Monday, June 30, 2014

2014: Halfway Point

Hard to believe that we are halfway through 2014.  

There are already a few highlights from this year's list of books I've read.  

Stand-outs at this point include:
















Sunday, June 29, 2014

Sunday Salon



We did have a few days of nice weather and spent three days this week at the pool.  I finally have tan lines - hooray!

This weekend it has been muggy and stormy.  




I have been trying to eat a bit healthier, which has meant that I am serving salads for supper most nights.  This fish taco salad is a recipe that I found on Everyday Reading.  I really enjoyed it, which I expected because I totally trust Janssen.  My kids, not so much.  Living in the midwest, we are more likely to eat a hamburger than fish, and since neither my husband nor I were brought up eating fish, it isn't the first thing I think to make. Thus, my children haven't been exposed to much sea food, either, although they do have to try what I make as our main meal.  

I am feeling totally overwhelmed with books right now.  Although I am reading nearly a book a day, the library stack is enormous! I am hoping to finish up an ARC of Leila Meacham's Somerset (yes, it is an ARC but the book came out last fall), and move on to something else yet today. 

I have a bit of homework to do for an online class I am taking, and still need to exercise yet today.  Although I love parts of this relaxed summer schedule, I am not very good about getting things done, and need to dive in to some of the deep cleaning projects that await.

I hope you are enjoying your Sunday, whatever it is you are choosing to do.

Saturday, June 28, 2014

There Will Be Bears

Ryan Gebhart's novel There Will Be Bears is just one of a tubful of books I brought home from school to read over the summer and share with my students when we return in August.




Tyson is thirteen years old, full of jokes, and not yet interested in girls, which sets him apart from his best friend, Brighton.  He is also looking forward to going on his first elk hunt with his grandfather, Gene.  Unfortunately Gene is suffering from kidney failure and needs dialysis, which has forced him into a nursing home a few hours away.  Unable to give up this dream, the two conspire to take a camping trip anyway, despite Gene's health problems and the fact that there is a grizzly bear that has been attacking campers in the same area the two are planning on camping.

Although Tyson is thirteen, this is a great tween novel, not focused on girls or dating, but instead on Tyson's relationship with his grandfather, and what it feels like to still want to act like a kid while some friends are growing up faster than you are.

This book has a serious side, as Tyson deals with his grandfather's health problems, as well as a humorous side because Tyson is one funny kid.  There Will Be Bears is a great read for boys, but girls will also enjoy this story.

Friday, June 27, 2014

Friday Five




My sister has lived in Des Moines for a little over a decade, and we have made  many trips there to visit her.  Our trips have become slightly more adventurous and instead of sitting around her house we have gone a variety of fun places in this nice city.

This week my Friday Five centers around our top five things we experienced this past weekend on our most recent visit to Iowa's capitol city:



The Des Moines Farmer's Market

We can always find something good to buy there.  From food items to crafts....Little Sister found this hat she has added to her collection



The Science Center in Des Moines- this is where I took my girls to see The Dinosaur Named Sue . There are always great things to see and do here.



The Cheesecake Factory is a chain restaurant, something I don't normally get very excited about.  However, I have only been there once before and my girls had never been there. We indulged in a late lunch on Saturday that everyone enjoyed.





Whole Foods is one of my favorite stores. I love looking at all the grocery items.  I just wish we had one closer to us.  My absolute favorite item: their homemade potato chips.  We stocked up on cookies, pizza from their deli, potato chips, sushi, and a variety of other goodies.


The Capitol Building in Des Moines is easily seen from the sky walks in downtown.  Visitors can also take tours of the capitol. We've already been to the capitol, and plan on visiting Terrace Hill, the Governor's mansion next.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Mambo in Chinatown

I fell in love with Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, and was thrilled to see that her sophomore novel, Mambo in Chinatown was being published this summer.  Sometimes it is difficult to live up to a first novel that was so wonderful, but Kwok has managed to do it again.


Mambo in Chinatown kept me up late last night as I read on and off all day long, unable to put the book down until I knew what happened to Charlie and Lisa Wong.

Charlie works with her father in a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, barely eking out their existence.  When she manages to get a job at a dance company's receptionist, she is sure that her good luck won't last and she'll be back to washing dishes soon.  Although her receptionist skills are lacking, Charlie's mother had once been a dancer, and Charlie is built like one herself.  It doesn't take long for the studio owners to encourage Charlie to take up dance herself.

