Review: Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You by Hanna Jansen, Elizabeth D. Crawford

From Goodreads: Before one fateful April day, Jeanne lived the life of a typical Rwandan girl. She fought with her little sister, went to school, and teased her brother. Then, in one horrifying night, everything changed. Political troubles unleashed a torrent of violence upon the Tutsi ethnic group. Jeanne's family, all Tutsis, fled their home and tried desperately to reach safety. They-along with nearly 1 million others-did not survive. The only survivor of her family's massacre, Jeanne witnessed unspeakable acts. But through courage, wits, and sheer force of will, she survived. Based on a true story, this haunting novel by Jeanne's adoptive mother makes unforgettably real the events of the 1994 Rwandan genocide as one family experienced it. Jeanne's story is a tribute to the human spirit and its capacity to heal.

My review: I had anticipated this book to make me cry since it was non-fiction and about such a heartbreaking subject. Yet, I didn’t cry. I felt anguish and heartbreak for not only, Jeanne, but all that found themselves in the middle of the Rwanda genocide. I spent more time seeing this story as an example of the herd mentality, reading about how many seemed to hesitate before killing or beating but egged on by the taunts of their family and friends, they actually crossed over that line.

From a writing perspective, the story was told from Jeanne’s perspective but at the beginning of each chapter there was a page or two written from the adoptive mother’s perspective of Jeanne’s life after the massacre. This was good and bad. It provided great insight into the fallout that happens after such a traumatic event, but it was also confusing. I might have spent too much time trying to figure out the perspective of the adoptive mother and how the few pages related to the chapter, instead of just reading the chapter. I would have loved to hear more of the after, but only at the end of the story. Reading about her life, her emotions and the scars the genocide left on her heart. Those things would have pushed me over the edge to cry and they would have made for a wonderful complete circle in the book. From happy family, through terror, to finding happiness again.

Grade: D.

Finished: July 25, 2010. 2010 Count: 64.

It's Friday! What I am Reading - July 30, 2010

Dance Upon the Air (Three Sisters Island, #1) by Nora Roberts. This is for the romance task on the SuBC and was hand selected by another Nesti, Jen because she is a Nora Roberts freak and I knew she would select a good romance since this is so far out of my norm. Check out her blog: My Brain's Comfort Food

And the winner is....

BBBBRRRRRRMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM (My lame attempt at typing out the drum roll sound!)

Julie from Book Hooked Blog!!! Congrats Julie! I will send the author your information this weekend so be on the lookout for your signed copy of Hidden Wives!

Mothers & Other Liars - Book Tour, Stop #2

Shelley was stop number 2 on the Mothers & Other Liars by Amy Bourret book tour hosted here at Life is Short. Read Fast.

Check out her review on her blog here: Shelley's Blog

Review: Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation by Cokie Roberts

From Goodreads: In Founding Mothers, Cokie Roberts paid homage to the heroic women whose patriotism and sacrifice helped create a new nation. Now the number one New York Times bestselling author and renowned political commentator—praised in USA Today as a "custodian of time-honored values"—continues the story of early America's influential women with Ladies of Liberty. In her "delightfully intimate and confiding" style (Publishers Weekly), Roberts presents a colorful blend of biographical portraits and behind-the-scenes vignettes chronicling women's public roles and private responsibilities. Recounted with the insight and humor of an expert storyteller and drawing on personal correspondence, private journals, and other primary sources—many of them previously unpublished—Roberts brings to life the extraordinary accomplishments of women who laid the groundwork for a better society. Almost every quotation here is written by a woman, to a woman, or about a woman. From first ladies to freethinkers, educators to explorers, this exceptional group includes Abigail Adams, Margaret Bayard Smith, Martha Jefferson, Dolley Madison, Elizabeth Monroe, Louisa Catherine Adams, Eliza Hamilton, Theodosia Burr, Rebecca Gratz, Louisa Livingston, Rosalie Calvert, Sacajawea, and others. In a much-needed addition to the shelves of Founding Father literature, Roberts sheds new light on the generation of heroines, reformers, and visionaries who helped shape our nation, giving these ladies of liberty the recognition they so greatly deserve.

My review: I chose this for the SuBC’s task “Read a book that you keep looking at and then put down” because I had wanted to read it but was afraid it would be too dry, too non-fiction. Well, I was right. It was dry and non-fiction, but above that, it was hard to follow and somewhat boring. The book is broken into chapters for each Presidency from John Adams to the days John Quincy Adams wins his election. Initially, this seems like a great set-up until the author jumps into an individual’s childhood with those chapters, leaving the reader unsure of the time and place. I think it would have been a better fit if the author had written about the women and allowed their stories to lead into the next woman’s story. This was attempted within the President chapters but with the history of each woman and how they were connected all jumbled in the chapters, it was hard to follow along.

Hearing the “voices” of these women, who were more instrumental than I knew, was very interesting. I loved reading their actual words on the governmental operation and society from letters that had written. You could hear the interest, the disgust and the indignation over the state of the country, and the relationship with the United States and other countries. Also, the trials these women went through as the mothers, wives and daughters of the men in government astounded be. Even after reading other biographies on the Revolution, such as John Adams by David McCollough, I am still in shock at some of the places these women had to live, birth children and raise a family. When they weren’t in foreign countries, some torn by war, they were living apart from their husbands. This was in a world before modern communication so they waiting months between letters from their spouse. The loneliness must have been unbearable but they lived through it for it was their duty, for their male counterparts and for their country.

