My Trampoline Life

Spring Reading Thing Wrap-up...

2011-06-23T18:10:00.000-04:00

Even though studying for my grad school comprehensive exam and beginning my new job seemed to take over my life for the past six weeks, I did manage to complete my Spring Reading Thing 2011 list. It helped to have a long car trip to Disney World where I finished three of my five choices. I am, however, wayyyyyyy behind in my 100 Word Book Reviews, but plan to catch up on those soon. Here's my wrap-up:

Elizabeth Street by Laurie Fabiano
Liked it. Didn't love it. For some reason, this one took me forever to read. Interesting and well written.

After the Leaves Fall by Nicole Baart

Liked it. Didn't love it. I do think Baart is a good storyteller and I did appreciate the issues addressed in this story.

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf
Liked it. Didn't love it. Things just became too coincidental and predictable for me.

Mockingbird by Katherine Erskine

Absolutely LOVED it! What a special book! My daughter and I both read it and it's on her summer reading list for 6th grade. I can see why this book is getting lots of praise and awards. Well deserved.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
Really liked it. A good mystery with southern flair. Too much bad language for my liking, but not gratuitous. A great story about choices, assumptions, and friendships.

Thanks again to Katrina at Callapidder Days for hosting this reading challenge. I'll be back for Fall Into Reading 2011. Happy summer reading!

Spring Reading Thing 2011

2011-03-20T18:12:00.000-04:00

It's time for the annual Spring Reading Thing over at Callapidderdays. From March 20th until June 20th, I hope to read the books I'll list below. I'm being cautious because I work full time, my daughter plays spring softball about 100 times a week, and I'm in graduate school.
If only I didn't need sleep.....

This is a no pressure, self-paced, pick-your-own-books challenge. I really enjoyed the 2010 reading challenges and I'm ready to dive into this one. I just wish I could dive into the deep end, but priorities, priorities.

Here's what I hope to tackle this spring:

Elizabeth Street by Laurie Fabiano
(I do love historical fiction.)
Amazon.com Review
In Elizabeth Street, Laurie Fabiano tells a remarkable, and previously unheard, story of the Italian immigrant experience at the start of the twentieth century. Culled from her own family history, Fabiano paints an entrancing portrait of Giovanna Costa, who, reeling from personal tragedies, tries to make a new life in a new world. Shot through with the smells and sights of Scilla, Italy, and New York’s burgeoning Little Italy, this intoxicating story follows Giovanna as she finds companionship, celebrates the birth of a baby girl, takes pride in a growing business, and feels a sense of belonging on a family outing to Coney Island. However, these modest successes are rewarded with the attention of the notorious Black Hand, a gang of brutal extortionists led by Lupo the Wolf. As the stakes grow higher and higher, readers share with Giovanna her desperate struggle to remain outside the fray, and then to fight for—and finally to save—that which is important above all other: family.

After the Leaves Fall by Nicole Baart
(A freebie on Kindle a while back.)
From Publishers Weekly
In her promising debut novel, Baart writes compellingly about a young girl's struggle with loss, love, identity and faith. Julia Bakker knows what loss is. Her mother abandoned her, her beloved father died, and her childhood love has gone to college and found another. As a teen, she lives with her saintly grandmother, who urges her to go to church camp, but Julia finds only quick answers and thrilling conversions there. Disillusioned, Julia decides it is up to her, not anyone else-even some impossible, far-flung God-to reinvent herself. The truth was, I didn't know who I was, and I was afraid of being defined by who I wasn't. By what I didn't have.... By remembering with predictable, cyclic accuracy all I had lost. After chronicling her early years, the story follows Julia as she enrolls in college to study engineering and become someone who is too smart to attach, too independent to want to, and so secure as to be untouchable. Soon, Julia is repeating her mother's mistakes. The love of her rock-solid Christian grandmother and a newfound (and not completely well-explained) reliance on God help fortify her for the difficult path ahead. Sparkling prose makes this new novel a welcome addition to inspirational fiction.

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf
(I keep seeing this on must-read-lists.)
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Gudenkauf's scintillating second suspense novel (after The Weight of Silence) opens with the release of 21-year-old Allison Glenn from prison, where she has served five years for an unspecified but particularly horrible crime. Allison is reluctant to enter a halfway house in her hometown of Linden Falls, Iowa, where "even a heroin-addicted prostitute arrested for armed robbery and murder would get more compassion than I ever will." Allison, her family's former golden girl, secures a job at a local bookstore, but her efforts to resume some sort of normal life are undermined by her well-to-do parents' indifference, her sister's hatred, and the stigma of her conviction. Meanwhile, one little boy holds the key to the tragedy that led to Allison's imprisonment. The author slowly and expertly reveals the truth in a tale so chillingly real, it could have come from the latest headlines.

