Books Read in March

Wow, March seemed to go by in a flash!  And, oddly enough, it came in like a lamb, with 80 degree weather, and went out like a lion this week, with temperatures in the 30's at night and high winds.  I love seeing the bursts of color everywhere and am looking forward to April.

In March, I read:

• Irises by Francisco X. Stork, a teen/YA novel.
• The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender, a unique novel I read for our library's book discussion.
• An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, a teen/YA novel and my first John Green, finally!
• The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, a hilarious childhood memoir by Bill Bryson.
• Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood, a middle-grade novel set in Mississippi in the 60's.
• Falling Together by Marisa De los Santos, a novel listened to on audio.

So, a total of six books - that seems to be my usual monthly achievement!  I read/listened to 2 adult novels, 1 memoir, 2 teen/YA novels, and a middle-grade novel so that was a nice mix. I'm a bit behind in reviews but hope to catch up over spring break.

My favorite?  Tough call, but I think I enjoyed The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid the most, though The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake was a close second.

As for my 2012 Reading Challenges, I added 5 new states to my Where Are You Reading list: California, Texas, Mississippi, Iowa, Pennsylvania and added a second book set in Tennessee.  I didn't read any new dystopian novels this month, but I did read my first memoir of the year for the Memorable Memoirs Challenge.  For the 12 in '12 Challenge, I added one more book (for a total of 3 so far) from my TBR shelf, all 3 recommended by my husband.  It's clear I should have listened to him and read these long ago!  And I finally added one title to the What's In a Name Challenge: something you'd see in the sky (thunderbolt).  I was starting to wonder if I'd ever make progress on that one!

How was your reading month in March? What were your favorites?

It's Monday 4/2! What Are Your Reading?

Wow, April already.  Funny thing is that it felt like spring in early March and now it feels almost wintry again!  March came in like a lamb and went out like a lion this year!

Very busy week with school stuff, soccer starting, spring break preparations, plus dealing with my younger son's knee injury (still waiting for MRI results to hear how bad it is).  As always, though, our books provided a little respite from the chaos.  Here's what we're reading:

• I finished - and thoroughly enjoyed - Bill Bryson's memoir of growing up in the 50's, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid.  Interesting and very entertaining.
• I also finished (finally) my audio book, Falling Together by Marisa De los Santos, and enjoyed that one, too.
• I started a new audio, the middle-grade novel Leisl and Po by Lauren Oliver.  So far, it is reminding me a bit in tone and story of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (which is obviously a compliment!).
• Next, I read another middle-grade novel, Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood, set in 1964 in Mississippi.  It's a young girl's view of the civil rights battles going on in her small town; it was very good.
• I am now reading The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart for my neighborhood book group.  It's very good so far, quite amusing.  I waited too long to start it (again!), so I have a lot of reading to do before Wednesday!
• My husband, Ken, is reading Black Hills by Dan Simmons, a historical novel set in the Black Hills region of South Dakota.  Besides being a good novel so far, this book has special significance for Ken because part of his family lives in that area, which he has visited frequently since he was a kid.  We are thinking of going back this summer.
• On his Kindle during our son's many medical appointments this week, Ken has been reading The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman.  I may have to borrow his Kindle so I can read this one!
• Jamie, 17, finished re-reading The Books of Umber trilogy by P.W. Catanese and moved onto re-reading the Tunnels series by Brian James Williams and Roderick Gordon.  He has read Book 1: Tunnels, Book 2: Deeper, and is now reading Book 3: Freefall.  These are each over 600 pages long!  I read - and enjoyed - Tunnels but have never found the time to tackle the rest of the series.  Jamie says it just gets better and better.
• For his World Lit class, Jamie is reading An Ordinary Man, an autobiography of Paul Rusesabagina, the book that inspired the movie Hotel Rwanda.  I really want to read this one when he is done with it.  
• Craig, 14, is reading more than usual because his injury is keeping him off his feet (but he is still going stir-crazy!).  He finished The Voyage of the Frog by Gary Paulsen.
• With the end of the marking period behind him, Craig went back to continue the longer novel he'd started a few weeks ago, Night of the Soul Stealer by Joseph Delaney, Book 3 of The Last Apprentice series.

I posted one review last week, the teen/YA novel An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.  I also posted lists of the Top Ten Books I'd Like to Play Hooky With and Top Ten Kids/Teen Books I'd Like to Play Hooky With.

And, finally, I am looking for audio book suggestions for our upcoming family road trip and would love to hear your recommendations!

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, with a kids/teen version hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.)

Top Ten Books I'd Play Hooky With

It's Tuesday and that means it's Top Ten day over at The Broke and the Bookish.  Stop by their blog to read all of the great lists this week!


