Author: Gary D., Schmidt
Published: 2011
Genre: YA Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
Okay For Now explores a seemingly improbable alliance between new outsider in town Doug Swieteck and Lil Spicer, the savvy spitfire daughter of his deli owner boss. With her challenging assistance, Doug discovers new sides of himself. Along the way, he also readjusts his relationship with his abusive father, his school peers, and his older brother, a newly returned war victim of Vietnam.
Review
A compelling but sometimes challenging read becasue of the anguish the reader feels for the main character. A tasteful and age-appropriate handling of difficult abuse, bullying, and prejudice issues. Some delightful characters, great commentary on small-town living, and fun plot twists.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society
Author: Beth Pattillo
Published: 2008
Genre: Fiction, Christian Lit
Rating: 3
Summary
On the third Friday of each month, Eugenie, Ruth, Esther, Merry, and Camille meet at the Sweetgum Christian Church to enjoy the two things that connect them: a love of knitting and a passion for books. Their camaraderie remains unthreatened until Eugenie, the town librarian, introduces an angry teenager into their midst. Eugenie also gives them a new reading list: the classic novels of girlhood that young Hannah has never read.
With each click of their needles, the ladies of the Knit Lit Society unravel their secrets: A shadow from Eugenie’s past haunts the controlled order of her life. Merry’s perfect little family is growing again–but will she continue to feel her identity slip away? Camille dreams of leaving town but is bound by ties of love. And the sisters, Ruth and Esther, must confront a lie they have lived with for over thirty years. As Hannah is reluctantly stitched into their lives, the women discover the possibility that even in sleepy Sweetgum, Tennessee, they can still be the heroines of their own stories
Review
A light read that deals with heavy topics. The characters are well-defined, the problems they face realistic, and the story lines interesting.
Notes
There is a sequel: The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love. The sequel is more sappy. And the Pride and Prejudice copy-cat story line is stale.
Published: 2008
Genre: Fiction, Christian Lit
Rating: 3
Summary
On the third Friday of each month, Eugenie, Ruth, Esther, Merry, and Camille meet at the Sweetgum Christian Church to enjoy the two things that connect them: a love of knitting and a passion for books. Their camaraderie remains unthreatened until Eugenie, the town librarian, introduces an angry teenager into their midst. Eugenie also gives them a new reading list: the classic novels of girlhood that young Hannah has never read.
With each click of their needles, the ladies of the Knit Lit Society unravel their secrets: A shadow from Eugenie’s past haunts the controlled order of her life. Merry’s perfect little family is growing again–but will she continue to feel her identity slip away? Camille dreams of leaving town but is bound by ties of love. And the sisters, Ruth and Esther, must confront a lie they have lived with for over thirty years. As Hannah is reluctantly stitched into their lives, the women discover the possibility that even in sleepy Sweetgum, Tennessee, they can still be the heroines of their own stories
Review
A light read that deals with heavy topics. The characters are well-defined, the problems they face realistic, and the story lines interesting.
Notes
There is a sequel: The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love. The sequel is more sappy. And the Pride and Prejudice copy-cat story line is stale.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Tallgrass
Author: Sandra Dallas
Published: 2007
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
During World War II, a family finds life turned upside down when the government opens a Japanese internment camp in their small Colorado town. After a young girl is murdered, all eyes (and suspicions) turn to the newcomers, the interlopers, the strangers. This is Tallgrass as Rennie Stroud has never seen it before. She has just turned thirteen and, until this time, life has pretty much been what her father told her it should be: predictable and fair. But now the winds of change are coming and, with them, a shift in her perspective. And Rennie will discover secrets that can destroy even the most sacred things.
Part thriller, part historical novel, Tallgrass is a riveting exploration of the darkest--and best--parts of the human heart.
Review
A delightful read. Great characters (both good and bad), an intriguing mystery, and a well-crafted historical backdrop. Choosing a 13-year-old narrator was masterful: a perfect way to unravel the story.
Published: 2007
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
During World War II, a family finds life turned upside down when the government opens a Japanese internment camp in their small Colorado town. After a young girl is murdered, all eyes (and suspicions) turn to the newcomers, the interlopers, the strangers. This is Tallgrass as Rennie Stroud has never seen it before. She has just turned thirteen and, until this time, life has pretty much been what her father told her it should be: predictable and fair. But now the winds of change are coming and, with them, a shift in her perspective. And Rennie will discover secrets that can destroy even the most sacred things.
Part thriller, part historical novel, Tallgrass is a riveting exploration of the darkest--and best--parts of the human heart.
Review
A delightful read. Great characters (both good and bad), an intriguing mystery, and a well-crafted historical backdrop. Choosing a 13-year-old narrator was masterful: a perfect way to unravel the story.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
My Grandfather's Blessings : Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging
Author: Rachel Naomi Remen
Published: 2001
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Cancer physician and master storyteller Rachel Naomi Remen uses her luminous stories to remind us of the power of our kindness and the joy of being alive. Dr. Remen's grandfather, an orthodox rabbi and scholar of the Kabbalah, saw life as a web of connection and knew that everyone belonged to him, and that he belonged to everyone. He taught her that blessing one another is what fills our emptiness, heals our loneliness, and connects us more deeply to life.
