For the past few years, the only time Mayim Bialik's name popped into the news was because people were criticizing some of her parenting choices. I never paid much attention, but when she was added to the cast on The Big Bang Theory and more and more people started noticing her and choosing to judge her choices, I started listening a bit closer, especially now being a mom myself.
Beyond the Sling is Bialik's explanation of what attachment parenting is and why she and her husband choose to practice it. The book is informative, covering everything from the science of their choices to their own deductive reasoning (as one would assume would be included from a neuroscientist). It's written in a down-to-earth, yet matter-of-fact tone. Though she knows her choices are not necessarily conventional and may even be controversial (no vaccines, no antibiotics, no medications), she doesn't apologize at all and I totally appreciated that. Though our family doesn't/won't practice a lot of what is talked about, I respect the decisions this family has made and they've been explained in a manner that convinces me of their choices. I understand why they're doing certain things, even if they aren't right for our my own family.
For example:
Family beds: It was discussed long before a child actually came into our home that our bed would not have a child sleeping in it. My husband was adamant, I was fine with his reasons. The times that Elliott needed comfort or his mama close by, we moved to a chair in the living room and I'm sure that's what we'll continue to do. Works for us.
Elimination communication: It's not happening. My kid is wearing diapers, end of story.
Medication: Their children have never had a single antibiotic or any form of medication, even over-the-counter. They don't vaccinate and they don't go to the doctor unless absolutely necessary. They all had H1N1 and didn't go to the doctor! I'm a worrier and we'll probably be at the doctor a lot over the next few years, but I'm also rational. I don't want unnecessary medication and I won't run to the doctor for every cold or bruise (we already successfully battled E's first cold ourselves). We have chosen to vaccinate and again, that works for us.
Breastfeeding: I wanted this to work SO BADLY, but it just didn't. After having 2 babies and struggling to pump any amount of milk at all for months with my first, I was finally diagnosed with a duct disorder after having Elliott and working with a lactation consultant 3 hours a day for 3 weeks. I can make milk, but it doesn't come out. Frustrating, but not my fault.
My biggest disagreement with Bialik...and one that actually produced multiple eye rolls...had to do with play. She doesn't believe we should "teach" our children anything before age 5. Meaning, no ABC song, no counting, no colors. Most books they read do not have pictures. She wants them to enjoy being kids, figuring things out on their own. I think it's taking away a whole lot of fun and imagination time from them, especial
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By: Amanda,
on 1/31/2012
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: memoir, adult non-fiction, adult reviews, Add a tag
I love a good memoir, especially when it teaches me something, and I definitely loved this one. I learned more about simple recipes, cooking techniques, and kitchen etiquette in this book, than I ever would have expected and the only thing that could have made it better was videos illustrating some processes.
Author Flinn takes nine at-home cooks (or non-cooks as often is the case) and just teaches them the basics of food and cooking. No more processed junk, we can make those same dishes ourselves. No more poor knife skills, we can do it properly, FASTER. Everyone learns a few basic recipes and how to spin off of those into a more complex dish or meal. Everything from salad dressing to bread baking is covered, including making the perfect scrambled eggs, something I definitely needed help with. My husband and I have been into eating "healthier" for the past few years and I've tried to eliminate a lot of the processed foods from our house. We haven't bought salad dressing in probably a year and have completely done away with "boxed" dinners that ruled our house in the early years of our relationship. We definitely have a few processed staples hanging around, like bread, parmesan cheese, and bbq sauce, but Flinn has definitely inspired me to learn to make my own. Or at least buy fresh parm instead of the shelf stable grated stuff.
Another huge push I've been giving after reading about these women and their lives is to buy quality knives. We have a moderately priced knife set in a block that sits on the counter. 5 dinner knives and 6 assorted others. Flinn really impresses upon her students and the reader that a cook really only needs 2 or 3 good knives, but they need to be a nice quality. Ours are most definitely not. We won't even talk about the fact that the biggest knife in the set can't easily slice through a tomato. Sigh.
Finally, the most important point I think Flinn makes, is the idea of less waste. We all waste SO MUCH FOOD, whether it be forgetting about the lettuce in the crisper drawer and having to throw that away, or buying too much at the grocery store and not being able to eat it in time. I've been incredibly conscious about using all of our produce before it goes bad, after reading this. That alone is saving us money and reducing the perfectly good food that gets thrown in the garbage.
If you're a reader of fun memoirs or at all a foodie, I would highly recommend checking this one out. It was inspiring, enjoyable to read, and completely easy to relate to. Loved it! I'm going to be purchasing my own copy just to reference from time to time!
The Kitchen Counter Cooking School
Kathleen Flinn
304 pages
Adult Non-Fiction
Penguin
9780670023004
September 2011
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By: Amanda,
on 1/24/2012
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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10-year-old Gemma Hardy has not had a great start in life. Both of her parents are dead and her Uncle, the only one left that shows her any kindness at all, is also now dead. Stuck with an Aunt that hates her and cousins who could care less about her, Gemma is pretty much alone in the world. Strong and determined though, Gemma is not one to be easily pushed around and is often in trouble for defending herself against her Aunt's verbal tirades. Thinking she's escaping her cruel family, Gemma ends up at a boarding school with teachers that are just as cruel. As a scholarship student, she's not much more than a servant, with the occasional study session on the side. Still, Gemma's determination doesn't falter.
The book continues to follow Gemma as she grows into an intelligent young woman, fiercely set on becoming something in her life. She takes jobs, forms relationships with a variety of different people, some kind, some not-so-kind, finds love and continues to search for her rightful place in the world.
The beautiful writing is so nice to read and something I wanted to make sure to read slowly, taking in all the words. Though often filled with sadness, Gemma's story also has a lot of underlying humor, as no matter what horrible thing is brought her way, she manages to keep a fairly positive, upbeat attitude.
I loved the Scottish setting and the descriptions of the Orkney Islands...a place I don't think I've previously read about. I loved Gemma from page one and between the writing, the setting, and the great characterization, this is definitely a book I will be recommending to a lot of readers. I'll also be looking into more of Livesey's books.
