True Sisters

I love pioneer stories and I love Sandra Dallas, so True Sisters was nearly a sure thing even before I began reading.  And I did love this book, despite the fact that it was hearbreaking.

True Sisters is the fictional accoung of the Mormons trek from Iowa City to Salt Lake City,Utah, pushing handcarts.  I had never heard this portion of Mormon history and couldn't imagine undertaking such a journey.  The pioneers had it rough enough on their westward journey but in comparison to what the Mormons endured, their trip looks surprisingly easy,

Louisa is married to Thales, the leader of the Mormons. He is certain that their trek to Salt Lake City will be successful and openly shares his belief that those who perish along the way did so because of their lack of faith.

Anne has come along on the journey with her husband, John, despite the fact that she is not Mormon and does not intend to join their faith. 

And Nannie is traveling with her sister and sister's husband, faced with seeing the man she was once going to marry along on this journey now married to another woman. 

What these three women endure along with the entire group on this journey is more devastating than anything they could have ever imagined.  Rarely do I sneak a peek at the end of a book, but I couldn't help but look ahead to see if these women survived.  Starvation was a major concern since the promised replenishments never arrived, frostbite - and even entire portions of the body freezing, sickness, drowning...the list of struggles was endless.  While Dallas does include a storyline featuring polygamy, the true heart of this story is the trip that these three women make across the country.

True Sisters was a great historical fiction novel. I am already telling friends about it and encouraging them to read it for themselves.

Wild

Over the Memorial Day holiday I devoured Wild by Cheryl Strayed, her memoir about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 1995.  Still reeling from her mother's death four years before, her divorce, and a string of bad decisions and relationships Strayed decides to hike the PCT where she hopes to reconnect with herself and find the person she once was.

Although this is a memoir that hikers and outdoorsmen will enjoy, I am neither of these things, and still found it hard to put down.  Wild is very well written - immediately engaging me.  Perhaps it helped that Strayed was also a novice hiker, never having undertaken anything like this before. Although she had done some research about her trip and purchased supplies from REI, the actual hike on the PCT was a new experience - and one that I was amazed she decided to undertake let alone be successful at.

Strayed enjoyed her time on the PCT which proved to be a life changing experience.  Her recollections of her childhood and other events that shaped her life are expertly interspersed with the events of her time on the trail and give more meaning to why she decided to undertake this endeavor.

Wild is one of the best memoirs I have read in 2012, and certainly worthy of the praise it has been receiving.

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: Wish You Were Eyre: The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick

Due out: September 25, 2012

Product Description taken from Amazon:

The book club says bon voyage to Concord and bonjour to France!

It’s a dream come true for Megan, who’s jet-setting to Paris for Fashion Week with Gigi. Meanwhile, back in Concord, Mrs. Wong decides to run for mayor, so Emma and Stewart team up to make her campaign a success. Jess and Cassidy are also hoping for victories, Jess in the a cappella finals with the MadriGals and Cassidy in the national hockey championships with her teammates. In the midst of it all, the girls—along with their Wyoming pen pals, who drop in for a visit over Spring Break—dive into Charlotte BrontË’s classic Jane Eyre. Some real life romance follows, as Becca may have found a Mr. Rochester of her own.

And then there’s the matter of a certain wedding. The book club girls, their families, the British Berkeley brothers, and even Stinkerbelle will be attending the ceremony, which means there might be some bumps before the bride waltzes down the aisle….

Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale

A few weeks ago we had a garage sale at our house.  I am not much of a garage sale person. My in-laws, however, love them. So it is always my mother-in-law who gets our things ready and sets up our garage sale.  This weekend, while reading Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale by Lynda Rutledge, I chuckled to myself at how different our garage sales were.

Faith Bass Darling is suffering from Alzheimer's -something obvious from early on in the novel.  She has determined that the last day of 1999 will be her last day on earth, and has decided to get rid of her family's antiques by hosting a garage sale.  This garage sale is a huge departure from the person Faith Bass Darling was.  She grew up with money, valuing her possessions more than her own children.  Her daughter, Claudia, has not been home in twenty years after a falling out with her mother over an antique wedding ring. Now items worth thousands of dollars - and sometimes even hundreds of thousands of dollars- are being sold for mere pennies. 

