Bring Me Up: Book Club

Touched

2008-07-30T18:49:00.007-05:00

This one was weird/hard for me to read. In the story, "Touched," the plot is about a little boy who is sexually molested by an older man. The story is told from the points of view of the man, his wife, the boy and his mother. There is a lot of psychological trauma going on in the story that made me angry. I have heard some people saying the story line shows a sympathetic twist in regards to the molester, but hearing his rationalizations just made me more angry. I'm just not sure this book accurately depicts the situation.

Scott Campbell write about a twelve-year-old boy who is molested by a neighbor he did errands for during the summer. After everything comes out he ends up having to sit through a court hearing against his molester. He is made to tell the story, in a very detailed manner in front of the jury and the court room which of course included his parents and older brother.

Long story short a rift was made in the family of the abused child. The molester felt bad for what he did and since he claimed devout love for the child he plead guilty; he died in prison.

Since we do not often hear about boys being sexually abused I do think it is important to hear such a story. It was difficult for me to read the molester's view of what happened because even until the very end he said he loved the boy. For him he claimed all emotional, it wasn't about being an abuser or taking advantage of a child. I suppose that would be hard for anyone to hear or read. Perhaps it is a sickness like alcoholism? I don't know.

I suppose this topic was too emotional for me to be objective about. It's well written for the most part I just don't feel it was accurate nor do I feel it would help anyone in a similar situation. =o/

The Splitting Storm

2008-07-16T18:32:00.004-05:00

The Splitting Storm is by Rene Gutteridge and I loved every page of it.

FBI agent Mick Kline knows that adrenaline rush well. When he's not chasing criminals, he's chasing tornados across Texas and Oklahoma. The book opens with his pursuit of the perfect picture of a twister. But this storm quickly gives way to another one when Mick's brother, a police officer, is found dead and he becomes obsessed with tracking down the killer.

Instead, intent on revenge, Kline follows a trail of clues that leads to Bakerville, Tex., where Faith Kemper, the recovering wife of another murder victim, is in hiding - afraid she is next.

Right off the bat I was intrigued by the fact that the lead character was a storm chaser. The first chapter had such a powerful description of the storm he wanted to take photographs of and how it felt to be in the thick of it. Unfortunately there was to be no more storm chasing and he entire chapter was more of a foreshadowing than anything else.

Mick ends up being told he needs to take a month off because the strain of his brother's murder has gotten to him. He is obsessed with finding the killer and the more research he does the more he is certain there is a serial killer. A killer who kills police officers and in a very unorganized manner. No one believes his theory because the deaths seem so unrelated.

When Mick goes looking for more information on the death of Paul Kemper he ends up meeting the widow, Faith. She is battling more than just having witnessed the murder of her husband, she is also being stalked by the killer AND she has lost all faith in God.

This is a fantastic story, I truly loved it and will be looking for the next two books in this storm series. If you like a mystery, a thriller and a little bit of romantic tension mingled in then you'll enjoy this book. Four stars!

Letters to Gabriel

2008-07-10T07:47:00.002-05:00

Karen Garver Santorum is the author of Letters to Gabriel and the story is about her life and the life she was carrying inside her for nine months. The baby lived two hours after birth, but to her and her family their little boy was alive and part of their family the entire time.

The book is 100% nonfiction and the family in the story was very much in the public eye since the father, Rick Santorum, was a Senator at the time.

Karen was over joyed about her pregnancy and all was going very well at first. However, further into the pregnancy complications arose and they were severe enough that the doctors offered the option of abortion. There was a very slim chance the baby would carry to full term or survive after birth.

It just so happened they found out their baby had a small chance of surviving during the time the partial birth abortion was up for debate in the Senate. And they are a pro-life family.

Karen and her husband decided to move forward and do everything they could to help their baby grow and survive. There were many tests and trips to distant hospitals. Baby Gabriel's kidneys were not functioning and his lungs were not developing properly. There wasn't enough fluid in the placenta and as the pregnancy progressed the percentage of survival diminished.

Gabriel Michael, was born prematurely and died two hours after birth.

Karen writes letters to her unborn son and after he dies she continues writing. As a reader you can feel her anguish and despair. You can also feel her faith and bravery. The book was hard to read, upsetting to say the least, but it was beautiful. And to know Rick Santorum was leading the charge against partial birth abortion in the U.S. Senate at the very same time this was happening makes the story even more powerful.

Sole Survivor

2008-06-30T18:40:00.003-05:00

This weekend when I finished Dean Koontz books "Sole Survivor" I was sad because it was over. I had such an interest in the developments of the characters in this story. There was such growth and so many intertwined stranger connections that once the story was finished I continued thinking what could happen in their future.

