2008 Reads
I enjoyed most of them. My favorites are in Blue. Highly Recommended.
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
A Good and Happy Child by Justin Evans
Patron Saint of Liars By Ann Patchett
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Second Glance by Jodi Picoult
The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst
Reading Lolieta in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve
Facing the Wind: A True Story of Tragedy and Reconciliation by Julie Salamon
Saint Maybe by Ann Tyler
The Pact by Jodi Picoult
Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell
The Mistresses Daughter by AM Homes
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
Atonement by Ian McEwan
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Me and Emma by Elizabeth Flock
Promise Not to Tell by Jennifer McMahon
Mercy by Jodi Picoult
Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott
Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory
The Shack by William P. Young
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian
Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
The Dive from Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
The Painted Veil by Somerset Maugham
Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
Schuyler's Monster by Robert Rummel-Hudson
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Messenger by Lois Lowry
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers
And Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers
As Sure as the Dawn by Francine Rivers
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by Francine Rivers
The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. Davis
Sold Patricia McCormick
Kira Kira Cynthia Kadohata
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Saturday, November 29, 2008
I am thankful for...
A faith that is certain.
A husband that always provides, who loves me and encourages me and works so hard to keep his promises.
My precious children and how it feels when they climb into my lap even when they are too big and they have to fold in two to fit.
A home that is warm and cozy and a place I can unwind even when it isn't as clean as I would like it to be.
A job working with children, playing, laughing and doing what I can to help our family financially.
The written word that I love so well.
Friends that I can call anytime, that have been there for the good, and the bad. The ones I think of and they make me smile.
All the little luxuries in life like hot chocolate, cozy socks, a fire in the fireplace, and dinner warm in the kitchen.
My family that I am blessed with, my mom who is my best friend, my nana that hugs me a little tighter, a little longer to remind me that we are connected forever in our hearts, my cousins that I can laugh with until I feel my lungs will explode, my dad and my uncle's deep voices and contagious laughter, my aunt's sweet face, my cousins babies that I hope will know how special our family is.
My freedom in this country. It is astounding. Truly.
This year, I give thanks. There are too many things to name, and for that I am thankful.
A husband that always provides, who loves me and encourages me and works so hard to keep his promises.
My precious children and how it feels when they climb into my lap even when they are too big and they have to fold in two to fit.
A home that is warm and cozy and a place I can unwind even when it isn't as clean as I would like it to be.
A job working with children, playing, laughing and doing what I can to help our family financially.
The written word that I love so well.
Friends that I can call anytime, that have been there for the good, and the bad. The ones I think of and they make me smile.
All the little luxuries in life like hot chocolate, cozy socks, a fire in the fireplace, and dinner warm in the kitchen.
My family that I am blessed with, my mom who is my best friend, my nana that hugs me a little tighter, a little longer to remind me that we are connected forever in our hearts, my cousins that I can laugh with until I feel my lungs will explode, my dad and my uncle's deep voices and contagious laughter, my aunt's sweet face, my cousins babies that I hope will know how special our family is.
My freedom in this country. It is astounding. Truly.
This year, I give thanks. There are too many things to name, and for that I am thankful.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
The Shack & Laminin
My newly formed book club that I love just finished the Shack. We met for pizza at Campisi's in Southlake Town Square. The food was soooo yummy and I had the best time sipping wine and talking about our book.
A borrowed synopsis of the book:
William Young wrote The Shack for his children and did not actually intend to publish it. Two of his friends, Wayne Jacobsen and Brad Cummings, read the novel and were so moved by it that they started a company to publish the book. It has steadily increased in popularity and has peaked as high as #5 on Amazon’s bestseller list.
At the beginning of the novel we meet a man named Mackenzie Phillips (Mack), a man with a disturbing and sad past. After running away from an abusive father and living a wandering, solitary life, he is now married with three wonderful kids. His life is stable, happy, and fulfilled. The problems that haunted his past are distant memories. Then one day on a camping trip with his children the unthinkable happens: his youngest daughter, Missy, is kidnapped and later found murdered. The ensuing months surpass any pain Mack has felt before. He is plagued with guilt and self-blame. He slowly begins to rebuild the life he had with his family before Missy died, but he is a shell of the man he once was. Through his mourning he becomes acutely aware of the lack of faith he has in God. His wife, he freely admits, has faith that he envies, but his relationship with God has never been like hers. She calls God “Papa”; he cannot imagine feeling that intimate with God.
One day he receives a postcard from God inviting him to meet him at a shack in the woods, the very place his daughter was killed years before, and Mack accepts. The rest of the novel is the record of Mack’s conversation with God at the shack. God does not fit the conceptions Mack has held in his mind for so long. He is surprised, refreshed, and the wounds and doubts, which he calls The Great Sadness, that have plagued him since Missy’s murder are healed and so is his relationship with God.
Just a few of the topics we discussed:
A borrowed synopsis of the book:
William Young wrote The Shack for his children and did not actually intend to publish it. Two of his friends, Wayne Jacobsen and Brad Cummings, read the novel and were so moved by it that they started a company to publish the book. It has steadily increased in popularity and has peaked as high as #5 on Amazon’s bestseller list.
At the beginning of the novel we meet a man named Mackenzie Phillips (Mack), a man with a disturbing and sad past. After running away from an abusive father and living a wandering, solitary life, he is now married with three wonderful kids. His life is stable, happy, and fulfilled. The problems that haunted his past are distant memories. Then one day on a camping trip with his children the unthinkable happens: his youngest daughter, Missy, is kidnapped and later found murdered. The ensuing months surpass any pain Mack has felt before. He is plagued with guilt and self-blame. He slowly begins to rebuild the life he had with his family before Missy died, but he is a shell of the man he once was. Through his mourning he becomes acutely aware of the lack of faith he has in God. His wife, he freely admits, has faith that he envies, but his relationship with God has never been like hers. She calls God “Papa”; he cannot imagine feeling that intimate with God.
One day he receives a postcard from God inviting him to meet him at a shack in the woods, the very place his daughter was killed years before, and Mack accepts. The rest of the novel is the record of Mack’s conversation with God at the shack. God does not fit the conceptions Mack has held in his mind for so long. He is surprised, refreshed, and the wounds and doubts, which he calls The Great Sadness, that have plagued him since Missy’s murder are healed and so is his relationship with God.
Just a few of the topics we discussed:
- The authority of the Trinity. In the book, the fictional characters of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit explain to Mack that they are all equal. They tell Mack that there is no hierarchy to the Trinity, no one person submits to another, they all exist in perfect love for one another. We know that they are all one, so it would make sense they are all equal since God is one person. However in the biblical picture, love and submission are not exclusive, but simultaneously upheld in both the Trinity and human relationships. Consider Jesus’ prayer to his Father in the Garden, “Not my will, but yours be done (Luke 22:42)” and elsewhere, “the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing (John 5:19).” Likewise speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus says, “He will glorify me…” (John 16:14). Those are clear statements of voluntary submission within the context of a loving relationship, so this was interesting and fascinating to me to discuss.
- Mack feels his daughter's murder is unforgivable. Through his conversations with God, Mack learns this is something he must do. What things would we consider unforgivable? How can we judge what is unforgivable when God forgives anything when we seek him for forgiveness?
- Did the fact that God was represented as a woman bother us? We unanimously decided no. We all said that it was strange at first, but it is a fictional story and God had to appear to Mack as a woman because of the failed relationship he had with his father. He had a hard time viewing God as a father because of the shortcomings of his own father.
- On page 134 Mack and Sarayu (the Holy Spirit) have a discussion about the things we consider to be good and evil. Through this conversation Mack begins to understand that his idea of what is good or bad is subjective, depending on whether it is good or bad to him personally, based on how it affects him. Sarayu explains that all things God can make good. This is very difficult concept for Mack to understand after losing his daughter to n unthinkable crime. Is this true in our own lives? Do we rely on God's goodness when bad things happen to us or people we love? And how subjective are we about what is bad or good...
- In Chapter 12, Jesus and Mack walk across the lake on the water. When they are ready to head back, Mack eager to return, begins to walk out into the lake. He looks to the far side and each step he takes he finds he is standing deeper in the water. He glances back at Jesus and knows he has nothing to worry about. With each following step he rises on the water until he is walking on the water. How many times in our lives do we plunge ahead with life choices or things we want to do of our own accord only to glance back to make sure Jesus is still there? Do we do everything with him in mind or do we sometimes act so eager that we try to do things on our own and only look back when we realize we are in trouble?