As the story unfolds Faith Bass Darling's past is revealed and the events that led to her life of solitude are explained.  Rutledge's novel takes place in the South and I could almost see the Southern charm of the Darling mansion and the people who inhabit the book's pages.  This novel is a lot of fun, despite the fact that Faith Bass Darling's life is a bit sad and lonely as it nears it's end. 

Lone Bean

If you're looking for a chapter book for a girl who enjoys books like the Sassy series, Clementine, or Keena Ford, Lone Bean by Chudney Ross (due out in July) is a great selection.

Bean is in third grade, suffering from some friend problems.  Her best friend has found a new best friend, and Bean is feeling alone.  She tries to find some new friends but learns that it is important to be careful about who you hang out with.  In addition to her friend issues, Bean starts learning how to play an instrument and struggles with missing her mother who has a busy work schedule.

Most girls can relate to Bean's friend issues and will appreciate a story about something most of them have experienced.  Bean is a girl readers will enjoy and while I don't know of any plans for future installments, I am hopeful that Ross will continue to write about Bean.

Child of the Mountains

I love middle grade historical fiction novels. And despite this being the last week of school, I have managed to get a fair amount of reading done. Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank is set in 1953, West Virginia where Lydia and her family are poor but happy.  When her brother is born suffering from cystic fibrosis and her father dies, it is just the four of them - Lydia, Gran, Mom, and BJ - together, trying to survive.  However, things only get worse when BJ dies and their mom is arrested and put in jail for his death. Lydia's story is revealed throughout this book as she tries her best to cope while living with her uncle William and aunt Ethel Mae.  She dreams of seeing her mother again and being a family. When she discovers a secret that her uncle Williams is keeping, Lydia has to re-evaluate what being a family is all about.

I loved how Shank revealed bits and pieces of Lydia's story. Although sometimes I could guess at what I thought had happened to Lydia, Shank's writing made this story interesting and real.  Her own background growing up in West Virginia gives Lydia's story credibility as well.

This is a book I won't forget any time soon.

The Red Book

Books that feature college friends are some of my favorites, so this new novel by Deborah Copaken Kogan was right up my alley.

The Red Book(also the title of this novel) is published every five years to let Harvard grads know what their fellow alumni are doing.  Sprinkled within this story are entries in the Red Book giving vital information about the class of 1989- their current location, job, spouse, children and a brief summary they have written about themselves.

Clover, Addison, Jane, and Mia are former classmates who became friends during college. They are all gathering together again for their reunion - now twenty years older and wiser than when they first met.  Their reunion weekend is kicked off by Addison's arrest for unpaid parking tickets from their college days. Each woman has had their own struggles in life to deal with and this time to see their old friends again helps them each remember who they were before they went their separate ways. 

There were many things I enjoyed about this novel: the Red Book entries, the way in which each woman struggled to still keep their own identity even after marriage and children...eventually all stories converge when everyone meets up at Jane's mother's house.  This is the only part of the book that felt too chaotic to me - almost as though it could be a television comedy.  However, despite that one section, I truly loved this book.  Each woman takes what has happened to her at the reunion and is somehow changed by it in the future which we are able to see a small glimpse of at the end of this novel.

Book clubs everywhere should enjoy this one as should all women's fiction readers.

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: The Roots of the Olive Tree by Courtney Miller Santo

Due out August 21, 2012

Snyopsis taken from Amazon:

'In the olive grove you've got to be wise in the feet and wild in the head.' At the heart of the beautiful debut novel "The Roots of the Olive Tree" are five generations of firstborn Keller women who live in the same house on an olive grove in secluded northern California. Matriarch Anna is 112 and trying to be the oldest woman in the world - and succeeding heartily. Her daughter Bets, granddaughter Callie, great-granddaughter Deb, and great-great granddaughter Erin are also defying the limits imposed on our lives. When a geneticist comes to study these marvel of longevity, Erin announces she is pregnant with a firstborn boy and the Keller women's world is blown wide open. The family's lives, tied so closely with the land and the olive trees, are richly evoked with memories echoing across generations. Told in turn through the perspective of each of the women, the mystery of their existence is revealed in rich, compassionate writing that will remain a treasure across the generations.