Life has given us many more blessings than we have allowed ourselves to receive. My Grandfather's Blessings is about how we can recognize and receive our blessings and bless the life in others. Serving others heals us. Through our service we will discover our own wholeness and the way to restore hidden wholeness in the world.
Review
This book was not as moving or life-changing as I hoped it to be. The references to the author's grandfather's teachings were interesting--but the title is misleading. She only refers to her grandfather (who died when she was seven) occassionally through the book. The stories shared about the learnings of cancer patients during their counseling sessions were interesting. But the author's own perpectives were sometime too mythical and metaphysical for me. And while the author's teachings are valuable, she easily could have condensed her message into about half of its length.
Published: 2001
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Cancer physician and master storyteller Rachel Naomi Remen uses her luminous stories to remind us of the power of our kindness and the joy of being alive. Dr. Remen's grandfather, an orthodox rabbi and scholar of the Kabbalah, saw life as a web of connection and knew that everyone belonged to him, and that he belonged to everyone. He taught her that blessing one another is what fills our emptiness, heals our loneliness, and connects us more deeply to life.
Life has given us many more blessings than we have allowed ourselves to receive. My Grandfather's Blessings is about how we can recognize and receive our blessings and bless the life in others. Serving others heals us. Through our service we will discover our own wholeness and the way to restore hidden wholeness in the world.
Review
This book was not as moving or life-changing as I hoped it to be. The references to the author's grandfather's teachings were interesting--but the title is misleading. She only refers to her grandfather (who died when she was seven) occassionally through the book. The stories shared about the learnings of cancer patients during their counseling sessions were interesting. But the author's own perpectives were sometime too mythical and metaphysical for me. And while the author's teachings are valuable, she easily could have condensed her message into about half of its length.
Monday, October 29, 2012
The End of Your Life Book Club
Author: Will Schwalbe
Published: 2012
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 4.5
Summary
“What are you reading?”
That’s the question Will Schwalbe asks his mother, Mary Anne, as they sit in the waiting room of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In 2007, Mary Anne returned from a humanitarian trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan suffering from what her doctors believed was a rare type of hepatitis. Months later she was diagnosed with a form of advanced pancreatic cancer, which is almost always fatal, often in six months or less.
This is the inspiring true story of a son and his mother, who start a “book club” that brings them together as her life comes to a close. Over the next two years, Will and Mary Anne carry on conversations that are both wide-ranging and deeply personal, prompted by an eclectic array of books and a shared passion for reading. Their list jumps from classic to popular, from poetry to mysteries, from fantastic to spiritual. The issues they discuss include questions of faith and courage as well as everyday topics such as expressing gratitude and learning to listen. Throughout, they are constantly reminded of the power of books to comfort us, astonish us, teach us, and tell us what we need to do with our lives and in the world. Reading isn’t the opposite of doing; it’s the opposite of dying.
Review
A compelling, thought-provoking memoir of the on-going book-reading discussions between the author and his mother in the last two years of her life. The author beautifully describes his mother's personality and characteristics by sharing experiences and stories. I finished the book feeling as though I was better for having vicariously known her.
Notes
This book was close to life-changing for me. It lead me to ponder what type of legacy I want to leave behind when I die? And--unfortunately--it also left me with a whole list of books to add to my "to read" list....
Published: 2012
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 4.5
Summary
“What are you reading?”
That’s the question Will Schwalbe asks his mother, Mary Anne, as they sit in the waiting room of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In 2007, Mary Anne returned from a humanitarian trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan suffering from what her doctors believed was a rare type of hepatitis. Months later she was diagnosed with a form of advanced pancreatic cancer, which is almost always fatal, often in six months or less.
This is the inspiring true story of a son and his mother, who start a “book club” that brings them together as her life comes to a close. Over the next two years, Will and Mary Anne carry on conversations that are both wide-ranging and deeply personal, prompted by an eclectic array of books and a shared passion for reading. Their list jumps from classic to popular, from poetry to mysteries, from fantastic to spiritual. The issues they discuss include questions of faith and courage as well as everyday topics such as expressing gratitude and learning to listen. Throughout, they are constantly reminded of the power of books to comfort us, astonish us, teach us, and tell us what we need to do with our lives and in the world. Reading isn’t the opposite of doing; it’s the opposite of dying.
Review
A compelling, thought-provoking memoir of the on-going book-reading discussions between the author and his mother in the last two years of her life. The author beautifully describes his mother's personality and characteristics by sharing experiences and stories. I finished the book feeling as though I was better for having vicariously known her.
Notes
This book was close to life-changing for me. It lead me to ponder what type of legacy I want to leave behind when I die? And--unfortunately--it also left me with a whole list of books to add to my "to read" list....
