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It’s A Mystery

I don’t read a lot of Mystery/Thrillers.  When I ask myself what I want to read, Mystery/Thrillers don’t come up.  However, after reading Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series and Tana French’s In the Woods (loved – review to post soon), I have been wondering why that is.  There is just something about a character who is embroiled in a situation in which they do not know all of the facts and are not in control.  Add an element of danger and you have an enjoyable, compelling read.  Especially since reading In the Woods, Mystery/Thrillers have quickly made their presence known in my reading process. Maybe asking myself what I want to or feel like reading is confining myself into a tighter box than I’d like.

Now that I have a better idea of why I do enjoy Mystery/Thrillers so much, I thought it might be a good idea to put into words why I read from my other “go to” genres:

Daydreaming about Beach Reading

My beach vacation is only 9 days away.  I’m dreaming about the sandy beaches, no work, 6 days and 5 nights of relaxation with my family, and more sandy beaches. I cannot wait.  As with all vacations, you must focus on preparation.  Luckily there’s one thing I love to do in preparation of vacation time – pondering which books to bring with me.  Here are some of the books I’m thinking about:

The House at Oyster Creek by Heidi Jon Schmidt

This Penguin paperback looks just like I hope to feel while I’m on vacation. Isn’t the cover so relaxing and inviting? Here’s the publisher’s synopsis:

Sensitive but practical, Charlotte Tradescome has come to accept the reticence of her older, work-obsessed husband Henry. Still, she hopes to create a life for their three-year-old daughter. So when Henry inherits a home on Cape Cod, she, Henry, and little Fiona move from their Manhattan apartment to this seaside community. Charlotte sells off part of Tradescome Point, inadvertently fueling the conflict between newcomers and locals. Many townspeople easily dismiss Charlotte as a “washashore.” A rare exception is Darryl Stead, an oyster farmer with modest dreams and an open heart, with whom Charlotte feels the connection she’s been missing. Ultimately he transforms the way she sees herself, the town, and the people she loves…

Mary Anne by Daphne du Maurier

I love reading about spunky women who aren’t afraid to defy convention.  If you mix that with a little scandal, more’s the better.  I couldn’t pass this book up when I saw this Sourcebooks reprint on the shelves.  Here’s a synopsis from Sourcebooks’ website:

She set men’s hearts on fire and scandalized a country.

Master storyteller Daphne du Maurier evokes the rise and fall of one of her most unforgettable characters.

An ambitious, stunning, and seductive young woman, Mary Anne finds the single most rewarding way to rise above her miserable cockney world: she will become the mistress to a royal duke. In doing so, she provokes a scandal that rocks Regency England. Mary Anne glitters with sex, scandal, corruption, and the privileged world of high society.

Based on the true story of one of du Maurier’s own distant relatives, Mary Anne’s love of money and the men who spend it embroil her in risks that threaten her very existence.

A Kind of Intimacy by Jenn Ashworth

It’s not that common for novels to be written about heavier women, at least not as the main character.  In this Europa novel, the main character isn’t just heavy – she’s morbidly obese.  That caught my attention right away.  Upon further research, she’s a little off kilter and may prove to be an unreliable narrator.  I just love that.  Ever since this book appeared in my mailbox, I’ve been intrigued.  Here is the synopsis from the publisher (quick word of warning – don’t read the Publishers Weekly write up – it gives away more of the plot than you might like):

Tracing the dark possibilities of best intentions gone awry, this darkly comic novel about a dysfunctional young woman’s life in the suburbs offers interesting psychological insights. Annie—morbidly obese and lonely—moves into a new home hoping for a clean slate but is convinced she has seen her next-door neighbor before. She embarks on a series of increasingly bizarre attempts to ingratiate herself with the boy next door, but wrong turns and snap judgments lead to a compelling and bloody climax.

Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan

I bought this book back in May having no idea whatsoever that it takes place in Michigan.  I bought it because it was published by Amy Einhorn.  I loved the idea of an imprint challenge.  Had I realized that it takes place in Ann Arbor, I would have already read it.  Fortunately, the review at Beth Fish Reads has put this on my beach reading shortlist.  Here’es the synopsis from the publisher (which will prove that I don’t do a whole lot of research before compulsive book buying – Michigan is mentioned in the first sentence…):

The man who calls himself David Loogan is hoping to escape a violent past by living a quiet, anonymous life in Ann Arbor, Michigan. But when he’s hired as an editor at a mystery magazine, he is drawn into an affair with the sleek blond wife of the publisher, Tom Kristoll-a man who soon turns up dead.

Elizabeth Waishkey is the most talented detective in the Ann Arbor Police Department, but even she doesn’t know if Loogan is a killer or an ally who might help her find the truth. As more deaths start mounting up-some of them echoing stories published in the magazine-it’s up to Elizabeth to solve both the murders and the mystery of Loogan himself.

Those are some of my front runners.  I’m sure that I’ll look at and think about others.  For now, these won’t weigh down my suitcase too much…

What kinds of books do you like to read on vacation?

Tales of a 5th Grade Readaholic

Every time I think about Louisa May Alcott and Little Women in particular I think about one of my most embarrassing school memories. So, while I was (finally!) working on my review of The Last Summer of Louisa May Alcott I thought I might as well write about this as well.  It was on my mind anyway. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has gotten in one kind of trouble or the other because of reading…

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The Christmas I was in the fifth grade, my parents gave me a set of Louisa May Alcott’s novels. To this day, it’s one of the most memorable gifts I ever received. They are certainly the most cherished and loved. I can’t remember if I’d read a graphical novel based on Little Women before receiving that set, but I had never read the novel itself. Over that Christmas vacation, I read it once and was about half way through it a second time when I went back to school.

I was so enthralled with Little Women that I didn’t want to stop reading it. My school teacher organized the fifth graders in such a way that we had two teachers to better prepare us for Junior High. My homeroom teacher, Mr. Jagger, was a strict, but good teacher. The second teacher, Mr. Elhart, who was just plain mean in my opinion (the man gave me a C- in penmanship the marking period that I had broken my right arm and had to write with my left).  Mr. Elhart taught penmanship, social studies, and one other subject. That first week back to school, I got the bright idea that my copy of Little Women would be hidden quite nicely behind my social studies book. That Friday, I brought Little Women with me to Mr. Elhart’s classroom. When we started reading from our social studies book, I set my plan in action. Boy, did I feel all sly and smart!

I wish I could remember where I was in the novel or how much I actually was able to read when that ruler came slamming down on my desk, but I will never forget the hot fear that ran from the top of my head and down my belly and back afterwards. Mr. Elhart took my book from me, giving me no indication that I would ever see it again. Had I wet myself I don’t think I could have been felt more humiliated and dejected. I could only pray that he didn’t call my parents. I would be dead for sure then.

That weekend I did nothing but worry about my book. On the bus ride home, I anticipated my parents waiting for me at the door. They seemed to be oblivious. Still, would they ask me where it was? Isn’t it funny you assume things that are significantly important to you to be on every one’s mind? What would I tell them if they did? I decided I would just tell them that I accidentally left it in my desk (sort of true…) Most importantly, what could I do to get it back? I prayed at Mass that Sunday like I’d never prayed before.

I’m not sure why the books aren’t in the picture, but there are some interesting early 80s tidbits – like the K-Tel record (behind the Ken doll), the Rubik’s Cube and the Underoos…

I decided that dressing up and apologizing would be my best bet. Even though I felt like a dork, I wore a skirt took special care with my hair that morning. I can’t say that impending labor made me more nervous than the thought of talking to Mr. Elhart that morning. I decided to get it over with. So, before heading to Mr. Jagger’s classroom, I stopped by Mr. Elhart’s. My cheeks were red hot as I walked up to him and my eyes started watering with tears before I even made it up to his desk. I told him how sorry I was and asked him very politely if I could have my book back. He got it off of his shelf and told me never to do that again.

