The Mermaids Bookshelf

2010-01-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

I am loving this series of mysteries set in Scotland and the bumbling redheaded Detective Hamish MacBeth. I love the setting of this book and the interesting characters that populate village life here in the North of Scotland and the sexual tension that abounds between Elspeth and him.In this Mystery someone is sending poison pen letters causing people to die and Hamish must find out who and why along the way fighting off the advances of Jenny.In Beaton's description of the North of Scotland you learn a lot about this area and the people and customs of this part of the U.K.

2010-01-04T17:29:00.000-08:00

This is my first book to finish in 2010 and it is a good one to start with.

I have been a big mystery fan since childhood and Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie and this one fits the bill to a T. Louise Penney makes you want to live in the quaint Canadian village of Three Pines and makes you long to be neighbors with Clare,Ruth,Oliver and Gabri and Myrna.She explores the emotions of the human heart like a fiction writer while still crafting a mystery novel that is real and could be set in any small idyllic town in America. I have read two of her books so far and liked them both. I plan to read all in the series this year.

Mrs. Penney has the ability to teach Life Lessons while crafing a well writtine mystery. It also introduces us to all the characters that will be featured in the later mysteries and gives an excellent idea of the setting in this Quebec village and the culture of this part of Canada. If you are a mystery fan I encourage you to read this author

Here is a synopsis from Good Reads:

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montréal and yet a world away. Jane Neal, a long-time resident of Three Pines, has been found dead in the woods. The locals are certain it’s a tragic hunting accident and nothing more but Gamache smells something foul this holiday season…and is soon certain that Jane died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bowhunter. …With this award-winning first novel, Louise Penny introduces an engaging hero in Inspector Gamache, who commands his forces—and this series—with power, ingenuity, and charm.

2009-12-30T14:10:00.000-08:00

These were my favorite books of 2009.

If you want to learn more about them go to Good Reads .

I loved The Help because it was set in MS where I grew up in the 60's and dealt with a sensitive topic in a very humane and real way.

I liked Little Giant because it was about someone who felt she was an outcast and I just thought it was a well told tale.

Light on Snow is the first Shreve book I have read and I loved the story and the setting.

In The Bleak Midwinter- I love mysteries and this mystery series which is set in Upper New York is fast paced , realistic and written well.

I actually like all 61 books on my Good Reads list for 2009 I hope you follow the link and check them out.

I also hope to post more regularly here in 2010.

2009-11-24T08:53:00.001-08:00

I recieved this book as an ARC from Library Thing and at first put off reading it as I was into about 3 other books at the time.I picked it up on Friday and finished it Sunday. It is fast paced and a very believeable read.

The book deals with an Iraq vet and his daughter who are homeless and what the system of govt tries to do for them believing they know best. It truly makes you think about what home really is and family and that sometimes in trying to do good the system actually does harm when it seperates families who are only guilty of poverty. The book is loosely based on actual events that took place here in Portland in 2004 I believe.The city in the story is actually Portland and the Park is Forest Park in Portland. There is another book based on this event called My Abandonment which is a good book to read along this with this one

. I found at the end of the story what actually happened to the girl in the real story. I feel that Jennie Shortridge who is from the Seattle area also gets the culture of the Nortwest and Oregon down to a T. This is the first book of hers that I have read but will read more.

2009-09-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

I didn't know about this book when I started reading it as I had heard some mixed reviews but I really liked it from the start. The setting and pace of the novel reminded of Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. I learned a good bit about the history of Salem and the witch trials and about women in the colonial era. I found myself following along with the main character in the book on a treasure hunt to find the history of Deliverance Dane.I found myself hoping that she was my ancestor too.
The only flaw I found was the ending which was a little too hard to believe but all in all a really good fast read and one that is excellent for this time of year as we near Halloween.

2009-09-11T12:16:00.001-07:00

I loved this book.I really loved it. It is well told with wonderful chracters and a magical setting. I have been to the falls and they are truly majestic.
This story captures the majesty and the history of this area at the turn of the century and opens your eyes to the history of this place .This is all enfolded withina love story.
If there is a special natural place that you love. YOu will empathize with Tom Cole in this book.
I will look for more books by this author.This was an unexpected gem of a book that I will remember for a long time.
I have several places that I love as Tom Cole did in this book.The first is the Oregon Coast,then the mountains of NC, the MS Gulf Coast and the low country of South Carolina.

2009-07-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

{Life changes in an instant. On a foggy beach. In the seconds when Abby Mason - photographer, fiancée soon-to-be-stepmother - looks into her camera and commits her greatest error. Heartbreaking, uplifting, and beautifully told, here is the riveting tale of a family torn apart, of the search for the truth behind a child's disappearance, and of one woman's unwavering faith in the redemptive power of love - all made startlingly fresh through Michelle Richmond's incandescent sensitivity and extraordinary insight. Six-year-old Emma vanished into the thick San Francisco fog. Or into the heaving Pacific. Or somewhere just beyond: to a parking lot, a stranger's van, or a road with traffic flashing by. Devastated by guilt, haunted by her fears about becoming a stepmother, Abby refuses to believe that Emma is dead. And so she searches for clues about what happened that morning - and cannot stop the flood of memories reaching from her own childhood to illuminate that irreversible moment on the beach. Now, as the days drag into weeks, as the police lose interest and fliers fade on telephone poles, Emma's father finds solace in religion and scientific probability - but Abby can only wander the beaches and city streets, attempting to recover the past and the little girl she lost. With her life at a crossroads, she will leave San Francisco for a country thousands of miles away. And there, by the side of another sea, on a journey that has led her to another man and into a strange subculture of wanderers and surfers, Abby will make the most astounding discovery of all - as the truth of Emma's disappearance unravels with stunning force. A profoundly original novel of family, loss, and hope - of the choices we make and the choices made for us - The Year of Fog beguiles with the mysteries of time and memory even as it lays bare the deep and wondrous workings of the human heart. The result is a mesmerizing tour de force that will touch anyone who knows what it means to love a child. }

The above is the review from Good Reads. I really liked this book and read it in a day and a half. I loved her descriptions of San Francisco and Costa Rico. I also think she vividly described how it feels when a child goes missing. The biggest fault I had with the book was that most people couldn't take a year off without work to go searching for the child and in that respect I felt it was unrealistic but all in all a good book.

