Recent Reads – July and August

Well, hello!  At the risk of sounding like a broken record…where has time gone?!   The husband and I had a busy couple of months, even with him having the summer off from grad school.  We enjoyed lots of time with family, with friends and with each other.  It was just what the our souls needed, before he begins the LAST semester of grad school!  We have just returned from an end-of-summer adventure to South Dakota, and I can’t wait to share the details!  Until then, I’m happy to report that I’m back to blogging regularly and hope you enjoy the last couple of months worth of book reviews.

The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson
The Devil in the White City reads like fiction, but is a recount of actual events that took place in the 1890’s.  While the World’s Columbian Exposition committee struggles to bring the fair plans to fruition, a serial killer is silently preying on the influx of new residents and visitors of Chicago.   Erik Larson does a fabulous job of telling the real-life unfolding of events surrounding Chicago’s World Fair of 1893.  It was fascinating to read about all of the the present day products and brands that were first revealed at the Fair and the then-unknown influential individuals who were inspired by or involved with the Fair.  Larson poured over the hundreds of newspaper articles, written letters, Exposition pamphlets, trial transcripts, and other documents, in order to piece together the events.  That said, he was passionate and long-winded, at times, about the architecture and development of the Exposition grounds.   Between all of the details of the Exposition are snippets of the life and happenings of the sinister H.H. Holmes and to those he employed or provided services.  It was almost as if you were reading two books in one.  The character development of H.H. Holmes was terrific, keeping me in suspense during those chapters.

A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson
This book was one so good!  Maybe because I love to hike in the Georgia portion of the AT?  Or maybe because I read it just before leaving for a hiking and camping adventure in South Dakota?  Either way, Bill Bryson had me laughing out loud at various points during A Walk in the Woods, and wishing I had the time to hike the Appalachian Trail.  Without realizing the arduous conditions of the trail, Bill announces to his family, friends and publisher that he will hike the entire 2,184 mile Appalachian Trail.   Of course, he had not trained and did not own camping equipment.  Somehow, he convinces an out-of-shape friend to join him on the adventure.   His personal account of the rigorous hike is peppered with hilarious stories and historical anecdotes about the AT and the towns  he encountered along his travels.  A must-read for all trail enthusiasts!

The Pact, Jodi Picoult
The Pact immediately begins with the gruesome discovery of two teens, Chris and Emily, covered in blood from apparent gunshots and Emily’s subsequent death.  The two were very close childhood friends and neighbors, bonded by their parents’ close relationships.  Eventually, their friendship blossomed into love.  Next comes the revelation that Emily was shot in the head, while the second bullet – intended for Chris – was never discharged.  The two teens had formed a suicide pact.  Doubt immediately creeps in and tears their two families apart, while the local authorities investigate further into Chris’ version of what happened that night.   This was the first book I have read by Picoult and rather enjoyed her writing.  The character development was great (although I despised a couple of them!) and continued throughout the novel.  The plot twists and suspense kept me intrigued until the very end.  Overall, I enjoyed the book despite the heavy topics involved.

What have you been reading lately?  Any good recommendations?

– Brittany

Recent Reads – June

Wow, how are we already a week into July?!  June was filled with quick weekend trips, lots of time with family and friends and household projects, including painting the exterior of our house.  Needless to say, June was busy!   I only managed to get through one book – the latest Emily Giffin novel.

The One & Only, by Emily Giffin
Growing up as the best friend of the coach’s daughter, Shea Rigsby’s life has always revolved around Walker college football.  She remained in Walker for college and accepted a job in the college athletic department following graduation.  Shea and her mother were still incredibly close with Lucy, Coach Carr and his wife, Connie.  When Connie suddenly passes away from a long-term illness, Shea experiences a midlife crisis of sorts.  She questions her life decisions and begins to push herself outside of her comfort zone.  In the process of finding herself, Shea realizes she is in love with someone that has been there all along.  But, when Shea follows her heart, she gets herself into a real mess…

I have read all of Emily Giffin’s novels and have enjoyed them as quick and easy poolside or airplane reads.  However, The One & Only left me rather disappointed in comparison to Giffin’s previous novels.  The book was predictable from the start and had far too much football talk for a chick-lit novel, in my opinion.  Without giving too much away, I thought the subject of her crush was a bit disturbing.  Additionally, there were a couple of loose ends or story lines that were never fully explained.  The end also felt a bit rushed, in comparison to the rest of the book.

