Reading Goals 2018

Update: February

This month I chose from my reading goal list: a book whose setting is in a bookshop or library.

The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy was a perfectly cozy read for February.  It was heartwarming to read about the struggles of librarian Hannah Casey, who plots and strategizes to save the library from the clutches of self-serving local politicians and greedy land developers.

image from Google

Hannah has returned home to her mother Mary after a disastrous marriage and has found safety and comfort managing the Lissbeg Library. Besides functioning as chief librarian in the brick and mortar library, Hannah rambles around the fictional Finfarran Peninsula of Ireland (oooohhh just love that country) as she delivers books in the mobile library van to the far-flung citizens. The scenery is lovely. It's Ireland for goodness's sake! The plot even features an old thatched cottage, complete with peat-burning fireplace set right on the edge of the ocean....just yummy. Let the dreaming begin.

personal photos from 2002 family trip to Cork and Ring of Kerry

In addition to the Gaelic setting, part of the book's charm is the many quaint characters that populate the peninsula, including an irascible builder (aptly named Mr. Fury), an equally stubborn nun, and a fledgling librarian who gently tries to push Hannah into the technology era.  Does Hannah's bruised and battered heart have the strength left to fight the political machine that threatens to destroy the tenuous new life she is making for herself? Can she adapt to even more changes in her life and embrace the techno age? Or will she discover it is easier to concede in the face of superior foes?  

I empathized at times with Hannah and felt her fears. It is not too far fetched to envision a time when books are no more, replaced with digital files and fancy e-readers. It is not too unrealistic to think her role as a librarian could become obsolete. This is just one of the many things I pondered as I read The Library at the Edge of the World. I'd love to know what thoughts it made you think about.

HAPPY READING!

Book Club : February Notes

An Extraordinary Beginning

Our newly reorganized book club held its first meeting on February 7th.  And our first book of the year was very strange indeed: The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman.

Image from Google

The novel is set in Brooklyn around 1911.  In addition to other sites, much of the action takes place at the Museum of Extraordinary Things located on Coney Island where freaks of Nature, human and otherwise, were put on display by Coralie's father for the entertainment of the public (and of course for the purpose of filling his bank account). 

We all agreed we enjoyed the book.  Each of us was able to find among the oddities populating the pages, something we really loved.  Here is a quick bulleted list of some of the things we liked about the book:

• the beautiful use of language by the author, Alice Hoffman - her descriptions were detailed and sensative
• the book's historical references were fascinating and led some to do further research on the Shirtwaist Factory fire and the great 1911 fire at Dreamland located across the way from the Museum of the novel
• learning that not so very long ago, NYC was not such a concrete jungle - one could actually find wooded unsettled areas and even fish and swim in the Hudson River
• the stories of immigrants when they arrived penniless to NYC- their struggles but especially the strength of spirit, the pride, the tenacity of these people
• the clever twists in the plot, especially the surprises and connections between characters that were revealed along the way
• the view into a world not many of us know -  that of people living with abnormalities and how they struggle to live a normal life
• the strangeness of it all 

The book provoked a good discussion... then it was on to"What should we read next?"

We came up with the following  potential reads for the March meeting:

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Allie and Bea by Cathering Ryan Hyde
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

As is our routine, we went home, looked at reviews and voted on our FB groupsite.

Our March read will be A Gentleman in Moscow...though I'm sure some of us will read several of the other choices on our own as well!

image from Google

Hope you are enjoying some great winter reads.  I'd love to hear what you are reading...use comment section to share.

2018 Reading Goals

Update: January

I set out at the beginning of the year,  to read twelve types of books in 2018. This month I decided to start by reading a book that has won a prize for excellence.

 A while back Amazon was offering a great deal on a YA book that had won acclaim, and I downloaded it onto my Kindle.  It has sat in my Kindle library for quite a while.  In scanning my library, I noticed One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia, had won five literary awards: A Newbery Honor Book, Scott O'Delll Award for Historical Fiction, Coretta Scott King Award, ALA Best Fiction For Young Adults and a National Book Award Finalist - a perfect pick for award-winning book.

image from Amazon

One Crazy Summer is actually the first in a series of three books about the Gaither sisters: Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern.  Delphine, the eldest sister, is the narrator and a very responsible one at that.  In true big sister fashion, she takes charge of her siblings as they travel from Brooklyn to Oakland, California to visit their mother who left them soon after Fern, the youngest Gaither sister, was born. Neither Vonetta nor Fern have any memory of their mother, and they have hopes of a tender reunion and visits to glamorous places like Disneyland. Upon arrival they are quickly awoken to reality.  Their mother did not ask to have them visit and is anything but welcoming.  She shoves them daily out the door to fend for themselves at a Black Panther Day Camp for kids.  The year is 1968.

