A Turn of the Page

Choosing to See by MaryBeth Chapman

2012-02-04T17:06:00.000-08:00

As a believer in Christ and the hope that He brings us, I find shame in admitting that lately I live under a cloud of fear. It's kind of a small cloud, but it's there, nevertheless. You see, everyday I hear a new story of heartbreak, pain, or sickness being experienced on this earth, and I end up thinking "Why not me?" and then I wait for the other shoe to drop. My life is so full. My heart so full. And I just find myself wondering when it will be ripped away.

Ahem. Depressed yet?

All this is to say that through the book I literally JUST finished reading, I was reminded powerfully that though, yes, there is great pain and suffering in this world, Christ has overcome it! (John 16:33 - an amazing verse of truth and comfort! See below.) In Choosing to See, Mary Beth Chapman walks us through her journey of wrestling with God to give up the illusion of control we all seem to have in our lives but specifically how that looked in hers. Most particularly, in the loss of her five-year-old daughter, Maria, in the spring of 2008. I am so grateful for the way Mary Beth allowed her and her family to be used as she so transparently laid out their grief, pain, wrestling, and moments of hope. She shares the ways in which they have seen God so powerfully work in and through them while at the same time not hiding the earthly struggle with loss and the emotions that accompany it.

BOTTOM LINE: While I cried many tears through the pages, I was left feeling an immense hope that if I CHOOSE TO SEE God at work, I have nothing to fear. I am reminded that He is my guide and my strength and completely outside of MY control and MY desires, His plan will be carried out in my life.

I have said these things to you that you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Room by Emma Donoghue

2012-01-14T06:39:00.000-08:00

I believe this book falls under the category of "Don't pick it up unless you have the time to not put it down". Which I generally don't have. Time, that is. But somehow this week I found a way to plow through this heart-stopping tale. Having a five-ish-year-old boy in my life made it difficult, nay, impossible, to make my way to the end without shedding tears, as the narrator in this story is a five-year-old little guy named Jack. The brilliance in Ms. Donoghue's writing of this tale is in telling it from Jack's perspective.
"Home" to Jack and his ma is Room. In Room we are introduced, among others, to Wardrobe, where Jack goes to sleep each night, Rug upon which Jack was born, Rocker in which Jack and his mom spend time reading the five books that are in their possession, and T.V. whose images Jack takes to be fantasy rather than a picture of the real world outside. Because you see, Room and the items in it, are Jack's world. For five years this has been his life and for seven it has been the prison of Jack's mom, abducted from her college campus when she was 19 years old.
The first half of the tale chronicles Jack's days with his mother in their closely confining quarters, and we are shown a portrayal of the unconquerable bond of love between mother and son as well as the fierce protection of parent over child. The second half of this gripping book follows Jack and Ma as they recover and reacclimate to the outside world after their daring escape from their captor.
The at-times difficult subject is tinged with the innocence of a child and through this perspective we as adults are also able to take a hard look at the media sensationalism surrounding stories such as these to which we so often succumb.
BOTTOM LINE: This book will stick with me for a long time.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

2011-11-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

I've never been a seventh grade boy, but I'd have to say that reading Gary Schmidt's Wednesday Wars gave me as clear a picture as I could get about being twelve in the late 1960's. Issues such as the Vietnam War, family relationships, and disillusionment with childhood heroes mingle with the typical challenges a kid in junior high faces: conflict with bullies, middle school romance, and the all-important reputation. Tying them all together? Shakespeare.
Holling Hoodhood is convinced that his homeroom teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates his guts. On Wednesday afternoons, while his Jewish classmates attend Hebrew study and his Catholic classmates attend Catechism, Holling, the lone Presbyterian, is left to suffer his teacher's scrutiny as well as her chores. Somewhere along the way, Mrs. Baker decides that reading Shakespeare together will be a far more worthwhile use of their afternoons together. While initially intrigued only by Shakespeare's colorful curses and insults, Holling comes to genuinely enjoy the Bard's tales and beyond that, finds life application as he navigates junior high.
This book had me both laughing and crying, by turns. Which is absolutely my favorite kind of book to read.
BOTTOM LINE: A southwest blow on ye and blister you all o'er if you choose never to read this book. It would make you pied ninny.

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

2011-08-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

Living in Chicagoland I'm particularly aware of Frank Lloyd Wright and his brilliant architecture. Many a time I've driven through Oak Park where his work abounds. Never before have I been interested in the man's personal life, until our most recent book club pick was a work of fiction based on him and his seven-plus year affair with a married woman. While a fictional piece, the book is based on facts, and the author dug into these facts as well, drawing from newspaper accounts, diaries, letters, and the like. The love affair of these two people and their quests to find their true selves brings them Westward, overseas, to the heart of Chicago as well as the countryside of Wisconsin. Woven throughout the tale is heartbreak as the families of Mamah (Wright's lover) and Frank are brought under public scrutiny, children are left in the lurch, and Wright's career is nearly derailed due to the scandal. Most tragic is the abrupt end to their affair (is that too much of a spoiler?). In the midst of it all is the story of Wright's genius in architecture and his artistic process.
BOTTOM LINE: I found myself by turns cheering for and condemning Frank and Mamah. I also found myself spending long hours Googling images of the amazing buildings Wright designed.

