books 2012: #36-41

Light on Snow by Anita Shreve

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I can count on Anita Shreve for a quick read that isn't too heavy, but still satisfies.





State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I never knew I could be so interested in the Amazon! Such lush descriptions, I almost could feel what it was like to be there. (And I'm never ever going there, so it's definitely the closest I will get.)

This book is so intelligent and well-written, and has such interesting characters, it confirms my love of Ann Patchett. This might be my favorite of her novels, though it's been a long time since I read Bel Canto, so I guess the jury's still out.


The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Interesting read about a couple who live on a remote island where a small boat washes up with a baby inside. Definitely shows her our choices can affect others and determine the course of our lives.



I Am Half Sick Of Shadows by Alan Bradley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A quick, fun read. Follows the formula of the others in the series, but I like Flavia enough to keep reading.




The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked this up because I read that it was Anita Shreve's favorite novel, the one to which she compares all others. With an intriguing description like that, I had to read it.

It was slow going for the first third or so. Hazzard's writing is dense and verbose, and doesn't lend itself to fast reading. Eventually, I became interested enough in the characters and their lives that I couldn't leave them alone.

When I got to the end, I wasn't sure what had happened, so I turned back to the beginning and read the first few pages, where I knew there was some foreshadowing. I'm still not exactly sure what happened! But at least I have a vague idea.

Bottom line: beautiful language, interesting characters, but there aren't many redeeming qualities to be found and it is not a quick, easy read by any means.

3.5 stars.


Half Empty by David Rakoff

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


3.5 stars.

I think I was expecting a bit more, but it turns out that I heard almost all the best parts on the episode of This American Life that was dedicated to Rakoff after his death from cancer. Half Empty has some truly hilarious parts, and some insightful and witty parts, and a few parts that seemed like long, rambling digressions to me.

Still, it was worth the read, and Rakoff's death is truly lamentable. He was a great talent.


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books 2012: #28-35

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I had never read this classic before Eva and I read it together! Incredibly imaginative. Who knew rats (and mice) could be so endearing?




The Used World by Haven Kimmel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm a fan of Haven Kimmel, and I'm a fan of books set in small towns with quirky characters whose live intersect. I'm a fan of ordinary people who turn out to be heroes to each other.



The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A moving coming-of-age story of a biracial girl who is left without parents and struggling to find her place in the world.




The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Like all Alice Hoffman books, this one has good writing, intriguing, well-developed characters, and a dash of magical realism. It's been awhile since I read her, but this book is more haunting than I remember. Tragedy and heartbreak, with just enough redemption to keep you from wanting to throw yourself over a bridge :).

I particularly liked the two grandmothers who would not give up on their granddaughters and meddled, in the best of ways, until their lives took a turn for the better.

A favorite passage:

"Maybe some love was guaranteed. Maybe it fit inside you and around you like skin and bones. This is what she remembered and always would: the sisters who sat with her in the garden, the grandmother who stitched her a dress the color of the sky, the man who spied her in the grass and loved her beyond all measure, the mother who set up a tent in the garden to tell her a story when she was a child, neither good nor bad, selfish nor strong, only a girl who wanted to hear a familiar voice as the dark fell down, and the moths rose, and the night was sure to come."

3.5 stars.


Gold by Chris Cleave

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This story of three world-class athletes (cyclists) and their quest for the Olympics was fascinating. Seeing what it really takes to achieve that kind of elite status in a sport is interesting and rather mind-blowing, but it also leaves you wondering if it is worth the sacrifice. I liked Tom, the coach, and Sophie, the little girl with leukemia. Her coping mechanisms of placing herself in the midst of Star Wars are quite endearing.

The language never lets you forget this is written by a Brit.

Good book club discussion.


This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The premise sounded promising (dysfunctional Jewish family gathering for a shiva for their non-practicing father). While some of the writing was clever, a lot of the plot was too predictable and slapstick, like a dumb comedy that I would hate. Plus, there was such a preponderance of profanity, I couldn't really recommend it to anyone.