Image from Google

FLASHBACK!  I soon found myself thinking back to my high school and college days- the age of protests and sit-ins. Back then the Black Panther Party was a scary thing to me.  I'm ashamed to admit, I do not know a great deal about it, other than it was not the peaceful Civil Rights movement of Martin Luther King.  But One Crazy Summer led me to learn a little more about it's co-founder Huey Newton and some of the workings of the movement. The historical perspective of this book alone is worth the reading, but the endearing Gaither sisters, especially Delphine, make the reading delightful.

Reading Goals for 2018

Reading Goals For 2018

Last year my goal for reading was very general: read more than the year before.
I barely accomplished this. I read 41 books in 2017, which was only two books more than the year before.

In 2018, I want to be more specific with my reading goals. Not only do I want to increase the number of books I read by at least 1, but I would also like to read specifically and with purpose.  So here is a list of the types of books I am going to attempt to read.  Maybe you would like to follow along?

Here is my list (to be read in no particular order):

• A book published in 2018
• A book that is considered a classic that I have not read
• A non-fiction book about an American historical figure
• A book for spiritual enlightenment
• A play by William Shakespeare that I have not yet read
• A book by a British author
• A book that has won a prize for excellence
• A book of poetry
• A mystery by Louise Penny
• A book set in a bookshop/library
• A book that is hot on the YA reading list
• A book published the year I was born

There are twelve categories.  I plan to tackle one a month.  I will keep you posted about what I've chosen and review the book. 

I think I will start by browsing my own home library and making some selections from books I have not yet read.  That way, I can begin one of my other New Year's resolutions - be more financially responsible!

          

 I hope you make your own reading resolutions for 2018.  Use some, or all of my categories, if you like. I'd love to hear from you, and what you are reading.  Whatever your goals, whatever your choices - Enjoy a wonderful year of reading!

Regarding Reading

What To Do On Cold Wintry Days

There is something about winter that makes the reader in me content.  When the thermometer dips below freezing (heck even when it goes below 45 degrees) I long to stay indoors and find my fun with a book, a blanket and a mug of rich coffee. Reading seldom fails to lift my spirits, even when the skies are so gray and the trees so bare you feel like you just want to hide until spring.

Stephen King once wrote: Books are a uniquely portable magic. I couldn't agree more. Within the pages of a book, I can live for awhile in a place I've only imagined, ( a family-owned vineyard in California, for example as in Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave) or be the person I often wished to be, ( a confident, enthusiastic, motivating writer such as Claire Cook in her self-improvement book Never Too Late: Your Roadmap to Reinvention), or lead a life I've only dreamed about  ( as Sara does when she opens a bookstore and introduces a community to the joys of reading in The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald) .

So during these next few wintry months...Indulge. Go places. Try on new identities. Live a dream or two. Browse your bookshelves, download a new title on your Kindle, run to the library if you dare; but for goodness sake...get a book  and cuddle up.

Book Club Survives and Thrives

Book Club Year-End Review

The Maple Glen Book Club, my neighborhood group, has survived another year of reading and discussion.  This may sound trivial, but I know that many book clubs do not last for very long. Our group is well into its second year and membership has grown rather than diminished!

In fact, I think having a neighborhood book club has helped us to understand our neighbors better and to feel more a part of the community.  One of the new members was new to the neighborhood, so the book club was a good way for her to meet new people and network with others about the community. Another member, moved to a different neighborhood but continued attending our book club.  It provided her with a way to stay connected to a place she had lived in for decades.  What a nice feeling it is to see the book club help people navigate life changes.

The year wasn't without its struggles!  The most difficult thing for us is to choose a book we all want to read.  After several depressing reads that provoked tons of moaning and groaning, we decided we needed to come up with a few new parameters for choosing books.

The culprits that created our turmoil:

January's Choice - Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

This story of generations of Africans sweeps through 300 years of struggle from Ghana to America.  Though beginning chapters were detailed and well researched, we found latter parts very thin and at times relying on stereotypes.





February's Choice - They May Not Mean To But They Do by Cathleen Schine

The group chose this book because it was touted as funny and full of family antics.  Ha! It was so depressing to see the suffering and loneliness of aging parents. We found nothing to laugh about.