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

2011-08-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

When I picked up this very. large. book it was mainly because I had, ambitiously, joined our library's summer reading club. One requirement for said club was to read a book along the lines of this year's theme, which was something medievalish - I don't remember the clever title they gave it. Anyhoo, this book was there amidst the suggested titles, and I picked it up. It's kind of your age-old tale of good versus evil, with good looking like it's doing pretty well until evil comes along with one of its evil-type schemes and proceeds to smash and burn good, after which good rises from the ashes and begins to rebuild, prompting evil to rape and pillage and steal, to which good counteracts with a clever plan, at which point evil gets desperate and swoops in with an under-handed plot, causing good only to rally harder and triumph in the end. Basically.
The story takes place in the middle of the 12th century and centers on the fictional town of Kingsbridge in England. Tom the stonemason, homeless, penniless, and with his family in tow, desperately searches for work, always hoping to realize his dream of building a beautiful cathedral. He comes upon Kingsbridge and its monastary, where he and the prior, Philip, join forces to build a cathedral that will glorify God and turn the world's eye to their humble village in the process. Countless forces work against them, time and again nearly dashing their vision and seeking to take their very lives, but their perseverance along with Philip's vigilance in following the Lord's will with their actions (and counteractions) lead to ultimate victory.
BOTTOM LINE: I know - a book about building a church? With lots of architectural terms to wade through? And raping and pillaging thrown in there? I don't necessarily understand why to this day, but I found myself drawn into the story and its characters and had to continue to the end. I'm glad I did. Because (spoiler) good triumphs.

Stealing Faces by Michael Prescott

2011-08-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

When we got our fancy-dancy new phones last year, I promptly downloaded the Kindle app, thrilled that I could now have books with me wherever I went. It's certainly convenient to always have reading material on hand. I also love the plethora of books to choose from and the fact that they're cheaper than purchasing them from the store. However, the level of thrill does not compare, for me, to how I feel coming home from the library with a big pile of books (that I know will never get plowed through before the due date) or to the satisfaction of turning page after page. BUT - I digress. The best part of the Kindle are the free classics you can download as well as the cheapity-cheap fiction that can be found. Case in point - Stealing Faces by Michael Prescott. This was a 99-center and sounded interesting enough for me to drop a buck, so I promptly downloaded. If you are a fan of thrillers (serial killers, games of cat-and-mouse, and the like) this one's up your alley. The twist in this book is that you are given the story from two points of view: that of the hunter (whose identity you know all along) and the hunted. I found it difficult to put this story to the side as you are always wondering who will stay one step ahead. The victim in this story is one whose story is often not believed, which adds to the suspense as time and again the criminal closes in on victory.
BOTTOM LINE: Looking for a quick, end-of-summer read? I'd definitely pick this one up.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

2011-06-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

I will sheepishly admit that I picked this one only after seeing the movie previews. I decided it was a chick flick that I would most likely see (even if I only do so after it comes to Netflix, deeming it not quite worthy enough of theater pricing). The book certainly delivered as the summer read I was looking for.
The narrative in the story is that of Rachel, who spent her childhood in Indiana and now her adulthood in New York living in the shadow of her best friend, Darcy. When a drunken birthday slip-up with Darcy's fiancee shows potential for something more, Rachel grapples with dueling loves and loyalties. Her choice? Abandon one relationship and leave it broken or abandon the other and leave herself broken.
BOTTOM LINE: While not 100% wholesome in its handling of certain moral issues and definitely along the lines of "chick lit", I couldn't put it down. Had to know...who gets the guy?!

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

2011-04-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

Author Lisa Genova brings to her first novel both her personal and professional expertise in regard to Alzheimers' disease. Watching her grandmother deteriorate from this wretched illness prompted her to ponder what exactly was happening inside her grandma's brain as she became increasingly lost within herself. Genova now has a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard and using the knowledge accumulated through her profession, penned Still Alice, about a fifty-year-old Harvard professor who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers'. The story, told throughout from Alice's perspective, fleshes out the affects of this disease on the afflicted (namely, Alice) and her husband, children, career. It is a heartbreaking and true-ringing portrait of a life and family nearly stopped in its tracks. Filled with both clear scientific information and characters whom you can't help but love (or be disgusted by), it is a beautiful work of fiction.

BOTTOM LINE: Expect a few tears and expect to take stock of your life, newly cherishing every healthy, aware moment with which you've been blessed.

A Reading Momma's Proud Heart

2011-04-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

From the first turn of a picture book page with Jeran when he was a baby, I've been anxiously awaiting the day when we (and now Ben and Grayson too) would cuddle together and lose ourselves in chapter books. In my head I always pictured it at bedtime. We'd wrap up a section and I'd close the book, leaving my kids in suspense, begging for "just one more chapter". While on our vacation in the DR, my mom-in-law kicked off this new era of reading adventures with Jeran by reading "Charlotte's Web" with him. I was surprised and thrilled when Jeran and Grandma told me they had been reading it together. And I even got a little choked up at bedtime that evening when James, his parents, and I sat around the living room, and Jeran cuddled up in my lap, handing me the book and granting me the honor of reading the last two chapters. My little boy is growing up. For one thing, he can finally (just barely) sit still long enough to make it through a chapter or two. But also, he's retaining the story and can stay involved in it night after night. We've moved on to The Boxcar Children and have involved Ben as well (he is maybe not quite so much ready. His involvement is basically interrupting with a plethora of irrelevant questions. But I still find myself glad to share this with him). It's the thrill I always pictured it to be, sharing this passion for reading with my kids.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

