Weekend Reading pt. Deux

The weather here was gorgeous this past weekend and with a clean house and with my (entire!) family out of town, I got to concentrate on just reading!

I ended up finishing two books this weekend ( both from my never ending  GR TBR list = double score).

Second up is my non-fiction section:  

In Spite of Everything: A Memoir
Susan Thomas Gregory
***

Not even sure what made be add this book to my Goodreads TBR list. However during the great TBR purge of 2012, I ended up keeping it on the list and finding it in a local library. I can’t remember what drew me to add this book to the list in way back on July 31, 2011 as I am neither a Gen X’er nor a child for divorce, but I gave it go anyway.

Susan Thomas Gregory rights  a memoir about the scars that divorce has left on the children of Generation X and how she fought hard not to repeat the same sins of her parents. We learn about her childhood growing up with an alcoholic father and a sometimes absent mother; their cross country move and her subsequent struggle when her dad moved out on the family. Later we see her troubled adolescent and college years until she settles into a horrible job after graduating college. The book continues on and focuses on her meeting and eventually marrying her husband and snippets of their life together as it falls apart. Throughout each chapter there are lots of references to Greek Mythology and Eminem ( the rapper) as well as  social commentary and research about a variety of things including starter marriages, children’s’ response to divorce, helicopter parents and the housing market. Mortgage crisis as it relates to generation X. The most interesting part is her commentary and “research” on how sons raised by single mothers are often times victims of emotional incest, from having to be the man of the house. This part was mostly completed by her own personal stories of 2-3 men who fall into this category, but I still found the analogy interesting nonetheless.

When I finished the book, my first thought was that I really wanted to read/know her husband’s version of the story because hers literally left me so lost. In the beginning, it sounded like a mutual decision, but as she gave more detailed toward the end of the book, it seemed to be all on her husband.  HE came off looking like an ass, but with a much more detailed story  behind it. I guess that’s what ends up happening in a divorce memoir.

Part divorce memoir, part Generation X study I felt this book didn’t really have a firm idea of what it was and because I belonged to neither of those groups ( knock on wood), I struggled to  find how she, according to the description,  was stunned to find her marriage coming to an end or how she vowed to never let her kids know divorce.  I’m sure hindsight is 20/20 but she never really focused on how she did those too aside from making a promise to herself and trying to go for some marriage counseling.  I did enjoy her social commentary, but I just wasn’t able to relate to her childhood or her subsequent divorce. 

Weekend Reading

The weather here was gorgeous this past weekend and with a clean house and with my (entire!) family out of town, I got to concentrate on just reading!

I ended up finishing two books this weekend ( both from my never ending  GR TBR list = double score).

First up is my fiction choice:

Should Have Known Better
Grace Octavia

My sister picked this book up first and I though it sounds interesting and it didn’t appear to be one of those drama for drama’s sake books. Plus the author is attending my Alma Mater, so I had to support Ms. Octavia.

Should have Known Better introduces us to Dawn Johnson a devoted wife, mother and librarian living in Augusta, GA. Dawn exemplifies the working mom struggle which is increased by the fact that her son, has Autism. One day she gets a call from an old college roommate who is in town for a conference and wants to come hang out like old times.  Sasha is Dawn’s sorority sister and once best friend who is now an acclaimed journalist living the fast life in the Atl. While Dawn is excited, she also has some reservations about Sasha coming to visit because she knows that Sasha has never approved of her relationship/marriage to her husband Reginald a blue collar worker who never finished college. Reginald has his own issue with Sasha and her BUPPIE lifestyle. Putting all that aside, Sasha comes to visit and after she and Regional initially but heads,  things soon swing quickly in the other direction. Dawn is never able to put her hands on it, but she sees things changing and her gut tells her that Sasha is desperate for a man and a baby and will do anything to get it.

The story reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend recently. I wanted to visit her and her family in their new military duty station( which for reference was outside the continental U.S.). During the planning process she told me that she would was fine with me staying with her. I remember being taken aback because the only way I could afford this trip was because I didn’t budget a hotel. My friend went on to explain that her mother had warned her not to have her friends staying in her house with her husband unless she could trust them( no clarification on if them included the husband). Apparently, I had made the cut, but many others had not and it caused a riff in the friendships. That conversation stayed with me for years and pops in my head from time to time. After reading this book, I wonder if Dawn could have benefited from a similar conversation.

I really wanted to like Dawn, but I had trouble with the plot. It’s completely plausible, but Dawn was just so slow to act and clueless it was annoying.  Now we have all been in a situation where our gut tells us one thing, but the way Dawn took a back seat was just annoying.