Mockingbird by Katherine Erskine
(I plan to read this at the same time my eleven-year-old daughter does.)
From Booklist
Ten-year-old Caitlyn hates recess, with all its noise and chaos, and her kind, patient counselor, Mrs. Brook, helps her to understand the reasons behind her discomfort, while offering advice about how to cope with her Asberger’s Syndrome, make friends, and deal with her grief over her older brother’s death in a recent school shooting. She eschews group projects in class, claiming that she doesn’t need to learn how to get along with others, but solitude is neither good for her or her grieving father, and when Caitlyn hears the term closure, she turns to her one trusty friend, her dictionary, and sets out on a mission to find it for both of them. Along the way, Caitlyn makes many missteps, but eventually she does achieve the long-sought closure with great finesse, which is another of her favorite vocabulary words. Allusions to Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the portrayal of a whole community’s healing process, and the sharp insights into Caitlyn’s behavior enhance this fine addition to the recent group of books with narrators with autism and Asbergers.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
(There's nothing like a good, Southern, crime novel to head into summer.)
Amazon.com Review
Edgar Award-winning author Tom Franklin returns with his most accomplished and resonant novel so far—an atmospheric drama set in rural Mississippi. In the late 1970s, Larry Ott and Silas "32" Jones were boyhood pals. Their worlds were as different as night and day: Larry, the child of lower-middle-class white parents, and Silas, the son of a poor, single black mother. Yet for a few months the boys stepped outside of their circumstances and shared a special bond. But then tragedy struck: Larry took a girl on a date to a drive-in movie, and she was never heard from again. She was never found and Larry never confessed, but all eyes rested on him as the culprit. The incident shook the county—and perhaps Silas most of all. His friendship with Larry was broken, and then Silas left town.
More than twenty years have passed. Larry, a mechanic, lives a solitary existence, never able to rise above the whispers of suspicion. Silas has returned as a constable. He and Larry have no reason to cross paths until another girl disappears and Larry is blamed again. And now the two men who once called each other friend are forced to confront the past they've buried and ignored for decades.

100 Word Review: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

2011-02-27T20:29:00.000-05:00

I cannot recall how or when I ended up with this book. Well, since it is on my Kindle, I obviously purchased it at some point (probably when my Kindle was new and it was oh-so-fun to download books....it's actually still really fun to download books...way too fun). I'm sure amazon.com suggested it to me based on my buying history, which is why I'm a bit confused: this book is like nothing I've read in a long while. Too long a while. So, once again, amazon.com knows me better than I know myself. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley is a rare find. I found it completely delightful and entertaining. I didn't think books like this were written anymore! I'm so glad Alan Bradley, as a new novelist at seventy years of age, decided to write it. I'm also delighted that there are two other books in the Flavia de Luce series. I will definitely read them soon. By the way, one of the best things about this book is Bradley's mastery of the English language. I must have used my Kindle dictionary thirty times throughout this book, so get your Webster's ready if you don't have an e-reader with a built in dictionary. It made me long for Americans to speak like the characters in this book...with a British accent, of course. This old-fashioned murder mystery is wonderful and would make a great book club read. Be sure to pick it up (or load it down).

Here's my 100 word review of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.

A sleepy English village...
An eleven-year-old sleuth, obsessed with chemistry...particularly poisons...

A reclusive, widowed father...lonely and haunted...
A loyal jack-of-all-trades...

A dead bird...a one-of-a-kind stamp...a blackmail attempt...a body in the cucumber patch...and a bicycle named Gladys...

Flavia de Luce is precocious, fearless, intelligent, independent, and just a bit mean-spirited.
Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, and Nancy Drew rolled into one.

A throwback mystery without gore, over-the-top violence, sex, and rough language.

The humor is palpable...and very British.

Absolutely refreshing and completely charming.

Fabulous!

(100)

100 Word Review: When You Reach Me

2011-02-19T21:35:00.000-05:00

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead is a middle-grade (5th-8th) novel set in New York City in the late 1970s (ahhhhh....those were the days). This novel may be aimed at middle-grade readers, but adults will love it. It is as much mystery as it is science fiction, but it really doesn't matter what genre you want to assign it: it's just plain great. I have told my eleven year old daughter that she will be reading this book soon...right after she reads A Wrinkle in Time (my first and favorite sci-fi novel). No, you don't have to have read Wrinkle to enjoy this book, but if you have read Wrinkle, When You Reach Me is even more enjoyable. It makes me want to read Wrinkle again....in 1979. I also think they should bring back the $20,000 Pyramid. I loved that show.

Here's my 100 word review of When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead.

A 6th grade "latch-key kid"...
She's read A Wrinkle in Time dozens of times...
Her mom is going to be a contestant on $20,000 Pyramid...
Her best friend doesn't want to be friends anymore...

Now she has to pass by the crazy laughing man alone on her walk to and from school...
And, someone has been leaving hidden futuristic notes for her...

Nostaligic...Magical...Poetic...Clever...Sophisticated...Realistic...

Richly drawn characters...Beautifully woven story...Age-accurate voices...

Is time travel possible?
I, as the reader, was transported back to 1979, so I guess it is.

Well deserved Newberry winner.

(100)

100 Word Review: Those Who Save Us

2011-02-16T20:17:00.000-05:00

This is certainly not your typical WWII book. I really didn't know what I was getting into, but this is a real page turner. I had seen Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum on numerous book club lists and "best of" lists and decided to give it a try. Little did I know: this is one of those books that changes the reader. Blum makes you ask, "What would I have done?" many times throughout this heartwrenching story. How many millions of women were in the shoes of Anna during WWII? Their stories are mostly lost now, but Jenna Blum has managed to give many of them a voice. I don't think I could recommend this book to just anyone, although I think just about anyone would benefit from reading it. The portrayal of the brutality of the Nazis is hard to swallow and very graphic in parts. But, it's the truth and so much of this book is about trying to find the truth...even if it's horrific. No matter how many times I read an account of the Holocaust, it never gets easier to know what man can do, and has done, to man. I wish I believed that stories like this would someday not need to be told. But, as George Santayana famously said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." We must never allow that to happen, so I, for one, will keep reading stories like this one.