All in all, it was a great book for discussion and we had a lot of fun sharing our favorite parts of the book with one another. We all discussed there were things we didn't agree with and things we loved. But the most important thing is this; this book is a work of fiction. Only the Bible is the inherent word of God. So we enjoyed it for what it was; a story.
During our discussion, the topic of Laminin came up and well as fractals. They both have to do with God's awesome and amazing design and purpose being revealed in nature. Both are amazing.
This video about Laminin is INCREDIBLE! Check it out!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Books, Books, & More Books
Facing the Wind: A True Story of Tragedy and Reconciliation by Julie Salamon
This was one of those that I just tripped upon while browsing Amazon. It was not a book I would normally read, as it was a true crime story. But this one was different as it involved a man brutally and methodically killing his wife and 3 children, and after years in an mental institution was released and remarried and began a new family. I was absolutely dumbfounded as how our judicial system could allow this to happen. So my curiosity was piqued and I dove in. I am not sure I would read this category again, but I am not sorry I added this book to my list. It was like entering another world and every moment being ready to return to your own, but a little wiser through the journey.
The Weight of Water by Anita Shrive. Here is all I have to say about this book; Do you ever have someone, a friend (that you trust), perhaps, that gives you a book and says, "This is book is SO great, you HAVE to read it?" Then you do, of course, your friend gave it to you! But afterwards you want to beat your friend senseless with the book while screaming, "Why have you wasted my time?" but you still like your friend, so you don't? :)
This book had a convoluted plot, the characters were two dimensional and hard to really feel sorry for, and the writing had terrible prose that the author clearly thinks is poetic. This is not to mention the contrived and much to neatly wrapped up ending. I would tell you more about the plot, but it's not worth it. I should have known when I read that it was about a murder on "Smuttynose Island."
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - Mary Roach Another book mentioned in conversation that was too good to pass by, after hearing from one of my husbands friends about it I checked it out at the Library. Completely not my norm, but this book managed to somehow be completely entertaining, witty and informative. I am not a gore lover, but this book manages to not be gory. Some of the information is not for the light hearted, but Mary Roach easily delivers a book that is conversational and fun, and you will find after the end that you know more than you ever thought possible about the curious lives of human cadavers-from plastic surgery, Crucifixion, and forensics to organ donation and crash test dummies.
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books - Azar Nafisi I have to admit, I stumbled across this book in one of my thrift store haunts and have stopped reading in mid-through so that I can read some of the books in the book. Confused? Off of Amazon-
"In 1995, after resigning from her job as a professor at a university in Tehran due to repressive policies, Azar Nafisi invited seven of her best female students to attend a weekly study of great Western literature in her home. Since the books they read were officially banned by the government, the women were forced to meet in secret, often sharing photocopied pages of the illegal novels. For two years they met to talk, share, and "shed their mandatory veils and robes and burst into color." Though most of the women were shy and intimidated at first, they soon became emboldened by the forum and used the meetings as a springboard for debating the social, cultural, and political realities of living under strict Islamic rule. They discussed their harassment at the hands of "morality guards," the daily indignities of living under the Ayatollah Khomeini's regime, the effects of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, love, marriage, and life in general, giving readers a rare inside look at revolutionary Iran. The books were always the primary focus, however, and they became "essential to our lives: they were not a luxury but a necessity," she writes.
Threaded into the memoir are trenchant discussions of the work of Vladimir Nabokov, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Austen, and other authors who provided the women with examples of those who successfully asserted their autonomy despite great odds."
I can never pass up an opportunity to look at life from the perspective of a woman or group of women close to my own age living in such a separate reality from my own. I hope to finish this book and compare notes with these women and perhaps gain some insight. Not to mention I am hopelessly drawn to books that refer to my two fav authors Jane Austen and F. Scott Fitzgerald. More to come on this one...
The Dogs of Babel - Carolyn Parkhurst Strange, fascinating and worth the read. Paul Iverson one day comes home to find his wife Lexy has died; she has fallen out of the apple tree in their backyard. After the tragedy, Paul a linguistics professor, becomes obsessed with teaching their dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Lorelei (the sole witness to the tragedy) to speak so he can find out the truth about Lexy's death. Paul finds himself on a journey of self discovery as he also slowly puts the pieces of his wife's life, and death together. Recommended book, great and fast read.
The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon You know how people say, "If you read one book this year, make it this one!"? Well, seriously, make it this one. This book has it all; a mystery, love, scandal, tragedy, adventure, everything you could ever want wrapped up into one fascinating story and set against the lovely backdrop of Barcelona, Spain. This book "had me at hello" :) when it opened with young Daniel Sempere's kind hearted father introducing him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a secret library where books "no longer remembered by anyone, books that are lost in time" reside. Each person who visits may take one book, so that life may be given back to that book, and when Daniel sees The Shadow of the Wind, he knows it "had been waiting for me there for years, probably since before I was born." Daniel takes home his book and reads it in a night. He is enchanted by the story and sets out to find more books by the author, Julian Carax only to discover that someone is finding and burning every book every written by Carax. Thus the investigation is born. A book about books. My kind of book. Ha! It was one of those reads that I wished I could unread so that I could read it again. Truly a gem for me. Highly recommended.
P.S. Referred to me by the same friend that gave me Weight of Water. Absolution granted.
The Lake of Dead Languages - Carol Goodman This book might have been somewhat worthwhile had I not previously read The Secret History of which this book is a total knock off. It bugged me all the way through. You can only read so many books about Latin snobs and Greek mythology and authors that attempt to make it appear sophisticated and grandiose that a bunch a teenage girls are attempting to learn it, but I didn't buy it.
The plot goes something like; whiny discontent woman leaves her husband that she never really liked (but doesn't make it clear as to why exactly) and takes her daughter and returns to the private girl's school of her youth to teach Latin. During her time at this school some deep dark scandalous incident happened involving her and her two roommates. Upon her return to the school, she begins to find someone is leaving her messages through her old journal which was lost the year she left the school. So someone now knows her secret and she embarks on a clandestine mission to find out who. The first story is slowly revealed as the second and current story plays out which is at times painstakingly slow. Ending can be foreseen by anyone with the tiniest bit of insight. Not to mention (possible spoiler!) I am DONE with reading books that include incest. Enough already! The Secret History, The Weight of Water, Middlesex, this book, geez. It's not mysterious. It's just gross!
Second Glance - Jodi Picoult
From Amazon-"Ghosts and ghost hunters collide in this compelling tale of the paranormal set in Vermont's green mountains. When the patriarch of the Abenaki Indian tribe that was nearly eradicated by that state's eugenics project in the 1930s encounters Ross Wakeman, the miraculous survivor of several attempted suicides who wants nothing more than to be reunited with the woman he loved and lost, they set in motion a chain of events that will unravel an ancient murder and lead to a second chance at life and love for the victim's descendants."
I couldn't dislike a Jodi Picoult novel if I tried. She is just an amazing author. This was definitely not my favorite Picoult, I was a bit surprised at the direction she went with the ghost hunting. But as usual, she had me thinking many weeks beyond the book about ethics. And the information about the America Eugenics project was mind blowing.
Up next:
A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
Patron Saint of Liars-Ann Patchett
The Road-Cormac McCarthy
This was one of those that I just tripped upon while browsing Amazon. It was not a book I would normally read, as it was a true crime story. But this one was different as it involved a man brutally and methodically killing his wife and 3 children, and after years in an mental institution was released and remarried and began a new family. I was absolutely dumbfounded as how our judicial system could allow this to happen. So my curiosity was piqued and I dove in. I am not sure I would read this category again, but I am not sorry I added this book to my list. It was like entering another world and every moment being ready to return to your own, but a little wiser through the journey.
The Weight of Water by Anita Shrive. Here is all I have to say about this book; Do you ever have someone, a friend (that you trust), perhaps, that gives you a book and says, "This is book is SO great, you HAVE to read it?" Then you do, of course, your friend gave it to you! But afterwards you want to beat your friend senseless with the book while screaming, "Why have you wasted my time?" but you still like your friend, so you don't? :)
This book had a convoluted plot, the characters were two dimensional and hard to really feel sorry for, and the writing had terrible prose that the author clearly thinks is poetic. This is not to mention the contrived and much to neatly wrapped up ending. I would tell you more about the plot, but it's not worth it. I should have known when I read that it was about a murder on "Smuttynose Island."