March's Choice - Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

Again this book came with great reviews but our group found this tale of two families blended by divorce even more depressing than Schine's book. Replete with adultery and borderline child neglect, we just couldn't see why the reviews were so glowing.

April's Choice - Emma by Jane Austen

So, in desperation we decided to do a classic.  Bomb big time!  However, there were maybe a couple members (I mean me) who enjoyed the book. To make up to the group for forcing Emma on them, we discussed the book over an English tea compete with lavender bread, scones (with jams and clotted cream) and of course two types of perfectly brewed tea.  My hubby graciously played butler and served our tea hot from the pot.

May's Choice - any book by self-help author Andrew Mathews

As I look back on our choices this one seems kind of prophetic. Were we searching for help?  Many in the group chose the title Being Happy. Well... all I can say is we hadn't found yet how to be happy with our selections.





June's Choice - Crimes Against the Book Club by Kathy Cooperman

You just have to love our Freudian choice!!! I think we chose this in a desperate, sarcastic attempt to save the group from mass suicide.  But this was a turning point for our selection process.  It marked the one-year anniversary of the organization of our group, so we took the occasion to re-visit ways to improve book selection. This is what we came up with:

• no self-help books
• nothing political in nature
• no misery porn
• no celebrity autobiographies   

Additionally, we came up with a new way of selecting the next book.  We would decide on four titles as a group.  Then we would vote for our favorite on our group Facebook page, assigning a 4 for our favorite choice, down to a 1 for our least favorite choice.  Points would be tallied and the title with the most points would be our next read. This gave everyone a chance to look at summaries and reviews and decide which one they liked best.  Plus, there was no peer pressure applied because you didn't have to vote with the whole group sitting in front of you.  This seemed to work quite well...most of the group enjoyed the remaining reads for the year.

July's Choice - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

An apocalyptic sci-fi novel.

August's Choice - Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

An historical novel set in WW II, that follows the story of three women ( a socialite in America drumming up support for war victims in France, a Polish concentration camp prisoner who endured medical experiments, and a German doctor who conducted those experiments).





September's Choice- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Lot's of great discussion about this classic

October's Choice - The Dream Life of Astronauts by Patrick Ryan

This was probably the one bomb of our post-revised selection era.  The characters were deplorable people with few redeeming qualities...the plot was not what the reviews hyped it to be.  Good attempt by us to try different genres and topics ... we'll keep plugging away.

November's Choice - At Home In Mitford, Jan Karon

Determined to enter the holiday season with a feel-good read, this book, the first in a series about Mitford, NC, was a sure winner.  We had a great time reading it and lots of fun at our discussion meeting.  Here are a few pics of the Mitford "goodies" shared at our November meeting.

Esther Bollick's famous orange marmalade cake that sent Fr. Tim into a diabetic swoon.

Puny's cornbread that she made for Fr. Tim.








December/January's Choice - What Alice Forgot, Lian Moriarity

We are looking forward to reading this over the holiday!

Final thoughts...Maple Glen Book Club had quite a reading year. We read quite a diverse group of books, lots of different genres. We overcame a flagging selection process. Made new friends.  Kept the old. And celebrated the joy of reading with friends and neighbors.

Have a great reading year in 2018 everyone!

Favorite Reads of 2016

My Top Five Books of 2016

This year I really tried to read at least two books a month.  As it turned out, I read 39! It feels good to complete and surpass a goal.  There were many books that I really enjoyed, a few that I dropped or just skimmed and one that I threw across the room.  But, I won't bore you with an entire list and will just share a bit about the top five that made my favorite list.  These are not in order of most to least favorite...that's just too much thinking to do...so here goes in random order:

Persuasion by Jane Austen
I think I liked this Austen novel even better than Pride and Prejudice. The unfulfilled longings of both main characters, Anne and Capt. Wentworth, were palpable from page one. Years earlier, Anne had been persuaded to break her engagement to Captain Wentworth because it was deemed an inappropriate match. She eventually finds the courage to stick a finger in the snotty eye of Victorian manners and be true to her feelings.  True love finally triumphs...doesn't that always make for a lovely story? And, of course, Austen's language and turn of phrase is simply luxurious.

The One-In-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood
Touching and heart-warming. In order to earn a Boy Scout service badge, a young boy does chores for Ona Victus, 104 years of age. They develop a very charming relationship...then one day the boy does not show up.  A few days later, the boy's father arrives to finish his son's chores. He learns more about his son and about himself as he too develops an unpredictable relationship with Ona. Don't miss this one!

Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
This book was on my to-read list for a long time.  When I finally got around to reading it, I was so glad that I did.  It was fun and touching at the same time. Bernadette Fox, the title character, is absent for most of the novel.  Instead the bulk of the plot revolves around Bee, Bernadette's 15-year-old daughter, who is trying to find her mother who simply disappears from the cruise ship that is taking them on a tour of Antarctica.  Hence...the title.  I so enjoyed this book, that I am eager to read Semple's most recent book, Today Will Be Different.

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
OK...so I must confess, I truly do love all things Jane Austen.  So, when I saw that Eligible was a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, I just had to read it.  I must admit, I was anticipating a fairly silly story...how can you transplant those Victorian manners to 2016? But, I was totally delighted by the story.  A good story is a good story...great characters transcend time periods.  Nuff said!

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
A book about a bookshop?  You betcha! What more could a book-lover ask for? How about a book about a mobile bookshop, run by a librarian who has been put out of work because libraries and paper books are being digitally replaced?  How about a book set in a secluded village of Scotland where the residents are starving for books?  Jenny Colgan has given us book -lovers a book to hug!

So, that's my top-five list.  Hope some of these titles might spark an interest for you. I'd love to hear what you felt were your top reads of the year.  Leave a comment.  I'm making up a new to-read list for 2017 and could use a few new suggestions!  Happy Reading Everyone.

I Love My Book Club!

BOOK CLUBS: Some Thoughts

I am a member of a neighborhood book club, The Maple Glen Book Club, to be exact.  It has a total of eight members. Several of the women I had never met before, even though I have lived in this neighborhood for over twenty years and so have they.  Several I knew by sight and name, but none were close friends.  It's an amazing thing to live in a fairly closed community (there is only one entrance and egress that we all must pass through) and not come to know the people of that community.  A big failure on my part, but it appears, this situation was true for most of the women in the group. Food for thought.

Happily, as we continue to hold our monthly meetings and share and discuss our thoughts about the books we read, we are getting to know one another and appreciate our similarities and differences.  Besides the opportunity to read  and talk about books, book club, at least our book club, is a place to share some interesting thoughts about life.

Recently, we read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan.

The book got very mixed reviews from our group.  I had read it before and had so loved it that I recommended it to the group.  It's quirky and weird in many ways, but had enough of a puzzling conflict that I thought it would appeal to most members. Only one other member really and truly liked the book; one couldn't get into it at all and the rest of the group toughed it out and read it any way, even though they did not like it.   In our ensuing discussion, we discussed how that is one of the reasons we wanted to be a part of a book club. It forces us to read books we normally wouldn't choose to read.  It expands our book boundaries. And...even with books most of us do not like, we manage to find some kernel of truth to plant.

With Mr. Penumbra that kernel occurred in the message one of our members felt the book was trying to convey.  The plot of the book revolves around a rather cliche problem: the search for immortality. Though set in modern day and sprinkled heavily with the techno babble of Silicon Valley, the novel's setting was also very DaVinci Code-like with a secret organization that was trying to decode the meaning of life hidden in some ancient books. I won't give away too much of the plot or the conclusion, just in case  you want to read this book, but I do want to share the message our group felt the book exposed: friendship is the key to everlasting life.  Love, of friend or family member, promotes lasting memories, memories that are transferred from one generation to the next.  We live on in the memories we make in the hearts of others.

Though some of our group were skeptical that this is the case, for me it rang very true. I immediately thought of my Aunt Marie, my mom's sister who died at the age of 13. Of course, I never met Aunt Marie, but she had a big presence in our family's life.  Her story, her personality, her impact on our family was a lasting one that traversed several generations. I will be revealing her story in a future post, but for now, I refer to her as an example of how a simple tidbit of discussion in a book club meeting can spark big ideas.  It is also goes to show the power of books. They make you think!

Agenda for organizational meeting.

The Maple Glen Book Club has only been in existence since June, but it has had quite an impact on my life, opening up my world to new friends, new books, and new ideas.  Here is a list of what we have read so far:

July:  The Nest, Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

August: The Light Between Oceans, M. L. Stedman

September:  Take Me With You, Catherine Ryan Hyde

October:  Vendetta, Elizabeth Flaherty

November:  Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel, Robin Sloan

In December, in deference to the very hectic holiday season, and through the wise suggestion of one of our members,  we are reading a short YA novel:

The Poet's Dog, Patricia MacLachlan

Happy Reading Everyone!

