! 
Middle Sister attended an all day I Heart Music program on Saturday, and followed that up with a birthday party for a friend who took her to the Alan Jackson concert.  Never mind that Middle Sister didn't know a single Alan Jackson song.  The best part was that she thought I was pulling her leg when I told her Alan Jackson was a man. She was just sure that Ellen Jackson would be a woman. 
Both Big Sister and Little Sister had playdates/sleepovers of their own yesterday and I taught Sunday School this morning.  We finally purchased a new treadmill, something that my husband and I had decided was our anniversary/birthday/Christmas/Valentine's Day/any other random holiday gift to each other. The one we chose is back-ordered until mid March, but we are serious treadmill users and need a high quality machine. Just this weekend I have put 28 miles on our treadmill while running.  I am also reading Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler and loving it, which makes running much more enjoyable.

State Wrestling is this upcoming weekend, and for the first time ever the girls and I are going to meet up with my husband and attend the finals on Saturday.  He has been spending a lot of time coaching and hasn't had a Saturday off since November, so I am happy to see this season coming to a close. However, he has had a great time and is pretty pumped up for the four guys that qualified on the team.

I've read several great books that I still want to review. I just need to add a few extra hours to every day in order to get that done. I am also starting knitting again, which might cut into reading a bit, but is something I have missed doing.

On to story time before the girls go to bed (we are having a later bedtime after having a family naptime this afternoon),

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Calico Beans

As a child I loved going to potlucks at church.  Such great dishes to choose from! One dish I was introduced to was calico beans.  This dish is something I have only made once or twice at home but after I made it a few weeks ago, I have fallen in love with it.

Calico Beans

2 cans pork and beans
1 pound ground beef, browned
8 pieces of bacon
1 can black beans
1 can butter beans
1 can chili beans
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 T. cider vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. mustard

After browning ground beef and draining, combine all ingredients, crumbling bacon.  Stir together and cook at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.


I served this with warm cornbread muffins and although my two youngest daughters aren't sold on the recipe yet, my oldest daughter had seconds and thirds. 

I bought the ingredients to make this for supper tomorrow night and have been looking forward to it all week.  Yum!

Friday, February 8, 2013

See You at Harry's

Jo Knowles is fast becoming one of my go-to authors for YA literature.  I devoured See You at Harry's yesterday and loved it!
Although the story is sad, I could hardly put it down. Fern and her family own a restaurant, Harry's, and life revolves around working and taking care of her younger brother, Charlie. Fern's older sister is taking a year off before starting college and her older brother, Holden, is grappling with his sexuality.
Fern often feels forgotten, except for when it comes to work. It seems as though when a job needs to get done, Fern is the first person her parents look to, especially when it comes to taking care of her younger brother, Charlie.  Fern is lucky to have a great friend, Ran, although their friendship is changing as they both enter their early teen years and it is more difficult for boys and girls to remain "just friends."  Despite her father's preoccupation with the restaurant and bringing in more customers and her mother's interest in yoga, meditation and the natural lifestyle, Fern is lucky to have such understanding parents.
When tragedy strikes, Fern and her family try to find their way through it- sometimes alone, and sometimes together.
Jo Knowles has realistically captured Fern's emotions and created a story I can't stop thinking about. Although I would classifty this as young adult literature, I think some more mature upper elementary readers would also like See You at Harry's.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

The Promise of Stardust

Priscille Sibley's novel The Promise of Stardust is a novel I read several months ago and have been just dying to review and discuss. Finally, I can see what other people think of this novel.
Matt and Elle are high school sweethearts who have been trying to have a child for a long time. Matt is a neurosurgeon and Elle an astronaut with what appears to be a near perfect life, except for the unfulfilled desire to have a baby.  Elle, who is pregnant, falls from a ladder one day while helping her brother and suffers irreversible brain damage.  Unbeknownst to Matt, Elle was pregnant at the time, and he soon finds out that despite his wife's grim prognosis (there is no hope, really), she is still carrying their baby.  Matt is sure that Elle would want to remain on life support in order to give their child a chance at life, while her family argue against this because of Elle's own experience with her mother lingering on life support for too long.
Chapters alternate between the present day and Matt and Elle's past - high school sweethearts who parted for a time. Readers are privy to all the ups and downs of their relationship.
The novel presents both sides of this issue and I felt it difficult to pass judgement on either position.  This story is one that we have seen played out on the news, tearing at the heartstrings of viewers as we watch people on both sides of the debate suffer.  This novel is sure to be a book club favorite; there is plenty to discuss. The only less than enthusiastic thing I can say about it, is that it at times felt that the author was restating the same thing over and over again.  However, there is so much to like about this book that I was able to overlook that and wanted to keep reading to see how Elle and Matt's story ended.