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - Mary Roach Another book mentioned in conversation that was too good to pass by, after hearing from one of my husbands friends about it I checked it out at the Library. Completely not my norm, but this book managed to somehow be completely entertaining, witty and informative. I am not a gore lover, but this book manages to not be gory. Some of the information is not for the light hearted, but Mary Roach easily delivers a book that is conversational and fun, and you will find after the end that you know more than you ever thought possible about the curious lives of human cadavers-from plastic surgery, Crucifixion, and forensics to organ donation and crash test dummies.
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books - Azar Nafisi I have to admit, I stumbled across this book in one of my thrift store haunts and have stopped reading in mid-through so that I can read some of the books in the book. Confused? Off of Amazon-
"In 1995, after resigning from her job as a professor at a university in Tehran due to repressive policies, Azar Nafisi invited seven of her best female students to attend a weekly study of great Western literature in her home. Since the books they read were officially banned by the government, the women were forced to meet in secret, often sharing photocopied pages of the illegal novels. For two years they met to talk, share, and "shed their mandatory veils and robes and burst into color." Though most of the women were shy and intimidated at first, they soon became emboldened by the forum and used the meetings as a springboard for debating the social, cultural, and political realities of living under strict Islamic rule. They discussed their harassment at the hands of "morality guards," the daily indignities of living under the Ayatollah Khomeini's regime, the effects of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, love, marriage, and life in general, giving readers a rare inside look at revolutionary Iran. The books were always the primary focus, however, and they became "essential to our lives: they were not a luxury but a necessity," she writes.
Threaded into the memoir are trenchant discussions of the work of Vladimir Nabokov, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Austen, and other authors who provided the women with examples of those who successfully asserted their autonomy despite great odds."
I can never pass up an opportunity to look at life from the perspective of a woman or group of women close to my own age living in such a separate reality from my own. I hope to finish this book and compare notes with these women and perhaps gain some insight. Not to mention I am hopelessly drawn to books that refer to my two fav authors Jane Austen and F. Scott Fitzgerald. More to come on this one...
The Dogs of Babel - Carolyn Parkhurst Strange, fascinating and worth the read. Paul Iverson one day comes home to find his wife Lexy has died; she has fallen out of the apple tree in their backyard. After the tragedy, Paul a linguistics professor, becomes obsessed with teaching their dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Lorelei (the sole witness to the tragedy) to speak so he can find out the truth about Lexy's death. Paul finds himself on a journey of self discovery as he also slowly puts the pieces of his wife's life, and death together. Recommended book, great and fast read.
The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon You know how people say, "If you read one book this year, make it this one!"? Well, seriously, make it this one. This book has it all; a mystery, love, scandal, tragedy, adventure, everything you could ever want wrapped up into one fascinating story and set against the lovely backdrop of Barcelona, Spain. This book "had me at hello" :) when it opened with young Daniel Sempere's kind hearted father introducing him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a secret library where books "no longer remembered by anyone, books that are lost in time" reside. Each person who visits may take one book, so that life may be given back to that book, and when Daniel sees The Shadow of the Wind, he knows it "had been waiting for me there for years, probably since before I was born." Daniel takes home his book and reads it in a night. He is enchanted by the story and sets out to find more books by the author, Julian Carax only to discover that someone is finding and burning every book every written by Carax. Thus the investigation is born. A book about books. My kind of book. Ha! It was one of those reads that I wished I could unread so that I could read it again. Truly a gem for me. Highly recommended.
P.S. Referred to me by the same friend that gave me Weight of Water. Absolution granted.
The Lake of Dead Languages - Carol Goodman This book might have been somewhat worthwhile had I not previously read The Secret History of which this book is a total knock off. It bugged me all the way through. You can only read so many books about Latin snobs and Greek mythology and authors that attempt to make it appear sophisticated and grandiose that a bunch a teenage girls are attempting to learn it, but I didn't buy it.
The plot goes something like; whiny discontent woman leaves her husband that she never really liked (but doesn't make it clear as to why exactly) and takes her daughter and returns to the private girl's school of her youth to teach Latin. During her time at this school some deep dark scandalous incident happened involving her and her two roommates. Upon her return to the school, she begins to find someone is leaving her messages through her old journal which was lost the year she left the school. So someone now knows her secret and she embarks on a clandestine mission to find out who. The first story is slowly revealed as the second and current story plays out which is at times painstakingly slow. Ending can be foreseen by anyone with the tiniest bit of insight. Not to mention (possible spoiler!) I am DONE with reading books that include incest. Enough already! The Secret History, The Weight of Water, Middlesex, this book, geez. It's not mysterious. It's just gross!
Second Glance - Jodi Picoult
From Amazon-"Ghosts and ghost hunters collide in this compelling tale of the paranormal set in Vermont's green mountains. When the patriarch of the Abenaki Indian tribe that was nearly eradicated by that state's eugenics project in the 1930s encounters Ross Wakeman, the miraculous survivor of several attempted suicides who wants nothing more than to be reunited with the woman he loved and lost, they set in motion a chain of events that will unravel an ancient murder and lead to a second chance at life and love for the victim's descendants."
I couldn't dislike a Jodi Picoult novel if I tried. She is just an amazing author. This was definitely not my favorite Picoult, I was a bit surprised at the direction she went with the ghost hunting. But as usual, she had me thinking many weeks beyond the book about ethics. And the information about the America Eugenics project was mind blowing.
Up next:
A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
Patron Saint of Liars-Ann Patchett
The Road-Cormac McCarthy
Sunday, January 20, 2008
A Good and Happy Child Book Review
I have a friend at work who is a fellow book lover and we swap and trade books constantly. She found this book as a pre-published copy and loved it, so passed it to me.I read it very quickly, only taking a few days. The plot was enticing and it cited "The Secret History" as a book similar in its power for gripping the reader in suspense. I just read "The Secret History" before Christmas and it did do a number on me.....chilling and completely unnerving. So I dove into A Good and Happy Child.
The story chronicles a boy's life after his father's mysterious death. Eleven year old George is awkward and chubby and has difficulty making friends at school. To make matters worse, his mother is a feminist and activist that doesn't appear to mesh well in the small town they live in. As George tries to cope with his father's death and his and his mother's grief, he becomes plagued by a "friend" that appears to him in his dreams. George fears that he is going crazy and is miserable and lonely until the voices he is evading spirals out of control causing a bizarre accident that leads to psychiatric treatment. The real thrill of the story is this; is it a demon or mental illness? Or both? The story leaves you reeling with your own questions and thoughts; which would be worse? What do you believe? And if you simply believe it, does that make it true?
A thought provoking and thrilling read by a talented author.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Week by Week: A Year of Reading and Reflecting
I have decided to attempt a reading challenge, much like the one that Sarah Nelson embarks on in her book So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading. I read her book last fall and enjoyed peeking at her bookshelf and learning how she came about reading the books she reads, one a week, for a year. Any seasoned reader would snicker at her "double-booking rule" or her "first 30 pages rule." We all seem to have some sort of outline or self imposed boundaries in our minds of when you call it a loss or you resolve yourself to go back later for a second try.
One of the reasons I would like to record my reading weekly is because, like Sarah, I read a wide variety and there is no rhyme or reason to which genre or author I will pick up next. And sometimes, there is a story just in the telling of the who or how you came upon a book you love. For me, if it is one of those truly delicious books that will forever remain in the recesses of my mind, ones that I recall the memory when I want a sweet treat, to recall a character I loved and feel as if I am reuniting with an old friend-those can become even more precious depending on the when or how I received the book.
Another aspect of reading that Sarah so aptly highlights is matching our reading experience with our personal one, "and trying to see where they match up and they don't". I love this introspective glance at not only what we read, but how what we choose to read, and what books we love in some ways defines who we are. In my book journal I generally give a small review of the book; mini plot summary, themes, my personal reflections, whether I liked it. But I realize in retrospect that I do not always include what was happening during my life that may have an impact on whether a certain book resonates loudly in my heart or makes me furious at a character I relate to oh so well.