I really enjoyed the writing, and the way that Ms. Octavia addressed some really big A’s- Adultery, Alcoholism and Autism and because of her smooth writing, I kept reading even if I didn’t really connect with Dawn and wanted to reach into the book and shake her. Sometimes the sequence of events just seemed over the top and the ending was pretty abrupt which I guess means we can anticipate a sequel. I know love and lust are crazy things, but Sasha and Reginald just seemed far-fetched. Had it not been for the great writing, I probably would have given up on the book halfway through, but the writing flowed so well, it was easy to just keep going. 

White Lines II

White Lines II: Sunny
Tracey Brown

One of my “literary pet peeves” is “ contemporary street lit”- books about hustler’s  Wives and what not that glorify and glamourize a life that usually ends in the graveyard or a jail cell.  I detest these type of books and stay as far away from them as I can. With that being said, I’m still not sure how I came across the original White Lines but I ended up loving it. It was one book which showed that while it looks like glitz and glamour what’s underneath is often the furthest thing from it.

Over the years I’d seen other Tracey Brown books on the shelves, but I  was only interested in White Lines so imagine my surprise when I found one was finally published.

White Lines II begins a few years after the first one left off. I admits that I had to go back and skim WL, because it had been so long ( 5 years!) since I read the original but in the sequel, Sunny is enjoying life a wife and mother but yet still grieving the loss of her beloved Dorian. She’s come a long way since giving up her addiction a few years ago and aided by 2 stints in rehab is doing good. Except she sometimes misses her old life- the parties, the glitz and glamour and on a trip for her latest business venture,  she finds what she has been missing both in her love life and in her “secret”. As she struggles to maintain both, she ends up risking everything.

While the book mainly focuses on Sunny,  we are also reintroduced to Jada ( my favorite character) who is trying to re-kindle her relationship with Born despite their past and raise her son Sheldon who is fighting his own set of demons. There are some other minor characters- Jada’s sister Ava, Olivia and Zion, whom I gather are from her other books.  As Sunny fight her growing dependence on her old friend, Jada struggles with her own demons regarding her child, his father and her actions while pregnant.

I realize this book was about Sunny and while I enjoyed her perspective, I have to say that I found Jada’s storyline much more interesting and almost wish this was focused just on her.

This book ends in the ultimate cliffhanger and after seeing that this was just recently published, I hope we don’t have to wait too long for the sequel because I am dying to know what happens next.

This book was as gritty or as real to me as WL was, there was lots of references to designer clothing and cars that I don’t remember from the first one but that seems to be a staple in Urban fiction  which I honestly find annoying to describe every outfit complete with what designers- Chanel dress, Loubotioun shoes). Aside from that I enjoyed this book almost as much as the original but it seemed lacking in character development in some areas- for instance- Ava just seemed to be thrown in there for good measure at times- there wasn’t much character development going on there.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It doesn’t live up to WhiteLines in my book, buts its solid on its own and I definitely wasn’t disappointed.

The Selection

The Selection
Kierra Cass

This book was described to me as The Bachelor Meets the Hunger Games and with it introduction like that, how could I NOT read it? Royalty, dystopian literature is almost the trifecta of perfect reading.

In the Selection by Kierra Class were are introduced to America Singer, a young teenaged girl who lives in the Country Illéa, created after the 4^th world war from what once was North America. The country of Illéa is  a monarchy  ruled by an Eight caste system and while we are only vaguely introduced to the system we learn that America is a 5 and pretty much stuck in the middle of the system ( Lower Middle Class to Working Class). America’s family is musicians and artists who could always use a little extra money. So when a notice about The Selection arrives at the door and offers money for America’s participation, she is reluctantly talked into joining.

The Selection is the bachelor part of the story. This nationwide completion consists of 32  young, eligible Bachelorettes from Illéa compete to become the new Queen. In Illéa, the Queen is chosen from among the people, the commoners in a Bacheloresqe style completion where the Prince and his family choose the next Queen. All castes are invited to participate Whisked off to a life of luxury in the palace the girls compete for one-on-one dates and stolen kisses with the Prince. The selections is a life changing event for all involved- the families receive compensation for their daughters  and the young women become tabloid  (or what passes for tabloid in Illéa) fodder and their lives and experiences are captured on television for the world to see. 

When America arrives she is still pinning over the love of her life, Aspen, whom she left back home after a break-up. Not interested in Maxon she is only there for the money and the experience. However, once she arrives she finds that that she actually like Maxon and as the competition heats up, things gets interesting and then the book ends- literally.