Grade: D. This is not to minimize the content of the book, but more the writing and organization.

Finished: July 22, 2010. 2010 Count: 63.

I {Heart} Goodreads Giveaways

This time I won Persephone the Phony (Goddess Girls) by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams. This is the only detail on Goodreads: Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams put a modern spin on classic Greek myths about Athena and Persephone in the Goddess Girls series! After doing some digging around the net, it looks like it is for girls in the middle school age range. I am excited to have won something I can put in Samantha’s library when I finish with it!

Movie Review - Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Brett and I saw this for our date night movie a few weeks ago. I was a little nervous about this movie because this is my favorite book in the series so I hoped it wasn’t butchered or horrible. The good news – I was pleasantly surprised with the movie. The bad news – so many things were left out.

I think the acting has gotten substantially better with each movie which makes the story flow smoother. My favorite character in the movies has to be Charlie, Bella’s father. He is hysterical and with his flannel and gooberish personality, he reminds me a lot of my Dad! :) I enjoyed seeing the changes in the relationship between the Cullen’s and the people from the Reservation. The tent scene didn’t pack enough emotion for me. Edward and Jacob didn’t appear to be as sincere as they were in the novel. For me, this scene carried such a weight for the rest of the series and for Bella’s relationship with the Cullen’s and with Jacob. Of the things left out, the budding relationship between Edward and Seth really disappointed me. In all, I know I will go see the two movies that make up Breaking Dawn. I must know how it all wraps up in the movie version of the series.

Grade: B.

Review: My Life in Orange by Tim Guest

From Goodreads: At the age of six, Tim Guest was taken by his mother to a commune modeled on the teachings of the notorious Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. The Bhagwan preached an eclectic doctrine of Eastern mysticism, chaotic therapy, and sexual freedom, and enjoyed inhaling laughing gas, preaching from a dentist's chair, and collecting Rolls Royces. Tim and his mother were given Sanskrit names, dressed entirely in orange, and encouraged to surrender themselves into their new family. While his mother worked tirelessly for the cause, Tim-or Yogesh, as he was now called-lived a life of well-meaning but woefully misguided neglect in various communes in England, Oregon, India, and Germany. In 1985 the movement collapsed amid allegations of mass poisonings, attempted murder, and tax evasion, and Yogesh was once again Tim. In this extraordinary memoir, Tim Guest chronicles the heartbreaking experience of being left alone on earth while his mother hunted heaven.

My review: This book was weird. Weird story, weird people, weird environment and weird writing. I was not a fan of the rambling stories that jumped from the author’s life to explaining the history of the people within the commune or the movement. It was hard to follow and written very bland. I didn’t feel for the children that were living in these communes, even when the author talked of hardly seeing his mother or when he realized his mother saw him as an annoyance. There was no emotion conveyed through the words, partially from the words themselves but also from the choppy stories. There was some insight into the commune and how the environment of the country (free spirited) could have encouraged individuals and couples to join the commune and fall in to the methodologies that the leaders professed. It was interesting to see how far the commune ideology went from its roots in India through Europe and into the United States. The crash-ending to the movement was full of suspicion and illegal acts and made for an interesting ending to the book.

Grade: D

Finished: July 18, 2010. 2010 Count: 62.

It’s Friday! What I am Reading – July 23, 2010

Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You by Hanna Jansen, Elizabeth D. Crawford (Translator)

Summary: Before one fateful April day, Jeanne lived the life of a typical Rwandan girl. She fought with her little sister, went to school, and teased her brother. Then, in one horrifying night, everything changed. Political troubles unleashed a torrent of violence upon the Tutsi ethnic group. Jeanne's family, all Tutsis, fled their home and tried desperately to reach safety. They-along with nearly 1 million others-did not survive. The only survivor of her family's massacre, Jeanne witnessed unspeakable acts. But through courage, wits, and sheer force of will, she survived. Based on a true story, this haunting novel by Jeanne's adoptive mother makes unforgettably real the events of the 1994 Rwandan genocide as one family experienced it. Jeanne's story is a tribute to the human spirit and its capacity to heal.

This is my choice for the “place I never want to visit” task for the SuBC. I have a feeling this book is going to make my cry!

Booking Through Thursday – July 22, 2010

From: http://btt2.wordpress.com/: Suggested by Clare: Do you ever listen to book-related podcasts? If so, which ones and why? (Include the URLs for people who aren't familiar with them.) Or, of course, there's the flip side … did you even know that such a thing existed? (I ask because I know a lot of people who have no idea what a podcast is.) 

My response: I have a 12 minute commute to work, so I don't really listen to podcasts. My husband has a longer commute to work so he has some that we listen to if we are running errands in his car. I have no idea on the URL's but I know they include Skeptic's Guide to the Universe, FFRF and a BBQ/Grilling podcast. Now, this was all before Samantha's arrival…now we pretty much listen to her sing-a-long CD's whenever we are all in the car together! :)

Author Q&A and a giveaway for Hidden Wives

I mentioned in my review for Hidden Wives that there would be a giveaway and Q&A with the authors (Claire Avery is a pen name for Michelle Poche and Mari Hilburn). I mulled over the questions to ask for a few days after finishing the book trying to ask insightful and unique questions without giving away any major plot points or spoiling anything. These two women are down to earth and graciously answered my questions with detail and shared many of their own life experiences that led them to write Hidden Wives. I want to thank them both for allowing me this opportunity and for writing such a thought provoking novel.