I really enjoyed this book and its descriptions of Cornwall. It was just a happy feel good book and I loved it.Here is the review from Good Reads.

{Newly divorced, Andrew Stratton lives in his head and not with his heart. He teaches architectural theory but has never built a building. He writes about “The Anatomy of Livable Places”– communities where form and material are in harmony–but has no sense of where he belongs. He is capable of deep, tender emotions but is unable to express them. When his wife leaves him for another man and excoriates his cautious nature in the process, Andrew is like a house shaken off a faulty foundation. Sifting through the rubble, he must figure out what should be salvaged and what should be scrapped. Escaping from the predictable routine of his university life in Philadelphia, Andrew travels to England and channels his pain into a weeklong course on building stone walls. In the village of Boscastle, he discovers a magical landscape of dizzying cliffs, jagged coastline, lush valleys, and hills lined with stone hedges that have stood the test of time. At the Stone Academy, Andrew immerses himself in the grueling task of piecing together rock into intricate walls. Under the tutelage of his weathered instructor, he learns there is more to laying stone than hard labor. And he soon falls under the spell of Boscastle’s rhythms and quirks, which include a weekly sing-along, a museum devoted to witchcraft, and a colorful group of residents ranging from a precocious nine-year-old girl who communes with nature to an offbeat reverend who has been known to give referrals to the town witch.Moved by the warmth and connectedness of the village, Andrew begins to shed his sheltered self. But his willingness to open his heart is tested when he falls for Nicola Rhys-Jones, an American expatriate seeking to escape a history of abuse. Thorny, sarcastic, and sexy, Nicola is an artist who paints tranquility panels for hospitals. But her life before Boscastle has been anything but peaceful. As their verbal sparring veers into darker territory, Andrew grapples with his status in Boscastle. Is he just a tourist on holiday or does he now have a stake in the village that has welcomed him? Readers new to Will North’s work as well as fans of The Long Walk Home will be swept away by this bittersweet novel about love, loss, and the power of nature to alter our lives. }

2009-06-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

I am really into beach reads right now . I have also really fallen in love with this writers style of prose and her gorgeous lowcountry settings.

In the first book Between the Tides which I like the best we see a woman fighting demons from her past that wasn't even her fault and uncovering hidden secrets of her family that she didn't know was there.I give it 5 *****{The scene of a childhood tragedy that forced her family to move, Seaboro, South Carolina, is the last place Catherine Leary wants to see again. But her father's last wish to have his ashes scattered there, and his young colleague's desire to write an article about him, conspire against Catherine. Hoping to stop her family's secrets from being exposed, she travels to her once-beloved Lowcountry town-and embarks on a poignant trip into the past...a journey that might lead her into a new life of love, forgiveness, and self-discovery. }

The thing I like best about Patti C. Henry's writing is her lyrical way with words . I can almost hear her southern drawl and see the low country in my mind. I go home to the south just a little bit when I read her books.

In The Art of Keeping Secrets it also deals with familial drama but in a different way. I sometimes didn't like the main character in this book as I felt she was a little to genteel and pampered for my taste but I still like the book all the same.{Synopsis from Good Reads:Annabelle has finally made peace with the loss of her beloved husband. Until she finds out he wasnt alone when he diedSince a plane crash killed her husband two years ago, Annabelle Murphy has found solace in raising her two children. Just when she thinks the grief is behind her, she receives the news that the wreckage of the small plane has been discoveredand that her husband did not die alone. He was with another woman. Suddenly, Annabelle is forced to question everything she once held true.Sophie Parker knows the woman who was on that plane. A dolphin researcher who has lived a quiet life, Sophie has never let anyone get too close. But when Annabelle shows up on Sophies doorstep full of painful questions, both women must confront their intertwining pastsand find the courage to face the truth. [close] I give it 3***

I am about to start her new book Driftwood Summer tonight.I need a dose of home for the next few days.

I have finished 3 books for the reading challenge but I did substitute a few since I listed them. I plan on trying to read the remaining two before August.

Time Is a River

2009-06-09T09:03:00.000-07:00

I loved this book and would recommend it to all who like good storytelling. I tend to stay away from romance books but this one was rated high and I thought why not. I was so surprised at how good the story actually was.It was so much more than a romance novel.

I read it for the Southern Reading Challenge . Mrs. Monroe had me hooked from the very first pages and never let me go like the mythical Mr. Big the Brown Trout she sought in the Mountains Streams of my other soul home in the North Carolina Mountains. I was transported back to the Asheville area and its beautiful mountain streams as I followed the main characters developing love for fly fishing and her recovery from breast cancer. I think the metaphors she used to demonstrate Mia's recover from cancer could be used to describe any event in your life you have to get to the other side of .