The Flight of Gemma Hardy
Margot Livesey
464 pages
Adult Fiction
Harper
97800620646
January 2012
Review copy provided by publisher
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By: Amanda,
on 12/9/2011
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When Angelina's husband dies unexpectedly, she is completely heartbroken and unsure of what to do with herself. Creating delicious food has always been Angelina's comfort and so she turns to cooking to put her sorrows into, making loads of yummy Italian food as she grieves.
What is at first for her own healing eventually turns into a job for Angelina. Single men around the neighborhood, starting with her sweet, elderly neighbor, begin coming to her for meals, allowing her to work through losing her husband, make delectable dishes, and feed hungry bachelors at the same time.
I was somewhat surprised with how much I enjoyed this book! From the title, I almost expected it to be a fluffy read without a whole lot of substance, but O'Reilly was able to capture Angelina's pure love for her husband and her devastation at his loss with a grace that made me really love her as a character.
That being said, I was slightly disappointed with a rather predictable plot "twist" and found myself hoping the author wouldn't do what I thought he was going to do from the beginning. He did it, but it ended up ok. I was pleased with the overall story.
The recipes included sounded awesome, especially as I read the descriptions woven into the story, though I probably won't be attempting any of them at home. All sound incredibly challenging and for very experienced cooks, though they definitely are appealing!
Not as light a novel as one would think. Grab your tissues and don't read on an empty stomach!
Angelina's Bachelors: A Novel with Food
Brian O'Reilly
384 pages
Adult Fiction
Gallery Books
9781451620566
August 2011
Library Copy
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By: Amanda,
on 9/14/2011
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Magic. Fantasy. A beautiful love story. Competition. A circus unlike any other. You'll find all of these in the pages of The Night Circus, in a brilliant mish-mash of the fantastical and the realistic. A girl and a boy, both magicians, have been bound together in a competition that neither can escape and that spans their entire lives, told that it will only end when one wins. No rules, no boundaries. The story follows the pair, their personal experiences within the circus, and the love that eventually grows between them, as well as a cast of other utterly unique characters, each with their own beautifully written stories. I can't think of the words to properly describe the plot without giving away the magic that pours off each page. The reader deserves to experience the brilliance of the writing and the feeling I got as I took my figurative "walk" through Les Cirque des Reves without any clues other than what I've described above. Vague...yes, but necessarily so. Just trust me on this one. I was able to actually visualize every aspect of the circus described, proving just what a talent this new author is and that should be reason alone for you to want to pick this one up!
I couldn't put the book down, yet I wanted to read it slowly to savor this world Erin Morgenstern created. The comparisons to Harry Potter have been made and I totally get them...I wish I could experience those books as I did for the first time and knowing how it feels with HP, I knew I need to truly savor The Night Circus, because no matter how many times I read it, it will never be the same as this first time.
I finished this book satisfied and thoroughly in love with the characters (ALL of them) and the circus. A beautiful debut that I'm going to be shoving in everyone's hands this fall.
The Night Circus
Erin Morgenstern
384 pages
Adult Fiction
Doubleday
9780385534635
September 2011
Review copy
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By: Amanda,
on 9/2/2011
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: farming, local food, 2011, adult reviews, Add a tag
Kristin Kimball was living in New York City, working as a writer, when she meets Mark after venturing to his farm in Pennsylvania, wanting to interview him for a story. Love is born! A strange type of love, but still...love enough to convince her to drop everything she's ever known and start a farm with this handsome man in Upstate NY. Knowing nothing about raising animals or growing food, Kristin is really thrown head first into the difficult and exhausting world of farming. She reads books, watches Mark in everything he does, but mostly she learns by doing. From the frigid winter, through the harvest in the fall, the work is back-breaking, yet awe-inspiring. She often thinks about why she's doing what she's doing, but realizes quickly that she has fallen in love with the work, just as much as she has the guy.
I love a good memoir and this one combines three of my favorite things: books about food, books about growing food, and books about real relationships. Kristin writes in a manner that leaves you wanting to read more. I wanted to know what was going to happen to the plants she was growing, the animals she was raising, and what delicious meal would come from the garden and barn.
I was completely inspired during the entire book, wishing I had the guts to do something as drastic with my life as Kristin did. There is such a dramatic difference in eating food from the grocery store and food from your own yard, that you fed and raised and it's awesome! I loved the honesty that came off the pages, as she described how incredibly hard the work was and how heartbreaking it was to have to put animals down, but how rewarding the end result was.
Though I was a little surprised at how quickly Kristin caught on to certain aspects of farming and I definitely had a hard time with all of the portions dedicated to injured/sick animals, I did find myself believing in her story and in her reasoning for doing what she did. I would love to take a trip to Essex Farm and see what they've made of the place over the years!
The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love
Kristin Kimball
288 pages
Adult Non-Fiction
Scribner
9781416551607
October 2010
Library copy
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By: Amanda,
on 8/15/2011
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Ok friends, you'll have to deal with some craziness on this review. First, a little background on my reviewing style, in case you're new to reading my blog:
Basicaly, I don't review books that I didn't like. I don't enjoy giving negative press and if I'm really not into a book, I won't finish it anyways. And I definitely don't review books I didn't finish. That's just my thing and if it's not yours, cool. I'm also very much a character-driven reader. If I don't love the main character or at the very least, relate to him/her, I'm probably not going to like the book. I need good, meaty characters to keep me reading and even if the protagonist is meant to be bratty/annoying/unlikable, I typically will still just not enjoy the book overall.
That being said, onto my review of This Beautiful Life.
This was an incredibly complex story of what happens to a family when 15-year-old Jake forwards on an explicit video sent to him by an eighth grade girl. All his friends receive it, his friends friends, etc. The aftermath to his family, mom Liz, dad Richard, and younger sister CoCo, is both as you would think it would be and not.
