Atomic Girl and Maisie Dobbs

So, I just finished two books, one, MAISIE DOBBS by Jacqueline Winspear I read on the plane on the way to Seattle. It was recommended to me by one of the volunteers at the library...and it is a mystery! What I loved about it was that it took place after World War I in England. The heroine was a nurse during the war...and she has started her own business. The story has the mystery she solves AND gives background story about her. Apparently this is the first in a series of books. I can't wait to read another. I really enjoyed the historical fiction/mystery mix!

And, I finished ATOMIC GIRL by Teri Hein in the doctor's office today, I started it in Seattle and read more of it on the plane ride back. This is a memoir of a girl who grew up on a farm in Eastern Washington...so most of the places she talks about in the book, I know of them. Also, she is growing up during the Cold War. There is a lot of history in the book as well, of her and of the land. The concern of radiation exposure to those who farmed and lived in Eastern Washington...and the reality of the deaths of those she knew and loved with cancer....of various types. This is both a book that talks about growing up on a farm...and exposes some parts of American History that may not have been so great. I recommend this book to those who live in the Spokane area...and for those who don't. The historian in me loved the look at how Eastern Washington was developed.

And, I am re-reading ECLIPSE by Stephenie Meyer to get myself ready for the release of BREAKING DAWN this weekend!

Books about the Holocaust

I have had a lot of people ask me for some books about the Holocaust...both fiction and nonfiction. So, here are a few of my recommendations. I will caution that reading these are not for the faint of heart. I took a few classes in college where I did a lot of reading...and I did a couple research papers. It wasn't a good time. But, I think that the more people read about it, the more we can help prevent something like this happening again...although, there are places in today's world that seem to be doing similar things. But, that is a topic for another day. Here are some of my recommendations.

The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy
Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine
Sophie's Choice by William Styton
Six Million Paperclips by Peter W Schroeder
Night by Elie Wiesel
Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi
Ordinary Men by Christopher Browning
Anne Frank Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This is only a few...I have read so many more. As I know many of my friend have. Please post your recommendations!!

Reading lots of things at the same time

So...I am listening to KILLER DREAMS by Iris Johansen, reading DEXTER IN THE DARK by Jeff Lindsay, I just finished LOVE IS A MANY TROUSERED THING by Louise Rennison, and I also started HITLER's NIECE by Ron Hansen...does anyone else read multiples? Sometimes I do it because I need to have different books for different activities, sometimes I get bored with what I am reading and need something else to help me get through. If I read a book I really like at the same time I read a book I am struggling to get through it helps me finish. Also, sometimes I put books off. I will be flying soon and I think I will be re-reading TWILIGHT on the way there and I want to find another book to read on the way back. Often people ask me how I keep the plots and characters straight, because the books are different, usually different genres, that helps me get it straight! Also I usually carry one around with me for lines, waiting for things, lunches, etc and then I have one in the bedroom, and sometimes one in the bathroom...depending on what I am reading and what I want to get through. Does anyone else read more than one thing at once?

Vampire Books

It seems that there is a resurgence of vampire books...with the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I have read all three and I LOVED them. As I said before I am torn...I like Edward but I really like Jacob for Bella. Anyway, I will be among those at midnight waiting for book 4's release!

But there are so many popping up...Vampire Academy, Vampire Diaries, Vampire Kisses...mostly for teens. For the adults there is Charlaine Harris the author of the Southern Vampire Mysteries, Laurell K Hamilton with her vampire huntress...and of course the queen of all vampire novels, Anne Rice.

What is our fascination with vampires...or the undead? I know for me the passion started when I was a teen...and with movies like THE LOST BOYS and ONCE BITTEN (I know I am admitting I saw this one, but hey, I was young). And continued with the TV series KINDRED...movies like VAN HELSING, UNDERWORLD, BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA, INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE...I still love reading a good vampire novel...whether series or otherwise. Have you read something that is good? Let me know. I am always looking for something to read. I tend to measure all vampire novels to Anne Rice. I did enjoy Stephenie Meyer...but it was designed for a teen audience, and it did hook me. I also enjoyed Salem's Lot.