I can so tell that the author loves the south like I do and you can hear it in her lyrical descriptions of the mountains and the people and the food. When I read a novel by a good southern writer I am immediately back home .I loved the back story here of Kate Watkins and the time period in which she lived.

It was such a good story and I will be reading many more by this author.

2009-06-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

I would give this book 4 of 5 stars.
I really enjoyed this book. It was very good and set during the period of pre WWII and the post war era of the 50's . It shows the stories of picture girls and arranged marriages and what the immigrant experience was like for the people who came from Asia to our shores.It tells the story of this war from the Chinese perspective and also explores the deep and personal bonds of sisters.I didn't care to much for Peony In Love but in this story Lisa See redeems herself.It is a book that deals with the immigrant experience and the depth of a mothers love .
Here is an overview from Good Reads:
May and Pearl, two sisters living in Shanghai in the mid-1930s, are beautiful, sophisticated, and well-educated, but their family is on the verge of bankruptcy. Hoping to improve their social standing, May and Pearl’s parents arrange for their daughters to marry “Gold Mountain men” who have come from Los Angeles to find brides.But when the sisters leave China and arrive at Angel’s Island (the Ellis Island of the West)—where they are detained, interrogated, and humiliated for months—they feel the harsh reality of leaving home. And when May discovers she’s pregnant the situation becomes even more desperate. The sisters make a pact that no one can ever know. A novel about two sisters, two cultures, and the struggle to find a new life in America while bound to the old, Shanghai Girls is a fresh, fascinating adventure from beloved and bestselling author Lisa See.The ending was a bit unexpected but I look forward to seeing with the author does with it.All in all a thought provoking novel.

2009-05-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed this book .It was the first one I have read by this author and I love the way she incorporates food into the story seamlessly. I also feel that she creates her characters in such a way that you really like them even with all their flaws. I also feel that she has a gift for crafting setting. the first part of the book takes place in the Southwest and the other part in the Northwest and in her desriptions of both places she captures them so well. I want to try to make her prize winning brownies in the story. I thank the publisher for letting me have an ARC of this book . I truly enjoyed it.

I have also decided to participate in Southern Reading Challenge by Maggie Reads where the goal is to read a set # of books between May 15 and July 15.

Here are the ones I plan to read:

Time is Like a River by Mary Alice Monroe

The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe

Saints in Limbo by River Jordan

Between Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson

2009-04-29T14:13:00.001-07:00

I truly loved this book and read it in 3 days.

I feel that the author so captured the time period well.It is a heartbreaking story of love and loss and what being a family truly means. It shows in great detail what ones Ohana is and that often it isn't your blood relations.Rachel found hers in so many of those that she lived around such as Sister Catherine, Hina, Lailaini.It also shows that a mother and fathers love never dies.

It shows how hatred and prejudice can breed violence and have very life changing results. In th e story the character Lailani made me think that often when our worlds seems to be falling apart it is those that we least expect with whom we find friendship and kinship.

Rachel despite her disease exhibits the strength that we all should hope to have in the face of adversity.She through this character shows that she isn't conquered by the disease but that she overcomes it .Her character and those who she lives with on the island exhibit true beauty a beauty that age and disease never changes and that could serve to teach us a lot in our youth obcessed culture.

I cried a several places in the story and it made me think about those today that society views as unclean.This story also makes me see how a chronic disease of any type affects not just the person but the whole family and in some way shapes all their lives for better or worse.

I think it fitting that the place she once saw as her prison is in fact the place she goes to to die .

This is what a truly good book should be made moreso because it was set againts the actual history of the time and these islands .It is truly a 5 star book. *****

2009-04-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

I am reading this week:
Molokai -see sidebar for link to shelfari and then probably Street of a Thousand Blossoms.

I just finished Inferno by Karen Harper and it was a quick suspenseful read set in MT . I find her books always deliver quick easy reads. Sadly this book talks about a serial arsonist which is all to prevalent in the US.It makes me wonder what happens in these peoples psyches to make them do things like this.

I am about a 1/4 of the way thru Molokai and really like it so far.It deals with a hard subject and a difficult time in our history but also shows how far modern medicine has come since then.

2009-04-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

I truly loved the book Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. I didn't know what to expect but read this book in a day and it is one of those books that will stay with me long after I have read it. It takes place in Seattle in WWII during the time of internment camps and also explores the Seattle Jazz scene of that time and the culture of the Asian communities of the West Coast during this time period . I find this period in history intriguing and as anyone who reads here regularly or follows me on Good Reads knows I love books set in this era.

I find that this book also has the theme of Redemption running through it.

I liked this book as much as I liked The Gurnesy Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

I would give it 5 Stars.

The other book I have recently read is Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult. I am a big fan of her writing and I like this one too but I find that she had a similar plot with this one to My Sisters Keeper so much so that it seemed that only the characters and the disease had changed. I found that I much preferred My Sisters Keeper over this one. I didn't like the mother in this book and I didn't like the ending.I did learn a lot about the condition in this book as I learn from all the books she writes and I continue to admire her willingness to tackle hard subjects.
I would give it 3 Stars

Broken for You

2009-01-02T17:55:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed this book. I had bought it quite some time ago with the intention to read it and just never did. Here is a synpopis from Good Reads.

The book explores the families we make not the families we are born with. It also speaks to the ways our hearts mend. I also loved the characters in the story especially the main characters father and his friend.I didn't know that it also dealt with the Holocaust until I read it and mentioned some of the places that were mentioned in other books I have read on this time period lately.

I would give this book **** stars and encourage anybody to read it.I look forward to more books by this author.

