Category General Book Talk

Books: Catching Up

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I am simply dThe Housekeeper and the Professoroing a copy/paste job from goodreads.  Much faster way to keep updated on the books I’m reading.
Saw “The Help” movie tonight and it was awesome.  I’ll try to write more about it later.  Good stuff.

Another sweet, quick read! A Japanese book about a housekeeper and her son who take care of a Professor who has an 80 minute memory of anything beyond 1975. He pins notes to his suit to help him remember things and teaches the Housekeeper about the beauty of numbers. Beautiful.

Wild Designs

I can’t believe this is the fifth book by this author I have read this summer. Either she is growing on me or I am choosing better books. I liked this almost as much as the last one of hers I read. Good light reads perfect for summer.

Wedding Season

Wedding Season

by Katie Fforde

Well the sixth book I’ve read by Katie Fforde this summer! Not great. Not bad. Three women get involved in different aspects of planning weddings – dress making, cake making, hair and makeup and general organization. Predictable. Sarah pointed out that there is a lot of dialogue in these books and this one felt very cumbersome in repeating details. Not the best I’ve read.

The Happiness Project

The Happiness Project

I didn’t finish this book (shame on me) but I wasn’t enamored with it. There’s something about doing a project with the intention of writing about it in the end that just rubs me wrong. She certainly put a lot of thought into her project – writing her commandments, doing lots of research on happiness – and I will look at her blog and hopefully pick up the book again sometime and finish it (I stopped in July – money is a sticky subject right now).

Moving on…

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Books: For when you need a life coach

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self help is sometimes impossible

Image by the|G|™ via Flickr

I received the book, “Where Will You Go From Here?” by Valorie Burton, through Blogging For Books. I chose this book over the others offered because of the subtitle: Moving Forward when Life Doesn’t Go As Planned.  It seemed appropriate that I get some advice as I move through this latest life change.  I am currently looking for a job and evaluating career goals, etc., so I thought using this book to help examine things would be good.

Unfortunately this wasn’t the book for me.  As a social worker, I have always looked at the power of thoughts, words, actions and relationships in daily life as well as in difficult times. One thing I didn’t consider much was the power of prayer, so that was a good lesson for me.  The book was pretty basic stuff but I would feel very confident recommending it to others who don’t have a background in counseling or social work, as I do.

It definitely was good information, presented well, with great opportunity for insight and reflection.

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky

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Cover of "The Girl Who Fell from the Sky&...

Cover of The Girl Who Fell from the Sky

I’m trying to figure out how to get goodreads to update my blog, but it’s not gonna happen. And I hate the thought of not posting about a book that I read!

This book came from Sarah and it was a sweet little read! My Goodreads review: I really enjoyed this book. it was a quick read but I really liked the development of the characters and the plot. She did a great job packing a punch into a nice sweet book.

Goodreads summary: The Girl Who Fell From the Sky: This debut novel tells the story of Rachel, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black G.I. who becomes the sole survivor of a family tragedy. With her strict African American grandmother as her new guardian, Rachel moves to a mostly black community, where her light brown skin, blue eyes, and beauty bring mixed attention her way. Growing up in the 1980s, she learns to swallow her overwhelming grief and confronts her identity as a biracial young woman in a world that wants to see her as either black or white. In the tradition of Jamaica Kincaid’s Annie John and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, here is a portrait of a young girl – and society’s ideas of race, class, and beauty.

A sweet book I can heartily recommend!

P.S. – THIS IS MY 100th BLOG POST on this site! Sarah posted once, so I guess it’s my 99th! 🙂  Good times.  Still not enough comments, though!!! C’mon friends!

Off to read! (Today’s theme: Happiness!)

School Library Days

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Here Come the Littles

Here Come the Littles Image via Wikipedia

I read a lot of book blogs and someone posted some questions about memories related to school and books.  I have a lot of memories about reading when younger, so I’ll answer a few of the questions – and hope you will too!