2011-03-28T13:49:00.001-07:00

I've been and have had my children vaccinated against a plethora of physical evils. I've known people (particularly a few very, very dear to me) who have struggled with cancer and infertility. I wear make-up and have experienced no ill-effects from doing so. What is it that each of these things share? Henrietta Lacks. In Rebecca Skloot's first published book, she delves into the life, illness, and death (and resulting medical advances) of a woman named Henrietta Lacks. In early 1951, this wife and mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She died as a result of this disease only 8 months later. Shortly after her diagnosis, cells from Henrietta's tumor were taken from her without her or her family's knowledge or permission. These cells, inexplicably, grew in lab faster and survived for a longer period than any cells before (or since) and went on to be used in countless areas of medical and biological research. Her surviving husband and children, living near-poverty, often unable to afford to tend to their own medical conditions, were not aware of Henrietta's contribution to science until about 20 years later. While most of humanity has benefited from HeLa (the name given to her cells), those closest to her seem to have been robbed of much of the benefit. BOTTOM LINE: Ms. Skloot's research, both on the scientific and personal level, is astounding. While I found myself, at times, a little bit lost in the medical jargon and concepts, the overall story is amazing.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

2011-01-30T09:47:00.000-08:00

This was a gripping novel that several times I told myself I couldn't finish. Not a very ringing endorsement to start with. However, novels about true events during World War II are rarely uplifting and usually difficult to read. This one, like others of its genre, was well worth finishing.

Set in Paris, France the novel changes time period and perspective, between the 1940's and 2000's, between a young Jewish girl and an American woman living in Paris. It is a tale of heartbreak centered on the round-up of French Jews in July of 1942 at the Vel' d'Hiv and their deportation to nearby internment camps and, eventually, Auschwitz. The Jewish girl at the center of the story and her brother have a hidden cupboard in their room in which he decides to hide on the night the French authorities come to take the family away. Not understanding what is happening, the girl agrees to his plan and pockets the key to his hideaway, believing she will return shortly to free him. What follows is her journey to get back to him and how this journey is interwoven with the life of an American journalist living in Paris, France in the present day.

BOTTOM LINE: Well, I think I kind of started with the bottom line. See sentences 1-4 of this post. :)

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

2011-01-22T07:04:00.000-08:00

Colum McCann's novel of lives intertwined is anchored by the 1974 tightrope walk between New York's Twin Towers by Philippe Petit. While the walk is a true historical event (in and of itself, mind-blowing), the lives of McCann's characters are fictional, while radiating such human truth that they could very well be people who actually existed. What is so beautiful about Mr. McCann's tale(s) is the distinct voice each character possesses. It's as if each has been penned by a different author, so believable are they. His story is one of human suffering, addiction, poverty, riches, religion, ambition - in short, a story of what drives each individual soul.

BOTTOM LINE: While the layout of the book (each chapter is a different character's story, essentially) lends itself to a bit slower reading, the overall narrative is compelling and has lingered with me since I finished.

Classics Challenge

2011-01-19T16:13:00.001-08:00

Recently, it came to my attention (and that of several horrified friends) that there is an appalling number of 80's movies that I have never had the pleasure of viewing. There's no acceptable excuse for this. Even LESS so is the number of books which might be considered classics that have never made it onto my reading list. As one with a passion for reading and writing I consider myself rather well-read. However, if I honestly copped to how many "classic" works of literature I've never visually ingested, well, the word "fraud" comes to mind. And so I am creating the Classics Challenge for myself. At least every other book that I read in the coming year needs to have been deemed a classic by some source I consider reliable. That's where you guys come in. Now, seeing as I'm massively delinquent about updating this blog, I would be surprised to have hung on to any shred of readership (you know, all 3 of you who have visited on a regular basis). However, if you're reading this now, and have a "classic" work I just HAVE to read (or re-read, if by some chance it's already in my vault of "have read"s) then I would ask you to please leave a comment with your recommendations. Or, if you'd rather not hassle with signing in, etc. here on the ol' blog, please feel free to let me know via Facebook, Instant Message, email, text....whatever technological avenue floats your boat. I guess there's that whole seeing people face-to-face thing too, right? Huh.
Anyhoo - I'm just looking for help in getting this challenge underway and then keeping the ball rolling!
Thanks, fellow readers!

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

2011-01-11T13:23:00.000-08:00

Book 2 in the series. So. much. better than the first. In my humble opinion.
It picks up where "Dragon Tattoo" leaves off but quickly turns out plot twists and unexpected turns galore. The movement of the story is much more quickly forward-moving then in the first or (as I found later) third book, and it was definitely one of my "here's another movie, boys" books. Mikael Blomkvist, investigative journalist, becomes involved in a sex trafficking investigation which includes high-ranking government officials. When his two fellow journalists turns up dead, circumstantial evidence and a reputation for hating men who abuse women point to Lisbeth Salander as the murderer. Being the loner she is, she only has her own wits and wherewithal and the belief in her innocence of Mikael Blomkvist (who subsequently begins his own investigation into the matter) to discover the identity of the true criminal(s). What begins to unfold for the reader in this story is the mysterious heroine's background; a background that she must face and defeat before the crime can be solved.
BOTTOM LINE: Once you (quickly) reach the end, you will be left in suspense, begging for the last book!