Please enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post. I will keep the giveaway open until July 28, 2010 and hope to post the winner either July 29th or 30th. For complete rules, see separate page at the top of the blog.

What inspired you two to write Hidden Wives?

We are frequently asked why we chose to write about the topic of polygamy and did it have anything to do with our own childhood experiences of being raised in a fundamentalist Catholic community in Chicago. We grew up in a religious commune, and we were exposed to extreme ideas. When we watched a documentary on polygamy, our first thought was that at least our father hadn’t been a polygamist. Our second thought was: how can the forced marriage of underage girls to much older polygamist men go on in 21st century America? Our third thought was: that could have been us, if our father had chosen that particular religion. As we delved into the topic further, we realized that these girls have been brainwashed from early childhood. They are isolated, and it’s the only thing they know. We were able to identify with the fear, confusion and anxiety these women and girls experience growing up in a world of religious extremism. We also understand how frightening it can be to reject the beliefs that are ingrained in you from childhood, even if they are clearly harmful. We wanted to demonstrate that there is a systemic brainwashing which goes on from early childhood in these types of groups that makes it very difficult for these women and children to ask for help, report abuse, or to escape. We hope that our book can help keep the plight of these victims of polygamy in the media spotlight.

Do either of you have previous interest or experience with the polygamist lifestyle? The depth of this story seems farther reaching than what might be obtained via research and studying.

Thankfully, neither of us had direct experience with the polygamist lifestyle. However, we think that the interest in polygamy developed because we were also raised in an extreme fundamentalist type of environment, and that helped us envision what the consequences could be when religion is distorted and used to justify abuse and the taking of child brides.

Thank you so much for your compliment about the story’s depth. We did quite a bit of research. We read everything we could get our hands on about the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS), and we read some memoirs of women who had grown up in polygamy. We interviewed women who had escaped from those groups, including one who co-founded an organization to help support women and children escaping from that lifestyle. The more we researched the religion, the more extreme we found it to be. Even though the book is a fictionalized depiction of a polygamist cult, we were determined to be as accurate as possible with the facts of the FLDS religion, so we incorporated some of the more dramatic true accounts of these victims into our characters and their circumstances.

When developing the character of Luke, did you ever consider having him fall for Sara instead of Rachel? Their thoughts on the religion and community were much more cohesive than Luke’s and Rachel’s. Yes! But ultimately, if Sara and Luke had fallen in love, the story might not have been so compelling precisely because of those commonalities. They were both cynics, and they would have easily decided to leave. And because they weren’t brainwashed, the reader would know beforehand that they would be fine after they escaped and starting a new life in the outside world. To demonstrate how ingrained Rachel’s indoctrination was, she had to give up the young man she was so desperately in love with because her religion dictated that she must marry whomever the prophet chooses for her. In order to keep her belief system intact, she had to sacrifice her own personal happiness. Initially Luke, like all the men in the community, was attracted to Rachel because of her physical beauty. But Rachel’s inner beauty was equally extraordinary. He eventually fell in love with her empathy, her capacity for goodness and forgiveness, the way she loved so completely, and her grace, even in the midst of her own profound suffering.

Luke’s naivety with the custom’s of the Blood of the Lamb community surprised me, given how his Dad came with such devotion towards the religion and towards polygamy specifically. I was surprised to find that his father didn’t “educate” him before they moved into the community for fear of being ousted by Luke’s behavior. Did you write Luke’s naivety into the story purposefully? If so, for what purpose?

Interesting question. Yes, it was deliberate. We wanted to show Luke as an outsider, so the girls could start to see things differently through someone who had lived his whole life in a more conventional way. His ignorance and cynical attitude were used to shock the girls out of complacency. If he knew before he arrived what was in store for him, he probably would have just refused to go with his family. And he was raised, for most of his childhood, as a non-practicing, traditional Mormon. As he puts it in the book, “we were practically ex-mos.” By the time his father began to explore fundamentalism, about a year before the move, Luke was sixteen. He wasn’t even raised in the LDS church. He probably wouldn’t have listened to anything his father had to say after: we’re moving to a polygamist community.

I am glad that you wrote Irvin to be black as it created such a line in the sand for Sara. It really called her faith into question, casting doubt into everything she had been taught within the community. Did you always envision his character to be black or was it a later addition?

During the course of our research, we discovered that certain groups of polygamists are extremely racist, and that racism is integrated into their religious beliefs. We were so sickened by their racist attitudes and beliefs, that we felt compelled to expose them and then try to dismantle them through our characters and their experiences. Consequently, as soon as we created the Irvin character, we knew he had to be black to really challenge Sara and Rachel’s belief system.

Two writing related questions -

When you two write, do you write with a planned out guide to the story or do you let the characters lead the story?

