Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson
Due out: October 1, 2013

Product Description taken from Amazon:

One of the most admired nonfiction writers of our time retells the story of one truly fabulous year in the life of his native country—a fascinating and gripping narrative featuring such outsized American heroes as Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, and yes Herbert Hoover, and a gallery of criminals (Al Capone), eccentrics (Shipwreck Kelly), and close-mouthed politicians (Calvin Coolidge). It was the year Americans attempted and accomplished outsized things and came of age in a big, brawling manner. What a country. What a summer. And what a writer to bring it all so vividly alive for us on the page in this certain bestseller.

North of Hope: A Daughter's Arctic Journey

Shannon Polson's life changes with a phone call one summer day. Her dad and step-mother were killed by a bear while on a camping trip in northern Alaska.  Loving camping and life outdoors, Polson's parents were used to camping in remote places and encountering various wildlife.  Bear attacks are rare, and Polson later reveals that an attack had never occurred before her dad's and step-mother's in this location, or after.

Now, as the anniversary of her dad and step-mom's death approaches, Polson journeys back to the last place they  were alive.  The trip is not without risks, but Polson feels a pull toward this place, acknowledging that she wants to feel connected yet to her dad.  Along for the trip is her adopted brother, a person with whom she has always had tense relationship, and a co-worker of his.  

North of Hope is Polson's way of dealing with her grief, a tribute to her father and step-mom.  It is a chronicle of her trip, not focusing too heavily on the nature or her surroundings.  And it is part memoir - sharing her own life story and that of her dad and step-mom.

Although the story was sad, I often found myself thinking of friends who had lost a parent and how well Polson's story would resonate with them.  Polson's ability to share of her grieving honestly makes this a worthwhile read.

Crazy Rich Asians

I had an obsession with soap operas during my junior high and high school years. Now, never watch them.  But....when I come across a book that reads a bit like a soap opera, I am in heaven.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan is a fun, soap opera-esque read about - just as the title says- crazy, rich Asians.  These characters aren't just rich, they truly are crazy rich.  I loved the name dropping and excess of their lavish lifestyles which were completely and totally over the top.

This novel traces the happenings of a few families- the Youngs, the Shangs, and the T'Siens.  Luckily Kwan has included a family tree at the beginning of the novel that I did refer to from time to time.

There are lots of characters, but a few main story lines that Crazy Rich Asians centers around.  Rachel Chu, not of any rich Asian family, lives in New York with her boyfriend, Nick Young. Both are professors and Rachel is unaware of Nick's family or the fact that he is wealthy.  When Nick invites her to come home with him to Singapore for his best friend's wedding, Rachel is thrust into a lifestyle she is unaccustomed to. Private plans, couture dresses, and opulence beyond Rachel's imagination are de rigeur for Nick's family.  However, Nick's mother sees Rachel as a gold digger since she is not from any family money.  At once she begins to hatch a plan to ensure that Nick and Rachel won't end up together.

Nick's cousin Astrid is happily married, or so she thinks.  Her husband Michael is a hard worker, although he comes from a common family, not a wealthy one like hers.  Suddenly a discovery on Michael's cell phone sends Astrid's life into a tailspin.

Moving from character to character, and various locations this was an absolute pleasure to read.  This is a perfect beach read and one of the most fun reads I've had all year.

Sunday Salon

The past week has been unusually cool here - so much so that we haven't ventured to the pool even once. After the 20 hour car trip home from vacation we have hung out at home a bit more this week, happy to just hang out.

Friday night my mom and I took the girls to a musical by a local theater.  9 to 5 was this summer's big production.  I loved the movie starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton. The play was good - funny and entertaining.

Yesterday my sister and I took my mom to see Jersey Boys in Des Moines.  We had bought her tickets for Mother's Day last year.  The show was wonderful, and music my mother remembers from her own high school years.

I also visited Whole Foods for the first time.  I loved looking around at this grocery store and found a few items that were fun to try out.  We are busy munching on their cranberry/walnut bread today.