I am going to use the above mentioned site Good Reads to document my reading history this year.

I hope to post here more frequently.

2008-11-28T10:13:00.000-08:00

The Memorist by M.J. Rose

What led you to pick up this book?

The concept of reincarnation fascinated me as well as the time period and the history of Vienna and Beethoven.

Describe the book without giving anything away.

It deals with a woman who has denied her past and goes in search of the answers to her troubling dreams and finds herself involved in a mystery involving Beethoven of bigger proportions than she imagined.

What did you like about the book ?Didn't like?

I liked it all it was an intriguing and fast read.There really wasn't anything that I didn't like.

The Characters?

I liked them all especially the main characters father.

In general?

I find this book intriguing and informative in the history and the subject matter that I knew nothing about. I would recommend this book.

I would give it ***1/2 stars.

The 19th Wife

2008-10-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

The 19 th Wife by David Ebbershaff was an engaging and fascinating read about the 19th wife of Brigham Young mixed in with a modern day murder mystery set in fictional Mesadale(aka Colorado City).

It makes you think about the emotional turmoil that goes on with the children and wives of these plural marriages but also shows you their history and why so many choose to live this life even in the present day.

I throughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Three books and I Posted

2008-10-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

Rush Home Road by Lori Lansens.I think this is one of the best books I have read this year.This author has the ability to draw us into a story and make us love characters that we otherwise not.The author takes those members of society that life seems to have passed by or otherwise ignores and gives them depth and makes us love them.This book is about a little girl abandoned by her family and is taken in by an older women who thinks she has lost the capacity to love and together they find a family. It has many twists and turns a long the way that keep you guessing. ****4

Where the River Ends by Charles Martin- I also like this book although maybe not as muchs as the previous ones of his I have read. This one deals with the death of the main characters wife and how it impacts those around her. It takes on the topic of what we will do for those we love and that true beauty is sometimes revealed when all physical beauty is gone. It has religious overtones without being syrupy or preachy.****4 stars

Before the Storm by Diane Chamberlain-This was the first book of hers I have read. I read it in two days and it is suspenseful till the very end. Although I didn't at all like the mother character in this story at all.Overall I would give this one *** 3 stars

Chasing Fireflies

2008-07-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

I am just finishing reading this book and I love it also. It is a novel of discovery. I really like this writer and the way he can weave and craft a tale and his ease with the environment he writes about. He also writes about values without being sappy. I would give this book *****.

Here is the review from Shelfari:

They have one summer to find what was lost long ago.

"Never settle for less than the truth," she told him. But when you don't even know your real name, the truth gets a little complicated. It can nestle so close to home it's hard to see. It can even flourish inside a lie. And as Chase Walker discovered, learning the truth about who you are can be as elusive--and as magical--as chasing fireflies on a summer night. A haunting story about fishing, baseball, home cooking, and other matters of life and death.

I highly recommend this book and this author.

Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin

2008-07-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

grew up in the rural south aka the buckle on the bible belt. In the county I grew up in their were 18,000 people and 126 churches all of which were conservative and evangelical in nature and because of this I have tended not to read christian fiction but this book was very different and so applicable to my walk of faith and where I am right now.It makes you take a look at yourself and your walk of faith without being preachy . I loved this book and give it 5***** stars. It will make you cry.

This is the books description from Amazon.{A man with a painful past. A child with a doubtful future. And a shared journey toward healing for both their hearts.It begins on the shaded town square in a sleepy Southern town. A spirited seven-year-old has a brisk business at her lemonade stand. Her latest customer, a bearded stranger, drains his cup and heads to his car, his mind on a boat he's restoring at a nearby lake. But the little girl's pretty yellow dress can't quite hide the ugly scar on her chest. The stranger understands more about it than he wants to admit. And the beat-up bread truck careening around the corner with its radio blaring is about to change the trajectory of both their lives.}Before it's over, they'll both know there are painful reasons why crickets cry...and that miracles lurk around unexpected corners.
The story is about a little girl who needs a heart transplant and the man who can save her who is emotionally wounded from his own losses in life. Reese the main character is who I see myself as because for the past several years I just can't seem to find my way back to the deep faith I had before I lost both my parents and the only hope I had of being a mom. I think the baby that I lost was what made me drift further away from my faith than anything because throughout my life I had always wanted to be a mom. I still am Seeking and Searching the corners of my heart to see if I can find my way back to the hope and faith I once I had.I hope that I can find a new heart during my search.
It seems for the past several months I have been in the valley but now I seem to be climbing my way out. I know that it is in the muck and mire of my life so far where I have learned the life lessons I needed to learn so it isn't all bad there.
I encourage you to read this book When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin.

"The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself."— Henry Miller

Southern Reading Challenge

2008-05-19T09:15:00.000-07:00

I have decided to join Maggie at Maggie Reads for the above reading challenge.This challenge appeals to me because I am most definitely southern. I lived there for 42 of my 44 years and it is part and parcel of who Iam and always will be so the southern novels transport me to my other home.
I love Oregon and do not regret moving here but the south will always be a part of me and who I am it formed my character and soul and will always be in the way I speak.I am asked a lot at work what I miss the most about the south and my answer is this I miss the food and thunderstorms and lightning bugs . I most definitely don't miss the heat and humidity though.

Here is my list of books:

Between Georgia-Joshilyn Jackson

To Kill A Mockingbird-Harper Lee

Garden Spells-Sarah Addison Allen

The Mercy of Thin Air-Ronlyn Domingue

Delta Wedding-Eudora Welty

Maggie is also having a contest to name the place where you live at.I would call here in Oregon's Wilhamette Valley where I live Mossbound.The trees,houses and anything that is stationary for any link of time grows moss so much so that ferns will grow out of tree limbs when the moss is on the limb.