Lastly, let us not forget the way one book can mention some minute detail or refer to an obscure figure in history and you filter this detail through your mind as you read; insignificant, details of a story, yet while you are reading your next book, there it is, it pops up surprising you in black and white, right there on the page! of the next book you are reading, and you are thinking "What a coincidence!" yet two books later there it is again. Does this happen to anyone else? My books sometimes just by fate mention something or have a connection to a previous book I read and it seems so insignificant, yet linked some way in my mind.
Okay, enough said, I am eager to begin, and I will do my best to post some of my reviews as I move along.
One of the reasons I would like to record my reading weekly is because, like Sarah, I read a wide variety and there is no rhyme or reason to which genre or author I will pick up next. And sometimes, there is a story just in the telling of the who or how you came upon a book you love. For me, if it is one of those truly delicious books that will forever remain in the recesses of my mind, ones that I recall the memory when I want a sweet treat, to recall a character I loved and feel as if I am reuniting with an old friend-those can become even more precious depending on the when or how I received the book.
Another aspect of reading that Sarah so aptly highlights is matching our reading experience with our personal one, "and trying to see where they match up and they don't". I love this introspective glance at not only what we read, but how what we choose to read, and what books we love in some ways defines who we are. In my book journal I generally give a small review of the book; mini plot summary, themes, my personal reflections, whether I liked it. But I realize in retrospect that I do not always include what was happening during my life that may have an impact on whether a certain book resonates loudly in my heart or makes me furious at a character I relate to oh so well.
Lastly, let us not forget the way one book can mention some minute detail or refer to an obscure figure in history and you filter this detail through your mind as you read; insignificant, details of a story, yet while you are reading your next book, there it is, it pops up surprising you in black and white, right there on the page! of the next book you are reading, and you are thinking "What a coincidence!" yet two books later there it is again. Does this happen to anyone else? My books sometimes just by fate mention something or have a connection to a previous book I read and it seems so insignificant, yet linked some way in my mind.
Okay, enough said, I am eager to begin, and I will do my best to post some of my reviews as I move along.
Monday, November 26, 2007
I haven't blogged in a while...we have been busy learning and spending time together as a family which has meant spending considerably less time on the computer and watching television. I had to stop by tonight and share a funny from my little bit; my 6 year old daughter.
She told my husband and I she could tell fortunes if she read our palms. She took my hand first, squinting her eyes and concentrating on my palm. "You are going to have a lot of money." she tells me. Oh yeah, tell me more! "How?" I ask. She brings my palm all the way up to her face staring hard. "Well", she says, "by stopping buying things." Geez. I thought I had hit the jackpot for a moment. ;) My husband said, "You really are a fortune teller!!" That is until she read his palm with equal intensity and told him, "You are going to buy me a puppy." Hmmmm, I see....a future in persuasion.
I also wanted to refer some great books I have read lately, some of them book lovers have probably already read:
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See Now one of my top ten!
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell I am obsessed with this book-very strange but fascinating, I have ordered all other books by this author
The Giver by Lois Lowry Phenomenal
Sleep Toward Heaven by Amanda Eyre Ward Sad but engrossing
So Many Books So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading by Sarah Nelson Funny, smart and easy to read a chapter at a time
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover This book resonated with me as my cousin is an African missionary and this story revolves around a missionary family in the Congo. I found the end to be a bit slow, but worth it.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova I loved this story, it took a while to get through but I savored every moment
The Nanny Diaries by Emma Krauss One word; hilarious!
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Piccolt A very interesting and morally challenging story, never expect any less from Ms. Piccolt!
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier Infinitely better than the movie.
I am now reading the sequel to the Sparrow~Children of God by Mary Doria Russell. I am relishing every page. Hopefully I will get some better info on these up soon and review my favorites.
She told my husband and I she could tell fortunes if she read our palms. She took my hand first, squinting her eyes and concentrating on my palm. "You are going to have a lot of money." she tells me. Oh yeah, tell me more! "How?" I ask. She brings my palm all the way up to her face staring hard. "Well", she says, "by stopping buying things." Geez. I thought I had hit the jackpot for a moment. ;) My husband said, "You really are a fortune teller!!" That is until she read his palm with equal intensity and told him, "You are going to buy me a puppy." Hmmmm, I see....a future in persuasion.
I also wanted to refer some great books I have read lately, some of them book lovers have probably already read:
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See Now one of my top ten!
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell I am obsessed with this book-very strange but fascinating, I have ordered all other books by this author
The Giver by Lois Lowry Phenomenal
Sleep Toward Heaven by Amanda Eyre Ward Sad but engrossing
So Many Books So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading by Sarah Nelson Funny, smart and easy to read a chapter at a time
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover This book resonated with me as my cousin is an African missionary and this story revolves around a missionary family in the Congo. I found the end to be a bit slow, but worth it.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova I loved this story, it took a while to get through but I savored every moment
The Nanny Diaries by Emma Krauss One word; hilarious!
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Piccolt A very interesting and morally challenging story, never expect any less from Ms. Piccolt!
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier Infinitely better than the movie.
I am now reading the sequel to the Sparrow~Children of God by Mary Doria Russell. I am relishing every page. Hopefully I will get some better info on these up soon and review my favorites.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Back to School
Yesterday we had our first day of school along with our school district. It was a great first day, we had lots of fun! I am feeling excited and a little more organized and confident with our curriculum this year.
Avery's Notebook:
We dove right into our storytelling process and Avery proudly showed off her stormy story, lightning and all!
We started our day off by making "Writer's Notebooks" that we will use to journal and story tell. We personalized these by using family photographs and magazine clippings to make a collage. Here is the finished product:
Trace's Notebook:
Avery's Notebook:
We dove right into our storytelling process and Avery proudly showed off her stormy story, lightning and all!
I have found some very cool information on different websites and we have a full year of fun ahead of us. A lot of friends and family ask how our schedule works and so here it is for this year:
Monday
8:30- Journal
9:00- Art (ARTistic Pursuits-An Introduction to the Visual Arts)
9:30-Spelling
10:00- Outdoor Walk/Nature Study
10:30-Math
11:00-Reading Workshop
11:30 Chores/Independent Play
Lunch 12:00
8:30- Journal
9:00- Art (ARTistic Pursuits-An Introduction to the Visual Arts)
9:30-Spelling
10:00- Outdoor Walk/Nature Study
10:30-Math
11:00-Reading Workshop
11:30 Chores/Independent Play
Lunch 12:00
10:00- Outdoor Walk/Nature Study
10:30-Math
11:00-Reading Workshop
11:30 Chores/Independent Play
Lunch 12:00
10:30-Math
11:00-Reading Workshop
11:30 Chores/Independent Play
Lunch 12:00
Wednesday
8:30-Journal
9:00-Music
9:30-Read Aloud Time
10:00- Outdoor Walk/Nature Study
10:30-Math
11:00-Reading Workshop
11:30 Chores/Independent Play
Lunch 12:00
8:30-Journal
9:00-Music
9:30-Read Aloud Time
10:00- Outdoor Walk/Nature Study
10:30-Math
11:00-Reading Workshop
11:30 Chores/Independent Play
Lunch 12:00
Thursday
Co-op (The kids will take three classes a piece during co-op)
Friday
8:30- Writing Workshop
9:00-Science
9:30 Math
10:00 Spelling Test
10:30 Library
12:00 Lunch
Of course, we don't always stick with our schedule. For instance, we don't stop at exactly 9:30 on the dot to move to Math. That would be ridiculous. For me that is the ultimate about homeschooling. If someone doesn't feel well or a lesson isn't progressing, we have the freedom to move on to something that will. That's the beauty of it. But it does really help to have a general outline and sense of order so we aren't in chaos either.
9:00-Science
9:30 Math
10:00 Spelling Test
10:30 Library
12:00 Lunch
Of course, we don't always stick with our schedule. For instance, we don't stop at exactly 9:30 on the dot to move to Math. That would be ridiculous. For me that is the ultimate about homeschooling. If someone doesn't feel well or a lesson isn't progressing, we have the freedom to move on to something that will. That's the beauty of it. But it does really help to have a general outline and sense of order so we aren't in chaos either.
Also on Fridays, as we did last year, we visit the Library, check out books for the coming week and then stop at one of our favorite places for a slice of pizza. (Providing everyone behaved all week long!)