It is probably a good thing that I spent time at home last week. This coming week is going to be spent largely in the car.  Tuesday we are making our yearly trip to Adventureland with some college friends.  On Wednesday I am driving to the Twin Cities to go to IKEA and begin Big Sister's room re-do.  Thursday brings another trip to Des Moines since my sister bought tickets for Big Sister to see Taylor Swift in concert for her 12th birthday.  And, on Saturday we travel to the northern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan to visit my uncle and aunt.  I won't always be the driver, so I hope to get a bit of reading in.

Only 10 days until I go back to work.  There are so many things I wanted to do this summer that just haven't happened, and I have felt busy the whole time.  But it is always good to get back into a routine and I have been pondering different things I want to do with my classes this year. I plan on enjoying this last little bit of summer and get as much reading in as I can.

How about you?  What are you up to this week?

Basketball Belles

Basketball Belles: How Two Teams and One Scrappy Player Put Women's Hoops on the Map by Sue Macy is a picture book account of the first women's college basketball game.

Agnes Morley is one of the players for Stanford's women's basketball team.  Morley grew up on a ranch in New Mexico and was used to a rough and tumble life.  Her background made her a perfect fit for the sport of basketball, which was just starting to become accessible to women.  Macy writes this book from Morley's perspective, sharing the high points of Stanford's game against Berkeley.  Three points of interest for  me personally: 

Baskets were worth only 1 point

Only females could be in attendance at this game per Berkeley's rules

The court was divided into three sections, with women assigned a section where they must stay

At book's end Macy includes an author's note revealing more information about the history of basketball for women and about Agnes Morley's life.  A timeline of women's basketball and list of resources are given as well, providing a great deal of background information for readers who would like to learn more about the history of women's basketball.

As I read I couldn't help but think back to a movie I saw with my daughters last year.  Mighty Macs is set in 1972, nearly 80 years after Basketball Belles, yet there is a great deal of inequality between male and female athletic programs.  Click here to read a synopsis of the movie.

I've been working on adding titles to order for my school library for the coming school year. Basketball Belles will be a great addition to my sports collection, a title about an important part of the history of basketball.

The Husband's Secret

Liane Moriarty has done it again.  The Husband's Secret was another quick and engaging women's fiction read.

Set in Australia as her other books have been, The Husband's Secret shares the stories of three women. The three stories appear unconnected at first, but soon lives intersect and the story concludes in an interesting and discussion-worthy way.

Cecilia is busy raising her children, happily married, and the type of woman that other ladies are intimidated by.  She is always on time, always dressed well, and appears to have it all together.  She is a bit worried about her marriage as she and her husband seem to have lost the passion they once had.  When she comes across a sealed envelope with a letter her husband wrote inside she wants to open it, but doesn't per her husband's request.  But when her husband cuts his business trip three days short to come home and Cecilia discovers him going through the attic in the middle of the night to find the letter, she can no longer honor his wishes. Cecilia must know what her husband is hiding.

Tess and her husband Will and cousin, Felicity, are just starting their own business.  The three of them have been inseparable, the best of friends.  When Tess finds out that her husband and Felicity have fallen in love, she takes her son, Liam, and moves in with her mother who is recovering from a broken ankle. While there Tess meets up with an ex-boyfriend who hasn't ever forgotten her.

Rachel Crowley is the secretary of the school that Cecilia's children attend, which is also the school that Liam attends when he and his mother move in with his grandmother. Despite the fact that decades have passed, Rachel is forever known as the woman whose daughter was murdered.  Although Rachel has also lost her husband, it is the death of her daughter that still consumes her thoughts, as does finding her daughter's killer.

The secret in this novel has many consequences and affects everyone in some way.  Although I believe honesty is the best policy, this story definitely brings that thought into question.  I'm not a great guesser and never seem to be able to figure out murder mysteries when I read them, but I did determine what Jean-Paul's secret was before I ever read it.  However, that didn't detract from my enjoyment of The Husband's Secret.  There are great discussion points in this novel, and Moriarty had different characters affected by the secret, that I still wasn't sure what everyone's response would be until the novel's end.

I'm loving Liane Moriarty a little more with each book I read of hers - a great woman's fiction author.