Today's topic is Top Ten Books On My Shelf I'd Like to Play Hooky With.  This is an easy one for me!  My TBR shelves are always overflowing.  And the thought of it - an entire day with nothing to do but read! - just makes my heart go pitter-patter.  Maybe someday...

In the meantime I can dream.  Here are the Top Ten Books On My Shelf I'd Like to Play Hooky With:

• Freedom by Jonathan Franzen - I've been meaning to read this for ages, but it is a long one.
• The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern - I bought this for my mom for Christmas, and she loved it and lent it to me (the best kind of gift!)
• Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks - a Christmas gift from my husband; I love Brooks' novels.
• Time and Again by Jack Finney - another Christmas gift from my hubby - I love time travel plots!
• Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand - my personal hero, since she became a best-selling writer while suffering with the same illness I have - this one has been on my shelf since LAST Christmas!
• The Lost Girls by Jennifer Baggett, Holly Corbett & Amanda Pressner - a memoir about travel - perfect for me.
• Emma by Jane Austen - yes, I STILL haven't read any Austen!
• 11/22/63 by Stephen King - dying to read this but it is a big commitment at almost 900 pages!
• The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver - recommended by pretty much everyone I know.
• Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford - the choice for our New Castle Country Reads program for April, I'm hoping to get to this one soon.

How about you?  What book(s) would you grab if you could play hooky for a day and do nothing but read?

(If you'd like to see my list of Top Ten Kids/Teen/YA Books I Want to Play Hooky With, check out Great Books for Kids and Teens.)

It's Monday 3/26! What Are You Reading?

What a rollercoaster week! My older son is finally doing a bit better (he's been incapacitated from his treatment for Lyme disease) and started back to school part-time last week.  He was even able to have his two best friends over this weekend, so we were all in high spirits!  Then, my younger son hurt his knee running around the yard and ended up in the ER for hours last night.  No diagnosis yet - Ortho can't see him until tomorrow - but it seems pretty severe.  The worst part?  Soccer season begins today, and Craig was so excited to be "playing up" on the high school-age team with his brother.  He's exhausted today and also pretty bummed out.

So, for the first time in months, Jamie is actually in school, and Craig is the one lying here on the couch.  I may never be alone in the house again!

Thank goodness for books to help distract us!  Last week, we read:

• I am still reading Bill Bryson's childhood memoir, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, and loving it.  It is highly entertaining, educational, and often laugh-out-loud funny.
• I am still listening to Marisa De los Santos's novel Falling Together.  I'm enjoying it, but it takes forever to listen to an audio book when you can only manage 10-minute increments!
• My husband, Ken, finished Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian yesterday and really liked it.  I'm not sure what he is starting next - probably something on his Kindle after all those hours in the ER last night.
• Jamie, 17, finished re-reading The Magician of Hoad by Margaret Mahy.  He enjoyed it but said that Maddigan's Fantasia is still his favorite of Mahy's novels.
• Next, Jamie decided to re-read a favorite trilogy, The Books of Umber by P.W. Catanese, starting with Book 1, Happenstance Found, then Book 2, Dragon Games, and he is now reading Book 3, The End of Time.
• Craig, 14, read The Voyage of the Frog by Gary Paulsen, a sailing adventure that was right up his alley!

I didn't have any time for writing reviews last week, but I hope to catch up this week.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, with a kids/teen version hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.)

Saturday Snapshot 3/24

At Home with Books hosts Saturday Snapshot. I took this photo last weekend, while camping at Elk Neck State Park in Maryland.

Early season views of the Elk River, looking toward the Chesapeake Bay

Hope you are enjoying a nice weekend!

It's Monday 3/19! What Are You Reading?

We enjoyed a wonderful weekend camping at nearby Elk Neck State Park in Maryland - the first time we've had our pop-up camper out of the garage in a full year!  It was just a little 24-hour getaway, but it was so nice to be outdoors (and away from the to-do lists!) in this glorious spring-like weather - we walked to the beach, enjoyed our favorite "dinner in foil" camping meal, sat around the campfire and ate s'mores....and of course, relaxed with our books!