I am very excited about our writing and reading workshops, a time where they can work independently or get my help as needed as I do chores! I also implemented independent play last year which was the greatest addition to our day ever. The children can spend time playing, but no computer (or television-obviously!) and they have to play alone. They may go into their rooms or the back yard and play, but it really helped develop their imaginations and ability to entertain themselves instead of demanding to be entertained. Here is Trace during his Independent Play time building an army:
Well, that's it for now. We are eager to get into our school year and learn! I added a couple more pictures of my little hard workers for their Nana :)
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Book Reviews: Night/Memory Keeper's Daughter
I have to start by saying, I have been blogging about almost nothing but books and book reviews...but I have been doing a LOT of reading. Summer is upon us, school's out and the slick humidity and daylight that never seems to end just naturally pulls me back to when I was a child and school was out for summer. I literally (no pun intended) had my nose in a book all summer long. And so it goes on, for me it's better than swimming, better than ice cream, better than air; a good book I can carry with me through all the pit stops of summer, and lose myself into a fabulously woven story. The next two fall into that category, definitely the kind that take you away to a different place and time where you identify so completely with the characters that later you have a memory of them and momentarily you are puzzled at whether they were real or not.
Night by Elie Weisel
I was so unaware, had no real idea of what this book was when I saw it. I had seen it around some book blogs, so the title stood out in my mind when I breezed by it at a local thrift store. It was a very thin book, so deceiving. I scooped it up for 25 cents. Later at home, I picked it up to read the prologue thinking I would read it later in the week after I finished my current read. The prologue alone was so haunting and mesmerizing, I read on. I read on past dinner, on past my husband on the couch watching the 10 o'clock news, and on to the end of the story, leaving me so humbled and ashamed of the things I take for granted. Between the covers of this story is the story of a man that lived through the unthinkable. His world, his reality came to a screeching halt, everything he believed in stripped from him slowly with hate and malice. It is truly unimaginable the things he witnessed, lived through. I believe everyone should read this book and never, ever forget that in this world, the unthinkable could happen to us, to anyone. We should never forget such things. Imagine, your reality could change and your humanity could be robbed from you, your right to live no longer yours, but in the hands of someone who wants to eradicate you from this earth. There is nothing else I can say-this story cannot be summed up. I also loved Weisel's writing style; beautiful, somewhat poetic at times, harsh and slicing at others. Five stars.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
I really loved this book. It was wonderfully written, the imagery taking me to the heart of each moment described in this story. It was also bitterly sad, yet still hopeful.
The story opens with Dr. David Henry delivers his own twins during a blizzard one cold dark night in 1961. Alone but for his wife and his nurse Dr. Henry brings his children into the world, a healthy beautiful boy first, and then a daughter, which he immediately recognizes has Down Syndrome. During a time when Downs children were often sent to institutions, and after his own very personal and devastating loss of his young sister, Dr. Henry makes a split decision that will forever change his life.
"Later," Edwards writes, "when he considered this night -- and he would think of it often, in the months and years to come: the turning point of his life, the moments around which everything else would always gather -- what he remembered was the silence in the room and the snow falling outside." In that quiet, terrifying moment, the grief and resentment caused by his sister's death at the age of 12 washes back over him, and he acts to preserve their vision of a happy future. He hands the baby to his nurse and asks her to take it to a home outside the city for handicapped children. When Norah awakens a few minutes later, he tells her their second baby was stillborn. "He had wanted to spare her, to protect her from loss and pain; he had not understood that loss would follow her regardless, as persistent and life-shaping as a stream of water. Nor had he anticipated his own grief, woven with the dark threads of his past."
Edwards story is an intricate and delicately woven tale about the dark power of secrets and the redemptive power of forgiveness. Another 5 star book.
Now I'm off to read A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah....
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Book Review-The Kite Runner
The Kite Runner is a haunting tale about the relationship between two boys and a stark portrait of past and present day Afghanistan. Two boys, Hassan and Amir are raised together, both motherless by different circumstances. They are as close as brothers, but a world of differences separates them. Amir and his father, Sunni Muslims, are wealthy and privileged with an honorable bloodline while Hassan and his father are Shi'a Muslims and are poor illiterate servants that live in a mud hut behind Amir's grand house.Despite their differences the boys are raised as nearly brothers. Then, the year Amir is twelve during the annual kite flying competition he witnesses an unspeakable act of violence against Hassan. It changes everything. As Afghanistan comes under the attack of Russia Amir's life is changed forever. The story chronicles the life and hardship of Amir and his father as they flee to America, and try to find a life in a new world while still clinging to their love and loyalty of their old, broken one.
As an adult, fate draws Amir back to Afghanistan one last time. In the home of his heart, he finally has an opportunity to redeem the single act that has haunted him for his entire life.
Never have I read such a tormenting and heart wrenching story of love, loss and redemption. It is with sorrow and hope that you turn the last page of this book. It took a while for me to move on to my next read with the echo of this one still in my thoughts. I also loved how much symbolism and thematic elements were throughout the book; each time you came across one with understanding, it was a little gem. I also thought the relationships portrayed in the story were rich and all the characters had flaws that we can find in ourselves. It made a fine point: no one you love is perfect, but love isn't about perfection. Definitely a five star book! For more on the book and the author check out this site.
Monday, April 23, 2007
The Time Traveler's Wife & The Handmaid's Tale Reviews
Another two reviews for the SRT. Stop by at Katrina's blog to get the details and free book give-aways!
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
This was added to my SRT list after I saw it on another list. I scooped it up from the library, eager to begin it. However, it quickly became clear that I wouldn't be devouring this one in the usual way. I had to read this in doses, the prose especially drove me a little crazy. Even then, I couldn't stop reading, it had me hooked.
The story opens in a chilling scenario of our world in the future. It is bleak and meaningless. After the deterioration of society-increasing rapes, pornography, violence and the rise of the women's movement, a regime of religious fanatics called the Republic of Gilead take over the government and control of America. Men have all the power, women are reduced to groups. The Wives are respectable women, married only once, the Aunts are older women who train the others, the Marthas as well are older or cannot produce, the Handmaids are women taken and distributed for their viable ovaries. The spirited ones, the resistant, are Unwomen, sent to live in colonies saturated with nuclear waste. Also, not known to all, are the Jezebel's, women used for their bodies.
The regime tries to eradicate the horrors of the past with control. Pictures are used in place of words since women are no longer allowed to read. People who do not follow the regime's rules end up on "The Wall" hung in public for all to see what crimes they are guilty of by a sign hung around thier neck with a picture to signify the offense. Only those worthy may have the privilege of children. Due to nuclear spills and toxins among other things, many babies do not survive. So Handmaids are distributed to the Commander's and their Wives where they are attempted to be impregnated by the Commanders once a month. No touching, no passion, no love is allowed in these relationships, so far in fact, that the wives are present during the "ceremony." And this very thing is where the regime finds it's fault line; for nothing can deter the force of human nature. And to be human is to feel, to pursue relationships of love.
Margaret Atwood has written a very believable and horrifying tale. It certainly gives you the heebie jeebies just thinking that it is not altogether impossible that fanatical groups could go so far as to destroy our society and strip us of control. Overall, I think that I did take something away from this book and recommend reading it. It is one that will take a while to dissipate....
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Neffenegger
This turned out to be a book I can add to my favorites list. I will say though, that after loving it and recommending it to a friend, she did not like it at all. I was so puzzled, we like many of the same books. For her, it was the time travel. So I will prelude my review by echoing a reviewer I read on Amazon; if you do not like time travel in a book, this one will not change your mind.
That said, I cannot emphasize enough that in my opinion, this book is the furthest thing from science fiction. I think that for time travel, it was altogether unique and unprecedented.
The Time Traveler's Wife is the story of Henry and Clare De Tamble. Henry has a chrono-displacement condition that causes him to time travel when he is nervous, anxious or upset. Usually he travels to his own past-particularly places or events that are significant to him, like his beloved mother's death or his wife's childhood. This is in fact how they meet-Clare meets Henry as a child over the course of her childhood he will appear and she eventually finds herself so comfortable with their unusual relationship, she isn't surprised when she falls in love with him. She knows this is how it will be, since this is what eventually happens.