The Astronaut Wives Club

Way back in sixth grade we studied the solar system and also the astronauts and their different missions.  While the rest of my class was round robin reading, I was secretly reading my book under my desk and checking from time to time as my time to read aloud drew near.  Thus, I know almost nothing about the astronauts or our space program. I did watch and enjoy Apollo 13, if that counts.

Yet, The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel intrigued me.  I have become a great lover of fictionalized biographies, and The Astronaut Wives Club is a bit like that.  

I will admit that at first I was overwhelmed with the number of characters and had a hard time keeping straight who was married to who.  Luckily there is a handy list at book's beginning that I could refer to. And, I found myself finally "getting it" after seeing the list and reading about these wives.  Finally, I could see how there were distinctly different sets of astronauts who had been hired to complete certain missions, something I should have learned back in grade school.

While I am sure the astronauts were fascinating, interesting men, it is the women they were married to that made their story more interesting to me.  Learning about their wives, children, and backgrounds made these legends human.  And their stories, because of their differences, finally allowed me to separate these men from just a group of astronauts into individuals.

Right now I'd be hard-pressed to give you any details about one particular astronaut or his family, yet I was totally engrossed in the story of these women and their families.  Photographs taken during the height of the astronaut's fame allowed me an inside look at a time period that has passed, and a slice of history.

It's unfortunate it's taken me so long to learn a bit more about an important part of American history, yet it doesn't surprise me that it is the personal stories that touched me more than the facts or missions themselves.

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adrianna Trigiani
Due out: November 5, 2013

Product Description taken from Amazon:

In The Shoemaker's Wife Adriana Trigiani swept her readers across generations of an Italian family, from the Italian Alps at the turn of the twentieth century to the cobblestone streets of Little Italy. In The Supreme Macaroni Company, she weaves a heartbreaking story that begins on the eve of a wedding in New York's Greenwich Village, travels to New Orleans, and culminates in Tuscany. Family, work, romance, and the unexpected twists of life and fate all come together in an unforgettable narrative that Adriana Trigiani's many fans will adore.

Thousand Words

Jennifer Brown's book Thousand Words is one of those books I think every junior high and high school student should read.  Although it is fiction, the events in this book could and have taken place in many locations the world over.  With the use of cell phones, facebook, and the internet in general, it is important that kids understand that what they share online never really disappears and can cause a lot of problems.

Ashleigh makes a poor decision, impetuously deciding to text - or sext- her boyfriend Kaleb a naked picture of herself.  At a party with friends who encourage this and with a bit of alcohol involved, Ash, isn't thinking clearly, and wants Kaleb to remember her since he will soon be leaving for college.  

Ashleigh isn't the type of person who anyone would typically expect this from.  She is an honor roll student.  She cooks supper with her parents every night. She is a "good girl."  Initially Kaleb and Ashleigh's relationship seems fine after she sends the picture. But, when the two break up and Kaleb forwards the picture to some friends in anger, things quickly spiral out of control.  

The whole school seems to have seen the picture of Ashleigh.  She is being called names, shunned by her friends, and the whole sexting incident makes the local news.  To top it all off, Ashleigh's father is the superintendent of schools, and the school board is calling for his resignation.

My husband thought this story seemed a bit far-fetched, but I think that Brown lays out what the ramifications of Ashleigh's and Kaleb's actions very realistically.  Both of them pay - perhaps too high a price- for their decisions.  And while it was never their intent to create such a huge problem, they both made decisions that resulted in their own demise - decisions that no one forced them to make.

I grew up before cell phones were even around, a child of the 80s.  Reading this book made me want to delete my kids' instagram accounts, or at the very least scare the living daylights out of them when it comes to sharing information on social media sites.

Brown's book is such a timely story. I will be recommending this title to teachers, parents and junior high and high school readers.

Bootstrapper

Vacation was a great time to remind me that I have a lot of great books on my Kindle Fire.  Bootstrapper: From Broke to Badass on a Northern Michigan Farm by Mardi Jo Link is a memoir I pre-ordered for my kindle. Vacation was a perfect time to tear through this easy to read memoir and enjoy some kindle reading.