Cat's Cradle by Chieko N. Okazaki

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book slowly, over a period of a few months, picking it up and reading a chapter here and there. (Each chapter is a separate address.) It changed how I think about a lot of things. I found myself thinking about things I had read in it over the weeks and months.

Here are the two main takeaways for me:

1. Celebrate our diversity.
2. Don't judge each other.

I am determined to do a better job at both of these things after reading this book.


Still Alice by Lisa Genova

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is heartbreaking. While I'm sure Alzheimer's disease is always terrible, the early-onset version seems particularly terrible. To be shut down in your early 50's, while you're still in the midst of your career and you think you have many many good years ahead, and to be so awfully aware of the degeneration of not only your memories but all of your faculties, really, well it's almost unbearable just to even read about.

This is not one I am likely to forget (no pun intended), even with my notoriously bad memory. I found this book to be educational, moving, and beautiful.


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books 2012: #22-27

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars.

This is a humorous, autobiographical novel of an aristocratic British family between the two world wars. It's as much about family relationships as it is about romantic love. I enjoyed the girls most when they were in their growing up years.

Uncle Matthew is the funniest character - hunting his children to give the hounds practice, declaring his hatred or adoration for others on a whim, refusing to send his children to school. The family led a very insular, charmed life, and when the children went out into the world, they were unprepared and adrift.

A funny, enjoyable read, but ultimately I don't know that I'm compelled to read the rest of the trilogy.



The Language of Trees by Ilie Ruby

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I would give this somewhere around 3.5 to 4 stars. I liked the characters: they were real, flawed, yet likable human beings. I was rooting for them to find happiness. I also enjoyed the way place had such prominence - it had real atmosphere, I almost felt like I was there with them.




Vaclav and Lena by Haley Tanner

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars. I absolutely loved this book.

I loved the writing, I loved the characters, I loved the childlike innocence, the way the author is so tuned in to what it felt like to be a child, to have a best friend, to be excited about things that maybe nobody else understands, to fall in love. I just thought it was beautiful, all of it.



Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Really enjoyable food memoir.





The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun retelling of a Grimm's fairytale (that I hadn't heard of previously). I liked the writing, the characters were well-developed, the touches of magical realism were intriguing. I especially liked the way the princess used her wits and skills to save herself, with some help from her friends, rather than waiting to be rescued.

I'll definitely pass this one on to Eva when she is a bit older.



Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been vacillating between 4 and 5 stars on this one, but I'm leaning toward amazing.

This novel is like 6 novels in one; each so different from the others, it could be written by a different author. How Mitchell is able to adopt such completely varied voices is beyond me. And yet, the sum is greater than its parts.

I think I love David Mitchell. His writing is so ambitious, and he is able to deliver.

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books 2012 #14-21

Oral History by Lee Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked this up at Costco blindly. It's the story of a multi-generational family in Appalachia. The speech patterns took a little getting used to, but ultimately really gave the book its authentic flavor. (I should say authentic-seeming, what do I really now about Appalachians?)

I liked the first half of the book better than the last and probably would have given it 4 stars, but the more recent history of the family lost some of its charm for me.



Every Last One by Anna Quindlen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tough subject matter to tackle, but I was fully engaged the whole way through. The way Quindlen wrote about motherhood, relationships, and grief just felt so real, so believable. It resonated with me.




Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I remembered some things, of course, but having a bad memory for book details comes in handy when you re-read! Eva loved it. We watched the second movie and immediately moved on to the next book.




Blue Shoe by Anne Lamott

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the quirky characters, but I could have done without a couple of sex scenes.






Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I would probably give this something between 3 and 4 stars. I enjoy Sandra Dallas and have read all of her novels. I was hoping there would be more about the Japanese internment camp, but I did enjoy the characters that were developed.





True Colors by Kristin Hannah

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wasn't expecting much from this book. It looked like chick lit, which I don't normally read, but I thought it would be a long, relaxing vacation read, and I was not disappointed.

I was really intrigued with Dallas Raintree, and his son Noah as well. Fun beach read.



The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I struggled at first with all of the Japanese and Dutch names, and the large cast of characters, but I was quickly drawn into the story of Jacob de Zoet. The characters are remarkably well-developed, considering how many there are of them, and both the characters and the plot are complex.