However, there are a lot of struggles Charlie must deal with. Despite Charlie's excitement about dancing, she is unable to tell her father, who is certain to find this job unacceptable.  And her sister, Lisa, eleven years her junior, seems to be struggling with some chronic health problem.  Her father's Chinese background has him looking to Eastern medicine practices, which don't seem to be helping Lisa at all.  

Kwok throws in a bit of romance as well, and I couldn't help but hope for happiness for Charlie.

My only complaint (and it is a minor one) is that I felt as though the end was too tidily wrapped up.  Lisa's issues are resolved quickly.  Charlie finds happiness.  And they all lived happily ever after.  At least that is what it felt like. And yet, I loved Mambo in Chinatown and I can hardly wait to see what else Kwok writes.



Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday

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



This week's selection:  This One is Mine by Maria Semple
Due out: July 31, 2014



Product Description taken from Amazon:

Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life--except that she's deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return. When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again. Also in the picture are David's hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap. For all their recklessness, Violet and Sally will discover that David and Jeremy have a few surprises of their own. THIS ONE IS MINE is a compassionate and wickedly funny satire about our need for more--and the often disastrous choices we make in the name of happiness.


Tuesday, June 24, 2014

The Pearl That Broke Its Shell

Rahima is a girl growing up in Afghanistan in 2007.  Her family needs her help, as her father has become an opium addict, unable to provide for them.  Rahima has only sisters and in order for her family to survive, they employ an old custom,  bacha posh, which allows Rahima to dress and act as a boy until she is of marriageable age.


Rahima and her sisters wait anxiously for their aunt's visits and the story she tells them of their great-great grandmother, Shekiba.  Rahima is not the first in their family to dress as a boy.  Shekiba carried out this practice years ago herself.

Rahima and Shekiba's stories run parallel to each other, despite the fact that many years separate them.  Women in Afghanistan are no better off today than they were in the early 1900s.  Both women are married off without their consent and treated as property.  As women, neither of them have any say in what will happen to them.

Hashimi's novel is one I didn't want to put down. She has managed to create a realistic (although depressing) view of life for women in Afghanistan.  And despite the sorrow these women experience, their spirits continue to remain unbroken, looking forward to the future.

Monday, June 23, 2014

The Vacationers

The Posts are vacationing as a family, spending a couple of weeks in Spain at the home of one of Fanny's friends. Fanny and Jim are celebrating their thirty-fifth anniversary, although not happily.  Their daughter Sylvia has just graduated from high school, while the older son, Bobby, is coming from Florida with his girlfriend, Carmen.



Fanny's best friend, Charles, and his husband Lawrence, are also along on this vacation, adding to the cast of characters in The Vacationers.

After reading several reviews of The Vacationers, I've seen the term dysfunctional used repeatedly.  Although each character in this novel has a variety of challenges and faults, Straub's portrayal of this family felt real to me.  Each character was multi-faceted and felt human.

Despite the fact that Fanny and Jim have been married for thirty-five years, they are experiencing marital trouble after Jim's brief affair with a much younger intern.  Jim, having been forced into early retirement isn't sure what to do with himself.  Sylvia is anxious to leave home and head off to college, but would like to lose her virginity.  Bobby, a decade older than his sister, lives in Florida where he has done well for himself in real estate. Or that is what he has led his family to believe.  His girlfriend, Carmen, is much older than Bobby and despite the fact that they have been together for several years, the two still have little commitment. Even Charlie and Lawrence are struggling with their own set of problems.  They would love to adopt a child and are awaiting news from their adoption agency that a birth mother has selected them,

This novel was a pleasure to read. It's the perfect summer book for anyone wanting a little escape, visiting another country without leaving their own lawn chair.

Straub's novel Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures was published a few years ago, and I recommended it to several people after having read it.  Although it didn't receive the accolades The Vacationers has, it is a fabulous read as well.  

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Sunday Salon


It's a rainy Sunday, but yesterday was a steamy Saturday in Des Moines. I took my girls and my mom to Des Moines for the weekend, which was a nice little get away, spent at my sister and brother-in-law's house.

My nephew, J, enjoyed having his cousins around.  They read a few books, played in the park, and basically entertained each other.