Monday Mornings

Monday Mornings by Sanjay Gupta was a great read. I felt as though I was reading a season of ER as a group of prominent surgeons diagnose and treat rare and strange ailments.  I loved these characters and the story lines surrounding them. 

Each surgeon has their own story, but on Monday mornings all the surgeons gather for the Morbidity and Mortality conference where their faults are brought before their co-workers.  There they discuss the decisions they have made in order to better help future patients.

I watched ER long ago and have never gotten into Grey's Anatomy, but Monday Mornings felt like these shows to me.  Although Gupta's novel ended in a good place, providing some closure, he also left plenty of room for the stories of these surgeons at Chelsea General to continue someday.

Middle Sister's Quote of the Day

Last night I was reading to Little Sister while Middle Sister wrote in her journal in the top bunk.  Little Sister was excited to read Chimpanzee, an adaptation from the movie about Oscar the chimp.
Middle Sister (listening in on the story being read): Hey, Mom?  What are rivals? Are they like enemies?
Me: Yes, rivals are enemies
5 minutes later
Middle Sister: I use context clues to figure things out. That's how I knew what rivals were.
Wouldn't her second grade teacher be proud?

Stronger

As a Cancer Mom, this video hits close to home.  Heartbreaking yet full of hope.  Keep Fighting!

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf

Due out June 26, 2012

Product Description taken from Amazon:

One School, one gunman, your child. One Breath Away is the story of one harrowing event seen through the eyes of five very different narrators. Nearing retirement, Evelyn Oliver has been teaching for forty three years and believes that she has seen it all until the safety of her classroom is compromised by a man with a grudge. When her school goes into lockdown all thirteen year old Augie Baker can think about is getting to her little brother. Instead she comes face to face with the intruder and quickly understands that she may be the only one who can save her brother, his classmates and his teacher. Holly Baker, Augie's mother, lies miles away in an Arizona hospital recovering from a terrible accident, and can only wait helplessly while the horrors of the day unfold at her children's school. Will Thwaite, Augie's grandfather and pillar of the community, upon hearing of the siege at the school realizes that he may have lost the opportunity to repair his fragile relationships with his daughter and granddaughter. Police Officer Meg Barrett, the only woman on the small Broken Branch police force, has responded to domestic abuse calls, exploding meth labs, hunting and drunk driving accidents. She prides herself in being impervious to the emotion and heartache that often accompany her chosen profession, but nothing prepares her for the potential devastation this one lone man could have on her community and on her own future. As the minutes pass relentlessly, the hidden fears and grudges of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage.

Much Ado About Anne

The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick is at the top of my fourth grade daughter's list of great series right about now.  I read the first book when it was first published and really, really liked it.  I'm not sure how my daughter decided to read it - at times she doesn't like my suggestions. But she quickly moved through the first three books and finished the fourth this past week.

The entire time I have heard repeatedly about how I need to read this series.  And I really have intended to. But the overwhelming tower of library books seems to take precedence.  This past weekend I caved.  My library stack is still towering and probably always will be.  Much Ado About Anne was calling my name. My daughter was ecstatic that I was reading it.  Almost as soon as I turned the first page she was quizzing me about how far along I was and what was happening in the book. I did have to refresh my memory a bit since the characters and their individual situations were no longer fresh in my mind. But once I got into it, Much Ado About Anne, was a great second installment to this series.

Becca Chadwick has been asked to join the book club much to the chagrin of Emma, Jess and Cassidy. Megan, who has a soft spot for Becca, doesn't seem as upset about Becca joining book club. This year the girls and their mothers have decided to read the Anne series (beginning with Anne of Green Gables) by L.M. Montgomery.  The club meets periodically throughout the year to check in with each other and discuss the books, but the girls are much better friends than those that meet only a few times a year.  They take turns narrating the book's chapters, telling of the events in their lives.