Have you read The One & Only?  If so, what was your opinion?

– Brittany

Recent Reads – May

May proved to be another busy month!  We logged quite a few miles on hiking trails, squeezed in a weekend camping trip, and made sure we spent more time outside overall.   I still managed to read a couple of books this month…well, I finished one and tried to get through another.  Oddly enough, both books had the word “shadows” in the title.  However, the similarities stopped there…

Dreams and Shadows, by C. Robert Cargill
I picked up this science fiction novel during a “daily deal” eBook promotion and thought I’d challenge myself to venture outside my typical reads.  I have to admit, my first foray into science fiction was pretty disappointing and this book was abandoned about a quarter of the story.  Perhaps sci-fi is just not my style, or maybe it was not a great first book for the genre.  The plot seemed to be all over the place and not really in a character development manner.  I did manage to get through the first 100 or so pages, before abandoning the Dreams and Shadows altogether.  Up to that point, the story had involved a cast of seemingly unrelated characters including baby-snatching rejected spawn of fairies and goblins, a wish-granting genie, fairies, and changelings, among others.  About a quarter of the way into the novel, a rather gruesome scene played out when several of these forest inhabitants teamed up to systematically and violently kill four campers one-by-one.  I was struggling to get through the book, but that last scene sealed the deal for me.

Shadows In The Sun, by Gayathri Ramrasad
“The more I try to control my errant moods, the less in control I feel.  With each passing day, the stone wall of alienation grows thicker, taller, and more impenetrable between us, until I feel completely abandoned.  Unable to think clearly or cope, I withdraw into a shell of sullen defiance.  I need their approval as much as a sunflower needs the sun.  Devoid of it, I begin to wilt – physically and emotionally.”

Gayathri Ramrasad penned her memoir, Shadows in the Sun, recounting her lifelong struggle with depression and generalized anxiety disorder.  Born and raised in India, in a culture that views depression as a sign of weakness and a disgrace for her family, Gayathri and her family hid her illness and assumed that prayer and rest would remedy her erratic mood swings.   Her arranged marriage to an Indian man living in United States moved Gayathri to Portland.  With a fresh start and new life, her emotional and mental well-being temporarily improved and her family felt it was all behind them.  Following the birth of her daughter, Gayathri’s depression spiraled out of control.  Suicidal thoughts and attempts became a regular occurrence.  Once properly diagnosed, Gayathri begins a long road to recovery which included failed attempts with medications, supervised psychiatric care and holistic approaches to controlling her depression.  Gayathri’s memoir offers a raw and uncensored view of the mental state of a person suffering from depression.  With mental health being such an important and controversial topic in our society, I found Gayathri’s story to be enlightening and moving.  A must read for those who know someone who is suffering from depression.

 

What have you been reading lately?  Any suggestions for an easy or fun pool/beach read?   I just picked up Emily Giffin’s latest novel and plan to read it this month.  I would love other suggestions.

– Brittany

Recent Reads – April

April was a busy month!  Between Spring weddings, hiking adventures, yard work and Spring cleaning, I stayed on the go and had less time for reading.  I did manage to read two books that had been on my to-read list for a while.  One was borrowed from a friend and the other was a “daily deal” eReader book that I picked up for $1.99 a couple of months ago.