We have two very different writing styles but they ultimately complement each other. Mari likes to plot everything out first, and Michelle likes to fly by the seat of her pants. In order for us have a finished book, that holds together at the end of the process, we both had to compromise for the good of the story. Now, we start with an extensive outline, but in order to preserve the spontaneity of the story, we allow for changes in the direction of the plot as the characters become more developed and the events more detailed.

What did you enjoy most in the process of getting Hidden Wives published?

The whole process has been a dream come true for us. The moment our agent called and said that “Hidden Wives” was sold was almost too good to be true. What a thrill! Then seeing the manuscript transformed into an actual book was surreal. Finally, the first time a reader (our mother excluded) said, “I loved the book.”

Review: Hidden Wives by Claire Avery

From Goodreads: Fifteen-year-old Sara and her beautiful sister, Rachel, are too young to legally drive a car—but are approaching spinsterhood in Utah’s secret Blood of the Lamb polygamist community. Having long since reached the “age of preparedness,” they will soon be married off to much older men selected by the hidden sect’s revered Prophet. As Sara, chosen to become her uncle’s fifth wife, grows more distraught over her impending incestuous marriage, she begins to scrutinize the faith she has followed blindly her entire life. But for Rachel, who will be married to one of the many powerful community leaders vying for her hand, disobeying the Prophet means eternal damnation. Her friendship with the newest member of the community, the young and handsome Luke, starts as an attempt to save his agnostic soul, but ends with the pair falling helplessly in love. When Rachel is forbidden to see him, her absolute faith in the Prophet is severely tested. When Rachel’s future husband is finally announced, violence erupts, and the girls must find the strength to escape the only life they have ever known…before it’s too late.

My Review: I felt almost every emotion possible while reading this and had to absorb those emotions and thoughts before I could write my review, I was overwhelmed. The fact that this situation exists currently in reality with young girls makes me want to steal a VW van, drive like hell to Utah and pack my van full of those innocent girls and bring them to my house!

This novel is written in such a fluent poetic manor it further accentuates the harshness that is the world Sara and Rachel lived. There is physical abuse and sexual abuse but above all, there is emotional and mental abuse. Such method's of torture are almost unimaginable, especially considering these are children suffering. The sisters are one individual and yet separate girls, thinking and feeling together most of the time but as situations change, they adapt differently. Their relationship was one of strength built on survival, even within their home. When love enters each of their hearts, they begin to grow independently of each other. Each struggling with their emotions in separate ways but when they are faced with the cruel reality of arranged, polygamous marriages, they are forced together in a life and death race against the clock.

This novel includes an intriguing cast of characters from doubting individuals who cover their tracks to remain within the community walls, to people full of greed who allow that greed to rule themselves, and anyone they can control. The sister-wives were full of fire and ice, while the men seemed full of greed, power, money and desire.

Be on the lookout for a giveaway and comments from the author's in the near future. In the meantime, check out this post on the author's goodreads page on the perils of co-writing - Writing Collaboration: Not for the Faint of Heart

Grade: A

Finished: July 14, 2010. 2010 Count: 61.

Review: Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #2) by Maggie Stiefvater

From Goodreads: In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past...and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabel, who already lost her brother to the wolves...and is nonetheless drawn to Cole. At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love--the light and the dark, the warm and the cold--in a way you will never forget.

My Review: Wow! I loved Shiver, the first in this trilogy, but Linger blew my socks off! I could not stop reading because the build up to the ending was so intriguing and I just ~knew~ that something dramatic was going to happen. I could just sense this impending doom or event that would rock the boat so completely it would realign the stars. Maggie Stiefvater writes as if her novel is a poem, complete with lyrical chapters and the ever changing emotion that generally accompanies poetry. The lyrics, poems and songs that Sam sings throughout the book intensify the written storyline so completely.

Please, please, please let me gush over Sam. I found him interesting in Shiver, but this book brought new perspectives to the mix. That, along with his continued musical abilities just made me swoon for him. He is angsty and depressed, all while still holding on to a sliver of hope for the future. All of these emotions come out in his music and it provides such a deep well into his heart and mind. One of the biggest strengths of Linger was the addition of Isabel and Cole’s viewpoints. This truly set this book over the top and provides such a complete package, it was amazing.

I finished this book over my lunch hour, sitting at my desk surrounded by cubical walls desperately containing my desire to do three things: throw up in my trash can, start bawling my eyes out and jumping for joy. I felt all three of these emotions throughout the ending of this book. It left me clinging to the storyline, not ready to let the characters leave me yet. I am impatiently waiting for the last book, Forever.

Grade: A

Finished: July 12, 2010. 2010 Count: 60.

Tonight's agenda = writing, writing, writing

With the onset of Summer we have been spending a lot of time outside so writing took a back seat the last month or so. Well, early last week at work I was in the middle of a task when I had this vision for a new scene in my work in progress (WIP). I typed up the briefest notes to email home and have since found myself expanded the scene, basically writing it in my head while doing the most regular things in life. While driving home from work at the end of the week, another aspect of this new scene and possibly an additional level to the main character's relationship rolled around and around in my head. I walked into the house kissed Sammie, said hi to Brett and then dashed to find a piece of paper to write my car ride thoughts down. With all of these new pieces to the puzzle, I am making time tonight to write out the scene.