Cassidy is upset by her mother's dating, still trying to come to terms with her father's death. Although the new boyfriend is nice, he isn't her dad, and Cassidy puts forth a lot of effort into not liking him.  Megan is working on designing some clothes that will be featured in a fashion magazine.  Emma is beginning to worry about her weight a little and noticing Becca's brother, Stuart. And Jess is worried that her family will have to give up Half Moon Farm because they don't have enough money to pay the taxes.

Frederick is able to tie all storylines together, resolving things for the girls for the time being. A truce has even been called in the war with Becca Chadwick. I love the focus on reading.  Of course that is to be expected since this book is titled The Mother Daughter Book Club.  However, Frederick works in some information not only on the Anne of Green Gables books, but other books that different characters reference making for a great way to add to your own TBR list. 

I doubt I will be able to wait too long before picking up the third book. My daughter has already asked me if I have started on it.

The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D.

Nichole Bernier's debut novel, The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D., has managed to get me thinking.  Elizabeth, a mother of three children, dies in a tragic plane crash.  She leaves behind journals dating back to her childhood.  Her husband passes them on to a girlfriend, Kate, as Elizabeth's last wishes indicate.  Kate sets about reading through each journal, surprised by what she finds out about Elizabeth.

The two met as mothers and had not known each other in their youth.  Kate always felt as though Elizabeth seemed to be a capable mother - someone who enjoyed raising her children.  What Kate finds is a different person.  She sees Elizabeth's questions about what to do with her life, her concern about her skills as a parent.  Elizabeth begins to wonder if the Kate she thought she knew existed. 

Journals bring to light an entirely new aspect to this friend.  As a journal writer myself (more in my youth and early adulthood) I wonder what my children will think if they ever read what I wrote.  A friend of mine always jokingly (or maybe not so jokingly) made me promise to take care of her journals if something ever happened to her. If I ever inherited her journals would I feel compelled to read them? And if I did, would I discover a little known side to her? Even though I feel as though I know her, it brings up the question of whether you can ever really know someone.

What Kate discovers in Elizabeth's journal is a woman who struggled with depression, who had a childhood that wasn't happy or easy, whose husband didn't seem to be able to handle the tough times. This isn't at all the Elizabeth that Kate knew. What Kate is searching for is the identity of Michael, a man she and Elizabeth's husband Dave, think that Elizabeth was having an affair with. What she finds out changes her final opinion of her friend.  While it doesn't make losing her any easier, Kate and Dave are given some closure and see that despite Elizabeth's journals and all they didn't know about her, some of the Elizabeth they knew really did exist.

This was an intriguing book with so much to think about and talk about.  Book clubs should be anxious to read this book that explores themes of friendship, honesty, and what it means to be married. I had a great Mother's Day sitting outside in the sunshine devouring The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D.

Sunday Salon

Happy Mother's Day! It is starting to feel like summer here.  Friday was my last day of official library classes and now I have the next ten days to inventory my collection and finish up a bunch of little projects.  I will miss the kids, but they are definitely ready to be out of school, and I won't miss the lesson planning for a while.

This past week my middle daughter finished up her soccer season. That's one less thing to run around to.  This coming week my oldest daughter has her first softball game.  There is something on the calendar every night - and usually more than one thing per night.
My girls got me a new running watch for Mother's Day - nothing fancy, but is a digital athletic-type watch. Exactly what I wanted. Now, to get some motivation to run today. It is beautiful out and what I really want to do is sit outside and read.  That may win today.

This past week I was derailed a bit by my cold, but ended up running 18 miles and walking 3 with a friend one night.

Books Read: The Fall Back Plan, The Good Father by Noah Hawley, and Much Ado About Anne by Heather Vogel Fredericks

There are still so many books I am looking forward to that I need to get some reading done today. I feel the lawn chair calling....
hope you have a Happy Mother's Day and a good week.

The Good Father

Have you ever noticed that often books with similar themes seem to be published at nearly the same time?  I think 2011 was the year of the bird since I could find that word in the title of so many that I read.  There was also a sisterhood theme for a while- The Good Sister, The Bird Sisters..., and for a while I read several books about chimps/apes.

Earlier this year I read Defending Jacob by William Landay and loved it. And now Noah Hawley's The Good Father explores many of the same issues- the idea of whether you can actually know what your child is capable of.