Kira-Kira, by Cynthia Kadohata
Kira-Kira is the story of a Japanese family in the 1950s, told through the eyes of the middle child, Katie.  Katie adores her older sister, Lynn, who teaches her to look for the kira-kira (which means glittering or shining) in everything in life.  Early in the novel, the family business closed and they were relocated from Iowa to rural south Georgia.  For the first time, Katie realizes that she is different, as her family is one of just a few Japanese families among a town of white Georgians.  They are either stared at or shunned by the people in town and treated like outsiders.  Her parents take jobs at a local poultry processing plant, where they work long hours and rarely have time to spend with their three children.  When Lynn becomes fearfully ill, her family starts to unravel.  Because Lynn is too weak, it is Kate who must strengthen her family and help them to see the kira-kira of hope that lies ahead.

As a young adult novel, Kira-Kira was a quick and easy read.  I think readers of any age can empathize with Katie’s adoration of her older sibling and also with her fears and sorrow over her family’s struggles.  I enjoyed watching Katie grow and mature throughout the trials that her family endured.  Kira-Kira is a great reminder to strive to see a silver lining or a positive in any situation.  That beauty lies all around us, if we would only open our eyes and see it.

Nefertiti, by Michelle Moran
Nefertiti depicts the revolutionary rein of Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, through the eyes of Nefertiti’s younger sister, Mutnodjemet.  Her sister watches Nefertiti morph into a power-hungry queen, who goes against her family’s wishes and turns her back on the Gods.  Nefertiti will stop at nothing to appease her husband’s wishes and to cement her place in history as the greatest and most beautiful Queen of Egypt…no matter the cost or consequence.

I thoroughly enjoyed Nefertiti and could not put it down!  Moran captivated me with her vivid descriptions of the characters, Amarna and the rest of Egypt.  I liked that the story was written from the perspective of Mutnodjemet.  Nefertiti was not a likeable character, but Mutnodjemet’s loyalty and compassion helped the reader to understand the reasons behind Nefertiti’s actions.  Because the history of their rein is largely lost to time, much of the book was obviously embellished.  But, the author made great efforts to insert accurate historical information into the novel, when possible.  But, keep in mind that this book is fiction.  About halfway through, I commented to my husband that the book reminded me of The Other Boleyn Girl. I saw that a few others commented on Good Reads that they felt the same way.  So, if you liked that book and are fascinated by Egyptian history, you will love this book!

What have you been reading lately?  Any good suggestions?   You can read my other book reviews here, here, and here.

– Brittany

Recent Reads – March

The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion
Don Tillman, a professor of genetics, lives a highly regimented life.  His days are scheduled out down to 15 minute increments, allotting time for exercise, grocery trips and time to prepare his meals.  He eats the same meals each week, in order to maximize his nutrient intake and efficiency of meal preparation.  Don thrives on the order, although his behavior is viewed as odd by most of his peers.  When he decides that he should probably settle down with a woman, he launches “The Wife Project” in order to narrow down his list of candidates for a “suitable partner.”  Until he met Rosie, who turned his structured life upside down with her own project of identifying her real father.

I really enjoyed reading The Rosie Project.  It was well-written and funny, making it hard to put down.  I found Don Tillman to be an endearing character, despite his social oddities and stubborn nature.  He is a middle-aged man with undiagnosed autism, desperate to see if he is capable of love.  The book is full incredibly awkward social dilemmas, all from Don’s perspective, which made for quite a few hilarious scenes in the book.