2008-04-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

I am going to participate in this challenge and here are the books I have decided to read.

1.Three Cups of Tea-Greg Mortenson-It is about an American who starts schools for girls in Pakistan and Afganistan.

2.The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson-A true crime drama that happened in the early part of the 20th century at the Chicago Worlds Fair.

3. The Worst Hard Time-I don't know the author but it is about the Great Depression specifically the Dust Bowl Years.

4.Carol Burnett's Autobiography

5.Death in a Prairie House-The Murder of Mamah Chaney at Frank Lloyd Wright's House.

Loving Frank

2008-04-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

I just finished this book Loving Frank. I liked it in the first and got sort of bogged down in the middle but kept on reading and the end for me was unexpected as I didn't know the history behind this man and the tragedy that occurred.
I truly loved this book and would give it **** 4 of 5 stars. I highly recommend it to anyone.
I learned a lot about the history of Frank Lloyd Wright and his views toward architecture and the views toward women at the early part of the 20th century.
I found Mamah to be an intriguing and complex character that I alternately liked and disliked at times in this book.
I recommend if you chose to read this book to go to the author Nancy Horan's web site Loving Frank.She has pictures of the area and the characters in this book.

Reading Now

2008-02-26T13:47:00.001-08:00

I haven't posted here in awhile but books are never far from my mind or my heart. It anyone wants to discuss either Promise Not to Tell or The Vanishing Acts of Esme Lennox or Mermaids in the Basement let me know. I would love to discuss them if anyone wishes to.

I will be the first one to admitt that I am a bookie in that I love all type of books but I am not a Book Snob. I know there are some book bloggers who would dare not stoop to read any of the above titles but that's not me . I am an avid reader of Cozy Mysteries and Beware of False Profits delivered. It takes you to a small Ohio town and you come to like the characters and the town.I think you would enjoy any books by this author. The second book is by Phillip Gully and is A Change of Heart it is a series much like Jan Karon's books where you come to love the community and its quirks and want to revisit often and wish you lived there.The last book is Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson it is a true southern read about the characters that populate my homeland and it is just a fun easy read. I think you would enjoy any of these.

What are your reading now? I would love some or your suggestions on books to read.

Mermaids in the Basement

2008-02-14T14:39:00.001-08:00

I really liked this book. It is a fast, fun southern read that just makes you feel good when you are done.
It made me think of grits, sweet tea and warm Gulf Coast breezes. She captures the feel of the Gulf Coast so well.
It is just a light enjoyable read.

Promise Not To Tell

2008-02-06T08:49:00.001-08:00

On my Rating Scale this was a ***** 5 Star book. I didn't know it I would like it or not but I really enjoyed it a lot.

The author takes a situation which we have all experienced unless we were the popular kid at school and crafted a fast paced, keep you guessing till the end novel.It depicts life in small towns very accurately showing that even if you grow up and leave people still see you as they see your family in the context of that community.

It is also a ghost story of sorts.I really liked this quirky little novel and would recommend it to anyone.

2008-01-30T12:47:00.000-08:00

I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult.I admitt though that some of her books I like more than others. My Sister's Keeper is my favorite so far.This one is good though. I would give it 4 of 5 Stars.
One thing I like about this author is she tackles hard issues that we deal with today.In this book it is teen rape and its affect on the whole family. You don't really know the ending till the ending and it isn't what you would expect.
My Sister's Keeper deals with what happens when you sacrifice one child for another,Nineteen Minutes about school shootings, and Plain Truth about infanticide.
I would highly recommend this author to anyone.
She has a website-Jodi Picoult

Feb. Book Club Selection

2008-01-23T14:34:00.001-08:00

I think The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox will be the first read of the year. I finished it Monday night and I loved it. It is a little quirky but will keep you guessing till the very end. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.Then I think for March {The Rich Part of Life} and for April{Whistling in the Dark}.

I want all of you who read to participate.I love sharing thoughts on books.

Book Winner

2008-01-16T10:25:00.001-08:00

Jan- You are the Winner of the book. Thanks to everyone and I will give away another soon in honor of My 200 th post on the other blog in a couple of days.

New Year /New Books

2008-01-11T12:54:00.000-08:00

I want to start this year off by offering a book giveaway and also maybe renewed interest in this book site. I hope some of you will participate and read along with me this year.

First off I will be offering the book High Noon by Nora Roberts. It was given to me by Angela and I want to pass it on to a reader here. I will draw for it. next Wednesday on the 16th.

I just finished The Magicians Assistant and I found I really enjoyed it . I enjoy most everything she writes.

Here are the books I want to put up for your voting for the book club for this month. I think It might be better if we did this by quarters maybe one book a quarter. What do you think ?. Let me know.

Click on the Title and it will take you to Amazon.

Promise Not To Tell

The Vanishing Acts of Esme Lennox

The Rich Part of Life

Whistling In The Dark.

Vote for you choice in the sidebar.

2008 Books

2007-12-21T14:39:00.000-08:00

These are two are am Presently Reading .

I hope that in 2008 that we can restart this bookclub. I would really like that a lot.I counted and so far this year I have read 37 books.

Here is my tentative list for 2008 subject to many additions of course.I will add links to Amazon for each one over the Holidays when I am off.

