Friday, November 29, 2013

Keepsake by Kristina Riggle


I added Keepsake to my library hold list after reading Sandra's teaser. Since Keepsake had kept her up until the wee hours of the morning, I figured Keepsake was a good read. I wasn't wrong. There were a few nights I stayed up a little later than I intended reading Keepsake.

Trish is a single mom of two boys. She tries her best but "Mommy's not perfect". When her youngest falls and injuries his shoulder, Trish gets a visit from Child Welfare. Since her son fell and buried under a pile of Trish's hoarded belongings, the state isn't sure Trish is a fit mother. Trish's oldest son seeks out his aunt, Mary, who he hasn't seen in years for help.

Both women grew up with a mother who hoarded. Trish seems to following in her mother's footsteps and Mary is fastidiously clean. As a social worker, I talk to a lot of people about hoarding issues. More the family members of hoarders. I don't treat hoarders but I sometimes need to find resources to help people. Everyone wants to do what Mary and the rest of Trish's family wants to do: toss everything. In Keepsake, their family had done that to their mother. When they talk about the way that her mother grieved her lost belongings, I understood that many people don't see hoarding as a mental illness. As like depression and schizophrenia, hoarding requires counseling and sometimes medication.

I really enjoyed Keepsake. I loved how Riggle showed each of their sisters and how their lives had shaped them to who they were. I also liked Trish's ex-husband, Ron and Mary's college friend, Seth. Both Mary and Trish were so focused on what they lost, they didn't see what they had in front of them. I enjoyed watching the characters grow and develop. I'd recommend Keepsake. Others who shared their thoughts on Keepsake: S.Krishna's Books, Memphis Reads, and Devourer of Books.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving!



I'm going to be cooking the whole meal today. Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, lima beans, biscuits, gravy, and cranberry sauce. Yum!

Hope you are surrounded by friends, family, and love today!

And happy Hanukkah too!

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.


I was talking to some coworkers about Stephen King books. I decided I need to read a little more of King's books. I chose Joyland cause it's short. Probably will still give me nightmares.

Recently someone was raving about Out of The Easy. It sounded like something I would like so I put it on hold.

What did you get this week?

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


"Filth like what Trish was living in, or more to the point, little Jack. Filth bad enough to cause my teenage nephew to scrounge up my address from somewhere, drive himself all the way here, and lie in wait for me."
pg 21Keepsake by Kristina Riggle

Monday, November 25, 2013

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin


I added The Orchardist after seeing it on someone's blog. Since it was set in Washington State, I was intrigued. While The Orchardist was not like most books I normally read, it was a great read.

Talmadge lives alone in a cabin in his orchard. He's lived most of his life in this cabin. He's outlived his mother and perhaps his sister. It's a lonely life. One day while selling apples in town, he meets two young pregnant sisters, Jane and Della. Jane and Della steal apples from Talmadge. Since he does not chase them or send the law after, the girls decide to follow Talmadge to his home. The girls distrust Talmadge at first but slowly grow to see him as a friend. The book follows Talmadge, Jane, and Della for several years.

The Orchardist was one of those slow books. Very little happened quickly. But that's what made it so enjoyable to me. Coplin was very deliberate in her actions and pacing. The writing was so beautiful. Even though it moved slowly, The Orchardist kept me engaged. 

I'd recommend The Orchardist. It was a beautiful story. I look forward to Coplin's other books. Thoughts from others who read The Orchardist: Caribousmom, Between The Covers, That's What She Read, The Betty and Boo Chronicles, and Write Meg!.
This was my thirteenth read for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.



Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.


I've wanted to read Dash & Lily's Book of Dares for a while but wanted to wait for winter. Well it's pretty chilly so I am ready to read it.


I will finish the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series this year!


Zombies? Fallen superheroes? Sounds good to me. 

What did you get this week?

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


"Like Bond, my father is partial to Gordon's, mainly because it has less alcohol than most other gins, enabling him to drink more of it. When I was in grade school he taught me to make his martini a little on the wet side and garnished with an onion, which technically makes it a Gibson, and paid me ten cents per drink."