Not to compare the two- although I have heard other people's comparisons, but Defending Jacob although told in retrospect followed chronologically and had an element of suspense (and then surprise at the end). The Good Father seems to be more of a character driven book than plot driven.  We know from the beginning that Daniel who now prefers to be known as Carter Allen Cash, has killed a presidential candidate.  Never once did I entertain the idea that he may not have been guilty of the crime, although his father struggles mightily with the idea.  In fact, his father can't seem to let go of the idea that someone else was responsible for this and spends time and money investigating.  While he tries to get his son off he also looks back at Daniel's childhood- how he was a product of divorce, how he was often absent from Daniel's life because of the  fact that he relocated across the country. 

Daniel's father is an intelligent man - a doctor of rheumatology -yet he can't seem to understand how his son could have grown up into the type of person who killed someone else, especially as he recalls Daniel's own reaction to violence when he was a child.

Interspersed in Dr. Allen's attempt to clear his son is a look back at other assassins. From Lee Harvey Oswald to John Wilkes Booth, Timothy McVeigh and Dylan Kliebold, the Good Father explores the different motives and actions of past assassins.

Daniel narrates a portion of this book himself and through this readers watch as he traverses the country, works a few odd jobs, and eventually kills a senator.

Unlike Defending Jacob, there is no big surprise ending.  While these two books have a similar thread tying them together, they are still very different novels.  Noah Hawley's book kept me interested from the beginning and I managed to find time to read this one over lunch at school and anywhere else I could sneak it in.

Taco Cupcakes

It is mighty hard to come up with a recipe that three children and a husband enjoy at my house.  If one girl likes pasta with marinara sauce, the other two can't stand it.  If two of them like hot dogs cut up in their macaroni, the other one doesn't like hot dogs AND can't stand cheese sauce on pasta.  I don't usually make multiple meals, but I do try to find things that I think all our family members will enjoy. 
My latest experiment is with taco cupcakes.  I found this recipe on a blog somewhere, but can't seem to relocate it.  Here is my version of it based on what I read (and since everyone at my house liked it, I think I will be sticking with it):

1lb ground beef, browned
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can black beans
36 wonton wrappers
shredded cheese
cheese con queso
salsa
sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes, olives, etc.

Brown meat in skillet, drain.  Add black beans, taco seasoning and 2/3 c. water
Spray no-stick cooking spray in muffin tins.  Place a wonton wrapper in each muffin tin (makes 18)
Add cheese con queso to bottom, then ground beef mixture, salsa and shredded cheese.
Add wonton wrapper for second layer and repeat ingredients again.

Bake for 20 minutes at 375. 
Add onion, cheese, guacamole, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, etc.

My husband even remarked about how much he enjoyed these taco cupcakes.  This recipe is a definite winner at my house and a nice twist to our standard taco supper.

I've Got Your Number

Sophie Kinsella is an author I always enjoy. Yes, I know her novels are fun and mindless. But sometimes that's OK with me.  Her Shopaholic series is one of my favorites.  This newest book is a stand-alone novel.  I've Got Your Number is a story that made me chuckle.  Poppy is engaged to be married to Magnus, a brilliant writer.  In fact his entire family is brilliant.  She has been given an heirloom engagement ring and loses it through a comical sequence of events.  However, there is nothing comical about losing this ring and Poppy works hard to try and resolve this issue without Magnus' knowledge.  To compound the problem, Poppy's cell phone gets stolen as well. Poppy isn't sure she can function without her cell phone, but in a stroke of good fortune she sees a phone thrown in a rubbish bin that she picks out and begins to use.  There begins her relationship with Sam Roxton, whose company owns the cell phone Poppy comes across.  Poppy can't help reading Sam's emails - or responding to them.  Sam isn't appreciative of all of Poppy's help at first, but she does actually lend a hand in a few situations and Sam tries to help Poppy resolve her missing ring issue and evaluate her relationship with Magnus.

At first I felt as though Poppy was a bit too much like Becky Bloomwood of the Shopaholic series. And while she does have some very Becky-ish characteristics, she is truly a unique character. Kinsella's formula of creating a story that can entertain by providing humorous yet real characters is well-honed.  The ending wasn't a surprise, but that worked well in this book.  Very fast and fun, I've Got Your Number is another entertaining installment frm Kinsella.

