Book Review

I haven't had much time to read lately. This past month, I have started trying to read a little each night before I go to bed. When Nicole brought up the book club idea back in November, I thought it would be great motivation for me to make time to read right now. I might not get to read as much as I use to pre-baby days, but 12 books a year isn't to shabby.

Last night we had our first book-club meeting. Several people flaked out on us and we only had four people, but it ended up being kinda cool because it ended up being a Mother-in-law/Daughter-in-law book club meeting with just Vicki & I and Nicole & Darlene. (Side note: One thing Nicole and I have in common is that both of our Mom's live out of town, but we both live down the street from our Mother-in-laws. We are both very fortunate to have a close relationship with our Mother-in-laws and we're always saying how thankful we are for our mother-in-law's after hearing others stories). But, we're hoping to have a bigger crowd next go round. Nicole made a yummy dinner and even though we were kinda fumbling around at first, once we got into it, it was interesting to hear every one's thoughts on it. We're always sharing and recommending books, but we never talk much that in depth about any of them.

Our first pick was The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak.

It's a story about the Holocaust and Nazi Germany, but from the German perspective. It can be compared to Ann Frank, but instead of the Jewish view, it's the story of a German girl. It's an hard book to explain, especially in the way the story is told. The story is told by death's voice (I'm sure that makes no since, but if you read it you'll understand). It's one of those that when I first finished it, I liked it, but the more we talked about it last night, the more I liked the book. I know this is probably the worst book review, but it's hard to explain. Just read the book. It's good and you'll enjoy it. It's an easy read and can be found in the young adult section.

Over the holiday's, I also finally got around to reading another book Nicole lent to me. Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore.

I've seen a lot of talk about this book in the blog world and I can say that it was all true. I LOVED this book. This is hands down one of my absolute favorite books now. It's the true story of a homeless man, a wealthy art dealer, and the woman who brought them together. It's one of those books that I think everyone should have to read at some point in time in their lives. It is a life changing book and makes you stop to re-examine yourself and how you treat others. It's short (I finished it in less than two days) and an easy read. If you only have the chance to read one book this year, let this be it.

Acceptance

This afternoon Meme (my grandmother) came over so we could make our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of homemade spaghetti and meatballs. When she walked in I'm sure she was taken aback to find Olivia screaming in her crib and me on the verge of tears. Like any grandmother, she immediately took me into her arms, gave me a big hug, told me it was going to be alright, and then she asked me what was wrong?

Of course I had already broken down at that point. I was going on about how Olivia still wasn't on a schedule and was a pain in the butt to put down for a nap. I went on and on about how after eight days, she wasn't following anything the book said and how the book said it only takes three to five days to get a baby on a sleeping schedule and she was on day eight and still refusing to sleep and I'm completely frustrated (sorry to the English teachers, that sentence is completely jacked up).

Meme started laughing and then told me to throw away my book. She reminded me that every child is different (I've heard it a thousand times already) and mine is a child that doesn't like to sleep. Meme raised three very different babies back in the day when they didn't have all these instructional books for babies, they just had to wing it. My aunt she said was a good baby, my dad was just like Olivia, and my uncle...well, she said he couldn't even be explained. Some babies are difficult and others just aren't. Some babies easily adapt to a schedule and others like to do things their way. She reminded me again that this too will pass. I need to quit worrying about my house not being clean or my laundry not getting done. She told me to enjoy the time I have with her and quit worrying about her being on a schedule because the time will fly quickly. Before I know it she'll be spending majority of her days in school and not with me.

So, I've decided to accept now that my child is not a sleeper and not a fan of schedules. She has better days and is happier when she's on the go and setting her own schedule. She lets me know when she's tired and easily goes down when she wants to and needs to. She is who she is and I don't want to change that for the world. The funny thing is that she's really just like her momma. No, she's not sleeping through the night yet, but to be honest, I cherish that time of night when it's only her and I awake and she lets me hold her like a baby and cuddle her. I don't think I'm ready to give up those 3am feedings yet. It's the only time my baby lets me treat her like a baby.