Unlike many of Koontz's books this particular one was less of a thriller and more of a thinker, so to speak. There was never a doubt something scientific was happening throughout the story even though it isn't until the latter half when this is confirmed.

The deaths were murders even though all sources were saying suicide. Each victim did indeed die at their own hands, but they did not die of their own choice. You would have to read it to really understand.

For those of you, like myself, who know with certainty that there are spirits among us then you will be intrigued by this book. But it's also important to know there are human beings among us who have "spiritual-esque" qualities (for lack of a better word.)

This story discusses religion, but not in a bible thumping way. The main character, Joe Carpenter, does not believe in God. His wife and daughters were killed in a plane crash on their way home to him. His life ended then too, but his body carried on in spite of his broken spirit.

Things take a turn when he meets a woman, Rose, who claims to have survived the plane crash which incinerated all the passengers aboard. Rose walked away from the scene with a child, Nina, who matches the description of Joe's daughter Nina who was on board.

While it turns out not to be the same Nina, there is indeed a strong connection. And Rose did indeed survive this tragedy as she claims.

But will Joe, Rose and Nina survive the real killers? Read. Believe. See if you are strong enough to survive.

BUY A Dean Koontz BOOK!!!

The Four Agreements

2008-06-13T08:10:00.004-05:00

It isn't the first time I have read Don Miguel Ruiz's book "The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book". In fact, I have read this book three times over the last several years. I am in the process of listening to it as well.

The four agreements are these: Be impeccable with your word. Don't take anything personally. Don't make assumptions. Always do your best.

You'd think the agreements would be easy to embrace and practice, but they are not. I am not surprised at how these agreements are not made in my life. I need to work on them, all four, and improve the quality of my life. Being aware is only a baby step.

Some of the book I have a very difficult time coming to terms with because I was raised in such a way that I always put everyone else around me first. I am easily guilted into doing something I don't want to do and I guilt the people around me. I definitely assume and I almost always take things personally. The only agreement I feel I strive to fulfill each day is the last one, which is to always do my best.

Always going your best is a great chapter because it explains that "your best" will surely change on a daily basis. When you're sick you're best will be less than when you're 100% healthy and so on.

The entire philosophy is based on Toltec beliefs. Ruiz, the author, was born into a Mexican family of traditional healers, became a surgeon in adulthood, then underwent a near-death experience that made him reexamine his life, his beliefs.

He talks about emotions, misconceptions, best practices and how each person allows external influences to guide them through life.

From the cover of the book:

Be Impeccable With Your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Don't Take Anything Personally: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

Don't Make Assumptions: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

Always Do Your Best: Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

I love this book. I am sure I will read it many more times. I recommend it to everyone in my life regardless of your background, religion or current beliefs. Even if you end up disagreeing with the messages I do still think it is a beneficial read and well written. Or you can listen to it, you can buy it on iTunes or audible.com and it's very short so it takes less than 3 hours to listen.

Buy the book!

The Oxford Murders

2008-06-05T07:55:00.003-05:00

Murder mysteries normally keep me enthralled from start to finish and while this was a good book I can honestly say nothing about it was enthralling.

The Oxford Murders, written by Guillermo Martinez, focused on the deaths of three people who were all already dying. The deaths appeared to be of natural causes but it turns out they were murdered by someone who wanted it to look natural. A smart someone.

You go through the entire book following the thoughts of the detective and the narrator. Our narrator is a student of math named Martin, from Argentina. Arthur Seldom, good friends with the narrator, received a series of notes which were meant to be warnings of a murder. Each note had a symbol which he claimed could be a mathematical challenge. Seldom being a mathematical genius, received these notes because in his recently published book he had a chapter on serial killers and how they can be "calculated" just like a math problem.

I found this thought process to be quite intriguing. I am not good at math and don't know much about theorems and such. This book discusses many mathematical symbols and the theories behind them. As I read along I realized just how smart the serial killer in the book really was and it added a sort of heightened fear to the mix.

***SPOILER***

So when it turned out that all the murders were separate and not a serial murderer at all I was sort of disappointed. Each murder was explained and one of them really wasn't a murder at all.

Plus, I was troubled by the bus crash which killed ten children who had Downs Syndrome. The bus driver died as well and it was he who planned out the bus crash. His daughter was in the hospital dying and on the top of a list for a lung transplant. He contemplated committing suicide so she could have his lung, but he found out they do not transplant the organs of people who have killed themselves. So he orchestrated a bus crash. It's very sad.

I'd give The Oxford Murders 3 stars out of 5. If you are not interested in reading you can watch the movie, Elijah Wood plays Martin. It was an international film released in Spain earlier this year. [trailer]

Eat Cake

2008-05-27T08:02:00.004-05:00

In her most stressing of moments she escapes by imagining herself hiding in the center of a cake. I found this a bit odd, but it intrigued me enough to continuing reading.