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: Full Body Burden: Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats by Kristen Iversen

Due out: June 5, 2012

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

Full Body Burden is a haunting work of narrative nonfiction about a young woman, Kristen Iversen, growing up in a small Colorado town close to Rocky Flats, a secret nuclear weapons plant once designated "the most contaminated site in America." It's the story of a childhood and adolescence in the shadow of the Cold War, in a landscape at once startlingly beautiful and—unknown to those who lived there—tainted with invisible yet deadly particles of plutonium.

It's also a book about the destructive power of secrets—both family and government. Her father's hidden liquor bottles, the strange cancers in children in the neighborhood, the truth about what was made at Rocky Flats (cleaning supplies, her mother guessed)—best not to inquire too deeply into any of it.

But as Iversen grew older, she began to ask questions. She learned about the infamous 1969 Mother's Day fire, in which a few scraps of plutonium spontaneously ignited and—despite the desperate efforts of firefighters—came perilously close to a "criticality," the deadly blue flash that signals a nuclear chain reaction. Intense heat and radiation almost melted the roof, which nearly resulted in an explosion that would have had devastating consequences for the entire Denver metro area. Yet the only mention of the fire was on page 28 of the Rocky Mountain News, underneath a photo of the Pet of the Week. In her early thirties, Iversen even worked at Rocky Flats for a time, typing up memos in which accidents were always called "incidents."

And as this memoir unfolds, it reveals itself as a brilliant work of investigative journalism—a detailed and shocking account of the government's sustained attempt to conceal the effects of the toxic and radioactive waste released by Rocky Flats, and of local residents' vain attempts to seek justice in court. Here, too, are vivid portraits of former Rocky Flats workers—from the healthy, who regard their work at the plant with pride and patriotism, to the ill or dying, who battle for compensation for cancers they got on the job.
Based on extensive interviews, FBI and EPA documents, and class-action testimony, this taut, beautifully written book promises to have a very long half-life.

The Woman Who Wasn't There

With the ten year anniversary of 9/11 last year, there were many new memoirs published by those affected on that day and in the decade since.  The Woman Who Wasn't There: The True Story of an Incredible Deception by Gaby Robin Fisher and Angelo Guglielmo, Jr., was just published in April and chronicles a different story about 9/11. 

Tania Head's account of the horrors she lived through on 9/11 made her the instant darling of the media.  She told a harrowing story of losing her husband in the north tower, and then nearly dying herself in the south tower after catching fire and carrying her nearly detached arm down to ground level before she was eventually rescued and woke in a hospital days later.  Head was a remarkable force in organzing the World Trade Center's Survivor Network, helping them gain recognition as a group, gaining them access to tour the site, and even to save the "Survivor's Stairway."

Although there were some holes in Tania's story, such as the fact that she referred to her husband Dave as her fiance from time to time, people were instantly taken by her story and the way she was able to go on with her life. 

Several years later Tania's story begins to unravel and questions arise about who Tania Head really was.  She never divulged Dave's last name.  No one had ever met his parents.  The dog she supposedly owned had never been seen by her 9/11 friends.  The one person who had questioned something about Tania's story at one time had been cut out of the Survivor's group entirely. 

Head's deception is amazing and sad.  The survivors who struggled to get through each day still mourn the loss of their friend, despite the fact that Tania Head, World Trade Center survivor does not exist and never did. 

By simply reading the title of this book I knew Tania Head's story was not true.  However, it was hard not to appreciate what she was doing for the survivors. The entire time I read I wondered (and probably always will) what caused Head to decide to deceive so many others - a group so vulnerable and hurting themselves. Although this was a sad story - both for the survivors and about Head- it was a fascinating look at one woman's motives and desire to be a part of this horrible human tragedy.

How to Eat a Cupcake

Meg Donohue's book How To Eat a Cupcake has such a cute cover and title that I instantly wanted to read it.  Luckily I also enjoyed the story inside.