So, screw the schedule...she'll sleep when she's ready.

How I spent my Saturday

David decided to spend his Saturday off by playing golf. This is how I spent my Saturday...

I know I just did a book review, but my "me" time is ending soon and I had to share this book. I spent Saturday morning engrossed in The Fixer Upper. Aubry gave it to me for my birthday last weekend. Mary Kay Andrews is one of my absolute favorite authors. She is from Georgia (lives in Atlanta) and all her books are located in somewhere in our home state. I've read and own all she has written. My only complaint is she doesn't write books fast enough for me. I need more!!!

Her stories always focus on some heroine that triumphs over some obstacle in their lives. They are filled with characters that you come to love. No heavy reading, just chic lit that comes with a entertaining story line and a little bit of romance. No, these books will not change your life, but they will give you a few moments of enjoyment. If you've never read a Mary Kay Andrews book, pick one up and I doubt you'll be disappointed.

August Book Review

I know we still have a few days left in the month, but I've decided to go ahead and post my books for August. I didn't get much reading done for the month of July, but I picked it up in August.

Angela's Ashes Frank McCourt

I loved this book. I know it's been around awhile, but when the author Frank McCourt passed away last month, it intrigued me to read it. It is the true story of the author growing up in extreme poverty in Ireland during the early part of the twentieth century. It is a sad story, but it does come with a happy ending. Some parts left me in disbelief. It is hard to realize that not so long ago people have lived like this and in some places still do. Even with the tough times our country is going through at the moment, none of us will more than likely never have it this bad. This book truly makes you appreciative for what you have.

Ana's Story: A journey of Hope Jenna Bush

I saw all the hype on this book when it came out a few years ago. I bought it awhile back when I found it for $3. It is the story of a teenage girl in Latin America and her struggles with growing up with abuse, being HIV positive, and being a teenage mother. I didn't like the way the story was written. I just read weird to me (if that makes any sense). The story is aimed at young adults, but I thought it was written in even a lower level than young adults. It felt to me that the story had the potential to be good, it just was not written well. Thankfully, it was an easy read and I finished it in a day, but don't waste your time.

The Last Lecture Randy Pausch

This is a great book. I bought it for my dad for Father's day and he sent it along to me once he was done with it. It was written by Randy Pausch for his three young children after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only months to live. The book is filled with life lessons that he wanted to leave his kids after he is gone. It is also a great reminder to not take life for granted. It is an easy read and I finished it in a day. A great book, especially for anyone in a leadership position. It talks a lot about leadership. David is reading it right now and so far enjoying it also.

My life in France
Julia Child

After seeing Julie & Julia, I picked up Julia's My Life in France. It was an interesting book and it took me some time to read, but I enjoyed it. It was interesting to read about her beginnings to becoming such a famous chef (long before the food network came along). This is the third memoir I've read this summer and though they keep my interest, they are a little harder to get through. It has taken me most of the month to get through. If your into memoirs or food, then I recommend this one.

The Memory Keepers Daughter

Kim Edwards

I'm not sure how I really feel about this book. There was a lot going on throughout the story and to be honest, the story wasn't really what I thought it would be about either. The story starts in the 1960's and is about a young doctor who delivers his twins and discovers that one of the twins has down syndrome. He then tells the aiding nurse to take the baby to a institutional home and then lies to the wife telling her the baby was dead at birth. Instead of taking her to the home, the nurse takes the baby and raises her in a different town. Without trying to give too much away, I thought the book would focus more on the daughter that was given away, but instead it focuses on the lives of the doctor, his wife, and the demise of their marriage after the birth. The real focus is on family secrets and what they do to families. I think the part that I didn't like the most was the ending. It just seemed to end abruptly to me. Overall, not my favorite, but I have read worse.