True to form, this book is definitely like The Bachelor, especially in the fact that I got sucked into this book and couldn’t put it down, despite a thousand other things I needed to be doing.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story. I thought it was a neat plotline that was original. It did border on more fluffy chick-lit YA than a real Dystopian novel.  While a brief history of Ilea was give, there was no real explanation of what it mean to me a citizen of Ilea or what the caste’s were and why the really existed.

Also, I have to mention how much the names bugged me in this book. The main character in the book is America Singer- we learn where her first name comes from and her last name is her occupation but this does not follow through for others in the book. We meet an Ana Farmer who is a …farmer, but other naming conventions fall short and some are just annoying- Amberly, Maxon. Then we meet Aspen. I know it’s weird but it just annoyed me that some people had names of cities, states then there were normal names and then those names that make teachers cringe when we see them on rosters.

So aside from the lack of “dystopia” and the names, I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to the sequel. I hope it is as good as this one and that it won’t be drawn out over three books. 

The College Experience

The Marriage Plot
Jeffery Eugeinides

One of my favorite literary niche genre’s is coming of age stories- specifically that occur during college. It doesn’t take a psychologist to see where my love of this genre comes from. I loved my undergraduate days that I never left college (sorry a little Student affairs professional humor). I enjoyed my college experience but what I really remember were the people that helped mold and guide me both academically, professionally and even personally. I wanted to be that person and so I re-entered the Ivy Tower, pursued a Masters in Higher education Administration and Student Affairs and have been working the field for 5 years in a variety of positions. So when I see a book about a student’s “coming of age” during college I automatically pick it up. That’s what primarily led me to Jeffery Eugeines- the Marriage Plot (well that and the fact the I loved the Virgin Suicides). The Marriage Plot started showing up on all the “Best of” or “Can’t be Missed books of 2011 so I had high expectations going into the story.

The main character in the book is Madeline, a college senior who is graduating from Brown University in the 1980’s (I believe it was the wonderful and exciting year of 1983). The title of the book comes from Madeline’s Thesis and it follows Madeline as she graduates and moves into the “real world” with her group of friends and boyfriend

I enjoyed this book but I also struggled with it. The first part reads like a literature class which was a little difficult for me to follow. I kept wondering if I had reverted back to my undergrad days. I kept slugging through because this is supposed to be one of the best books of 2011 and I wanted to see what all the hype was about.

The book picked up a little and then slowed down (at least for me) and it took me a lot longer to finish it because some parts were tedious to read. I enjoyed most of the characters but fount Mitchell's narrative to be rather slow. I found Madeline a little infuriating, but I'm sure I was too when I was 21.

Overall, I enjoyed the book but, I also have to say that I am glad to be done with it.

All Hail the Queen

Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of  Modern Monarch
Sally Bedell Smith

I’m sure a large majority of young girls grow up wanting to be a princess and the ideas is certainly shoved down young girls throats almost everywhere you turn, however as we get older reality comes into play and most girls grow out of it. Until Kate Middleton came along.  I began following the Kate/William fairy tale since probably 2005 and I remember their breakup in 2007 because it closely followed a personal breakup. Then just like Kate, we reconciled and were married (although much sooner than Wills and Kate. Since the wedding (which I woke up early to watch), I’ve had sort of a weird obsessions with the royals. I’ve watched several PBS royal documentaries and became interested in Elizabeth the II and her reign. Here is the story of a young lady who for her childhood had no idea that this would be her future. It’s still a sort of fairytale ( at least from my perspective) I’ve always had been intrigued by her action during WWII ( back to the war again) and her life overall. When I first saw the book, I have to admit I was turned away by the sheer size, but after getting it in the much less intimidating eBook format, I gave it shot. I expected to read the beginning and the end and skim through the middle, but after I started reading, I just kept going. It was fascinating and I loved how the book was written. The middle did get a little boring ( so many primer ministers to remember) and sometimes it seemed tedious, but other than that I founds this a fascinating read and look into the life of the Queen.

This book fall on the series spectrum of biographies and at times, it felt like a British History lesson which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed the little tidbits of the Queen’s personality that while I’m sure they were carefully vetted were interesting and made her seem like anyone else’s grandmother ( well almost).

This is the first book I’ve ever read regarding the monarch and Elizabeth and I was not disappointed. The only thing that did shock me about this was that Diana was portrayed in a very negative light. Having not paid much attention to the monarch after Diana’s death and being fairly young during the marriage and subsequent divorce, I never had any inkling that Diana was seen as unstable by the media. By the time I came along, Diana was the Humanitarian she is portrayed as today.