Anna Quintana has reconnected with her former best friend, Julia. Although Anna and Julia grew up together it was a well known fact that the two came from different worlds. Anna's mother was Julia's family's housekeeper.  Now Anna is looking for her mother's recipe book that disappeared when her mother tragically died.  Julia has offered to help Anna realize her dream and financially back her cupcake shop she would like to open.  Anna struggles with whether she wants Julia in her life again, especially after everything that happened between them, but the two decide to give their business a go, and eventually must confront what destroyed their friendship years ago.  Julia has some of her own baggage - a secret she is hiding from everyone and worry about her father who appears to be more than just forgetful. Romance and suspense all occurring with the tasty backdrop of their restaurant, Treat, all add to this story.

Donohue's book is narrated by both Julia and Anna, alternating chapters. Although initially I felt more connected to Anna, Julia's narration gave her character more depth and she was also easily likeable.  This was a fast and fun read and a women's fiction book that is enjoyable and entertaining. 

Sunday Salon

This weekend has felt rather relaxing with no real schedule we must adhere to.  However, on Friday and Saturday of this coming week we are holding a garage sale.  Garage sales always seem like a great idea until we look at the state our garage is in. What a mess!  We have been thinking about putting up a shed this spring that would house our lawn mower, bikes, and other "extra" items that don't fit in our barely-two-car garage.  Doing that would help a great deal. Underneath our garage stairs is our only real storage space as well, and there are things under there we certainly don't need or want just taking up precious storage space.  So we have been sifting through items, filling trash bags, sweeping the garage floor, and basically trying to make it presentable for our sale.  The girls are getting older so their toy kitchen, small picnic table, jogging stroller and other toy items are being sold. 

This past week I stayed home sick on Thursday.  I knew I was sick on Wednesday, but had too many work commitments and went to work that day knowing that I had to make it through my meeting that ended at 6 PM.  After that, I happily rested on the couch in between blowing my nose.  I slept a lot on Thursday, but while I wasn't sleeping I did manage to read John Feinstein's new kids book, Rush for the Gold, a great tween sports mystery.

Books Read This Week: The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani, How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue, Rush for the Gold by John Feinstein, The Starboard Sea by Andrea Dermont, The Woman Who Wasn't There by Robin Gaby Fisher and I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella. 

Exercise: Ran 21 miles, but only exercised 2 mornings because of being sick

I've got lots of reviews to write this week since last week's reading was amazing for me.  Hopefully I'll find time to do that in between getting ready for the garage sale, soccer games, softball practices and work.

What about you? What's up for your week?

Rush for the Gold

I am always surprised by how well known John Feinstein is.  Yesterday I had brought along Rush for the Gold, Feinstein's newest book to be released in May to our library meeting. This is another installment in his kids sports mystery series.  A few of my librarian friends who do not appear to be overly athletic or into sports commented on how they enjoyed his adult books.  While I enjoy his books, I was very much unaware of how many different types of people enjoy his work.

Rush for the Gold is my latest Amazon Vine acquisition.  I have always enjoyed reading about Stevie and Susan Carol at the various sporting events they are able to attend. Not only are their mysteries suspenseful, but Feinstein includes a lot of information about the sport his book features and the different athletes and rules within that sport.

The London Olympic games are just 84 days away, so it is no surprise that this latest book features Susan and Stevie at the London games.  While Stevie is reporting as usual, Susan Carol is competing in the games as a swimmer.  She has grown taller and gained weight in the past year and her swimming career has really taken off.  The sudden fame is a lot to contend with and even Susan Carol's dad is a bit overwhelmed by the idea of millions of dollars in his daughter's future.

In typical fashion, there is more going on than just the games.  Stevie begins to wonder if someone is trying to rig who is winning the gold medal in swimming events. Of course he and Susan Carol begin sleuthing around to try and solve the mystery on their own.

Although this is part of a series, it could certainly stand on its own.  There are references to Susan Carol and Stevie's experience at Wimbledon in a prior mystery, and I was happy I had already read that title. However, even if I had not read any of these books by Feinstein, I would have very much enjoyed this one.
Rush for the Gold was a fast read, a good installment to this series, and has me counting down for London myself.