This brings me to a question for other writers...do you write in plot order or just as the inspiration flows? I have a basic plot laid out and until this point had been writing from beginning to end but this new scene may change some of that already written beginning. While the changes aren't major, and will also help some of the last part of the book come together as I envisioned, this additional scene is too good to ignore.

Review: Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay: And Other Things I Had to Learn as a New Mom by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor

From Goodreads: The moment the second line on the pee stick turns pink, women discover they've entered a world of parenting experts.
Friends, family, colleagues, the UPS delivery guy -- suddenly everybody is a trove of advice, much of it contradictory and confusing. With dire warnings of what will happen if baby is fed on demand and even direr warnings of what will happen if he isn't, not to mention hordes of militant "lactivists," cosleeping advocates, and books on what to worry about next, modern parenthood can seem like a minefield. In busy Mom-friendly short essays, Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay delivers the empathetic straight dirt on parenting, tackling everything from Mommy & Me classes ("Your baby doesn't need to be making friends at three months old -- you do! But not with people you'll meet at Mommy & Me") to attachment parenting ("If you're holding your baby 24/7, that's not a baby, that's a tumor"). Stefanie Wilder-Taylor combines practical tips with sidesplitting humor and refreshing honesty, assuring women that they can be good mothers and responsibly make their own choices. A witty and welcome antidote to trendy parenting texts and scarifying case studies, Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay provides genuine support, encouragement, and indispensable common-sense advice.

My Review: This has been on my TBR list since we started trying for Sammie over two years ago and in hindsight, I am probably glad I didn’t read it until now. I was able to get so much more of the humor having been through the newborn phase, the baby food phase and into the temper-tantrum phase. I was laughing hysterically throughout this book, from the comments on the overbearing lactation consultants in the hospital to the politics of playdates at the park. Don’t be fooled by the title, there are serious parts to this book as well. The author was singing the same song as me when it came to her breastfeeding struggles and her eventual decision to save her sanity and move on to formula. While Stefanie Wilder-Taylor writes in a lighthearted fashion her thoughts hit home, even those that I disagreed with. She truly provides a range of opinions and jokes about almost every aspect of the late stages of pregnancy through the first year of parenthood. This would be a great read for a new parent who is at that ledge of complete exhausting and stress. It would provide an amazing breath of fresh air in laughter, while providing a sort of comfort that it does get better!

Grade: C.

Finished: July 10, 2010. 2010 Count: 59.

Review: A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle, #1) by Libba Bray

From Goodreads: A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel. Gemma, 16, has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy. (Ages 12 up) -Patty Campbell

My review: I read this for the SuBC’s 25 point task to read the first book in a series and discuss whether I liked it enough to continue the series. This sounded like an interesting twist on the paranormal teenage drama that is all the craze right now and it turned out this was a decent assumption. The Order is different in the methods of the magical delivery and some of its racy history but the characters take so much away from that plot line, it turns into a who back stabs who first contests. The first 3/4 of the book I couldn’t find myself caring for any of the girls, they were too stuck up and snotty. I was hoping the historical fiction aspect of the book would be more of an importance seeing how they girls were at a “finishing school” but that seemed so much on the back burner for most of the book. I am intrigued by Kartik and his role in the entire series but probably not enough to continue reading the remainder of the series.

Grade: D

Finished: July 8, 2010. 2010 Count: 58.

It's Friday! What I am Reading - July 16, 2010

My Life in Orange by Tim Guest

This is on the Rory Gilmore Challenge I am doing (see page tab just under my header) and I am fitting it into the SuBC as well. So far, it is very interesting in a weird way.

Booking Through Thursday - July 15, 2010

From Booking Through Thursday:

Well, folks, I don’t know about where you are, but right here, it’s HOT.

So … when you think about “hot reading,” what does that make you think of? Beach reading? Steamy romances? Books that take place in hot climates? Or cold ones?

My response:

Hot reading = steamy romance. I immediately think of my Grandma's bookshelves stuffed full of Harlequin romance novels. ~Disclaimer - my Grandma has gotten rid of most of them now and is on to better steamy romances, like Sookie Stackhouse! :) Love ya Gma!

Review: Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos

From Goodreads: Everyone has secrets. Some we keep to protect ourselves, others to protect those we love.

A devoted city dweller, Cornelia Brown surprised herself when she was gripped by the sudden desire to head for an idyllic suburb. Though she knows she's made the right move, she approaches her new life with trepidation and struggles to forge friendships. Cornelia's mettle is quickly tested by judgmental neighbor Piper Truitt, the embodiment of everything Cornelia feared she would find in suburbia. A saving grace soon appears in the form of Lake, and Cornelia develops an instant bond with this warm yet elusive woman. As their individual stories unfold, the women become entangled in a web of trust, betrayal, love and loss that challenges them in ways they never imagined, and that ultimately teaches them what it means for one human being to belong to another.

My review: This was a e-book that I found while pursuing the available e-books online through my library and put it on my wish list because it sounded decent. I’m glad it was a library book because I really didn’t like it. Piper was an annoying, stuck up and prissy woman who became a martyr but then went back and forth between stuck up and not carrying what other people think. Normally, this would be a natural more reality driven flip-flop for a person who started out in her shoes, but it just went on with such little emotion it seemed forced and well, odd. I loved Dev, he was fabulous and adorable and strong and emotional. He seemed like such the mix of emotions for a teenage boy in his shoes, with his level of intelligence. The story weaved pretty well, but the build up of Lake’s character just didn’t seem to her actions divulged in the ending. Nor did the wrap-up seem to ring with enough, or the right type, of emotions.