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
The Shoemaker's Wife
Author: Adriana Trigiani
Published: 2012
Genre: Fictionalized Memoir/Biography
Rating: 4
Summary
The majestic and haunting beauty of the Italian Alps is the setting of the first meeting of Enza, a practical beauty, and Ciro, a strapping mountain boy, who meet as teenagers, despite growing up in villages just a few miles apart. At the turn of the last century, when Ciro catches the local priest in a scandal, he is banished from his village and sent to hide in America as an apprentice to a shoemaker in Little Italy. Without explanation, he leaves a bereft Enza behind. Soon, Enza's family faces disaster and she, too, is forced to go to America with her father to secure their future.
Unbeknownst to one another, they both build fledgling lives in America; Ciro masters shoemaking and Enza takes a factory job in Hoboken until fate intervenes and reunites them. But it is too late: Ciro has volunteered to serve in World War I and Enza, determined to forge a life without him, begins her impressive career as a seamstress at the Metropolitan Opera House that will sweep her into the glamorous salons of Manhattan and into the life of the international singing sensation, Enrico Caruso.
From the stately mansions of Carnegie Hill, to the cobblestone streets of Little Italy, over the perilous cliffs of northern Italy, to the white-capped lakes of northern Minnesota, these star-crossed lovers meet and separate, until, finally, the power of their love changes both of their lives forever.
Review
A well-written fictionalized version of the author's grandparent's love story. The settings (Italy, New Jersey, New York, Minnesota) were interesting and the characters were fully developed and engaging. My only complaint is that it was a little long.
Published: 2012
Genre: Fictionalized Memoir/Biography
Rating: 4
Summary
The majestic and haunting beauty of the Italian Alps is the setting of the first meeting of Enza, a practical beauty, and Ciro, a strapping mountain boy, who meet as teenagers, despite growing up in villages just a few miles apart. At the turn of the last century, when Ciro catches the local priest in a scandal, he is banished from his village and sent to hide in America as an apprentice to a shoemaker in Little Italy. Without explanation, he leaves a bereft Enza behind. Soon, Enza's family faces disaster and she, too, is forced to go to America with her father to secure their future.
Unbeknownst to one another, they both build fledgling lives in America; Ciro masters shoemaking and Enza takes a factory job in Hoboken until fate intervenes and reunites them. But it is too late: Ciro has volunteered to serve in World War I and Enza, determined to forge a life without him, begins her impressive career as a seamstress at the Metropolitan Opera House that will sweep her into the glamorous salons of Manhattan and into the life of the international singing sensation, Enrico Caruso.
From the stately mansions of Carnegie Hill, to the cobblestone streets of Little Italy, over the perilous cliffs of northern Italy, to the white-capped lakes of northern Minnesota, these star-crossed lovers meet and separate, until, finally, the power of their love changes both of their lives forever.
Review
A well-written fictionalized version of the author's grandparent's love story. The settings (Italy, New Jersey, New York, Minnesota) were interesting and the characters were fully developed and engaging. My only complaint is that it was a little long.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Wonderland Creek
Author: Lynn Austin
Published: 2011
Genre: Christian Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
Alice Grace Ripley lives in a dream world, her nose stuck in a book. But the happily-ever-after life she's planned on suddenly falls apart when her boyfriend, Gordon, breaks up with her, accusing her of living in a world of fiction instead of the real world. Then to top it off, Alice loses her beloved job at the library because of cutbacks due to the Great Depression.
Fleeing small-town gossip, Alice heads to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to deliver five boxes of donated books to a library in the tiny coal-mining village of Acorn. Dropped off by her relatives, Alice volunteers to stay for two weeks to help the librarian, Leslie McDougal.
But the librarian turns out to be far different than she anticipated--not to mention the four lady librarians who travel to the remote homes to deliver the much-desired books. When Alice is trapped in Acorn against her will, she soon finds that real-life adventure and mystery--and especially romance--are far better than her humble dreams could have imagined.
Review
A fun journey. Although the character development is predictable, some of the plot events are not. Recommended for anyone who loves books and reading.
Published: 2011
Genre: Christian Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
Alice Grace Ripley lives in a dream world, her nose stuck in a book. But the happily-ever-after life she's planned on suddenly falls apart when her boyfriend, Gordon, breaks up with her, accusing her of living in a world of fiction instead of the real world. Then to top it off, Alice loses her beloved job at the library because of cutbacks due to the Great Depression.
Fleeing small-town gossip, Alice heads to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to deliver five boxes of donated books to a library in the tiny coal-mining village of Acorn. Dropped off by her relatives, Alice volunteers to stay for two weeks to help the librarian, Leslie McDougal.
But the librarian turns out to be far different than she anticipated--not to mention the four lady librarians who travel to the remote homes to deliver the much-desired books. When Alice is trapped in Acorn against her will, she soon finds that real-life adventure and mystery--and especially romance--are far better than her humble dreams could have imagined.
Review
A fun journey. Although the character development is predictable, some of the plot events are not. Recommended for anyone who loves books and reading.
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