Ruthie being a stay-at-home-momma spent a lot of time baking. It is something her Mom taught her at a young age and as she grew older she fell in love with baking; it became a craft. The ingredients worked for her like they would work for no one else.

When Ruthie's husband was laid off at the hospital things began to get a little bit crazy. It's no surprise what happened, I'm sure you know even without reading further. Ruthie began her own business, "Eat Cake."

The story isn't all predictable, though most of it is if you're astute enough to realize it. There is a couple love stories involved as well as the relationship between mother and daughter spanning generations.

Writing anymore about the book would give away far too much detail and so I won't be. However I will tell you this is definitely chic lit. It is an easy and entertaining read. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a breather. The book is written excellently with great character development. You'll finish reading with a smile on your face and craving for some cake. =o)

Buy Eat Cake or look to see other books written by Jeanne Ray.

Calendar Girl: In Which A Lady Of Rylstone Reveals All

2008-05-20T07:41:00.007-05:00

Even now I chuckle thinking about eleven women over the age of 45 posing nude for a calendar; including one group shot for December. As a lady of only 27 years of age I cannot even imagine being in a nude calendar. And here these ladies put together the idea and launched it internationally with the hope of raising money to help fund research regarding leukemia. Thus begins the story, Calendar Girl: In Which A Lady Of Rylstone Reveals All.

Little did they know just what a sensation they would become. These women were part of a group called the WI which stands for a Women's Institute and there are many chapters of this group. This calendar includes ladies from the Rylstone Women's Institute in North Yorkshire, UK.

In 1999, one of the ladies husbands became ill with leukemia. He would say that if the ladies planted Sunflowers, he'd make sure he'd get better so he could see them. Unfortunately, Annie lost her husband after which she and her friends pulled together in a fundraising effort and their idea was a nude calendar. The calendar is displays each woman posing behind a different task that the Women's Institute teaches their members, such as making bread rolls, knitting, planting flowers, and playing the piano.

The book is told by Annie's closest friend, Chris, who posed behind an apple press in her month of the calendar. Chris receives a lot of flack through the book and at one point even separates from her husband after he distances himself and grows bitter over the calendar which has taken over their lives.

There were ups and downs to this ordeal and sadly enough their lives would never be the same. Friendships were broken after the calendar became such a sensation it was offered movie deals. Half of the group wanted one director while the other half wanted a different director. The arguments became a feud and the ladies drifted apart. The strain never repaired and it saddened Annie because she know it was not how her late husband would have wanted things to go.

Without getting into too much detail, I very much enjoyed the story, I just feel it drug on a big from time to time. And it seemed the same things kept being rehashed for pages upon pages. I feel it seemed that way because it probably felt that way for the writer, but as a reader I think some of it could have been condensed.

On another note, there is a lot of business and professional lessons to be learned from this book. So if you're an entreprenauer I would reccomend it purely for that purpose and luckily you'll be entertained along the way.

Buy the book, Calendar Girl: In Which A Lady Of Rylstone Reveals All.

Sister Carrie

2008-05-01T07:04:00.004-05:00

Oh I know you read the title and want to say "Sister Christian" but it's not, thank God. That is an 80s song I am glad not to hear anymore it bothered me so much!

The first edition of "Sister Carrie" was published in the year 1900. This fact alone intrigued me as I was reading because there are many racy elements to the story which I wouldn't have guessed for a writer during that time.

The story is about a girl named Caroline Meeber who is indeed a sister named Carrie. She moves from the country and into the city to live with her sister. She is a bit of a people watcher and I think her perceptions of the people around her are what interested me the most about the story. She would watch men and see what they were notiving about women. She learned how to walk, move, talk and behave to attract men by following those observations. However, she began resenting men for their easy ways. She also began to hold herself at a high esteem even though that knowledge caused a battle of wills within her. She saw people looking at her as though she was beautiful, but she didn't think of herself that way. She would literally argue to herself about these things.

Her journey and experience throughout the city, Chicago, is filled with drama. There are affairs, lies, secrets and misgivings which Carrie witnesses and takes note of. She ends up being asked to perform in a play and while trying for the role she finds herself morphing into someone else. Carrie easily picks up on other people's quirks and makes them her own.

Carrie ends up a mistress to the man who hired her and throughout the story she battles and argues with herself over this predicament. She knows George W. Hurstwood is married and has a daughter. She eventually does leave him and his life spirals downhill.

Though Carrie ends up a star, she doesn't end up happy.