Anyway, this book can seem intimidating- long and full of history, but it actually moves in a faster pace for most of the book and is enjoyable read. Of course it stops short of divulging any information about Kate’s place in all of this, so if that’s what you are after than skip this. However, if you are interested in the monarchy/British history than this is an excellent start.

Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis

Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis
Lauren Winner

Lauren Winner's Girl Meets God is probably one of my top ten favorite books. Something about the book and the time period I read it resonated with me. The book also began my curiosity and fascination with Judaism which continued with her follow-up book, so it has a special place on my shelf.  

When I saw that Winner had written a new book I was excited to get my hands on it and read it, even though I was a little worried about the topic and subject matter- not about having a crisis of faith, but on writing about so soon. Ms. Winner is a few years older than me and while I've had my own crises of faith, I also realize that life for me is still young and so it was a little hard for me to take this book seriously. Are we going to get a book after every crisis of faith? Also there wasn’t much spiritual meat in the book, it honestly felt like whining and complaining about life, the end of the marriage and such. Its perfect material for a blog, but as a memoir on faith it fell short for me and I reluctantly abandoned it.

The chapters were very short and seemed somewhat choppy and it felt like I was just rambling along in Lauren’s head. This type of writing isn’t uncommon, but for what a deeper subject was it just seemed too much.  Perhaps I will give this one another go at another time. I found that a lot of time spiritual memoirs resonate differently depending on when they are read.

**********

I realized that I never got around to writing a review for Girl Meets God. Again, I’m aware that part of the reason that book had such a profound impact on me, was because of where I was in my own spiritual journey at the time. I did find my amazon.com review of her book Mudhouse Sabbath which I enjoyed immensely. I also found a post where I mentioned my love of Ms. Winner’s book.

Composing Amelia

Composing Amelia
Allison Strobel
3.5/5

Another repeat author for me, I really enjoyed her previous novel Heart of Memory which was a nook freebie some time ago and I was really look forward to this novel.

Composing Amelia is the story of a young, broke married couple- Amelia and Marcus who begin the novel living check to check in a cramped L.A. apartment, working three jobs as they each focus on building their dream careers. For Marcus, this career is a as pastor and Amelia hopes to become a renowned pianist. Both have agreed to look for jobs that will offer them both something but all that changes when Marcus gets the opportunity to interview for a coveted senior pastor position in…. Nebraska. Not just Nebraska, but a small town in the middle of nowhere. To complicate matters, Amelia has just accepted a position as a pianist in a newly formed theater group and finally feels as though she is on her way.

Both Marcus and Amelia balk at the turn of events and when Marcus gets the position they decide on an un-easy compromise that turns out to be much harder than it sounds- Marcus goes to Nebraska and Amelia moves in with friends to continue her new gig. They will re-evaluate in 3 months after the opening of Amelia’s first show. What happens next begins Amelia’s downward spiral and struggle with depression and anxiety. Even a reprieve of moving to Nebraska with  Marcus can help Amelia and as she continues on a downward spiral, Marcus caught up in his own spiritual struggle must step aside and help his wife with her own.

This book had several plot twists that I didn’t particularly care for and in my opinion didn’t really fit in with the storyline. I did enjoy the struggle that was portrayed as Amelia and Marcus struggled to find their callings and battle the demons and ghosts that haunted them. I found that struggle really unique and accurate in the way it was portrayed.

Overall, I give this one 3.5 stars. Good overall story, but I feels as though there were some “holes” in the story ( which I explain after the spoiler alert).

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By one main issue with this book, and it was pretty big for me was the way in which Amelia suicide attempt was handled my Marcus. IF he felt strong enough to go hide all potential items but not enough to say anything just seems so phony, especially considering Amelia was pregnant with their child. Without the pregnancy, that would seem somewhat more plausible but to me it didn’t ring true. Also, the fact that there were no repercussions for Amelia's suicide attempt while pregnant seemed suspect.  Even with the mental illness, I suspect that there would be something more than just medication.

That brings me to the 2^nd point, the pregnancy plot twist seemed out place. It was almost like an afterthought to the entire story- I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more without it.

The Mindset Lists of American History
Tom McBride & Ron Nief

Every August I eagerly await the release of the Beloit College Mindset List. Working in Student Affairs, it's always nice to get a glimpse into the mindset of the incoming freshman class. When I heard that the list had turned into a book, I was excited to see the list expanded.