We get to experience a personal reaction to the scandal by Liz, a laid back mom struggling to fit into their new fast-paced and upscale life in NYC. Her husband is now in a high power position at work, leaving her to do most of the child rearing and she thinks she really only has her hands full with percocious Coco. When the trouble with Jake hits the fan, Liz slowly begins to unravel.
We also get to see how the video effects Richard in his business life, as he's faced with having to scramble to keep his work life together. He means well in everything he does, both business related and with his family, even if he doesn't make the best decisions.
And finally, we get Jake's perspective. He's a good kid that made a terrible mistake and instantly feels guilt for it. He realizes the vastness of the scandal and isn't quite sure how to pull himself out of the mess he's made and is even more unsure of how to fix the girl's life he ruined. The forwarding of the video was not at all vindictive, though we still witness the slow decline of Jake's mental state.
In the midst of the characters, we get glimpses into the lives of NYC private school parents and kids, the schedules placed upon children at such a young age, as parents are convinced they must compete for the most coveted preschools and elementary schools, setting their children up for fantastic lives. It's quite sickening and makes me glad, once again, that I grew up in a tiny town where everyone was pretty much on a level playing field. We didn't have a whole lot of options when it came to extra curricular activities, nor did our parents have the money to pay for anything extravagant, and we all turned out pretty ok.
So, after all that, I didn't like this book. Though we're given the perspectives of
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By: Amanda,
on 8/10/2011
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Audiobooks, 2011, adult reviews, Add a tag
Yesterday morning I finally finished the audio of The Help by Kathryn Stockett. 15 cds takes a long time, even when you're in the car for 2+ hours 4 days a week. The story was as amazing as everyone has been saying for the past two years and I am SO glad I listened to it, rather than reading it for the first time. I got a whole lot more out of this listening experience than I have with any other audiobook and I fell totally in love with Stockett's writing at the same time. Voiced by three readers, Jenna Lamia, Octavia Spencer, Cassandra Campbell, and Bahni Turpin, I became invested in these women like I never would have been able to through reading the physical book. Their voices, accents, dialects, and manner of getting a point across came through so incredibly clearly and realistically that I could picture these women as they were speaking and could visualize their mannerisms.
The raw emotion that pours off the pages of this novel (and a debut novel at that) had me laughing and crying, almost simultaneously. I felt like I was in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960's, the narration was just that good. If you haven't picked this one up yet...and believe me, I know I'm one of the last...you should definitely grab it in audio.
Now that I've finished the book, I can go see the movie! Excited!
The Help
Kathryn Stockett
Audio
Penguin USA
9780143144182
9780143144182
5 Comments on My love for The Help...and the power of an audiobook, last added: 8/12/2011
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By: Amanda,
on 7/11/2011
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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In 1968 a white woman and a black man show up on the doorstep of Martha, a widow content in her quiet, hermit-like ways. She skeptically lets them in, though wary of how the strange pair is acting, and then spends the next two decades raising the baby they hid in her attic.
Lynnie, the baby's mother, dealing with what appears to be a developmental disability, ends up back at The School for the Incurable and Feebleminded, while the love of her life, Homan is on the run, deaf, unsure of where he is going or if he will even survive. Told in alternating chapters by Martha, Lynnie, Homan, and Kate, a nurse at the School, the story is not simply one of a baby girl, but also a telling of the horror of institutions during that period in our country's history, of how no one truly understood the disabled and how to best assist them, and of the power of love above all.
From the first pages I fell in love with the story and with Rachel Simon's writing. I had never experienced her books before and I knew I would totally connect with Martha after just a few sentences. The setting and descriptions of other minor details placed me right where each character was and had me experiencing what they were experiencing.
I did find that the book dragged a bit in the middle, becoming slow in plot development and where the characters "went." I also had a hard time with Homan's portion of the book as Simon wrote it from the perspective of a deaf man that had never truly learned to communicate. Definitely a feat to write, but also, at times, a tad hard to understand. I found myself having to reread his chapters, sometimes more than a couple of times to get exactly what he was thinking/doing/believing.
I absolutely ADORE the cover and the writing expands on the beauty we first see in that silhouette. Despite the few slow portions and the difficulty I had with Homan's character, I truly enjoyed my reading of the book and the thinking the author made me do. I don't have a disabled person directly in my life, so I don't often think about how a person may or may not be treated based on whether or not they have a disability. She opened my eyes, while weaving a thought-provoking and lovely novel.
The Story of Beautiful Girl
Rachel Simon
352 pages
Adult Fiction
Grand Central Publishing
9780446574464
May 2011
Library Copy
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By: Amanda,
on 6/26/2011
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Jo March, named for her mother's favorite character in the classic, Little Women, has grown up in an Evangelical Christian family, with two loving parents and her twin brother Chris by her side. With the help of her high school biology class, Jo discovers that her father is not her biological father and instead, a Muslim man who knows nothing about her is the one who helped bring her into life. Obviously the waters are instantly muddied, not simply because her mother lied to her most of her life, but because a Christian girl is faced with having a Muslim father...something Jo is totally unfamiliar with. The book told in parts by Jo, her biological father Sadiq, Jo's mother Angela, and Deena, Sadiq's mother and Jo's biological grandmother, spans years, faiths, and beliefs. Jo, through work with the U.S. government, becomes part of the war on terror, bringing her even closer to the part of her family she's grown up without, while the other main characters each deal with their own faith journeys and process of realizing what family really means.
I really enjoyed the underlying message of familial sacrifice and redemption and the interwoven stories, as the reader gets a look into the differing perspectives of each character, rather than just Jo. The portions that took place in Pakistan were fascinating and I think Deena ended up being my favorite character for how realistic her part of the story was. And I loved the aspects of bridging cultures and religions, despite what history may have said.
I did feel that I lacked a connection with Sadiq as a character, though he did have his own chapters and that the overall book was a bit long. A lot of stories were blended into the book and some of them took much longer to get through than others. I did really appreciate Haji's writing style and did enjoy the book as a whole, despite some minor issues.
A fast read, great for the beach!