Later, Clare finds Henry in the "present" time, where he is meeting her for the first time; and so it goes. However, although you see them in different times, the novel manages to progress beautifully. Henry is unable to change or alter the future, so he can only accept events as they occur. The story chronicles their marriage and frustrations as he and Clare seek medical help for his condition, struggle through failed pregnancies, navigate through every day situations which are more unorthodox than most couples. The author's depth and reality of the characters is fresh and believable. Although it was a story about the stresses and commitment of love and marriage, it also examined the frailty and complication of other relationships between people in the story; family and friends. I truly loved this story and will probably be reading it again soon. Highly recommended.
**And here's a litte fun trivia: this movie is in production for the big screen. For details go here. Even better? Rachel McAdams, the up and coming beautiful actress that starred in The Notebook is casted as Clare. It is scheduled to be released in 2008. I will definitly be seeing this one!
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret AtwoodThis was added to my SRT list after I saw it on another list. I scooped it up from the library, eager to begin it. However, it quickly became clear that I wouldn't be devouring this one in the usual way. I had to read this in doses, the prose especially drove me a little crazy. Even then, I couldn't stop reading, it had me hooked.
The story opens in a chilling scenario of our world in the future. It is bleak and meaningless. After the deterioration of society-increasing rapes, pornography, violence and the rise of the women's movement, a regime of religious fanatics called the Republic of Gilead take over the government and control of America. Men have all the power, women are reduced to groups. The Wives are respectable women, married only once, the Aunts are older women who train the others, the Marthas as well are older or cannot produce, the Handmaids are women taken and distributed for their viable ovaries. The spirited ones, the resistant, are Unwomen, sent to live in colonies saturated with nuclear waste. Also, not known to all, are the Jezebel's, women used for their bodies.
The regime tries to eradicate the horrors of the past with control. Pictures are used in place of words since women are no longer allowed to read. People who do not follow the regime's rules end up on "The Wall" hung in public for all to see what crimes they are guilty of by a sign hung around thier neck with a picture to signify the offense. Only those worthy may have the privilege of children. Due to nuclear spills and toxins among other things, many babies do not survive. So Handmaids are distributed to the Commander's and their Wives where they are attempted to be impregnated by the Commanders once a month. No touching, no passion, no love is allowed in these relationships, so far in fact, that the wives are present during the "ceremony." And this very thing is where the regime finds it's fault line; for nothing can deter the force of human nature. And to be human is to feel, to pursue relationships of love.
Margaret Atwood has written a very believable and horrifying tale. It certainly gives you the heebie jeebies just thinking that it is not altogether impossible that fanatical groups could go so far as to destroy our society and strip us of control. Overall, I think that I did take something away from this book and recommend reading it. It is one that will take a while to dissipate....
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Neffenegger
This turned out to be a book I can add to my favorites list. I will say though, that after loving it and recommending it to a friend, she did not like it at all. I was so puzzled, we like many of the same books. For her, it was the time travel. So I will prelude my review by echoing a reviewer I read on Amazon; if you do not like time travel in a book, this one will not change your mind.
That said, I cannot emphasize enough that in my opinion, this book is the furthest thing from science fiction. I think that for time travel, it was altogether unique and unprecedented.
The Time Traveler's Wife is the story of Henry and Clare De Tamble. Henry has a chrono-displacement condition that causes him to time travel when he is nervous, anxious or upset. Usually he travels to his own past-particularly places or events that are significant to him, like his beloved mother's death or his wife's childhood. This is in fact how they meet-Clare meets Henry as a child over the course of her childhood he will appear and she eventually finds herself so comfortable with their unusual relationship, she isn't surprised when she falls in love with him. She knows this is how it will be, since this is what eventually happens.
Later, Clare finds Henry in the "present" time, where he is meeting her for the first time; and so it goes. However, although you see them in different times, the novel manages to progress beautifully. Henry is unable to change or alter the future, so he can only accept events as they occur. The story chronicles their marriage and frustrations as he and Clare seek medical help for his condition, struggle through failed pregnancies, navigate through every day situations which are more unorthodox than most couples. The author's depth and reality of the characters is fresh and believable. Although it was a story about the stresses and commitment of love and marriage, it also examined the frailty and complication of other relationships between people in the story; family and friends. I truly loved this story and will probably be reading it again soon. Highly recommended.
**And here's a litte fun trivia: this movie is in production for the big screen. For details go here. Even better? Rachel McAdams, the up and coming beautiful actress that starred in The Notebook is casted as Clare. It is scheduled to be released in 2008. I will definitly be seeing this one!
Friday, April 06, 2007
Book Reviews on 1st Three Completed SRT Books
I have finished three books from the Spring Reading Thing! I am having so much fun reading non stop, and I can clearly see I will have to add A LOT more books to my list which will not be a problem after reading all those lists! I have done reviews on the ones I have finished.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon This one had me hooked from the first paragraph which made me laugh out loud. See below:
The Rapture of Caanan by Sheri Reynolds This is the story of Ninah Huff who is the granddaughter of the founder of the "Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's almighty Baptizing Wind." Her grandfather doesn't give an inch for any infractions on his compound which consists of his extended family. Worse, he makes the rules and sets humiliating and terrible punishments for those found guilty of breaking them. Ninah is a wonderful character who has the sense to question some of the practices and beliefs of her family and the church. However, when she gets pregnant by her prayer partner, she is in new territory and her secret, when found out rocks the community and brings members of the church to a close self-examination. The characters are flawed but likable. I really liked the Grandmother's character and her relationship with Ninah. This was a quick read, just a couple of days, and I enjoyed it, but was a little disappointed with the ending. You know those books where there isn't really closure and you are left to imagine the end? It's one of those.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon This one had me hooked from the first paragraph which made me laugh out loud. See below:
"It was 7 minutes after midnight. The dog was lying on the grass in the middle of the lawn in front of Mrs Shears' house. Its eyes were closed. It looked as if it was running on its side, the way dogs run when they think they are chasing a cat in a dream. But the dog was not running or asleep. The dog was dead. There was a garden fork sticking out of the dog. The points of the fork must have gone all the way through the dog and into the ground because the fork had not fallen over. I decided that the dog was probably killed with the fork because I could not see any other wounds in the dog and I do not think you would stick a garden fork into a dog after it had died for some other reason, like cancer for example, or a road accident. But I could not be certain about this."
The main character of this book is a 15 year old autistic boy named Christopher who decides to investigate the murder of his neighbor's dog. As he maps out his reason and logic, you are able to glimpse into his very practically thinking mind. Sometimes he explains how he doesn't understand gestures, facial expressions and generally can not relate to other people's emotions, instead he trusts facts. As Christopher uncovers clues, he also discovers some truths about the demise of his parents marriage. The reader watches him put all the pieces of his life together and ascertain what they mean to him. Mark Haddon has given us a truly unique narrator and it is funny, sad and touching to hear Christopher's thoughts. I really enjoyed it.
The Rapture of Caanan by Sheri Reynolds This is the story of Ninah Huff who is the granddaughter of the founder of the "Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's almighty Baptizing Wind." Her grandfather doesn't give an inch for any infractions on his compound which consists of his extended family. Worse, he makes the rules and sets humiliating and terrible punishments for those found guilty of breaking them. Ninah is a wonderful character who has the sense to question some of the practices and beliefs of her family and the church. However, when she gets pregnant by her prayer partner, she is in new territory and her secret, when found out rocks the community and brings members of the church to a close self-examination. The characters are flawed but likable. I really liked the Grandmother's character and her relationship with Ninah. This was a quick read, just a couple of days, and I enjoyed it, but was a little disappointed with the ending. You know those books where there isn't really closure and you are left to imagine the end? It's one of those.
You know those books you can't put down? I finished this book in one day! It was a wonderfully light read and had me laughing so much in the first few chapters my husband finally said, "WHAT is so funny?" Dog lovers will love all of Marley's antics, my favorite being his episodes at Obedience Class. It is also a sweet chronicle of a couple just beginning a family. A wonderful novel about a capricious pet and the family who loves him. Definitely recommended! More about the book can be found at www.marleyandme.com.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Spring Reading Thing
Okay, so I haven't posted in forever. But since only about 3 people read my blog, that's okay. :)I just had to participate in Katrina's Spring Reading Thing since reading is about the only thing I can commit to. Most nights my hubby watches the History Channel while I curl up on the couch beside him and read whatever book I am currently enthralled by.