Any recommendations?

Scarlet

I just finished Scarlet by Stephen Lawhead. It was incredible and now I have to wait until next year for the next book! For those of you who haven't read my previous posts. This is a retelling of Robin Hood. The first book in the series is called Hood. Both the book and the audio book is good. The reader is great! Now I have a list of other books to start! For those of you who like the retelling of old stories, try Zorro by Isabel Allende....it is incredible!

Love the One You're With

So...I am nearly done reading Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin. It was recommended to me by a friend and I decided to try it. So far it has been really good, it does fall into the category of fluff fiction for me....but when I started reading it I wasn't so sure. A read that some women will find interesting as it addresses what happens when a happily married woman reconnects with an ex that really messed with her and things didn't quite end. It is interesting because I just had a conversation with a friend of mine about this very thing. I think most of my girlfriends have that ONE GUY, you know the one...things were unresolved, the chemistry was amazing, and it may or may not have been a healthy relationship. I think many of my married friends feel that if they admit to having one of these they don't love their life, their husband, their kids...but all of us have one...or had one. Tim, just an FYI, I love you!! So this book got me thinking about this...because you're curious about what might have been...does this make you unfaithful? Does this make you negate your current life? Is the curiosity okay, or should it just be buried, never to be brought up again?

The other thing it brought up is when a wife does something in a marriage because she feels like she can't say no...whether that is to move to another place, live in a house she doesn't like, be around friends she doesn't care for, not work when she wants, have a relationship with her husband's parents that she doesn't want...and the list goes on. The excuse that the character uses is she doesn't want her husband to feel guilty if she says she is unhappy with her situation...because she offered no resistance before, and now, she can't live with it anymore. I guess people don't just do this in marriage, but they do it with family, friendships and work relationships. So...I thought a little more about this novel...maybe it isn't fluff fiction....it brought up some great points. I can only hope that when women read it they see the message that it is sending and it helps them be more honest in ALL of their relationships!

And, as a side note...I moved to Washington because I WANTED to. I do not regret it! Je t'aime Tim!

Top Ten

So, what if you had to recommend your top ten books of all time? What would make the list? I think if you ask me it depends on what is going on in my life and what I have read recently, however I do have some books that I constantly recommend. What makes it harder is if you add in books that you read as a child...so if you had to list your top ten books of all time...including birth to current age, what would your list include and why....here is my list, and of course I can think of hundreds more that I would add to it.

In no particular order:
1) The Trail of the Lonesome Pine - by John Fox Jr. The first time I read this I fell in love with the story, a girl in Appalachia meets a man who is passing through and her life is completely changed. She goes to school and has a hard time living in the world she grew up in and the world that she is learning about.

2) The Agony and the Ecstacy - by Irving Stone A biography of Michelangeo, while it is historical fiction, this author researches whomever he writes about and the way that he describes his characters hooks you in and makes you feel like you are right there. How did Michelangeo become the artist he is known for? This will tell you.

3) Harriet the Spy - Louise Fitzhugh I always felt so different when I was growing up and then I read about a girl who writes all of her thoughts down, the good and the bad. I felt so inspired by that. I wanted to be a writer when I was younger and I loved the idea of writing about people I knew.

4) The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas - definitely the book that I recommend the most. The ultimate tale of revenge and love. I think EVERYONE should read this book as soon as possible. And...by the way, the movies NEVER do it justice!

5) Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. This book I recently listened to and fell in love with. For all of my girlfriends out there who have gone through some rough times, lost loves, failed marriages, finding yourself and inner peace. I really enjoyed this book and feel that anyone who reads it will feel inspired to change something...either small or large in their lives.

6) Green Eggs and Ham - Dr Seuss All about trying something new...don't just dismiss it because you think you don't like something. And, just because you don't like something when you are young, doesn't mean that as you grow older you won't like it. I think this book has a message for young and old alike. And for those of you who still won't TRY something...shame on you!

7) Les Miserables - Victor Hugo. I read this when I was in 6th grade for the first time, did I understand all of it, nope, but that didn't stop me from reading it about 5 more times and loving it every time I read it. I love the story, I love the romance, I love the history, and I now love the musical...