Enough said

2010-11-29T21:07:00.000-08:00

That's my hubby behind the book. This is significant because he doesn't read. Ever. I'm serious. He made it through college without cracking a textbook. He's a books-on-CD kinda guy, a very auditory learner. Anyhoo - I was reading The Hunger Games aloud to him and got too drowsy to continue. Then I stumbled upon him like this. Now THAT'S a good book!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2010-11-22T12:58:00.001-08:00

It's been awhile since I've had a book in my hand that I COULD.NOT.PUT.DOWN. This is one of those.
North America as we know it has been wiped out. In its stead is the Capitol, its corrupt government, and the 12 districts into which the remainder of the country has been divided. Hunger, oppression, and desperation rule. In order to remind its subjects of the power it holds, the government holds the Hunger Games once a year. Each district must send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in a fight to the death, with one victor who receives prestige and riches for him/herself and his/her district. Katniss Everdeen, in a twist she certainly didn't expect, ends up volunteering to be a part of the games, and what follows this action on her part is a brutal game of survival.
Sounds uplifting, right?
You may be put off by such heavy material, particularly in a young adult work of fiction. However, the author beautifully weaves in such themes as friendship, love, loyalty, courage, honesty, and integrity. The author, herself, admits that she has an ulterior motive beneath the brutality of the subject matter: exploring the effects of war on young people.
http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/about-the-author.htm

BOTTOM LINE: It is a stunning read, and I'm anxiously waiting to get my hands on the second installment in the trilogy.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

2010-11-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

I didn't even know this book existed until the release of the film, which is pretty sad but just the way it goes sometimes. The series has been talked up a great deal by a great many people, so I had high hopes and expectations, but for some reason found myself disappointed by the end. Perhaps it's that wretched first-novel-in-a-series-provides-all-the-set-up drag.
If you're not familiar with the premise of this first book in the trilogy written by Mr. Larsson it centers on journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his failed expose on a Swedish industrialist/billionaire. In disgrace, Mikael must relinquish his position as publisher of his political magazine but in turn is given an unusual assignment by a Swedish CEO to write his family's history. Underlying this assignment is the CEO, Henrik Vanger's, true motive: to solve the mystery of his niece's disappearance/suspected murder 40 years earlier. Blomkvist pairs himself up with an unlikely accomplice: pierced, tatooed, and very mysterious, Lisbeth Salander. Together, at the risk of their lives, they uncover a dark and twisted family past that continues into the present day.
Throughout the book we are given only bits and pieces of Salander's own past and what causes her to be the unusual and mysterious individual that she is. This intrigue, combined with the mystery of the book, certainly makes for a suspenseful novel. However, as I stated, there was a sense of let-down when I reached the end.
BOTTOM LINE: Not one that I couldn't put down.

No-Obligation Book Club

2010-09-28T13:24:00.002-07:00

It's probably no secret that I LOVE book clubs (I'm in two of them after all). Marrying two of my most favorite things (books and friends) is the highlight of my month. But I know there are some people who feel too much pressure in a book club (carving out time to meet, choosing a book/leading a discussion, finishing a book by a deadline), so I thought this was kind of cool when I stumbled across it in an issue of Real Simple (a magazine I LOVE!). It's the Real Simple No-Obligation Book Club, and you can access it here. Basically, one book a month is chosen, and a Real Simple editor leads the discussion, which you can join any time (or not at all). Sometimes I know I just love to have a good recommendation, and it looks like a variety of reads are suggested here.

Three by Ted Dekker

2010-09-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

Dekker is a Christian author who writes psychological thrillers of, in my humble opinion, a high caliber. While this is the only book of his I've read thus far, I've heard from other readers that they're big fans of most, if not all, of what he has written.
Three is the story of Kevin Parson, a seminary student who, at the age of 28, struggles with the idea of evil in human nature. Following an unusual, if not troubled, childhood, Kevin seems to have escaped his past only to have it suddenly thrown back into his lap with one chilling phone call from a man who identifies himself only as Slater. Slater threatens Kevin and those close to him with death by bomb if he doesn't solve Slater's riddles, all of which play into his requirement that Kevin confess a secret sin. The ensuing game of cat and mouse leads the reader into a constant guessing game of true identities, next steps, and the extent of the repercussions to evil and its part in our identities.
BOTTOM LINE: Not an in-your-face theological read but a wild, will-get-you-thinking ride.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

2010-09-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

Twice, now, I have read this World War II-era novel. Twice, I have found it difficult to put down once I started. The narrator of this tale is, oddly, Death. He (it?) follows the life of a young girl named Liesel, intrigued by her largely because their paths cross several times. Due to tragic circumstances, Liesel arrives at the home of foster parents in Nazi Germany and forges a new life in their home and neighborhood. She develops a close bond with her foster father, as well as with Rudy, a neighbor and classmate, and with them, along with her foul-mouthed foster mother, experiences harrowing escapes from bullies, Nazis, bombs, and death itself. The title makes note of the fact that Liesel is, in fact, a book thief, and eventually she authors a book of her own life. You might note that here, again, is a historical fiction book on my list (love them!) and a highly recommended one at that!
BOTTOM LINE: A dramatic, enthralling tale which evokes, among other things, a sympathy for Death.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

