Forgot One....

I read the first book in the series earlier this year, and then this sequel sometime this summer. However, I forgot to list this one.

I really liked the initial story of Sam and Grace. It was sweet, original and romantic. Then I read the sequel. Everything that the original was not. Trite and predictable.

I won't be reading the next book in the series, which is really sad because I really cared about the characters initially. This is yet another example of how commercialism spoils an otherwise great story.

13 Reasons Why

This is the story of Hannah Baker, and the 13 reasons that impacted her decision to end her life. I started reading this book because my 5th and 6th grade girls like supernatural stories. I thought this would be right up their alley.

This book is so powerful and though this is his first book, Jay Asher has an incredible voice. He was able to speak to how even the smallest of events can and do impact the lives of other people. I think that this is a wonderful book for all young adults and people everywhere can read. It's a powerful reminder to all of us about the butterfly effect that our actions take - a word spoken in anger, an act of dishonesty, saying and doing the wrong things because of peer pressure.... it's all in there!

For any and all, I highly recommend this book!

The Distant Hours

Kate Morton does it again! Earlier in the year, I read a book called the "Forgotten Garden". It was an amazing story full of unpredictable twists and turns. I didn't think that she could do it again. I was so very wrong.
The Distant Hours is about a young girl who gets evacuated from London during the Blitz. It was fascinating. The story travels basically through three generations - the Blythe sisters, Meredith and her daughter, Edith.
The story sucks you in and keeps you guessing.
This was a must read. I just loved it and would highly recommend it to anyone!! If you enjoyed The Forgotten Garden, I will so highly recommend The Distant Hours. It starts off strangely, but stay with it. If you like mystery or horror, historical romance... this book has something for everyone!!

The Fall of the House of Walworth

This book was plugged as a real life "Fall of the House of Usher" - notice the similarities in the name alone. This is the story of Manfield Walworth, an author of little note, and his wife, Ellen and their son, Frank.
Manfield and Ellen had a sordid relationship that included, but was not limited to many episodes of domestic violence.
Frank, through concern for his mother, commits the most heinous crime of all - patricide.

I wanted to hear more aobut what drove Frank to commit this terrible crime. Much was alluded to, including an inappropriate relationship between their father and Frank's younger sisters. Little was actually stated though.
The book starts out with the murder and some minor background details. After Frank is arrested, the author goes off on some historical tangent - going back and discussing even Mansfield's father and his marriage, political associations and more. How is this relevant to the story at hand? It was never clear.
I have to say that, as of today, December 17, this book has earned the dubious distinction of being the biggest Stinker of the year.

BAD TIMING!!!!

I went digital back in February. It's a hard thing for a book lover like me to do, but for as much as I love the feel and smell of the pages, I also love trees. So, finally, I thought I would try a Nook - by Barnes and Noble.
Let me just say, I LOVE IT!!!! I don't even notice that I am not reading a "book" anymore. I love the ease and convenience. I love being able to download a book while I'm soaking in my tubby. It's amazing. My Nook is everything I hoped it would be.
For my birthday my amazing husband and some good friends gave me some book certificates, which of course, were used to load my Nook with some new reads. I was so excited about the books that I had chosen: The Distant Hours by Kate Morten, Decision Points by G.W. Bush, Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff, Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood, and Still Alice by Lisa Genova.
I had two weeks off of school and a five day weekend coming up, when something terrible happened.... My Nook died. It was the worst.
I called Barnes and Noble to trouble shoot it - no joy.
But then, the most amazing thing happened! Barnes and Noble shipped me a new one and all I have to do is send them the dead one back. No charge - not even on the shipping. Amazing. All my books are still there, just waiting for me to pick them up. I can't wait for my new Nook to get here.
Until them, I am doing it the old fashioned way reading The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov and I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb.
To anyone, in spite of this little set back, I LOVE my Nook and would recommend it highly. Not the Nook color - the battery life isn't as good. Plus, Barnes and Noble has been truly amazing with their customer service. Big kudos to them!

Did You Love the Diary of Anne Frank?

Me too! It was one of those stories that you read and it changes you. It effects the way you view the world, the way you see yourself and the way you think of other people. I will never forget reading that book and what it still means to me.

I was always curious about the other people that lived in the Annex with Anne. I wanted to know more about her wise and inspiring father, her seemingly perfect sister, the annoying dentist.... but most of all, I wanted to know more about Peter, the boy that Anne loved.

The idea of love in such a time and place seems like the ultimate act of hope. Really that was who Anne was - a girl who loved and was full of hope. In her diary, she says: " I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart." Amazing when you consider the things that she lived through.



I jumped at the chance to get to know Peter and Anne better - even if Annexed by Susan Dogar is historical fiction. I initially thought this would be a great book for two of my fourth grade boys that are history buffs. Wrong. Not appropriate for them.

At first I was surprised by some of the content of the book, but then I remembered that Peter was a 16 year old boy when he entered the Annex. Then the wet dreams and sometimes sexual content of the book made sense. No, there was never anything inappropriate between Anne and Peter, not really, but he does have some rather graphic dreams.

Even so, my heart broke, once again as the group was discovered. They were on the last train out of Holland before the Allies came - the last train to Auschwitz. My heart broke as they were seperated, and Peter's story reminded me, once again, why it is so important to never forget what happened. This was a terrible and yet uplifting story that I would highly recommend to older teens and adults.

High Hopes - Dashed.

I had such high hopes for this book, it all sounded so promising. But alas, I just couldn't get into it. This is the story of a woparking class couple who lose their only son in the war. Never supporters of the Nazis, the loss of their son brings them to the edge. The decide to stand up and revolt. They start writing post cards - one or two a week - against Hitler and the party. They ride the train to different parts of the country and drop the postcards, hoping to stir up anti-Nazi sentiment.
The SS is put on the trail of the "hobgoblin". This story is about life in Berlin during the war. It seems to give an accurate depiction in that respect, and it is interesting.
My problem with it is the vast number of characters moving in and out of the story, most of whom we either have no feelings about whatsoever or you just don't like. It's hard to care about a book when you don't care about the characters.
The most interesting thing about this book is the life of the author Hans Fallada. He was put into an insane asylum during the war for refusing to join the Nazi party. This book was based on the SS files of a real couple that existed during the war.