The Sweetness of Tears
Nafisa Haji
400 pages
Adult fiction
William Morrow
9780062081384
June 2011
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By: Amanda,
on 6/12/2011
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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There's nothing like a good book about reading to make a book lover happy! I knew I was in for a treat when I first received this book in the mail, but it truly was a complete delight from start to finish, even with the heavy subject.
Author Nina Sankovitch's sister passed away after a short, yet terribly painful battle with cancer. Not quite sure how to deal with the grief of losing her sister and get back into every day life, Sankovitch decides to "take a year off" and do something that not only provides pure pleasure, but also allows her to feel connected to her sister in a way unlike any other. Thus begins her journey of reading a book a day for an entire year. Being a both a wife and mother to four boys, I thought Sankovitch quite crazy for believing she would be able to pull off a feat as large as 365 books (especially after seeing some of her titles of choice). I can't even manage to read a book a day and I don't have ANY children in my home! The author, however, successfully manages to read book a day, using the literature as her means of comfort and escape from her sadness, all done in her cozy purple chair.
I was able to feel the emotion on every page, as Sankovitch read through different types of literature and used it to bring to light her feelings on her sister's death, their childhood, and her current state of being. She muses thoughts on the books she reads (adding more than a few to my TBR pile), as well as her family, her emotional state, and her method of truly allowing herself to slow down and live in the moment. We all could learn a thing or two from this woman!
I savored the pages of this memoir and would definitely recommend it for any book lover. Beautifully done!
Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading
Nina Sankovitch
256 pages
Non-Fiction
Harper
9780061999840
June 2011
Review copy provided by publisher
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By: Amanda,
on 5/6/2011
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Sisters Rosalind, Cordelia, and Bianca have grown up with Shakespeare-loving parents (as we can tell just from their names) and more than their fair share of disfunction. All are grown, having left home and started their own lives, but their mother's illness has brought them all back together, each with their own set of serious issues to deal with. There's a pregnancy, some embezzlement, and a huge vat of resentment stewing on these pages. As the girls attempt to deal with their mother's decline in health, they also have to sort out problems with men, each other, and themselves. Their self reflection is deep, while the dialogue is quite humorous, as each sister has their own very distinct personality and manner of dealing with the problems at hand. Their father speaks mainly in quotes from his beloved Shakespeare, which after a little getting used to, is quite charming, and the overall voice was brilliantly done.
Told from all three of the women's perspectives, it is most definitely a unique voice, and one I've never come across before. I was pulled into their story from the first few lines and just wanted to keep on reading until the stories of each girl had come to a close. I don't have a sister myself, but I had a lot of fun reading about these sisters!
The Weird Sisters
Eleanor Brown
336 pages
Adult fiction
Amy Einhorn Books
9780399157226
January 2011
Library copy
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By: Amanda,
on 1/31/2011
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I'm a sucker for a dog book! And seriously, who could possibly resist a book with this adorable cover?! Well, I suppose if you aren't a dog person, you could easily resist, but I'm going on the assumption that anyone reading this review loves dogs as much as I do. Read on for some doggie goodness!So, Julie Klam is thirty years old and single, looking for someone to spend her life with. Instead of a man, she snaps up Otto, a bug-eyed Boston Terrier who would proceed to change Julie's life from the point of adoption on. Otto was Julie's companion, best friend, and teacher for years, even after she married and had a human of her own for love and support. Otto also lead to Julie's absolute love of the Boston Terrier breed, inspiring her to continue rescuing the dogs throughout the next several years, even after Otto had passed away himself.
What you'll find in these pages is both hilarious and heartbreaking stories of the dogs Julie brought home and others she simply helped in their journey to forever home. I cannot tell you how many times I laughed out loud reading a page and then was crying a few sentences later...it's that emotional for me! It's such a heartwarming and inspirational book, making excellent points that we don't always end up with the dog of our choice, but rather the dogs that we need the most come to us.
Sentences like: "But with Moses I began to understand that 'dog' was its own category of 'love.' Sometimes you just need to hold and kiss a member of the dog species. Even when humans are available" (108) had me totally relating and nodding my head in agreement, while the story of Julie and her mother having to make the choice to put down a dog had me sobbing. The very next page, however, referred to a white Husky named Honky, which sent me into hysterical fits of laughter for the next 20 minutes. Seriously, HONKY???!! (121).
Overall, a happy and fun book for dog lovers. I would recommend this as a gift for anyone loving Boston Terriers, a dog rescuer, or just someone like me that is overly obsessed with their own dogs. My only complaint was the lack of photos. If you're going to write a book about adorable, trouble-making dogs, add some pictures please!
You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secretes of Happiness
Julie Klam
240 pages
Adult Non-Fiction
Riverhead Books
9781594487767
October 2010
Library copy
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By: Amanda,
on 1/28/2011
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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I am not a reader of short stories, let's just get that out of the way. They aren't books that I will gravitate towards, no matter the story description, as I like to be connected with the same characters/plot/voice through the whole book. I know I'm not at all alone in this and that a lot of you are also only "novel" readers, but trust me when I say, you must read this one. For me, it was a total upheaval in my reading preferences...short stories may be good after all!
You Know When the Men Are Gone is truly unlike anything I've ever read. The stories are definitely individual, but also woven together in a manner that will make you reflect on what this war is doing on a deeper and more personal level. Taking place at Fort Hood and overseas, the reader is given a rare look into what it means to be a military spouse during a time of deployment and the emotional toll the absence of a spouse takes. We are able to see inside the thoughts of these women and men, in a manner that will make you slightly uncomfortable, but in such an interesting and thought-provoking way.Though each story is amazing and heart wrenching in its own way, I did have a few favorites. "You Survived the War, Now Survive the Homecoming" shows us how men and women that have been to war must come home and attempt to deal with what they've seen and experienced, while their families are expecting their daddy/mommy/husband/wife back and whole. It's a hard read, but will certainly change the way we think. Once a soldier is home, he or she is not instantly the same...quite the opposite.