Here's what we read this week:

• I finished The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender, an unusual novel - I enjoyed both reading it and discussing it with my library's book group.  You can check out my review here.
• While at the library for the book discussion, I stopped by the YA section and finally - finally! - found a John Green novel to read, An Abundance of Katherines.  Thanks to all of you who've been telling me for years what a great writer Green is.  I know this isn't even one of his top, award-winning novels, but I enjoyed it very much.
• Now, I am reading Bill Bryson's hilarious memoir, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, which has been waiting on my TBR shelf for years and recommended by my husband.  It's wonderful so far!
• My husband, Ken, is reading Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian, based on my recommendation, after I read it for my neighborhood book group a couple of weeks ago.  He's enjoying it.
• Jamie, 17, had another long sick week, so he had lots of reading time.  He finished Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card (for the second time) and loved it.  He recommended it this weekend to Craig's friend who came camping with us.  Jamie and I are both anxiously awaiting Book 2, Ruins, due to be released in October.
• To Jamie's delight, Book 2 of the Beyonders series arrived from the publisher mid-week, so he first re-read Book 1, A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull, then quickly moved onto Book 2, Seeds of Rebellion.  He says it was amazing! (see the photo of him enjoying the book while we were camping).
• Now, Jamie is re-reading The Magician of Hoad by Margaret Mahy.  He wanted to start with her earlier novel, Maddigan's Fantasia, but after a thorough search, we figured out that he'd lent it to a friend years ago and never got it back.  This is one of Jamie's all-time favorite authors!
• Craig, 14, is reading Book 3 of The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney, Night of the Soul Stealer.  He's enjoying this series.

Last week, I posted reviews of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender and a teen/YA novel, Irises by Francisco X. Stork.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, with a kid/teen version at Teach Mentor Texts.)

Jamie enjoying Beyonders during our camping weekend.

Fiction Review: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

Unusual, unique, bizarre, strange, weird.  When I went to my local library’s book discussion on The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender, these were just a few of the words used to describe the novel.  The group of about eight women was split on whether or not they liked the novel; it seems that people either love it or hate it.  I was one of the ones who loved it.

At 9 years old, Rose discovers that she can taste the emotions of the cook in the food that she eats when her mother bakes her a special lemon cake with chocolate frosting (from scratch!) for her birthday, and she is so overwhelmed with a sense of despair when she eats a piece that she can’t bear to eat more.  OK, so now you understand why this book is described as unusual, right?  But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  Rose’s older brother, Joseph, has problems of his own, also of the unusual variety, that Rose doesn’t understand until she is much older.  Although it’s not apparent from the inside cover blurb, the novel is as much about Joseph as it is about Rose, though it is told from Rose’s perspective.

At its heart, despite its novelties, this novel is about family relationships.  Rose’s “talent” means that she learns far more than she wants to know about not only her family but strangers as well.  For instance, learning that her cheerful, loving mother is depressed and feels hollow inside is a tough thing for a 9-year old girl to deal with.  Even the school cafeteria is fraught with danger for Rose, as eating food prepared by an angry food service employee leaves her with anger she can neither control or easily get rid of.

Rose finds ways to deal with her “special talent,” but she also learns it’s best to keep it secret, so she grows up in a fairly isolated existence, making her family even more important to her.  Her mother adores Joseph, but he obviously has some serious problems of his own that keep him at arm’s length from the rest of his family.  As Rose grows up, she learns more about her brother and herself – and tries not to learn too much about her parents through their cooking.

I was surprised to find that the author focused almost as much attention on Joseph as she did on Rose in this novel, and I didn’t understand why until the very end.  Some questions are never answered, but there is a satisfying conclusion – and some hope – for Rose.  I was able to suspend disbelief and just accept Rose’s strange talent, but the bizarre problems of Rose and her brother were just too weird for some readers.  I think it is best to go into this novel understanding that it is unusual so that you can focus on the wonderful writing and the emotional depth of the story and its characters.  I am glad to have met Rose and grateful that I can enjoy my food with taking on the emotions of the cook, though it does make me wonder what my family would taste in my cooking.

292 pages, Doubleday

 P.S. One of the women in the book discussion brought in a lemon cake with chocolate frosting to share, as long as we promised not to read her emotions from it! 

It's Monday 3/12! What Are You Reading?

Happy Monday!  We had a more relaxing weekend than usual, with some of the deadlines (and pressure) for financial aid for college behind us.  Not that there isn't more we have to do, but the big-pressure items are taken care of.  And this weather is fabulous!!  Supposed to be in the mid-70's most of the week here.  It's very early for such warm temperatures, but I'm not complaining!

We all enjoyed lots of good reading this week:

• I finished a teen/YA novel, Irises by Francisco X. Stork (author of Marcelo in the Real World) last week - it was very good, though not quite as exemplary as Marcelo.
• I am now reading a novel that's been on my TBR list for a while, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender.  Our local library's lunchtime book group is discussing it this week - a perfect excuse for me to read a book I've heard so many good things about.  I'm enjoying it very much (might finish it today), though it is a bit different than I expected.  I'm very interested to see how it ends.
• My husband, Ken, finished Divergent by Veronica Roth, a teen dystopian novel that my son and I both enjoyed.  He enjoyed the story but thought that aspects of the society described were unrealistic (I agree).
• Next, Ken decided to read the book I just finished, Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian, before we have to return it to the library.  I loved the novel set at the end of World War II.  This is Ken's first Bohjalian.
• Thankfully, Jamie, 17, got his requested book from the library very quickly last week!  Within a couple of days, he had finished the 517-page The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima (A Seven Realms novel).  He says this is a great series.  He is tortured by the fact that the next book is not due out until October!
• Next, Jamie decided to reread a favorite of mine and his, Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card.  As with the first reading, he says it is extremely thought-provoking and wonderfully complex.  We are both anxiously awaiting book two (another one not due to be released until October!).
• Craig, 14, was having trouble getting into the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan, so he switched books and is now reading Book 3 in The Last Apprentice series, Night of the Soul Stealer, by Joseph Delaney. He enjoyed Books One and Two recently.

I posted two new reviews last week: Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian and a middle-grade sci fi sequel, The Whisper by Emma Clayton.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  A kids/teen version is hosted by Teach Mentor Text.)

Snapshot Saturday 3/10

At Home with Books hosts Saturday Snapshot.   I took this photo yesterday:

The first crocuses!  Spring is on the way.

I loved seeing this sign of spring, though it seems that allergy season is also upon us, after this very mild winter!

Fiction Review: Skeletons at the Feast

I have read quite a few of Chris Bohjalian’s novels.  I absolutely loved The Double Blind and enjoyed Midwives a few months ago.  I thought Before You Know Kindness was just mediocre, though.  So, I was hopeful when my neighborhood book group chose Bohjalian’s Skeletons at the Feast for our February selection.  This novel set at the end of World War II was completely different from any of his other books but with his typical writing talents shining through.

Skeletons at the Feast is one of those novels where the story is told from multiple points of view, most of which eventually come together.  In this case, the reader sees the end of the war and the revelation of the Holocaust through several very different characters.  One of those perspectives is that of a Jewish man who has escaped from a train bound for one of the concentration camps and has spent the past two years surviving by wearing the uniforms of various dead soldiers and hiding in plain sight.

Contrasting that, and perhaps most surprising, is the perspective of an ordinary German family.  With the father and older sons off fighting the war on the eastern front against the Russians, the mother, teen daughter, and younger son are forced to flee their ancestral family home in northern Poland (then a part of Germany) as the Russian army advanced.  They are good people who have Jewish friends, but they are startlingly unaware of what is happening to Jews under Hitler’s command.  They feel pride in their German heritage and are just trying to survive.

Complicating matters is the family’s Scottish POW, Callum, who was moved from a work farm to help on their family farm when their sons had to leave to fight the war.  Callum and Anna, the eighteen-year old daughter, have secretly fallen in love.  Other characters move in and out of the story, including a young Jewish woman struggling to stay hopeful and survive in a concentration camp.  All of these characters come together in a mass exodus, as the brutal Russians approach from the east.

I knew nothing at all about this aspect of World War II – the varied refugees marching slowly westward, starving, freezing, and facing pockets of soldiers bent on killing them at the end of the war.  I had also never considered the plight of ordinary German citizens who hadn’t done anything wrong but whose whole national identity had been destroyed without their knowledge.  So, for me, this was a fascinating historical novel, written by an excellent author.

My book group was oddly split about this novel.  Most of us loved it and rated it between 8 and 10 (on a 10-point scale), but a few people disliked it and one didn’t even finish it.  Those who didn’t enjoy the novel cited too many different perspectives, including some that were not central to the story, or simply a sort of weariness of novels set during World War II.  One person thought that both the violence and the romance in the novel were too graphic.  Despite the differing views (or perhaps because of them!), we had an excellent discussion about the book, covering many varied topics.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel that combined historical fiction with a bit of romance. I always enjoy books where disparate characters’ stories eventually come together in unexpected ways; I guess I like that bit of serendipity.  I also like books that make me think about things from a different perspective, and this novel definitely did that.

400 pages, Broadway

It's Monday 3/5! What Are You Reading?

Monday already?  I am soooo tired this morning - I could barely get out of bed.  But here I am, up and alert and ready to go....well, I'm up anyway.

We all had a great reading week:

• Believe it or not, I managed to finish Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian in time for my book group meeting on Wednesday...well, I actually finished the last few pages during my book group meeting!  I loved the book - set in Germany in 1945 - and will post a review this week.
• Next I started a teen/YA novel, Irises by Francisco X. Stork (author of Marcelo in the Real World).  I'm almost finished with it and have enjoyed it.
• My husband, Ken, started Divergent by Veronica Roth, a teen dystopian novel that my son and I both enjoyed - I love when we share books in our family!
• Jamie, 17, read like crazy last week, including several huge bricks that I brought home from the library for him.  In preparation, he reread The Demon King, Book One of the Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima.  Then he read Book Two, The Exiled Queen.  He is loving this series so much that he begged me to request Book Three from the library and has been asking me hourly if it is in yet!
• Since he couldn't read Book Three yet, he read another library book I got him, The Lost Hero, Book One in Rick Riordan's new series, The Heroes of Olympus.  He said it was excellent, building on the Percy Jackson series with some of the same characters but with the addition of Roman gods.
• Craig, 14, finished his Hardy Boys book and started the first book in the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan, The Ruins of Gorlan.
• Craig's English class is reading an excerpt from The Diary of Anne Frank in school, so we talked about that this weekend.