Reading Round-Up: February/March

February was a slow-reading month for me because I was involved with finishing my reading about the Constitution.  I read lot's of primary documents...which I just loved pouring over.  I was also slowed by several bad choices that I either dropped  or skimmed.  But, eventually I settled on a few good reads.  Here's the list:

The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd

This was one of the books I disliked. I read the first half and basically skimmed to the end and read the ending.  I was disappointed because I really liked The Secret Life of Bees and was expecting another good story.  I simply felt the story of the oppressed slave has been told over and over and over and there was not anything new here.  

A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman

This was another disappointment.  This book was given great reviews and I couldn't wait to get it from the library.  I was 26th on the waiting list!  So when I got to chapter 5 and realized what was hinted at from page 1 really happened...I threw the book across the room and refused to read the rest!  Maybe you will like it though...I just wasn't in the mood...

The Precious One, Marisa de los Santos 

I truly enjoyed this 2-voice narrative of half-sisters Taisy and Willow. They share a father, Wilson, but have been raised in totally different fashions.  Lots of interesting family dynamics revealed.

 How To Write a Novel: A Novel, Melanie Sumner

Cute. Clever. Fun.  Aris Thibodeau, the narrator, is 12.5 years old and is writing a novel in 30 days.  Her mom is an English teacher; her dad is dead; and the nanny (the single guy next door) is an aging hippie who just happens to be the perfect match for her mother, in Aris's opinion.  I loved how the writing process was a part of the telling of the story...so cool for an ex-English teacher like me.

Beach Town, Mary Kay Andrews

Just needed to read a book I knew would be stress-free and relaxing.  This fit the bill perfectly. Set in Florida Greer Hennessy, a movie location scout- finds love and her long-estranged father in a run-down, struggling beach town.  

Reading Round-up: January

January was a great month for curling up in front of the fire with a blanket and a book.  The skies may have been gray and the wind may have been chilling, but my spirit was warmed by the stories I read about lovers, orphans, immigrants, and displaced children of war. Here's the list:

The Orphan Train, by Christina Baker Kline
   
This was my favorite book this month.  I was unaware of the historical event around which this novel revolved: the orphan trains of the 1920's and 30's.  To alleviate the awful problem of orphaned and homeless children who populated the large cities like NYC during this era,  children's aid societies  transported thousands of orphans by train to the Midwest to places like Kansas.  There the orphans were put on display like cattle at an auction and given to just about anyone who wanted one, for better or worse! Some people were kind and just wanted to help a child, but others, as you can imagine, were depraved and cruel and simply wanted free labor. One of the main characters of the novel is Vivian, a 91-year-old survivor of an orphan train. She gives a job to Molly, a 17-year -old foster child, who needs to do 50 hours of service to avoid juvie after she stole a book (Jane Eyre, I ask you... how can that be a crime!) from the library.Vivian needs her attic cleaned out, and Molly needs the hours:  a perfect match.  But the job turns into much more. As each box in the attic is opened, a piece of Vivian's long life is revealed and the two discover much about themselves and each other.

Brooklyn, by Colm Toibin
 This book begins in post-WWII Ireland and follows a bright, young Irish girl, Eilis, as she emigrates to America where she begins a new life in Brooklyn. Her Irish family believe that America can provide a hopeful future for her, a future that she will not be able to find if she stays in Ireland. In America, Eilis blossoms under the strict guidance and generosity of a parish priest and a boarding house "mother." Here, she has been carefully placed through the efforts of her older sister. The priest selects a respectable place for her to work and even assists her in registering for college courses.  Of course, life is not all rosy for Eilis as she tries to assimilate into a strange new place. The best thing about this novel is the peek it gives the reader into the flavor of life during this period of American history when Irish and Italian immigrants added to the fabric of our country with their rich and vibrant cultures.

 The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis

I had never read this classic fantasy, but decided it was time to do so, as I am taking a course on the works of C.S. Lewis.  Of course, the story can be read on many levels and by just about any age group...it has such a classic appeal.  The setting takes place during the blitzkrieg of London during WWII.  Four children are sent from the beleaguered city to the country estate home of a wealthy professor.  However, most of the story takes place in the fantasy world of Narnia that the children enter when they step through the depths of a wardrobe which stands in one of the many rooms of the mansion.  Here they are faced with the very embodiment of good and evil.  Much has been written about the symbolic aspect of the novel and the Narnia series.