  • What’s your favorite bookish school memory?
  • Did your teacher read aloud to you? Do you remember what book it was?
I vividly remember Mrs. Karnath reading aloud “The Call of the Wild.” I know she read a lot of books aloud but that’s the only title I can remember right now. That was 5th grade!!
  • Do you remember what books you checked out at the school library?
I was just telling my niece that my favorite book that I would check out over and over was “No Flying in the House.” It was about a girl who realizes that she is a fairy and can fly around. You can tell if you’re a fairy if you can kiss your elbow. 🙂 Years later I went to the elementary library and looked for this book and it was gone. I haven’t searched for it online … yet. I also remember reading all the books about the Littles – little people who lived in the walls and had tails. I never read the Borrowers, but think they’re similar genres. And Trixie Beldon books were favorites with me and Maureen.
I loved the library and going there.
I didn’t start going to the public library until after college. It was always such a dark and quiet place with a crabby librarian, so it didn’t feel inviting at all.
  • What was one of the first book reports you did for school?
  • Do you have a favorite book or author that you first heard about from a teacher or school project?
  • Do you have a not-so-pleasant bookish memory from your school days?
How about you? Any answers to the above questions? Any great memories of reading in your school years?
Off to read!

The Art of French Kissing

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Eiffel Tower, seen from the champ de Mars, Par...

Image via Wikipedia

Not a how-to manual, but a cute little read about a girl, almost 30, whose life appears to be crumbling around her – her fiance’ cancels the wedding and kicks her out of their home and she loses her job in PR with a Boy Band record label. So when her friend from college offers her a temporary job helping her out in Paris, she jumps on a plane and attempts to forget the worries she is leaving behind.

A cute, easy read. I supplemented the experience by watching Craig Ferguson for the first time, because his show was shot in Paris for the week! I hear good things about the Ferguson but as a Fallon lover it’s hard to convert.  So I relied on the DVR for the week and listened to Craig Ferguson. It really did add to the reading experience, and make me want to go to Paris!

After I go to Ireland, in search of that wild Irish man. 🙂

Off to read!

Books: Love Letters

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Prestige-sunglasses.

Not my cheaters, but almost as cute! Image via Wikipedia

I had the pleasure of a beautiful day at the end of the dock and a good book. Often when I’m at the end of the dock, I don’t get any reading done because, as I say, “basking in the sun is best done with eyes closed!”  But Saturday I was able to get a short cat-nap in and, with the help of my new cheaters sunglasses and a great breeze, I was able to read quite a bit in Katie Fforde‘s book, “Love Letters.”  I already wrote about Fforde’s books being not as good as other British chick-lit, but this one was the most enjoyable of the four.

From goodreads: When her bookshop closes its doors, Laura agrees to help organize a literary festival. Her initial excitement is followed by panic when she realizes that an innocent mistake has led the festival committee to believe that she is a personal friend of the reclusive writer Dermot Flynn. Even though Laura has been infatuated with Dermot since her college days, traveling to Ireland to persuade him to come out of hiding is not what she had in mind. Nevertheless, she sets off to charm her literary hero into headlining the festival. Unfortunately, Dermot is maddening, temperamental, and up to his ears in a nasty case of writer’s block. But he’s also infuriatingly attractive….With all the warmth and wit that have made Katie Fforde’s novels huge bestsellers in the U.K., Love Letters is an irresistible tale of love and literature and the quest for a happy ending.

Maybe I loved this one so much because Laura was so knowledgeable and passionate about books?  Or maybe because I hope to attend a literary festival someday? Or maybe because I love the name Dermot? Or maybe all of the above, and then some?  Anyway, it was a quick and pleasurable read and I can recommend it to anyone who loves light and breezy and fun books set in England/Ireland.

And it made me think… what author would I love to meet? Dermot wrote two novels in his early 20s and then became reclusive to his small Irish village, refusing all publicity and speaking engagements.  Laura studied Dermot’s books in college and was star-struck by the opportunity to meet him.  Anyone that you would feel the same about?

I’ve been lucky to have some great meet-ups with authors.  I’ve spent time with Lorna Landvik and Jenna Blum.  I’ve traveled to meet Satellite Sister, Lian.  Memorable experiences and wonderful women. I’m gonna ponder this question a little more… I hope you do, too!  Let’s discuss!

Off to read!

House Rules

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Cover of "House Rules: A Novel"

Cover of House Rules: A Novel

House Rules – A was a quick read, despite the 530 pages! The book was told in five voices – Emma, the single mother of an 18 year old and 15 year old; Jacob, the 18 year old with Asperger Syndrome; Theo, the 15 year old brother who feels invisible and longs for a “perfect” family; Rick, the police investigator; and Oliver, the attorney who knows more about shoeing horses than criminal law. I was able to predict the outcome of the book and became a little irritated by it during the last 100 pages. No spoilers, so that’s all I’ll say about that. I think that the portrayal of Asperger Syndrome was pretty accurate, if not overdrawn, and the stress on relationships and families also realistic. I’d recommend the book to people looking for a quick and interesting book involving a trial and mystery.