I just finished The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield which was GREAT, and The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd which is a treasure. I am currently reading Jodi Piccoult's Picture Perfect, but I won't count that. ;) Jodi is my new favorite author-if only she could shell them out as fast as I can read them!
Most of the books I am listing come from my "Books to Investigate" list in my book journal. Which is a great idea, I am having fun writing my thoughts after each book I read. (I added some info to some of the books.) So, here goes in no particular order:
The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian Quote from none other than my favorite writer, Jodi Piccoult: "The story centers on Laurel Estabrook, a young social worker and survivor of a near-rape, who stumbles across photographs taken by a formerly homeless client and tries to understand how a man who'd taken snapshots of celebrities in the 50s and 60s might have wound up on the streets. However, an author's note tells us that Bohjalian conceived this book after being shown a batch of old photographs taken by a once-homeless man; and the actual photos of Bob "Soupy" Campbell are peppered throughout the text. In another neat twist, Bohjalian's resurrects details from The Great Gatsby, which become "real" in the context of his own novel--Laurel lives in West Egg; part of her hunt for her photographer's past involves meeting with the descendants of Daisy and Tom Buchanan." Okay-intertwining the Great Gatsby which I include in the list of best books ever written? Had to check it out.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards-
This stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognizes that his daughter has Down syndrome. For motives he tells himself are good, he makes a split-second decision that will haunt all their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child as her own. Compulsively readable and deeply moving, The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a brilliantly crafted story of parallel lives, familial secrets, and the redemptive power of love.
This stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognizes that his daughter has Down syndrome. For motives he tells himself are good, he makes a split-second decision that will haunt all their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child as her own. Compulsively readable and deeply moving, The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a brilliantly crafted story of parallel lives, familial secrets, and the redemptive power of love.
**Also, a little side note; Sue Monk Kidd said this was "Absolutely Mesmerizing." Love it!
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon This book is written from the perspective of a 15 year old autistic boy. That is enough to make it an intriguing read in my opinion.
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah In A LONG WAY GONE, Beah, now twenty-six years old, tells a riveting story. At the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he’d been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. Eventually released by the army and sent to a UNICEF rehabilitation center, he struggled to regain his humanity and to reenter the world of civilians, who viewed him with fear and suspicion. This is, at last, a story of redemption and hope.
Crunchy Cons: How Birkenstocked Burkeans, gun-loving organic gardeners, evangelical free-range farmers, hip homeschooling mamas, right-wing nature lovers, and their diverse tribe of countercultural conservatives plan to save America (or at least the Republican Party) by Rod Dreher Referred by a friend and it looks interesting: At a time when the Republican Party seems to be fracturing from within, commentator Rod Dreher says it's time for the GOP to return to its roots. And he thinks conservatives could find inspiration from fellow Republicans who embrace a counter-cultural yet traditional conservative lifestyle -- what Dreher dubs "Crunchy Cons."
And may I add, if you have this book from the Grapevine Library, PLEASE RETURN IT. I'm patiently waiting.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Our Snow Day
Today being a snow day and all, we did a little of everything. But the best part was, after a study of volcanoes we have been doing we constructed our own! And Daddy was even home to help!
Then we got up built and made one of these:
Jason even made a huge pot of chili. Mmm...nothing like comfort food when it's cold out! Then, we got down to business! Here is the beginning of our volcano:
Someone kept taking off with our "rock." He looks innocent but don't be fooled.
We started off the morning with a little of this:
Then we got up built and made one of these:Jason even made a huge pot of chili. Mmm...nothing like comfort food when it's cold out! Then, we got down to business! Here is the beginning of our volcano:Someone kept taking off with our "rock." He looks innocent but don't be fooled. We used a vase as our base with our "magma pool" at the bottom :) Crumpled newspaper became layers of rock forming our volcano. Next we covered it with tin foil and spray painted it:
Here's a close up taken by Trace:
After we finished, it looked pretty real! We took it outside, bundled up and prepared for the grand finale!
Very cool! It was lots of fun. Here's the cool website we found out a lot of our info on and you can even make your own cyber volcano! It was a great snow day all in all.
Here's a close up taken by Trace:
After we finished, it looked pretty real! We took it outside, bundled up and prepared for the grand finale! Very cool! It was lots of fun. Here's the cool website we found out a lot of our info on and you can even make your own cyber volcano! It was a great snow day all in all.Friday, December 01, 2006
Oinks and Giggles
I have been picking up a friend's son after school. She is an old friend that just moved back home after the loss of her middle child and a rough divorce. He was 4 1/2 and chronically ill. She is struggling to get on her feet here with a three year old and a seven year old all while grieving. She is a strong and amazing person.
Her seven year old that I pick up is struggling the most. He is angry and withdrawn. Most days I pick up a whole horde of children; 4 not including my 2. The seven year old sits silent and solemn while the others excitedly chatter about their respective days.
The other day my hubs was at home, the other kiddos had choir and dance and I found myself on my way to pick him up alone. I knew the moment we met in the drive through could go either way-either very well or very wrong. But alas, I had the upper hand because without any additional passengers, he was guaranteed to the coveted front seat position. Not only that, but I had taken the pickup to get him, his favorite.
I wait, listening to the radio, loving the few moments alone. The bell rings and he comes skipping out-a good sign. Our eyes meet and he flashes me a toothless smile. Fate is on my side! Squeezing through the crowd of children he finally reaches the truck, propelling the door open. "Oh, sweet, I get the front seat and in the TRUCK!" We maneuver out of the school zone and I ask him what color he got. (This is the part that is hard-he hasn't been doing well with behavior in class) He grins. "A yellow!" For those who might not know-yellow is under green but before red. It means less than satisfactory-a warning. Usually this means he is upset. But the wide grin throws me off.
"What was the crime?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, don't worry, it wasn't my fault today." he replies, while digging through his backpack.
"Oh?" I ask, wondering what possibly had happened.
"I got a yellow for making pig noises in the hallway. But our rule chart in the class definitely doesn't say you can't make pig noises. I checked. It says, "Be Quiet in the hallway." And I was making the pig noises quietly, so it can't be my fault." Still relaxed and happy, he pulls out his folder. Sure enough it is marked, "Making pig noises in the hallway" with a yellow dot.
Suddenly, involuntarily, a snort of laughter escapes. I can't help it! I look at him and he giggles. I lose it and we are both giggling the rest of the drive home.
When we get home he goes off to play by himself as usual. Jason asks how his day was and he mumbles, "Fine." But I know better. I know there are pig noises and laughter and joy hiding deep inside that little boy just waiting to emerge. Maybe they will only reveal themselves a little at a time. But I know they are there. And for today, that is enough to be thankful for.
Her seven year old that I pick up is struggling the most. He is angry and withdrawn. Most days I pick up a whole horde of children; 4 not including my 2. The seven year old sits silent and solemn while the others excitedly chatter about their respective days.
The other day my hubs was at home, the other kiddos had choir and dance and I found myself on my way to pick him up alone. I knew the moment we met in the drive through could go either way-either very well or very wrong. But alas, I had the upper hand because without any additional passengers, he was guaranteed to the coveted front seat position. Not only that, but I had taken the pickup to get him, his favorite.
I wait, listening to the radio, loving the few moments alone. The bell rings and he comes skipping out-a good sign. Our eyes meet and he flashes me a toothless smile. Fate is on my side! Squeezing through the crowd of children he finally reaches the truck, propelling the door open. "Oh, sweet, I get the front seat and in the TRUCK!" We maneuver out of the school zone and I ask him what color he got. (This is the part that is hard-he hasn't been doing well with behavior in class) He grins. "A yellow!" For those who might not know-yellow is under green but before red. It means less than satisfactory-a warning. Usually this means he is upset. But the wide grin throws me off.
"What was the crime?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, don't worry, it wasn't my fault today." he replies, while digging through his backpack.
"Oh?" I ask, wondering what possibly had happened.
"I got a yellow for making pig noises in the hallway. But our rule chart in the class definitely doesn't say you can't make pig noises. I checked. It says, "Be Quiet in the hallway." And I was making the pig noises quietly, so it can't be my fault." Still relaxed and happy, he pulls out his folder. Sure enough it is marked, "Making pig noises in the hallway" with a yellow dot.
Suddenly, involuntarily, a snort of laughter escapes. I can't help it! I look at him and he giggles. I lose it and we are both giggling the rest of the drive home.