Corruption, integrity, loyalty, betrayal, honor, love, vengeance, and a nunnery where strange things are afoot. What more could you want?


The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed Garden Spells by the same author more than this one. I think it may have been better if it were a little longer, as there were several themes that were interesting, but didn't seem fully fleshed-out.

A light, quick read that was fun but not really substantial.


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books 2012 #8-13

Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickam

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved seeing the way that Homer was transformed from an average boy, just content to loaf along, to a rocket scientist. He was transformed by his passion. He wanted to be a part of the space race so badly that he went from being a mediocre student to one who, with a partner, taught himself calculus. He had a very supportive teacher and a mother who believed in him, but other than that, he was battling against people's low expectations.

In addition to working hard, everything seemed to work in his favor — the football team was banned from playing, which really helped to catapult the rocket boys from outcasts to town stars, and even his father came to admire his efforts.

A real tribute to pursuing your dreams (and autodidacts!).


The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am wavering between 4 and 5 stars on this one because Eva and I both loved it so much and hated for it to end.

Despereaux is a mouse who, to the mortification of his family, prefers music and stories to learning to scurry and nibble book pages. It is also a story about the rat Chiaroscuro who craves light instead of the darkness and suffering that prevails in the dungeon where he lives. And it is also the story of a princess named Pea and a serving girl named Miggery Sow.

I loved the story, and I loved the writing. The author addresses the reader and asks interesting questions that provoke thought and good discussion.

And any book that can teach my child to use the phrase "perfidy unlimited" appropriately is a winner for me!


Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I finally decided to rectify the fact that I hadn't read this classic. It just seemed like too big an oversight in my reading education.

I used to have a thing about Dickens. A thing where I couldn't read him. But after I successfully read A Tale of Two Cities (on the second try) and enjoyed it, I knew I should give him another try.

Great Expectations has real characters. Pip and Magwitch and Miss Havisham and Estella and even Mrs. Joe Gargery have real dimension to them. Not sure about Joe, but I love him anyway. There is also real growth, which is deeply satisfying to me.

I don't think I'm through with Dickens yet!


Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Re-read this aloud to Eva and she loved it. It was just as much fun as when Marc and I read it to Max when it first came out!








  Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is between 3 and 4 stars.

Not exactly great literature, but a compelling page-turner that kept me up late in the night.

Does have some language.



Little Girls Can Be Mean: Four Steps to Bully-proof Girls in the Early Grades by Michelle Anthony

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Somewhere between 3-4 stars, actually. This might be one to own.

The premise is that we need to establish the kind of relationship where our children feel comfortable coming to us with their problems, knowing that we will take their concerns seriously and be supportive. Then, we help them to be objective and brainstorm together for solutions.

We need to teach girls to be assertive. So often girls (and women) are expected to be passive. Many of them are, but when pushed past their breaking point, they become aggressive. The goal is to teach assertiveness so that they can bypass passivity (which can harm them) and aggression (which can hurt others and relationships in general.)

A four-step program is outlined to help parents and children through this process:

1. Observing (body language, seeing the bigger picture, "hearing" what your child has not yet told you)

2. Connecting (listening actively, being fully attentive to your child without imparting your feelings, values, or judgments (yet), clarifying what you have understood from what your child has said, showing empathy)

3. Guiding (working together to allow your child to better understand the situation and to come up with a wide array of possible solutions, scaling the worry to an appropriate size)

4. Supporting to Act (supporting your child to act from a secure place - your relationship - and a place of personal power, discussing pros and cons, helping your child to choose a solution that she can live with and feel comfortable about.)

Lots of realistic examples along with play-by-play parenting tips for various situations. Girl friendships are fraught with drama and our daughters need all the help they can get to navigate these difficult waters!

Teaching girls to be assertive and to recognize their personal power to respect others and require respect in return? I can totally get behind that.


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Book love

I just watched the most delightful (Oscar-nominated) short animated film about books! The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore — the best 15 minutes I've spent all day.