I wasn't feeling well most of last week, so I struggled to manage much writing time.  I posted one review this weekend, The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore, a teen sci fi novel.  I also posted a summary of Books Read in February.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, and a kidlit version is hosted at Teach Mentor Texts.)

Saturday Snapshot 3/3

At Home with Books hosts Saturday Snapshot.  I don't usually have time for blogging on weekends, but I wasn't feeling well today so I have been trying to take it easy and relax with my laptop!

I haven't taken many photos lately (except the beach one which I've already posted here twice!), so I went outside and took this one especially for this purpose:

Snowdrops: A Hint of Better Things to Come on a Cold, Dreary Day

Spring is just around the corner.  Hope you are enjoying the weekend!

Books Read in February

February was a little longer than usual this year, but it still seemed to go by quickly.  I am quite happy to say good-bye to February, since we had a lot of illness in our house and a good dose of cabin fever, despite the good weather!  Lately, I have felt like books have saved my sanity, providing an escape into other worlds when my own world seems too exhausting, chaotic, and overwhelming.

So, despite its many lows, February was a great reading month for me!  I read:

• The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore, a teen audio novel
• The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos, a novel read for one of my book groups
• The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin, a teen novel
• Breathless by Dean Koontz, a mystical, magical novel
• The Whisper by Emma Clayton, a middle-grade sci fi sequel
• Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian, a World War II novel read for my other book group

It was an all-fiction month, and I enjoyed all of these novels.  I finished one audio and enjoyed a nice mix of 3 kids/teen books and 3 adult novels.  I think my favorite was the one I just finished last night, Skeletons at the Feast, though Breathless was a close second.  And it looks like I am falling behind on my reviews, so I will try to post some soon.

As for my 2012 Reading Challenges, I added 4 new states and 2 new countries to my Where Are You Reading 2012 Challenge - Colorado, Idaho (ooh, good one!), New York, Tennessee, England (London), and Germany.  I added one dystopian novel - The Whisper - for a total of 2 so far for my Dystopian Challenge.  For my 12 in 2012 Challenge, I read two books from my TBR shelf, both recommended by my husband:  The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love and Breathless.  I still haven't read any memoirs yet this year, so I will try to fit one in this month.

What were your favorite books read in February?

It's Monday 2/27! What Are You Reading?

Getting a slow start this morning, but I see bright sunshine and two of our four family members are off to school/work, so that's a good start!  Wow, what a weekend.  After a week with both of our sons home sick, I was feeling a bit stir-crazy and desperate for some quiet solitude, so I just left on Friday! 

Some friends loaned me their beach condo for a quiet getaway, and I drove down there to spend 24 hours on my own, taking care of no one but myself.  It was....weird, but good.  It took me a while to actually relax, but the downtime was a welcome respite.  What a strange world where doing dishes takes only two minutes (wash 1 plate, wash 1 fork), and I can do anything I want!  I got 3 hours of audio book time on the way there and back.  I didn't do as much reading as I'd planned because I stopped at the library on my way and picked up the entire 7-hour mini-series of Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth, which I read and loved last summer.  I didn't watch the entire series (still have 2 episodes to go), but it was fun to just lie on the couch and escape into the story!

Of course, I returned home to all the same stuff - messy house, sick kids, long to-do list - and spent the rest of the weekend working on some urgent things with looming deadlines, but the time away definitely helped.

So, here's what we read last week:

• I finished middle-grade novel The Whisper by Emma Clayton, sequel to The Roar which my son and I both loved.  I think the first book was a bit better, but this novel provided a satisfying ending.
• Yesterday, I finally started to read Skeletons at the Feast, a novel set in 1945 Europe by Chris Bohjalian, my neighborhood book group's choice for this month.  We meet on Wednesday, so I am afraid there is virtually no chance I can finish this 360-page novel before our discussion.  Since Bohjalian is known for his surprise endings, this could be trouble - I may have to lock myself in the bathroom for part of our discussion.  Damn that 7-hour mini-series!
• I am listening to an audio book, Falling Together by Marisa De los Santos. I enjoyed reading her earlier novel, Love Walked In, and am enjoying this one so far, too. It was fun to lose myself in the story during my drive this weekend, instead of my usual routine of listening in 10-minutes spurts.
• My husband, Ken, is still reading an e-book, Big Lake by Nick Russell, on his Kindle Fire, and Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman, a hardcover novel.
• Jamie, 17, is almost finished with Timeline by Michael Crichton, one of my favorites of Crichton's many exciting novels.  Despite several sick days last week, his reading has slowed down because he's hooked on a video game!  With his brother also home sick last week, they played non-stop (one of the things I was eager to escape from!)
• Craig, 14, is reading The Secret of Pirates Hill, a classic Hardy Boys book and is enjoying the familiar, fast-paced mystery.