Once I had the book in my sweaty, shaking hands and turned to leave the room, I was starting to feel pretty indignant. I spent that whole weekend in extreme anxiety, wore a freaking skirt to school, and all I got was a “Don’t do it again.” That was it? Seriously? Well, I’d learned my lesson anyway. I never tried to hide enjoyable reading materials behind text books ever again. I’m still pretty much a big readaholic, though. That will never change.

Tuesday’s Temptation ~ June 7

Despite how wonderful my current reads might be (or, this week, how incredibly disturbing), I really enjoy being able to look over my shelves and drool over the as-of-yet unread goodies. I don’t know about you, but I could spend a half hour or more just touching the spines and, because I have to double park my books for lack of space, pull out the first row so I can rediscover what’s behind them.  Granted, this is most likely to occur when I’m procrastinating getting the laundry started or doing the dishes, but I would enjoy it just as much if I planned to do it.  So, why not plan on deliberately combing my shelves?  Going forward, I’m going to take a look at my (horrifically gigantic) TBR pile and highlight a book that I’d really like to pick up right now if it weren’t for …  Sigh.  Here you’ll find the who, what, why, when, and where of one of my greatest literary temptations of the week.

Here it is almost Wednesday again…  Tuesdays have a way of sneaking up on me.  One of my goals for Blogiesta this weekend is to get some of these posts written and scheduled.

Now let’s hit the June 7th edition of Tuesday’s Temptations!

Who?

Jennifer Rosner is the mother of two daughters.  It isn’t until they are born deaf that she learns of a family history of deafness in her family.  She has written several articles addressing her experiences as the mother of special needs children.  This week’s Tuesday’s Temptation is a memoir Rosner has written about her experiences.  She has a beautiful website dedicated to her writing and her memoir.  It doesn’t provide much information about her, but you pick up on her personality reading her articles.  One of her daughters has a cochlear implant and I enjoyed the article she wrote about Juliet’s ability to turn her hearing on and off at will (I must admit that I wish I had that ability myself sometimes).

What?

Why?

I don’t read a great deal of non-fiction.  When I do, I typically choose memoirs.  This memoir appeals to me on two main levels – as a mother of daughters and as someone interested in family history.  There are so many things about our ancestral history that we wouldn’t even think about if it weren’t for something like what happened in her family.

I’m far from being a genealogist, but I love to learn more about where my family comes from.  Just today I learned that a song I really like from my childhood, Golden Earring, is from the Netherlands.  Danny made an off the cuff comment about the shock of learning there is a Dutch person who can sing (he’s personally never met one – my family is renown for its lack of musical talent).  This egged me on to prove him wrong.  Let’s just say that my attempts to prove him wrong seem to do just the opposite.  I hope that this doesn’t sound like I’m making light of the author’s story.  I’m not.  It’s simply interesting how traits you think specific to your family are actually traits of your larger ethnic family.

Even though the cover has fall colored leaves on them, for some reason it is sticking out to me today because the girls are about finished with school for the year and are very excited for their summer vacation to start.  Honestly, I can’t explain how those two things come together in my mind.  They just did.  Who am I to judge. LOL!

Here is the description from the pubisher:

Jennifer Rosner’s revelatory memoir explores family, silence, and what it means to be heard. When her daughters are born deaf, Rosner is stunned. Then, she discovers a hidden history of deafness in her family, going back generations to the Jewish enclaves of Eastern Europe. Traveling back in time, she imagines her silent relatives, who showed surprising creativity in dealing with a world that preferred to ignore them.

Rosner shares her journey into the modern world of deafness, and the controversial decisions she and her husband have made about hearing aids, cochlear implants and sign language. An imaginative odyssey, punctuated by memories of going unheard, Rosner’s story of her daughters’ deafness is at heart a story of whether she – a mother with perfect hearing – will hear her children.

If a Tree Falls is a poignant meditation on life’s most unpredictable moments, as well as the delights and triumphs hidden within them.

When?