Link writes of a year filled with personal challenges.  After nineteen years of marriage she has decided to divorce Mr. Wonderful.  She and her three sons must adjust to life with four people in their family, not five.  The divorce has also brought financial hardship as Link struggles to keep the farm she loves.  

Link's struggles are not unique, which makes her someone many people can relate to.  Money troubles, worries about an uncertain future, her career, her decision to divorce are things that she must deal with in Bootstrapper.  Although all of her concerns are important, one of her main goals is to continue to live on the farm that she and her boys have come to call home.  She recognizes this as more than just a house and piece of land; it is a way of life.  In order to continue to live on this farm, Link begins raising chickens and grows much of her own food.  If hard work were the magic it took to absolve all debt, Link would easily manage to become solvent.  There are setbacks along the way, however, and life doesn't magically or automatically become easy.

Link perseveres despite all obstacles she encounters.  Her college education and freelance writing career help aid her efforts to make ends meet. And as the year passes, Link learns some valuable lessons about herself.

Bootstrapper felt like I was talking to a good friend as I read.  I admired Link for her honesty and her unwillingness to quit, even when it would have been easier.  And I envy her writing style and the way in which she was able to share her life story.

Sunday Salon

We finished our family vacation with a 10 hour drive on Friday and a 9 hour drive on Saturday.  Our trip was great, but the ride home was not so happy since my girls wanted to be home INSTANTLY.  Sadly, driving 1200 miles takes time. Time on the lake for my girls and husband (below along with my brother-in-law) and time for me to sit around reading with my feet up, literally, is what vacation is all about, and well worth the drive.

We spent Friday night in Rapid City, South Dakota, enjoying their downtown area. We managed to see (and take a picture) with nearly every president statue.  Lots of cool and unique stores and a concert in their downtown area definitely impressed us.

 Middle  Sister with Bill Clinton

 The Girls and Dad with George W. Bush

JFK, John-John, Big Sister, Little Sister and me

This coming week should be a nice time to recover from vacation before we launch into two short trips the week after next.  I go back to work on August 7th - how can summer fly by so quickly?

One good thing about vacation is the extra reading time I found.  I managed to read seven books, and hope to have some reviews ready to go this next week.

Grocery shopping and meal planning, laundry, and a bit of school work are some musts for today -along with exercising. My body might go into shock since I've had a 10 day break. How about you? What's your plan for the day?

Time with Family

We have enjoyed our time in Montana with my husband's brother and his family.  The girls have had lots of good time with their cousin.  It has been a fun three days.  This morning we packed up our van to head back home.  There is a long car trip ahead of us - I am hoping for no fighting or meltdowns and lots of reading, but I'm not holding my breath.  

Summer Mysteries

Summer is my favorite time of year to catch up on reading, and although I love the fun, summer beach books that come out, there are also some great mysteries out right now.

Harlan Coben's latest book, Six Years, came out this spring, but it took forever for me to get a copy from the library.  It is a quick read, like Coben's books normally are and I managed to read it in nearly one day.

Jake watches the love of his life, Natalie, marry another  man, yet promises her that he will not try to ever contact her again. Now, six years later, Jake finds that Natalie has been widowed. After trying to find Natalie and discovering that nothing is as it seems, he becomes even more concerned for Natalie.  With people watching Jake and making attempts at his life, who can he trust?

Coben is a master at creating mysteries that are fast paced and suspenseful. I loved this latest from Coben.

Jussi Adler Olsen is also back with another Department Q mystery, A Conspiracy of Faith.  I love this Swedish series more with every installment.

In this third book, Carl Morck is once again attempting to solve the cold cases that have been dumped on his department. When a note in a bottle is discovered years after it has been written, Morck is investigating the disappearance of two brothers along with the disappearance of more children that have gone unreported by their parents because of their religious beliefs and threats from the kidnapper.

I'm excited that there is already a fourth Department Q novel being published in December.  

Linda Castillo's newest Kate Burkholder mystery transports us once again to the small Amish community that Kate was once a member of.  A tragic car accident, killing a father and two of his children is investigated, and soon it becomes obvious that this horrible accident was no accident at all. As Kate tries to find who would want this happy family killed, she has a personal stake in this case as well - the widow is Kate's best friend from childhood.  

