Countdown

My good friend, Peaceful Reader, reviewed Countdown yesterday, and it was my conversation with her a few weeks ago that prompted me to finally get this one off of my TBR pile. I've had this one since the day it came out. And I've known I would love it. But.....I also knew that once I read this one, I would no longer have the anticipation of this book, this capsule in history, to look forward to.

Countdown was everything I hoped it could be. Franny is growing up in the 60's, 1962 to be exact. There is a lot going on in the world at this point in time. The Bay of Pigs Invasion, Cuban Missile Crisis, the space race, Civil Rights, and John F. Kennedy's presidency are some of the highlights. Franny's class practices duck and cover drills, and her Uncle Otts, still traumatized from his own war experiences, tries to build a bomb shelter in their front yard. Wiles is somehow - amazingly- able to show how Franny's normal, everday, tween issues that are so important to her -and are a rite of passage- that happen in addition to the very stressful political issues our country faced - and that children grew up knowing about and dealing with.

Wiles has picked a great decade to focus on. While this is before I was born (my mom and dad were high school sophomores in1962), I loved the feel of this decade in Countdown. Franny's issues are all ones that girls today can relate to - growing up, having friend problems, a first crush on a boy. And Wiles ability to tell Franny's story with snippets of songs, photographs, newsclips, and ads give such a glimpse of what 1962 was like to the reader.

I am so ready for the second book in this trilogy, which is sadly, not yet ready. I know that Wiles will find many more interesting issues from this decade to uncover for us in the next installment.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's selection: Bond Girl by Erin Duffy

Due out January 2012

Synopsis from Readinggroupguides.com:

When other little girls were dreaming about becoming doctors or lawyers, Alex Garrett set her sights on conquering the high-powered world of Wall Street. And while she's prepared to fight her way into an elitist boys' club, or duck the occasional errant football, she quickly realizes she's in over her head when she is relegated to a kiddie-sized folding chair with her new moniker --- Girlie --- inscribed in whiteout across the back. No matter. She’s determined she's got the stamina to make it in bond sales at Cromwell Pierce, one of The Street’s most esteemed brokerage firms. Keeping her eyes on the prize, she’ll endure whatever menial, degrading tasks come her way --- trekking to the Bronx for $1,000 wheels of Parmesan cheese, discovering a secretary’s secret Friday night dance party in the conference room; fielding a constant barrage of "friendly" practical jokes, learning to ropes from her unpredictable, slightly scary, loyalty demanding boss; even babysitting a colleague while he consumes the entire contents of a vending machine on a $28,000 bet.
Ignoring her friends’ pleas to quit, Alex excels (while learning how to roll with the punches and laugh at herself) and soon advances from lowly analyst to slightly-less-lowly associate. Suddenly, she’s addressed by her real name and the impenetrable boys’ club has transformed into 38 older brothers and one possible boyfriend. Then The Apocalypse hits. As her life on The Street falls into the depths of intolerable cruelty --- both personally and professionally --- Alex is forced to choose between sticking with Cromwell Pierce as it teeters on the brink of disaster and kicking off her Jimmy Choos to run for higher ground.

Close Your Eyes

Amanda Eyre Ward's newest novel, Close Your Eyes, appealed to me as soon as I read that it was based on a real event. Ward grew up in New York, and it was during her teenage years that an unsolved murder took place in a nice, safe suburb. Ward remembers what she was doing the night of the crime, and continued to check up on this mystery for a while. She was stunned when the case was eventually solved- and the killer was a teenage boy who was drunk and happened to enter his former childhood home, killing its residents. I read all of this on Ward's website, and was instantly intrigued.

Close Your Eyes is fiction, although at times I felt as though Lauren, the narrator, was very real. Lauren and her brother, Alex, are asleep in their treehouse on the night their mother was murdered in their home. Their father is eventually convicted of the crime he vehemently denies. Now, years have passed. Lauren has no relationship with her imprisoned father, while Alex believes in his innocence. Lauren has no intention of confronting her past, but then her brother leaves to work in Iraq through Doctors Without Borders, and her panic attacks cause her to seek counseling.

While part of this story is Lauren's, Sylvia and Victoria also have a voice in this book. I loved Lauren's narration, and was at first unsure of how Sylvia and Victoria fit into this story. Yet, their role in Lauren's life changes her forever.

Ward's story is a bit suspenseful, a bit of women's fiction, and impossible to put down. I began reading just yesterday and finished it off last night before bed. Luckily I have another of Ward's books, How To Be Lost, awaiting me on my TBR pile.

A Birthday and Back To School

Today is the day! My daughters start school again - and it happens to fall on my youngest daughter's fifth birthday. While most kids would not be excited to find out that they start school on their birthday, my older girls have really talked this up to my youngest child. She thinks it is great that she starts on her special day. I made the birthday treats- rainbow cupcakes- yesterday and we made it out to eat in honor of her birthday. I can hardly wait to hear their school stories.

Small Acts of Amazing Courage

Gloria Whelan's latest book, Small Acts of Amazing Courage, covers the time immediately after World War I, when India is trying to gain its independence from Great Britain. Rosalind has enjoyed the freedom her father's absence has permitted her. While he was away fighting, Rosalind has managed to visit the Indian bazaars with her friends, and has been excited after hearing Gandhi speak. Upon her father's return, she finds it impossible to live by the rules he has given her, and is eventually sent away to live with her two spinster aunts in Great Britain. Rosalind manages to find a bit of trouble there as well, and it is her mother's oldest sister, Ethyl, who tries to control this free-thinking young woman.