8) A Walk in the Woods - by Bill Bryson Okay, I want to hike in the woods and I want to have the adventures that Bill has in this book. However the next best thing is living vicariously through him and laughing with him as he encounters some interesting people and situations.

9) Under the Tuscan Sun - Frances Mayes Never has a book made me want to pick up and leave for the Italian countryside...the recipes, her experiences, the land, and the people. She has a way of writing that makes you taste, feel, smell and want more than anything to be in Italy.

10) A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole An incredible read, it was recommended to me a few years ago and I could not believe the character development, the relationship between a mother and son and the biggest slacker who thinks they are the best worker ever. It was funny and bittersweet.

What about you? Think about it...what would make the list? It was hard for me, I have read so much...I could break down my top ten in several categories...but if I had to pick 10 to recommend...these would be it!

100 New Book Classics (according to Entertainment Weekly)

I know, two postings in one day...but I am not sure I will post tomorrow. Thanks to my friends I have a list of the new book classics according to Entertainment Weekly. While looking over the list I have read 35 of the 100 books! So, I have my work cut out for me. At least one of the listings is a series...Phillip Pullman, His Dark Materials, and of course there are a lot of great suggestions and books that I want to read. For any of you who have seen the list and are wondering where to start...I HIGHLY recommend the following, in no particular order.

Beloved - Toni Morrison
Mystic River - Dennis Lehane
The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan
Bel Canto - Ann Patchett
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (all of her other books are great too)
The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
The Corrections - Jonathan Frazen
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon


For those of you who like graphic novels!
Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi
Maus - Art Spiegelman
Sandman - Neil Gaiman

Looking for Nonfiction?
Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
Nickel and Dimed - Barbara Ehrenreich
Fast Food Nation - Eric Schlosser
America: The Book - Jon Stewart
The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell

Did anyone else see the list? What did you think? Was there anything missing? Was there something you felt shouldn't have been on the list?

Jodi Picoult

I HAVE to mention Jodi Picoult. Only because a few years ago when someone recommended I read her I thought, sure, fluff fiction and I wasn't interested. Last night I finished another one of her novels...it wasn't as much of a page turner as some of her others, but VANISHING ACTS was good. Her novels all have twists and turns that make you laugh, cry, etc. They are great and I feel like they accurately portray things that happen in day to day life...how things aren't always so black or white, but grey and messy. Of the novels I have read, here is my ranking in order of favorites.
1) Nineteen Minutes
2) Plain Truth
3) Tenth Circle
4) My Sister's Keeper
5) The Pact
6) Change of Heart
7) Salem Falls
8) Vanishing Acts

I believe I have 7 left to read. I have been trying NOT to read everything by her, which is difficult, but once I am done..what will I do? Does anyone know any other authors like her? try her out if you haven't. I recommend starting with either NINETEEN MINUTES or MY SISTER'S KEEPER...and clear your schedule, you won't want to do anything until you have finished the book!

Not a huge fan of Mysteries, but here are some of my faves

I must admit that left my affection for mysteries back when I read Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins, Trixie Belden and Hardy Boys..but every once in awhile I try out a mystery to see if I can find something that truly keeps me guessing to the end. Recently I read In the Woods by Tara French which isn't really classed as a mystery but certainly was and did keep me guessing right up to the end. I did go through a Janet Evanovich phase, they are mostly funny and not terribly suspenseful. I LOVE Carl Hiaasen although some would say he isn't really a mystery writer. He develops these incredible characters that make you laugh out loud and often the culprit isn't revealed until the very end or the person you know did it doesn't get caught until the end. Now I have found that I love Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs, mostly because they get into the forensic anthropology and the descriptions as well as the mystery keep me engaged. I also like Tami Hoag, her mixture of suspense and mystery help keep me on my toes. I love mysteries that keep me guessing or make me think twice about turning out the light! I have tried Sue Grafton and I liked them for about 5 letters...Nevada Barr was recommended to me because of the National Park tie in...and I can read one every once in awhile...but I just can't seem to read mysteries back to back. Robert Parker, Iris Johansen, James Patterson...and the list goes on, often I can read one by an author, maybe two and then I can start to figure out the pattern, and then I am disappointed because I can figure it out before the last page. I issue a challenge, recommend a good mystery to me, I do love a good mystery!