Pg 121 But Mama Always Put Vodka in her Sangria! By Julia Reed

Friday, November 15, 2013

Almost Like Being In Love by Steve Kluger


Sometimes it pays to pick up random bookmarks at the library and read the suggestions. My library prints several different bookmarks with different suggestions by genre on them. I've seen a few listing authors in certain genres. It's a great way to find new books and authors. Almost Like Being In Love was listed on the LGBTQ bookmark. I'm always on the lookout for LGTBQ fiction and I was very glad I picked up Almost Like Being In Love.

Travis is a drama geek. He loves Broadway and sings showtunes. Craig is a football player and isn't the type to hang out in the theatre for fun. But one day, Travis falls off a ladder and Craig catches him. Totally a meet cute. Travis and Craig then spend their senior year of high school and the summer after, falling and being in love. College separates them to 2 different coasts. Twenty years go by and Travis realizes that Craig was the love of his life.

I absolutely loved Craig and Travis. Both of them are so sweet and real. I could see being friends with Travis. And Travis' friend/roommate/ATM, Gordo reminded me of a guy I knew in college right down to his website. Craig's also got some wonderful friends. Craig and Charleen's emails reminded me of Jennifer and Beth's emails in Attachments. Sweet, witty, and just like two best friends. Kevin, Craig and Charleen's hunky assistant just adds to the fun. I enjoyed every moment of Almost Like Being In Love.

I highly recommend Almost Like Being In Love to those who enjoy lost and found love, quirky romances, and Broadway and baseball. Others who shared their thoughts on Almost Like Being In Love: For The Love Of Books!, In Midnights, Books, Books, and More Books, and Penelope's Romance Reviews.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore


I didn't know it when I picked up Spirit and Dust but it's the sequel to Texas Gothic. That put a damper on my enthusiasm since I didn't enjoy Texas Gothic. But I liked Spirit and Dust a lot more than Texas Gothic and it reminded me of Clement-Moore's other book, The Splendor Falls.

Daisy Goodnight is clairvoyant and she works with the FBI to solve murders, help find missing people. Daisy has a lovely, flirty relationship with her FBI handler, Taylor. So adorable. I loved their back and forth. I even loved that they had codes for are you ok and do you need help. Great, fun relationship. Daisy is pulled into an investigation about a missing college student. Quickly she realizes that the kiddnappers are into some serious magic and she teams up with Carson who's on the payroll of the missing girl's father's payroll. And Daisy and Carson have some serious chemistry. Who did I want to win? The hunky FBI handler or the bad boy with some magic up his own sleeve? I was team Carson the whole time.

Spirit and Dust was full of fast paced action, witty conversations, and some steamy verbal exchanges. I enjoyed every minute of Spirit and Dust. Others who shared their thoughts on Spirit and Dust: Clear Eyes, Full Shelves, Page Turners, Be Awesome Be A Book Nut, and A Dream Within A Dream.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.


I've heard a lot of good things about Me Before You. I saw it on the library shelf and decided to grab it.

The next in the October Daye series. 

What did you get this week?

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"The sorrow came from those two feelings-the happiness of company, the anxiety of interrupted solitude. That was what he had felt, he thought, and what to some extent he still felt."
pg 250 The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

Monday, November 11, 2013

Thank you to All Veterans


A big thank you to all those who have served (including my dad, my mother's brothers, and my father's uncles) as well as those still serving. And a huge thank you to those families of those serving.

Friday, November 8, 2013

October Book Tally

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (337)
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple (330)
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (433)
Love Minus Eighty by Will McIntosh (432)
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (439)
Days Missing vol 1 by Phil Hester (144)
The Arrival by Shaun Tan (128)
Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse (216)
Wolverine: Get Mystique by Jason Aaron (96)
Batman Black and White vol 1 by Mark Chiarello (222)
Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka (192)
Allegiant by Veronica Roth (526)
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (315)

Thirteen books. A banner month! I have a lot of graphic novels and the Readathon to thank for that.

I couldn't write a review for Allegiant that wasn't spoilerific. Suffice to say that I enjoyed it.


Stats:
Fill In The Gaps YTD: 0 (None this month)
Historical Reading Challenge YTD: 12 (none this month)
Mammoth Book Challenge YTD: 11 (None this month)
Let Me Count The Ways Book Challenge: Pages read this month (3810), Pages read this year (32232)
Total books to date: 103

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Awesome and Awkward Thursday


Awkward:
-My addiction to Kazoozles. Tai got them on a lark and I love them. 

