A Reliable Wife

I thought this was a pretty good read, but could have been better. The plot is interesting...a very wealthy business man in northern Wisconsin advertises in the paper for a reliable wife. He chooses what he believes to be a plain Jane sort of woman, but when she steps off the train, he sees she isn't the woman in the picture she had sent. And so begins the secrecy, twists and turns, and suspense! You learn about the man's heartbreaking past and how exactly his new wife's past intertwines with it. A pretty good read, I just wish the ending would have been a little different. Seemed to end a little abruptly.

The Weight of Heaven

Loved Thrity Urmrigar's book "The Space Between Us" so when I saw this...had to get it. Really good read, but if you're not into really happy books with happy endings, I wouldn't suggest it. It's about a couple who lose their only child, a 7 year old boy, to a sudden illness. Trying to start a new life and find each other again, they accept a transfer to India with the husband's job. Frank, the husband, befriends a young local boy. Frank becomes desperate to save the boy from his alcoholic father and the poverty he is destined to grow up in, but does the boy really need saving? Or is Frank just trying to replace his missing son? A surprise twist at the end :)...but like I said....not exactly a happy one.

Last Night in Twisted River

If you've ever read a John Irving book and liked it, you'll LOVE this one. At least I did :) His storytelling is so unique...it's a nice change of pace from the usual start-to-finish type of storytelling. You get to know the characters bit by bit throughout the book. He writes in a "flashback" sort of way but it's so creatively done that's it's not overwhelming and boring. And it all ties together so well!

This one is about a father and son who are on the run after the son accidentally mistakes the father's lover for a bear and kills her. It spans 5 decades of their lives in the US and Canada and the people they meet are fascinating and lovable. It's kind of a sad story but the ending turns out pretty well. But, it's a lot like real life in that there are ups/downs and consequences for your actions.

I've read quite a few of his books. Some are fantastic (Cider House Rules, World According to Garp, Prayer for Owen Meany (one of my faves!!) ) and some of his books I really wasn't able to get into, let alone finish. This one has kind of a slow start, but stick with it and it gets REALLY good and it's hard to put down. Loved it and would totally recommend it!

I Just Can't...

...finish this book:

Actually, I can't even really start it. I'm only about 60 pages in and I'm setting it down and walking away. I feel like a failure :) I'm so glad it wasn't voted in as one of our next reads. I would have been REALLY disappointed then. It sounded promising so I'm not sure why I can't fight through it. It was originally written in French and then translated. Maybe something was lost in translation. On to the next read....

Her Fearful Symmetry

I stumbled across this book and when I saw that it was the same author who wrote "Time Traveler's Wife", I had to read it. I loved "Time Traveler's Wife" and I REALLY loved this one. It has all the same imagination and cleverness as her first novel, yet I think it has a bit more mystery and is a little less confusing (if you read "Time Traveler's Wife", you'll know what I'm talking about).

This one is about a set of identical twins moving from Chicago to London after they are left an estate from an estranged aunt whom they've never had a relationship with (the aunt is also an identical twin of their own mother). The will stipulates that they must live in their aunt's flat for a year. They mystery over why their mother and aunt never spoke to each other is one of the many mysteries of the story but things get even more mysterious at the discovery of the aunt's ghost haunting the flat.

The girls and the former lover of their aunt build a relationship with the ghost and the story starts to get really interesting....I can't say anymore, I'll spoil the fun. A ghost story, love story, and a mystery! I loved it :) And, I could really see it becoming a movie. I'm sure it would never be as good, but it just seems set up for that type of thing (I never saw Time Traveler's Wife...did anyone? I wonder if it's like the book???)

Wench

I finished it, Candace, and you're going to like it :)

Set in the 1850's, this novel is about the slave women who were favored by their masters. The story centers around Lizzie, a slave from Tennessee, who joins her master on a vacation in Ohio each summer. Leaving his wife behind, Lizzie is treated almost as a companion, although she is quickly reminded time and again what her true purpose is: to be a slave and serve her master. There are other slave owners who bring their slave mistresses along with them and the slaves become close friends as they spend summer after summer together. One slave, new to the group, starts to lay the seed to run for freedom since they are in free territory and they may never get the chance again.

Throughout the story, you also learn of Lizzie's life on the plantation; how she became her owner's mistress, how she had two of his children, and how her status in the household played out. I found it very interesting to read about relationships that have always seemed to be swept under the rug, yet they were going on in so many households.