This is the touching story of a young girl whose life comes to a close much to early; however, this is not a story about her death but about what happens after. Riley has a difficult time moving beyond the Earth plane, but with the help of her loving dog Buttercup she finally arrives in the Here and Now, only to discover that her life is far from over.

Riley and Buttercup have been given a job, as soul catchers. Their first assignment is the "Radiant boy", a ghost that has been haunting an ancient English castle for centuries. Can Riley and Buttercup succeed and help the Radiant boy find his way to the bridge to Here and Now?

I picked this book up because my 5th grade girls seem to have a penchant for the supernatural and other-worldly type stories. This book has many good messages in it like acceptance of yourself for who you are and never, ever judging a book by it's cover.

If you have a young reader who enjoys these kinds of stories, I recommend Radiance.

The Guardians of Ga'Hoole

We have a rule in our house - no seeing the movie before you read the book. The book is always better, and you miss so much by cheating and just watching the movie! This could not be more true of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole - books 1 - 3 The Capture, The Journey, and The Rescue. Recently a movie just came out called the Legend of the Guardians based LOOSELY upon these books.

We saw the movie. It was a good movie, but having read the book, such a disappointment. The story was capable of so much more.

The books tell the story of Soren, a young barn owl. He falls from his nest as a hatchling and is captured by evil owls from St. Aegolius's Academy for Orphaned Owls. The problem? Soren isn't an orphan, he's been stolen from his family.

Even worse, the owls at St. Aggie's try to program, or "moon blink" the young owls into believing what they are told. With the help of a persistent young elf owl named Gylfie and some unexpected friends, Soren and Gylfie plan their escape from St. Aggie's.

These books are about so much more than what they seem. They are about love, friendship and what makes a family. They are about truth, belief, and what makes the essence of ourselves.

My whole family is reading this series, even my husband. We have had many discussions about it around the dinner table. I wish more families would read together. I can't recommend these books highly enough. Also by Kathryn Lasky - the Wolves of Beyond, another wonderful story!

We are now on book 7 of 15 and I just can't wait to hear about what happens to Soren and his friends as their adventures continue!

When You Reach Me

This book was a Newberry Award winner in 2009, and deservedly so. This is a very unique story about a sixth grade girl named Miranda and her friend Sal. Then one day Sal gets punched by another boy on their way home from school and everything starts to unravel. Notes start to appear with clues about the future. Will Miranda be able to save her friendship? What about the mysterious note that says Tesser Well? Does it reference Miranda's favorite story. Check it out to see.

If you loved A Wrinkle in Time, this book is for you.

Reading Update

This is the story of Elizabeth the first and her life long love, Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester. It's a tragic love story, a reminder to everyone that love has the be cherished and nurtured. Elizabeth and Robert loved one another from childhood, but because of her past and her place in the world, they just couldn't seem to get it right. They had an intriguing history together that ranges from the halls of Henry the 8th's Tudor court, to the Tower of London and finally to the dazzling court of Elizabeth herself. Dudley was one of Elizabeth's most trusted companions and advisors. Throughout her life she referred to him as Eyes because he saw and understood everything. If you enjoy history, this book is well worth the reading.
There is much obscure history in it, like Elizabeth's relationship with her Boleyn cousins, Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh make their appearances, and many other fascinating characters. I enjoyed this book tremendously and it gave me an even greater reverence for a truly great Queen.








This book is, of course, about the famous Bronte sisters. Charlotte, who wrote Jane Eyre and Emily, who wrote Wuthering Heights. This book goes deep into their background and their time growing up as children. The hardships that they faced were daunting and yet they stayed together as a family. I was amazed to see characters and places that I recognized as their story unfolded. So much of their great literary contributions were inspired by their real story.
I do believe that writers often write what they know, and that truly great stories come from within. As an aspiring writer it is both inspiring and intimidating to be reminded of this as I search for my own story.

Up net - currently working on the Secret Speech by Tim Robbins Smith - a follow up to the amazing Child 44. I am also reading The Dumbest Generation, a scary yet true evaluation of children growing up in the digital age. More later.

Worth the Wait!

The final installment of the Hunger Games was definitely worth the wait. I love having a Nook, this was downloaded at midnight and I started reading it immediately. I couldn't put it down. There were many twists and turns as the author follows Katniss, Prim, Gale and Peta through their story. Most of the twists, you never see coming. I am limited to what I can say here because I don't want to give any spoilers away, but I will say that the finale, though I didn't predict it, was so satisfying.
If you enjoy science fiction/ fantasy books - this series is a MUST

Two for the record

We read this one for book club and it was very different. Although it was a book that I wouldn't have picked for myself, I really enjoyed it. It starts off a little slow, but you quickly develop a real rapport for the characters, especially Hennie. I love the relationships that build between the women in the story. I think that stories that truly show the richness of female friendship are a beautiful thing, and this is definitely one of those stories. I don't want to give too much away but the setting of a mining town in post Civil war Colorado was also very interesting. I'm sure that it must have been a difficult but rewarding life for the women who helped settle the west, as Hennie's story certainly suggests. I highly recommend this one.



I have been waiting for the follow up to the White Queen for a while. I LOVED IT!!! I wanted to see if Phillipa Gregory would get it right and I must say, I think she nailed it. Even though I am very familiar with the war of the roses and the story of Margaret Beaufort, I thought that Gregory put a new and unique spin on things. It was well worth waiting for, I can't wait to see what she has to offer next!!!

And the big news..... MOCKINGJAY comes out next week!!!!! :)

Catching Fire

This book is the follow up to Hunger Games that I reviewed just a few books ago. OMG, it's amazing. I couldn't put it down. It's been a long time since I have been so actively involved in a book and so invested in the characters.
I don't want to give too much away and ruin the book, but if you like sci-fi and fantasy, these books are a MUST. I am counting the days until the final book of the series, entitled Mockingjay is released - August 24th. I can't wait. This book has so much political commentary mixed in, it's just an incredible story. Read it.