Thanks to Bookreporter.com for giving me a chance to read and review an ARC of this book.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindel
Due out May 7, 2013

Product Description taken from Amazon:
One of the most fascinating, unreliable narrators you’ll read this year, for fans of The Talented Mr. Ripley and Rules of Civility.


It is 1923. Rose Baker is a typist in the New York City Police Department on the lower east side. Confessions are her job. The criminals admit to their crimes, and like a high priestess, Rose records their every word. Often she is the only woman present. And while she may hear about shootings, knifings, and crimes of passion, as soon as she leaves that room she is once again the weaker sex, best suited for making coffee.
It is a new era for women, and New York City is a confusing time for Rose. Gone are the Victorian standards of what is acceptable. Now women bob their hair short like men, they smoke, they go to speakeasies. But prudish Rose is stuck in the fading light of yesteryear, searching for the nurturing companionship that eluded her childhood and clinging to the Victorian ideal of sisterhood.
But when glamorous Odalie, a new girl, joins the typing pool, despite her best intentions Rose falls under Odalie’s spell. As the two women navigate between the sparkling underworld of speakeasies by night, and their work at the station by day, Rose is drawn fully into Odalie’s high stakes world and her fascination with Odalie turns into an obsession from which she may never recover.

Monday, February 4, 2013

The Stuff That Never Happened

Annabelle McKay, the protagonist in this novel is not so happily married. At least that's what she believes.  As she becomes frustrated with her husband's preoccupation with a book he is writing and his duties as a college professor, Annabelle begins to think back to what she believes was the great love affair of her life and the one who got away.  Then Annabelle moves to New York City to be with her daughter, Sophie, who is expecting and has been confined to bedrest for the duration of her pregnancy. The Stuff That Never Happened alternates between 1977 and 2005 and not only do we see Annabelle as an empty-nester, but also as the single woman she once was and how she and her husband Grant's marriage has grown and changed over time.
Maddie Dawson's novel is a great addition to the women's fiction genre and would be a discussion worthy book for any book club. 

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Blast From the Past

February nearly snuck up on me.  Here are some reading highlights from February 2002.  The most memorable book on this short list is Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart simply because ten years ago a neighbor, my husband and I formed our own little book club. Achebe's book was her pick - a read she enjoyed but my husband and I struggled through and I eventually bought the Cliff notes for.  We still laugh about this experience and unfortunately this is when things began to fall apart for our book club as schedules became a problem. 
How about you? What were you reading last year? Ten years ago?

Friday, February 1, 2013

The Quiet Place

Once again Sarah Stewart and David Small, the husband/wife team have collaborated to produce The Quiet Place, a beautiful picture book.
Set in 1957, The Quiet Place reminds me of a previous book by Stewart and Small, The Garden. I loved The Garden and upon reading The Quiet Place, I fell in love with it also.
Isabel and her parents and brother have moved to the United States from Mexico. Isabel writes her aunt Lupita to tell her of their adventures in a new country, a place she now is making her home.  Despite the many changes she faces, what doesn't change is how she misses her aunt.
Isabel encounters many new and different things- snow, a new language and school.  As she must embrace a new life, she also looks for a quiet place she can call her own.  By decorating a cardboard box, Isabel has a place she feels most at home, a place where she can draw and write.
The beautiful watercolor illustrations and the letters to Lupita made this a wonderful read aloud last night.  My kindergarten girl enjoyed it as did my older third and fifth grade daughters.