Here's my 100 word review of Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

A new perspective on the Holocaust through the fear-filled eyes of German citizens.

Powerful storytelling of Nazi brutality and a mother's sacrifice of everthing she has to save her daughter.

Devastating emotional choices with generational consequences.

Haunting...Shocking...Complex...Riveting...Vivid...Courageous...

An existence centered on desperation...degradation...humiliation...manipulation...

A mother's silence...to protect her daughter and attempt to forget the past.
A daughter's search for the truth.
When no one will tell us the truth, our mind will fill in the blanks for us.
The actual truth could be easier to bear than the truth we create.

(100)

100 Word Review: These is My Words

2011-02-04T16:48:00.000-05:00

Why did I not know about this book before now? How did I miss this little jewel for so long? I love historical fiction, so you think I would have had this on my TBR list a long time ago. It was published in 1998 (which only seems like a couple of years ago to me), but I had never heard of it until Amazon.com suggested it for me recently. Thank you, Amazon! You were right again! This is a wonderful book for many reasons, but mostly because of the clear and empowering voice of Sarah, the "narrator". I will definitely read the next two books in the series. Hopefully my short review will convince you to pick up These is My Words by Nancy Turner. I'll guarantee you won't want to put it down once the story gets rolling along (in a covered wagon, of course).

Here's my 100 word review of These is My Words.

A 19th century tale of the frontier, the importance of family, genuine love, and heartwrenching loss.
An emotional twenty year journey told through Sarah's journal entries.

Colorful, unforgettable characters...
An enduring love story...

Beautiful...Sweeping...Raw...
Painful...Honest...Harrowing...
Charming...Funny...Romantic...

Through Sarah, author Nancy Turner wraps words around the real emotions surrounding marriage, motherhood, family, and friendship that sear into readers.

A wonderful emphasis on the importance of, and desire for, education.

This story made me smile, gasp, and literally sob; but mostly, it warmed my heart and made me remember to appreciate each day.

An absolute treasure.

(100)

100 Word Review: Unbroken

2011-01-31T21:06:00.000-05:00

This is one of those books you can't help but tell people about. I mean anyone...your dental hygienist...your bank teller...the guy in line behind you at Walmart. Several people told me about it, so I moved it to the top of my to-be-read list. I'm sooooo glad I did. Unbroken is an incredible true story told beautifully by Laura Hillenbrand (of Seabiscuit fame). I can't believe no one beat her to it! How could this story have gone untold for so long? Move this book immediately to the top of your stack. You won't be able to put it down and you'll talk about it with everyone who will listen (and even those who won't). It will become one of your goals in life to convince as many people as possible to read this book. As far as my 100 word review goes, this is the toughest one I've done. I could write hundreds of words about this book, so I really had to work hard to trim it down. Bottom line...read it!

Here's my 100 word review of Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.

Terrifying...Intense...Gut-wrenching...Heartbreaking...
Astounding...Unimaginable...Uplifting...Amazing...

Man versus Nature...
Man versus Man...
Man versus Himself...

Ravenous men with broken bodies and unbroken spirits; desperately clinging to any shred of hope.

A lesson in courage...resourcefulness...honor...dignity...and the unequivocal power of forgiveness.

If this were a work of fiction, it would be criticized as too unbelievable a story.

These men are a part of what is called America's "Greatest Generation".
They're cut from a different cloth.

Louis Zamperini and the others are true heroes.
I thank Laura Hillenbrand for telling their story.
I've been blessed by it.

(100)

100 Word Review: Juliet

2011-01-13T19:55:00.000-05:00

After finishing Sworn to Silence last month, I was looking for a much "lighter" read to start the new year. I certainly found it in Anne Fortier's Juliet. If you are a Shakespeare fan, then this is the book for you...or maybe not. Anne Fortier holds a doctorate in history, so there are lots of very interesting factual tie-ins with Romeo and Juliet. In fact, the premise of this story is a young woman searching for her connection to the real Juliet. I guess you could call it a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, but it misses the mark so often, I don't want to align it with the play too much. It did make me want to reread Shakespeare's classic....someday.

Here's my 100 word review of Juliet by Anne Fortier.

Two feuding families...
The Bard and his "timeless" play...
A love destined by hundreds of years of ancestry...

Rich Italian history...
A 14th century mystery...

Crumbling Italian ruins...
What impossible treasures do they hide?

Fortier combined a classic love story with a modern day "DaVinci Code" type plot.
The love gets completely lost in the overly complicated and confusing mystery.

At times, the book is really entertaining, but it dragged in several parts.
The long list of characters were not well developed and often seemed shallow and silly.

It did make me want to go to Italy, but who doesn't?

(100)

100 Word Review: Sworn to Silence

2010-12-31T09:15:00.000-05:00

If you are a fan of crime/thriller novels, then you may have heard of Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo. I saw it on multiple "to-be-read" lists on Goodreads.com and it has good reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. It was also a NYT bestseller, so I downloaded it to my Kindle and began reading it on Christmas Eve. Maybe this thriller was a poor choice for the holiday. Maybe I should have chosen an inspirational book or a historical romance for this time of year. I wasn't aware of what I was getting into, that's for sure. If you are a big fan of Criminal Minds, CSI, and other crime shows, you will probably enjoy this book. I enjoy those shows, but I'm uncomfortable with how explicit some of the material can be. I often get completely "creeped out" by them (especially Criminal Minds). This book is very much like that, but with the freedom to be completely graphic where network television (and even cable) cannot go. I had a little trouble sleeping a couple of nights and I'm glad I am finished with this work of crime fiction (please, oh please, let it be completely fiction).