Demonology

2008-04-25T10:38:00.003-05:00

Rick Moody's book "Demonology" is a collection of thirteen stories. Each story is written in a different manner both in format and in perspective. And I feel each story "begins" and then fades off without ever explaining the start or ending of what is happening. The entire collection comes off as a sort of ramble.

One story in particular, "Boys" was probably one of the most annoying stories I have ever read. The actual word "boys" must have been written in the story one hundred times.

I also didn't like the story "Ineluctable Modality of the Vaginal." It was just wrong in so many ways. Not offensive so much as just disgusting to me. There are some things I just don't want to think about in a "vaginal" related manner and this story was all about comparisons if you know what I mean. Plus the girl in the story literally used her "va va voom" as a weapon or basis of an argument with her boyfriend. It was just ridiculous and unbelievable.

While I appreciate the thought put into the book, I just struggled with the concepts. It took me a long time to get through it and there were pages I had to read through more than once to figure them out.

One thing I will say positively is of the "Boxed Set" story. Each page had two columns. One of which held a chronological history of the person's life and in the second column was a mixed song list of things that fit the period of time in his life. The correlation between each column and the notes written in regards to the songs were really interesting to me.

With that said I end my thoughts on Demonology and move forward without looking back.

Naked

2008-04-09T14:00:00.003-05:00

When I decided to read the book "Naked" by David Sedaris it was because I thought it would be insightful and funny because Sedaris was writing about true stories from his life. I had heard his humor, though sometimes offbeat, was usually honest and in your face.

It is true there were several moments when I literally did laugh out loud, but for the most part the entire book made me feel awkward. Many of the topics were uncomfortable for me. I have always known I get embarrassed easily; but I didn't think I'd feel my cheeks turning red over a silly book.

As a child Sedaris had many, many oddities about his personality. To me it sounded as though he was challenged in some way. In fact, I still feel that is true. He talked about walking to school and how there were certain ways he had to do it. He had to hug a certain mailbox and if he went to school without hugging the mailbox he would leave school just to go hug it. His impulses were extreme and rash. He licked light switches and refrigerators, he said he "had" to lick them even if he didn't want to think them. He wrote about hitting himself with his shoe so hard it would leave marks on his forehead. I'm sorry, but as a reader those stories were not funny to me, especially hearing how his teachers, peers, siblings and even parents spoke to him about it.

The only thing I enjoyed about this book was reading the path during which Sedaris becomes accepting of his sexuality. The entire story titled "I like guys" was at many times awkward, but being a straight and happily married woman I had no idea what it might feel like realize you are a gay man. It was something he didn't grasp at first and reading how he came to the realization was very interesting. Though I must admit I could have done without the penis talk but that's just me.

So I liked the book, though in my opinion most of it was not funny. And who knew nudist colonies really do exist? =o) As for a rating, I'd give it a very awkward 3.5 out of 5.

Through Thick and Thin

2008-04-05T16:44:00.003-05:00

This morning I finished "Through Thick and Thin" by Alison Pace. I have to say I very much enjoyed it. I found it to be quite unpredictable which was refreshing. There were moments when the story took an unexpected turn and I hated it, but then there were moments of the opposite caliber.

The premise of the book was about relationships gone awry. Two sisters who are struggling to cope with weight gain and issues of love. Two sisters who should be able to help each other out and instead end up growing apart.

One sister is an accomplished writer, but she writes food reviews and so she feels over weight, but also stuck to that fact because dieting is almost impossible when you write reviews. She is also lonely and so she ends up adopting a dog whom she named D.B. Sweeney. She loves him so much she signs him up for a dog yoga class. Oh yes, you heard me right and it is called Doga. As insane as I still feel that part of the book was, it also was nice to have the chuckles while thinking of dogs sitting on a mat and saying "oohmmmmm."

The other sister is married and has a baby girl. Right off the bat you know there is a problem between her and her husband, but even she is unaware as to what the problem is until later in the book. The seriousness overwhelms her and she even more tries to gain control of something by trying to lose all of the "baby weight" she gained during pregnancy. Even if it meant counting every calorie and writing down every bite.

No need to tell you more, because if you are interested now then you should read it and if you're not well then you probably either: a) don't care or b) think you are so smart you already have it figured out.

I liked it. Out of 5 stars I gladly give it 4.5.

Eat, Pray, Love

2008-04-04T13:07:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine said she thought this book might be too preachy for her. After finishing it I have decided it is VERY close to being too preachy, but there are so many fantastic passages and quips along the way which make the soap box dialogue worth it.

Elizabeth Gilbert wrote Eat, Pray, Love as a sort of personal memoir. She went through a bitter divorce and decided to trek across the world for self-realization purposes. The entire book is about her journeys; what she ate, where she prayed, who she loved and every step in between. The full title of the books is: Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.