Anjali from Feminist Press who contacted me about If a Tree Falls: A Family’s Quest to Hear and Be Heard in March.  I let this pitch sit for a while because I was really starting to feel overwhelmed with review copies at that time.  When I kept thinking about the pitch, I had to say yes.

Where?

If a Tree Falls is sitting on the “on deck” shelf I created just before my post from last week.  Remarkably, that shelf is still arranged in order by size with tallest books on the left and shorter books on the right.  Rosner’s memoir is the third book from the right, sandwiched between The Happy Hooker* and The Great Lover.

What kind of non-fiction tempts you?

*That’s a crochet book, people!  What kind of a reader do you think I am?  Well, I also just realized this morning after reading Meghan’s review of Foreign Tongue that erotica in literature doesn’t phase me any more than cussing does.  Maybe it’s best that you don’t answer that question.

I’d Rather Be Reading, Wouldn’t I?

“That’s it! I’m shutting down this computer so I can get back to my reading.”

“I need to work on this review! Why can’t I pry myself away from the Web?”

How may times have you had these or similar thoughts? How many times more have others around you expressed these types of thoughts on Twitter, Facebook, nings, forums, chats? When did you lose count? Six months ago? Last year? 2007?

We’ve all joked about it from time to time, but the Wall Street Journal published an article today written by Nicholas Carr that questions whether the Internet is actually making us dumber by providing easy access to endless distractions. As it turns out, our use of the Internet may have a strong negative impact on our ability to concentrate.

The picture emerging from the research is deeply troubling, at least to anyone who values the depth, rather than just the velocity, of human thought. People who read text studded with links, the studies show, comprehend less than those who read traditional linear text. People who watch busy multimedia presentations remember less than those who take in information in a more sedate and focused manner. People who are continually distracted by emails, alerts and other messages understand less than those who are able to concentrate. And people who juggle many tasks are less creative and less productive than those who do one thing at a time.

Studies are showing that the more time we spend on our computers or on our cell phones, we become increasingly prone to distraction. We have less patience with our children. We spend less and less time in direct communication with those around us. We retain less of what we learn and, as Carr claims, we’re sacrificing “our capacity to engage in quieter, attentive modes of thought that underpin contemplation, reflection and introspection.”

What makes this potentially devastating for those of us who love to read is the connection that is made to reading toward the end of the article.  As avid readers, we have spent a lifetime cultivating a level of concentration and control over distractions.

Reading a long sequence of pages helps us develop a rare kind of mental discipline. The innate bias of the human brain, after all, is to be distracted. Our predisposition is to be aware of as much of what’s going on around us as possible. Our fast-paced, reflexive shifts in focus were once crucial to our survival. They reduced the odds that a predator would take us by surprise or that we’d overlook a nearby source of food.

To read a book is to practice an unnatural process of thought. It requires us to place ourselves at what T. S. Eliot, in his poem “Four Quartets,” called “the still point of the turning world.” We have to forge or strengthen the neural links needed to counter our instinctive distractedness, thereby gaining greater control over our attention and our mind.

I love to read and, to enhance my experiences, I enjoy literary (or not so literary) discussions with other people who share my same interests.   If what is being said in Carr’s article is true – that time spent flitting from one site to the other can degrade our overall ability to concentrate and retain valuable information – could actively participating in a web-based community revolving around reading actually be counterproductive?  Are our close ties with technology chipping away at one of the most precious gifts we’ve ever received?

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I don’t doubt for a second that distraction is a default human state.  Lord knows I don’t need the Internet or my cell phone to keep me from things I need or want to do.  Keep in mind that television was the demonized concentration killer when I was growing up.  TV has seen it’s better days. With Roku, Hulu, and Netflix on demand, who really needs it?  Still, even without TV I can scrapbook, cross stitch, quilt, stamp, or crochet.  With the exception of TV though, these other distractions are at least a creative outlet.  With the exception of blogging, I cannot say the same for my time spent online.  Does that mean I’m dumbing myself down when I chill out surfing?