A Trigiani Favorite

At 470 pages The Shoemaker's Wife is Adriana Trigiani's longest novel to date.  It is also the perfect blend of everything this author does so well.  Her Italian characters and their heritage play a big part of each novel and this one is no exception. 

This book weaves together the story of two young Italians: Enza and Cirro who meet in their youth, but who both relocate to America for different reasons.  As young immigrants they encounter each other again a few times, but despite their attraction to each other nothing works out for the pair.  As the book proceeds we watch how they form a life in America without the help of their families.  Although this book is character driven, I enjoyed watching the passage of time in our country as Enza and Cirro grow up and begin a family.  From their arrival at Ellis Island to Enza's work sewing for the Metropolitan Opera House, they are both affected by World War I and other developemnts on the world's stage.  Trigiani was able to recreate this time period and I was able to truly feel I was a part of what Enza and Cirro were experiencing.

My synopsis is short, and there is certainly much more that develops within this book that spans nearly all of Enza's life. But rather than tell you every even that befalls this remarkable woman, I encourage you to read her story for yourself. The Shoemaker's Wife is Adriana Trigiani at her best.

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: Between You and Me by Nicola Krauss and Emma McLaughlin

Due out: June 12, 2012

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

From the authors of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Nanny Diaries comes a new novel that takes readers behind the scenes of stratospheric celebrity—what it means to be worshipped by millions and still feel loved by none.
Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus have proven again and again that they are masters at exploring the nuances of family relationships—as they intersect with the current trends in the culture at large.
In Between You and Me, twenty-seven-year-old Logan Wade has built a life for herself in New York City, far from her unhappy childhood in Oklahoma. But when she gets the call that her famous cousin needs a new assistant, it’s an offer she can’t refuse. Logan hasn’t seen Kelsey since they were separated as kids; in the meantime, Kelsey Wade has become one of Fortune Magazine’s most powerful celebrities and carrion for the paparazzi. But the joy at their reunion is overshadowed by the toxic dynamic between Kelsey and her controlling parents. As Kelsey grasps desperately at a “real” life, Logan risks everything to try and give her cousin the one thing she has never known—happiness. As Kelsey unravels in the most horribly public way Logan finds that she will ultimately have to choose between saving her cousin and saving herself.

April Recap

The number of books being read in 2012 is substantially lower than in 2011. Sure, there has been stress in my work situation, but I'm not sure that is the entire reason why my reading is slower.  I do feel like I am appreciating the books I am getting done, and perhaps striking a bit more balance in life. We are busy right now with soccer season and softball season. Between running kids places and end of year things at school, our house has been a bit more picked up lately.  If my husband ever figures out it is because I am reading less, I am sure he will endorse the new way of being.

The roundup for April includes:
1.  The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
2.  Heft by Liz Moore
3.  The Rivals by Daisy Whitney
4.   Bringing up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman
5.  Shelter by Frances Greenslade
6.  The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth
7.  The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
8.  The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
9.  Paris in Love by Eloisa James
10. Love's Unending Legacy by Janette Oke
11.  The  Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger
12.  Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick
13.  Quiet by Susan Cain
14.  Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson
15.  Schooled by Gordon Korman
16.  The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani

Only 3 of these books were tween/YA, 13 were adult
2 books were written by males, 14 by females
2 books were from my shelves, 1 from my kindle (net galley), 13 from the library
4 were non-fiction, 12 were fiction

Even though the list is somewhat shorter than other months, there isn't a dud in the bunch. Every single one of these books was well worth reading.  Now, on to May!

Blast from the Past

Time to reminisce about what I was reading ten years ago this month.  I love taking time to look through my reading notebook to see what types of books I was reading and what I remember about what I was doing in my life while I was reading them.

The first three of these books are series that I loved. I so wish Donald Harstad would get another book published - I have been waiting for a long time!  Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons was an important book about the culture of girls.  In May of 2002 I had only one daughter. Now with three girls I know how very important this is for me.  Jacquelyn was a Sunfire romance- another series I read while in junior high . I now have rebought almost the entire series.  These were wonderful clean romances for a tween girl.
How about you? What were you reading a decade ago? Last year?  Have you read any of these titles?