Here's my 100 word review of Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo.

An evil, sadistic, serial killer in a small Ohio town.
An Amish girl fights back ending the killing spree.
No one must know...A family sworn to silence.
Sixteen years later, the killer returns.
But, how? Who will stop him?

Graphic violence...way too much for me.
Horrific detail...really hard to read.
Excessive bad language...gratuitous.
Disturbing...Intense...Suspenseful...Terrifying...

The plot seemed very familiar...like a Lifetime Channel movie. I Googled to find out if a television movie had been made (not yet).
Too much of the crime story...not enough of the much more interesting Amish story.
(100)

100 Word Review: The Graveyard Book

2010-12-23T22:54:00.000-05:00

I don't read a lot of YA literature. It's not that I don't like YA, but my to-be-read list is huge and very little of it is YA. I know of a lot of avid readers and bloggers who read mostly YA, and after reading Neil Gaiman's Newbery Award winning The Graveyard Book, I can see why. If this is a typical YA book, I'm switching genres.
I decided to read this book because my almost eleven-year-old daughter, an extremey avid reader, asked if she could read it. I had heard the book was a bit "controversial" (whatever that means these days), so I told her I would read it and decide if it was right for her. Even though the beginning and end of the book are a bit scary, this is not a horror book. It's really a retelling of a children's classic. I think my bookworm daughter will thoroughly enjoy it, as I did. I plan to read more Gaiman. He's a very talented storyteller. And, guess what? No vampires!

Here's my 100 word review of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.

Three murders...not four.

A knife-wielding man named Jack.

An orphan without a name...a real Nobody.

Raised and protected by the residents of the graveyard.

Isolated, but never alone. Safe among the dead.

The man named Jack, somewhere outside the graveyard gates, waits for Nobody.

An amazing cast of characters, dead and alive.

Funny...Sad...
Eerie...Creepy...
Whimsical...Clever...
Mysterious...Suspenseful...
Charming...

A mature, deep, emotional story with beautiful language that makes the reader learn to live from the lessons of the dead.

Rudyard Kipling would enjoy this modern and crafty retelling of his classic, The Jungle Book.

(100)

My son, the Ninja Magi...

2010-12-23T10:39:00.000-05:00

My darling children participated in our church Nativity play last Sunday. I knew Darling Daughter (almost 11) would do just fine. She played the prophetess Anna who worshipped day and night at the temple. She knew exactly where to stand (or kneel in this case), what to say, and what NOT to do.

But, Darling Son (3 1/2) had me worried. He had a pretty big role, a dual role in fact: one of the Magi and Jesus ("Not Baby Jesus, Mommy. Almost four-year-old Jesus." he proudly told me after the dress rehearsal.) DS had done great in his school Christmas play the week before and enjoyed himself so much, maybe this would go really well. Maybe...

I knew we were in trouble when DS awakened Sunday morning and stated that he wasn't going to be in the play at all. His stubborn streak is immeasurable. We all coaxed and begged, but he wouldn't budge. DH told DS that he would be in the play or he would be in time-out all day (Oh, sure. That'll work! Just like a man). DS didn't budge an inch. He wasn't doing it. Period.

We arrived at church and the children were all getting into their adorable costumes. DS began to scream and cling to me as if the floor were covered in snakes. I was ready to give up, make our apologies, and find a new congregation, when DD came up with the one trick that changed DS's stubborn mind. "If you do it, Mommy will buy you a toy." Bribery. Why didn't I think of that? Oh yeah, because it's Christmas, I have no bribery money, I didn't want to stoop to that level, I DON"T want to go shopping, AND DS wins!

It surely worked. The tears immediately stopped. A big smile appeared on his chapped lips. An "I knew if I threw a big enough fit I'd get a toy" twinkle appeared in his eye. Grrrrr....

DD got him dressed and I went off to join the other parents praying that their kid wouldn't be the one to ruin the whole production.

DS spent much of the time waiting to hit the stage picking his nose, adjusting his Magi hat, and climbing over the back of the chair.

We're so proud...

DD did her part perfectly (in the middle).
Of course, she's a pro by now.

Well, Baby Jesus had been born and it was time for the Magi to visit. DS didn't have the "gold" to bring to the newborn King. He'd left it in the dressing room. No problem.

It was time for his big line: "Where is the King of the Jews?" He delivered it almost perfectly in his sweet 3 1/2 year old voice with his mouth completely engulfing the microphone: "Where is the King of the Juice?"

The audience smiled and laughed softly.

As the Magi sat around the throne of King Herod, it was time for another older child to speak. He had several lines. He was dressed as a soldier with a sword. I believe he was one of King Herod's highly trained guards, but DS managed to unsheath the soldier's sword while he was delivering his lines. Another magi and DS wrestled over the sword for at least a minute. Neither would even consider letting go. DS finally wrenched it away from the older, stronger, magi (as DH pointed out). For the next several minutes, things turned "bloody". DS "sawed" off the arm of the soldier, put several viscious "slashes" across his back, and finally "beheaded" the soldier just as he finished his last line. DS had become Ninja Magi!

The audience was rolling in laughter, as were DH and I. There was nothing else to do. It was hilarious! DH didn't even take a picture because he was laughing too hard.