A Year of Fog-Michelle Richmond(fiction)

Death at La Fenice-Donna Leon(mystery)

Devil in the White City-Erik Larson(nonfiction)

Between the Tides-Patti Henry(fiction

Ursula Under-Ingrid Hall(fiction)

The Year of Magical Thinking-Joan Diddon(nonfiction)

The Girls-Lori Larsens-( fiction)

The Way The Crow Flies- Anne Marie McDonald(fiction)

Whistling in the Dark-Lesley Kagan(fiction)

Ahab's Wife-Sena Naslund(fiction)

Leaving Church-Barbara Taylor(nonfiction)

Little Big-John Crowley-(fiction)

Pope Joan-Donna Cross(fiction)

We Band of Angels-Elizabeth Norman(nonfiction)

Holy the Firm-Annie Dillard(nonfiction)

Bride Island-Alexandra Enders(fiction)

The Tulip and The Pope-Deborah Larsen-(fiction)

The Rope Walk-Carrie Brown(fiction)

East of Eden-Steinbeck(classic)

To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee(classic)

Torch-Cheryl Srayed-(fiction)

A Northern Light-Jennifer Donnely-(fiction)

Fingersmith-Sarah Waters-(mystery)

The Outermost House-Henry Beston(nonfiction)

In the Time of Butterflies-Julia Alvarez(fiction)

The Forest Lover-Susan Vreeland(fiction)

The Poisonwood Bible-Barbara Kingsolver(fiction)

Broken for You-Stephanie Kallos(fiction)

Middlesex-Jeffery Eugenides-(fiction)

The Worst Hard Time-Timothy Egan(nonfiction)

Love in the time of Chlorea-Gabriel Garcia Marquez(fiction)

The Solace of Leaving Early-Haven Kimmel(fiction)

Deafening-Frances Itani-(fiction)

Suite Francaise-Irene Nemirovsky(fiction)

Death In Holy Orders-P.D. James(mystery)

Current Reads

2007-12-04T15:03:00.000-08:00

These are my current reads.I have been in a reading mood lately and am enjoying reading favorite authors such as Ann Packer and Ann Patchett.
I want to still continue this online book club but there is not much interest right now. Do you all think that after the first of the year when all the Holiday Hoopla is over that it would be a better time. Let me Know and also what you are reading right now.

2007-11-14T14:56:00.000-08:00

This is what the Oregon Coast has looked like this week on Monday I think the winds got to 90 mph.It has felt very wintry this week as you can see the last of the leaves begin to fall . It is hard to believe Thanksgiving is next week. I have to work but will spend the day after hopefully with my hubby.

I went for a job interview for a part time job today . I hate job interviews but they are a part of life. I feel really old when I tell them I have been a nurse for 23 yrs but I guess I am getting old even Donny Osmond is getting old.LOL.

Last Friday The Osmonds were on the Oprah show I watched the show and really enjoyed it. They have such a strong family and faith that is inspiring. Donny said he would be 50 this year and is a grandpa. I remember when I was a tween and had the biggest crush on him. I would eagerly anticipate spending my allowance on Tiger Beat magazine. He turned out the best of my tween crushs. The others were Leif Garrett(who never it seems got past his teen idol status),Scott Baio (who is 45 and still can't committ to a marriage) and Shaun Cassidy(who I know produces films but you never here of him). It was amazing to watch their family and to know that from two parents came 8 kids and of their children there are a 100 grandchildren and their kids.The Osmonds are doing a tour in the UK in 2008 and have already sold it out.

Tonight I will be watching the new season opener of Project Runway. I really like this show and the creativity exhibited in it.

2007-11-14T14:53:00.000-08:00

This is the book that I think we will read for December if everyone is okay with it. I think it is appropriate for the season.This is one I haven't read by one of my favorite Christian authors.Tell me if this is okay with everyone.

November Discussion questions

2007-11-14T14:45:00.000-08:00

Here are the discussion questions for November:
Miles narrates his own story of the summer he was 13, a summer in which he was "ambushed by science, fame and suggestions of the divine"
(1). What is the effect of Miles' narration, and his occasional direct address to the reader, throughout the novel? How does Miles' voice contribute to the reader's sense of his character as "real"? How likeable is he as a narrator?

Miles says, "most people realize the sea covers two thirds of the planet, but few take the time to understand even a gallon of it. … Most people don't want to invest a moment contemplating something like that unless they happen to stroll low tide alone at night with a flashlight and watch life bubble, skitter and spit in the shallows. Then they'll have a hard time not thinking about the beginnings of life itself and of an earth without pavement, plastic or Man" (1,2). In creating a character like Miles, does Lynch seek to make his readers think more like Miles, and less like "most people"?

Is Florence like a surrogate mother to Miles? If not, how would you describe the relationship between them? What does Florence offer that Miles' parents don't? What does Miles offer Florence?

When Miles tells Phelps all about Rachel Carson, including the fact that she was "brave and brilliant," Phelps tells him that he's in love with a spinster who's been dead for decades" (31). Phelps also tells Miles, "You're a freak. . . . Why don't you use all your homo-reading to study something of value to us" . . . "like the G-spot?" (30). What is the basis of the friendship between Miles and Phelps, and why are such conversations between the two (about sex and sea life, mainly) so funny?
Miles has overheard that his parents didn't really want to be parents (44) and that he was a mistake. Why are his parents so incompatible with each other? Why are they so oblivious to Miles and his interests? How does Miles cope with his parents?