One of the highlights of the trip was meeting up with one of my students who moved to Des Moines at the end of the school year. There are always a few kids who just worm their way into your heart and Pyae is one of these special ones.  His family is from Burma and trying to make their way in the United States. Our phone conversations are difficult at best, but I was thrilled to find him and take him with my family to the Farmers Market and the Science Center.  Everything he sees is interesting to him and his innocence and excitement were so fun to see yesterday.


There are so many things we take for granted - blowing bubbles, building a rocket and shooting it off, walking in a sky walk above the downtown streets, even tasting a marshmallow for the first time.

All these activities along with time spent driving didn't lend itself to much reading time.  I did finish Lisa See's new book, China Dolls, which I will review at some point this week, and am looking for which book I should next pluck off the TBR pile.

I'm not cooking much for supper and my husband and girls are watching the US World Cup soccer match on television.  Aside from the usual squabbling, it's a fairly relaxed Sunday evening.

How about you? Have you enjoyed your weekend?  What's going on this week?



Saturday, June 21, 2014

Say What You Will

Say What You Will just came out earlier this month, but before it was even published I had read about it all over the place.  Turns out, I have read a book by author, Cammie McGovern before (Neighborhood Watch).

Say What You Will is a young adult novel- McGovern's first in this genre - but a book that adults will also enjoy.

Amy has cerebral palsy and because of that is non-verbal.  For her last year in high school she wants to attend class without the help of adult aids.  Instead she convinces her mother to hire peer helpers, other senior students who can help her navigate her way to and from classes and in the lunchroom.  Although these helpers are not friends, Amy appreciates the companionship most of them provide.  Especially Matt.

Matt is a bit different than Amy's other peer helpers.  He doesn't have friends at school and although he knows something is wrong, isn't yet aware of the fact that he has OCD.  Life is difficult for Matt as he knows his obsessions are irrational, yet can't ignore them.

At first I was worried that McGovern's book was too much like Sharon Draper's Out of My Mind or Wonder by RJ Palacio. However, the characters are older and their feelings for each other make it more of a teen novel.  And, it is so well written that I just couldn't put it down.

Of course I was rooting for Amy and Matthew to find happiness with each other. But there were a lot of barriers that stood in their way.  Just like Jenny Han's novel, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, I wanted more at the end, and yet McGovern's ending is perfect.

I've pressed this novel into the hands of my tween daughter, my high school helper at school, and a middle school English teacher. Say What You Will is an amazing story about acceptance, friendship, and hope.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Friday Five

Summer's underway.  We've only marked a few things off our summer bucket lists, but it has been nice to sleep in a little later and stay up later as well. I haven't spent much time on the computer this week since I had to take it in yesterday to be reimaged.  The little arrow on the screen was frozen and no matter what I tried it would not move.  Being without technology is no fun.  I think I'm back in working order now, thank goodness!




 My mom had a hard time getting her aviator sunglasses back from Middle Sister.  She's looking for a pair of her own now.


 Nothing like enjoying a Scratch cupcake on a summer afternoon.  


 The kitchen table is in progress.  It looks good, but we are struggling a bit with the stain color. 

Big Sister (and Middle Sister and Little Sister) reserved the television several weeks ago to watch the Kate Plus 8 special celebrating the sextuplets 10th birthday. I watched along with them and enjoyed seeing how much more grown up these kids are.  

I used to use Crystal Light packets like crazy, adding them to my water. I've reined myself in a bit, but am really enjoying these Minute Maid drops that can be added to water.  The little containers are perfect to carry in my purse (or wherever) and so far I've enjoyed the flavors I've tried.  

Thursday, June 19, 2014

We Were Liars

I wish I could be the first to write about We Were Liars by E Lockhart. But, by now I have seen several reviews on this book.  I had this book as an ARC before Christmas and had even begun reading it, but I was interrupted so many times as we packed up things for our kitchen remodeling project, that the book was set aside and in fact, I had to look through one of the boxes of papers and "stuff" when one of my friends encouraged me to read it so we could discuss it.

And as soon as I was done reading, I called Kristin on the phone. Because I did want to discuss.  We Were Liars really intrigued me.  




A group of cousins spends their summers together at their families vacation home. Each family has their own house, as does their grandfather.  Teenagers, the cousins look forward to this time together, and Cadence, the narrator of the story, recalls summers past.  She refers to something that happened, but when it is finally revealed, I was totally surprised. I never saw it coming.

I don't want to spoil this for anyone, because We Were Liars is a must read. I haven't read Lockhart's work before (I know I'm in the minority, there), but I will definitely be checking out her previous novels.