Persuasion, by Jane Austen
Ahhh...Jane Austen!  What else can I say...just divine.  I think Persuasion is just as delightful as Pride and Prejudice (must be something about "P" words that bring the best out in Austen).  I love the way Jane pokes a finger in the eye of the entitled titled class...what a bunch of shallow baffoons.  Thank goodness the heroine in Persuasion is a humble, nice, likable person, because all of her relatives and most of her acquaintances are insufferable.  And what better book to read during a series of cold, gray days than one that presents a heart-wrenching love dilemma that is not resolved until the last two pages of the novel.  Delightful!

Reading Round-up: December

December was so jam-packed with activity that my reading time suffered.  Hence I have only a few titles to share with you, but they were all great reads.

The Anxiety Disease by David Sheehan 

was first on my list.  I have several family members who suffer from anxiety.  Some suffer only occasionally, others suffer greatly and frequently.  I wanted to learn more about anxiety, so that I could be more understanding and maybe even be of help.  Though this book was written in 1983, I found it to be so very insightful and helpful. It looks at anxiety, not as a psychological disorder, but rather as a disease.  As such, it can then be treated and controlled.  Dr. Sheehan discusses the various stages of the disease, and believe me, he is spot on.  He also offers hope and suggestions for dealing with the disease.  If you or someone you love is trying to deal with anxiety, I highly recommend you read this book.  It gives you insight into the helplessness of the victim, and helps you gain empathy.  The disease is not as simple as "just get over it", anxiety is as real as any other disease and should be treated as such.

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

is also connected to the theme of anxiety.  Audrey, the main character, is trying to gain control of her severe anxiety and panic attacks, brought on by severe bullying incidents in school.  Audrey is in the midst of recovering through the aid of a good therapist, a very supportive family, and a new accepting friend.  Audrey makes a complete break from the hurtful incident and is home for now, but hopes to soon attend a new school.  Though she still has setbacks ( she hides from anyone who comes to the door) she is bravely taking steps to re-enter the real world.  She wears sunglasses 24/7 in order to feel comfortable around people; she needs this bit of symbolic distance to feel safe.  The book provides a great look into the anguish  and struggles of one who is dealing with severe anxiety and of the effects it has on those who love her.  In this age of social media that seems to promote a callousness brought on by a feeling of anonymity, it is important to remember that words do hurt and can do immense damage.

Two Across by Jeff Bartsch

This book made my list this month because I've become intrigued by crossword puzzles. Every morning since we have been retired, Bob complete's the Star Ledger's crossword puzzle as we sip our coffee and munch on some breakfast.  I tend to check emails while he works the puzzle but am sometimes called in as back up to use my computer, when when he gets stuck on a stubborn clue.  So when I saw this title in the library, I snatched it up.  A good choice - a very different plot and engaging characters.  Stanley and Vera, two brainiacs, meet at the National Spelling Bee, where they end up as co-winners defeating the list of most challenging words. The two form a somewhat weird bond as they meet again and again at yearly reunions.  Their relationship takes a even stranger twist when Stanley talks Vera into a "fake" marriage.  The relationship is often tortured by unrequited love and the two spend more time apart than together communicating through complex crossword puzzles they write and which are published in major papers such as the NY Times and Washington Post.  Besides the presence of interesting characters and a clever plot, Two Across taught me quite a bit about the construction of crossword puzzles.

Vintage by David Baker

was by far my favorite book this month.  This book has much to endear the reader to it:

• a onetime bestselling author who has lost his way
• two devoted daughters who adore their father 
• a father who brings his daughters love and warmth along with the lovely meals he teaches them to prepare
• a love for great wine
• a scoundrel who indulges in excess of drinking and womanizing  
• a mystery of a legendary spectacular vintage from 1943, stolen by the Nazis and a frantic search to find it
• a search of a lost soul to finally find what is truly important in life (hint - he finds it!)
• one of the best endings I've read in a long time

That's it for this month.  What books would you recommend for starting off a new  year?  I'd love to hear some suggestions so I can start a new reading list for 2016!  Happy New Year every one.  May it be the best one yet.

November Reading Round-up

"I'm late! I'm late! I'm late for a very important date!"  What the heck happened to November?  I was just making preparations for Thanksgiving and the next thing I know it's December. YIKES!