Catching up on Book Talk

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Cover of "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan:...

Cover of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel

It seems that I haven’t written about the books I’ve read lately!  I do post quick little reviews on goodreads (it’s just so easy to keep that site updated and write some thoughts) so I’ll recap here…

Reverse, chronological order 🙂

House Rules – I’m currently reading this book, after attempting to listen to the audiobook.  I was given the book and its heft made it pretty easy to grab the audiobook that was sitting on the shelf at the library, in order to replace my Harry Potter listening time!  But, oh!  How awful it was to listen to this book, narrated by four individuals, and told at a painfully slow pace.  Sometimes I thought the disc must be done but it was simply a pause – between sentences or paragraphs or chapters.  No matter.  Ugh.  So I picked up the book and have been ripping through it!  It is a fast read and I’m sure I’ll finish it tonight or in the morning. It’s hard to put down.  Isn’t it great when a book grabs you like that?

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan – I have loved books about the Far Eastern culture for a long time.  Probably at least since I returned from my visit to South Korea, if not before. Lisa See has written some great books about the Chinese culture – in America and coming to America in recent history and in a more historical China. “Snow Flower” ia the first of Lisa’s books to make it to the big screen (I believe I’m right) and I am excited to see it. (I may have to make a trip to the Cities if I want to see it in the theatre!  Durn limited releases!) This book is about Snow Flower and Lily, who are matched as laotong or “old sames” as young girls. They communicate to each other mostly through the “women’s language,” nu shu, written on a fan.  The match is made so that one girl may rise up and the other may learn the ways of those lower than her.   A good read about these two women through their lifespans – one reaches 80 years.  I look forward to reading Lisa’s newest book – Dreams of Joy – a sequel to Shanghai Girls.  Yay!

The Girl in the Garden – Kamala Nair, an author who grew up in Rochester, wrote a charming and sweet story about a girl whose troubled mother brings her to her home village in India for a summer. Now an adult, Rakhee writes the story of the Girl in the Garden to her fiance as she returns to India to obtain resolution for the secrets that she learned as a 10 year old during that fateful summer.  I am also fascinated by the mid-Eastern culture and have read a lot of books set in India.  This was easy to read and a sweet story.

Olive Kitteridge – A book club pick that was lukewarmly received.  It was good.  Not great. Not gonna be something I will remember a year from now (well, maybe the fun time we had at book club not discussing it will be remembered!). But it was well-written and kept me reading, looking for Olive in the short stories.

Second Thyme Around; Stately Pursuits; Highland Fling – These three books by Katie Fforde were light and fluffy and predictable.  Good summer fare, but again not great.  I think in another post I listed other similar authors that I would recommend before Fforde (Jane Green; Marian Keyes, Maeve Binchy) . Of these three books I would recommend Second Thyme Around as the most interesting.

I think I’m about caught up.  I will remember this spring/summer as being very full of Harry Potter, and now I’m done talking about that.

After I finish House Rules I will pick another book from my ever-growing pile and will let you know what’s next!  I encourage you to be my friend on goodreads and let me know what you’re reading!

Off to read!

Books and Movies – Love ’em!

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Before the midnight showing of Harry Potter pt 2

I ended up going to a midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 2, with no regrets.  Marissa and I watched Pt. 1 on PPV at home (without popcorn) and then went to the theatre!  We arrived around 10:45 and the there were a lot of people there in costumes and I don’t know how many theatres were actually sold out.  The one we were in was already 2/3 full by the time we got there.  It was exciting to be there with all of the other “giddy” people, to hear the applause throughout the movie – even before the movie started – and to watch the final book come to life.  There were differences, of course, but there was also word-for-word sameness in a lot of dialogue.  Good stuff.

The books are more amazing, of course, but the movies add to the experience.  One of my favorite podcasts, Filmspotting, reviewed the movie after reading ZERO of the books (or even seeing all of the movies), so they had tons of questions, although they gave the movie pretty good reviews.  Marissa hadn’t read any books beyond the first and enjoyed the movies on their own.