This is another satisfying installment in Castillo's Amish mystery series.

One thing I enjoyed about all these mysteries was the suspense the author's created.  I was instantly intrigued by the mystery and didn't want to stop reading until it had been resolved. There's nothing like staying up late at night reading a good mystery, and since I don't have to worry about getting up early for work during the summer, this is the perfect time to catch up on some of these books.

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick: Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford
Due out: September 10, 2013

Product Description taken from Amazon:

From Jamie Ford, the New York Times bestselling author of the beloved Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, comes a much-anticipated second novel. Set against the backdrop of Depression-era Seattle, Songs of Willow Frost is a powerful tale of two souls—a boy with dreams for his future and a woman escaping her haunted past—both seeking love, hope, and forgiveness.


Twelve-year-old William Eng, a Chinese American boy, has lived at Seattle’s Sacred Heart Orphanage ever since his mother’s listless body was carried away from their small apartment five years ago. On his birthday—or rather, the day the nuns designate as his birthday—William and the other orphans are taken to the historical Moore Theatre, where William glimpses an actress on the silver screen who goes by the name of Willow Frost. Struck by her features, William is convinced that the movie star is his mother, Liu Song.

Determined to find Willow and prove that his mother is still alive, William escapes from Sacred Heart with his friend Charlotte. The pair navigate the streets of Seattle, where they must not only survive but confront the mysteries of William’s past and his connection to the exotic film star. The story of Willow Frost, however, is far more complicated than the Hollywood fantasy William sees onscreen.

Shifting between the Great Depression and the 1920s, Songs of Willow Frost takes readers on an emotional journey of discovery. Jamie Ford’s sweeping novel will resonate with anyone who has ever longed for the comforts of family and a place to call home.

Beautiful Day

Elin Hilderbrand is a name I find synonymous with summer reading.  The Nantucket setting of her novels provide a beautiful backdrop for her stories, and each year I am happily entertained by Hilderbrand's latest novel.

Beautiful Day is this summer's newest Elin Hilderbrand novel.  A family converges on Nantucket for the youngest daughter's wedding.  Jenna's mother passed away seven years ago and knowing she would not be there to offer any motherly advice for Jenna on her wedding, created The Notebook, full of wedding advice down to the very last detail.  Although meant to be more of a guide, Jenna takes her mother's pearls of wisdom to heart, creating a wedding her mother would be proud of.  Margot, her oldest sister, eleven years her senior is there to help Jenna along the way.  Margot has always been described as capable, and although she is a successful professional, she struggles in her personal life. Divorced and in the midst of a hopeless relationship with her father's partner, Margot is raising three young children, still wanting to find love.

On the groom's side of the family, Stuart's mother, Ann, appears very capable as well, yet she still struggles with the fact that her husband left her for a time and had a child with another woman.  In a surge of goodwill - or perhaps insanity- she invites her husband's ex-wife (and the mother of his love child) to the wedding.  

Doug, the father of the bride, is dealing with many emotions on this wedding weekend. It seems that everything reminds him of Beth, his deceased wife.  And, even though he has remarried, his new wife Pauline will never be able to measure up.

I love the Nantucket setting and the characters Hilderbrand creates in her novels.  Beautiful Day is another winner and a perfect summer beach read.

Red Thread Sisters

Carol Antoinette Peacock's debut novel, Red Thread Sisters, is a novel of adoption.  Two girls have become as close as sisters, spending much of their childhoods in a Chinese orphanage.  When one girl, Wen, is adopted by an American family, she promises her friend that she will find an American family for her, too.

The bond the girls share is special, and Wen finds it especially hard to let go of her friend and embrace her new family and new life.  She remains devoted to the idea of getting her friend adopted.  

Wen struggles with English - especially conversational English- and there are plenty of examples, such as Wen asking someone to show her something "foot by foot"  instead of step by step.  Peacock's ability to include these mistakes gave authenticity to this story.

Wen keeps working to find her friend a family, even when time runs short and just days remain until Shu Ling ages out of the adoption system in her country.  Suspense builds as I hoped for Shu Ling to find happiness and love.