 

The Glass Castle, Jeanette Walls

The Glass Castle is a memoir recounting the hilariously dysfunctional upbringing of the four Walls children.  The father was constantly drunk, unable to hold a steady job, and disappeared for days at a time, while the mother could not be bothered with the responsibilities that come with cooking and otherwise providing for her children.  The family lived like nomads in the Southwest, wandering from one town to another, until their resources dried up and they were forced to move to West Virginia to live with family.   Once “established” in Welch, the family lived in a dilapidated home that had many issues, including a lack of plumbing and heat, and part of the roof was missing.  Often, the children would go days without bathing or food.  As they grew older, the kids learned how to fend for themselves and take care of each other.  Eventually, the children were able to earn their own money and escape the life of poverty and dysfunction.  Or, so they thought…

Jeanette’s story was quite funny, at times.  At other times, it was equally heart-breaking.  For me, the book shed a new light on a life of poverty.  I can recall a schoolmate showing up to school dirty and in tattered clothing in high school, much like the Walls children.  I remember the taunting and nasty comments that people made about her.  It made me feel awful then, and worse now that I’ve read Jeanette’s story.  Her’s is truly a story of determination and resilience, in the face of adversity.  Despite her unconventional upbringing and life of misfortune, she overcame the instability and made a better life for herself.

You can read my previous book reviews here and here.

– Brittany

Recent Reads – February

Oh, wow.  February was filled with heavy reading material.  I garnered a good bit of perspective from these books.   While I could really use a good lighthearted book right now, I loved each of these books for the way they opened my eyes and made me appreciate the things I take for granted each day.

Little Bee, Chris Cleave
Little Bee is a Nigerian refugee, who is desperate to leave behind her tragic past.  The book begins when Little Bee and her sister with a chance meeting with an English couple on a lone stretch of beach in Nigeria.  This encounter ended horrifically for all parties involved.   Little Bee was later detained when discovered as a refugee on a container ship bound for England.  After a mistaken release from the immigration detention center, Little Bee crosses paths with the English couple, Sarah and Andrew, again.  Constantly fearing the moment “when the men come,” her capture would mean certain death upon her return to Nigeria.

“We knew what we had: we had nothing…That is how we lived, happily and without hope.  I did not miss having a future because I did not know I was entitled to one.”  Although Little Bee is fiction, the story is  based on the greed and alleged genocide by the government and corporate oil companies in Nigeria, and the treatment of captured refugees in immigration removal centers.  This book personalized the human atrocities that happen globally and demonstrated how easily they are overlooked or forgotten.  Little Bee also illustrated how different our daily lives are than those living in third world countries.  Yet, the book also reminded me that there are good people in this world that are willing to make sacrifices and do the right thing.  It was a beautifully written and compelling story.

Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected, Kelle Hampton
As a long-term follower of Kelle Hampton’s Enjoying The Small Things blog, I was familiar with the story of her daughter, Nella.  Kelle had it all – a loving husband, supportive friends, a beautiful daughter and another baby girl on the way.  Life was good.  Upon her daughter’s arrival, Kelle’s seemingly perfect work was rocked.  As she laid her eyes on her newborn daughter, she realized she has Down syndrome.  Her reaction – sadness, dread and the compulsion to run away from this tiny baby.  Bloom is Kelle Hampton’s memoir, recounting her reaction to her new daughter’s diagnosis, her fear of the future with a special needs child, and her journey toward acceptance, love and learning to be her daughter’s biggest advocate.  Kelle is an amazing writer, her words tugging at your heart and inspiring in ways that make you appreciate all the beauty that life has to offer.  If you would like a preview of the book, read Nella’s birth story and a few of my favorite excerpts from Bloom:

“Living a life of comfort does nothing to make us grow…hard times shape us into interesting, developed characters.”

“I wouldn’t say my glass is always half full.  There are days when it’s cracked and leaking, days when it’s chipped and even shattered.  But then I get the Krazy Glue out and fix it, and suddenly it’s half full again.  Even though it’s patched up in places, I’ve made it my own with the beveled edges and beautiful etchings that perspective brings.”

“The concept of perfection is not flawless or ripped from a magazine.  It’s happiness.  Happiness with all its messiness and not-quite-thereness.  It’s knowing that life is short, and the moments we choose to fill our cup with  should be purposeful and rich.  That we should be present for life, that we should drink more deeply.  And that’s perfection.”