2010-09-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

It's true that Christian fiction as I knew it growing up was a bit on the, well, I'll just say it - cheesy side. And, really, while it's not all bad, it can feel a little hokey. Do you know what I'm saying or am I totally offending you right now? Francine Rivers has found a way to marry the truth and beauty of the love of our Heavenly Father with some real-life issues and believable characters.
Redeeming Love is based on the Biblical book of Hosea, focusing on the life of Angel, a prostitute in California during the Gold Rush. Snapshots of Angel's heartbreaking past are given throughout the book, making it obvious why her profession and subsequent bitterness and hopelessness are inseperable to her view of herself. Enter into her life Michael Hosea, a kind, honest, God-honoring farmer. Following what he believes to be God's prompting, he brings a reluctant (to put it mildly) Angel home to be his wife. What follows are a tangled web of emotions that result as Michael attempts to break through Angel's defenses and share his love and the love of the God he faithfully and joyfully serves. Angel cannot see herself or him any other way than through the lens of her past experiences, starting from her childhood, and she cannot/will not accept that she could be in any way lovable. Several times she leaves Michael to return to her former lifestyle, believing that is all she is capable of. Eventually he begins to break through her defenses but until the Father can capture her heart, she cannot fully heal and commit her heart to her husband.
I found myself angry and frustrated with Angel for her stubbornness, in tears for her pain-ravaged past and present, amazed anew at the love of God as He works always to draw even the most destitute of us to Himself.
BOTTOM LINE: A TRUE love story

Home Game by Michael Lewis

2010-08-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

Contrary to what you may believe glancing at this blog, I have not, in fact, stopped reading. Quite the opposite. I feel like somehow this summer has afforded me time to voraciously devour some pretty stellar material (and some pretty brainless, summer-appropriate material as well). A recent read was Home Game:An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood by Michael Lewis. In this hilarious, self-deprecating memoir-of-sorts Lewis chronicles his adventures in fathering throughout the first year of each of his three children's lives. While he originally journaled the included accounts of his offspring and their foibles in order not to lose their memory amidst sleep-deprivation, he also ends up using the book to grapple with the constantly-shifting role of fathers in family and society in this day and age. If you happen to be a woman and take Lewis too seriously you may find yourself offended by his wistful longing for the days of yore when fathers affected a "detached amusement" (at best) regarding their offspring and didn't, as a generally accepted rule, jump in and do the dirty work (quoting his father: "I didn't even talk to you until you were 21!"). Through his openness regarding his moments of poor judgment, confusion, and blossoming love for his children, however, one can clearly detect a father who loves his children and feels somewhat proud at his contribution to their personhood.

Bottom line: Laugh-out-loud hilarity regarding a father's bewilderment over fathering.

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

2010-05-02T07:28:00.000-07:00

"Truth is stranger than fiction" would most aptly describe this memoir. This is one of those books I have read multiple times and each time have found impossible to put down. Jeanette Walls' recounting of her journey from childhood to adulthood amidst the chaos and adventure that characterized her family is amazing, heartbreaking, and ultimately triumphant (did I just sound like your local newspaper book reviewer with that one or what? Cheezy! But true). Jeanette's carefree and nonconformist parents, Rex and Rosemary, bring her and her siblings on a nomadic, passionate, and often harrowing existence throughout the Southwest United States. Though they struggle to eke out an existence that, to most, would be even tolerable, Jeanette's recollections show great passion, adventure, and even brilliance from her parents. Often I found myself fist-pumping and cheering (albeit, mentally rather than actually) over their good turns of fortune and narrow escapes. On the flip side, though, I also found myself aching for Jeanette and her siblings during their resourceful father's bouts of alcoholism and artistic mother's periods of focused self-pursuit. Ultimately the adventure runs out and the family find themselves in an impoverished West Virginia mining town where the fun ends and Jeanette and her brother and sisters are fending for themselves in an impossible situation out of which they do eventually fight their way.
BOTTOM LINE: Did I mention triumphant?

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

2010-04-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

I've been drawn lately to young adult fiction, most likely because when I take the boys to the library this section neighbors the children's, so I can keep an eye on my little tornadoes as I browse. This pick came recommended by friend and fellow-reader, Kris. It's kind of in the science fiction category which, in general, would not be my first choice of genres to kick back with. However I can say without hesitation that this read was well worth the risk I took on sci-fi. The protagonist of the story is a young boy, Matt, who is living in a no-mans-land called Opium, whose founder and leader is an elderly man who goes by the title El Patron. Matt learns he is actually a clone of this patriarch of the House of the Scorpion (El Patron's "sign"), which turns out to bring him some measure of both prestige and misery and ultimately warrants a fight for his very life. The story, as riveting as it is far-fetched, actually plays on some very relevant topics: prejudice, life, death, love, perseverance, friendship. And, victoriously, it boasts a happy ending. We all know how I love those.
BOTTOM LINE: Even if you don't feel so much in the "young" portion of the young adult category, give this book a chance. It tackles some heavy, present-day topics while giving us a hero to root for.

Not Lost Forever by Carmina Salcido

2010-04-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

Oh my. So ridiculously behind in writing about what I've been reading. I'll just jump in here then....
I struggle with appropriate adjectives to describe how this book affected me. "Heart-wrenching" and "haunting" are at the top of the list though. This true story spans the author's life from birth to present day. She recounts the horror that marked her at the innocent age of three by a murderous father and changed, rather drastically, the course of her life. There were many times when I had to put down this book just to have a good cry. And so far this "review" is probably not compelling you to read the book is it? I will say that I finished it in about two days simply because I had to keep moving through the tragedy to get to the other side. It is truly amazing what Carmina Salcido endured, and the fact that she is the functioning young woman she is today is nothing short of a miracle.
BOTTOM LINE: If this was a work of fiction I probably wouldn't have read it through to the end. But the fact that Ms. Salcido, through no choice of her own, lived through these events led me to believe that I needed to see the book through to the end so that her voice could be heard and her story shared.

The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller

2010-03-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

See here .