"Gold Star" was probably the most emotional for me to read, as it is the tale of a woman given the Gold Star parking place at the commissary...meaning her spouse had been killed at war. Though difficult to think about, the raw details Fallon includes about the mundane tasks a wife must continue to perform after the death of her husband, gave me goosebumps. And it's all so true! As horrible as it is, women on a base the size of Ft. Hood, deal with this as a normal way of life.
As a military spouse, I'm sure this book hits a bit closer to home for me than it does for many, but that doesn't make the impact of the book any less. We are all living through this war and being able to get glimpses of a life as a military spouse, even if fictional, could do everyone some good.
The writing is exceptional and the pure emotions the characters bring out in the reader is a completely unique experience. I have yet to come across a book, let alone a book of short stories, that had me thinking about it as deeply as I am with this one. I want to know these characters...in fact, I think I DO know some of these characters. They're real and living on a base near you.
You Know When the Men Are Gone
Siobhan Fallon
240 pages
Adult Fiction/Short stories
Amy Einhorn Books
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By: Amanda,
on 11/28/2010
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This was such a fun book to read and the perfect holiday gift to send literary friends. Not only will you learn all sorts of great info about classic women authors, but you'll also get more depth to the characters we all know and love. Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jo March, Scout Finch, and Jane Eyre are just a few of the strong female women that have impressed readers all over the world and as the author shows, their lessons can be deeper than just simple stories. Each chapter begins with a heading, named for the lesson that particular author and character stands for. There's "Happiness" for Anne Shirley and "Faith" for Janie Crawford in Their Eyes Were Watching God and ten others. And you'll get a look into author Erin Blakemore's own life journey.
The author uses the lessons that she personally learned from each woman and writes through them in a witty and thoughtful manner. We get insight into the authors' lives, while learning more about these special and unique characters. I loved the chapter about Francie Nolan and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and I think the chapter on Jane Eyre has finally convinced me to actually pick up the book!
Great for a stocking stuffer for your favorite literary junkie!
The Heroine's Bookshelf: Life Lessons, from Jane Austen to Laura Ingalls Wilder
Erin Blakemore
224 pages
Non-Fiction
Harper
9780061958762
October 2010
Review copy received from publisher
2 Comments on The Heroine's Bookshelf review, last added: 11/28/2010
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By: Amanda,
on 9/30/2010
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When an author combines love and animals in the same novel, I'm pretty much guaranteed to pick it up. But when there's love and animals AND one of my favorite bloggers raves about how much she loves the book, you know I'm going to be picking it up!
The proverbial rug has been pulled out from under Cami Anderson. Her husband up and leaves her one day, without warning, moving in with a woman much too close to their daughter's age, and refuses to try to work things out. Cami, a veterinarian, throws herself into her work and into the lives of her many friends, determined not to be broken by this man and to set a good example for her daughter, though she feels like doing just the opposite. What the reader witnesses is a transformation in Cami, in a beautiful horse, in a cat, and in a myriad of wonderful friends and family. Each character (and there are many) has a certain richness and love about them that makes you want to keep reading about their stories, even when they aren't shown in a particularly good light. You connect with Davy and David as they attempt to adopt their first child; with Tyler as he tries to move on from his breakup with Gabriella, while still working at Cami's clinic; and with Moonshot, a horse with an attitude, but a huge heart. You'll laugh with all of them and you'll be heartbroken as each moves through the hard parts of love. Love in its many wondrous and devastating forms.
Whether describing human emotion or animal emotion, Kittle will hit you hard with her beautiful writing and well-crafted storytelling. I was impressed with how well she was able to describe the connection between human and animal, and found myself in tears as I realized that I had...in print...just how my own animal saved me. Cami and Moonshot? They were myself and Shae not too long ago. I didn't suffer from a divorce, but the pain of devastation and the pure sadness that I felt were hauntingly similar. And though I thought those emotions were indescribable, Kittle indeed described them.
You will not want to put this book down until you finished it all and even then, you won't be able to stop think about Cami or any of the other characters. And then you'll want to run out and get this for all of your girlfriends, your mom, your sister. It's that good.
The Blessing of the Animals
Katrina Kittle
464 pages
Adult Fiction
Harper Perennial
978-0061906077
August 2010
Book borrowed from my local library
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By: Amanda,
on 9/21/2010
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Julia and Ruthie are typical sisters, growing up with parents that are still in love, in a beautiful home and ritzy Atlanta neighborhood. When a freak plane crash takes the lives of both their parents, the girls are obviously devastated, each beginning to deal with their grief in their own ways...some healthy, some not. When the girls are split up by decree of the will, Ruthie heading to San Franciso with a loving Aunt, and Julia to her biological dad's house in Virginia, their lives are completely overturned once again. Ruthie narrates the story and we're able to witness her progress through grief and her teen years while living in San Francisco. She worries about her sister (and rightly so), especially when Julia is finally able to come for a visit and ends up running away, drowning her sorrows in drugs and alcohol. These poor girls have a lot of craziness to deal with and neither is quite sure which way is right and which is wrong.
I had heard so much great buzz surrounding Susan Rebecca White's latest novel and had really high hopes that it would live up to the hype. After finishing it, I enjoyed the story, but didn't get a whole lot out of either Ruthie or Julia. No character connection. I felt so much of the story was spent on Ruthie and her feelings about just having lost her parents, being separated from Julia, and moving across the country, and then so little spent on Julia.
The time of loss and subsequent moves took up so much of the book that the part of the story that took place at college or after Julia's experience at rehab was super short and rushed. Overall though, it kept me entertained and I was able to enjoy the plot. Definitely lacking of a "wow factor" though.
A Soft Place to Land
Susan Rebecca White
352 pages
Adult Fiction
Touchstone Books
978-1416558699
April 2010
Book borrowed from my local library
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By: Amanda,
on 8/25/2010
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: adult reviews, Non-Fiction, Add a tag
If you know me (like, in person know me), you understand that I really do strive to live life somewhat simply and without a whole lot of stress/stuff/extras/etc...."strive" being the main word here. It never works out as planned, no matter how hard I try, and I just happen to be anxious/a worrier by nature and so my "no stress" life ends up leading to a lot more anxiety than possibly necessary for one person. However, that doesn't mean I stop seeking out inspiration as to how to live simpler in any book I can find!