So now what?  Other book-related movies are coming out soon.

  • “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” is in theatres now (7/15) but I don’t see it showing up in Rochester for a while… I will keep my eyes peeled for that one.  I had that one on audio but lost it somewhere (probably on my dead iPod) so I downloaded a digital version from the library (MobiPocket Reader anyone??? Yikes… another program downloaded to read books) but also requested a paperback – and today I got an email that it was ready and waiting!  Yay!  I’ll dig in tonight!
  • “The Help” comes out on August 10 – and it looks so good!  What a fun book to read and discuss.  It will be a book club event to see that together!
  • “One Day” comes out August 19.  (July 15 was the ONE DAY featured in the book!  Should have acknowledged it!)  I look forward to seeing that book on the screen.  I enjoyed reading it – mostly – although the ending didn’t sit right with me.  😦
  • “Jane Eyre” hasn’t made it to Rochester yet – meaning it won’t?  It was released in April, so that’s probably a good bet.  I have it in my Netflix queue but there’s no release date there yet.  Sigh.  I read that book in anticipation of the movie.  I’m glad I caught up with a classic and I know there are multiple versions of the movie that I can pick fromI
  • “Sarah’s Key” was made into a movie!  The book about the Vel’d’Hiv Roundup in 1942 in France was another sad Holocaust story, telling about another unknown-to-me piece of history.  Kristin Scott Thomas stars and it might be French, as the title is listed as “Sarah’s Key (Elle s’appelait Sarah)”.  Releases 7/22!
  • I heard that “Austenland” is being made into a movie starring Keri Russel.  I liked that book, so that’s pretty fun.  Gotta love all things Austen!
There’s the “movie news” portion of the blog – ha!  Just so much good stuff coming up, I guess.  Lots of good material to choose from!
Speaking of book club events, we had book club this afternoon.  I got there late – around 2pm – and we discussed our book (“Olive Kitteredge”) very little!  No one loved the book, although a few of us thought it was good enough.  It’s really short stories about small town life with the character of Olive showing up, being featured, or simply being mentioned somehow in each one.  So the plot and story-line was not easy to follow and the characters were many and difficult to remember.
But oh, did we laugh about other stuff!  Suddenly it was 5:10 and we wondered if we were staying for supper!  Good stories and catch-up time.  Who knows what we’ll do next, but it may be just a movie date along with dinnertime discussion of “Heaven is For Real,” since many had read it already and really wanted to discuss it when done.
Well, I can’t wait to dig in to “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.”  What are you excited to read?  What movies are you excited to see?
Off to read!
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It All Ends 7.15.11

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"the end" mosaic

THE END Image by m kasahara via Flickr

The famous tagline for the “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” movie, which premieres in the US on 7/15.  Last week I watched some of the UK Premiere Red Carpet hoopla and heard the speeches given by the cast and writers and directors.  Tears! Yesterday I finished the audiobook of Book 7.  Tears!  I found myself in the car, listening and crying.  I found myself walking around the house listening – and crying.  And now it’s done.  I am excited to see the movie – although I have found that listening to the books and watching the movies right after has made my head hurt a little.  The changes in plot and circumstances, while necessary to keep the movies under 2.5 hours, are very noticeable when you’ve just finished the book.  Will I see the movie at midnight on July 15?  Maybe.  If not, I’ll wait until an evening next week, when I will be more awake and coherent.

So now, back to my regularly-scheduled podcast listening for a while!  I am behind (although I’ve cut back, with getting back into audiobooks again) so I’ll catch up and then start listening to “Snow Flower and Secret Fan” before that movie comes out!  I’m attempting to listen to “Visit from the Goon Squad,” but finding it difficult to follow on audio. May need a physical copy to read.

I started “The Girl in the Garden” on Monday night and it is a fast and easy read!  I love books set in India or about the Indian culture, so it’s a given that I’ll enjoy it.  I’ll keep you posted about how much!  Kamala Nair is from Rochester and I purchased the book at her book signing at B&N in June. She’s coming to the library the end of July so I may go again and see if she has more to say at that time.

Well, my TBR list continues to grow!  I’m looking forward to some time spent with “The Girl in the Garden” on this beautiful day – not too hot but brilliantly sunny!  Yay!

What are you reading???

Off to read!

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