The time period of this book was very engaging to me. I have been interested in Gandhi and his beliefs and teachings since he was introduced to me in sixth grade social studies. While Rosalind's viewpoints represents those understanding the plight India has gone through, her father's are more traditional as are her aunt's. I appreciated that both viewpoints were given as well, allowing me to see both sides of the issue.

Whelan is a fantastic writer of historical fiction novels, and Small Acts of Amazing Courage is a great story as well as a great look at this period in history.

Sunday Salon: The To-Do List

The dreaded "to do" list is getting awfully long. Last week I had a bad start to my week. On Monday morning - which began at 3:45 with a child who had a major allergy attack after spending the day at ny parents' farm, I was getting a meatloaf ready for my husband to put in the oven for supper. After a battle with the mustard bottle, which I lost, I ended up changing clothes twice since two shirts managed to get mustard on them and then having to deal with two mustard stained shirts. It is not fun to get out, folks!

Tuesday morning began again at 3:45 AM with a loud thunderstorm. On Wednesday I managed to sleep in until 4 AM, and by Friday I was nowhere near getting up at 4:30 for my daily workout. Finally I am feeling not quite as tired, only to start the work week tomorrow. With any luck I will be able to get a bit more sleep this week.

Tomorrow is my youngest daughter's birthday and the first day of school for my kids. I am very ready for us to be back on a schedule. I still have Dana Reinhart's book to finish tonight and am planning on starting Amanda Eyre Ward's newest one. I still have food to make for the week, bedtime stories to read, lunches to pack, and clothes to lay out. Luckily I managed to get presents wrapped and we also went out to eat at Chuck E. Cheese's for the birthday girl.

I'll have to report back tomorrow to give highlights from the first day of school.

This Beautiful Life

Lizzie and Richard seem to have everything they could ever have dreamed of: two great children - a boy and a girl- and have just recently moved to Manhattan from a small New York town. Lizzie has decided to put her career on hold and spends her days dropping off and picking up her daughter, Coco, from school. Jake, their teenage son has been accepted by his peers at an elite private school he attends. This idyllic life comes crashing down around them when Jake receives a sexting message from Daisy, an eighth grader he has barely met at a party. Unthinkingly Jake forwards the videomessage on to his friend. Soon the pornographic message has made its way to youtube and had millions of hits. This family, who has played by the rules and worked hard to get where they are, is left to deal with their son's poor judgement.

Schulman's characters don't always make the best decisions and at times they are hard to like. But, this family seemed real as did the way they dealt with Jake's poor decision. I found myself contemplating my own reaction to what this family faced, trying to decide what decisions I would have made. Atlhough Jake made a poor decision, sending this message on to friends, it hardly seemed fair that he should bear the brunt of this. It seemed that Daisy, despite the fact that her video image was seen by many, got off much easier, even though she was the one who intiated the entire thing. Schulman's writing is magnificent, and I loved the way she was able to tie things up at book's end, leaving another great point for discussion.

I am anxious to read more of Schulman's work, and will look forward to discussing this one with others who have read it.

An Abundance of Ann M. Martin's Work

Never before have my ten year old daughter and I been reading the same author simultaneously. She is tearing through the Babysitter's Club books by Ann M. Martin - the exact same copies my sister and I read in our childhood. (Sadly, they seem to be needing some repair, despite the fact that we were very careful with our books. It seems the glue is just not holding up). And I am reading Martin's latest book, Ten Rules for Living With My Sister. It seems that Martin just cannot disappoint.

Ten Rules for Living With My Sister is a realistic fiction book for tweens, featuring Pearl Littlefield, the little sister. Pearl feels that her older sister, Lexie, seems to have an easier time of everything. She has more friends and more freedom while Pearl struggles. The sibiling rivalry is nothing new in children's literature, but Martin adds in a grandfather, Daddy Bo, who must move in with Pearl and her family for a few months until a spot at a nursing home is available for him. Daddy Bo is suffering from Alzheimers, which is carefully and sensitively written about by Martin. When Pearl and Daddy Bo are left alone together, it is Pearl who steps up to the plate and makes some good decisions. Maybe Pearl is ready for a bit more freedom and responsibility after all.

Tween readers will enjoy this story and will appreciate the struggles Pearl endures as she tries to grow up.

Ten Rules for Living With My Sister was sent to me through the Amazon Vine program. It will be released on September 27, 2011.

Throwback Thursday

I must have been eight or nine years old when I discovered this devotional my mom had bought. I loved reading these little stories with a message. Some of them made me laugh. And most of them made me think a little bit. I'm not sure what happened to my mom's copy of this book, and I had to think a while before the title came to me, but I decided to order a used copy from Amazon (same cover as the one I remembered). While my mom was (and still is) a very disciplined person who sits down with her Bible and devotional each morning, I often find myself running late or in the middle of something else. I am hoping that this book full of short devotions can be a starting point for my own morning reading and reflection.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's pick: The Song Remains the Same by Allison Winn Scotch

Due out April 2012

Snyopsis taken from author's website:

From the New York Times-bestselling author comes a novel that asks the question, who are we without our memories? And how much of our current self is defined by our former self?One of only two survivors of a plane crash, Nell Slattery wakes in the hospital with no memory of the crash – or who she is, or was. Now she must piece together both body and mind -- with the help of family and friends who have their own agendas. She filters through photos, art, music and stories, hoping something will jog her memory, and soon – in tiny bits and pieces –Nell starts remembering…It isn't long before she learns to question the stories presented by her mother, her sister and business partner, and her husband. In the end she will learn that forgiving betrayals small and large will be the only true path to healing herself -- and to finding happiness.