Once the magi and shepherds went to visit Baby Jesus in the manger, DS decided to "shoot" at the narrator across the stage during this dramatic scene where he was supposed to be worshipping the newborn King. I guess Mary and Joseph could have hired DS as a bodyguard for Baby Jesus. I mean, it was a dangerous time. So, DS really had three roles in the play: Ninja Magi, Baby Jesus's bodyguard, and "almost four-year-old" Jesus. DH and I might become stage parents!

The other young children quickly followed DS's lead. One was twirling his crown on his arm while spinning in a circle doing some pretty good tricks. A shepherd boy was tripping others with his staff. The star refused to climb the ladder above the manger. And so on...

The older children were either cracking up or mortified (guess which one DD was...totally emabarrassed).

The play came to an end with DS playing "almost four-year-old" Jesus (He grew in wisdom and stature...). He had the last line of the play, which I think was supposed to be "Joy to the world." The director tried to hand him the microphone. DS crossed his arms and refused to speak. I wonder if "almost four-year-old" Jesus had this kind of attitude? Somehow, I doubt it.

Oh well...we all knew how the story ended. The audience gave the children a standing ovation.

When DS came to us we hugged him and told him what a great job he had done (what were we supposed to say?).

Can you guess the first words out of his mouth? That's right..."Mommy, I'm ready to go get my new toy now."

And do you know that DD followed with, "Can I get something too since I got him to do the play?" Seriously?

I think I'm about to become Ninja Mommy!

(DS with bribery toy. DD got a book. Grrrr!)

Merry Christmas from our loony family to yours! If you need your Nativity yard display guarded by a Ninja Magi, just let me know.

Fall Into Reading 2010 Wrap-up

2010-12-21T11:33:00.000-05:00

Another big thanks to Katrina @ Callapidder Days for hosting this annual challenge. I can't wait to see everyone else's conquered lists. Mine is longer than I expected (mainly because I don't want to read my grad school books--BORING!). Here's my original list.

I've reviewed, in exactly 100 words, each one of the books I finished on this blog as I finished them: World Without End, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, On Folly Beach, Her Mother's Hope, The Confession, and Pearl in the Sand.

Katrina asked the questions below of her Fall Challenge participants. I'm happy to oblige. Also, I'm looking forward to the spring challenge. You should give it a go, too.

1, Did you finish reading all the books on your fall reading list? If not, why not?

I read 3 of the 4 on my original list. I'm reading two that were not on my original list now. I plan to read Sworn to Silence next, but I bumped it for a couple of others along the way.

2. Did you stick to your original goals or did you change your list as you went along?

My goal was set low because of the business this time of year, but I was able to add a couple of books.

3. What was your favorite book that you read this fall? Least favorite? Why?

They were all very different and I liked them all, but I really enjoyed Pearl in the Sand above the others. The story is just captivating and I couldn't put it down. My least favorite is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It took way too long to become interesting. Maybe it was the translation.

4. Did you discover a new author or genre this fall? Did you love them? Not love them?

Tessa Afshar (Pearl in the Sand) is definitely someone I plan to read again. She's a great storyteller. I love historical fiction, but Biblical historical fiction is becoming one of my favorite genres.

5. Did you learn something new because of Fall Into Reading 2010 – something about reading, about yourself, or about a topic you read about?

I learned more about the imbalance and inconsistencies of the U.S. justice system concerning the death penalty in The Confession. I learned a lot about Israelite culture in Pearl in the Sand. I'm still really, really, glad that I wasn't born in the 1300s (World Without End). I've decided to get a bottle tree in my backyard after reading On Folly Beach. And, I sympathized and related to the mother in Her Mother's Hope and want to make sure my daughter feels my love each day because of the relationship presented in that great story.

6. What was your favorite thing about the challenge?

No pressure! It's just for people who enjoy to read at the pace they want to read. I also enjoyed the weekly questions Katrina emailed to the participants. How different people are! I'm looking forward to the Spring challenge. I guess I'll be catching up on my grad school reading until then. Blah!

100 Word Review: Pearl in the Sand

2010-12-15T17:39:00.000-05:00

I had never heard of Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar until my BFF, amazon.com, recommended it to me because amazon.com loves me and wants me to be happy (and knows what purchases I've made over the past fifteen years). I added it to my ever growing wish list and forgot all about it. But, it just wouldn't seem to go away. I kept seeing it on people's "must read" lists and decided to bump it up to the top of my own list. I'm really glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed this account of Rahab (yes, that Rahab). The story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho is one of my favorite Bible stories. It's always seemed odd to me that Rahab chose to save the Israelite spies. This historic Biblical work of fiction made this story really come alive. You should add it to your "must read" list soon. Here's my 100 word review.

100 Word Review: Pearl in the Sand

A future believed lost to save her family.
A Canaanite harlot...disgraced and full of shame.

Impenetrable Jericho walls and an inpenetrable human heart. Neither can keep out the one true God.

Two spies...
stalks of flax on a rooftop...
a lie...
a promise...
a scarlet cord...
an entire family saved...

Falling in love...impossible?
Being worthy of love and forgiveness...how can that be?

A beautiful story of the span of God's love and forgiveness and how He can use anyone from anywhere to fulfill His plans.
Maybe this fictional interpretation is Rahab's real story.
I hope so.