I posted two new reviews last week: Breathless by Dean Koontz, a unique and mystical story very different from his horror novels, and The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin, a teen/YA novel about a wilderness reform school that I enjoyed.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, and a kidlit version is hosted at Teach Mentor Texts.) 

Quiet Solitude at the Beach

Fiction Review: Breathless

Years ago, back when I read mostly suspense and thrillers, I read lots and lots of Dean Koontz books; most of them dealt with scary, horrific themes, populated by psychotic or paranormal characters who wreaked havoc on the world around them.  My husband recently read a newer Koontz novel, Breathless, and told me, “You have to read this book. I know you’ll love it.” He was right! 

Breathless is wholly unique, different from other Koontz novels I’ve read.  It is mystical, magical, and thought provoking. When I asked my husband what the novel was about, he said, “Um…I really can’t tell you much or it will give it away.”  He was right about that, and I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprises in this book for anyone else, so I will try to tell you just a little about it.

There are many different characters in Breathless, and the book begins with each chapter following the life of a different character. You get the sense immediately that their stories will somehow come together at some point, but you can’t see how for a long time. Grady Adams walks through a park in the Colorado mountains with his big, lovable dog, Merlin, and comes upon an amazing sight. Cammy Rivers, a veterinarian, is called out to investigate some very unusual animal behaviors.  Meanwhile, Henry Rouvroy drives to visit his long-estranged twin brother.  In Las Vegas, a scientist who specializes in chaos theory goes from one casino to the next, raking in big winnings, with some unusual ideas on what to do with them.  Out in California, a homeless man who has spent much of his life drunk and stoned suddenly sets out on a determined quest. 

The reader is introduced to these characters – and more – one at a time, and their stories gradually develop.  True to form, Koontz does include a couple of psychopaths, though it’s hard to see how their stories will intertwine with the rest. Gradually, bit by bit, Koontz pulls you in, making you care about the characters and introducing some very mystical events that have a dramatic impact on them.  There is ample suspense, which you’d expect from a Koontz novel, but also philosophical musings, which I didn’t expect.  I found myself marking pages and writing down quotes, on topics as diverse as hope, despair, and the process of scientific discovery.  At the very end, when things finally do all come together, I felt satisfied and enlightened, filled with wonder and thoughts of what might be possible. 

394 pages, Bantam Books

P.S. Do NOT read the Booklist review of Breathless, posted on amazon.com - the reviewer not only gives away all of the surprises in the book, taking away that wonderful feeling of discovery, but also totally misses the point of the novel. In fact, don't read any other reviews - I noticed that almost all of them give away too much! This is a novel that is best discovered bit by bit, as intended.

It's Monday 2/20! What Are You Reading?

Whew, what an exhausting weekend after a busy week!  I drove Jamie and I to see our Lyme doctor in New Jersey (about 90 minutes away) on Friday.  Our younger son was in an all-day Academic Quiz Bowl Saturday (he did well and had a great time!), and we had a few friends over last night for a little Mardi Gras celebration.  We usually have a bigger party (we used to live in New Orleans), but with Jamie and I so sick lately, we decided to stick to a smaller, simpler gathering - just a few close friends who also used to live in New Orleans - you know, the kind of friends you don't have to clean the house for!

Despite the busy week, we all enjoyed our books:

• This weekend, I finished Breathless by Dean Koontz - my husband was right - I loved it!  It is mystical and surprising and thought-provoking...not your typical Koontz novel.
• As soon as I finished, I immediately picked up a middle-grade novel I've been wanting to read, The Whisper by Emma Clayton, sequel to The Roar which my son and I both loved.
• I finished listening to The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore, the teen sequel to I Am Number Four.  I wasn't thrilled with the audio, but it's a good story.
• I started a new audio, Falling Together by Marisa De los Santos. I enjoyed reading her earlier novel, Love Walked In, and am enjoying this one so far, too.
• My husband, Ken, is still reading an e-book, Big Lake by Nick Russell, on his Kindle Fire, though I think he is spending much more time playing Solitaire and surfing the web than reading!
• Ken is also still in the middle of Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman, a hardcover novel.
• Jamie, 17, is still reading Timeline by Michael Crichton, one of my favorites of Crichton's many exciting novels.  He's enjoying it very much.
• Jamie also finished his World Lit assignment, To Live by Yu Hua, a Chinese novel.  He said it wasn't too bad, for school reading, though it was sad.
• Craig, 14, started Found, Book 1 of The Missing by Margaret Haddix Peterson, and realized his 5th grade teacher read it aloud to the class (which means he's already taken the AR test), so he had to switch to another book.  He was in the mood for a some comfort reading, a classic Hardy Boys book, so I brought a stack back from the library for him to choose from.  He settled on The Secret of Pirates Hill.