Grade: D

Finished: July 7, 2010. 2010 Count: 57.

Review: Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

From Goodreads: With the same wicked humor and delicious charm that have won her millions of devoted fans, Sophie Kinsella, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Shopaholic & Baby, returns with an irresistible new novel and a fresh new heroine who finds herself in a life-changing and utterly hilarious predicament…. When twenty-eight-year-old Lexi Smart wakes up in a London hospital, she’s in for a big surprise. Her teeth are perfect. Her body is toned. Her handbag is Vuitton. Having survived a car accident—in a Mercedes no less—Lexi has lost a big chunk of her memory, three years to be exact, and she’s about to find out just how much things have changed. Somehow Lexi went from a twenty-five-year-old working girl to a corporate big shot with a sleek new loft, a personal assistant, a carb-free diet, and a set of glamorous new friends. And who is this gorgeous husband—who also happens to be a multimillionaire? With her mind still stuck three years in reverse, Lexi greets this brave new world determined to be the person she…well, seems to be. That is, until an adorably disheveled architect drops the biggest bombshell of all. Suddenly Lexi is scrambling to catch her balance. Her new life, it turns out, comes complete with secrets, schemes, and intrigue. How on earth did all this happen? Will she ever remember? And what will happen when she does?

My review: This was a fun, fast read for me that was cute and funny. Lexi’s amnesia made for some interesting conversations between her and her husband. The lengths he goes to in order to help her remember are cute at first, but rapidly become controlling and overbearing. The “marriage manual” goes into such detail I was cracking up on my couch…and blushing right along with Lexi! The round about Lexi does as she learns more and more about her life, and who she has become seemed genuine and heartbreaking. In all, this was a quick read, perfect as a library book.

Grade: C

Finished: July 5, 2010. 2010 Count: 56.

Review: The Widow's War by Sally Gunning

From Goodreads: Married for twenty years to Edward Berry, Lyddie is used to the trials of being a whaler's wife in the Cape Cod village of Satucket, Massachusetts—running their house herself during her husband's long absences at sea, living with the daily uncertainty that Edward will simply not return. And when her worst fear is realized, she finds herself doubly cursed. She is overwhelmed by grief, and her property and rights are now legally in the hands of her nearest male relative: her daughter's overbearing husband, whom Lyddie cannot abide. Lyddie decides to challenge both law and custom for control of her destiny, but she soon discovers the price of her bold "war" for personal freedom to be heartbreakingly dear. Includes the fascinating "story behind the story" of The Widow's War, a map of colonial Brewster, and a driving tour of the village of Satucket.

My review: This is a novel I decided to read because it was available via e-book at my local library and it sounded good. I was blown away by this story and by Lyddie. Not only in her strength how she handles her husband’s death, but also in how she handles her husband’s life. They were as equal as they could be in the time and place they lived, which was practically unheard of. This had a negative impact on her life when her husband died, because she was used to being respected and she lost all of that respect, just as she lost her home and control of her life. Her emotions were raw and I flew through these pages feeling each moment of desire, of depression, of determination and hope right along with Lyddie. She stood up for her rights, no matter how small, even when she became ostracized from her family. It was people that acted in the same manor as Lyddie, who started paving the way for women’s rights and their equal status.

Grade: B

Finished: July 4, 2010. 2010 Count: 55.

Review: Saving Ceecee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

From Goodreads: Steel Magnolias meets The Help in this Southern debut novel sparkling with humor, heart, and feminine wisdom. Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt is in trouble. For years, she has been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille-the tiara-toting, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town-a woman trapped in her long-ago moment of glory as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. But when Camille is hit by a truck and killed, CeeCee is left to fend for herself. To the rescue comes her previously unknown great-aunt, Tootie Caldwell. In her vintage Packard convertible, Tootie whisks CeeCee away to Savannah's perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity, a world that seems to be run entirely by women. From the exotic Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in her backyard bathtub and uses garden slugs as her secret weapons, to Tootie's all-knowing housekeeper, Oletta Jones, to Violene Hobbs, who entertains a local police officer in her canary-yellow peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer. Laugh-out-loud funny and deeply touching, Beth Hoffman's sparkling debut is, as Kristin Hannah says, "packed full of Southern charm, strong women, wacky humor, and good old-fashioned heart." It is a novel that explores the indomitable strengths of female friendship and gives us the story of a young girl who loses one mother and finds many others.

My review: I felt a little ho-hum on starting this book and I’m not sure why. It wasn’t on my TBR list until a friend bought it on her nook and told me it was a lendable book so we used this book to try out the lend feature. Maybe that is why I wasn’t really looking forward to starting it, I don’t know. What I do know, is that I should have jumped right in as soon as it landed in my nook library! This was a story full of heartbreak, but also full of love and hope. CeeCee was such an adult in a child’s body after years of alternating between caring for her mother and hiding in embarrassment from her mother. I was extremely skeptical of Tootie when she showed up to take CeeCee to Savannah after Camille’s death as if she was just trying to scoop in for her own betterment. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Tootie and Oletta were the two hearts that gave CeeCee a change at a childhood. They provided her with a safe place, both physically and emotionally. I loved the adventures Oletta brought into CeeCee’s life. This novel was well-written and weaved an amazing tale of loss, love and friendship.