The filmmaker, William Joyce, was inspired by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He saw displaced families in makeshift shelters, with none of their familiar belongings, but the children had been given books. They had that one small comfort, of being able to get lost in a book.

I love everything about this film. The books have so much personality! I love it when they wave to him, and applaud. They show apprehension, worry, and joy. Morris even sleeps on a book bed (in French, no less). It is all about book love. Fellow bibliophiles, prepare to be moved (I actually got teary).



Beautiful.

By the way, I came across this little gem via a great blog that I found on Pinterest: Good Books for Young Souls. Check it out.

books 2012 #1-7

The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well, I certainly liked this one better than The Memory-Keeper's Daughter. The cover says, "A family's secrets will always be unlocked." Will they? Considering how much digging, research, and persistence was required to unlock this family's secret, it hardly seems like a foregone conclusion. Some nice mysteries, both in the near and distant past, are unraveled.



Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The narrative of this book switches back and forth between (mostly) current day America and WWII Germany, and centers around Trudy and her mother Anna. Trudy desperately wants to verify her memories and to understand her mother's actions, but Anna refuses to speak about her experiences during the war.

The reader knows all, however, and, unsurprisingly, there are a lot of WWII horrors within. For that reason, it can be a difficult read, but Anna especially is a highly sympathetic character, and it is satisfying to see their relationship deepen over time.

I liked it, but I think I need a break from WWII lit. Those things are almost too traumatizing, even from the safe distance of over 50 years.



The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a lot of fun. A quick and easy read, it still has plenty of food for thought.

Frankie attends a prestigious prep school and, as a sophomore, undergoes physical, emotional, and intellectual changes that prompt her to become somewhat of a criminal mastermind.

She challenges the idea that females are not admitted to a super-secret all boys' club, and finds a way to break in and become their anonymous puppetmaster.

Interesting insights into the panopticon (the idea that members of a society follow rules because you never know who might be watching), girl power, cliques, and friendship in the life of a teen.



Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I enjoyed reading about the women throughout the history of Relief Society who served one another and helped each other to get through the hard times. This is just how I aspire to be, as a friend, visiting teacher, and a member of Relief Society.

As a teenager, I didn't see how I would fit into Relief Society, but I think I have caught the vision as I've matured. My esteemed grandmother told me that Relief Society taught her everything so she knew, so it must be a very grand organization indeed.



The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In between 3 and 4 stars. A quick read that I finished in one day while sick in bed.

I found it interesting to read about how the protagonist dealt with grief. And the question: how well can we really know another person? does not always come with answers we want to hear. Pretty sad ending.



Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this years ago with Max and all I remembered was that I really liked it and that it was a sweet story about a girl and her dog. Well, I just re-read it with Eva and I loved it even more. (She loved it as well, which made me very happy.) I am changing my rating from 4 stars to 5.

India Opal is just such a great protagonist. I love the relationship she has with her father, whom she calls "the preacher." I love the way she makes friends with such a broad spectrum of people in her small town, and I really love the way she brings them all together so that they are all friends with each other. She made me want to seek out lonely people in my neighborhood and befriend them.

Great characters, great writing. We are currently reading Despereaux — I think I would read anything by Kate DiCamillo.



North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My first Elizabeth Gaskell book, and I really enjoyed it. I loved witnessing Margaret's change from a pampered girl who was taken care of in every way to a woman acquainted with grief and suffering, one with empathy. Her eyes were really opened when she moved to the industrial town of Milton.

Mr. Thornton is not your typical romantic lead, but I enjoyed getting a peek underneath his gruff exterior at the tenderness within (perhaps awakened by Margaret?).

Really interesting characters.


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books 2011 #36-41

Apologize, Apologize! by Elizabeth Kelly

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I saw that one critic compared the family in this book to the Royal Tenenbaums, and I can see it. Each character is rather one-note, so it's the interaction between them that creates the most interest. Collie, the narrator, is probably the most complex of the characters (or maybe that's just how it seems because we see everything from his point of view). I like it that he's not so cut and dry, that his grief, his frustration are not so easily overcome.

Warning: this book contains a decent amount of vulgar language.