Having the ready access to any kind of information I need online when writing my blog posts is huge.  I just yesterday finished the audiobook of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.  Listening to it being read freed me from the frustration of figuring out how to pronounce Swedish names and places.  It also left me without a visual memory of how those words are spelled.  You can be certain that when the time comes for me to write that review, Wikipedia and other reviews and resources using those words will not be far away.  This easy access is also a double-edged sword.

I challenged myself to stay on task given the nature of this post.  I found that I have reflexively checked my Twitter tab to see if any one’s tagged me, refreshed Facebook several times, and continuously checked my email.  How much is this different than when I was in college?  Not necessarily that much.  I never worked on a paper until the night before it was due.  As with most of my reviews and other posts, I formed my arguments and points in my head in the weeks, days, and hours leading up to my inevitable all-nighter.  I have found that I write more fluidly and passionately under the gun.  If the Interest existed for me in the early 90s, the only thing that would have changed would have been my means of procrastination.

One could read Carr’s article and become concerned about our collective future.  It was my gut reaction.  The more I thought about it and compared it to other aspects of my life, the less worried I became.  I don’t think that we as a race will be dumber as a result of the ever increasing pace of technology.  I truly believe that our society will evolve to accommodate these types of changes as they come along.  Does that mean we shouldn’t pay attention? Of course not.  While spending time online talking about books may seem at odds with the type of concentration needed to read, here is what is not captured in that article today – buzz.  Just as we cannot calculate the number of times we’ve all lamented about spending too much time online, I would argue that providing others the spark to read one book, many books or simply to read at all is an immeasurable and priceless good.

Carr’s article is interesting and it reminded me how easily the concept of moderation can be shoved to the back of the closet.  It’s important to pay attention to one’s life.  After all, wouldn’t I rather spend the time I lose to surfing curled up with a book?

April, The Month of ROOB

Earlier this month or late last month, I was fortunate to be on Twitter at just the  right time to insinuate myself in a conversation about a really fun challenge that was being figured out: ROOB, or Reading Our Own Books.  I was so happy to  have been at the right place at the right time for this.

What is so fun and so timely about this challenge is that the goal is to read as many of your own books that have been sitting on your shelf as possible.  Although review and library copies count, you get the most credit for reading books that you own, so long as they’ve been in your possession before March 15th.  What a great way to force some deliberate reading!

Scoring the Game

Here is the points/penalty break down for ROOB:

• ?5 points for reading a book from your TBR stack (owned before 3/15)
• ?3 points for reading a review copy (review promised in April)
• ?2 points for reading a library copy
• +6 points for reading a new book (owned or borrowed after 3/15)

We count books started no earlier than April 1 and finished no later than April 30. Books started in March but finished in April and books started in April but finished in May do not count for the ROOB game.

At the end of the month we add up our points. The ROOB winner is the person with the lowest score. If I read 5 books from my TBR stack, 3 review copies, and 1 new book, here’s how I’d figure my score:

(5 × ?5) + (3 × ?3) + (1 × 6) = ?25 + ?9 + 6 = ?28

In order to level the playing field so that reading speed and book size isn’t a factor in who wins, we’re going to divide our final points by the number of books read.

So for our example, my final score would be ?28 ÷ 9 = ?3.11

The best strategy for winning is to read books you’ve owned for a while and that are not specifically for an April review or blog tour. There is a big penalty for reading new books.  I’m not in this to win it, per se.  I am more interested in challenging myself to power through my TBR and enjoy my reading.  No matter what, reading books “older” than a month old for an entire month will be a victory for me.

The ROOB Contestants

• Vasilly (Natasha) from 1330v
• Carrie from Books and Movies
• Beth from Beth Fish Reads
• Sarah from Puss Reboots
• Michelle from GalleySmith
• Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader

Honorary member: Jen from Devourer of Books

The ROOB Champion

The winner is the person with the lowest score at the end of the month. Highly coveted bragging rights go to the ROOB champion – until we play again (and I hope this continues). Each of the losers will each pick a book from her stacks and send it the winner. In that way, the losers give the winner a (back-handed) pat on the back for a job well done by filling up their TBR. LOL!