A good read! And a fast one. It only took me a couple of days. Someone who reads it as fast as Candace will have it done in a day :) Enjoy!

The Piano Teacher

I've been looking at this book on the shelf at Target for awhile, and then when my Kindle recommended it to me, I had to download it.

The story takes place in Hong Kong and bounces back and forth between the early 1940s, when Hong Kong was invaded by the Japanese during WWII, and the early 1950s, when peace has returned. Claire is the piano teacher who comes to Hong Kong in the 50's with her older husband. She is hired to teach piano for the daughter of a rich Chinese family and although the story isn't at all about her teaching piano, it is about how her life becomes intertwined in those around her. She falls in love with a mysterious, English man, Will, who works for the Chinese family. As she continues her affair with Will, she also finds out about his life during WWII and the people of Hong Kong during that terrible time.

Throughout the book, you are transported back to the 40s and the author beautifully describes the social scenes of pre-war Hong Kong and the fall once the invasion happened. At this time, you are introduced to Will and his relationship with social butterfly, Trudy. You follow their glamorous lives and love affair and how it all comes crashing down once the war is in full swing.

It's part mystery, part historical fiction, part love story. A really good read :)

Wanting Change.

I'm about halfway through the book and I just ran across a part that struck me as a HUGE IDEA of this wonderful, thought-provoking story and I wanted to write about it before I lost the thought. Since I'm reading on a kindle and I don't know which page number it is (kinda frustrating...), I'll try to describe which part it is. It's from Minny's point of view, and she has just left a church meeting with Aibileen where they are trying to organize a sit in at the local Woolworths. Minny is describing her frustration about attending the meeting and talking to Miss Skeeter about her stories. She's talking about how telling the stories is providing her some relief, yet the sit ins and demonstrations are not doing much for her:



"And I know there are plenty of other "colored" things I could do besides telling my stories or going to Shirley Boon's meetings - the mass meetings in town, the marches in Birmingham, the voting rallies upstate. But truth is, I don't care that much about voting. I don't care about eating at a counter with white people. What I care about is, if in ten years, a white lady will call my girls dirty and accuse them of stealing the silver."



WOW!! This part struck me big time! Here is what the civil rights movement is all about and how hurtful, degrading, and downright pitiful racism is. In all the chaos of the 60s/70s with laws being changed and white politicians arguing it out, were the black voices truly being heard??? Or were the white politicians and white civil rights leaders just doing what they thought was the politically correct thing? Of course, everyone should be able to vote if they want and everyone should be able to eat where they'd like, use whatever bathroom they want, or swim in the same pool as the people across town. And those important laws did change these major issues. However, laws cannot change what people think and the sad reality of it, is that the thinking is still the same today in A LOT of places. No one expresses these ideas and thoughts as openly as they did 40 years ago, that would be racist. But we would be stupid to think that so many people don't think the same as their grandparents did so many years ago. When the derogatory, evil words are still being spoken in people's homes, how can young minds not be shaped into thinking the same evil thoughts?

Minny's frustration is so well expressed in this book and truly touched me. She doesn't care about being integrated into every part of the white culture. Everyone enjoys being in their comfort zone. We can be ourselves, relax, and not feel on-edge.This was also described when she has to eat with Miss Celia. The awkwardness and how she can't even think in peace for five minutes. We all know how it feels when you are outside of your comfort zone. It's difficult and nerve wracking. But, imagine the extra tension when having to work and live around people who don't trust you, think you are disease ridden, and downright ignorant.

Obviously things still need to change in society. It's talked about on t.v. (or tee vee....which I soooo love how they say in this book :) ), written about in books and newspapers, and shown in movies and television shows. But until the actual thinking towards blacks, Hispanics, Arabs, etc, etc, etc change, racism is still very thick in everyday life. Are we to the point Minny is describing in wanting for her daughters??? I fear not (at least not in all homes, but hopefully in some) and even more so, I fear it's a long time coming. Ugh.

Not a Great One...

I just finished reading Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates. I wasn't too impressed. I've read a few other of hers (The Gravedigger's Daughter and We Were the Mulvaneys) and I really liked them. But this one, not so much. She's a good descriptive author so you can truly visualize the characters, settings, etc. But this one was a little too dark and a little too long.