When we get home he goes off to play by himself as usual. Jason asks how his day was and he mumbles, "Fine." But I know better. I know there are pig noises and laughter and joy hiding deep inside that little boy just waiting to emerge. Maybe they will only reveal themselves a little at a time. But I know they are there. And for today, that is enough to be thankful for.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Why I Love Homeschooling
Today began normally...cuddles in bed, chores together, and for breakfast we began to make Banana Bread as we do about once a week. My little ones are helping measure and pour, still in their pajamas with sweet little bedheads and a mystery unfolds...
The recipe calls for 2 eggs. There are 3 in the carton. The first one we try cracks, but to our amazement it has been hard boiled. (Probably by Daddy earlier in the week.) Both my cooking assistants abandon their jobs to carry the egg around in a basket wrapped in a blanket pretending that "a baby chickadee is about to hatch." I finish the bread as they eat breakfast in a hushed whisper (not to wake the early hatching, yet somehow still sleeping egg.) I get our lessons prepared.
I usually hop in the shower while they begin their journals, but this morning I emerge from my shower to complete silence. I look around for a moment before discovering that they are outside (on North Texas's last 80 degree day in November-a cold front hits tomorrow dropping us to the 40's) still in pajamas, fervently coloring a self drawn map. I sit down and ask what they are doing.
"We are drawing the map to help the mommy find her baby egg." So I'm told. They busily use those imaginations to play for another hour on this glorious sunny day, laughing and playing together. I leave them to do some laundry.
I finish the laundry and enter the kitchen to find two dressed children busy doing geography together. Surprised, I ask, "What about playing outside?" to which Trace answers, "We are ready to get some work done now, Mom."
I am so glad they weren't in a classroom staring out the window imagining what they could be doing. I am so glad they are taking the initiative to be responsible. I am so glad that they played on the last sunny day we will see for awhile but still finished what we had planned for the day. I love being with my children, giving them freedom. I LOVE homeschooling.
The recipe calls for 2 eggs. There are 3 in the carton. The first one we try cracks, but to our amazement it has been hard boiled. (Probably by Daddy earlier in the week.) Both my cooking assistants abandon their jobs to carry the egg around in a basket wrapped in a blanket pretending that "a baby chickadee is about to hatch." I finish the bread as they eat breakfast in a hushed whisper (not to wake the early hatching, yet somehow still sleeping egg.) I get our lessons prepared.
I usually hop in the shower while they begin their journals, but this morning I emerge from my shower to complete silence. I look around for a moment before discovering that they are outside (on North Texas's last 80 degree day in November-a cold front hits tomorrow dropping us to the 40's) still in pajamas, fervently coloring a self drawn map. I sit down and ask what they are doing.
"We are drawing the map to help the mommy find her baby egg." So I'm told. They busily use those imaginations to play for another hour on this glorious sunny day, laughing and playing together. I leave them to do some laundry.
I finish the laundry and enter the kitchen to find two dressed children busy doing geography together. Surprised, I ask, "What about playing outside?" to which Trace answers, "We are ready to get some work done now, Mom."
I am so glad they weren't in a classroom staring out the window imagining what they could be doing. I am so glad they are taking the initiative to be responsible. I am so glad that they played on the last sunny day we will see for awhile but still finished what we had planned for the day. I love being with my children, giving them freedom. I LOVE homeschooling.
Carnival of Homeschooling Week 48
Check out this week's carnival at The Common Room. Once again, it's great and has wonderful posts. Also, I am included for the first time, fun, fun, fun!
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Social Studies in the New Year
I love the new year. I get excited to re-evaluate and get rejuvenated with our curriculum. As I was looking at what we wanted to dive into in January, I found a book I just HAVE to have -homeschool moms know about the book obsession ;) I began a outline for a lesson using it. The book is:
One review summarizes it this way:
Hungry Planet: What The World Eats" by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio grabs your attention for the startlingly varied stories it tells about how people feed themselves in 24 countries around the world. Its contents are based on detailed research, beautifully photographed, presented with often disturbing clarity. We are introduced to 30 families, representing every continent, each family photographed with the food they had for the week they were interviewed. The household range is from the most affluent in the developed countries to the most awesome. "A rich and thoughtful commentary on today's human condition."
We will use this book to
1. Examine the importance of food in our lives by using a cool lesson plan I found on www.homeschoolingabout.com called Make a Meal of It!
2. Study different cultures and what they eat and how they obtain their food.
To really dive into number one, we will start by discussing where food comes from. We are going to go shopping and get various foods.
Then we will talk about the global diversity of the origins of our food. I have a worksheet I printed from the site mentioned above to classify where the food came from, how it was packaged, the name of the food and the price.
Lastly, we will talk about hunger and poverty, what we can do to help; and donate these foods to a food bank when we are finished.
I would love to take the children to serve in a soup kitchen. I think this would be a wonderful humbling activity for our whole family. It is great to serve together and show the children how important food can be for people.
For number two, my favorite part!-a field trip to the Farmer's Market and Central Market to examine the varieties of foods and gather some things for cooking up some multicultural foods!
I found the coolest multicultural food books on Amazon. They are board books, but have awesome illustrations and simple engaging text. Here's the Listmania List. The author covers Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Mexican and even Southern (let's not lie-it's the best!) foods.
I am so excited to really get into this lesson and I think the kids will love it! Not to mention food is on my top list of things I am passionate about! Even greater, Peter Menzel has another book called Material World where he photographed families all over the world with all their earthly possessions. It is a stark, revealing look at what matters and what materialism is about. I think this would nicely lead us right into a more in depth look at countries and families around the world.
My hope is to grow an appreciation of our lives and the provisions the Lord has made for us. We can never be joyful or thankful enough for all the blessings he pours down on us everyday.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Some Great Carnivals!
The 47th Carnival of Homeschooling is up at Tami's Blog. I eagerly look forward to every Tuesday morning when I can grab a can of caffeine, ingore my kids and blissfully read through the blogs of kindred homeschooling spirits.
Also you can find this week's Carnival of Kid Comedy at Life in a shoe. And this week's Carnival of Family Life is hosted by the Thrifty Mommy. Check 'em out in your free time!
Also you can find this week's Carnival of Kid Comedy at Life in a shoe. And this week's Carnival of Family Life is hosted by the Thrifty Mommy. Check 'em out in your free time!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
WFMW (On Thurs)-Gingerbread Party!
I know it's Thursday, really I do. But I thought of something I just had to share for the Works for me Wednesday Christmas Theme!
Every year in December, my mom has a Gingerbread Party for my kids. It has turned into our favorite Christmas tradition. Both my kiddos get so excited every December for the Gingerbread Party to arrive, and my husband and I usually enjoy a date on this night as the kids sleep over at my parents.
I used to do a Gingerbread theme in December when I taught, it was one of my absolute favorites!! (Besides the Polar Express party which is SO much fun, too :) We usually pick the second or third week in December. Gingerbread invitations go out for the date and time. Then the anticipation of the great event begins!
At the party, the festivities usually begin with hot chocolate and a reading of The Gingerbread Man. Then the kids make gingerbread cookies. Usually girls and boys, and then gingerbread dogs, horses, and any other random shapes my kids think of! They get all the gingerbread trimmings, icing, red hot buttons, raisens, etc. and make tins full to take home and give out to friends and neighbors. And they eat a million.... :) The night usually ends with a Christmas movie.
My kids favorite part is that my sweet mom always gives them a special ornament for the tree. I love this idea so much that this year, having moved into a new neighborhood, we are going to host a gingerbread party for the neighborhood kids. (Except I will pre-make the dough for little hands.) We will drink hot chocolate, read the story, make our gingerbread men and then make gingerbread ornaments purchased from the craft store. (I found them at Walmart last year.)
I hope you might enjoy a gingerbread party this year! Here is our gingerbread man recipe:
2/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground ginger
pinch salt
3/4 cup molasses
1 egg
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Cream together first 6 ingredients. Add egg and mix. Add molasses and mix again.
Mix together flour, baking powder and baking soda in a separate bowl. Sift. Add to the creamed mixture and stir until well blended. Chill 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll out dough 1/4 at a time to 1/8" thickness or slightly thicker on a lightly floured board. Cut with a cookie cutter and transfer to a greased (or non stick) cookie sheet.
Repeat with remaining dough. Before baking, decorate as you like.
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