 Last week, I posted a review of The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos plus two lists for Valentine's Day: Top Ten Books That Broke My Heart and Top Ten Kids/Teen Books That Broke My Heart.  I also posted my own little homage to A Wrinkle In Time's 50th Anniversary.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, and a kidlit version is hosted at Teach Mentor Texts.)

Fiction Review: The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love

One of my book groups met this week to discuss The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos, winner of the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.  Most of us agreed that, although a bit long and rambling at times, it is a novel worth reading.

Mambo Kings tells the story of two brothers, Cesar and Nestor, who grew up in Cuba and immigrated to the United States in 1949. They found jobs in a meat-packing plant in New York City by day and formed a band, The Mambo Kings, for which they played, sang, and danced by night.  The highlight of their brief celebrity was an appearance on the I Love Lucy show, as Ricky’s Cuban cousins visiting New York and playing a special show at the Tropicana, after Desi Arnaz heard the brothers’ band one night and invited them on the show.

The whole book, except for a brief prologue and epilogue, is narrated by Cesar, the older brother, as he sits in a decrepit hotel room in 1980, drinking whiskey and waiting to die, thinking back over his 62 years of life. That’s why the novel sometimes feels like it is rambling and long-winded; it is the remembrances of a tired old man.  The story jumps back and forth through time, sometimes going all the way back to his childhood with an abusive father in Cuba, sometimes recalling their glory days as the Mambo Kings, sometimes considering recent years with family and friends, and occasionally even settling briefly in the present.

It’s an interesting story, and most of our book group agreed that one of the best parts of it was being transported to that particular time and place, within the musical Cuban immigrant community of New York in the 1950’s, when men wore hats and suits, women dressed up to go to the store, and everyone lived for dancing to live music on the weekends.  Hijuelos’ prose does transport the reader; his novel is filled with lush sensory details: the vibrant flowers of Cuba, the noise-filled dance halls of New York, the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of living in that time and place.

Cesar himself is a stereotypical Latin American male: macho, self-confident and swaggering, and an enormous womanizer (who loves to recall his sexual conquests in great detail!).  His younger brother was quieter, more introspective, and less confident, yearning for true love.  The prologue and epilogue are narrated by Nestor’s son, Eugenio, so there is a brief glimpse of his perspective, too, as the next generation.

None of the six women discussing the book in my book group this week loved this novel, though most of us (myself included) said we were glad to have read it.  One woman really hated Cesar’s womanizing, so she disliked the book for that reason.  It is an interesting look into the lives of Cuban immigrants (and a glimpse into pre-Castro Cuba).  Many of us were also fascinated with the world of the mambo bands, something none of us knew anything about before reading the book.  Several of us went to YouTube and Wikipedia while reading the book to read more about mambo and watch videos of the various real-life musicians mentioned in the novel.  I enjoyed this video clip of the Mambo Kings’ biggest hit, Beautiful Maria of My Soul (from the movie adaptation of the novel). 

448 pages, Hyperion

(If you are interested in reading more about Cuba before and during the revolution, I highly recommend Carlos Eire's wonderful memoir, Waiting for Snow in Havana.)

Top Ten Books That Broke My Heart

Happy Valentine's Day!  It's Tuesday and that means it's Top Ten day over at The Broke and the Bookish.  Today's very appropriate topic is Top Ten Books That Broke My Heart.

Ah, I love a book that can make me cry. I think that is a sign of a good book - one that can make you feel something, a book where you come to care about the characters so much that it breaks your heart when something bad happens to them.  So, not surprisingly, this list has a lot in common with my list of favorite novels ever.  You can also check out my list of Top Ten Kids/Teen/YA Books That Broke My Heart.