This story perhaps ties things up a bit too neatly, yet I enjoyed reading it and think tween readers will love the story of Wen and Shu Ling and their happy ending.

Sunday Salon

We are on vacation this coming week. We left Friday and will be gone for 10 days. After our flooded basement, this break is much needed.  So far we've seen the Badlands and Mt. Rushmore. We'll be heading further west to Missoula, MT, to visit my brother-in-law, his wife and daughter.  I have a few book reviews lined up, but still plan on checking in every day and perhaps posting some pictures.  With all this time in the car, I am hoping to get a lot of reading done.

Miracle Mud

My oldest daughter now sighs and rolls her eyes (she's entering middle school this fall) when I ask her to pick out a few picture books at the library for us to read.  However, she did snatch up Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud That Changed Baseball by David A. Kelly during our last visit. I am guessing that the fact that she plays softball herself made this title sound enticing.

Lena Blackburne wanted to be a famous baseball player, and by most people's standards the fact that he played in the Major Leagues for eight years would grant him that status.  However, Lena's contribution to baseball was different than he ever could have imagined. Tired of soggy, stinky baseballs, he came up with the idea to rub some mud taken from the river near an old fishing hole he visited in New Jersey on his baseball. He brought the mud to the ball park and soon he was mixing up batches of mud for his teammates. 

Today the muddy baseballs that Lena first introduced are still used, and the business of harvesting mud continues.  

This story is simply told, with enough details to explain Lena's contribution to baseball, but also with short text that younger readers will be able to enjoy Miracle Mud.  Author's notes at the end give more background about Lena and about the way in which his mud business has transformed the sport.  I love this new-to-me story about the sport of baseball.  I'll be adding this to my school library collection as well as my own.

Mother Daughter Me

Katie Hafner's memoir Mother Daughter Me just reaffirms my love of the memoir genre. Hafner's writing is superb, no doubt because she is a journalist by trade.  Within the pages of this memoir Hafner was able to make me feel as though I was an old friend, sharing intimate thoughts and feelings about the time her mother spent living with her and her daughter in San Francisco.

Hafner's living arrangement is not typical, and it is more unique because she had not lived with her mother since she was ten years old, having been removed from her mother's custody. Now decades later, the two are under one roof, trying to create new and happy memories.

In order for us to understand the entire story, Hafner shares memories of her childhood, both sad and happy.  She and her mother undergo counseling to deal with the past.  Hafner also discloses her thoughts and feelings about her marriage to her daughter, Zoe's father, who passed away suddenly, and her new friend, Bob.  

Her role as a mother is also not to be forgotten. Parenting Zoe is one of the prime focuses of Mother Daughter Me, as Zoe in her teen years, is forced to get used to her grandmother's arrival, despite never having been close to her. Hafner, part of the "sandwich generation" is noticeably caught in the middle.

This is an honest memoir with Hafner's feelings and inner thoughts laid bare before the reader. The family dynamics can be appreciated by everyone, and Hafner's willingness to share her experience openly  made it nearly impossible for me to put this memoir down.  

How Lucky You Are

I always have so many books checked out at the same time that it is impossible to get all of them read.  I have good intentions, but there is simply not enough time in the day.  How Lucky You Are by Kristyn Kuseck Lewis is one of the books that checked out, had to return, and then re-checked out.  I almost didn't get to it this time, either, but started it one night, and could barely put it down.

Waverly owns and operates her own bakery, in a decade long relationship with her boyfriend, Larry.  Her closest girl friends seem to have it all together. Kate is married to a rising political star and her life is full of designer clothes, hair appointments, and appearances.  Amy, the third friend in their group has a three year old daughter and doctor husband - her life appears to be cookie-cutter perfect.

All three of them are struggling with some pretty big issues on their own. Waverly tries to keep her financial struggles to herself.  Kate's life isn't as perfect as it appears on the outside. But Amy's struggles are far greater than anyone thought, threatening her life. 