This one gives plenty to discuss and think about, and makes me want to go back and re-read it just so I can see if there were hints as to how this story would end.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday


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

This week's selection: The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar
Due out: August 19, 2014

Product Information taken from Amazon:
From the critically beloved, bestselling author of The World We Found and The Space Between Us, whom the New York Times Book Review calls a “perceptive and . . . piercing writer,” comes a profound, heartbreakingly honest novel about friendship, family, secrets, forgiveness, and second chances.
An experienced psychologist, Maggie carefully maintains emotional distance from her patients. But when she meets a young Indian woman who tried to kill herself, her professional detachment disintegrates. Cut off from her family in India, Lakshmi is desperately lonely and trapped in a loveless marriage to a domineering man who limits her world to their small restaurant and grocery store.
Moved by her plight, Maggie treats Lakshmi in her home office for free, quickly realizing that the despondent woman doesn’t need a shrink; she needs a friend. Determined to empower Lakshmi as a woman who feels valued in her own right, Maggie abandons protocol, and soon doctor and patient have become close friends.
But while their relationship is deeply affectionate, it is also warped by conflicting expectations. When Maggie and Lakshmi open up and share long-buried secrets, the revelations will jeopardize their close bond, shake their faith in each other, and force them to confront painful choices.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Must Eat Breakfast

I used to eat oatmeal for breakfast pretty routinely. For the past few years I had moved on to fruit and peanut butter, or a Clif bar instead. Occasionally I would return to oatmeal, but that seemed to happen only when I couldn't find anything else to eat.


Now thanks to Pinterest I have come across an oatmeal recipe I love. 

1 can pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar

Stir.

2 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon

Stir.

Pour into an 8x8 pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  

This is way too much for one day, so I put it in a container and then reheat some for breakfast each morning.  I know. Re-heated oatmeal.  It just sounds disgusting. And apparently it didn't look too good either because my mom totally rejected it when I tried to give her some.  But don't judge. It tastes just fine reheated. I promise.

Monday, June 16, 2014

The Secret Hum of a Daisy

Tracy Holczer's The Secret Hum of a Daisy is the type of novel I devour, then want to begin all over again. This book is so much more than just the story that Holczer has written.  It is an absolutely beautiful book, full of wisdom and sadness, and hope.



Grace is twelve years old when her mother dies in an accident. It has always been just the two of them against the world. Grace's father died before she was born, and although she knows she has a grandmother out there somewhere, she has never met her.  Grace's mom and grandma didn't see eye to eye on things when Grace's mom was pregnant with her, and she left town, never returning.  The two move often, not really allowing themselves to settle in any one town.

But now that her mom has passed away, Grace is being sent to live with her grandmother, a woman that she is sure she is not supposed to like.  Her grandmother's life feels far from the one she was accustomed to living with her mom. 

Grace continues to want to live in the Before....before the accident, not the After.  Her grief is still new, and as she tries to mourn the loss of her mother, she is also adjusting to a new school and her grandmother, who doesn't seem nearly as horrible as she anticipated.

Grace learns a lot about life and about love and about moving on.  Holczer's novel is so beautifully written.  There is an important message within this story, and although I just finished reading this myself, would love to start over again so I can enjoy the wisdom that is imparted in its pages.  

This is a novel I will be recommending to everyone from my middle grade readers to my adult friends.  I'm hoping The Secret Hum of a Daisy is on everyone's mind come Newbery time.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Sunday Salon


Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. My husband is really enjoying his day (insert sarcasm) by building us our kitchen table.  


He's made a lot of progress and is hoping he gets it stained yet tonight.

As a Father's Day treat, the girls and I made him a chocolate peanut butter pie.  Way back in 1996 I made this for him while we were dating. I haven't made it since, but I've heard an awful lot about it.  I remember thinking this was a horribly challenging recipe (which is why I avoided it for the past 18 years), but whipped it up quickly last night. This goes to show how my cooking skills have progressed.  Back then I was challenged by mac and cheese. I kid you not.  



This is quite the delicious, rich dessert. I managed to eat the remnants from Middle and Little Sister's plates and was already on sugar overload.

And speaking of sugar overload....


This is the haul from the first parade of the summer. I had to work at the library yesterday, but my mom took my girls to the Grump Days parade and this is what they returned home with. 