When asked by a TV reporter why the giant squid might have ended up in the cove, Miles responds, "‘Maybe the earth is trying to tell us something.'" He then comments, "They liked that a lot. A kid says something like that, and people go ahhh. Offer a plausible explanation and they yawn. Dip into the mystical, especially if you appear to be an unsullied, clearheaded child, and they want to write a song about you" (16). What do these very different insights—one about the earth, and one about people—tell us about Miles?

Considering the sea life Miles observes on any given day—a giant squid (8), an organ-vomiting sea cucumber (56), horny phosphorescent worms (59), a scarred and battered ragfish (59-61), a giant sunflower star (75), moon jellies (131)—does it seem true that we miss something exciting if we don't pay attention to the natural world? If there is an relationship between "science and suggestions of the divine" (1) in the novel, how do they come together, or diverge?
Miles has a knack for rescuing people and creatures: he tries to save the giant squid; he resuscitates Lizzie, a half-drowned retriever; he rescues Phelps when he is stuck in the mud during an incoming tide; he rescues Florence daily with his visits, and he wants nothing more than to rescue Angie from her unhappiness. He also wants to rescue his parents' marriage, but that doesn't seem likely. And, he says "I want to keep my bay, as I knew it, intact" (50). What does this aspect of his character suggest about Miles' future?

Channel 7's story about "the remarkable Olympia boy" makes much of Miles' extraordinary gift for seeing what others don't see, like the invasive Chinese mitten crabs and invasive seaweed Caulerpa (104-08). Florence, too, is able to know what other people can't know, as with her predictions of the earthquake and the tide. What does the novel seem to say about this ability to see or to know what other people can't? Is it a gift, or a particular kind of attention?
According to Miles' mother, Angie Stegner has "gone public" with her craziness (18), which her father later tells Miles is bipolar disorder (111). This knowledge doesn't change Miles' feelings for Angie at all. What do his memories of Angie as his babysitter tell us about the basis of their bond (79-80)? What is most interesting, or funny, about Miles' conversation with Angie in Chapter 12?

In what ways does Miles seem older than his years? What particular observations or actions demonstrate his unusual level of maturity?

Some of the explanations given for the strange events occurring in the Sound that summer are winds, weather, global warming and human actions. Miles says, "People lost interest once the explanations rolled in. Some even got angry, as if scientists were determined to squeeze the magic out of everything" (243). Given people's desire to fix on the mystical explanations for environmental events rather than the rational ones, how likely does it seem that people will take responsibility for actions that have an environmental impact? How do the media, in the novel, feed this irrational response?

In his conversation with Carolyn, in front of a large audience, Miles quotes from Rachel Carson: "If there is poetry in my book about the sea it is not because I deliberately put it there but because no one could write truthfully about the sea and leave out poetry" (163). Is Miles a poet as well, when he talks about the sea? Is he a natural teacher?

Near the end of his story Miles says, "in the space of a summer I'd learned that everything was changing, including me. I grew six inches during the next ten months, then my voice dropped and tiny Miles O'Malley slipped away" (242). How has Miles changed during the summer, and why? How well has he dealt with such painful events has his parents' separation and Florence's death? How optimistic is Miles about his future?

In the novel's final scene, Miles and Angie are in her canoe on the flood tide, and Miles again quotes from Rachel Carson: "For all at last return to the sea—to Oceanus, the ocean river, like the ever-flowing stream of time, the beginning and the end" (245). Angie tells Miles that she and the sea will wait for him. In what ways is this scene symbolic? What possible interpretations does it suggest?

Suggested reading: Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire; William Broad, The Universe Below; Rachel Carson, The Sea Around Us; The Edge of the Sea; Under the Sea-Wind; Silent Spring; Frank Conroy, Stop Time; Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek; Loren Eiseley, The Unexpected Universe; Richard Elllis, The Search for the Giant Squid; David Guterson, Our Lady of the Forest; Ernest Hemingway, The Nick Adams Stories; Ken Kesey, Sometimes a Great Notion; Jonathan Raban, A Sea and Its Meanings: Passage to Juneau; Brady Udall, The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint

2007-11-08T14:47:00.000-08:00

I have been working a lot and reading a lot of late. When you are ready to discuss The Highest Tide let me know and I will post discussion questions and we will share our views on this book.

I have been spending way too much time at these two booklovers sites Shelfari and Paperback Swap I encourage you to check them both out but you will find way more books to add to your reading list like I do each time I visit.

The Books I am currently about to read are Book 2 and 3 of the Twilight series.

Until next time, peace y'all

2007-10-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

I have just finished reading All the Numbers it was a very gripping book about the tragic loss of a son and how the mother deals with it. It was a quick read and I would give it four out of 5 stars. I am now going to read Oystercatchers as recommended by Jennifer. It looks to be a good one too.

It seems that there isn't a lot of interest in the book club. I wish there were. I still am going to continue this blog as a way to showcase my love of books and the written word. I still would love to discuss books with others so feel free to comment anytime. If you still want to continue to the bookclub let me know. Do you think with the holidays coming up that we need to only do one book for the next three months. Let me know.

November Books

2007-10-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

First I will share my thoughts on Astrid and Veronika and then I will tell you which books we will be reading next.

What led me to orginally pick up this book was the photo on the cover of the berries. I am a very visual person and the photo pulled me in.

What I like most about this book was the relationship between the two women. It struck a cord with me that you can find family in maNy unexpected places especially when you have walked or are walking similar paths. I guess this really hit home with me because of the loss of BOTH my parents in the past five years.I did not find the subject matter that depressing but found hope in the bonds the two women shared.

I really like both of the main characters but especially the older lady when she begins to behave like a young woman again.I think within each of us as we age resides the child we once were.