Her time in Italy came first and so she was in the frame of mind which I found comical at times. She wanted to experience nothing but pleasure and for her it meant eating a lot of Italian food and learning the language. She spoke about sex from time to time but the divorce and all the lawyer business had left her wanting to spend an entire year in celibacy.

The people she met in Italy help her to see she needs to let go of her pre-determined notions of guilt and realize she is allowed to seek happiness and pleasure without cause. She can enjoy herself at anytime and not just after a long week of work. There is a lot of talk which compares the Italian way of life to that of an American way of life. I didn't think of anything she said before hand, but after reading it I couldn't agree more. Quickly, Elizabeth Gilbert's journey was becoming my own.

After several months in Italy she went on to India. Her stay in India was far more about prayer than anything else. She attempted silence and she lived in a retreat which focused purely on spiritual meditation. She became friends with some great people, gurus as she called them, and she found how to meditate, relax and be comfortable in her own skin. During the end of her stay in India she started to step out of the self-mode and into remembering she can help other people around her, too.

Next was Indonesia where she continued sharing herself with the world instead of just taking everything in. She made great friends including a woman who is a healer. The healer and Elizabeth ended up helping each other immensely. This is also the location in which she found love again.

There are 352 pages, so I'm leaving a lot out, obviously. But I did very much enjoy it and I found myself talking about it with everyone I encountered during the week. It impacted me profoundly in many ways. I do have a problem with how self righteous she spoke at times, but I understand it because this was her journey, her memoir and not mine.

Very good. Many "ahhh" and "light bulb" moments. =o)

Julie Andrews and daughter join publishing program

2008-03-28T07:59:00.004-05:00

The Julie Andrews Collection Launches at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in Fall 2009 with Deluxe Anthology of Poems, Songs and Lullabies Personally Annotated by the Celebrated Mother-Daughter Team

"Children's literature and the arts both represent strong passions for me, and I've spent much of my life dedicated to both of them," commented Ms. Andrews. "I'm enormously pleased that they will be beautifully woven together in this new collection of books. Emma and I bring a lifelong love of music, drama and literature into each of the books we write, and we're thrilled to share that love through these new stories which I hope young readers will treasure as much as I do."

I think this is very exciting. I know a lot of parents who would buy books from this program just for the mere fact that Julie Andrews supports and is participating in it. She is an outstanding role model and always has been, so you can have faith your kids will get the best. Ya know?

SOURCE

Off the Record

2008-03-26T07:48:00.004-05:00

Sure I was tired, but the book became more and more interesting towards the middle and before I knew it I had read 150 page to finish the book. It didn't start out as intriguing, but I definitely got caught up in this fine piece of chic lit.

Off the Record: A Novel, by Jennifer O'Connell, is about a girl named Jane who kind of played the "plain jane" role her whole life. Now a lawyer, living on her own and just meandering through life. Until her brother Andy calls her and tells her she is "Janey 245."

A rock star had written a song about Jane. He is someone she knew when she was a kid, but they hadn't seen each other since the 6th grade. But for one reason or another her pig tails and spirited ways had inspired a hit single. Or so Andy convinced her to think...

Sure it might be cool, but when you're trying to become a partner in a law firm you don't really want rock star attention. Except she suddenly found herself signing autographs and appearing on the Letterman show to reunite with Teddy Rock, formerly Theo from her childhood neighborhood.

Of course you can imagine a possible love story here, but Jane and Janey might as well have been two different people. Janey was wild, Jane was not. And let's face it, Janey would have been a great match for Teddy, but Jane...not so much.

To throw another male into the mix, a new person began working at Jane's firm. Drew. Drew had a reputation, which was based on fiction we find out, but Jane was immediately put off and treated Drew a bit unfairly.

The story also includes two of Jane's best friends; Nat and Liv. There are girl moments of what should she wear on Letterman, there were professional moments when Jane and Drew worked on a case together and of course there were anxious moments for Jane the entire time.

The book was great. An easy and entertaining read. I'd give it 3.5 stars only because it was awfully predictable and the editors did a bad job at catching typos. Otherwise it's fantastical!

The Supernaturalists

2008-03-21T21:51:00.005-05:00

Okay, it's a grade 6 book, but I have to say I very much loved every bit of this story. This is a science-fiction story which starts out with a boy named Cosmo Hill who lived in an orphanage called Clarissa Frayne or more specifically,the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys.

As you might be able to guess, Cosmo escapes the orphanage and nearly dies in the process. A group of kids who call themselves The Supernaturalists end up saving his life. They find they all share a special gift which gives them a sixth sense; an ability to see blue creatures they have named "parasites."

They all live in Satellite City where everything is all based on business, profit, smog and other horribleness. Stefan, Mona and Ditto are the friends who saved Cosmo's life and they hide out fighting the bad guys while trying to stay alive on their own.