The Lion

I love Nelson DeMille. The Gold Coast and Charm School are favorites of mine and the Generals' Daughter is another great book. I had been hearing a lot of buzz on the radio and such about the follow up to this book called The Lion. Since I had never read this one, I wanted to give it a go before reading the sequel.

It is a very intruiging story about a terrorist and the FBI agents working to stop him. Unlike John Updikes' The Terrorist, I find it almost impossible to relate in any way to the Lion. DeMille goes off on this tangent to explain what "made" the Lion choose to be a terrorist and he talks about the 1986 bombing of Libya. Of course, the Lion's family was among those that were killed in the attacks on Gaddafi.
I remember 1986. I remember what inspired that air raid - the West German bombing of a disco killing 2 American service men and wounding two hundred others. Then of course there was the Gulf of Sidra incident and the now infamous "line of death" comments by Gaddafi and let's not forget how Gaddafi supporting the killing of hundreds of US Marines stationed as Peace keepers in Lebannon just a few years before.

No question about it, DeMille is a master story teller but this American has no interst in sympathizing in any way with a terrorist like the Lion. I won't be reading the sequel. What a disappointment really.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This is the story of sixteen year old Katniss Everdean, a poor girl from the Seam of District 12 in Panem, or the remains of what used to be the United States. Her father has died in a mining accident, and Katniss is left to provide for her mother, and twelve year old sister, Prim.

Once the twelve districts rebelled against the dictatorial "Capital" and lost. As a result, each year they must send a tribute - one boy and one girl per district - ages 12 - 18, to fight in the Hunger Games. If you have ever seen Running Man - that's the idea, or think Survivor reality tv, but with real deaths nightly. The rule of the arena is kill or be killed. When Katniss's younger sister Prim is chosen as the girl tribute from district 12, Katniss volunteers to go in her place.

The book is fascinating in the ways that the Capital uses the Hunger Games to manipulate and humiliate it's people. It also shows the desire, drive and resolve of the individual, especially when those they love are threatened. Will Katniss become a victim of the Hunger Games? Or does she find a way to wage her own private rebellion? This one is a real page turner especially with it's political and social implications. I am already reading part two titled Catching Fire.....

The Infinity Gate

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It seems like I have waited for this book to come out for a while. I love Sara Douglass and my fascination with her started some time ago when I read her Wayfarer Redemption series.

This was a very satisfying conclusion to her Dark Glass Mountain series. I will say though that most of her books are interrelated so it helps having past knowledge of the characters. In this book, Axis SunSoar, AKA StarMan, makes a return. Knowing the makeup of his character, and in this book in particular, aspects of his past from the Wayfarer Redemption series, provides helpful insights.

Douglas spins complicated tales, full of complicated and flawed individuals. The heroes are never perfect, but then, they aren't in real life either, are they? I love that she always writes very strong female counterparts, who are powerful in their own right.

If you like Sci-fi and fantasy but haven't read Sara Douglass, I highly recommend most of her books.

Band of Angels

This was our recent book club selection. I'm trying to step back and let the other ladies lead a little more, after all, the point of a book club is reading a book that you normally wouldn't. This was one of those books.

It was an interesting book written about a time and place that I know very little about. War is a terrible thing, but imagining what war must have been like in the in the mid 1800's. Part of this book is based on a true story. The Crimean war was a horrible and costly conflict. The British lost thousands to typhus and malaria alone. British outcry over the treatment of soldiers in the Crimea finally brought enough pressure to bear that Florence Nightingale was given permission to take 30 nurses to help to the hospital in Scutari. This is one nurse's story. For those of you interested in this sort of thing, you can read more about the actual history behind the story here

All the fascinating history aside, this book is basically a love story. The love story aspect was refreshing for the time period in which it is based. The female lead, Catherine, is actually an extremely strong character who does what she feels she must, in spite of her lovers thoughts and objections.

I'm glad I read the book, but would only give it a three out of five stars. It's not a must..... but I did feel like I learned something. I went into it thinking it was a glorified romance novel and it was much more than that!

Very exciting about my summer reading! Now I am working on the Infinity Tower by Sara Douglass who I adore! If you like fantasy, the Wayfarer Redemption is a great book. Then perhaps the Overton Window, The Passage, The Lion's Game and more. The library and my Nook are full of endless possibilities and I have some catching up to do.

My fifth graders gave me a gift card to Borders. Those children are geniuses!

The Forgotten Garden

This is the best book that I have read in a few months. It is the absolutely fascinating story of Nell, a little girl who is abandoned on a ship headed for Austrailia. During the journey, Nell has an accident and when the four year old arrives at her destination, she has absolutely no memory of who she is.

On her 21st birthday, Nell finds out that she is not who she has always believed herself to be. This story is the quest for her to find out her true identity. Why are the little white suitcase and the book of fairy tales that she had with her so important?

In spite of being under a mountain of homework, I absolutely could not put this one down. It was a fascinating page turner that keeps you guessing throughout the entire story. It is certainly not predictable and would make an excellent beach read. I highly recommend it!

For any of you that read the Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield and enjoyed it, this book is for you!

Julie of the Wolves

To her friends in her Eskimo village, she is Miyax, to her friends in San Francisco, she is Julie.

Miyax is thirteen years old and she is running away. The problem is, Miyax lives in Alaska, she is alone on the Barrows and the weather is beginning to turn. Her father was a great Eskimo hunter who taught her many things, Will his lessons help her to survive?

She will need some help, and that is where a pack of wild wolves comes in. Amaroug, the great leader of the wolves, befriends Julie and she is eventually accepted into the Pack. During her journey, Miyax embraces her heritage, learns about herself, and builds a true friendship with the wolves.

When the time comes for Miyax to choose between the old ways and the new, which one will she chose? Is she Miyax of the Eskimos? Or Julie of the Wolves?