In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez
While in college, I went on a mission trip to a couple of orphanages in the Dominican Republic, near the Haitian border. The trip had a profound impact on me, making me appreciate bare essentials that we take for granted in the United States such as reliable sources of running water and electricity.   While I was volunteering at the orphanage, the sponsoring organization showed us a movie based on a bestselling historical novel – In the Time of the Butterflies.  It took me several years, but I finally picked up the book.

In the Time of the Butterflies is a historical novel about the Mirabal sisters of the Domican Republic – Patria, Dede, Minerva and Maria Teresa (Mate).  The book begins in their childhood and continues into their adulthood, told from each of their perspectives in first and third person, at various stages of their lives.   The girls were raised during the dictatorship of Trujillo.  Once adults, three of the four sisters became involved with an underground movement to overthrow the Trujillo regime that had terrorized the country for decades.  Their code name in the movement was “the butterflies.”  The sisters were eventually discovered and imprisoned, along with their husbands and other family members.   After their release from jail, the girls became a symbol of hope to the people of the Dominican Republic.  In order to send a message to the political activist groups, Trujillo set up a trap for the girls on their way home from visiting their husbands in jail.  The three girls and their driver escort were beaten to death along a deserted mountain road.  Their car was then pushed off of a cliff, attempting to make it look like an accident.  The remainder of the book is from the perspective of the lone living sister, Dede, who was not with her sisters on that fateful day.  It was her duty to tell the girls’ stories and make sure they were not forgotten.  After their tragic deaths, the girls were mourned by all and became national heroes, who are still celebrated today for their courage during the Dominican Republic’s darkest hours.

It is hard to pick a favorite of my February books!  They were all great books, touching on a wide range of heavy topics.  If I had to pick a favorite, I would say In the Time of the Butterflies, with Bloom coming in a close second.  Little Bee was more of a stretch plot-wise, but I enjoyed Chris Cleave’s style of writing and Little Bee’s personality.

Any suggestions for lighthearted or funny books for March?  Leave me some suggestions in the comments below!

– Brittany

Recent Reads – January

One of my goals for 2014 is to read more frequently and outside of my typical choice of fiction novels.  So far, all the books have been fiction {go figure}, but I’m definitely reading more and loving it.  A quick recap of the books I read in January:  

Snow Falling on Cedars, David Guterson
Snow Falling on Cedars is centered around the 1954 San Piedro Island trial of a Japanese man, Kabuo, alleged to have murdered a fellow fisherman.  Although the death of the fisherman first appeared to be an accident, suspicions arise given circumstantial evidence and the bad history between the two men’s families.  A cultural divide still exists between the white and Japanese residents, after a temporary exile of the Japanese following the Pearl Harbor incident a few years prior.  As the trial proceeds, many twists and turns are presented along with a bombshell piece of evidence.  It took quite a while for me to become interested in this book.  It was well-written and descriptive, the plot unfolding from the perspective of the cast of characters through flashbacks.  However, I found the pace to be rather slow.  The author spent an extensive amount of time on character development and back stories that were not pertinent to the story.  Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable read, offering a good lesson on the importance of loyalty and forgiving others.

Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
Gone Girl had been on my to-read list for almost a year.  After several of recommendations, I finally purchased the eReader version during a great post-holiday sale.  This book was crazy and lived up to the hype.  Thirty pages in and I was already hooked.  Gone Girl has all the makings of a page turner – suspense, deceit and wild plot twists.   Nick and Amy were readying themselves to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary when Amy goes missing.  As the police investigates her disappearance, all evidence points to Nick being involved.  As the investigation continues, Nick’s dirty secrets are revealed and then, a twist that changes everything.  And then another, and another.  I couldn’t put this book down.  The author kept me guessing until the very end.  