Thrift Store Love

More reasons to love thrifting...one of our local thrift stores has book day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On those days you can get 12 books for $5.99 or 25 books for $6.99. Today I got 52 books for $14. The nice young guy at the checkout gave me the extra two books.
One of my favorite blogs is Darby:Fly through my window. A few post back she talked about her love of the Little Golden books. I had completely forgotten about them. Growing up, I had a ton of the Little Golden Books and even still have a few that I've kept over the years. I didn't realize that they were still around. When I went today to look for children's books to add to my already large collection, I started scoping out all the little gold binders. As you can see, I hit the jack pot. I even got several I had as a child growing up.

Plus, I got this one for myself. I know it will be here before I know it.
I'm going to try to limit myself to going only every other week.

June Book Review

This is what I read during the month of June.

This book caught my eye a few months ago. I started it and then put it down, but when we headed to the beach I wanted something easy to read and picked it back up. It tells the story of three women who become friends in a prenatal yoga class and their journey through becoming first time mothers. It covers all the ups and downs of having a new baby, the good and the bad. It is a cute chic lit book and makes an easy beach/poolside read.

I bought A Thousand Splendid Suns while at the beach on the clearance rack at Books A Million. Once I started it, I could not put it down. This book has made the list of my all time favorite books and one I will never forget. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it since it is usually not my type, but the story of these two women is life altering. The book follows the life of two Afghan women over a thirty year period and it is fascinating to see the lives of women in a country so different than ours. This book will break your heart at times and it will truly make you grateful for the life and freedoms we have as women in our country. I highly recommend it.


Um...I'm not quite sure what to say about Barbra Walters. For some reason, I have wanted to read the book since it came out last year and found it at our local library. I'm usually not into biographies because they can get kinda boring. This book was weird in the fact, that at times I was bored out of my mind, but I couldn't seem to put it down. Some chapters were better than others. Her childhood was interesting, but it seemed like at times she dragged it on a little too long. How her job got to the level it is today was interesting, but still at times seemed to drag on. The chapters I enjoyed the most were those where she talks about he people she has interviewed over the years. So unless your really interested in Barbra's life, I would pass. I read all 600 pages, but I think about 200 of those could have been left out and it would have made the book easier to digest.

I have been hearing the craze around the Sookie Stackhouse Novels for the past few months now. Since I am a Twilight fan, I decided to give it a try and picked up the first book in the series. I really enjoyed it. It is an easy read and only about 300 pages. I finished it in two days. The best way to describe it is an more adult version of Twilight. If your an adult and you liked twilight, then you'll enjoy the Sookie Stackhouse series. It was fun and entertaining. I loved the main character of the book. Maybe for those who were intrigued with Twilight, but could not get into it, you might enjoy these since they are more adult. I have already picked up the second book in the series, but haven't started it yet.

I picked up Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) getting by in America from our local library. It is on our county's summer reading list for the high schools. It was once a New York Times Bestseller and looked interesting enough. The book was written by a journalist who took time off to go undercover and see what it is like to live the life of majority of Americans, those who are "just getting by" financially. Ironically, it was written ten years ago long before our financial crises of today. The author tries her hand working for a cleaning service as a maid, housekeeping at a hotel, and a server at a few restaurants making under $10 an hour regardless of what she was doing. The book recorded her struggles on getting by on so little.

Honestly, I was not moved by the book in the way the author was wanting. The only shocking part was the authors ignorance of it all. I'm assuming she was born wealthy because she honestly seemed shocked on how hard the work was and how hard it was to get by. I'm not sure if it is because of where we live, people I know, or where my husband works, but none of this was new to me. I see people struggling like this everyday. The author acted as though this was a secret underground world she is uncovering. I'm sorry, but I'm sure it is not new to majority of us. We all have been or know someone in that situation and we see the struggle on a daily basis. So, unless you're a multi-millionaire that lives in a bubble, then don't bother. It is nothing new to the rest of us.

Following the trend

Its funny that I stalk, I mean read, all these blogs and people are always posting about books they have read. I've always been big reader and never think to post what I've been reading. So, I figured I could follow the trend.

I started a few months ago keeping a little notebook with a list of what I read each month. I hate to admit that I have before picked up a book, started to read it, and made the realization that I had read it years before. I won't go through the whole list of what I've read this year so far, but I'll start with what I have read the past month.