This is a wonderful, wonderful story and my fifth grader reading group comprised of girls and boys all enjoyed it. There are some difficult and adult situations in the book, but the details are obscured so that just enough information is given, but not too much. This book is a reminder that we are all stronger than we think we are. I would highly recommend this book to young adult readers.

The Postmistress

This book starts out so promising. It is set in pre- world war 2 New England and a concurrent story takes place over the pond, in London, during the Blitz. It is essentially the story of three women: Frankie, Emma, and Iris. Frankie is a war radio commentator working for Murrow in war torn London. She is the person who brings the war home for those in American, constantly telling the stories of our allies and reminding us of why America needs to get in the fight.

Iris James is the Postmistress in a small New England town. She knows that war is coming, and tries to keep it from her loved ones for as long as possible. She is the one who will deliver the news about the implications of the war for those left behind.

Emma is a newly married young woman. She faces tragedy when the young doctor that she marries goes off to London to help during the Blitz. She waits everyday for the postmistress to deliver the letters that mean so much.

The lives of these three women become inexplicably woven together in the course of the story. Will the postmistress deliver the mail? What is it that brings a career girl like Frankie Bard to New England? What ultimately will become of Emma?

I enjoyed the first two halves of the story very much, especially as the story followed Frankie's quest for the truth. However, the third part, while it had moments of real brilliance, was a let down, for me, in the end. Did the story mean anything or was it all just a string of words put together on a page? I'm still not sure and maybe that's the problem.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

When I was a young girl, this was one of my absolute favorite stories. I loved the tale of a young woman struggling to fit it and finding ways to do so seemingly against all the odds. I think that is a story that just about every young girl can relate to. More than that though, The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a story of friendship, loyalty and finally love.

Kit is a strong female character for young women everywhere to look up to and admire. In a literary world crowded with pathetic codependents like Bella Swann from Twilight, our daughters need more examples of young women that the can admire. Kit does not need a man to establish her sense of self, unlike Bella Swann, but rather develops her own strength of character. I admire Kit because she is struggling through so much difficulty - the death of a loved one, the move to a strange new place, the intolerance of those around her - and yet, somehow she always chooses to do the right thing and further, encourages others around her to do the same.

This book has stood the test of time. It has been popular since I was a child and it still speaks to young girls today just as it did back then. I highly recommend it, especially for girls of an impressionable age looking to read a wonderful book about friendship and love and needing young lady role models that they can truly admire.

The Greatest Magazine - EVER.

Usually I am not a person who reads magazines. I find them frivilous and bad for the environment to boot, but recently a friend turned me on to a magazine that is simply a MUST for book lovers everywhere. It's called Bookmarks and it is just amazing. They do book reviews, cultural articles, history, bookclub reviews and so much more.

Every book that you have ever considered reading has probably been reviewed in this magazine. It is a collection of articles specifically for book lovers. I love my subscription so much that I back ordered many of their catalogs. I know I will wait with baited breath every two months and when my bookmarks finally comes, I will be like a kid on Christmas morning. If you love good books, do yourself a favor... visit Bookmarks Magazine and check it out. You will be glad that you did.

The Mighty Queens of Freeville

This was our book club selection for the month of May. We wanted to do something with a mother -daughter theme. This is the true story of Amy Dickinson and her daughter, Emily. Amy Dickinson is the advice columnist who eventually replaced Ann Landers.

This is a quirky, funny and sometimes sad look at their life from the perspective of some years. I found the relationships between mother and daughter, but also between the two of them and the women of their extended family to be very uplifting. These relationships were uplifting, humorous, supportive, and loving - everything that women should be for one another.

Her opinion of men was slightly flawed by the relationships in her own life. Although in the end, she has a healthy perspective on the traumas and occasionally the disappointments of her own life. I like her ideas on "failing up" - bad things happen to open us up for something better. That is something that I have experienced for my own self and honestly, I think everyone probably has.

I was glad that we chose this for our bookclub and I enjoyed reading it.

The Nazi Officers Wife

This book was the true story of Edith Hahn. Edith was a "U-boat" in Nazi Berlin during the worst years of the war. A "U-boat" in this sense is a person of Jewish descent who was posing as a person of Aryan descent.
Edith, calling herself Grete, survives a work camp only to find upon her return to Vienna, that most of her family and friends have been lost. She finds help and assumes another identity, going to work for the Red Cross in Berlin.
She meets and falls in love with Werner Vetter, a Nazi officer. This book is Edith's story of survival. It's amazing and compelling. If you read any history at all, this book is a must.

The Green Year: 365 Little Things You Can Do To Make a Big Difference

For those of you out there interesting in living a greener life and reducing your carbon footprint, this book is for you! It was amazing! It is meant to be read one page a day for every day out of a year. But in actuality, you can reader it in a much shorter period of time and the ideas you find in this book are so fabulous, that you will probably want to.

Of course there are the suggestions that you may already be familiar with - use reusable bags, check your tire pressure, and recycle your live Christmas trees; however, for every suggestion you may have heard, there are just as many creative green solutions that you may not be as familiar with.

I loved this book because it made me feel proactive, like there really is something that I can do today to make a difference. I loved it because many of the ideas are simple and family friendly. They also have a version specifically for kids if you are looking to raise awareness.

This is just a great, practical and well written book. Perfect for every person, perfect for every family.

Code Talkers

I read this book with my fifth grade reading group and it just made for the most amazing discussion. My group was comprised of 10 - 11 year old boys, a difficult age group to encourage reading, and without exception, they all loved this book.

It is amazing how much even I, as an adult, learned from reading this novel. For example, I had no idea how many men we lost in the Pacific to malaria and that the search for a cure to the "mosquito problem" was what brought about DDT. I was amazed at how much information the Code Talkers had to store completely in their memory - the code books never left the base where the Navajo learned the Code to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. Even the Code Talkers themselves were assigned protectors among the other Marines to keep them from being captured by the Japanese.