(100)

100 Word Review: The Confession

2010-12-05T20:34:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time since I've read a John Grisham novel. I used to read them as soon as they hit the shelves, but I guess I just got out of my Grisham phase somewhere around the time I had my first child. I preordered this book on my Kindle about a month before it came out. Honestly, it was just fun to preorder a book and know that it "arrived" at midnight on the day of its release. It took me a while to read because of grad school papers, full time job stuff, and, oh yeah, parenting. But, I'm glad I read The Confession. It's classic Grisham with a bit of a twist. Fair warning: if you are a death penalty proponent, you'll be challenged. If, like me, you struggle with the death penalty, your reasons for opposing it will be strengthened. Sadly, I think The Confession is more fact than fiction. It's a good legal thriller. See what you think. Here's my 100 word review.

100 Word Review: The Confession by John Grisham

Innocent but "proven" guilty in a court of law.
Racism...
Perjury...
A forced confession...
A life ruined...
A family torn apart...

A lawyer determined to stop his client's execution.
A preacher forced to break the law to try to save a life.
The real killer decides to tell the truth, but is it too late?

Suspenseful...Painful...Gritty...Real...Believable

A close-up look at the U.S. justice system through the eyes of an innocent man.
How do you defend yourself against a lie?
Is anyone innocent until proven guilty?

Not Grisham's best, but a very readable, emotional, challenging, story.

(100)

Forty-Two

2010-11-28T19:04:00.027-05:00

I turned 42 yesterday.  I got my hair cut. We went out to eat and to a movie. My 3 year old didn't throw food or burp loudly. I got a zebra Snuggie (with pockets!) and a Starbucks gift card. I slept well. It was a nice day.

A few of my friends have read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I'm not a big sci-fi fan, so I haven't read it or seen the movie. When one of my friends found out I was about to be 42 she said that "42 is the Answer to the Ultimate Question, the Universe, and Everything." Apparantly there's a big deal about the number 42 in the book.

So, I guess I'm supposed to be super intelligent now.......for one year.
I can deal with that.

And, since I'm so amazingly genius-like, I thought you needed to benefit from my awesomeness.
(You're welcome.)
I have compiled for you two lists of 42 brilliant suggestions.
The first list is 42 books I'm so glad I read (which means you should definitely read them...because I'm 42 and the answer to everything...including which books you should read).
The second list is 42 movies I'm happy I watched (which means you should watch them...you get it by now).
This is by no means a complete list of all the books and movies you should experience, but I have this 42 thing going on.
The lists are in random order (spat out as I remembered them).
Feel free to reorder them to your inferior preference.
I will read any suggestions you leave in a comment for a movie to watch or a book to see, but I'll wait until I'm 43 to do it.

42 Books I’m so glad I read:

1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
3. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
4. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
5. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
6. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
7. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
8. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
9. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
10. Where the Red Fern Grows by Winston Rawls
11. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
12. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
13. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
14. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
15. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
16. A Time to Kill by John Grisham
17. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines
18. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
19. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
20. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
21. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
22. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
23. The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye
24. The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory
25. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
26. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
27. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
28. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
29. The Shining by Stephen King
30. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
31. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
32. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brian
33. A Bride Most Begrudging by DeeAnne Gist
34. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engel
35. The Giver by Lois Lowry
36. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
37. The Red Tent by Anita Diamont
38. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
39. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
40. Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss
41. Same Kind Of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
42. The Green Mile by Stephen King

42 Movies I’m so glad I saw:

1. Braveheart
2. Gladiator
3. Forrest Gump
4. The Princess Bride ("As you wish.....!)
5. The Shawshank Redemption
6. Glory
7. The Godfather (trilogy) (especially the 2nd--DeNiro and Pacino!)
8. The Lord of the Rings (trilogy)
9. Pride and Prejudice
10. Seven
11. Platoon
12. Fried Green Tomatoes
13. Steel Magnolias
14. Ghost
15. Sea Biscuit
16. Apollo 13
17. The Last of the Mohicans
18. Million Dollar Baby
19. Cinderella Man
20. Sleepless in Seattle
21. Remember the Titans
22. Star Wars
23. The Empire Strikes Back
24. Return of the Jedi
25. Rocky
26. Titanic
27. Up
28. Field of Dreams
29. Dances With Wolves
30. Gone With the Wind
31. Say Anything
32. Schindler’s List
33. The Lion King
34. Finding Nemo
35. The Silence of the Lambs
36. Jaws
37. The Pianist
38. The Sound of Music
39. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
40. Ladyhawke
41. Hoosiers
42. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

What do you think?
How many have you read/seen?
What should be #43 on each list?

The Early Bird...and The Thankful Worm

2010-11-06T07:20:00.000-04:00

My Darling Son has never slept in on a Saturday morning, and today is no exception. He rolled out of bed full-steam at 6:12 demanding his cup of milk and chocolate chip granola bar. I've wished so many times that he would sleep late...just once...so maybe I could. But, alas, he's an early bird...and I'm the worm.

While I was checking my email...blurry-eyed...wishing I was snoozing away like Dear Hubby and Delightful Daughter, Darling Son was curled up in his Daddy's chair watching cartoons. Suddenly he says, "Mommy, can you come over here and give me a big ol' hug? I just love you and you're awesome!"

What a hug it was. Better than sleeping in, by a long shot. I'm glad I'm the worm. I'm one thankful worm.

100 Word Review: Her Mother's Hope

2010-10-28T19:29:00.000-04:00

I really enjoy reading Francine Rivers. Redeeming Love is one of my all-time favorite books. She's a master storyteller and does great historical research for her epic novels. You can't read a Rivers book without learning a lot. Her Mother's Hope does not disappoint and I'm looking forward to the sequel, Her Daughter's Dream. Here's my 100 word review of Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers.