Interested In Playing?

In order to keep things simple, we decided to keep our group to 8 people.  If you would like to play along with us on your own, please do!  I’d love to hear how your challenge goes.  You can also start your own group.  No matter what, have fun with your reading in April!

Has Anne Taintor Read Revolutionary Road?

For the past couple of years, I’ve bought the Anne Taintor calendar for my cube at work.  I love her take on vintage pictures from the 1940s and 50s. It’s a great conversation piece, especially with my Indian co-workers.  This month features the one of my favorites, “if by ‘happy’ you mean trapped with no means of escape…? …then yes, I’m happy”  It made me laugh out loud when I flipped over to March.  It has proved to be so appropriate, especially this week.

On Monday night I began reading Richard Yates’ beautiful novel, Revolutionary Road.  I don’t want to say too terribly much here because I’ll be discussing it with Nicole from Linus’ Blanket when I make my appearance on That’s How I Blog on March 30th.  I was about 2/3 of the way through the novel when I got into work yesterday and every time I looked at my calendar I thought about Frank and April Wheeler.  Even their neighbor Millie came to mind.  It made me wonder if Anne Taintor has read Revolutionary Road and was thinking of April or Millie when she created this.  I don’t know that Millie’s capable of such self-aware thoughts, but I could easily hear April say something exactly like that in the heat of an argument.

It’s interesting how different artistic mediums can blend together under the right circumstances.  That woman on the calendar has replaced Kate Winslet as my mind’s picture of April.  Is this what Frank was seeing at the breakfast table?  Also, after finishing Revolutionary Road, I don’t find this month’s calendar quite as “ha-ha” funny as I did at the beginning of the month.  It’s just a tad too close for comfort to lose myself entirely in its delightful snarkiness.

Have you ever had something in your environment that is otherwise unrelated stand out to you all of the sudden because of something you’ve been reading?  I’d love to hear about it.

Ready, Set, March!

I passed by my nightstand this morning and fully took in the stack of books there waiting for me.  The other day I kind of stacked up what’s to come and seeing it this morning made me want to write a post about them.  I did a little research (because I’m meme challenged) and discovered that the What’s on Your Nightstand meme hosted by 5 Minutes for Books is a fourth Tuesday challenge.  If I didn’t write this post today, I’d never write it.  I’m that kind of a blogger.  So, I’ve decided to go it alone and ramble on about what’s on my nightstand/a look ahead at the month of March.

March is going to be a busy month for me.  I agreed to participate in four book tours.  Now, before you ask me if I did that deliberately, I did.  I hemmed and I hawed.  I thought and I considered.  In the end, I agreed.  Two were books I already had, but two were new to me.  Not too bad.  I will also make my appearance on That’s How I Blog.  I cannot wait!  Mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 30th at 9pm.

March that Has Already Been

My first March tour stop has already taken place.  I reviewed The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran last Thursday.  I read this book in February and really enjoyed it.  If you haven’t already, check it out. There’s a giveaway!

The second book, Raven Stole the Moon by Garth Stein, is finished and I even have the shell of the review written.  I was offered this book by Terra Communications somewhat at the last minute and nearly immediately said yes.  I’m glad I did. It was very interesting and reminded me a lot of the X Files – not because of the characters, but because of the subject matter.  After finishing it, I really like the cover.  It matches the tone of the book, even it if doesn’t betray the stories more bizarre and suspenseful aspects.  There will be a giveaway for this book, so if you’re interested, keep a close eye here next week.

Present Day March

I am currently reading Real Life & Liars by Kristina Riggle.