The book takes generations who would have graduated HS in 1898, 1918, 1931, 1944, 1957, 1970, 1983, 1996, 2009,and looks at the events that have shaped their generation both before they were born as they grew up. We always joke with students and our younger relatives about "how easy" they current generation has it and this book are an interesting historical perspective on that idea. For the average reader, it traces back to their Grand/great grandparents generation to the future and offers insights on the cultural norms experiences.

As expected, this book offers a very broad generalization. Some of the items on list ( those that have always been dead for example) won't change, but some of the generalizations depend on class, socioeconomic status and location. For me, reading about my parents’ generation ( graduated around 1970) was not as realistic as what they experienced in their very small, segregated town( or at least what I've been told and seen). My only other complaint is rather personal and trivial but I felt like I personally didn't have a place in the book- 80's babies ( of which I am) were  ignored; too young for the class of 96 and too old for the class of 2009. Anyway- that my personal comment that didn't really effect my enjoyment of this book and the historical perspective it offered. While certainly not as in-depth as Generations by Strauss and Howe, this book offers a quick informative and entertaining overview of the history of the mindset of people today.

Now I just have to wait until August to learn about the mindset of the class of 2016.

The Song Remains the Same
Allison Winn Scotch
****~4.5/5

I have to give it to Ms. Scotch, all of her books that I have read have this awesome plots that could become clichéd with another writer, but she manages to keep them fresh and interesting.

The Song Remains the Same follows Nell Slattery, one of only two survivors of a plane crash, who wakes up in a hospital remembering nothing of her former life. Instead she relies on her family- husband Peter, Mom Indira, Sister Rory and other friends and foes to help her piece together who she was in her former life. Much of her journey situates around her relationship or lack there off with her Father, a renowned artist who left the family when Nell was 16. Somehow, Nell feels that finding out more about her father will lead her to find more about herself. During all this she must cope with knowledge of the  baby she miscarried during the crash, and what her feelings about the baby were. To complicate matters even more, she learns upon waking up that just prior to her accident, her husband confessed to a one-night stand and they were separated.

Nell’s world is a lot to handle for a normal person on the day to day and we learn that she had created her own coping mechanisms ( her friends referred to her as “Ice Queen”). Waking up to all this drama/discord provides an interesting opportunity for Nell to reclaim and change her reality. Unfortunately the road to finding herself is rocky and full of the clichéd cliffs and valleys we all find. Although it would be nice to have a “true clean slate” and to start over without everyone else’s hassles. Sometimes that the hardest part of reinventing ourselves.

Now I enjoyed this book, but I wasn’t really in love with it. I was all in for Nell’s journey of self-discovery  but for some reason I just wasn’t completely into it. I got a little bored with her obsession with her dad and wanted to know more about the marriage, the baby and though it all came together perfectly, I just wanted more substances about her past current life.

With that said, this book is still a page-turner. I finished it one glorious Sunday afternoon and couldn't put it down. I wanted to know about the old Nell just as much as she did and that is what makes this a great read. 

The Baker’s Daughter
4/5- ****
Sarah McCoy

So it’s no secret based on my GR read list that I books involving WWII and the Holocaust is a Genre that I enjoy reading. I think its goes back to my childhood and growing up In Germany.

Anyway, that background leads me to The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy. Another book I learned about while on GR, and by an author whose previous work- The Time it Snowed in Puerto Rico,  I enjoyed.

Once I learn that a book is about the Holocaust, I tend to not read the descriptions because I’ve found that it makes me compare books to others and I like reading with a fresh slate.

The Baker’s Daughter is written in the same tone as others such as Sarah’s Key and Those Who Save Us, in that it parallel’s two story lines- one present day and one in Europe during the 1940’s. This particular story focuses on Elise, a young teenaged girl goring up during the last months of the war. The daughter of a Baker, her family struggles under a crippling war and rations that threaten what’s left of their livelihood. Elsie’s older sister is away in the Nazi’s Lebensborn Program ( which I never heard about until reading this book) and it interesting to see a factious Pro-Nazi account ( even if it was only briefly).

The current day story involves Elsie as and the elderly co-owner of a German Bakery in Texas with her daughter when journalist Reeba walks in to write an article on her. Reba’s story follows her love-affair with an Immigration and Customs official and her struggle to understand her family.

I was much more interested in Elsie’s story than Reba’s but found Reba an enjoyable character. I just struggled to place her within the context of the story and felt that Riki’s full story would probably be a better tie-in with the overall story in terms of Riki’s struggle with his job. I was a little worried that when his job was instructed there would be a parallel  between that and what was happening in Elsie’s story, but there wasn’t.

I really enjoyed this story, again Elsie’s much more than Reba’s and I think this book is a great addition to my shelves. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys this “genre” as well as to those who enjoyed Sarah’s Key and Those Who Save Us.

