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.

Looking Back - The Year In Review

So I set a reading goal for myself last year - 100 books - I didn't quite get there. I had a lot going on this year with my father being sick and then losing him in August. Since I don't exactly read light weight stuff, I guess I won't beat myself up too bad.

2009 was a good year for reading material. I enjoyed most of what I read and feel like the books I choose enriched my life. Here are the top 10 of 2009.

10. The Scarlet Pimpernel - this book is pure enjoyment! It was one of the first of this genre - the hero who hides behind a buffoon of an alter ego while his wife loves the hero and appears oblivious to her husband's true nature. For anyone who loves adventure, spy stories and romance, this one is a must.

9. Mercy by Jodi Picoult. This is a story about a man who is being tried for murdering his wife. It certainly raises a lot of questions and really makes you think what you might do if that were your situation. Can you ever love someone TOO much?

8. Elsewhere - what an original YA work. I loved the authors approach to death and what comes after. It was very holistic and that is appealing, though hard for me to grasp initially as her view is very different than my own. Still, it was WELL worth the read.

7 The 19th Wife - for all my Big Love fans out there - this one is excellent. There is a lot about the history of the Firsts - the sect of Mormons who still adhere to the practice of polygamy. This book was very different with an intriguing mystery mixed it. I found it to be very enjoyable and I learned a lot about Bringham Young and the history of his church when I read it.

6. Cancer Ward - Solzhenitsyn is a genius! There is just no other way to say it. This is an amazing story, based on Solzhenitsyn's own experiences in post World War II Russia. Just hearing how these patients were treated then, the process and how long they had to wait, it was heart- wrenching. I am looking forward to reading the Gulag Archipelago.

5. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. This book was a real treat. If you haven't read it yet, do yourself a favor, step away from the computer, go to the bookstore or library and get yourself a copy. This is an amazing work about a very interesting time in history. The approach is completely unique occurring totally in letters written between the various characters. I can't recommend this one highly enough - hard to get into at first, but so worth the effort!

4. City of Thieves - what a great story! I loved it from start to finish, it was totally compelling. I loved both the characters of Lev and Kolya. They were so different and yet, there was much to love about each of them. They are real. This book was sad, funny, compelling... it just has it all.

Has anyone else noticed that the books just keep getting better?

3. A Lion Among Men. I am a big Maguire fan, and I love his Wicked series, but he definitely saved the best for last. This work is about Brrr... otherwise known to most of us as the Cowardly Lion. It's an interesting look at the circumstances that mold us all and whether we can rise about our circumstances and our nature. This is a book about Redemption. I loved it. You really do need to read the other books in the series though to completely understand it.

2. Child 44 - Another Russian story. I just never saw this one coming. It is very powerful, especially about the concepts of crime and human nature. If you like detective or crime stories, this one is definitely worth reading. I am very much looking forward to reading The Secret Speech, which is the follow up to this book in 2010.

And the best book I read in 2009? It was also the first book I read in 2009
1. The Shack. It is life altering. Truly life altering. It completely changed my outlook on so many things. It is one of those books that will stay with me forever. If you love books that challenge the way you think, your core beliefs, give this one a try.

The Christmas Sweater

So I just finished reading The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck yesterday. It is a touching novel about one boys Christmas and his realization of what the greatest gift of all is.
My knowledge of Glenn Beck is limited to his radio/ television political talk show. My father was a fan, so in honor of him, I thought I would give this book a try. I didn't go into the book with very high expectations but was quickly surprised. I guess it just goes to show that just because I don't agree with Beck politically I should not have underestimated his ability as a story teller.
Since my father passed 4 months ago, in many ways it was a difficult novel to read as it is about a young boy who has also lost his father. So often those of us who live a charmed life, as I believe that I in many ways do, take for granted that everyone experiences the holidays in the same way that we do. This book is a poignant reminder of those who focus on the true meaning of the holiday rather than just the presents under the tree.
For anyone who likes to read heartwarming books about the meaning of the season, and about the greatest Gift of all - Redemption - I recommend The Christmas Sweater.