• What’s cool about this book is that the author is from Grand Rapids, Michigan, my home town.  If that isn’t enough, I received a signed copy of this book for my birthday from Trista, my best friend, who just so happens to be friends with Kristina.  In the world of Kevin Bacon, I’m only one degree removed from her. LOL!
• Kristina was in the 2009 class of  The Debutante Ball, so reading this book would qualify for The Debutante Ball Reading Challenge.  I’m not an active participant in this challenge, but it’s oh, so tempting.  If there is anywhere in my life where I’m exercising some restraint, it’s in signing up for challenges.  There’s no harm in pointing out when something you’re reading intersects with a challenge you support, right?  If you enjoy reading first time authors, you should really check out Jen (Devourer of Books) and Swapna’s (S. Krishna’s Books) challenge.
• When I finish this book, I will also – FINALLY – be able to participate in GalleySmith’s Literary Road Trip.  I’ll do a little write up about Grand Rapids as well. I’m excited to share a little bit about where I came from here.  I love my hometown and my home state.

The March to Come

Here’s where we get to what is waiting in the wings.  Hold on to your seats everyone.  This is quite ambitious for me:

1. Venetia Kelley’s Traveling Show by Frank Delaney. I have wanted to read him for forever, so I really couldn’t turn down the opportunity.  Back in my high school/college days, I was what some might consider obsessed with Ireland and many things Irish.  U2 was constantly playing, pictures of Bono everwhere.  I was reading and becoming consumed with James Joyce and George Bernard Shaw.  As a lover of historical fiction, I’m not sure what has taken me so long to get to Delaney.  March, the home of St. Patrick’s Day, is a wonderful month to rectify that.  My tour date is May 16th, so be sure to stop before you hit the green beer.
2. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates.  I’m reading this in preparation for my appearance on Nicole from Linus’ Blanket‘s That’s How I Blog show on March 30th!  So exciting!  If you haven’t had a change to listen in and chat during in Nicole’s show, you really should.  Another reason why I’m excited about this is because Revolutionary Road is my oldest requested book at just over a year on my shelves. Disgraceful!
3. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann.  This is another book I purchased with Christmas money.  Even though I’ve linked up with TLC Book Tours for this book in May, I am reading it early so I can put together some questions for a Q&A with Colum.  I’m hoping that all works out well.  I’ve been really bad about getting around to Q&As over the past year.
4. Seeing Stars by Diane Hammond.  I received an unsolicited ARC of this novel from HarperCollins.  Then I remembered that TLC was hosting Diane’s tour, so I signed up.  This is about a mother/daughter move to Hollywood to pursue the daughter’s acting career.  It should be a fun diversion from winter.  Check back here on March 31st for my tour stop.
5. The Song of Hannah by Eva Etzioni-Halevy.  I’ve had this review copy for nearly as long as Revolutionary Road.  It will be the first book I read for Beth Fish Reads’ What’s in a Name 3 challenge.
6. Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff.  I was pitched this book on the strength of the reviews it has already received from some of my favorite bloggers, including our very own Amy from My Friend Amy.  How could I pass that up?  Who isn’t in the mood for a little romance every now and again?
7. Arcadia Falls by Carol Goodman.  I requested an ARC of this novel through Shelf Awareness – a dangerous practice that I’ve stopped. LOL!  This should be a pretty suspenseful read and I like those every so often.
8. The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O’Connor McNees.  Can I tell you how excited I am to read this book?  I grew up loving Louisa May Alcott.  When I was in the 5th grade, my parents gave me a collection of her novels for Christmas and to this day they are among my prized possessions, even though that copy of Little Women is so warn and abused.  When I read about this book and Trish from Hey Lady, Watcha Readin’ posted about an online bookclub in April, I commented right away.  I’m so glad that I made the cut.  We’ll be dishing about this book on Trish’s blog the evening of April 14th.  It should be a great time!
9. Outsider in Amsterdam by Janwillem van de Wetering.  I am reading this novel for Jen’s (Jen’s Book Thoughts) Detectives Around the World theme week, which is April 11 – 17.  I don’t read a lot of mysteries, but I loved the opportunity to choose a detective from the land of “my people” – the Dutch. LOL!  That week I’ll be posting my review of this novel as well as a post about Amsterdam.  I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.  Jen has put so much work into this event.  There are 20 other bloggers who will be participating.  It’s amazing!  If you haven’t already, you should stop by and vote for your favorite detectives in March Madness format.