Perfect Fifths

Perfect Fifths
Megan McCafferty
After finishing this book I took a while to formulate a review because Initially I didn't like it. I was disappointed. After thinking about it for a few days my opinion landed somewhere in the middle. I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it either. Jessica's negativity which I enjoyed 16-25 got a little old for me. In addition the haiku's in the book got on my last nerve to the point I had to make myself read them. I felt they were unnecessary. Another unnecessary component was the hold Sunny theme, I just couldn't place the reason for it.

When I look back over the Jessica Darling series, I think Fourth Comings was my favorite and while I enjoyed the overall ending the Jessica Darling, I can't help but feel a little annoyed at the final book.

***(3/5)

I'm Back!

Almost exactly two years later and am returning to my original project.

So much as happened in the past two years,which is to say that I've been busy.

My last post stopped around Fall of 07. During that time I got a promotion, had a severe asthma attack and spent a few days in the hospital and then I got engaged.

I spent the first half of 2008 planning a beautiful wedding to my wonderful husband.

We got married in June ( 6/7/8) and then in August I quit my job, moved 500 miles away to Baton Rouge, La and begin graduate school in Higher Education.

I told you I was busy.

In between being sick, getting engaged, planning a wedding, getting married, moving and returning to school, I haven't been reading too much.That changed this year when some of the girls and I started a book challenge. I participated in a winter book challenge, but was unable to complete due to school and work. My overall challenge for 2009 was to read 100 books. Based on the past, it wasn't a huge task, but still a challenge nonetheless.

As I write this, I am a little over 60 books- over half-way there. Which is good, because come Fall( a.k.a. Football season), I doubt I'll get much reading done.

All that reading had me rethinking by book reviews. Around the same time I started a blog for a class I am taking this summer and voila - rebirth!

I hope you enjoy my new and and improved book reviews!

One Perfect Day

One Perfect Day
Rebeca Mead

I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I read this. I love weddings and have been in wedding withdrawal since my own wedding last year. I also frequent the nest/knot boards daily ( that's even how I found goodreads).

That being said, I'm not sure that I got much that I didn't already know about the wedding industry. Nothing was really shocking, eye-opening or interesting. If you are a knottie, than I say skip this. You'll get way more and better info hanging out on the message boards. For the uninitiated, you might enjoy this foray into another world much better.

***(3/5)

Bound South

Bound South
Susan Rebeca White
****(4)

I was so excited to get started reading this book. I saw it in BN and months ago and ordered it off amazon.com making sure to save it for my husbands and I am beach vacation. I woke up early our first morning there and headed out to t he beach to get started.
I was interested in this book for many reasons, the first of which is that it takes place in my hometown Atlanta. I love books about Atlanta, especially with the homesickness I’ve been feeling lately.
Bound South is the story of three different woman- typical southern belle- Louise, her rebellious daughter Caroline and the family’s maid and her daughter Faye and Missy. The story is told in points of view from Caroline, Louise and Missy and alternates chapter as it takes place over a span of 4 years. The story touches on some, important subjects such as race, socioeconomic level, sexuality, religion and marital issues. It touches on many of these points in some rather subtle ways which do not fail to still get the point across. I loved the books for the richness of experiences that each character brings to the table.
I do have to mention that this book was not what I was expecting, but in the end I was pleasantly surprised and still enjoyed it. The way in which the author handles many of the sensitive issues in the book was well thought-out and executed.
The cast of supporting characters- Louise’s son, husband and mother-in-law, also add a nice element of depth to the story.

The one thing that I was a little disappointed in was that there wasn’t much attention paid to the marital issues between Louise and her Husband, although we saw bits and pieces of where it came from and how it manifested itself. At times, I felt like I was missing something from the story.

Overall, Bound South was a perfect beach read. Not all chic-lit, but the perfect balance of substance, good real life characters, plot and great writing.

My Word!

My Word! Plagarism and the College Culture
Susan Blum
This is a very good primer on college students in general and plagiarism. As an college admin who deals with 5-7 cases of Plagiarism at a large university ( our system is much different from Saint U') it seemed basic for me. I hear most of the reasons day in and day out. What I was looking for when I first saw this book advertised was a a more in depth look at those reasons and I got a little. Ms. Blum skimmed the service of those reasons and gave some very realistic recommendations for facing this problem head-on

I am currently putting together a course/workshop for faculty on recognizing and handling academic integrity and will definitely use this book as well as recommended to it faculty as a resource.

Plagiarism is a very big concern today and this book offers a very good introduction and coverage of this issue on today's college campus.