It centers around the unsolved murder of a young woman in a small town in northern NY. There are two "persons of interest" in the case, her estranged husband and the married man she was having an affair with. The story is told in two parts. Part 1 is told from the married man's daughter's point of view and describes her ordeal as her family is torn apart, her father is literally run out of town and labeled as a murderer, and she is continually trying to find love and acceptance from him although he is no longer a part of her life. Part 2 is told from the murdered woman's son's point of view and is the sad description of what happens to a young man (who was 14 when she was murdered) when he is left behind with an alcoholic father and a dysfunctional extended family. The whole book deals a lot with drugs, alcohol, and young adults trying to find themselves in an uncaring, unjust society.

The one interesting thing is that it seems very real. It's almost as if it could be a true story in a working class town where adolescents are exploring the world of drugs and the impact it has on so many lives. Kind of depressing :(

So, although I wouldn't recommend this book, I would recommend this author. She is good at storytelling and I'd read another one of her books. Hopefully, it just isn't so dark.

The Kindle.

So, I was surprised this Christmas (albeit 2 days early, because my husband is really bad at keeping secrets and I'm really good at being persistent) with an Amazon Kindle. I had seen only one in person previously and fell in love instantly. When I first heard of them I was a little unsure. Would it be like a computer screen and hurt my eyes? Would it be cost effective? Thankfully, they are as wonderful as they sound and I am truly in awe :) The cost upfront is kind of shocking but the overall cost (if you truly read and purchase books quite frequently) is so worth it. Books run about $10 and this includes what is currently in hardcover. I don't know about you, but I always want to "eat up" those new releases but the cost brings me back to reality. But by the time I wait for them to get cheaper, I have forgotten about the title entirely. Now they are all at a fingertip's reach!

The screen is super easy to read from. Seems just like a paperback page. It's so super cute and perfectly sized and you can adjust the font size and all that to suit your needs. And you can get super awesome accessories (like my yummy purple jacket for it) to outfit it. I would totally recommend it if you buy a lot of books. The one downfall...it doesn't smell delicious. You know, that intoxicating aroma that you wish they could capture in a spray bottle so you could get your fill of "new books" anytime you'd like????? I'll have to get my fix by taking my girls to B and N and sneaking off into the fiction section once in a while. Plus, I still plan on going once in awhile to check out the cover of books and see which ones I'd like to buy electronically. Because let's face it....you know you judge a book by it's cover.

So, if the thought ever crossed your mind to try out a kindle. I promise you won't be disappointed. It's a gem.

Since I've purchased it I've read and finished Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls (She wrote The Glass Castle a few years ago which was also good). The story was pretty good. An easy read and pretty short so if you're looking for something fast and entertaining, this is a good one.

I'm currently reading Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates. Pretty good, kind of dark (but most of her books are kind of like that) and serious subject matter. But she's a good descriptive writer so it's good for really getting lost in the story. I'll let you know what I think as a whole as I get further on in it.

Hola!!!

Hey! I'm Erica and I'm really excited to belong to something that could be really great :) I have always loved reading and fall deeply in love with books if I find one that is superb. I hate for them to end...it's almost like losing a friend. But then I remind myself that the next great one is right around the corner. I try to read as often as I can, but my life doesn't always make time for it. I'll go through spurts where I'll read and read and read and then won't touch a book for a few months :( I'm hoping that this blog will kick start a new lifestyle...one that includes reading daily, even if for only a fleeting moment.

I've been married to my fantastic husband for 5 years, but we've been together for forever. Literally...since like middle school. We have two spunky, dreamy girls; Shannon just turned 3 and Charlotte is 16 months. I am very fortunate to be able to stay home with them everyday, although some days I feel like my I'm quite literally losing my mind (another reason this is an awesome idea...to try and maintain sanity!). We are originally from northern Michigan but moved to the DC area right before Shannon was born for my husband's work. I miss being close to family (especially when it's the holidays and we can't make it home or I'd like to drop the girls at my mom's for a much needed night off), but I love our life out here in VA. The weather is also something that is beginning to grow on me. Snow is only good in pictures :)

Besides reading, I love spending time with my little family, exploring the DC area, eating out, and just being a mom. I love dots (......) and parentheses, so I hope they don't annoy you because you'll see a lot of them :) Apparently, I also like smiley faces.