I loved the way that this book was written in the first person. The reader gets to experience everything with Ned Bengay from his departure from his family,to his treatment at the government school, to his time as a Marine. This is an amazing first person narrative of a few of the most colorful members of the Greatest generation. It's a great read and I recommend it highly.

If you have boys in this age group that enjoy Call of Duty or other online WW2 games, this is a great tie in and way to get them reading. I printed the navajo dictionary out from a site online for the boys in my group and they really enjoyed that. It was an awesome experience, being able to share this work with young men and see the real impact that it made on them.

Fluke or I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings

I picked this book because, well, deep down I really am a whale lover. I don't know too many people, women especially, who aren't. The book is about a man who is a researcher working out of Hawaii trying to discover what makes the male humpback sing. The initial part of the book was very good. Nate, the main character of the book, was trying to uncover what exactly whales are communicating, if anything, in their song.
Things get dicey when Nate gets a little too close to unveiling the truth about the whales.

That is when things took a turn for the weird. When Amelia Earheardt showed up, I threw in the towel. Some readers say that this work is amazing funny and I guess if you enjoy the BIZARRE then this work is for you. As for me, I think that while the author is advocating for conservation, when you take a serious subject matter that you supposedly support and turn it into a big joke, I believe that you do your cause a disservice.

I honestly can not think of a single person that I would recommend this book to, and considering my love of the written word, that my friends says it all.

Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Global Climate Crisis

I read this book as my choice for our April Earth Day book club. It was an extremely detailed and well thought out book. I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading this but was surprised to find the amount of detail on each topic/cause of global warming.

Al starts his work with a quote and it is one that I know I will remember forever, "If you want to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. We must go far - quickly." I think that Al is right in many regard, I believe that global climate change is real and I also believe that man is a contributing factor. I agree that there is a huge campaign instigated to convince us that we needed worry about global climate change, it isn't our fault and even if it is, it will never be too late to do something about it.

Where we differ is on *what* should be done about it. I think common sense should prevail. After all, environmentally friendly lightbulbs ( which I use) sound like a great idea until the uneducated masses start using them and not disposing of them properly causing mercury and more to leech into the ground water, and that is ust a simple example.

I say common sense should prevail - reduce, reuse, recycle. Use less. Consider what we consume and stop using the bottom dollar as the only measure of what we should and should not do. So while Al's book was informative on the problems that we face and the causes of those problems, I think he could have gone further with possible solutions.

Each Little Bird That Sings

I just finished reading this as part of a reading discussion group with my 5th grade girls. With both groups, the boys and the girls, it is amazing how much that I felt that I learned from each of these books.

Each Little Bird that Sings is the story of Comfort Snowberger, a 10 year old girl whose family runs the local funeral home. In the course of her short life, Comfort has been to 247 funerals.
Even so, the ten-year-old is unprepared for the series of heart-wrenching events that begins on the first day of Easter vacation with the sudden death of her beloved great-uncle Edisto. This is the story of those events.

Every one of my girls in the discussion group has lost a loved one, as I myself lost my dad this past year. It was amazing how insightful this book was in dealing with death. I don't want this comment to put the reader off though because this book isn't about death, it's about life. This book is moving, insightful and inspiring. Even as an adult it will be a long time before I forget Comfort and her family and the lessons that I learned will stay with me always.

For my girls, I think that this book was very helpful in assisting them deal with losses in their life, their outlook on death and even how to handle peer pressure or difficulties with a friend. After all, death isn't the only loss we endure in this life and each loss results in it's own sort of grief. Life is full of little ( and big!) surprises and it's how we handle them that matters...

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"It's not how you die that makes the important impression, Comfort; it's how you live. Now go live a while, honey, and let me get back to work."

Everything, even death, served us, according to him. Everything had a grand purpose, and there was nothing amiss in the universe; it was our job to adjust to whatever came our way.

I think those two quotes are full of wise insight that all of us can apply to everyday life. I would highly recommend Each Little Bird That Sings to anyone... but especially to those in the age group of 9- 15 dealing with the loss of a loved one or pet.

The Devil Who Tamed Her

I don't usually waste my time with romance novels, but once in a while, everyone deserves a little brain candy. Back in the day, I used to really enjoy romance novels until I realized that life is too short and there are way too many good books to read. However, I used to love a good Lindsay and after all the downers I have read lately, it was a welcome respite.

As I was reading the story, I felt that it was somehow vaguely familiar. Then, I realized that it should be familiar, it was the retelling of one of my favorite Shakespeare stories, "The Taming of the Shrew".

Every loves a Lindsay, at least that is what they say, and if you love the romance genre this one is worth checking out. However, if you really love the story Taming of the Shrew - no one does it better than Shakespeare, unless of course it's Burton and Taylor.

Columbine

In 1999, the worst school massacre ( up until that time) in US History happened in a little town in Colorado. The school was Columbine. If you were old enough to remember, it was a horrific and terrifying event. It made many Americans feel like there was no where that their children were safe.

I was just home from the hospital. My baby was 2 days old when the tragedy happened. I remember watching many news reports about the bullying and the Trench coat mafia, only to find out when reading this book that all of those suppositions were wrong.

I have always been curious about the cases of Columbine, I wanted to understand why this tragedy happened. I think it's human nature to want to understand the why. After reading the book, I have a crystal clear understanding of the who, what, where and when of the events leading up to the shootings. I am still fairly clueless on the why.

Dylan was depressed. Eric was a psychopath (really, I would never have guessed that) . These seem like simplistic explanations to me. They are almost too convenient. They are rationals, but no definitive reasons are clear. Then I realized that that's part of what's wrong with being a pyschopath - there really aren't any clear reasons. Maybe there can't be.

I do think I have a better understanding of the families. Do I believe that two parents, as in the case of the Kleibolds, can try their best, love their child, work hard to be good parents and yet still raise a child that does something like this? Yes, I do. Do I think Dylans parents probably made mistakes? Well don't we all. I think Dylan is ( aside from the victims) part of the real tragedy here. He could have been more.