Turn of Mind

Turn of Mind, Alice LaPlante's novel is told through a narrator suffering from Alzheimers disease. I will admit this one was both extremely interesting and extremely sad for me. Alzheimers runs in my father's family, and although my dad is not old by any means and in good physical condition, we are sure that he is suffering from this devastating disease. Listening to the narrator, Jennifer White, a skilled orthopedic surgeon forget where she is and what has happened, often slipping back into a different time in her life, makes me sad that such a brilliant mind could not fight off this slow death of the mind.

Dr. White is retired from her practice and lives with a caregiver, Magdalena. Her grown children, Mark and Fiona, check in on her and realize their mother is in need of care. Dr. White is also a person of interest in the death of her best friend (and neighbor) Amanda, who was found dead in her apartment with the four fingers on one hand neatly removed. Dr. White's profession as an orthopedic surgeon casts suspicion on her, yet she is unable to answer questions sufficiently due to her dementia.

While I did wonder what had happened to Amanda and who was responsible, I was more fascinated with the workings of Jennifer's mind. At times she would be very aware of the growing haze her mind was becoming, and at other times she would lapse back into earlier years when her children were young and her husband was still alive. In the next breath she would no longer recognize her son when he visited. Jennifer keeps a journal where she writes herself notes as do her caregiver and children and other friends who visit. By looking through the notes she hopes to be able to jog her memory and retrieve some of what happened to her. I found this idea intriguing - and although I enjoyed reading through this journal, Jennifer's mind continues to deteriorate despite the ways in which she tries to retain some of her memory.

This book is worth the rave reviews it has received and is full of many discussion points as well. Book clubs, women's fiction readers, and anyone who enjoys a good story with an intriguing viewpoint should definitely pick this one up.

Next To Love

There are some books that upon completing it is just impossible to think about blogging about them. The problem isn't that I didn't like the book, it is that it was so good, I know that whatever I say will not do it justice. Next To Love by Ellen Feldman is one of these books. I knew I would enjoy it simply by reading the inside flap. Set during World War II, Feldman's novel follows the lives of three women: Babe, Grace, and Millie. These women see their husbands off to war, hoping for their return. All three take different paths in life, and will be reminded of the war each and every day, even decades after the war's end. Children are born, spouses pass away, and times change quickly. I felt as though I was a part of this group of women as I watched them cope with how their lives unfolded. The hopes and dreams they had at book's beginning change as time and circumstances unfold. While it is hard at times to see them endure the trials before them, they continue to persevere and move forward. Feldman's characters are real. I enjoyed watching them move through their lives from young women to mothers, wives and widows, homemakers to career-seekers. Grace, Babe, and Millie seem to represent the women of this era well.

Next To Love is one of my favorite reads of the year. I loved this one and am hoping to find some friends to discuss it with.

Weekend Cooking

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth at Beth Fish Reads.

Earlier this week I had a bag of apples I needed to use up. One of my favorites, apple crisp, was calling my name. I rarely let myself make this dessert because I know how much sugar is in it. However, I did cave in to the temptation and make a pan. There are no pictures to share, because within 48 hours my husband noted I had already eaten three quarters of the pan. I was not amused by this observation at all.

Apple Crisp

6-8 large apples

MIX:

1 1/2 c white sugar

2 T flour

Dash of salt

2 tsp cinnamon

Sprinkle over apples

TOPPING MIX:

1 1/2 c quick oatmeal

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 c brown sugar

1 c margarine

Sprinkle over top of apples

9x13" pan

325 degrees

45-60 minutes

Cut and slice apples until pan is 2/3 full. Mix sugar, flour, salt and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples. Mix topping and sprinkle over apples Bake at 325 for 45 minutes to an hour. Cool and serve.

This recipe was taken from a church cookbook, submitted by my third grade teacher. It has been used often, and the pages are smattered with food marks. I still have another bag of apples that was sent home with me from our VBS program at church that I need to use up. I love apples, but now need to find another recipe to try using them. I would happily make another pan of apple crisp, but I'm on sugar overload so I should try to hold off for a little while.

A Good Hard Look

I hate to admit that aside from recognizing Flannery O'Connor's name and that she is an author, I know nothing about her. Still, Ann Napolitano's novel, A Good Hard Look appealed to me. Napolitano's book is a work of fiction, bringing to life Flannery O'Connor in this novel set in O'Connor's hometown.

Napolitano has created O'Connor as a woman battling lupus, living at home with her mother on their farm, Andalusia. While this is all true, as is O'Connors obsession with fowl of all kinds, her interactions with Napolitano's characters is just fiction.