Last year, I came across this book, that I just loved, and inspired me to take on gardening in my little backyard in the suburbs of a large city. What resulted this year was most definitely a learning experience and I'll be tweaking things (or completely changing them) next year. And now, I've found Made from Scratch by Jenna Woginrich, which just may have inspired me to take on a whole lot more...though I draw the line at chickens/rabbits. Woginrich is a Web designer by day, but by night she gives the homemade life a go. She orders chickens for her small (and rented) backyard, cultivates a garden, attempts beekeeping and making her own clothing, as well as stocking her house with recycled (a.k.a. antique) kitchen utensils. While we learn about her escapades, some successful, some not, we also get a basic overview as to how to go about taking these activities on ourselves.
Each chapter begins with Woginrich's personal experience with each homesteading task, from the horror of discovering half her new bees have flown away to learning dogs + baby chicks simply do not mix, and lots of other fun and exciting (and sometimes sad) tidbits. The next part of the chapter includes the guidelines for doing the same activity yourself. She went through the hard part, so we can take away the good stuff!
Also included are a few recipes, some patterns, and a lot of great resources for those looking to take that next step in homesteading. I don't plan to go nearly as far as this gal does, but her tips and encouragement are certainly inspirational.
I would really love to start making my own bread, though my experience with baking has been less than stellar to say the least, so that will take some work. I would also really like to spend more of my money locally, though I do frequent the farmer's market for my produce. Unfortunately, our budget has not allowed for buying local produce AND local meat/honey/jam/etc, so I've had to be choosy, but with the new job, I'm hoping to expand a bit on that.
This is a fun book to just explore for ideas or just for leisure reading. It's a really quick read...I made it through in less than 2 hours, and you'll learn a lot, laugh a lot, and come away with more inspiration than most books pack in 500 pages. And all from a woman MY age. Awesome!
6 Comments on Made from Scratch review (and a bit of rambling), last added: 8/27/2010
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By: Amanda,
on 8/10/2010
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: christian fiction, adult reviews, Add a tag
To start off this review, I must first admit something: Richard Paul Evans is typically not my cup of tea. He's written a lot of books, mainly Christian-based, and though I think I've tried them all (each one has at least sounded interesting), I've never finished one until now. I've found the writing to be overly sappy, more than a bit melancholy, and a little over-the-top on the preaching. And then I picked up The Walk and I absolutely fell in love with it. Surprise!
The journey from life being fabulous and dream-like, with a successful advertising business and a beautiful wife, to life becoming miserable after losing the business and his wife in one swoop was awfully short for main character, Alan Christoffersen. Feeling completely lost, alone, and heartbroken, he decides to take a walk to the one place he believes can bring him peace, Key West. And he's walking from Seattle.The beginning of Alan's journey is difficult and the reader will feel his sadness pouring out of him while he walks from one small town to the next. He meets remarkable characters along the way, each more rich and enjoyable than the previous. He camps out in the woods at night and walks the roads during the day, slowly beginning the ultimate healing process.
This is the first book in a planned series, so Alan doesn't make it very far on his walk across the United States, but I loved that about the book. He's taking his time, meeting people that God obviously means for him to meet along the way, and is doing a whole lot of self-reflection. It's not a heavy read by any means, nor is it "literary" in nature, but it was an great reading experience for me.
I think part of the reason I connected so well with Alan was the tragic beginning to his journey. Alan was confident in his life, with a thriving business and a great marriage and he completely took it for granted. Two years ago, I was in a very similar position, with a job I loved, an amazing husband, and baby that had just been born. I gave up that great job for my son, who passed away at 4 months old, lost my mom unexpectedly not even two months later, my grandfather four months after that, had two miscarriages, and the list went on. I took life for granted and then God threw the fragility of our lives in my face. And in a sense, I am glad He did...I learned so very much about myself and about how life should be lived.
I had to take my own figurative walk...and I'm still on it. I'm not sure where my career will lead me, whether babies are in my future, or if one day my husband is suddenly going to die too. But, I'm learning to take one day at a time, as Alan does in The Walk. I'm am anxious for book 2, out next year, and I encourage everyone to give this read a try. It may be a bit "inspirational" for some of you literary readers, but I really loved it.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5
The Walk
Richard Paul Evans
304 pages
Adult Fiction
Simon & Schuster
April 2010
Book borrowed from my local library
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3 Comments on The Walk review and self reflection, last added: 8/11/2010
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By: Amanda,
on 7/27/2010
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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I delight in getting my hands on a good memoir. One filled with honesty, great writing, and a look into a topic that interests me. In this case, having a baby. Carey Goldberg, Beth Jones, and Pamela Ferdinand had such a unique experience when it came to getting pregnant and having babies, they definitely deserved a book deal! What pours out of this book is love for children and friendship, and women being truly honest with themselves about what they want.
Carey is single and nearing 40, determined to have a baby, even if it means doing it all on her own. She orders 8 vials of sperm from a donation bank, set on being a single mom. Fast forward a few months and she's in love and pregnant...the natural way. She passes the sperm vials on to Beth, again single and nearing 40, wanting a baby more than anything. She ends up in love and pregnant...the natural way. And then comes Pam, next in line for the sperm. Same story, same outcome. Amazing right?Not only is the whole story just mind-boggling, it is so well-written that you will not want to put it down. Told in alternating chapters from each woman's perspective we get the good AND the bad, from miscarriages to babies with abnormalities to marriages and healthy births. As a woman having suffered from several of the issues discussed in these pages, I was touched when these women wrote things such as:
"That is what miscarriage does to you; a positive pregnancy test means nothing more than a promising start. It is better than nothing, but too far from a baby for real elation."