I enjoyed this book because it kept you going and made you wonder about the characters and how they had reached the same point in their life and how they found hope to go forward from each other.

I think since it was tie for the next books that we will go with The Highest Tide for November and To kill a Mockingbird for December and then maybe since it was a tie with The Highest Tide read A Year of Magical Thinking for Jan. 2008.
I so want all of you to participate and make suggestions. Please.I love hearing of new books to read and new authors to explore.
I have just finished Consumption by Kevin Patterson and I loved this book it was set in the Artic on Hudson Bay and explores how this culture in one generaton changed due to influx of the West and its effect on one family and also visibly paints a picture of the beauty of the Far North.I also enjoyed (now don't laugh) but Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I had seen this series for teens hyped on lots of blogs and thought I would see what it was about and I got hooked too. I was an easy fun read around this time of year when ghouls and goblins are about.

Back Soon

2007-10-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

I have had to work a lot this past week but will Post next month's selections and the last of the questions for this month either Thursday night or Friday as I am off three days after today.

2007-10-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

Here are the second set of questions. I hope you will respond again as you did before. I really enjoyed all the comments as did everyone reading I am sure.
It looks to be a run off for the next book between The Highest Tide and a Year of Magical Thinking and between A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and To Kill a Mockingbird for the classic book. One more day left to vote.

What did you think of Astrid’s confession regarding the death of her child?
Were you able to understand her actions?

Did knowing this about her past affect the way you felt about her? What do you think Astrid expected Veronika’s reaction would be to her story?
Was Astrid taking a risk in telling her? Why do you think Veronika reacts in the way she does?
Veronika feels very guilty about the death of her fiancé and agonizes over what she could have done differently that day to prevent his death. Why do you think she feels so guilty?

When Astrid tries on the floral swimsuit during Veronika’s birthday “outing,” the women burst out into laughter. (p. 85). Why do the women find this moment so hysterically funny?

How does this day, Veronika’s birthday, serve as a turning point in the novel?
After her husband dies, Astrid says to Veronika , “There was nothing more to be afraid of. . . . It was never about him. It was about me” (p.167).What does she mean by this?

Do One Thing Every Day that Scares YOU-Eleanor Roosevelt.

2007-09-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

Here are the first questions for you to think about over the weekend.I hope you will leave your answers in the comments.I eagerly anticipate your responses!!!
1.Astrid has been solitary for so long. Why, then, do you think she is drawn to Veronika, essentially a stranger, and then later allows herself to open up to her so freely?
2.The houses in the novel serve almost as characters. The author describes Astrid’s house as “dark and warm . . . It was an organic part of her and its shapes were ingrained in her body” (p. 9). Discuss how the author uses the houses in the novel. What is the importance of a home in our lives? How does our house/living space define us? What do you think your house/living space says about you?
3.Astrid’s mother committed suicide when Astrid was six-years-old; Veronika’s mother left when Veronika was a child. Talk about the theme of the “absent mother” and how it influences the book?

Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourses of my book friends. They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness.~ Helen Keller

Please note the New Polls in Sidebar. Only 3 people voted the last time and I decided to extend it for a little while longer. Please Vote!!!
The Last Poll The Highest Tide won and also A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions so far.
Elizabeth Gilbert will on the Oprah show on 10/2 I believe I am TIVOing it. I really enjoyed this book the summer of 06.
Next week is Buy a Friend a Book week. What book what you buy a friend? I would buy A Gift From Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Eat, Pray , Love in the Nonfiction relm.In the Fiction Relm it would be very hard but maybe My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult or The Highest Tide.

2007-09-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

So, this is my question ?Do you need the light just right, the background noise just so , the chair just right, the distractions at a minimum?
Or can you open a book at any time and dip right in, whether it’s for twenty seconds, while waiting for the kettle to boil, or indefinitely, like while waiting interminably at the hospital–as long as the book is open in front of your nose, you’re happy to read?
I hope everyone is enjoying the book so far. I would like everyone who wants to to give us 2-3 Suggestions for books for the coming months and then we will vote by poll for the next months books. I like the idea of throwing in a classic book occasionally like those by Jane Austen, John Steinbeck etc. just for variety.I hope all of you will be thinking of books to suggest . I value everyones input. I want this to be fun and all participatory for everyone.I will give everyone about 2-3 weeks to finish the book or longer if needed and then will post the first discussion questions.Thanks to Jennifer S for suggesting the idea of the poll .
I hope you will all leave a comment on the above question.

October Book

2007-09-11T12:26:00.001-07:00

I think for October we will read Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson. I think that after this month we will vote on what we want to read and decided by that method. If anyone knows how to link directly to Amazon please let me know and I will be glad to do this as I tried and couldn't get it to work.

I think this is a good book to start with because it is not very long and is set in Beautiful place in Scandinavia. This little book has lots to teach about friendships between young and old and lessons to be learned.

Please check out the reviews on Amazon of this book and let me know what you think!

2007-09-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

I have always loved reading and since childhood you can usually find me with a book in my hand. I am one of those people who have one in the car, purse, bathroom, bedroom, etc so I am never without something to read.

I have always wanted to participate in a book club but traditional ones are hard for me to attend because of my work schedule working 12 hours shifts so I thought this might be a better alternative.

Here are my suggestions for the first month but any others would be welcome. I think that we who want to participate could decide on a book and then take about a month to read it and discuss it along the way.

Snow Flower and The Secret Fan by Lisa See

The Birth House by Ami Mckay

Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson

Please weigh in with suggestions or comments.

"Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes that day happier"-Kathleen Norris