The story begins as Flannery attends the wedding of Cookie Himmel, a woman who is everything Flannery is not. Cookie is beautiful and young, an active member of various social organizations, and has managed to marry a wealthy, handsome man, Melvin from New York City. While neither Cookie or Flannery like each other, when Melvin meets Flannery he can't seem to help wanting to spend time with her, giving her driving lessons and meeting her without his wife's knowledge.

While Melvin feels alive while he is with Flannery, Lona Waters, is experiencing this same rebirth herself. Lona has spent many years as a housewife to her policeman husband Bill. When she is hired by Cookie to make curtains for her home, Lona begins to examine her own life's choices.

The shattering events on one afternoon impact all these people, changing their lives forever. How they choose to move forward and go on with their lives is something they must consider carefully.

Napolitano's book reminds me of Paula McLain's The Paris Wife, a work of fiction centered around Ernest Hemingway, and Nancy Horan's Loving Frank, about Frank Lloyd Wright. I have yet to read Horan's book, but loved The Paris Wife. A Good Hard Look was a great read, and I am truly curious about Flannery O'Connor's work after reading about her.

Water Balloon

I love realistic fiction for tweens. Water Balloon is Audrey Vernick's debut novel, a story for tweens experiencing first crushes, changes in their friendships and other growing pains. Marley is struggling during the summer. Her parents have split up and while Marley's mom travels, Marley spends most of her summer with her dad. She feels removed from her two best girlfriends who have decided to join an acting group without her. Although Marley has no interest in acting, she wants to still hang out with them, but when given the chance, realizes that she still enjoys the things they did for fun when they were younger, while her friends are growing up and developing different interests and different friendships. Marley's dad finds a babysitting job for her during the week while she stays with him - another thing she does not appreciate. The one happy event is Marley's friendship (and growing interest) in Jack, a neighbor who she is getting to know better. While I felt this novel started a bit slow, Marley is a likeable character, and a girl most readers will be able to relate to. As I read this book I began to enjoy Vernick's story more and more. Marley does struggle with growing up, and she feels upset that her parents break-up is affecting her, too. She struggles with her girlfriends and the fact that they are growing apart. And she tries to figure out many questions most tweens face. This is a good realistic fiction selection and a solid debut. Tween readers won't be disappointed in this book.

Throwback Thursday

The World of Lady Jane Grey by Gladys Malvern is one title that my aunt recommended to my mom for me to read. I was constantly needing someone to give me ideas of what to read next because I read a lot and was always running out of books. I'm not sure when my aunt read this...probably sometime in her tween/teen years, but my mother had our library interlibrary loan it for us. I absolutely loved it!

Lady Jane Grey's story is not one I was familiar with. She was the grand niece of Henry VIII. Although she was not next in line to the throne, when Edward VI died, Lady Jane Grey was illegally pronounced queen. She managed to keep the title for nine days, and was eventually killed because of it.

I am fascinated by today's British royal family, and while I don't have as much interest in the history of this family, I found Lady Jane Grey's story totally absorbing. This book is out of print, and when I read it as a child the copy was already old and worn. Amazon does have used copies on sale, but for nearly $40. Perhaps as my girls get older I will want to read this to them, but for now I will just have to rely on my memories of this wonderful story.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's selection: The Orchard by Theresa Weir

Due out: September 21, 2011

Product Description taken from Amazon:

THE ORCHARD is the story of a street-smart city girl who must adapt to a new life on an apple farm after she falls in love with Adrian Curtis, the golden boy of a prominent local family whose lives and orchards seem to be cursed. Married after only three months, young Theresa finds life with Adrian on the farm far more difficult and dangerous than she expected. Rejected by her husband's family as an outsider, she slowly learns for herself about the isolated world of farming, pesticides, environmental destruction, and death, even as she falls more deeply in love with her husband, a man she at first hardly knew and the land that has been in his family for generations. She becomes a reluctant player in their attempt to keep the codling moth from destroying the orchard, but she and Adrian eventually come to know that their efforts will not only fail but will ultimately take an irreparable toll.

I love, love, love memoirs and this one looks like it is right up my alley!

Bent Road

This weekend I found myself lounging on the couch for a bit, recovering from a full week of school and a quickie road trip to my sister's place to pick up my girls. Rarely do I find time to lay around doing nothing, but I was wiped out. Yet, I did make time (before and after naps) to read Lori Roy's novel, Bent Road.

This is a family story as well as one with a bit of suspense. Arthur and Celia have relocated from Detroit to Kansas, the same small town where Arthur grew up. Here they hope to start over with their three children. Elaine, their oldest daughter was receiving phone calls from African American boys in Detroit, and it is that which spurred on their move. Daniel, the son, is on the cusp of adulthood, crossing over from boy to man. And Evie, who so resembles Arthur's oldest sister, Eve, is small, hoping to grow and make a new start in this new home.

Arthur has stayed gone from home for years. After his oldest sister Eve's mysterious and tragic death before her wedding, Arthur has blamed himself for what happened. Now it appears that his sister, Ruth, needs his help. Stuck in a marriage to an abusive husband, Ray, Arthur vows he will protect this Ruth, although he ws unable to protect Eve.

To add to the tension, a young girl who looked remarkably like Eve and Evie has gone missing. Everyone in town feels that Ray is the guilty party - for the missing girl and for what happened to Eve years ago, and Ray does nothing to help his reputation by continuing his pattern of drunkeness.