The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Historical novel about the Salem witch trials, written from the point of view of a girl whose mother (and most of her family) was accused. It was fascinating to see how the mass hysteria built up around suspected witchcraft. With essentially no evidence, so many were imprisoned and many hanged. I knew very little about this time period, and was actually surprised that there were not more people involved and that it all happened in a matter of a few months.

I loved the depth of the characters and the development of the relationships.



The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An interesting story about a girl who's been in the witness protection program for most of her life. I'm not sure the characters are all that believable, but it was a quick read about something new to me, and I liked that.




Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm wavering between 4 and 5 stars on this one.

I've read other books about WWII, but never from the perspective of soldiers in Japanese POW camps. Louie Zamperini is amazing, a true testament to the amazing ability of (some) people to persevere, survive, and even flourish. I can't even imagine.

A fascinating, disturbing, and ultimately satisfying book.



The Continuous Atonement by Brad Wilcox

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I heard the author talk about much of the material in this book and I preferred his speaking to his writing. That said, I still found this to be an inspiring and useful book.

some favorite quotes:

"Changes in belief always precede changes in behavior."

"It is one thing to follow Christ and another thing entirely to be led by Him."

"True faith in Christ is more than just knowing about Him or even believing He is divine. It is knowing that His Atonement is real, that its purpose is to transform us, and that it will be available as long as that perfecting process takes."

"Our needs—including the need for forgiveness—are continuous, and so is Christ's Atonement in its ability to meet those needs."

"[Christ] doesn't always clear the path, but He does illuminate it."

"One who chooses Christ chooses to be changed... [The Atonement] rehabilitates, regenerates, renews, and transforms human nature."

"We should recognize that God is pleased with every effort we make—no matter how faltering—to better ourselves."

"Save for the exception of the very few who defect to perdition, there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. That is the promise of the Atonement of Christ. (Boyd K. Packer)"

Wilcox's down-to-earth writing and clear examples make a difficult subject much easier to understand.



The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ruth is a very complex character — beaten down, made to feel that she is unintelligent, stuck in her smallest of small town lives. She begins corresponding with her estranged Aunt Sid, the only person to encourage her and lift her. Ruth says that Sid saved her life a million times over.

Even after becoming a mother and wife, Ruth exists in a childlike, innocent state, until a violent act throws her life into complete upheaval. There is a sense of hopefulness throughout that things will turn out okay for Ruth in the end. Despite her awkwardness, she has dignity and resilience.


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Christmas book club

It's the most wonderful book club of the year! We met at Collette's for dinner, book discussion, and gift exchange.

Collette's husband Travis took our group photo (he was dealing with an unfamiliar camera).

Collette said the blessing and got choked up when she talked about our friendship. It was sweet and adorable.

It's always fun when we bring in all our gifts and fill up the tree!

Travis won this lamp as a white elephant gift, much to Collette's delight. (She said, "not in my house!")

We had a lot to say about this book, which was a wonderful selection to read at Christmastime to help us focus on the Savior.

Jana is still recovering from the pneumonia from hell that lasted a month and left her with 3 cracked ribs from coughing so hard. Or as her mother-in-law called it, "her little cold."

I made this caramel cake. It was delicious, but hideous. The frosting took way longer to set up than the recipe specified, so it pooled at the bottom of the plate.

Jenn has entered the world of texting! But Jill called her phone "the brick." She's a late adopter.

December book club is always fun because we have a book exchange and we also exchange gifts. Jenn brought us some of our favorite candies; Amy made us beautiful ornaments with her Silhouette machine (jealous); Jana made us adorable little first aid kits with a tag that said, "thanks for helping me through the bumps and bruises of life;" Collette gave us monogram ornaments, a BYU water bottle and chocolate cinnamon bears from the candy counter of the BYU bookstore; Jill gave us all a book that she read this year and loved. (I made everyone sparkly literary ornaments.)

Jana had me for the book exchange and gave me Infinite Jest. I saw it and said, "I totally want to read this!" (despite the fact that it is over 1000 pages) and she said, "I know! I saw it on your Goodreads list!" I love Goodreads.

I came home with many parcels and gifts, such a treat (also leftover cake, which delighted my family).