The Fault In Our Stars, John Green
The Fault In Our Stars is an easy read {young adult novel} with a heavy topic.  Stricken with terminal thyroid cancer  at the age of 12, Hazel is not your typical teenage girl.  Living on borrowed time, Hazel avoids getting close to others in an attempt to avoid hurting anyone in her death.  Until she meets Augustus at a cancer support group meeting and her life changed.  Despite their tragic fate, I loved the characters and their story.  It made me laugh, it made me cry and made me stop and think about how precious life is and how quickly it could change.  The Fault In Our Stars is full of insightful quotes, witty conversation, and a healthy dose of heartbreak and young love.  While searching for a link to the book, I learned that The Fault In Our Stars has been made into a movie that will be released this summer.  The trailer had me nearly in tears again!

What have you been reading lately?  Any good recommendations?

– Brittany

The Secret Garden

Do you every have one of those moments where a childhood memory that you had filed away comes rushing back to you in a flash when you hear or see or taste something??  I was at my mom’s house the other day looking thru the bookshelves in her office when i stumbled upon a book from my adolescence that totally transported me to my younger days!  I snagged the book and decided to put it on the “pile of books I want to read” that currently resides next to my bed; thinking it was on the bottom of a list of a few books i’ve been meaning to read..and that i would eventually get to it.

The book, The Secret Garden {written by Frances Hodgson Burnett} was one of my favorites back in the day.  I have the OLD version that has the hand sketched and colored images and the inside cover has all sorts of cool little doodles pertaining to the events in the book…a total classic.  I picked up the book one night with the intention of just flipping thru the pictures to bring back some of those memories…but Folks…I did it again.  Stayed up WAY to late that night getting sucked in to the book I loved so much as a kid.

The Secret Garden starts out telling the story of a young spoiled little girl, Mary, who is waited on hand and foot by servants and has almost no interaction with her uninterested parents.  An outbreak of disease takes the lives of almost everyone in Mary’s house leaving her all alone.  She is finally discovered by soldiers passing through and is sent away to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven.  Master Craven lives on a beautiful large estate, but after his wife’s death, he closed up all of the rooms and is rarely there to enjoy it.  As Mary settles into her new home she hears rumors of a Secret Garden that no one has set foot in for over 10 years.  She decides that she will find this garden and make it her own secret little place.  As the story goes on Mary encounters many interesting characters and eventually grows out of her spoiled little ways.  It’s totally a simple and quick read and completely took me back to my younger days!

Happy Friday & enjoy your reading!

~ Jillian

The Dirty Life

In the middle of all of the holiday craziness, I decided to take a few minutes to peruse thru a book that my mother in-law had given me as a Christmas present.  Thinking i would just read the first few pages to get a better understanding of what the book was all about, I curled up on the couch under a big, cozy blanket {in my pj’s of course} with my snuggled little puppy girl {the Doodle} fast asleep next to me.

It was almost dinner time and there was a ton to do around the house so I really did plan to just take a peek and then get back into my “Things to get Done while on break from work List.”  Well we can just scrap that list…because there was no packing up Christmas decorations or cleaning out the crowded closet and let’s be honest…i wasn’t trading those Pj’s in for workout clothes at this point.  I realized all of a sudden that i was half-way thru the book…the house was dark {except for the light of my reading lamp} and my stomach was growling!!

The book – The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love {written by: Kristin Kimball}.  A memoir written by a big city girl who stumbles upon a young, small town, organic farmer and in an instant changes her life’s direction!  The book chronicles their budding relationship, starting the local farm of his dreams {which eventually became her dream as well} and all of the crazy challenges they stumbled thru on the way.

At first I’m thinking…i totally want to be an organic farmer that provides a “whole diet” supply of food to the people of a small town {we’re talking meat, veggies, grains, dairy, herbs…the whole shebang}.  How cool would that be!  And then after reading about how crazy their days were, how much work it really was…I may have started to rethink the romantic notion of working a farm the old fashion way.  Jury’s still out on that one…

Even if I don’t live out the wild fantasy of just picking up one day and moving to some small town to start my own little organic farm…the book…a totally fantastic read.

~ Jillian