Eric Harris - I think he was a murderer from the get go. I think his parents contributed to his mental health problems and covered up the warning signs thereby deluding themselves and others.

My favorite story in the book was Patrick - one of the victims in the library that fateful day. He had to learn to walk and talk again, and yet, he still fulfilled his dream of being valedictorian. Proof that anything truly is possible. He was a light in a great darkness.

I'm off to happier projects now. I hope that as the 11th anniversary approaches the survivors can find peace....

Football and Forgiveness

I may not be from West Texas, but I am from Western Pennsylvania and we know all about high school ball and the Friday Night Lights. This book was definitely like a journey home in some respects. I could have been written about the people that I know, or have watched play while I was growing up.

This is the story of one man, Neely Crenshaw, facing his past and finding forgiveness. It is also the story of a town, a football tradition and the man who inspired them all. Coach Rake is dying and his boys come home to pay their final respects.

I was hesitant about the book in the beginning, it was a little slow to develop at first and not your typical Grisham book. I was glad that I stuck it out. I loved the choices that Coach Rake made for his eulogy. From them we get an amazing perspective of one man's life and how he influenced so many. Mainly though, it's about forgiveness - forgiving others and most importantly, forgiving ourselves.

Little Bee

I was about to say that these were the most laborious two hundred pages that I have ever read, but then, I was unfortunately reminded that I read the Life of Pi. The two can not be compared, Little Bee had some characters that were very human and empathetic and a life lesson buried somewhere in the wondering story line.

So before I get to what I did like, let me get what I didn't like out of the way. For only two hundred pages, the book feels so much longer. It seemed to go on FOREVER and the story just sort of meanders from one character to the next until the very end. As I was reading, I felt like huge gaps of the story were left out, and I was right. It comes together at the end, but for those readers who feel like they need to be "into" a book to continue, you simply may never get there. The story takes too long to develop.

Little Bee was difficult for me to relate to for most of the book. Her life is something that is difficult for me to empathize with, and her constant search for a way to commit suicide simply unfathomable. Still, perhaps if I had endured all that she had, I would feel that same way. I just don't know.

Sarah was also very difficult in some cases to relate to. She loves her husband, she doesn't, and then she loves him again. She asks herself the hard questions but never really answers until the end, where it seems like she rises to the occasion.

There are some moments of humor between Sarah and Batman that I found extremely endearing.

Ok so that said, I loved the character of Batman. Like any child, his view of life is very simple, "Are you a goody or a baddy?" Sometimes I wish it were that easy. I loved the authors point of how, when we are children we want to do the right things, we want to make the world a better place. He asks a question of do we lose that along the way or is it a compromise that we make? I don't know, but it's a question that I am trying to answer in my own life.

I think it will make a good discussion for book club. I'm glad to be moving on. Up next, " Columbine", "Codetalkers", "Each Little Bird that Sings" and the "Postmistress." Not necessarily in that order.

Food Rules by Michael Pollan

My sister recommended this book to me and I loved it! I enjoyed it so much that I have since added The Omnivore's Dilemma to my To Be Read list.

This book is very short and easy to read. The rules inside it are simple enough to follow, but at the same time, brilliant in their simplicity. These are in most cases rules that we intrinsically all know, but in our rush for speed and convenience in our daily lives, we conveniently forget.

Some of these are rules that I have heard before. One of my favorites is to shop the peripheries at the grocery store. If you are doing that, you are buying fresh fruits, vegetables and meat instead of processed food that is unhealthy for you.

Other rules were new to me, but seem like simple common sense in retrospect - for example, eat only those foods that your great-grandmother would recognize as food. I used to buy my children gogurt to eat. They loved it and it was what I thought of as a healthy snack for the beach. After all, how can you go wrong with frozen yogurt? The answer is easily when you consider the packaging, the possibility for leaching dangerous chemicals into the yogurt after it has been frozen. Never again will we buy that particular kind of frozen yogurt.

Finally, I guess my favorite rule was "Real food doesn't come through the window of your car." We all know that fast food isn't healthy for us, but for the sake of convenience, we still eat it. Now, after further investigation, I know that not only is fast food not a healthy choice for my family, it is also an inhumane choice for the animals who share our planet. I'm McHating It, and I hope you are too. Do your family a favor - read this book. It isn't any time commitment at all, and like me, you will be glad you did.

I cook more, the foods I choose are healthier, and I have stopped engaging in practices that are bad for me, bad for the animals and bad for my planet. I thank my sister for recommending this book!

Touching Spirit Bear

After his anger erupts into violence, Cole Matthews, in order to avoid going to prison, agrees to participate in a sentencing alternative based on the native American Circle Justice, and he is sent to a remote Alaskan Island where an encounter with a huge Spirit Bear changes his life.

Cole, like most teenagers, thinks he has all the answers. He knows everything and he is afraid of nothing, or at least that is what Cole wants everyone to think. During his banishment to the island, all of Cole's perceptions are challenged.

This is a book about survival, but most of all it is a book about forgiveness. I was amazed at the breadth and depth of good life lessons that my fifth grade reading group was able to take away from this book. Some of their answers:
"Anger can motivate you, but harboring it can also damage you."
" There is a lot that we can learn from the animals and the world around us."
and my favorite, "In order to forgive others, we have to forgive ourselves first."

I would highly recommend this book to any YA readers, especially pre-teen and teenage boys who are often so difficult to find books for.

Roses by Leila Meacham

Leila Meacham is a 71 year old English teacher and this is her first work. I listened to the reviewers and publishers compare her work to Gone with the Wind and, loving that book the way that I do, I thought that couldn't possibly be true. After reading Roses, I think it is in many ways a very apt comparison.

Mary Toliver has a connection with her land and family name that is very like that of Scarlett O'Hara. They both make sacrifices throughout both books for their land, sometimes those sacrifices effect not only their own lives but also that of those around them.

The story follows three generations of Tolivers and Warwicks, but focuses mainly on the story of Mary and Percy. The book is a real page turner, you never notice the 500 some odd pages as they go by. I felt engaged by all he various characters - large and small. I cared about their lives and they felt as if they were a part of mine.