So, I apologize for getting my November reading list out late, but truly, someone must have wiped a week out of my calendar. I'm sure everyone is feeling the same  at this time of year. So much to do; so little time to do it all.  And to top it all off, half of the books I read this month were duds.  Here's my review:

The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy

This historical fiction book was one of my favorite reads this month. The story flips back and forth between Civil War era and present day America.  It follows the story of Sarah Brown, daughter of John Brown of Harper's Ferry fame. Sarah was a talented artist who painted secret code maps for the Underground Railroad--a little known fact. These maps were thought to sometimes be hidden in the heads of dolls to be carried by the children of escaping slaves.  As Sarah's story unfolds, so does the twin plot line of Eden, a modern day woman who is emotionally ravaged by years of failed attempts to conceive a child.  Eden and her husband try to restart their life in a new home in West Virginia near Harper's Ferry.   This Civil War era house just happens to be the very home where Sarah stayed while her father was executed after his attack on Harper's Ferry.  When Eden unearth's a doll in a secret root cellar in the home, the secrets of the house begin to unravel.  I loved the coincidences the author creates between the two time periods and how the author shows that the actions of one generation can affect the lives of many generations to follow.

Bed and Breakfast by Lois Battle

I chose this book because of the title.  I just love bed and breakfast places. Bob and I have a favorite B&B that we patronize whenever we visit Cape May.  It's called Inn at the Park, and it is owned and operated by two very lovely people, Jay and MaryAnn.  Unfortunately, they just announced their retirement and will no longer be hosting their B&B after January.  Just wanted to give them a shout out and to let the blogworld know what truly welcoming and sweet people they are.  Here are just a couple of shots of them and their beautiful Victorian home:

MaryAnn, an avid tennis player at age 70, was dressed for a big tourney that was to take place immediately after breakfast.  You go girl!

The parlor where hors d'oeuvres are served to guests every day at 5:00.

Back to the book... the setting for Bed and Breakfast is Hilton Head, South Carolina.  The main character is Josie, a close-to-seventy-year-old woman who tenaciously runs a B&B that she insisted she and her husband buy after years of nomadic wandering as her husband "Bear" pursued his military career.  Josie has been widowed for many years when the story opens and the reader can see how much the B&B gives meaning to her life.  The plot is complicated by the sibling rivalries of her three grown daughters. Life is never dull when you have nosy guests, and even nosier friends, not to mention a sister who lives next door.  A fun read.

Ruth's Journey:  the Authorized Novel of Mammy from Gone With the Wind by Donald McCaig

This sounded like a fascinating story, but was such a disappointment.  I couldn't get past the first two chapters.  The setting begins in the Caribbean Islands of the slave trade days where the French are unsuccessfully trying to quell a slave uprising.  The graphic violence and history book reporting was too much.  I wanted to get into the mind of Mammy and hear her thoughts of Tara and the O'Hara's but that never happened...I peaked at the ending (Oh Horrors, yes I did)

 and still didn't see any glimpses of the Mammy of Gone With the Wind. 

Lesson Plans by Suzanne Greenberg

This one also made the loser list. I thought I would be so interested in a book whose characters decided to homeschool their children, but the two families who were the focus of the story were so messed up and dysfunctional, I just couldn't stand reading any more about them! The main character was a father who mourned the loss of his liberal, activist lifestyle of his youth after being forced to do the adult thing, like go to work and support his family. So, since wifey made big bucks, he decides to quit the workforce and homeschool his three girls in a completely free environment.  Just imagine what that looks like...Montessori in hyper-drive!  Kids with no limits, no schedules, no plans!!! Hmmm...no comment.  Then there was the other homeschool novice, a mother (recently separated from hubby) who has become so overprotective of her highly allergic and asthmatic daughter that she might as well have put the girl in one of those John Travolta Bubble Boy glass domes.  This woman seriously needed help, and hubby just walks out because he can't cope with his wife's phobias.  Hello?? there is a child here in need of an education and guidance...Step up man and take charge!  I had to leave these guys to muddle to the end of the book alone. I just don't have patience for irresponsible adults. I was especially disappointed because I really think homeschooling can work for many kids and was hoping this book would paint that picture for me...alas not to be.

That's it for November...gotta get shoppin'...Let me know what you have been reading.  Take a stab at reading my two duds, maybe you can change my mind.  Any disagreements about my reviews are welcome too.

October Reading Roundup (Part 3)

This month I have been sharing with you, the places and resources for books to read.  Reading can be costly if you feel you must purchase and own every book you read.  I've tried, in these October posts, to share with you ways you can economize and still read, read, read.