Roy's novel kept me involved and guessing up until the end. I loved the 1960's setting, and can relate well to the Kansas farm setting. I will be looking for more of Roy's work in the future.

Double Digits

It's hard to believe, but ten years ago today my oldest daughter was born, changing our lives forever. Although today is her birthday, she has already received her present from us: a nook. Her sisters have one little gift to give her this morning. I have to work, but she will be spending the day with her cousins and my sister-in-law who is watching my children. They have a special lunch planned and friendship bracelet making to take place. Tonight we will eat at restaurant of her choice.

It seems incredible that ten years have passed so quickly. In the blink of an eye she has gone from a tiny baby to a toddler to now almost a tween.

Happy Birthday, Leah!

The Summer Before Boys

Nora Raleigh Baskin has done it again....written another realistic fiction tween novel that is wonderful. Her newest novel, The Summer Before Boys, is a book I can see my own daughter reading as well as many of my students.

Julia and Eliza are best friends, spending the summer together. Julia's mother signed up for the National Guard before 9/11, and was then called up to serve her country. Although Julia loves spending time with Eliza and her family, she misses her mother and hopes for her safe return. During the summer months, the girls spend time playing games and hanging out. When a boy enters the picture and Julia develops a crush on him, the girls' friendship is impacted. Baskin is able to write a story about the normal things girls go through in the process of growing up, creating characters tweens will relate to. Baskin also shares facts about women who have served in different wars and been impacted by wars - sometimes as innocent bystanders. I loved this aspect of the book. Julia shares this information about the way in which women have been affected by war because of her own mother's involvement. However, this also highlighted how many children may have been impacted by the loss of a mother-whether for a short time while they served their country, or by sacrificing their lives.

The Summer Before Boys is a book about friendship, first crushes and a first kiss, as well as a look at the way many families and children have coped with the deployment of a parent.

The Weird Sisters

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown is one of those books I have heard good reviews about and not so good reviews about. When my mother mentioned a month or two ago that she had read it and liked it, I decided I needed to read it. Ninety-nine percent of the time I am the person who recommends books to my mom. I don't often have her giving me ideas of what to read because she gets busy with other things like quilting and work and taking care of grandkids and keeping her house more picked up, and golf league, and church organizations, and she doesn't get as many books read as I do. When she watched my girls one day they stopped off at the library where I live. The Weird Sisters must have caught my mom's eye, because she got herself a library card to that particular library and checked it out.

There are three weird sisters: Bean (Bianca), Rose, and Cordy (Cordelia), so named because of their father's obsession with all things Shakespeare. Each sister is a unique and interesting character, and while at first it seems that the sisters are not close, the three of them have a bond - a way of understanding each other- that nothing else can rival. Rose has remained at home to care for their mother who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She seems unable to break away from her hometown and parents and while she won't admit that perhaps she is afraid of change, there is really no reason for her not to move on with her life. Bean, the middle sister, is returning home from the excitement of New York City after being terminated from her job since she stole from them. Bean has many struggles and works to not make the same mistakes repeatedly. Cordy, the youngest daughter, seems to be a free spirit, travelling around the country. Yet, she, too returns home, pregnant with someone's child, confronted with the idea of becoming a responsible adult.

I loved these sisters who seemed so real. I loved their love of books and literature and the fact that their family seemed a bit off of the norm. The small college town they lived in seemed such a cozy community where people knew each other and helped each other out. While I sometimes shook my head at the choices each sister made, I loved how human these ladies were.

My mother's enjoyment of this book spurred me to read it, and my enjoyment of it will spur me to recommend it to many friends.

Help Needed

No, not The Help, which I really, really want to see. I am having a hard time - and have been-leaving posts on different blogs. Just now a good friend started a blog on blogspot. I can type my comment. I can type in the verification word. And then I get kicked out and have to re-sign in to google. Over and over. And my comment never is accepted. Is anyone else having this problem? I am starting to get very disgusted because there are blogs I have commented on for a long time now and thoughts I wanted to leave on them and each time I am forced to give up. If anyone has some advice, I'm all ears.

Weekly Geeks: Back to School

I've never participated in Weekly Geeks before, but these questions look so fun, that I can't help myself. And since I started school this week, I am totally into the whole back to school theme.

What's your favorite bookish school memory?
I loved school- still do- so I have a lot of memories of being a student. I remember reading Dicey's Song after finding it on my fifth grade teacher's book shelf. That is the first memorable experience I had with knowing the difference between quality books and more "fun" stuff like Nancy Drew. I remember my mother, who was my kindergarten teacher, reading Paddington aloud to us. Our school library was not much, but I loved to check out Mr. Apple's Family from it. We walked to the public library twice a month with our class as well.

Did your teacher read aloud to you? Do you remember what book it was?
I remember in second grade our teacher read Caddie Woodlawn to us. Our third grade teacher read James and the Giant Peach. In fifth grade our teacher read How to Eat Fried Worms. I know there were many more books than that, but those are the ones that come to mind. Sadly, I didn't always love being read to. Once I could read to myself, I would sometimes space out what the teacher was reading and have my own book hidden beneath my desk where I could read it without being disturbed.

Do you remember what books you checked out at the school library?
As I mentioned our school library did not have a good selection. The only book I recall checking out was Mr. Apple's Family. At the public library I loved Nancy Drew books, Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary. Eventually I discovered Cynthia Voigt and Norma Klein.