Lewis' book is a great women's fiction novel, perfect for book clubs.  She tackles the big issue (SPOILER ALERT) of spousal abuse, something I haven't seen a lot of in women's fiction, and does so in a realistic way. Even though I was frustrated by some of the choices her characters made, Lewis's characters behaved like real people, flaws included.

I'm so glad I got to this book on my stack, it was well worth the time. I will be looking forward to other work by Lewis in the future.

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's pick:  Once Upon a Lie by Maggie Barbieri
Due out: December 10, 2013

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

Maeve Conlon's life is coming apart at the seams. Her bakery is barely making ends meet, and one of her daughters spends as much time grounded as the other does studying. Her ex-husband has a new wife, a new baby, and a look of pity for Maeve that's absolutely infuriating. Her father insists he's still independent, but he's slowly and obviously succumbing to Alzheimer's. And now, her cousin Sean Donovan has been found dead, sitting in his car in a public park, shot through the head.

There was never much love lost between Maeve and Sean and she's not exactly devastated by his death, but suddenly the police are poking around asking the family questions. It's just one more hassle Maeve doesn't have time for, until she realizes that her father, whose memory and judgment are unreliable at best, is a suspect in the murder. Maeve is determined to clear his name, but is she prepared to cope with the dark memories and long-hidden secrets that doing so might dredge up?

In a dramatic departure from her Murder 101 series, Maggie Barbieri will mesmerize readers with this gripping novel about family, justice, and the choices we make that define who we are.

Called Again

Jennifer Pharr Davis' account of her hiking the Appalachian Trail (the AT as she calls it) is a worthwhile read. In fact, despite my lack of outdoorsy-ness, I could almost see myself enjoying hiking sometime in the near future.
Davis doesn't just hike recreationally, she is a hard-core hiker, setting trail records. Her husband, Brew, helps her on her hikes, meeting her with supplies and emotional support. This book is not strictly about Davis' hiking, but is more of a personal memoir, not necessarily chronicling the ins and outs of the actual hike.  For me, that worked well, as I enjoy memoirs and don't care as much about the technical aspects of hiking. 
Davis shares about her relationship with her husband, the friendships she developed with fellow hikers, and her quest to set the trail record, which builds in suspense as the book progresses.  
Called Again is not the first memoir I've read on this topic.  Wild by Cheryl Strayed and A Week in the Woods by Bill Bryson are two books covering this same topic.  Dirt Work by Christine Byl is a somewhat different look at the hiking, written by a trail worker.  Although I enjoyed all of these books, Called Again is the one I will be recommending to others.  I felt able to relate to the author and enjoyed her willingness to share her hike with readers- the public and personal side of it.

Reading and Eating

My mom has been nice enough to work with Little Sister and my niece on reading this summer.  A few years ago my mom worked with Middle Sister and then gifted her a quilt for her hard work.  When Little Sister found out about the quilt she was all over it, calling my mom while she was on vacation in Phoenix to set up some reading time of her own (little did my mom know that she also expected a quilt).  These two girls eagerly find time nearly every day to visit Grandma and work on some reading skills.  My mom, who taught kindergarten for twenty-five years plays some games with them and listens to them read.  She also happens to have some baby kitties in the barn that the girls play with every day.   Last night these two giggly girls enjoyed some spinach and arugula with a little ranch dressing.  

Sunday Salon

Summer is already half over and I waiver between thinking that it is not nearly long enough and then being irritated that my children tell me how bored they are.  I don't remember my mother entertaining us during the summer months at all. She is a teacher and had the summer months off like I do, but where I run my kids to the pool, playdates, and other activities, we pretty much hung out at home.  She worked on projects that she had planned along with a lot of deep cleaning that didn't get done during the school year. I am not nearly as organized or as motivated and rather enjoy lounging at the pool, and my kids should definitely not think they are bored.  

Our July 4th was uneventful, although we did have beautiful weather.  This weekend has been beautiful as well.  I may take the girls to the pool later, but am trying to finish up a class I am taking from Drake University about Creativity and the Gifted Child.  I just have one final paper to write and I am done!  