London is the Best City in America

London is the Best City in America

Lisa Dave

I’ll preface this review with a snippet of a review from amazon.com and I have to agree that this is a very 20 something /30ish type of book. I think it just solidifies the whole idea of the quaterlife crisis and the idea of how my generation runs around confused- looking for answers by wanting other’s to choose or by running away. I fully accept that I am part of that dynamic and the past few years of my life have been true testament.

Synopsis- Emmy is returning to her hometown to attend the wedding of her older brother three years after abruptly calling off her own engagement. Returning home for the first time since then Emmy is already dealing with a range of emotions and realities and is not prepared when her brother exhibits his own doubts- mainly another woman. Emmy forced to face her own ghost, tries to help her brother figure out his path.

So it should come as no surprise that I enjoyed this book for what I got from it: Thoughtful, insightful prose from an identifiable protagonist. Of course I don’t consider myself as off the deep end as Emmy ( others might disagree), but I do understand her circles of thoughts and her introspections were decidedly familiar. This was one of those books that I couldn’t put down, because I had to know what happened and when I did I had just as many unanswered questions as before. That whole idea felt describing like my life and the past few years- more questions than answers and so I was able to actually put this book down satisfied, which is more than I can say for a few books that have ended similarly. For some reason there was no need for answers and the ending was sufficient enough.

There were about two chapters which lost me- the pace of the novel slowed and I struggled to finish them after skipping ahead and forcing myself to turn back. Overall, I found the book rather enjoyable and fitting. Again- I’d point out that if you are outside the 20/early 30 range you probably won’t enjoy this one.

Interview with Author.

****1/2

Two Dead Husbands With Wives in Comas:

It has happened twice in the past month. I have read a new book only to a week or so later get a book with the very same plot show up on my paperback swap wish list. It’s hard to read the second book with out constant references to the first one you read, yet, I could not and did not want to wait to read the second, newer book. So instead I write about them today.

All 4 books were good, but of course I have my favorites and I have my reasons. The fist books deal with the loss of a husband and the second set deals with wives in comas.

The first two: Anybody Out There by Marian Keyes and P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern. The second two were The Choice by Nicholas Sparks and The Dead Don’t Dance by Charles Martin.

Okay- the fist set. The dead husbands.

The second set- Wives in Comas.

I give my top spot Charles Martin in the Dead Don’t Dance. The story is just so poignant and real. The writing is eloquent and beautiful. As for Mr. Sparks and The Choice, I enjoyed it, but things happened a bit too fast for me. Mr. Martin takes time to build and tell the story while I felt rushed during The Choice. All in all Mr. Sparks did not disappoint, I just felt the Mr. Martin’s story so much more. A word of caution here about Mr. Martin- the novel could be classified as Christian Fiction and is definitely southern-lit. If you do not appreciate or like either of these, I suggest you stick to Mr. Sparks, but I must tell you that you are missing out on one hell of a story.

The premise for both books is the same. Their beloved wives end up in a coma. One from a car accident which causes Travis much guilt and one from childbirth which is also the cause of the death of his son.

In Spark's novel the beginning most deals with the main character Gabby and Travis courtship and kind of glosses over the intricate details of the married relationship. They fall in love over a long weekend that kind of takes up about half the book. I was kind of disappointed by that. Based on the synopsis, I thought the choice (both the title and the book) would be Gabby choosing between Travis and Kevin; however that was not the case. Sometimes I felt the book didn’t have a clear and coherent story line, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless and it was still a touching love story. On the Nicholas Sparks scale this book definiltley beat out last years Dear John, but still does not live up to my favorite Sparks novel- The Wedding.

The Dead Don’t Dance on the Other hand, begging’s with Maggie becoming pregnant and quickly follows her pregnancy until childbirth. It is then that we learn of their courtships, their past while at the same time living the future with D.S. I just felt that the story was fuller and easier to follow. Of course, I might be just a little partial to this book since it is southern lit, but still, I just enjoyed The Dead, a lot more than The Choice. Both are fine additions to any bookshelf and should make and fall evening more glorious.

There is a sequel to The Dead Don’t Dance, Maggie, which is in transit to my local library and I can’t wait to read it.

The Cubicle Next Door

The Cubicle Next Door

Siri L. Mitchell

2006 Christy Award Nominee Author

I enjoyed this book except for the fact that I didn’t like Jackie. How can I like a book and dislike the main character? Well first the writing was good and the story was excellent. I just found Jackie annoying and I didn’t like her. It’s kind of like the co-worker that does a great job, is a team player ect, basically the perfect co-worker but you just can’t stand them personally .