Grade: A

Finished: July 3, 2010. 2010 Count: 54.

Review: Princess in Pink (The Princess Diaries, #5) by Meg Cabot

From Goodreads: The hilarious fifth installment of the #1 New York Times bestselling Princess Diaries--Will Mia attend the senior prom or not??? Mia Thermopolis (aka Princess Amelia Migonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo) has already won the hearts of millions of aspiring princesses. With the hardcover and audiobook publication to be followed by the release of Disney's sequel to The Princess Diaries movie in August 2004, the princess phenomenon will be in full swing throughout the year! Girls will be overjoyed with this hilarious addition to their favorite series, which involves seven minutes in heaven, strikes, and Mia's mission to get asked to the senior prom. MEG CABOT is the author of the bestselling, critically acclaimed Princess Diaries books, the first of which was made into the wildly popular Disney movie. Her other books include All-American Girl and Haunted: A Take of the Mediator, also available on audio from Listening Library and Imagination Studio. Cabot is still waiting for her real parents, the kind and queen, to restore her to her rightful throne. She lives in New York City with her husband.

My review: I said it in my review of #4, but each book in this series gets better than the previous. I thought Mia’s obsession with Senior Prom was a little over the top, but I remember how excited I was when I got asked to go to the Prom when I was a sophomore. I hated how she didn’t take the initiative with Michael regarding the Prom situation, but she is a freshman in high school, and finds herself wildly inadequate for Michael. The major event that happens between Lilly and Mia was long overdue, in my opinion. I enjoyed seeing Mia respond in the manor she did with Lily. I will finish this series at some point in the future, but I am not desperate to know what happens next.

Grade: C.

Finished: July 1, 2010. 2010 Count: 53.

Blog Makeover Giveaway!

Boy, oh boy, would I LOVE to win this! I have been dreaming of making over this blog with something unique! This would be a wonderful thing if I won! Of course, don't let that stop you from entering! :)

April Showers Blog Makeover Giveaway

It’s Friday! What I am Reading – July 9, 2010

A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle, #1) by Libba Bray. I am reading this for the SuBC’s first in a series 25 point task and so far I am enjoying it. Of course, this has fallen into my historical fiction obsession so why wouldn’t I be enjoying it?

Drum Roll Please…

Chosen by the always wonderful, Random.org, the winner is:

Jacki!

Congrats Jacki, I will get this mailed out to you early next week!!

Booking Though Thursday – July 8, 2010

From: Booking Through Thursday: Do you have friends and family to share books with? Discuss them with? Does it matter to you? (Personally, I almost can't remember the last time I was able to really TALK about a book I'd read with someone else who'd read it, and haven't really been able to since my best friend and I devoured the same books in high school. Thank God for the internet.)

My response: Yes and No. Brett, the Hubster, reads a lot but not always a lot of the same types of books I do. So we can discuss some books but not all of the books we each read. I have gotten my Grandma back into reading by the not-so-subtle technique of giving her stacks of books and then repeatedly (ie, constantly and obnoxiously) asking her if she has read them. :) My parents are both readers so we can chat about books together sometimes, but like Brett, our selections don't always match up. I am a big internet book discussion fan though! I love my online book club, plus the numerous blogs I follow and Goodreads reviews. They offer so many more opportunities to discuss great books and get wonderful recommendations, I would be lost without my online connections!

Another Goodreads Win!

Super excited to share that I won another giveaway on Goodreads. To top it all off, this is one of the giveaways I most wanted to win!

Hidden Wives by Claire Avery

Fifteen-year-old Sara and her beautiful sister, Rachel, are too young to legally drive a car—but are approaching spinsterhood in Utah’s secret Blood of the Lamb polygamist community. Having long since reached the “age of preparedness,” they will soon be married off to much older men selected by the hidden sect’s revered Prophet. As Sara, chosen to become her uncle’s fifth wife, grows more distraught over her impending incestuous marriage, she begins to scrutinize the faith she has followed blindly her entire life. But for Rachel, who will be married to one of the many powerful community leaders vying for her hand, disobeying the Prophet means eternal damnation. Her friendship with the newest member of the community, the young and handsome Luke, starts as an attempt to save his agnostic soul, but ends with the pair falling helplessly in love. When Rachel is forbidden to see him, her absolute faith in the Prophet is severely tested. When Rachel’s future husband is finally announced, violence erupts, and the girls must find the strength to escape the only life they have ever known…before it’s too late.

On a related note: Don't forget to enter the giveaway for my last Goodreads win: The Doctor and the Diva!