So, in honor of Valentine's Day, here are my Top Ten Books That Broke My Heart:

• The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, one of the greatest love stories ever written and sure to be heartbreaking when one of the lovers keeps time traveling away from the other.
• Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers - amazing how so few words (notes written between a mother and her teen daughter) can wring out so much emotion.
• Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah, mirroring real life with its ups and downs, this novel made me cry 3 - count 'em 3! - times.
• Still Alice by Lisa Genova - how could a novel about early-onset Alzheimer's disease be anything but heartbreaking?
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - a heartbreaking incident in childhood defines a man's life forever.
• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - the story and circumstances of each of the women in this novel is heartbreaking.
• Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent - the story of a woman falsely accused of witchcraft in Salem and the effects on her daughter haunted me for months after I read it.
• The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon - a decades-long love story between a mentally handicapped woman and a deaf man that is both heartbreaking and uplifting.
• My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult - a young girl whose purpose in life is to save her sister's life inspires plenty of emotion.
• The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells - this audio book took me through every emotion imaginable - I laughed out loud, sang, screamed, and yes, cried my eyes out.
• One Mississippi by Mark Childress - you have to admire a novel that can both make you laugh out loud and cry out in grief.

So, that's my list.  What books have broken your heart?

It's Monday 2/13! What Are You Reading?

Oh, shoot....is it Monday?  I completely forgot about What Are You Reading Monday this morning!  I jumped right into working on all the stuff I meant to do last week.  My oldest son and I were both in bad shape all week (again) due to a continued flare-up of our chronic illness.  I am doing a bit better this week, though he is still down and out. This past month has been rough around here.

Books are a welcome respite during these long sick weeks:

• I finally finished The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos, a Pulitzer Prize winning novel about two Cuban brothers who move to NYC in the early 1950's and start an orchestra. It was good though a bit long, and I am looking forward to discussing it with my book group this week.
• Next, I read an excellent teen novel, The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin, about an emotionally scarred teen girl's experiences at a wilderness school, interacting with other damaged girls, trying to face their Things.  It was well-written and compelling.
• Now, I am reading Breathless by Dean Koontz, a supernatural novel my husband has been telling me I would love - so far, so good!
• While traveling for business last week, my husband, Ken, switched to his Kindle and read an e-book, Big Lake by Nick Russell, a mystery.
• When he returned, Ken switched back to a hardcover suspense novel he started last week, Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman.
• Jamie, 17,  finished The Whisper by Emma Clayton, sequel to The Roar which he and I both loved.  I wanted to read it next, but it was in his room while he was sleeping when it was time for me to choose a new book!  Definitely going to read that one next.
• Jamie also read The Unwanteds, Lisa McMann's new middle-grade novel, and enjoyed it very much - another one in my towering TBR stack!
• Jamie ran out of teen novels he was interested in (a rare occasion in our house), so last night he started Timeline by Michael Crichton, one of my favorites of Crichton's many exciting novels.
• Jamie is also reading a new book for his World Lit class, To Live by Yu Hua, a Chinese novel.
• Craig, 14, finished The Hunger Games and said, "It was SO good!"  This is very high praise from someone who usually prefers active pursuits to reading.
• Craig had trouble choosing his next book this weekend but finally settled on Found, Book 1 of The Missing by Margaret Haddix Peterson.  Jamie and I both enjoyed this series, so I hope Craig will like it also.

So that's it - lots of reading for all of us this past week.  I wasn't well enough to write any reviews, but I did manage a couple of top ten lists: Top Ten Books for Kids Who Are Reluctant Readers and Top Ten Books for Someone Who Says They Don't Like to Read. I had fun with both of these lists!

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, and a kidlit version is hosted at Teach Mentor Texts.)

Top Ten Books for Someone Who Doesn't Like to Read

Today is Tuesday and that means it's Top Ten day over at The Broke and the Bookish!  Head on over there to check out all the amazing top ten lists.  Today's topic is Top Ten Books I’d Hand To Someone Who Says They Don’t Like to Read.  Here are my Top Ten, with the reasons and/or type of people I'd hand them to:

• Any book in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich - fast-paced and fun, a perfect starter book for people who like a lot of action and humor.
• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - for fans of reality TV.
• Wishin’ and Hopin’ by Wally Lamb - for people who enjoy watching holiday movies; it's also light and short.
• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver – one of my favorite books of all time – ‘nuff said.
• She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb – I could NOT put this book down.
• Anything by Stephen King – who is King of can’t-put-it-down suspense – my favorite is The Stand but it’s probably too long for a non-reader to start with: any of his early suspense/horror novels will entice the most reluctant reader.
• The Story of Beautiful Girl – a wonderful example of how magical a novel can be, for anyone who enjoys feel-good love stories.
• Room by Emma Donoghue – especially for those who were fascinated by the story of Jaycee Dugard.
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett – just because it is such an amazing book – who wouldn’t like it?
• Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers - a novel told in short notes between a mother and daughter - easily digested in a single sitting but emotionally powerful.

I could have made a list twice as long!  What books would you lend to entice a non-reader?