All of them get it. They get what it's like to try and try and try and have no results. They get what it's like to get so excited and hopeful and have it all come crashing down with a few drops of blood or a devastating ultrasound. For those of us that have suffered from either infertility or the inability to carry babies to term OR not being able to find love before the desire for children hits, this book will resonate loud and clear. You may not agree with some of the choices Carey, Beth, and Pam make throughout their journeys, but their honesty, determination, and understanding will make you keep turning the pages.
It's at times emotionally difficult to read and I found myself asking "why in the world won't these women just ADOPT already?!" They all had great jobs, steady income, and nice places to live and it sure as heck would have been a lot easier than this process! But that being said, they didn't want to adopt. They wanted their own babies and went about it their own way. Again, honest and incredibly personal.
Overall rating: 5 out of 5
Three Wishes: Our True Story of Good Friends, Bad Odds, Crushing Heartbreak, and One Little Thing That Inspired a Lot of Happiness
Carey Goldberg, Beth Jones, and Pamela Ferdinand
288 pages
Adult Non-Fiction
3 Comments on Three Wishes review, last added: 7/27/2010
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By: Amanda,
on 7/20/2010
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Non-Fiction, adult reviews, Add a tag
Call me what you will, but I am a huge Oprah Winfrey fan. I love her show (it gets DVRed every day...yeah, I'm one of those) and her magazine and when she endorses a book, I usually listen. In the case of Women, Food, and God by Geneen Roth, I not only listened, I wanted to know more and I truly wanted to see if the book would speak to me, as it did so many other women.
For most of my life, I've had issues with compulsive eating, Roth's main focus in the book. I eat when I'm bored, I eat when I'm lonely, and I love to "treat" myself with food after something bad has happened during the day or if things just aren't going my way. It's my reward, it's what my husband and I do for fun (finding new restaurants), and I enjoy it. But, it's also a problem. I'm not hugely overweight, but I could lose 20lbs and be healthier. I have a family history of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and early death and I don't want to follow that same path. I don't necessarily eat "junk", just the opposite actually, but I eat a lot. Geneen Roth to the rescue? Maybe.While reading the book, I definitely had light bulb moments. The author has been in the same situation and therefore, "gets it." She gives different ways in which to discover why we eat, when we eat, and how we eat and turn it around to actually enjoying our food, something we cannot possibly do while standing up/driving/shoveling it in our mouths as fast as possible/hiding. She tells us to learn how to listen to our bodies. When we're full, we're full. Just don't put the last bite in your mouth if you're body is telling you you're full. And most of all, she tells us NOT to diet.
Dieting is the quick fix and Roth explains that the fix will indeed work for a time. But, if you aren't tackling the issues as to why you eat the way you do, you'll just get fat again.
The writing flow is done very well, making it easy to read, and thought provoking. She tells it like it is and doesn't sugarcoat. Small stories, both personal from Roth and from members of her retreats are added for examples and motivating factors. We're given a section at the end on "Beginning Inquiry," which is a learned method of truly knowing yourself (one I probably won't participate in, but it may be helpful for some), as well as a list of eating guidelines. Those are going up on my fridge.
Oooh...I did want to make mention of the "God" portion of the title and text. Roth's "God" refers mainly to spirituality as a whole. This is not a guideline for how MY God tells us to live our lives. It's about connecting with ourselves spiritually to learn what's really going on and to fix that. Don't shy away because you don't believe in the Christian God (neither does Roth) and don't
2 Comments on Women, Food, and God review, last added: 7/20/2010
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By: Amanda,
on 7/15/2010
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Audiobooks, adult reviews, Audiosynced, Add a tag
It's been quite awhile since I've written one of these mini-review post. I've been on a lot of quick road trips these past few weeks, so I've worked my way through quite a few audiobooks. Bear with me as I play catch up.
Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, read by Grayce Wey
Awesome, awesome read! The author took her own experience of coming to a slum in NYC from Hong Kong at an early age and created Kimberly's own story. From working in a factory as a child to making her way into a prestigious private school and then falling in love with a factory boy, the reader truly becomes involved in the hardships of Kimberly, her mother, and the other characters of the story, as well as their triumphs. You will cheer for them and cry with them when things are really bad.Grayce Wey was the perfect reader for this story. Her slight accent gave an authenticity to the book that other readers could not possibly have achieved, making it more believable and realistic.
Overall rating: 5 out of 5
Girl in Translation
Jean Kwok
Audiobook
Penguin Audio
978-0142427996
April 2010
Borrowed from my local library
Every Last One by Anna Quindlen, read by Hope Davis
Well, this one was a bit of a surprise. Last minute trip to NY, meant last minute audiobook, so I had no idea what this one was about, though I've previously enjoyed books by Quindlen. It started out a little slowly, with main character Mary Beth describing her seemingly mundane life with a husband, a dog, and three teenaged children. And narrator Davis has a nice flow to her voice that gives a sense of calm and quiet to the story. For the first 1/4 of the story I was drawn in by the beautiful descriptions and simplistic story of a family doing rather typical things...summer camps, prom night, and a boyfriend break-up take up most of the pages. Then it got complicated and I was glued to my seat of the car. A horrific tragedy strikes Mary Beth's family (one I was totally not expecting, due to my lack of reading of the summary) and Quindlen gets character emotions SO well, that you'll be completely rocked.
A heartbreaking, yet incredibly well-written story. You won't be able to put it down.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5
Every Last One
Anna Quindlen
Audiobook
Simon & Schuster Audio
978-1442334007
April 2010
Borrowed from my local library
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
4 Comments on Mini Audiobook review, last added: 7/15/2010
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By: Amanda,
on 6/7/2010
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: adoption, adult reviews, Add a tag
Jacket description:
" 'In China there is a belief that people who are destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread. Who is at the end of your red thread?'
After losing her infant daughter in a freak accident, Maya Lange opens the Red Thread, an adoption agency that specializes in placing baby girls from China with American families. Maya finds some comfort in her work, until a group of six couples share their personal stories of their desire for a child; their painful and courageous journey towards adoption forces Maya to confront the lost daughter of her past. Brilliantly braiding together the stories of Chinese birth mothers who give up their daughters, Ann Hood writes a moving and beautifully told novel of fate and the red thread that binds these characters' lives."