Series

So, when my husband and I drove to Seattle a few weeks ago, we wanted something to listen to. We always listen to a book on road trips...this time we chose HOOD by Stephen Lawhead which turned out to be the first in a series of books. This happens to be a retelling of the Robin Hood story (which has always been one of my favorites). We didn't quite finish the book on our road trip but my husband continued to listen to it on his commute and I rushed to the library so I could finish the book that evening. I LOVED IT! A week ago we headed to Leavenworth, WA and chose SCARLET by Stephen Lawhead...the next book in the series. Neither of us got to finish it and I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting the book to be turned in at the library so I can read the rest of it. What I am most disappointed in is that I am now hooked on a series...where the next book isn't coming out for awhile...at least I know it is a trilogy and I know the next book is called TUCK....but it doesn't help. For those of you who read the Harry Potter series you may know the frustration I am speaking of. To help me between books I would often read the book a second time or even listen to the book on tape version. Dean R Koontz started a Frankenstein series in 2005 and wrote books one and two practically back to back. I read them both in 2006 hoping that the next book was right around the corner. It is VERY good...a great retelling of an old classic with a modern twist. I listened to both books this year in hopes that the book is coming out. I have checked Dean R Koontz site...he has made both of the books into graphic novels but no word on the next book. I am beside myself. How can authors do this to me? Do any of you feel the same way? I am enjoying Dean R Koontz's Odd Thomas series...I have only read book one....and I am pacing myself for the others. He seems to be publishing these faster than the Frankenstein ones.

Another fun series is the confessions of Georgia Nicholson...if you haven't read this yet, you should. The books are about a 14 year old brit girl. My husband says that he wished he knew what he did after reading this books as a kid...the mind of a girl. My girlfriends who have read this series say it is a great read and are just as anxious as I to see the next book come out. Well, happiness of all happiness book 9 is out and in stores. I stumbled across it while looking for something to spend my $25 gift card on! I am WAY TOO HAPPY for words. Now I can finally read book 8 (which I didn't read because it was the last one...so I thought).

Reading more teen series I have found that Scott Westerfeld's Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras are really awesome! I got hooked reading them at the beginning of the year and lucked out because as I was finishing Specials, Extras came out. This takes place in a more futuristic world...but I loved them...and most of the people I have recommended this series to, has loved them as well.

Of course I cannot end without mentioning the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer...if you haven't read it yet...go out and get it. I was immediately hooked when my friend recommended it to me. I have read all three and am counting down the days until book 4 arrives in stores in August. I am a huge fan of vampire stories...good vampire stores and this is definitely up there. A regular girl falls in love with one of the undead...and he with her. Written by a woman of Mormon faith...based on a vision she saw, this is incredible. My only dilemma is that I can't decide if Bella should end up with Edward or Jacob...I just can't decide. I know most say with Edward definitely...but I can't help but like Jacob.

I love the comments!! Please keep them coming. I will definitely address Mysteries in my next posting!!

Summer Reading

So I don't know about the rest of you but this summer I have a list, that grows, of things I want to read before the end of summer. Something about sitting outside near the pool or on your porch, in the park or just in your yard and reading a book is a summer thing. Reading on vacation is even more fun. The hardest part of packing is how many books to take. For me, an airline flight is a good way for me to breeze through a book. So, I have to choose wisely. There are so many books I want to read this summer. I plan to read them...and then write up a little something about them. Of course I have already started reading and listening to things. But, after today I will share my thoughts.

So, yesterday I finished a teen read called ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NOT... by David Larochelle. Steven is trying to pass his driving test, he square dances and he thinks his parents are beyond strange...and he is POSITIVE he's not gay. He spends most of the story trying to deny his sexuality. And...for him it is kind of anticlimactic as no one really seems to care once he is out. It is so funny and cute! I recommend it for all readers. Especially if you didn't have the best memories from high school.

What are you reading? Can you recommend anything?