That about raps it up for me.  Ten books is probably a good week for some, but it’s quite possibly more than I’ve read in a month ever.  No pressure if I don’t get to the last three this month, but I would love to get those in.

I hope that you have a lot of fun bookish plans in place this month, too.

Snow Day!

Today much of Virginia is getting socked with what is for us our third snow storm this winter.  The first storm hit about a week before Christmas and the second one hit last Saturday. Last week’s storm kept the girls out of school until yesterday. Today is a snow day for all of us since my work is closed as well.  I do have a few meetings with vendors throughout the day, but I’ll be sure to sprinkle some fun throughout the day.  I’m sure by Sunday I’ll be climbing the walls wanting to get out of the house, but for today I’m just going to enjoy this.

Here’s what we have on tap:

1) The girls both have their 100 day school project to do.

2) Allison needs to decorate her Valentine’s box for school.

3) Junie B. Jones!

4) Playing in the snow followed by hot chocolate!

5) Shoveling – a great way to get some exercise.

6) Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls.  I’m about 70 pages in and enjoying it.  It’s a novelization of her grandmother’s life told in little episodes. Later today I’m hoping we can stoke up the gas logs.  Reading by a fire is relaxing, don’t you think?

What do you have planned for today?

Where Has This Book Been My Whole Life?

It’s crystal clear that my recent reading blahs are a thing of the past.  Despite knowing that A Reliable Wife was only published last March, I feel like so much time was wasted before I read it.  Hadn’t I read review, after review, after review, after review, after review?  I may have only myself to blame, but I feel like it’s one of those books that has been written just for me.  Have you ever felt that way?

I started A Reliable Wife on Saturday night.  Just before bed, I read the first chapter.  Hadn’t had to get to sleep in order to keep my points for Game On Diet, I would have read more.  Yesterday, I could not stand to put the book down.  This book is dark, mysterious, sexual, and thoughtful.  Today I was reading it in bits and snatches at traffic lights (a bad habit I try my best to fight), on the elevator between the 1st and 2nd floors at work, and any other spare moment I wasn’t working.  I cannot get enough of it.  I can tell right now by the way I’m getting distracted from writing this post to read one page more that I will be finishing this novel before I go to sleep tonight.

As I’m lousy at marking down passages I love to share with you in my reviews, I used a receipt to mark page 191, the page containing the paragraph that I got so engrossed in that my fellow traveler had to beep his horn at me.  Mea maxima culpa, sir.  I have a feeling you might have needed a little prompting yourself if you had a copy of this book in your car, too:

He had meant to be so many things.  He had meant to be a poet.  He had meant to be a lover and collector of art, to encourage young artists and have them gather around him.  He meant to live his life in an orgy of sensation, according to the sensual rules of attraction and seduction.  He had meant to be a father, to have children to inherit his love of the arts and the flesh.  Instead, he had lost his heart’s deepest passions; one day he woke up and realized they were gone, amputated as surely as an arm, cut off by the death of his little girl and the infidelities of his wife, the intractable rage he felt toward his bastard child.  His affections and obsessions had been replaced by clean shirts and half-slept in sheets and polished boots and clear soups.  The world of the body and its pleasures had closed over, as a scab closes over a wound.

The only downer about this reading experience is that I will be so close, but ultimately too far away to attend Robert Goolrick’s book signing at Fountain Bookstore in Richmond on February 11th.  I will, however, be taking part in the bookstore’s Twitter book club on Monday, February 1st at 6pm EST.  Thankfully a good buddy of mine has offered to get the book signed for me.  I’ll be pouncing on the book as soon as it gets back.

So there  you have it.  I have actually torn myself away from this book long enough to tell you to run, not walk, to the library or bookstore and pick this book up.  If you have a Kindle or Nook, it’s even easier.  You won’t regret it and I can’t thank Brittany from Algonquin Books enough for sending me a review copy.

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