I've only been on summer break for three days, but already we've had a bonfire with friends, water balloon fights, and had free malts at the bank to celebrate June as National Dairy Month. I've been reading a lot, so today I am making my "to do" list of projects I need to get done by the time I go back to school.  Summer flies by too fast!

I'm nearly ready to fire up the grill, and then get busy with some cleaning out.  Hopefully there will be time to settle in to read Jane Green's latest novel (a quick read), and perhaps watch Monument Men, which I've rented.

Enjoy your Sunday, everyone!

Saturday, June 14, 2014

These Books Are For the Birds - or Birdwatchers

Bird watching has never been my cup of tea, but my husband has been known to run through backyards in our neighborhood trying to get a better view of the pileated woodpecker (which I caught a glimpse of as it was sitting on our window ledge and pecking at our screen, scaring the heck out of me!).  




We have bird feeders, a bird bath, and a variety of other bird-ish items in our backyard. I have noticed that now with our kitchen addition we have a wonderful view of our backyard and the many birds that stop by.  Little Sister is our resident birdwatcher - informing me about various different types of birds.  

There are quite a few bird books out there right now and I have been snatching them up to read at home.


The Long, Long Journey: The Godwit's Amazing Migration by Sandra Markle, illustrated by Mia Posada tells the story of the godwit, who begins her life in Alaska growing up during the summer months so that in the fall she is ready to fly to New Zealand.  As the book highlights, this bird's migration spans 7,000 miles and is the longest non-stop migration ever recorded.  



I enjoyed the accessibility of the text which shares a story that lower elementary students will understand and enjoy.  The godwits' story is an amazing one, and there are additional notes and resources for readers to enjoy.





Look Up: Bird Watching in Your Own Back Yard by Annette LeBlanc Cate 
This book is full of information, but written conversationally, so that once I started reading, I had a hard time stopping.  Cate gives good advice to birdwatchers- or anyone who wants to spend some time outside in nature really looking at what they may have taken for granted right around them.  The speech bubbles add to this non-fiction how-to book, as do the additional facts found at the bottom of various pages.  There is a lot going on in this book, and it might not be a great choice for a young child, but my first grade daughter found plenty to look at and read - and then tell me about.

Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City by Janet Schulman, illustrated by Meilo So

Pale Male will be a book that I plan on sharing with my students in the fall. They love "real stories" as they call them and this is a great story about Pale Male and his struggle to stay in the Big Apple.  Taking up residence in Central Park, Pale Male is enjoyed by the city's birdwatchers. But when he takes up residence on Fifth Avenue, the well-to-do residents, are none too happy to have this new addition.  Pale Male's supporters must fight to keep this animal in their city, and Pale Male becomes a bit of a minor celebrity.  The colorful illustrations that So provides drew me in, and Pale Male's story is one that children will enjoy, as they root for him to keep his home.





Is This Panama? A Migration Story by Jan Thornhill, illustrated by Soyeon Kim

Sammy is a Wilson's warbler who needs to fly to Panama from his home near the Arctic circle.  He can't find any other Wilson's warblers, who have already begun their journey, so Sammy sets off by himself. Along the way he finds many other animals also migrating, but none going to Panama.  Tagged as non-fiction, Is This Panama? is a great read-aloud as Sammy and the various animals have conversations about their migratory journeys there is a lot to be learned.  A question and answer page in the back about migration and a map showing the animals Sammy encountered and his route to Panama help add some detail to this book.

Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Susan Roth and Cindy Trumbore, collages by Susan Roth, winner of the 2014 Sibert Award

These beautiful and colorful collages drew me in immediately.  Roth and Trumbore share the story of the Puerto Rican parrot who lived for centuries on the island. As settlers came and their habitat is destroyed, the number of parrots continued to decline.  At one point, in 1967, there were only twenty-four parrots left.  Attempts were made to help these birds mate and then release them in the wild in order to increase their numbers.  Photographs and a time-line of Puerto Rico's and the parrots' history is included, rounding out this book.  As I read I couldn't help but plan ahead to next year. My first grade classes discuss habitat, and this book will be a great read aloud for this topic, providing plenty to discuss and research.

Bird books abound this year.  These are just some of the titles I have picked up for our night time read alouds.  

The National Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North America isn't exactly read aloud material, but it does provide a wealth of information on birds.  I love pretty much everything that National Geographic publishes for kids, and this book has been added to my own library at home.

Happy bird watching!