I'm not a Mary Higgins Clark fan or a huge mystery fan, but I started reading it while waiting for a prescription to be filled. It is a story about a college student who disappears ten years before and his sister decides to find out what has happened to him. The book wasn't bad. It held my attention all the way through. But, I will admit that I pretty much had it all figured out about half way through.
Barefoot is the story of three women, two of which are sisters, who all decide to spend the summer at the beach in which they spent the summers as kids. Each woman is dealing with a major problem in their own lives in which they are really trying to escape from. It is a fascinating story of each woman's journey to come to terms with what is going on in their lives. It is a easy read and a good summer/beach read.

Fortunes Rock's is I must say one of the best books I have read in a long time. It is set in 1900 and the story of a teenage girl from a well to do family who starts a relationship with an older, married man. Yes, it may sound wrong, but the story of this young girl and what she over comes is amazing. Regardless of what is right or wrong, you find yourself cheering for this young woman as the story unfolds. I don't want to give away too much, but it is a great story.

Swim to me is the story of a teenage girl from New York City whose dream is to become a mermaid in a mermaid show in Florida. I have to be honest with you. I read the whole book but thought the end lacked something. I wasn't too impressed.

I have been hearing the buzz (haha..get it?) around The Secret Life of Bees for some time now. I hadn't read it yet probably because I could never find it on sale anywhere. But, last weekend while at my Aunt's house, I noticed it sitting on her shelf. I started it on Monday and finished it on Wednesday. I could not put it down and it lived up to all the hype that I have heard over the years. A great book that is life changing. I highly recommend it and was sad to see it end.

So, those are the books I have read in the last month. Reading other people's book reviews, I already have a long list of other books I want to pick up. I'm sure I will have plenty of reviews in the next few months since I am going to have a little more time on my hands.

Happy Friday and Have a great weekend!

My own little heaven...

This is my new favorite place. We had driven past it a few times and I repeatedly said I wanted to stop. Finally a few weeks ago I did and I fell in love. I now visit on a weekly basis and never walk out with empty hands.

The name is A Novel Experience. It is a awesome bookstore. Best part is that 80% of their books are used and only $3-5. They are also in great condition for used books. Most books you would never be able to tell they have been opened. Secondly, they have books you actually would want to read. In fact, I bought a book a couple of weeks ago that just came out last year and hasn't even made it to paperback yet. I bought it, a brand new looking hardback copy for $5.

The books are also very well organized and the shop is decorated very cute. I almost thought of it to be something out of a movie. They also support many of the local artist in the area. Each month they have hang local artist's pieces. This month's theme is "the love of dogs" and if I had the money I could have bought all of them. They were great.

They also sell new books and if there is a certain book your looking for they will be happy to order it for you at no extra charge. The owners are three ladies who are super nice and also willing to help or give suggestions. And whether you buy a book or not, they happily suggest you pick a book and have a seat in one of their comfy chairs.

So, if your from or in the area of Zebulon, Ga, stop by and you won't be disappointed.

Books, Books, and more Books...

This past weekend I sent Aubry a text and told her I couldn't take it anymore...I had to get my books out of their boxes. That sent us on a trip to Ikea Tuesday night in hunt for a new bookshelf. During the move, our old bookshelves were not tied down properly and had heavy wind damage. Unfortunately they could not be salvaged. Needless to say, I was pretty mad about it.

When I decided that I was going to not unpack everything, I had included books in that group. I couldn't help it though...I love books. I collect books. I cannot have enough books. My books for some reason provide comfort for me. I love having them around. Many times I will just pick up a book, read a few pages, and never pick it up again. I have no idea how many books I actually have. I never get rid of any and I buy a new book every time I walk into a bookstore. One day I will have a library in my house that has nothing but shelves of books and a few comfy chairs.

So we ventured to Ikea and I bought a new bookcase. Now I feel better because all the books are out and in view.



Only thing is that I might have needed to have bought the bigger size...I still have a few boxes that have yet to be unpacked.