Epic story of the complicated relationship between a mother and daughter.

A fear-driven mother, determined her daughter will not repeat the past.

A daughter who has never felt the love and acceptance of her mother.

Emotionally gripping...
Thought provoking...
Raw...
Painful...
Powerful...

Realistic, genuine, flaw-filled characters...

Made me think about the way I talk to and treat my husband and children.

Cutting words...Biting tone of voice...Perceptions and assumptions...Dangerous for relationships...

A lesson in faith, the power of prayer, and redemption.

A bit rushed in the last few chapters, but an engrossing and well-written story.

(100)

My Awesome Hubby! Educator of the Week!

2010-10-25T17:21:00.003-04:00

Like most teachers, my Dear Hubby works very hard and brings home hours of work each week. Today he came home with a framed "Educator of the Week" certificate on top of his huge stack of papers to grade and lesson planning books. I'm so proud of him!!! It was really thoughtful of one of his students to nominate David for this award. Middle schoolers aren't always known for their thoughtfulness. David is very humbled (and a little embarrassed), but extremely deserving of this award. So, here's my "shout out" to a great hubby, father, role model, and teacher. Congratulations, Honey!
Love,
Mrs. "Educator of the Week"

100 Word Review: On Folly Beach

2010-10-23T21:54:00.000-04:00

We spent the past week in South Florida visiting my parents, so I wanted to read a "beach book" while I was relaxing at the beach (actually, I was chasing kids, collecting shells with kids, applying sunscreen to kids, keeping kids from getting caught in a rip current, trying to get sand off of kids--you know...relaxing). Amazon.com "suggested" (many times) that I would like On Folly Beach by Karen White. Since Amazon.com and I have a very intimate relationship, I downloaded the book to my Kindle and hit I-75 south. After finishing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo earlier this week, I eagerly looked forward to something, well....less brutal, horrifying, and haunting. On Folly Beach was exactly what I was looking for (and, unlike Dragon, Folly is refreshingly clean in language). What a great historical mystery novel set in South Carolina. This was my first Karen White book, but it won't be my last. Thank you Amazon.com! You know me so well (and you should after all the $ I've given you).

Here's my 100 word review of On Folly Beach.

Two wars.

Two widows.

Seamlessly interwoven stories.

Lulu—a Nancy Drew wannabe—the character that ties past to present.

Bottle Trees—An African slave tradition to ward off evil spirits—central to both stories.

A brilliant blending of history and mystery…

Secret messages written in book margins…

A wonderful story of bravery, grief, redemption, love, forgiveness, and…learning when to move on.

Not a predictable, mushy, romance novel.

Read it on the beach or in front of a crackling fire…just read it.

I’m very tempted to put a bottle tree in my yard.

I bet you will be, too.

(100)

100 Word Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2010-10-18T18:15:00.000-04:00

For awhile, I thought I was the only person that had not read this book. But, since it is still on the New York Times top ten best seller list I guess I'm not. I only recently found out that Stieg Larsson died in 2004 after writing the Millennium Trilogy (Dragon is the first of the three novels). I also read that he, at 15, witnessed a horrific crime against a young woman and never forgave himself for not being able to help her. That pain and regret is obvious in this novel. Larsson was definitely a talented storyteller. Let me say, this is NOT a book for teens. At 41, I'm not sure I'm old enough for some of this story. Downright creepy. Here's my 100 word review of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

Not your typical crime thriller.
Hard to get into. It took 7 chapters to find the story (actually 3 stories) at all interesting.
Lots of characters, some of them lifeless, with difficult Swedish names.
There is a geneology page (thankfully) to help out.

Suspenseful...
Complex...
Intense...
Intriguing...
Violent...
Graphic...
Disturbing...

A mysterious disappearance.
Unspeakable family secrets.
Contractual obligations.
Corporate warfare.
Revenge.

Fascinating peek into elements of Swedish society.

A bit overrated and over-the-top at times, but a very interesting story.

I'm glad I didn't quit in the first 100 pages, but I'm not sure I'll read the sequels.

(100)

100 Word Review: World Without End

2010-10-14T17:44:00.000-04:00

After reading Pillars of the Earth last spring, I just had to dive into this "sequel" (if you can call it that--it takes place 200 years after the end of Pillars). Ken Follett is quite a storyteller (he would have to be since his books are 1000 pages +). Here's my 100 word review of World Without End by Ken Follett.

Powerless serfs...
Ambitious and cruel earls...
Not so shining knights...
Cowardly and corrupt priors...
Naughty nuns...
and infamous outlaws...

Throw in a collapsed bridge, murders and murderous plots, a one-armed monk with a secret past, a buried letter, accusals of witchcraft, the plague, and forbidden loves and Follett has written another fascinating story set in 1300 England.

Not for the faint hearted: barbaric and graphic throughout. Follett likes to shock and even offend.
But the story always shines through with strong characters, plot twists and turns, and strong historical accuracy.

Not as good as Pillars, but hard to put down.
(100)

Garrett's Caterpillar Dance

2010-10-05T09:58:00.000-04:00

My parents bought a remote controlled Caterpillar bulldozer for Garrett for his 3rd birthday. He has played with it often, but yesterday he decided to dance to the Caterpillar tune it plays when you hit a certain button...over and over and over again. We're so proud. We're thinking he has a Dancing With the Stars Future. By the way, his arm is supposed to be a guitar. It's hard to tell. I'm not sure why his eyes are closed. Maybe he's picturing himself onstage at a concert. Or maybe, it's just fun to jump around with your eyes closed. Try it. I did. I still have a headache. I'm too old to jump around with or without my eyes closed.