The last resource is the most obvious...your local library.  I signed out all of the books below from my county library.  Sometimes, I just look up titles in the online card catalog and add them to my reserve list. The library calls me when they've gathered them and all I have to do is go pick them up. A great time saver if you are busy.

Here are the titles I read this month:

Belong To Me by Maria de los Santos

 

This was a follow up to Santos's Love Walked In and as most follow ups go, it wasn't quite as good. It follows Cornelia, the main character from LWI as she and her husband Teo move from the big city to the suburbs in hopes of starting a family. The sub -story of Lake (a single mom) who tries to find the perfect school for her genius son Dev is interesting and provides surprising connections to Cornelia and Teo, but the inclusion of Cornelia's bitchy, Stepford wife, neighbor Piper seems unnecessary. The message of the book is in the title.  Everyone needs someone to belong to them, just as much as everyone needs to belong to someone else.

The Knockoff by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza

This was my favorite read of the month. The Knockoff is a fun look at the fashion industry and how much social media and technology has impacted the traditional ways of advertising especially in fashion magazines. The main character, Imogen Tate, editor-in-chief of Glossy Magazine returns from medical leave to find her magazine has gone digital and has been taken over by millennial-bitch -personified Eve Morton. Millennials do not come across in a favorable light in this book.  They have the attention span of a gnat and speak (or rather not speak) in text bites like LOL, ROFL and FOMO. At one point Imogen wonders, "have we all become so desperate to share everything that we've stopped enjoying our lives?" Though super entertaining, the book makes one stop and think.

Two books by Sarah Addison Allen

Whenever I need a relaxing yet interesting read, I turn to Sarah Addison Allen.  Her books never fail to capture my imagination.  They are always set in the South and are filled with mystery and a little bit of magic.  The two I read this month are no exception...delightful.  I'm glad she is a prolific writer. This month I read...

The Peach Keeper

and Lost Lake

 

Airs and Graces by Erica James

I love books set in England.  This story takes place in Cheshire England and follows Ellen, a recent divorcee who was duped and then blackmailed by her philandering husband.  The story seems to be a cliche, but it is made fresh by the mix of characters.  Ellen is best friends with her neighbor, a very elderly Hermione, who is as feisty and independent as can be.  Ellen also befriends a young homeless girl, who was turned out of her parents home because she was pregnant.The lives of these three generations intertwine and provoke much thought from the reader about life and the contributions each stage of life has to offer.

That's it for October...Where do you find books to read?  I'd love to hear how you manage to find books to read without breaking the bank.  Leave a comment.

October Roundup (part 2)

The other day as I was getting a coffee at a local shop ( housed in a former pottery foundry...such charm) I passed a structure on my way into the shop that looked like an ornate mailbox. I didn't stop to inspect because I needed my caffeine, but on my way out I stopped to get a closer look at it.  It turned out this "mailbox" was a library! Maybe you have seen them or heard of them, they are apparently popping up all over the country. They are called Little Free Libraries and can be built by anyone, even you!

This particular Little Free Library was dedicated to the memory of a local farmer, Les Hoffman.  The tribute on the side of the library structure was sweet and touching.  What a wonderful way to honor a friend.

The Little Free Library is a non-profit organization whose goal is to promote literacy and the love of reading.  That Simple! But any one can build a library.  Some people even put them on their own property for their neighbors to use.  For more details on how to build one or where the nearest Free Little Library is to you, visit  this site.

So, these free mini libraries are another source for your reading adventures. I picked up The Wonder Spot my Melissa Bank and left a Nicholas Sparks book in its place.

I chose The Wonder Spot because I had really enjoyed The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing that Bank's wrote a few years ago.  I was a bit disappointed in The Wonder Spot.  It lacked the charm of The Girls Guide.  The novel was actually 8 separate vignettes in the life of Sophie Applebaum as she matures from an awkward twelve-year old to an adult who at 49 is still trying to discover who she really is. I must admit, Sophie is very likable, but a bit frustrating in her slow pace to self-discovery.  Sophie's father, the judge, on the other hand, was a totally cool and noble character.  His character alone is worth the read. The reader gets attached to Sophie, too, but you just want to shake her sometimes for her choices!

I realize I am running out of October for sharing my October reads...YIKES! I'll post this quickly and finish up October Roundup  Part 3, before you can say Trick or Treat.

Have you seen any Little Free Libraries near you?  Would you like to build one?