The author, Eoin Colfer (author of the 'Artemis Fowl' series) does a fantastic job with the story development. The twists and turns are pretty consistent and I found myself thinking about it throughout the day; wondering what might happen next.

It's a really great book. I don't know if a sixth grader would feel the same as I do, but I'm a fan and totally recommend it.

The Supernaturalist (Golden Duck Awards. Eleanor Cameron Award for Middle Grades (Awards))

Fate and Ms. Fortune

2008-03-12T09:00:00.007-05:00

While I admit this book took me forever to read it wasn't because the book sucked and it wasn't because it was long. So don't pre-judge, it took me forever to read because I haven't made the time.

Anyway.

The book, Fate and Ms. Fortune: A Novel is written by Saralee Rosenberg. I liked the ending few chapters of the book than I liked the rest of it. So if you were pondering a rating I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars. The book is funny and charming but did a lot of stringing along with the multiple plot lines.

Robyn Fortune is your main character and she definitely seems to have a lot of bad fortune going on in her life. She gets a divorce because her husband turned out be an obsessive gambler and ended up in jail. Her parents are on the verge of splitting up and it came out of the blue to their kids. And as a makeup artist who wants to be a stand up comedian...well things just aren't going her way.

I really liked the cultural aspects of it because Robyn and everyone around her are Jewish. So different components of a faith I know very little about were scattered throughout the story and it was fascinating to me.

At one point Robyn sees a fortune teller and honestly it is very interesting to me because many of the things she learned from the teller actually happened or were going to happen. Robyn kept referring to different coincidences which cropped up after her reading and even though this is a completely fictional story it still gave me chills.

Definitely chick lit. But I am happy I read it, it was quite entertaining and again, I loved how everything turned out.

Book review contest

2008-02-26T08:26:00.003-05:00

Good Reads is hosting a "Book Review Contest" and the prizes are pretty cool.

The winning reviews will be featured as top reviews on Goodreads. The best reviewers will also receive Amazon gift certificates.

This month's categories:
New Fiction: The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
New Nonfiction: In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan
Classics: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Get to reading AND writing my friends. =o)

The Magician's Nephew

2008-02-15T09:56:00.004-05:00

Just read a C.S. Lewis book because I started reading it to Braeden and it got my attention. "The Magician's Nephew" it's a really interesting story. Very quick and easy read, might have something to do with it being a children's story. =o) Written with vivid descriptors I was able to imagine each bit of the scenes which I love in a book.

The main characters are Polly and Digory, neighbors. They both have their own family issues and so they find themselves adventuring together and becoming good friends one summer. One adventure leads them to another world, or rather the place between worlds.