Review: Princess in Waiting (The Princess Diaries, #4) by Meg Cabot

From Goodreads: The fourth volume in Meg Cabot's popular Princess Diaries series, Princess in Waiting begins in the tiny country of Genovia, where 14-year-old Mia, the unlikely royal, is on winter break trying not to bite her fingernails. Being a princess and fighting for the installation of parking meters is tough, when all you really want to do is go back to your regular life in New York City and see your dreamy boyfriend Michael. Of course, Mia is soon back in the city, trying not to fail Algebra II and trying to stay afloat in a sea of self-doubt. Could it be true that she is merely a "massive reject" covered with orange cat hair? For that matter, is finding her missing lucky Queen Amidala underwear as important as finding her secret talent? Mia's frank, funny diary entries range from "Things to Do" lists ("Stop obsessing over whether or not Michael loves you vs. being in love with you"); lists of the valuable lessons of romantic heroines ("3. Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice: Boys like it when you are smart-alecky."); transcripts of instant-messaging rounds with Michael; to poems ("Like the Millenium Falcon in hyperdrive/ our love will continue to thrive and thrive") and general irrational tirades. Whether or not Mia ever achieves her much-sought-after "self-actualization," teens will enjoy reading her over-the-top, up-to-the-minute-hip diary. (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson

My review: With each book, I have finding Mia more likable and less obnoxious. Her voice is starting to sound more young adult and losing some of its childish aspects. Although, even with that change, I still just can’t believe that they would have a high school freshman talking with foreign leaders in Genovia during her visit. Generally, high school freshman are obsessed with their love interests, Friday night plans, the latest school drama and gossip, not governmental operations. While Mia is more environmentally aware and more tree-hugger than other freshman might be, I still think she has immature thoughts that are completely appropriate for her age, but not for governmental proceedings. Putting this issue aside, I enjoyed the plot for this book, possibly better than the previous. I enjoyed (how cruel, I know) her struggles with feeling confident and knowing where she stood with Michael. Her obsessions and self-doubt were perfectly placed with her age and within her family dynamics.

As a book addict, I loved Mia and her friend’s searching through novels for female role-models in the world of dating. Of course, they had trouble defining the fine line between fiction and realty, not to mention the vast time difference between the worlds they were reading about and their own. I still found the situation endearing!

Grade: C

Finished: June 30, 2010. 2010 Count: 52.

Product Review: nook Lyra light

I bought the Lyra light for one purpose and only purpose only. That being to be able to read late at night without Brett constantly rolling around, huffing and puffing about how he is trying to sleep and my bedside lamp is too bright. The only other option was to turn off the light and put down my nook…which, we all know a reader just CAN’T do when it is a good book! Therefore, I purchased this as a compromise. It only gets rare use, a few times a month but it is perfect for my need.

It fits well on the nook, but is easy to bump or slide over because it isn’t a tight clamp. This is probably due to the shiny surface of the nook and I would gladly deal with a little movement than have the light scuff my nook. It can cause a glare on the actual reading screen of the nook but if you angle the light just off to the side and rotate the “head” to a slight sideways angle, the glare is pretty much removed.

All in all, I really like the Lyra light because it was fairly cheap, easy to use, serves its purpose and it has that pretty nook symbol on it!

{Frustration}

I am slightly annoyed that I have to post the issue I am posting as it shouldn't have happened, but it did. My nook, the love of my book addict portion of my heart, broke. That's right, it got a boo-boo.

I have read about the issues with the frame cracking on the page turning buttons online over the past few months but have never had any issues. I commented as such to a post on my online book club when someone said they had a cracked button. Well, I opened my mouth and guess what happens...a few nights later I pull out my nook and what do I find...a cracked button on the right side of my frame. All because I said something, I swear! :)

I called B&N at 10:00 that night and within 20 minutes I was off the phone, with a new nook being shipped 2-day air to me. I shipped mine back the day after I received the new nook and all should be good. No muss, no fuss.

Of course, this shouldn't have happened at all. The nook's buttons should have been made to be well-used. From what I hear it was an issue with a certain manufacturer and has been rectified. I sure hope so, because I have another button crack after only 4-5 months of use, I might ask for a refund and go back to 100% paper books.

Review: Princess in Love (The Princess Diaries, #3) by Meg Cabot

From Goodreads: It would seem that 14-year-old Mia Thermopolis ("five foot nine inches tall, with no visible breasts, feet the size of snowshoes") has the kind of life every Manhattan teenager could only dream of: She is, in her spare time, the princess of the European country of Genovia. Alas, the Royal Privilege is more like a Predicament. Not only does she have to endure daily princess lessons from her critical Grandmère ("It isn't as if I'm going to show up at the castle and start hurling olives at the ladies-in-waiting"), but her new stepfather is also her algebra teacher, her mother is pregnant and vomiting, she doesn't like her boyfriend very much, and she's convinced the real love of her life--her best friend's older brother--thinks of her as a kid. Written in diary form like Louise Rennison's award-winning Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging, Meg Cabot's endearing and often hilarious novel Princess in Love--third in the series after The Princess Diaries and Princess in the Spotlight--is sure to appeal to teen readers who will be able to relate to Mia--a young woman who would like people to know that "behind this mutant facade beats the heart of a person who is striving, just like everybody else in this world, to find self-actualization." (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson

My review: I really became a Mia fan while reading this book, whereas before I had found her cute, but annoying. She was making me laugh in this story so hard! This was a short book (as all in this series have been so far) but it was adorable and perfect for the young teenager full of uncertainty in themselves and their kissing techniques.

Grade: C

Finished: June 27, 2010. 2010 Count: 51!