Some books, when you finish reading them, the story quickly fades from your mind as you move on to the next story. Others stay with you forever. Like Gone with the Wind, and like Roses.

If You Like Werewolves...

So this book is a YA book, but being a Jacob Black fan ( a la Twilight fame) I thought I would give it a try. Overall, the book was enjoyable and it addressed the topic of werewolves in a very different manner.

In the book we meet Grace, who is attacked by wolves as a child and saved by one of their pack. Since then, she is fascinated by "her wolf". The years pass and Grace becomes a young woman, when the wolves attack another - a teenage boy from her school In response, the local community sends out hunters to address the "wolf problem". Concerned for "her wolf", Grace tries to stop the attack but is unable to do so. She is surprised to later find a wounded young man on her back patio with the same yellow eyes as her wolf...

What follows is the story of Grace and Sam and the relationship between them. It's a predicatable love story in many respects, but what is interesting about the story is how the author treats being "biten" as having some sort of virus. Will Grace be able to help Sam find a cure before she loses him to the Pack forever?

The Last Song

What is it about Nicholas Sparks that always makes me cry? He spins the most wonderful stories and they always make you feel. In this case, I remembered how hard it was to make friends in a new place, the strain between father/daughter as a girl becomes a young woman, and the bittersweet pangs of first love.

This is a story of Ronnie and Jonah who haven't seen their father since their parents divorce. Now they are leaving their lives in Manhatten to spend the summer in a small North Carlina beach town with their Dad. Ronnie and her father have some unresolved issues between them and Steve ( Ronnie's Dad) has some unresolved issues with his own father.

Will they find a way to reconnect before it's too late?

This is a great read, and another taste of summer. I would recommend this book highly to all my friends, especially any who enjoyed A Walk to Remember and the Notebook.

For my Fifth Grade Reading Group

I faciliate a fifth grade reading group. I have six kids - 3 boys and 3 girls. I love meeting with them every week and it never ceases to amaze me what they take away from any given story. I feel like I learn so much more from them than they actually learn from me, but that's just part of being in a book club I guess.

Right now we are reading a book called Touching Spirit Bear together that I epect to be reviewing very soon. In addition to talking about books we have read together though, we also talk about bookds they are reading, what they like about them, what the learned from them, etc.... Since today is the 12th and Lightning Thief hysteria is in full gear, I thought I would offer my thoughts. My kids begged me to read this one - they all know what a Pottermaniac I am, so they wanted to compare and contrast. I finished Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters with three more books in the series left to go.

So here are my thoughts so far:

I can definitely see why the book is so appealing, especially to the boys. It is full of action and the story never stops. It is my opinion that this work reads more like a screenplay than a book and I believe that it was the authors intention to make it into a movie all along. I think that the idea of gods and goddesses and more importantly the moving of Mt. Olympus to reflect the heart of Western Civilizaton to be quite interesting. I think that Percy Jackson is very American while Harry Potter is definitely very British. I adored Greek Mythology when I was a child and it was fun to revisit some old favorites in this new venue.

In comparision to Harry Potter - well, Harry is written by J.K. Rowling - a woman and personal hero of mine. She is an amazing author that paints all of her characters with such a fine brush. The character development and plot in Harry is much more advanced and developed than in The Lightning Thief. Rick Riordan writes a good story, but he is like the Arnold Schwartzenegger of the fanasy literature world. Bang, bang, shot it up and make things happen. So far the character development in the first two books relies primarily on the events happening around the characters and not on the characters themselves.

I see many similarities between the two books - both center around three characters - 2 boys and a girl. Both invovle children who are in danger from dark forces surrounding them and both have a safe have for said children - one a school and the other a camp - where said children are "sorted" into houses or cabins. Both have at their heart a young boy about whose future prophecies have been made, and I could go on and one. There are some subtle differences, for example both of Percy's parents are alive, but all in all, I find the similarities remarkable.

I will love Harry until I die. I enjoyed reading Lightning Thief and plan to finish the series, but it will never have the magic that Harry Potter did. That said, I am very much looking forward to the movies which I think will be amazing. Especially since I believe that was the intent of the author from the inception of the story.

A Reliable Wife By Robert Goolrick

So, I am actually familiar with Robert Goolrick's work. Although this book is hailed as his first novel, he did write a biography entitled "The End of the World as We Know It" that I read last year. Although I found much of what he had to say in the biography to be disturbing, I thought he had a unique and amazing writing style. I was very excited when I saw this book at my local bookseller as I recognized his name at once.

I have to say that I loved, loved, loved this book. It hooks you right from the start. You want to know Ralph and Catherines stories and see how, or if, the stories intertwine. In so many books the plot twists are predictable, and transparent from the beginning. I loved this story because it kept me engaged and guessing.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone - readers, mystery lovers, romance. Check it out, I don't think you will regret it.

Sarah's Key

We read this for the February book club. It was a great selection and I'm glad that I read it. It was very sad, but also a quick read, once you are in to the story it is very difficult to put down.

I learned so much while reading this story. I had no idea that the French were complicit in the annihilation of thousands of French Jews during the Occupation of France. In July of 1942, thousands of men, women and children were rounded up and placed inside the Vel de Hiv under absolutely abominable conditions. One of the main characters of the story, Sarah, was one such child.

The story alternates between telling the story of Sarah in 1942 and Julia in the present. Julia is an American journalist living in France writing about the Vel de Hiv roundup. The story eventually combines the two storylines in surprising ways.

Sarah is a very strong character, and in the later chapters, when the storyline converges and focuses more on Julia, the story loses some of it's emotional connection. I felt empathy for Julia but lacked the intensity of feeling for her that I shared for Sarah and her family.

I am glad that I read this book. I think it is important to continue to learn more so that these atrocities will never be repeated. We will never forget.

A Timely Taste of Summer

This is a story about three women who all have a common bond and who are carry their share of secrets. They got to Nantucket to spend the summer. Their mother always told them there was nothing a little sand in their shoes couldn't fix. So Brenda, Vicki, and Melanie along with Vicki's children, pack up and go to Nantucket for the summer.