What was one of the first book reports you did for school?
I have absolutely no idea. In high school we were required to do an oral book report each quarter during my junior year. I remember those quite well because I was traumatized by public speaking. I memorized what I was going to say for each of them. My first one was Izzy Willy Nilly by Cynthia Voigt. Another was a book called Eric by Doris Lund.

Do you have a favorite book or author you first heard about from a teacher or school project?Sadly I can't remember teachers doing much book recommending to me. I constantly had my nose in a book and was always on the lookout for something to read, so I'm not sure why no one ever really took time to give me some book ideas. I know my mom asking different people for ideas of what I could read because I went through books so quickly.

Do you have a not-so-pleasant bookish memory from your school days?

I can't think of anything that was unpleasant of books from my school days. I do find it interesting, and unfortunately not out of the norm, that while I loved reading, I did not like reading class. How sad for students who are not readers - what would get them to love reading when even the students who are book crazy don't enjoy that part of the curriculum?

Throwback Thursday

Just recently my mom has been cleaning out her upstairs, packing things off to give my brother, sister and me. Some of it we no longer care about, but there are many things that bring back happy memories of childhood. And, of course, one of the things I most enjoy finding are some of the books I remember from my growing up years.

Richard Scarry's Nursery Tales is a collection of different nursery rhymes that I brought home from my parents' house and have been reading to my children. I like them because they are short little stories that most children should be familiar with. And, one of my favorites, The Wolf and Kids, from long ago, is a story that my girls also ended up loving. So far even though my oldest daughter often pretends that she is too old to be read a picture book, all the girls have gathered round to hear these stories. I have always enjoyed Scarry's artwork and his familiar characters, so getting this book back after years of not thinking of it, is a real treat.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's selection: I Am Half Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley

Due out: November 1, 2011

Product Description taken from Amazon:

It’s Christmastime, and the precocious Flavia de Luce—an eleven-year-old sleuth with a passion for chemistry and a penchant for crime-solving—is tucked away in her laboratory, whipping up a concoction to ensnare Saint Nick. But she is soon distracted when a film crew arrives at Buckshaw, the de Luces’ decaying English estate, to shoot a movie starring the famed Phyllis Wyvern. Amid a raging blizzard, the entire village of Bishop’s Lacey gathers at Buckshaw to watch Wyvern perform, yet nobody is prepared for the evening’s shocking conclusion: a body found, past midnight, strangled to death with a length of film. But who among the assembled guests would stage such a chilling scene? As the storm worsens and the list of suspects grows, Flavia must use every ounce of sly wit at her disposal to ferret out a killer hidden in plain sight.

I'm a bit behind on this series, so knowing another one is coming out makes me think I need to get moving on them. I loved the first installment of Flavia de Luce.

Not a Good Choice

When I select books to read aloud to my girls I usually have put a lot of thought into the book I choose. A few weeks ago we started Where The Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. Last year we The Summer of the Monkeys aloud, and after really getting into it, the girls loved it. This year, upon starting Where The Red Fern Grows, my daughters were instantly able to make comparisons between the two books. They could tell you that Rawls must enjoy animal stories. That his male protagonist (my words, not theirs) saved to buy a dog in one book and a horse in another. That none of his characters had any money and saving for these animals took a lot of effort. That the Ozarks was his setting of choice. Daisy was the name of a sister in one book, and a cow in another.

I read Where the Red Fern Grows a long time ago. In fact it has been so long that I barely remember it. I remember it is a dog story and it is sad. So, I mentioned to some friends that this was our read aloud. One of them was apalled. She has repeatedly asked me why I would read this to my children. She claims to love the book herself, but finds it excruciatingly sad.

A few nights ago we came to the part in the story where a boy who challenged Billy to a coon hunting contest manages to die after stepping on his ax handle, causing the blade to pierce his abdomen. My oldest daughter left the room for a while during our read aloud. She just couldn't listen to anymore. She did return, but knowing that this part upset her, I didn't really see how we could make it to the end.

Last night Billy's hounds, Little Ann and Old Dan, won the coveted gold cup from a coon hunting competition. I warned them that the book's ending is sad. I offered to stop reading where we are now and let this happy portion be our ending. My youngest daughter, at four, isn't really all that interested in this book, but the older two girls didn't think that was a good solution. They needed to know. So, my oldest daughter grabbed the book and looked ahead. And then she started crying. Two big tears rolled down her cheeks. And then she got up and went to her room and lay down in bed and cried.

I feel awful. I like (is that wrong?) that they are so involved in this book that they have some emotional reaction to it, but I didn't really mean for them to be so upset by it, either. I promised to pick a book for our next read aloud that isn't quite so sad. But at some point, I hope to have a conversation with them about how books - even sad ones- that make you feel so much while you are reading them, can still be wonderful, even if you do shed a tear or two. For now we still have twenty pages til the end. Tonight we will forge on with our kleenex at the ready and hope to finish this classic story.

What Alice Forgot

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty was a book I loved. Loved. Loved. While I thought the premise sounded interesting, I didn't know how much I would enjoy this one.