-The amount of bread I've been making recently. A like a loaf a day. Insane. 

-My closet is getting ridiculous. I actually pulled a lot of "summer" clothing and it's still too crowded!

-And my pile of boots. Does anyone have a good way to keep their boots from falling over into a pile? 



Awesome:
-Tai gave me my Christmas present early! A iPad mini. I love it. 

-I've read over a 100 books so far this year. Now trying to get to that 40,000 page goal. About 8000 pages shy at this point.

-I've been on a good cook at home streak. Trying new recipes and making some tasty dishes.

-Adding pizza back into our lives. Papa Murphy's DeLite crust has less than 20 carbs per slice. Dad loved it!

What's been awkward and awesome this week for you?

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

After hearing Lisa rave about this series, I decided to check it out. 

What did you get this week?

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


"I perceive the spirit world through the five senses already wired into my brain, plus the emotions we all have. I've learned to dial down the volume up or down on the psychic impressions-the visit to the Alamo taught me the importance of that skill-but mostly it's like seeing color. I just do it."

pg 9 Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Monday, November 4, 2013

Wild: From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed


I picked up Wild off the library shelf because I had heard so much about it, mostly good. And since the Pacific Crest Trail winds through my neck of the woods, Wild had all the ear markings of a must read for me. I'm glad I read it but I failed to connect to Ms Strayed.

Cheryl Strayed decided to hike part of the Pacific Crest Trail alone. She hiked from the Mohave Desert in California to Oregon. She set aside a month of her life to make the journey. Cheryl had a lot of reasons to make the journey-her divorce, the grief of her mother's passing, the affairs that led to her divorce, and flirtation with heroin. She felt lost and saw her time on the trail as time to heal and start over. I couldn't connect with why Cheryl would set out on this journey. She had little backpacking and hiking experience. I'm surprised she didn't die numerous times due to her own inexperience. I know why she did most of her hiking alone but I found it unbelievable that she did little research about the journey.

I was completely in awe of Cheryl's strength and resilience. The physical toll that the journey took on her was astounding. I admired her for doing something I couldn't do. I would love to check out parts of the Pacific Crest Trail but would never hike more than a few miles of it.

While I didn't connect to Ms Strayed, I did enjoy reading about her journey. I've heard good things about Tiny Beautiful Things which I'll check out as well. Others who shared their thoughts on Wild: My Fab Fifties Life,  Write Meg!, and An Armchair by The Sea.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter


I'd heard so many good things about Beautiful Ruins, I couldn't help but snatch it off the library shelf. Walter did get great job of blending past and present. It reminded me of Sarah Jio but with a lot more characters. At first I thought there were too many characters but I quickly got accustom to everyone and enjoyed Beautiful Ruins.

The book opens with Pasquale, attempting in vain to make a beach out of the rocks that sit in front of his hotel. Pasquale desperately wants to make his hotel an American tourist attraction. While he's lifting rocks, a boat pulls up to the rocks and an attractive American woman deboards. Dee has come to this remote Italian village to spend her last days. Pasquale is overjoyed. The Americans are finally coming. The story takes Dee and Pasquale from Italy to Hollywood to London to Sandpoint, Idaho and over  nearly fifty years.

For me the characters that kept me reading were Claire and Shane. Claire wants to make films. But her boss wants to make money so she decides she's going to quit and find a way to make the films she wants. Shane has come to Hollywood to pitch his movie idea-a movie about the Donner Party. Both Shane and Claire want more than what's in front of them. When we first meet them, each thinks they know what they want but by the story's conclusion they have a clear focus of what they want and it's within their grasp.

The scenes in Italy were breathtaking. I felt like I was on the Ligurian Sea. I could smell the ocean air. I could see the small, desperate town. I could see the cliffs that Pasquale lived under. Those scenes alone made the book. I would recommend Beautiful Ruins especially to those who like Sarah Jio's books. I love the different time periods and seeing how these characters lives intersect. Others who shared their thoughts on Beautiful Ruins: It's All About Books, That's What She Read, Read. Write. Repeat, Confessions of A Book Addict,  and Write Meg!