The Shack by William P. Young

2010-03-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

It feels beyond my amateur writing ability to summarize this book and put into words what it means to me. It is a story of great loss and sorrow, yet also a story of redemption and love beyond what we truly are able to comprehend with our limited human capacities.
I had painted for me by Mr. Young a picture of the type of relationship I believe God yearns to have with us. I saw myself reflected in Mack, the main character in this book, time and time again. While I have not yet, thankfully, had to grapple with my own Great Sadness (to the degree that he has), I have seen enough of it in the lives of those I love and in the world at large that I have asked many of the same questions Mack did. Basically, why all the suffering, Lord? Why all the rotten, dirty evil that stinks up this earth? And where are You in the midst of it? How Young wrestles with the answers to these through the story is incredibly powerful, and while I recognize this is all constructed out of his imagination, essentially, it nontheless transformed my view of the God I thought I had been serving all these years and truly shaped my view of him into that of a LOVING Father.

BOTTOM LINE: I would go so far as to say life-changing. This blew the lid off the box I have so carefully constructed for God to fit in.

WARNING: The beginning 1/4 of the book is, at times, difficult to read (especially for those of you who are parents) BUT - totally worth it.

Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

2010-02-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

Young adult fiction alert! I'm not normally big into this, but this book caught my eye at the library. As usual, I'm glad I took a chance on the unfamiliar. The story centers on Amal, an Australian-Palestinian teenager living in Melbourne, Australia and her decision to begin wearing the hijab (Muslim head-scarf) full time. The fallout of this decision is surprising and far-reaching and not without some of your "typical" teenage insecurity - but brought to a whole new level. I don't want to make light though of the issues that Amal wrestles with and how these experiences strengthen her identity: as an Australian, a Muslim, and as a teenage girl. Add into the mix the events of our world that center on the Middle East, and you add in a whole extra dynamic as well.
BOTTOM LINE: Ms. Abdel-Fattah tackles the issues of religion/culture/prejudice/teenager-hood in a light-hearted and at the same time very real way. It was a book that made me laugh AND think deeply.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

2010-01-30T18:07:00.000-08:00

Set in World War II, The Guernsey Literary etc. etc. (it's an astonishingly long title, truly) recounts, in its own brilliant way, the German occupation of the Channel Islands to the south of Great Britain. I loved everything about this book: the style of the authors' writing (their "voice", if you will), the detail that was used to craft this story out of history (there's that historical fiction again), the way the story is told (as letters written between the characters), and the characters themselves. Oh my, but did I love the characters. I honestly came to love each one of them as if they were real people that I had met. I had half a mind to hop the next boat to Guernsey and settle among them (and that's the other thing this book does: gives one a hankering for island living). With mounting dread I watched the pages left in the book dwindle, almost daring to read no further as I did not want the story to end. Yet I had to know what happened next. The brilliance of this story is that it is told in a series of letters written between the various characters, and I never once felt that I was missing anything because of this. I knew exactly what each person was doing, thinking, feeling via their correspondance.
BOTTOM LINE: Gone to Guernsey to find my friends.

Julie & Julia by Julie Powell

2010-01-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

I heard lots of great hype about this movie when it recently hit theaters and didn't even realize it was first a book. Some literary type I am, huh? So when I stumbled across it in the New Books section at the library I immediately snatched it up. Books and food are two of my VERY favorite things. I figured I could not go wrong with the two combined. And I was not disappointed - the author married the two scrumptiously. (Ouch, that one hurt, didn't it?)
Let me start by saying that as far as descriptive and hilarious writing goes, I have almost never read a better book. In fact, none come to mind (but that's not saying much as I have a pretty terrible memory at the moment - 3 kids, no sleep, and all that). I knew I was going to enjoy her writing style when, within the first three pages, she used a phrase like "word salad". Her descriptions of her year-long journey with Julia Child to "master the art of French cooking", as well as her mental state throughout said year, are very honestly and straightforwardly written. As a former language arts teacher who taught the traits of writing, may I just say that this memoir is a primo example of "voice". Ok, there, I said it. What I mean by that is the author's personality and character come through strongly in her writing. Ok, on to the
BOTTOM LINE: While I could have done without most (nay, ALL) of the hundreds of F-bombs and misuse of God's name in this book, I more often than not was laughing OUT LOUD. And since it's January, and the winter doldrums are fully enveloping me, I think I can ignore the language this time.

Aaron's Way: The Journey of a Strong-Willed Child by Kendra Smiley

2010-01-13T12:42:00.000-08:00

It's no secret to you who know our family that we have wrestled for a couple of years now with a strong-willed child. While he is fun-loving, exuberant, and joyful, he is also downright stubborn and willful. God is teaching me to look at this not as entirely negative (despite the increasing number of gray hairs on my head), and He certainly taught me this through the reading of Aaron's Way. Kendra Smiley and her son, Aaron, co-authored this book about his journey from childhood to adulthood and the shaping of his strong-willed nature throughout. I found myself encouraged by the recounting of their experience and saw much of my son in the pages of this memoir. Some things that I took most to heart were these:
- Strong-willed children are always testing the boundaries to see if they are still there. They need to know that there are limits and they will be adhered to, time and time and time again.
- You must pick your battles with a strong-willed child wisely. The battles you choose to fight, you must win.
- The whole idea of shaping the strong-willed nature into something positive. I don't want to break our child, just reshape him.
- The Smileys impressed me because they knew their child and knew where they wanted him to go. They became his biggest advocate with those who misunderstood Aaron while also not allowing him to get away with wrong choices.