This is the first of C.S. Lewis's books to introduce Narnia. And as usual with Lewis, the theme revolves around good and evil.

~~~~

I want to get "The Appeal" by John Grisham.

Has anyone read this yet?

I enjoy John Grisham novels, but sometimes have a hard time telling them apart. I am hoping this one is a little bit different.

I'm also next in line for borrowing "Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia" by Elizabeth Gilbert. Chris and Danielle read it and now Carrie is holding it captive. It looks so good and I have heard nothing but wonderfulness about it.

Book closeouts

2008-02-05T22:53:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite secret places to buy books is BookCloseouts.com. And I decided I should just share the wealth. Sign up for their monthly newsletters because they are so awesome. They give you ideas of great new books.

And here are some coupon codes for you to use by Februay 18th:

Coupon #1:
Coupon Code:get5off
Coupon Password:bookcloseouts.com
Deal:Get $5 off an order of $25 or more
Expires:February 18, 2008

Coupon #2:
Coupon Code:get10off
Coupon Password:bookcloseouts.com
Deal:Get $10 off an order of $50 or more
Expires:February 18, 2008

Enjoy and happy reading to you!

Also, let me know if you are interested in writing for this blog. I need more reading contributors to do some contribution writing. =o)

One question can change your life

2008-01-22T07:46:00.000-05:00

A genie in a lap will normally grant you three wishes, though I have encountered stories in which the genie gives only one. The book I just read allowed for as many wishes as you might need. You just had to come up with the wishes by answering one question.

"Five Wishes: How Answering One Simple Question Can Make Your Dreams Come True" how is that for the longest title of a book ever!? When I originally bought this book it was for my cousin. She has a ton going on in her life and much of it I feel could be remedied if she would change her outlook. I thought this book might help her, but I doubt she has read it. Then I asked for it for Christmas, because it just kept nagging at me, I couldn't get the cover of the book off my mind. I don't know why, I just kept seeing it.

After reading it, I know now why it seemed so imperative that I read it. This book is one of the most profound I have ever read. It has a story in it, so don't feel it is completely "self help" but the insights in the stories are those that not only made 100% sense, but also could improve my own life if I practiced them.

In particular, there is a chapter in which the author is trying to figure out why he and his girlfriend (later wife) can never seem to stay happy for a long period of time. He begins to pay closer attention to their arguments and then he notices a pattern. He tells her about this pattern and she notices it, too. Together they come to the conclusion that they cause friction in their relationship almost purposefully. They will be happy for a period of time and then one tiny setback will cause a huge rift. The pattern was that every time things got really good they would assume things were "too good" and look for something to pick at. The author explains this happens because the person might subconsciously think they don't deserve long periods of happiness. Or that a human being just doesn't know how to cope with a long period of happiness so they seek out to find something sad to balance things. I know it seems crazy, but when I think about my own life I can see how that might be true.

You know the saying "she's only happy when she's sad?" Well, why would that be? A lot of people unfortunately look at happiness and say "It won't last, something bad is bound to happen." Well heck, with that outlook of course something bad will happen. Good grief. Yet this is how so many people act, including myself. You get what you give, you reap what you sow..yada yada. If you enjoy a period of happiness, only to confront those feelings with impending doom...aren't you just inviting sadness?

I'm not going to disclose more about the book or my thoughts on it. I think it is important for you to read it if any of this sounds interesting to you or could pertain to your life. I'm not saying I agreed with all of it, but it definitely got me thinking and I feel I'll be better for it.

Normal as cornflakes

2007-12-11T20:52:00.000-05:00

Sarak Weeks is the author of "So B. It" but I read her book "Jumping the Scratch." In this book it related to the skip of a record after having been scratched. As easy a read as this book was and as simple as it had been written, it sure did knock me for a loop.

"Jumping the Scratch" is primarily about a little boy, Jamie, who moves from Battlecreek where he was "normal as cornflakes" into a tiny trailer far away where people treated him like dirt. His Dad left him and his Mom for a cashier and then his Mom's sister had a tragic accident at a cherry factory where she ended up losing her short term memory. So, they moved in with her and began a new life.

Jamie's aunt's name is Sapphire and they call her Sapphy. She has an amazing memory of everything up to the accident, but everything after is quickly forgotten. Every morning she wakes up and asks why Jamie and his Mom are a her house. Jamie is saddened by this deeply because his Aunt Sapphy had been his confidante of sorts, someone who truly listened and understood him.

In addition to the children bullying Jamie they also pick on a little girl named Audrey. Audrey claims she knows ESP and she wears black framed glasses that are missing the lens'. She clearly takes a liking to Jamie and sticks up for him often, much to his dismay.

There was a person in the story who came to his 5th grade class for a day to teach them about descriptive writing. Jamie referred to this man as Arthur even though that was not his name. Arthur, an outsider, made Jamie feel "normal" more himself then he had in a long time. It was from that point in the book that things began to mend.

Through the story there are references to something that happened to Jamie at this trailer park, something dreadful. Though it was obvious to me he must have been abused in some way, it wasn't clarified until the end of the book. The owner of the trailer park had sexually abused him while decorating the office for Christmas. This was explained in the middle of the night when during a bad dream Jamie had woken his Aunt Sapphy up. She stumbled into the living room and tripped over his cherry cans. Yes, Jamie placed stacks of empty cherry cans around his bed as a sort of security system. She asked him was was wrong and since he figured she would never remember he decided to tell her everything. Turns out the "trigger" Aunt Sapphy needed to regain all memory, what she needed to jump that scratch in her record was to hear what happened to Jamie. It was his tragic story which brought her out of her short term amnesia. Justice was served once Aunt Saphhy explained everything to Jamie's Mom.