Oooh boy, this one was an emotional doozy. I knew I would probably be needing a ridiculous amount of tissues and I was completely right. The adoption topic hits a bit close to home, as Aaron and I are attempting to decide if, when, and how to adopt a child or children, and as each woman told her own story as to why their family had chosen adoption, the connections were certainly made with my own story.
From infertility to frequent miscarriages, to a daughter with a genetic disorder, these women have a multitude of different reasons for deciding to adopt a baby girl from China, each just as heartbreaking and powerful as the last. Author, Ann Hood, makes these stories come alive and fills them with honest and beautiful characters, with hearts reaching out for these baby girls.
The most unique and eye-opening portion of this novel was the stories from the Chinese mothers that gave up (or forced to give up) their daughters. We never have the opportunity to hear the other side's story...how these baby girls end up in orphanages. And though this is definitely a fictional story, the chance to read about the Chinese side of things was amazing. Hood wove the stories of the Chinese women and the American women perfectly and left my heart hurting for both sides.
Through the entire book, we're given this inside glimpse into the world of contemporary adoption and the process through the eyes of those actually waiting for children and those having to give up their children, whether they wish to or not. If you've adopted, are looking to adopt, or just want a beautifully written story by a fantastic author, I highly recommend picking this one up. I read my copy from the library, but will be going out to buy my own this week.
Overall rating: 5 out of 5
If you read this and enjoy it, grab The Red Thread: An Adoption Fairy Tale by Grace Lin for your children. Another great one!
The Red Thread
Ann Hood
304 pages
Adult fiction
W.W. Norton & Company
9780393070200
May 2010
Book borrowed from my local library
To learn more or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon. I am an Associate and will receive a small percentage of the purchase price. Thanks!
By: Amanda,
on 5/22/2010
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: adult reviews, Non-Fiction, Add a tag
Jacket description:
"When Michelle meets Rich-like her, a closet writer with a fierce love of good books and good food-their single-mindedness at the table draws them together, and meals become a stage for their long courtship. Finally engaged, they move in together, but sitting down to dinner each night-while working at careers, trying to write, and falling intto the routines that come to define a home-soon feels like something far different.
As they save and plan for a wedding, the nightly compromises, small generosities, and stubborn stakings of ground that take place around the dinner table offer a context in which Michelle considers what she's learned form themarriages around her, and what she and Rich might create for themselves."
I was completely enchanted by Michelle Maisto's writing and her beautiful honesty when it came to food and love. I found myself constantly comparing my husband and I to she and Rich...we're so alike! Our husbands are both the picky ones in the relationship, we're the planners of the meals (if our husbands let us plan), and we feel this need to be great wives without compromising a bit of ourselves.
I must admit, I was more than a bit impressed with Maisto's knowledge of food and cooking, though she was just entering a marriage and hadn't had all that much experience. She knows a whole lot more than I do about different cooking methods, ingredients, and dishes in general, so my reading was a learning experience that made me salivate! I couldn't wait to see what they figured out to make for dinner each night and the recipes included were such a nice touch. Things that I've never made or thought to make, but written out in such an easy-to-make manner that I am definitely going to be trying some of them...namely the Apple Cake and the Artichoke Pie. Yum!
I felt included in the engagement and wedding planning, as Maisto's writing was friendly and inclusive. Really, I think we could be all be great friends, though I would most definitely leave the cooking up to them! Both she and Rich managed to plan full dinner parties in no time at all, while planning their wedding, working full-time jobs, and getting to know each others quirks.
I really enjoyed reading this one and couldn't wait to get back to it each time I had to put it down.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5
Great for any foodie!
The Gastronomy of Marriage: A Memoir of Food and Love
Michelle Maisto
256 pages
Adult Non-Fiction
Random House
9780812979190
September 2009
Book borrowed from my local library
By: Amanda,
on 5/9/2010
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: adult reviews, Susan Wilson, Add a tag
Jacket description:
"One note. Three words. And Adam March's well-ordered life, and well-laid plans, are shattered.
The very definition of a hard-nosed businessman, Adam March has no room in his life for anything but the cold drive to succeed. Not for his social-climbing wife for his rebellious teenage daughter. Then, in an instant, he loses everything. Due to an untimely collision of arrogance, stress, circumstance, and a momentary loss of self-control, Adam finds himself alone, unemployed, and reduced to bussing tables in a homeless shelter, serving men he'd always gone out of his way to avoid.
One instant of opportunity. Enough for one dog to find his freedom.
Chance was born in an inner-city cellar, a mix of pit bull and God-knows-what. Bred to fight, and damn good at it, he lived in a dank, dark, and vicious world-a world that "dog eat dog" doesn't begin to describe. Not that he wished for something better; that world was all he knew. But when the moment presented itself, Chance made the most of it in a new life on the street, for a little while.
Two lives. Two second chances. A twist of fate that brings two lost souls together."
Oh gosh, tear jerker! Anything with a sad, lost dog that finds hope in humans pulls at my dog-loving heart strings. And this really was a good story, even minus my bias regarding pit bulls.
The fact that both Adam and Chance had very similar stories, regardless of being human vs. dog was great. Both had to fight their way through life to become successful and both managed to lose it all. Author Wilson really got that connection to come across without seeming forced or contrite. The pacing was perfect and everything was believable.
Easy to read, light, but full of emotion, this is definitely one I would recommend to ALL adult readers. I really appreciated Wilson's honest portrayal of the pit bull breed and the stereotypes associated with them and I think the book will be an educational journey for those non-pit owners out there.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5
I do have to correct the author on one teensy thing....there is no such thing as an ugly pit bull ;)
One Good Dog
Susan Wilson
320 pages
Adult fiction
St. Martin's Press
9780312571252
March 2010
Book borrowed from my local library
To learn more or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon. I am an Associate and will receive a small percentage of the purchase price. Thanks!
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I enjoyed reading your review and your explanation of your choices. Hope things are going well!