BOTTOM LINE: This book was a quick read but so filled with practical, godly advice for the parents of strong-willed children. I found myself encouraged and equipped for this marathon (not sprint) of raising my child(ren).

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

2010-01-01T07:31:00.001-08:00

Historical fiction once again becomes the focus of my stolen moments for reading. In the Time of the Butterflies is set in the Dominican Republic during the early-mid twentieth century, centering on the Mirabal family and the brutal dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. While the four Mirabal sisters and Trujillo are actual historical figures, the story of what transpired is born out of the author's imagination. The story follows the narrative of, by turns, Minerva, Maria Teresa, Patria, and Dede and their awakening to the murderous regime of their country's leader. Three of the four sisters devote themselves to an underground movement dedicated to overthrowing Trujillo, a decision that endangers their lives and those close to them. Yet it also brings to their lives an urgent sense of purpose born out of their unwillingness to turn a blind eye to injustice.

BOTTOM LINE: This is a story of love, devotion, betrayal, and survival. A story of standing for what is right despite the cost because the alternative is complacency, ignorance; unacceptable. It is a story of remembrance that we may never lose sight of what others have sacrificed in order to live in freedom. A freedom we regularly take for granted. For this reason alone (to remember, to be inspired to put down others' endangerment and suffering) is worth the reading of this book.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

2009-12-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

I am a huge fan of historical fiction. It's fascinating to me to read how an author takes the bare bones of historical fact and enriches this with an array of emotions and characterization. This was no less true while I read The Red Tent.
The story centers around the life of Old Testament Dinah, Jacob's only daughter. There is much historical and cultural background given which is wildly captivating, particularly when it comes to the description of "characters" we are familiar with (Jacob, Leah, Rachel, the twelve sons). The title refers to the place where women would sequester themselves during their monthly cycle, and because Dinah is the only daughter in this large family, she is welcomed early on into this place revered by women and is doted on by her mother(s). Her early years and the influence of these women in her life are powerful forces in shaping the woman she, herself, becomes. Dinah's story in the Bible is limited to a verse or two, but Anita Diamant has woven a rich tale from this that is, without a doubt, a page-turner.
BOTTOM LINE: If you are able to accept the artistic liberties Ms. Diamant takes with this tale (particularly in areas of bestiality and idol worship) then you will NOT be able to put this book down!

The Color of Water by James McBride

2009-11-13T11:55:00.000-08:00

James McBride's autobiography/memoir is the type of story that is made all the more riveting by the fact that it is true. Countless times during my reading I stopped and shook my head in wonderment at what he and his mother endured throughout their lives.
McBride has crafted a book that tells not only his story but that of his mother which only makes sense as our stories are irrevocably intertwined with our children's. He tells these life tales by alternating chapters between the first-person accounts of his mother, raised by a second-rate Jewish rabbi and his neglected, abused wife in the 1930s/40s, and his own accounts, of being raised multi-racial in the all-black housing projects of Red Hook, Brooklyn by his white mother. James's telling of his mother's story, which he did not know until an adult, seems to be a way of cementing his own identity, with which he struggles continuously as he is growing up. His mother's strength in her own identity (truly found once she accepted Jesus Christ), love for her husbands (both James's father, who passes away before his birth, and his stepfather), and passion for her children and their future defy all the odds of segregation and racism so rampant in the 50s and 60s as she is raising her own children, fathered by black men. What Ruth McBride Jordan endured during her life is by turns horrific and inspiring. The woman she becomes because of it is triumphant, as evidenced in the success of her 12 children.
Bottom line: An eye-opening, unbelievable tale of redemptive love and how it can change, create, and define despite what the past seems to dictate. A story of identity lost and found. WELL worth the read.

Rebecca Caudill

2009-10-26T06:46:00.001-07:00

If you're looking for some great reading for the 4th - 8th grader in your life (or if you are into literature for this age group yourself) I HIGHLY recommend books that have been nominated for the Rebecca Caudill award . (You can read more about this award here.) Back in my teaching days, our school did a fantastic job of promoting these books and jump-starting a LOT of reading in our upper elementary/middle school. I have just begun reading through the list of the 2010 nominees and will keep updating my progress in the margin over yonder. There is a wide variety of great literature included in these picks and, for an adult, they are a pretty quick read.

The Time-Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

2009-10-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

Although I first became aware that this book existed several years ago, I wasn't really interested in reading it until I started to see previews in July for the film, at which point I was totally intrigued. It is a long novel, so prepare yourself for that, but I found it difficult to put down.
The novel centers on the love story of Clare and Henry who have known each other all of, well, Clare's life. Henry was born with a genetic condition that causes him to time travel. Often without much warning he will disappear, landing somewhere in the past or future and always without his clothes. Now that's embarrassing. It is a lonely and frustrating condition, and the only person who really can understand him is...him. (He'll often run into himself on these excursions.) On one of these trips as an adult, he meets the future love of his life, Clare - a six-year-old at the time. Don't get too weirded out - it's not like he puts the moves on her or anything. From here we are told the story of their life, bouncing back and forth between each of their points of view.
Almost immediately I was completely captivated by Henry and Clare and found myself rooting for them and their relationship despite the obstacles they face, both the bizarre and very relatable. I will say that several times I was pretty baffled by the chronology (or lack thereof). I find that any book or movie that messes with the time-space continuum loses me at least once along the way. Some sort of flow chart or time table probably would have helped me out.
BOTTOM LINE: If you're in the market for a unique love story, with a side of some suspense, I believe you will not be disappointed.
P.S. I have yet to see the movie. If anyone has seen it, what did you think?