The story hit home on many accounts. Jamies felt perfectly normal as he was until having been uprooted and placed in an environment where people treated him as a misfit. After the bullying and abuse from the owner of the trailer park, Jamie simply gave in and gave up. His dreams and best memories were about Battlecreek where he and his family were "normal as cornflakes." Though what he doesn't realize is just because his location changed doesn't mean he did.

Having only touched on key points in the book I have to insist you check it out, borrow it or buy it because it's really a fantastic story. It isn't life altering or anything but for me it was a tad bit therapeutic. And you know something...cornflakes are normal, but they are also very boring. =o)

The Choice

2007-12-08T22:11:00.001-05:00

How far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?

Whether you read this blog or not, I don't know, but if you do then you know I am an avid and proud Nicholas Sparks reader. Some of the earlier posts on the book segment are about his books.

This book is called "The Choice" and it is written in two parts. As is with all his novels there is a love story with all sorts of ups and downs. He wrote "The Notebook," "Message in a Bottle," and "A Walk to Remember" just to name a few. If you are familiar with those stories then I am sure you can sense the type of writing style he is best known for.

Travis Parker and Gabby Holland are neighbors in North Carolina. (Another thing about his books are their locale...always the beautifully serene coast of N.C.). Gabby is a strong female character, a physician's assistant living on her own with her dog Molly. She has a boyfriend who seems to have major commitment issues and it is obvious right off the bat that he's not going to be an important character. Yet it does end up coming down to the choice of her leaving the boyfriend for...you guessed it...Travis Parker.

Travis is the local vet and ends up saving Molly's life after she gave birth to puppies. The cute part is that it was his dog that got Molly pregnant and so Gabby was furious with him. Can't be furious anymore after he saves the day though right? And so the "friendship" begins.

All is well and lovely and super romantic.

Cut to part two in which our characters are faced with another choice. Or rather Travis is faced with one. He and Gabby ended up getting married and by this time in the book they have two daughters. But after a tragic car accident, Gabby is lying in the hospital in a coma and it has been three months. Travis has to decide whether to "pull the plug" or send her to a nursing home because she can no longer stay in the hospital. Gabby has made him swear once that he would let her die if ever they were in this type of situation. Little did they know...

Inevitably, Travis couldn't do it. He said he could handle sitting by her side while she was in a coma and having that be a part of his new life. But he could not handle his life knowing she was no longer there. As you can imagine this was very emotional and yes, I sobbed.

***DO NOT READ THIS IS YOU PLAN ON BUYING THE BOOK***

Once you get to the last two chapters of the book there is yet another twist. The nursing home called to tell Travis that Gabby was awake. She had no recollection of her time in the coma. Of course she required hours of physical therapy each day because of having been bedridden for so long, but she was awake and she was Gabby again.

Gabby's daughters and Travis all had a hard time when she first woke up because they were afraid she might slip back into a coma. So the realization that their Mom and wife was back was something the whole family needed time with.

***

Of course I loved the book. Parts were very predictable (if you are a fan) but I have to admit that there were twists and turns along the way as well. It was an easy, casual read that was real and applicable in my life. The love between Gabby and Travis was something dreams are made of and it definitely was a romance that instantly made you feel warm while reading.

Highly recommended for fellow saps. =o)

I wanted to like this book.

2007-11-12T15:03:00.000-05:00

I wanted to like The Bitch, the Crone and the Harlot. I really wanted to like it.

Why?

It's supposed to be a book that helps women sort out their roles as they move through middle age. The author practices some of the same therapeutic techniques. And the book has a great title.

I found myself offended at the tired stereotypes portrayed in the book.

I mean, does a woman really have to be a BITCH to get something done? Is a bitch powerful or simply nasty.

Do I need to be a HARLOT to express my sexuality?

And the CRONE??

I realize that these titles are age old archetypes. Still age old archetypes are exhausting in a modern world where women have incredible freedom and power.

Yes, women (and men) need to be empowered in their lives. This is not the book will not empower people.

When to quit.

2007-10-16T17:26:00.001-05:00

It's embarrassing to admit, but I've only quit two things in my life.

The first one, a 10 year relationship, I quit after spending a year begging him to grow with me. And even when it was over, I still remained his "friend". That's not really quitting is it. The final final end was when I realized that he never said "thank you" for putting him through law school. Such a small thing - two words. And that was that.

The second thing I quit was hiking the Colorado Trail. We had hoped to make it all 483 miles, but 150 miles and three weeks in, it dumped 10 inches of snow. We were two weeks away from our winter clothing. Then I tore my pants. We left the trail at Leadville.

If anyone beside Seth Godin wrote this book? I would never have picked it up.

Quitting is not that interesting to me. But I worship Seth and have loved every single one of his books.

The Dip is no exception. I will once again buy ten copies of this 80 page book and pass them out to my friends. It's that interesting.

What is a Dip? Seth describes the Dip as that period after the initial excitement wears off. He goes on to define eight different types of dips. Some dips last years - twenty-five years for CEOs - while others are only a few months. The book is about whether you should stick it out in the Dip or move on.

Every self-help book and/or motivational speaker encourages us to hang in there. Keep working. Your dream will come. A half hour of Tony Robbins and you'll hang in with almost anything.

But sometimes, if we're honest, we know our dream isn't coming.

It's time to quit so that our energy is freed up to focus on where we can win, where we can be the very best.

Best pieces of advice?

1. If you don't have the resources to get through a dip, don't start.
2. Before you start anything, define when you are going to quit. "Write down under what circumstances you're willing to quit. And when. And then stick with it."

"If it's worth doing, there's a dip." You deserve to understand your dips before they happen.