This Friday we depart for vacation. We are travelling west to Mt. Rushmore and Montana to see my brother-in-law and his family.  The car ride doesn't excite me very much, but we have some fun things planned.  My big concern is not packing our clothes - it is deciding what books to pack to read while I am gone.  Oh, the choices!  

We are having the cement for our sidewalk poured tomorrow and are still awaiting the plumber to come and finish his work.  We were all set to do a kitchen remodel when this happened, and this has pushed that back somewhat, but one positive that has come out of this fiasco is that my remodel project is going to happen - and my original idea that my husband was totally against- has been endorsed by our contractor as a very smart plan.  Instead of just using our existing (very small) space we are going to add on what is currently a screened in porch as a part of our kitchen. The screened in porch will be underneath that where our walk-out basement currently is.  If the water pipe breaking hadn't happened, we would be redoing our kitchen as we speak and not adding on any more space.  

I'm off to spend some time outside soaking in the sun, reading a good book.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Flying the Dragon

Natalie Dias Lorenzi's novel does a great job of capturing what it must feel like to be new to a country, something she has some experience with having lived in a few foreign countries herself.  Lorenzi is also an ELL teacher, and I could see how her experiences with her students have also contributed to her writing.

Skye and Hiroshi are cousins who alternate in telling their stories.  Skye's father is from Japan, but she has never visited the country or her relatives there. Although she may look Asian and can speak a bit of Japanese, she is decidedly American.  

Hiroshi moves with his parents and grandfather (Skye's uncle and grandfather) to the United States in order for his grandfather to be treated for cancer.  Although Skye is the same age as he is, she is embarrassed by her Japanese cousin who is confused by the different meanings of words and doesn't quite "get" the American lifestyle. Hiroshi doesn't necessarily appreciate Skye all the time, either, feeling that when she joins him and Grandfather to fly kites, he cannot talk with Grandfather like he could if they were alone.

As Grandfather's treatments progress Hiroshi and Skye must find a way to lean on each other, despite their differences.

Flying the Dragon is a great tween book that captures the experiences of multicultural families in our country and the struggles to assimilate to our culture while still retaining some of your native traditions.

Sisterland

I love, love, love Curtis Sittenfeld. I have loved every book she has written and I love her newest book, Sisterland, too.  With every book of Sittenfeld's I become absorbed in her stories, and Sisterland is another wonderful treat to read.

I'm not much into psychics, which created a bit of skepticism on my part where Sisterland is concerned, but the story is more about the bond of twin sisters, Violet and Daisy (Kate), than their gift to "see" things.  Set in St. Louis, Kate is a stay at home mom, busy raising her two young children, Rose and Owen.  Her twin sister, Violet, is living a much less traditional lifestyle, dating women and making a living by using her gift of seeing the future.  

Sittenfeld is a master at moving the story between the present and the past; the story is so expertly interwoven with anecdotes from the sisters' childhoods, and younger selves, that I would be reading along only to realize that I had to remind myself to pay attention to the plot happening in the present.  

Because although this book is about the sisters' relationship, there is more to it than just that. Violet makes a prediction that there will be an earthquake in St. Louis, creating a media uproar, and finding herself the focus of attention. Kate, as her identical twin, unhappily receives some of the attention as well, although she has long concealed her gift of seeing the future. Her predictable suburban existence becomes more complicated with Violet's prediction, but much of what Kate is confronted with is of her own making.

I can't do justice to this book, and despite having written, erased, and rewritten my review, can't touch how much I enjoyed this book.  My best advice is to get your hands on a copy of Sisterland, or any other of Sittenfeld's work.

Waiting on Wednesday

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

This week's selection:  Somerset by Leila Meacham

Due out: November 5, 2013

Product Information taken from Amazon:

One hundred fifty years of Roses' Tolivers, Warwicks, and DuMonts! We begin in the antebellum South on Plantation Alley in South Carolina, where Silas Toliver, deprived of his inheritance, joins up with his best friend Jeremy Warwick to plan a wagon train expedition to the "black waxy" promise of a new territory called Texas. Slavery, westward expansion, abolition, the Civil War, love, marriage, friendship, tragedy and triumph-all the ingredients (and much more) that made so many love Roses so much-are here in abundance.