Synopsis: Jackie is thirty year old self described geek. As the systems administrator at the Air Force Academy she is going through life perfectly fine until she is all of a sudden forced to share an office with the new instructor Joe. She begrudgingly divides her office into two cubicles and turns to the internet to vent. Everything is all good until her blog highlighted on the evening news and everyone including its subject Joe begins to read. Will Joe catch on that the blog is about him and will Jackie ever open her eyes to what’s right in front of her?

I mean how am I supposed to like a girl that doesn’t like football? At that point I almost put the book down for good (just kidding... kind of*). Plus all that damn environmentalism talk got on my last damn nerve. I’m all for saving, conserving recycling but I HATE when people push it down your throat. I think a lot has to do with this whole “Green is in” trend BS the media and Al Gore is feeding us. (My views can be summed up here). Also, Jackie was way to naïve for me. It was obvious that Joe was interested, but I detested the way she acted. Like when she was getting ready for the ball I wanted to shake her and say get over it. Do people really act that childish for no reason? So I didn't really like Jackie at all, she just annoyed me too much.

But here is where I believe good writing and a good story saved me. Both were so good, that I kept plunging back into the book (albeit more slowly than usual). In the end I enjoyed the story and have to give kudos to Ms. Mitchell for a creating a unique character, one you typically don’t find in chic-lit be it Christian or otherwise.

The topic and location were also interesting and different. The Air force Academy/Military- Civilian angle was cool (coming from an Army Brat). Of course there is the idea that most endeared me to the book- the blogging aspect and while it was a little underplayed for my taste and blogging expertise, I still enjoyed it. For instance the blog wasn’t really that interesting to me. Second I think that it is unbelievable to think that Jackie could start a blog and not get caught up in the blogshpehere ( especially checking stats). As a blogger for the last 3 years, the blogshpehere is addicting from reading other people’s blogs to updating your own ( sometimes obsessively) and Jackie did none of that. Part of me thinks Ms. Mitchell made it that way so those who are not as technologically savvy could still enjoy and understand the book.

So, if you are looking for an interesting, unique story from and interesting and unique point of view with a cute ending, than The Cubicle Next Door is for you.

*In my world, football is king, and the Southeastern Conference is the kingdom.

Southern girls know their religions:
Baptist
Methodist
Football

The People Next Door

The People Next Door
Bettye Griffin


What would happen if you were building your dream house, which you saved and searched for on a beautiful lake front only to find out that your ex and their new spouse just bought the house next door? That’s the premise in Ms. Griffin’s The People Next Door. Lisa and her husband Darrell have just bough a beautiful new house in St. Augustine/Jacksonville, Florida when they learn that Lisa’s ex-husbands’ and his new wife and children Suzanne are living next door.


I enjoyed this book a lot. To me it was a kind of a case study that touched on so many issues- class, race, love, family. The book alternates between the main characters of Suzanne, Lisa and also Flo and neighbor of Suzanne and Lisa’s who tries to befriend both of them with ulterior motives. This book is not chock full of drama like I’m sure many people were looking for, Rather it a story that looks at the situation instead and Ms. Griffin did an excellent job at portraying real emotions, real jealousy and real life situations.


My thoughts:

• My favorite characters were Flo & Ernie- the do-anything to keep up with the Jones, nose neighbors. I really enjoyed getting an inside perspective on that dynamic of a person. We all know someone like that and as annoying as they were they were my favorites. Perhaps because they were so authentic. In the end though I enjoyed all the characters.

• Many Amazon reviews indicated that this book was boring and slow and I completely disagree with that. This book is not your EJD, Sleeping with some else’s wives book. If you are looking for a book chock-full of craziness, drama and outrageous scenarios, this isn’t it. Rather this is a book that explores a nightmare come true, but the reality as the families are forced to deal with the situation- and realistically. Ms. Griffin also takes a look at the backdrop of each character’s life and examines class issues, jealousy, and family as well as a many other topics.

• The interaction between the characters was right on to me as were reactions and emotional descriptions. I think Ms. Griffin hit the nail on the head in character development.

• Apparently it seems that chapter titles and numbers are out. This is one of 4 books I’ve read in the past few months that instead of boring numbers, they used quotes. I enjoyed the clever quotes for each chapter which gave you an idea of what was coming up- gossip, family, friends ect.

• I found this an interesting book and in a way a case study on the issue in the book and I really enjoyed that aspect.

Overall- if you are looking for some crazy family drama- this is not the book for you. If you are interested in reading a good book- this one is it.