Alice has managed to fall and bump her head during her spinning class at the gym. While she seems fine physically, she is missing ten years of her life. Instead of being on the verge of divorce, raising her three children and running around busily volunteering for various mother-ish things, Alice thinks she is pregnant with her oldest child and deeply in love with her husband Nick. She continues to be stunned by the many things in her life that are completely different than they were in 1998, which is what she remembers. While some of these changes are comical, some are also a bit sad. Alice can't imagine not being completely in love with her husband, and that any challenge they faced couldn't be put to rights somehow. Nick is very suspicious of Alice's memory loss since it seems that she might be using it as a means of getting her way in their custody battle and divorce settlement. Alice begins getting her memory back in snippets, not always liking what she remembers. Can she put her life back in order?

Moriarty's novel was a lot of fun, but also a bit thought provoking. Although Alice's memory loss took ten years from her life, it also changed the way she looked at things because ten years of living were gone. Once she regained her memory, she was unable to forget what she had learned since all those years of living and experiences also returned and impacted the way she saw the world.

Of course I was rooting for Alice to get back together with Nick, despite the fact that her boyfriend, Domenick, was also a really great guy. And of course I wanted her sister, Elizabeth, to have her own family and find happiness. I think readers will generally feel this way as they read What Alice Forgot. Moriarty's ending lets us see what has become of Alice and her family at a time a few years in the future.

I'm definitely recommending this one to my friends - this was a great read.

Eight Keys

Elise and Franklin are best friends on the cusp of their teenage years. Games of pretend, which once were fun for them both, result in them being made fun of and bullied at school. While Franklin is able to ignore some of these things, Elise has a harder time of it. She doesn't do her homework, misses the bus, and is no longer kind to her best friend, Franklin.

In addition to this, Elise is also looking forward to turning twelve. At each birthday Elise receives a letter from her father who died when she was little. This letter, however, happens to be the last. Yet, her father hints at a different sort of present from him coming when she is ready. Eight keys begin to appear for Elise, each one unlocking a room in the upstairs of her uncle Hugh's barn where he works as a furniture maker. Each room has a theme of sorts, and Elise uncovers more treasures about her mother, who died in childbirth, and her father who died just a few years later from cancer.

Growing up is not easy, and Elise struggles with things, getting guidance from her aunt and uncle and her father's best friend who owns the hardware store.

While I loved this story, Eight Keys was hard for me to get into at first. Elise's experience of feeling like she doesn't fit in is something that most pre-teens will be able to relate to, yet her reaction-like purposely missing the bus, and her constant inability to do her homework, seemed out of character for her. Still, even though I can find some flaws in this one, tween readers will enjoy this story and understand the struggles that Elise faces.

Suzanne Lafleur's sophomore novel Eight Keys was provided to me from Amazon Vine.

New (School) Year Resolutions

I love the beginning of the school year! Even though this year we are going back incredibly early - the students will start on Monday- I still am excited to see what this year brings. There are always such high expectations, such happy faces and everyone comes back refreshed and ready to start fresh.

While I am not the type of person to make a bunch of New Year's Resolutions in January, there are plenty of things I quietly resolve to do at the start of each year. The problem, of course, is always keeping up with these mental promises.

Right now things are clean in the library. I hope I can leave each afternoon with it looking as organized and ready for the next day.

I want to be on top of lesson plans and organized with them, keeping them neatly in a folder (instead of spread across the desktop).

I want to be the person who immediately does a job and doesn't wait, finding other things to waste time on, before accomplishing the tasks I need to get done.

I want to stay on top of my co-op student, giving her direction and guidance, as well as helpful advice.

Most of these things I want to do are matters of organization. While I think about many of these things, it is harder to make sure this happens as the year goes on. I get bogged down with a long to do list and don't catch up. There is always something that needs to get done, or someone who needs help, and the things that I have on my list get pushed down toward the bottom.

This morning I went to school and worked for almost two hours. I made progress, but there is still more to do. I want to work on seating charts tonight. I want to start lesson plans this evening, too. I still have a bulletin board to finish. And I need to design a book review form. My sub folder hasn't even been more than a thought. I started getting an order ready on Baker and Taylor to send in, but have found more to add to it.

I love my job and I can't wait to see the students on Monday morning. There is just a lot to think about before that can happen. Sadly, I have a large TBR pile that just isn't getting much attention. I wish I could promise nearly daily book reviews, but I have the feeling that things are going to be intense for a while now. I 'll just keep plugging away at things, and hopefully there will be enough hours in the day for all of it.

Thursday Throwback

I can't believe I have yet to mention a book series so loved by me as a child. Just last week my daughter was adding books to her goodreads account and brought out a stack of books by Carolyn Haywood. The Betsy books were some of the first chapter books I read independently. My local public library had many in the collection and in addition to reading about Betsy I also read all about her friend Eddie.

When my girls were just getting into listening to chapter books for our nightly bedtime read alouds these were some of my first go-to books. The one drawback for me is that some of what Betsy experiences is no longer relevant to life today. Talking about a dunce cap is one example that I had to explain. There are several things like this in the series, and some of that I like because it certainly broadens young readers' knowledge. But without me reading it aloud and explaining it, there is no way my girls would gain an understanding on their own.

Still, I have happy memories of Haywood's books and can still recall many of the stories.