Yes, (fill in name here)...there is a Santa Clause!

2010-09-29T22:27:00.000-04:00

Last night, I had one of those parenting moments when you just don't know what to say.

I should have known it was coming...there have been clues.

The Easter Bunny fell first last spring. She told me the day after Easter. He just stopped making sense to her. Why would a bunny, and a giant bunny at that, bring eggs? Good question, darling brilliant daughter.

Then the Tooth Fairy fell during the summer. I think the movie had something to do with that. How convenient that the Tooth Fairy had just left $5 for a particularly yucky dentist visit that involved the early removal of a molar. Dear daughter was smart enough to "keep believing" in the Tooth Fairy until she had cashed in.

But Santa?
Not dear, old, Saint Nick.
Not yet.

I'm not ready for this part of her childhood to be gone.
It's too soon.
(Is it bad for tears to soak my laptop?)

When I was a little younger than my ten year old daughter, I stopped believing in Santa. My parents wanted my younger sister to keep believing, and I guess they feared that I would destroy her childhood with my disbelief (I probably would have), so they got my uncle to dress as Santa and arranged for my sister and I to "catch" Santa in the act of leaving presents under the tree. It worked. I believed in Santa until I was thirteen. (Yes, I was the only eighth grader in the world who still believed in Santa and, yes, I still have emotional scars from the ridicule of my classmates and my little sister who had stopped believing long before I did).
I guess I was just really sad that Santa was no longer a part of my life. My parents and grandparents had always made Christmas wonderful and they knew it would never be the same again once it wasn't about Santa anymore.

Anyway, my mom found a copy of a letter written to The New York Sun back in 1897 by a little girl named Virginia who wanted to know if Santa was real. Newsman Francis Pharcellus Church wrote The Sun's response to Virginia. The response is exactly what I wish I could have said to my darling doubting daughter last night when she asked me if there really was a Santa. I've never forgotten this letter. When I was sixteen, I purchased a Christmas ornament with the letter and response printed inside. It's still one of my favorite ornaments.
I plan to print a copy for my daughter. Maybe it will affect her like it did me.
Deep down...I still believe in Santa Clause. Don't you? I bet you will after you read it.

Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
VIRGINIA O'HANLON
115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

(Okay, lots of tears on my laptop. I'm glad I bought the extended warranty.)

Now, go start your Christmas shopping. And don't forget to hide the Santa gifts really well.

Fall Into Reading 2010

2010-09-25T22:01:00.000-04:00

Katrina @ Callapidder Days is sponsoring her annual Fall Into Reading challenge. I enjoyed the Spring Reading challenge, so I thought I'd participate in this challenge as well. Because I'm in graduate school and working full time (not to mention raising two kids), I'm keeping my list reasonable. I hope to finish these books and maybe a couple more by the end of the challenge (December 20th). This is a no pressure challenge and it's fun to see what the other participants are reading. You can challenge yourself to a few books or a dozen--it doesn't matter. I'm always looking for books to add to my "To Be Read" pile (like it's not big enough already). I'll post my reviews of the books as I finish them and post a summary in December. Why don't you join the challenge, too? Just click on this link.

1. World Without End by Ken Follett: After reading The Pillars of the Earth for the Spring Reading challenge, I had to pick the sequel for this challenge. It takes place in the same town as Pillars, but 200 years later. Follett is a master writer who really does his historical research. This book is a little over 1000 pages, so I think it should count as 3 entries. But, the way Follett writes, I won't be able to put it down.

2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson: I guess I'm one of the few people who hasn't read this book. I've seen it everywhere and the reviews are promising. It's the first of a trilogy. If I like it, at least I won't have to wait for the sequels to be released (as I did for Mockingjay). The third one was released in May.

3. Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo: I'm in the mood for a good thriller, and I've heard this is a great one. It's set in Ohio Amish country where a serial killer is on the loose. The female police chief left the Amish faith and knows a secret that involves the case. Could be interesting...I'll let you know.

4. Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers: I really love Francine Rivers' other books, especially Redeeming Love, so I'm looking forward to this book. It has great reviews and is the first of a two part series. Francine Rivers is one of the best out there for telling great stories with captivating characters. I'm sure this book will not disappoint.

Well, that's it. A short list, but I'll be spending most of my time reading books for my master's classes. Believe me, they're not near as exciting.
I hope you'll join the challenge. Tell your friends. The more, the merrier.

100 Word Review: A Great And Terrible Beauty

2010-09-25T21:19:00.005-04:00

A Great and Terrible Beauty
by Libba Bray

Not great...Not beautiful...Mostly terrible...

The characters never really come together and were
unlikable, unsympathetic, and lifeless.

Just whining, pouting, teenagers each chapter.

Silly...Dull...Disjointed...Scattered...Confusing...

Concepts not explained throughly.

Lost my interest very early.

No moral compass.

Very inappropriate at times, especially for young teens.

Seeks to hit every modern "edgy" issue (the occult, homosexuality, cutting) even if unrelated to the plot.

Sad to say this is the first book I read on my new Kindle. :(

Difficult to finish.

I will not read the sequels.

Wasted my money. Don't waste yours.

I still LOVE my Kindle. :)