Along the way, the meet Josh, a young journalist student with a nose for a good story. He gets more than he bargains for when he becomes involved with the three women.

This is a story about love and loss, families, friendships, and the unexpected changes that life always brings. It isn't intellectually stimulating, but it is highly enjoyable. If you are suffering from the winter blahs like I am ( Mom, so jealous of your beach time!) then this is a great read to take you away from it all. Feel the sun on your face, the sea wind in your hair and hear the gulls chirp and let the story bring you a taste of summer.

We read this book for one of my book clubs and all I can say is that I am eternally grateful to the two women who recommended this book to me and I think it was an absolutely fantastic way to start of 2010!

I have always thought highly of Michael J. Fox, he just has that "likable" type of personality. From Alex P. Keaton to Marty McFly, I feel like Michael J. Fox has been a part of my life for the last twenty years, and in some ways, he has. He comes off as being the sincere and funny guy next door and after reading his life in his own words, I think that he really is that guy.

Michael refers to himself as an "incurable optimist" and I have to say that I was amazed throughout the book at his constant positive attitude. Even during the Bush years and the lack of funding for research into Parkinson's, Fox didn't just wallow in self pity but rather became a proactive voice both for himself and for millions of others who don't have such a marketable name and face. He never gives up, he never gets down. If he can put his pants on one shaky leg at a time and try to make the world a better place, then I think I can.

This was truly a wonderful book. It was poignant, funny and most of all inspiring. I loved every aspect of it, from hearing about Michael's television career, to the founding of the Michael J. Fox Foundation and finally to his becoming a political activist. I admire his humor, his courage, his strength and most of all his unfailingly positive outlook on life. I recommend this book highly and I think Michael J. Fox is an inspiration....

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne DuMaurier

Years ago I read Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier and it is one that I consider to be on the "Must Read" list. Since that time, I have always wanted to read more of her work to see if the opinion held, or whether she, like so many others, was something of a "one hit wonder".
My Cousin Rachel has a very similar feel to Rebecca. Once again we are taken to the west coast of England, a huge manor house on the coast, and a somewhat tangled and mysterious love story.
Philip is an orphan, raise by his cousin Ambrose and eventually named as Ambrose's heir. Ambrose leaves the running of his estate in Philip's capable hands, while Ambrose himself goes off to Italy to winter there. While there, he meets his distant relation - his cousin, Rachel. Eventually Rachel and Ambrose fall in love and marry - much to the shock of everyone involved. The story involves the lives of our three main characters: Philip, Ambrose, and Rachel... along with a cast of sometimes delightful and sometimes dastardly supporting characters.

I enjoyed the book thoroughly. I found myself involved with the characters very early on, and I found the book to be a very quick read, difficult to put down. There were many plot twists - some that I saw coming and some that I definitely didn't. While the theme and tone is similar to Rebecca, this story has it's own uniqueness. I would recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries and love stories. It was well worth reading. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The American Wife

Overall I would have to say that I found this book to be a disappointment. This book is supposedly based loosely on Laura Bush. I found parts of the book to be realistic, heartfelt and appealing but was surprised at the gaping holes the author left in the political aspect of the work.
Don't get me wrong, topics from abortion, to the environment, to the war are all discussed throughout the work. What's disappointing is the gaps in storytelling. In the beginning of the book, we meet a young and naive Alice Lingren. Alice is very human and appealing. She goes through the same awkwardness in middle and high school that so many of us do. She faces some of the same challenges and heartbreaks.
In the first 80 pages, the author takes the fictitious Alice on a wild ride from love, to loss, followed by gratuitous sex and illegal abortion. But, that was life in the 60's and I'm willing to accept those constraints for the character.
Alice meets and falls in love with the boyish Charlie Blackwell, son of former Governor Blackwell. After a whirlwind romance, Charlie and Alice marry. They are an odd pairing from the start, with the straight laced Alice finding it difficult to fit in with the rest of Charlie's family.
The author does a wonderful job of making these characters real throughout their courtship and early marriage. There are traits in both Alice and Charlie that are alternatively charming and appauling.
The disappointment comes in that in a supposedly political scandal novel, there really isn't a lot of politics. The author never discusses Charlie's time as a Governor, his political campaign for the presidency and in fact, only breifly touches on certain aspects of Charlie's Presidency. The beginning of the book was so promising that I was really hoping for more, even though my political persuasion may be different from that of the author. I am hoping to fair better with my next choices. Rachel and Always Looking UP....

Stephen King's Under the Dome

What a way to start off the New Year - only three days in and already one very good book down. I'd say great but it has it's flaws.

Well, it's huge, but I knew that going in. The cast of characters is enormous, but King does his usual good job of introducing the important characters and making them memorable. Some of the characters didn't have enough depth and I would have liked to know them better - Brenda Perkins for example. Some of the characters were very stereotypical, but having enjoyed other King works like this one, I think that is just his way of making a point. Or several points. You love the characters that you are supposed to love and you hate those that you are supposed to hate.

The Stand was my favorite King novel ever. Still is. But this one is very reminiscent of The Stand. I was hoping for a different explanation regarding the sudden appearance and source of the Dome; however, the book isn't so much about the Dome itself but about the possibility or propensity for good or evil inside each of the characters.

I was hooked from the groundhog on and couldn't put it down. For being so lengthy the book was an easy read - very quick. Once you are into the story it is hard to put down. Stephen King does an excellent job of proving, once again, why he is the master....

I would have liked to focus more on the simple problems that people separated from the rest of the world would face - what would they do without power? How would their food keep? How would they heat their homes? Would they need to? What about those needing medications? There was a potential for so much more, but at 1072 pages, I understand why he didn't delve too deeply into these things.

In the end, I loved the message that I took away from this book and now, I'm going to wear my little life... like a dress. Once you read the book, you'll understand the reference. ;) All in all, a great way to start the new year.