The Daughters Take the Stage

The Daughters Take the Stage by Joanna Philbin is the third installment of this cute tween series that I am loving more and more with each book. This third book focuses on Hudson as she begins her music career under the over-protective, meddling eye of her pop star mother, Holla Jones. Unable to stand up to her mother at first, but wanting to create her own music- not her mother's idea of what her music sounds like- Hudson temporarily gives up her musical aspirations. Although her two besties Lizzie and Carina make appearances in this novel, The Daughters Take the Stage is truly Hudson's story as she learns how to be true to herself and stick up for herself.

Philbin's series is not only entertaining, but there is nothing innapropriate in any of the books thus far, making it a great selection for some tweens ready for a teen-like story. I also love the New York City setting and the glamour that makes up this series of privileged teen girls. While there are many series out there - and most of them I lag far behind in reading- this is one series that I have continued to keep up with. I am already awaiting Book #4, due out in November.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's pick:

Velva Jean Learns to Fly by Jenniver Niven

Due out: August 30, 2011

Synopsis taken from Bookreporter.com:

After Pearl Harbor, Velva Jean signs up for service and gets her wings, risking her life --- and her heart.
Velva Jean Hart, the fiercely independent heroine of Jennifer Niven's spectacular debut novel, VELVA JEAN LEARNS TO DRIVE, returns in a captivating adventure that literally sends her soaring.
Bristling at the limitations faced by a woman in rural Appalachia and fuelled by the memory of her late Mama telling her to "live out there," Velva Jean hits the road to pursue her dream of singing at the Grand Ole Opry. But after a string of auditions, she begins to lose hope- until her brother pays her a surprise visit and treats Velva Jean to a flying lesson that ignites a brand-new dream: to become a female pilot.
Funny, poignant, and utterly unforgettable, VELVA JEANS LEARNS TO FLY will have fans cheering all over again.

I thought the title of this one looked familiar and then realized that Velva Jean is back. YAY! I can't wait.

A Blast from the Past

August 2001- ten years ago- brought the birth of my oldest daughter. I still found time to read, but everything else was eclipsed by Big Sister's arrival.

Five highlights of this month:

Is it any surprise that I found two parenting books on my list for this month? Seven Up by Janet Evanovitch was the book I brought to the hospital with me to read when I was induced. And I did read it. But I remember almost nothing of that book, and I remember not knowing what it was about immediately after I was done with it. Apparently the emotions of being a new mom made it impossible for me to focus on books. These are only a few highlights- I did manage to read 24 books in August of 2001.

What about you? What were you reading a decade ago? I love to hear what others remember about the books they have read.

The Soldier's Wife

I have just two days left before I'm back at work, and while I am sad about this, I do like being on a schedule. I'm also ending my summer reading on a high note. The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy, which was sent to me by the publisher, was very likely my last full book I will finish before going back to work. I think I sighed aloud when I turned the last page. I absolutely loved this book.

Prior to reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society I knew nothing of the isle of Guernsey, and that novel certainly piqued my interest. I was adding this one to my TBR list as soon as I heard the setting was once again Guernsey during World War II.

Vivienne de la Mare is caring for her two daughter and mother-in-law as her husband is away fighting in the war. Her mother-in-law Evelyn suffers from dementia and her health continues to decline as time passes. Blanche, at fourteen, is yearning to go to dances and worry about make-up and fashion instead of having to concern herself with her island's occupation by German soldiers. Younger daughter Mildred is just starting school and seems rather unaffected by the war at first. Yet as years go by she, too, has experienced what it means to wage war. While Vivienne is not happy that her next door neighbors are German soldiers she begins a relationship with one. Despite the fact that their countries are in opposition, the love story that unfolds between the two manages to sustain the two of them when the future was uncertain.

And yetm while this love story unfolds, Vivienne is also confronted with the realities of what is happening in Germany as some prisoners are sent to work in Guernsey arriving looking like little more than skeletons. How can she help? Should she protect her family? And what about her German lover? Does he know what happening?

This is one of my favorite books of the summer- absolutely wonderful historical fiction. World War II eventually ends as does Vivienne's story, but not without a sigh of satisfaction from me.

July Recap

Since I am now just two days away from returning to school, my summer reading is winding down. Unfortunately you wouldn't be able to tell this from looking at my TBR piles. I got through a fair number of books this month.

The rundown:
1. South of Superior by Ellen Airgood
2. The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary by Andrew Westoll
3. Summer in the South by Cathy Holton
4. Found by Jennifer Lauck
5. Untold Story by Monica Ali
6. Best Staged Plans by Claire Cook
7. Yankee Doodle Dixie by Lisa Patton
8. Rawhide Down by Del Quentin Wilber
9. Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
10. The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore
11. When The Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
12. Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt
13. Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo
14. Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
15. The First Husband by Laura Dave
16. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery by Mary Rose Wood
17. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
18. Your Friend in Fashion, Abby Shapiro by Amy Axelrod
19. Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart
20. The Midnight Tunnel: A Suzanna Snow Mystery by Angie Frazier
21. Heat Wave by Nancy Thayer
22. Joy For Beginners by Erica Bauermeister
23. Lost In Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff
24. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
25. The Man in the Rockefeller Suit by Mark Seal
26. Save Me by Lisa Scottoline
27. The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy

6 of 27 books were middle grade/YA, 21 were adult
6 books were non-fiction, 21 were fiction
4 books were written by male authors, 23 by females
4 were books I owned, 23 were library books