The Ten-Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer

2009-10-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

I am a member of two book clubs, if that tells you anything about my obsession with reading and being around others who love it as much as I do, and my longest-running group has this book as its most recent pick. One thing I love about this group is how we've been through so many stages of life together: working women (most of us teachers), then new moms, and now "veteran" moms (if there really is such a thing - I know I ALWAYS feel like a novice) whose oldest children are venturing into school. It's been a blessing to share common experiences with these women, receive their counsel, and escape together into some literature in the midst of our busy lives.

The Ten-Year Nap centers somewhat around the stage of life we're currently in which, for pretty much all of us, is home with our young children. Set in New York City, this novel has as its primary characters four women in the midst, or rather, the tail end, of their "ten-year-nap" from the working world. The story vacillates back and forth between their present and past, following primarily one current year. Initially I felt a little despondant for these women. They spend a great deal of time contemplating the life that was versus the life that is and also reluctantly give some thought and discussion to what's to come. They don't exude an overwhelmed joy at the privilege of raising their children. Many of them seem lost and disheartened by the fact that life didn't exactly bring them where they expected it would. Each of them has a different "status", if you will, among the stay-at-home moms: those who don't need to work but go on interviews for kicks now that the kids are older, those who should be working but just don't realize it yet, those who are afraid in a sense to follow their true heart's dream. Each of them also comes from a different "status" in the former working world: having left careers they loved, careers they felt indifferent about, and some feeling as lost as to what they "should be doing" with their lives as they often feel currently in motherhood.

As I continued reading I found that rather than pity these women I could actually relate to them (which made me pity myself a little actually). I certainly don't always exude a lot of joy about the blessing of being home with my kids, now that I stop to think about it. I know what it's like to feel unsure that your career path was the right one and also find myself experiencing some trepidation in regard to the future of that path.

BOTTOM LINE: You moms out there will probably find your wheels turning about your own life as you read about the lives of these women. It's a good kick-start to think about past choices, current choices, future choices, and just about what it means to be "Mom". It also underscored for me the importance of my Christian faith and what a comfort it is not to be out there "on my own" but to have my guiding Savior and the love of close Christian friends to walk through life with.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

2009-09-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

Olive is, in turn, the protagonist and antagonist of this collection of vignettes centering on the residents and visitors of a small, coastal Maine town. While each chapter is essentially a story in and of itself with new characters being the focal point of each, Olive is woven througout the plot as a both a significant and secondary element. She touches the people she comes into contact with, whether for good or ill (mostly ill, it would seem) and is fleshed out in the book through Strout's depictions of these encounters. The primary theme of the book seems to be the marching on of time and how this affects Olive's view of herself and others, and I was left with a lingering challenge to "seize the day", as it were and not squander the time or people I've been given.
While it was a well-written book, I was left feeling cheated that there is essentially no real closure especially concerning the changing characters in each chapter. We are introduced to them, given a snapshot of their life, and left hanging on the path their circumstances then take. However, this seems to be the clever way in which the author has chosen to focus on Olive without really focusing on her.
Bottom line: While not a book I would say I COULD NOT put down (the fact that each chapter is basically a new story lends itself to this really) it was definitely one that made me think about humanity, personalities, attitudes, and decisions, and how one can never really know what is going on behind the scenes to affect these things.

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

2009-09-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

Horrified, amazed, inspired, ashamed - all emotions that I experienced while reading this book. I grew up in the Dutch culture (albeit, the western Michigan version) and know that stoicism in regard to many aspects of one's life (faith included) is more often than not the norm. And so it was with surprise and delight that I read again and again of Corrie and her family's very real, rock-solid faith in the Lord. Even more than that, to read of this faith that carried them through unspeakable horrors while in Nazi prison/concentration camps where they found themselves after aiding Jewish friends. I found myself unable to put this book down as, in awe, I read about the miraculous answers to prayer that God constantly put into motion and the ways in which he tangibly revealed himself to this family and those whose lives they touched. I was inspired by the selfless acts of Corrie, her sister, and their father even in the darkest moments of humanity. And I was ashamed to think how I allow the piddly problems I have to so easily color my mood and affect my attitude. I have NEVER experienced true suffering, is one thing I realized by the end of this book. The second realization was, God truly meets us in the midst of the dark night of the soul, but I want to meet him even now, in the daylight.
This story not only entertains (if I may loosely use that term in reference to the book's subject matter and the fact that is the true account of a life) but will also encourage.
Bottom line: a MUST READ

Ramble, ramble

2009-09-11T23:52:00.000-07:00

I've been tossing around the idea for awhile now of keeping a more detailed record of books I've read, and how they have touched me (or touched my gag reflex, as the case may be). I first proclaim that I do not consider myself, in any way, shape or form, a literary expert. For one thing, there is an embarrassingly long list of classics I haven't read (how I escaped high school without reading The Great Gatsby I will never know). But I LOVE reading, am passionate about books, and have a terrible memory, so it would be great to have some sort of proof/reminder of what I've been doing with so much of my time. Because reading IS how I fill any and all spare time I have (as well as, too often, time that I should be devoting to other things). And so, I end my arbitrary ramblings here and get right to the point: books, books, and more books. If anyone should end up reading these hopefully-sensical reviews, feel free to leave your own comments regarding any shared literature we've read as well as suggestions for future reads.
Happy reading!