May/June's book club selection

Sarah's Key was our latest book club selection. It was about a young, Jewish girl in Paris, France and how the round-up and exportation of French Jews effected her life. It was a good book and definitely pulled you in. At times it was a difficult read because of being a mother to young children (and an increase in hormone levels due to baby girl). I found that I could not read the book before bed because the subject matter made it into my dreams and kept me more awake than I wanted. I would recommend this book for a read whether it is for yourself or a book club. I look forward to our meeting and picking our next selection.

Book Club

So I guess Mandy and I are going to start reading the same books....our own little book club. I will still go to the other one for fun, but not read the books. They are almost finished with the Pat Conroy's anyways. We are going to start with The Time Traveler's Wife. If you have read it, let me know your thoughts, but don't give away the story. I am starting it tomorrow.

My own book club?

I joined a friend's book club this past fall and really have not read the books. The club decided they would read all of the Pat Conroy books. For those that don't know him, he wrote The Prince of Tides. And that was the reason why I wanted to join....to read that book. I found out that I am not a fan of his writing style, but I did enjoy The Prince of Tides. So, I am trying to find books on my own to read. I have heard alot about The Help. My friend, Mandy, read the book and raved about it. So I gave it a shot and LOVED it too. I thought is was a great book, one worth reading. Now I am onto Nicholas Sparks' Dear John. So far, it is enjoyable and an easy read. I know that I will not be seeing the movie anytime soon, so reading it is good enough.

Prior to these two books, I read The Vampire Dairies. It was NOTHING like the Twilight Saga and I was not too pleased with the books. I have begun watching the series on the CW and really like them, but boy did they "adapt" the story....and I have to say I am glad they did. I like the show soooooo much more than the book. I don't think I will finish out the rest of the book series.

So, if you have any good reads to suggest for my book club, please let me know. And, if you want to join my book club, you are always welcome.

Suggestions....anyone

I am in desperate need of a new book and just can't seem to find something that holds my interest. I know many of you bloggers and friends out there are avid book lovers....like me....so please suggest something I would love. Oh, and include a little description about the book if possible. I read just about anything. It just has to grab me from the beginning. Looking forward to what you suggest.

The Other Boleyn Girl

I have just finished The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. I decided to read the book and then see the movie. I have found that if I do not read the book first, I probably will never read it. I was a bit nervous about the length of the book....it is close to 700 pages and has fine print. I set a date to finish the book by mid-April. Sara is coming to visit and we are going to see the movie. But, once I got into the book I could not put it down. I have never read historical fiction and I really liked this book. I am debating on trying another one of her novels. But I would suggest this book to anyone considering it.

Praise for A Thousand Splendid Suns

I finished A Thousand Splendid Suns last night and LOVED every page of it. The book was very different than The Kite Runner. Both books are set in Afghanistan, but are very different. A Thousand Splendid Suns explores the relationship of two women. Most of the book, over half...close to two-thirds, is the back story of the two women when they are living their separate lives. It is when the two women come together that the book begins to soar and you CAN NOT put it down. Every page makes you want to read deeper and deeper into the story. I felt some much more for this story and the characters then in The Kite Runner, which I really liked, too. I don't know if I like this book more because it was about women and you were able to see Afghanistan and the culture through the female perspective. I am going to think that may be it. Whatever it is....it is definitely worth the read. Maybe even a second read!

Christmas break reading

Over the Christmas holiday I read and read and read till I was so sick of books I had to take a break. It was wonderful relaxing at night, not even wanting to flip through the TV channels. I guess this is one good thing about the writers strike.....I am reading more books, and at a faster pace! Gotta love it.

So, I have heard so much from some of the book club ladies about a few books that I decided to give them a chance myself. Our book club decided to take a break over the holidays, and well, I think we are still breaking because nobody has mentioned picking a selection for January. May have to send out an email about that....reminder...remember to do that. Again, another aside that I always seem to put in my blogs. Back to my books. I read Something Borrowed and Something Blue by Emily Giffin. I really liked the books. They were quick reads....easy fluff. Maybe that is why I was able to read them during my visit, amongst the chaos and family visits. I liked how the characters in the two books were intertwined. I am not sure which of the two books I liked more....they were about the same. Just some good ole fluff! And, sometimes that is the best kind of reading ya need! Consider reading them if you have some time. Now I am reading A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. So far the book has been REALLY good. A different read than The Kite Runner, but just as enjoyable. I'll let you know how the rest of it goes.

My Sister's Keeper, November's book club selection

I have finished our selection for this month's book club, My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult.

Some thoughts about the book:
I thought it was good. It did hold your interest and attention. I did not think it was a fast read, one that I did not want to put down and just HAD to finish. The premise of the book was a tough one for me....having a child to be a donor for a terminally ill child...and then continuing to have the well child serve as a donor for the ill sibling. I had a hard time relating to the mother in the story and her decisions throughout the book. I felt more of a connection to the father. He seemed to be going through life just trying to get through it and not piss off his wife. The same goes for 2 of her 3 children in the story. I am sure that this book is close to nonfiction for some families, but I am glad that it is pure fiction in my life and family. I am ready for a new selection....one with an easier subject....maybe some fluff.

October's book club selection

We selected our book for October - Eat, Pray, Love. What can I say about this book......I LOVED IT! Now, I have to be honest and say I have not completely finished it.....I didn't go to book club this month because of company.....so I did not feel the pressure to finish the book for the meeting.

Back to the book......I am always putting in asides and I don't mean to, they just happen.....anyways, back to the book. I loved it. I thought that Ms. Gilbert has wonderfully honest in her quest for self-acceptance, self-respect and self-love. It was easy to relate to her struggles....though we are in very different roles and phases of our lives.....but her struggles and how she wrote about them made it easy for me to connect. She so easily conveyed angst, frustration, worry, obsession, fear, longing, acceptance and so many more human....and really womanly.....experiences and feelings. I wanted her to find happiness and all that life had to offer....I hope she does (remember, I still haven't finished the book). And, I give her many, many, many kudos for having the guts to write about her personal life at one of the most painful and gut wrenching times.....and then to have it published for all those to read....those that have been hurt in the process of her divorce. I admire her for putting it all out there....for others to read....and then comment on. It is a great book and one I recommend to anyone on a quest for self.

Now THIS IS a book!!!!!!!

For September, we have decided to read the The Kite Runner by Kaled Hosseini. Actually, we drew this book for the August selection, but due to timing (school, deployments, etc), the group decided some fluff was necessary. So, for the August selection we read The Nanny Diaries. You can read my comments on that book in an earlier post. We then agreed to read this book for the next month.

Anyway, back to September's book.....it was amazing. This is the kind of book I was hoping we would read. It captures you from the very beginning. The writing is crisp and simple, yet vivid and full of emotion and feeling. You connect to every character and want only the best for them. It is a book that keeps you up late into the night, yet you know that you will not be able to finish it. I would not be surprised if it becomes a movie in 5 to 10 years. There is something to offer everyone in this story. The backcover blurbs do not do it justice! What do I mean by that? Before we started the bookclub, I read about this book online....mainly the reviews and thought "Nay, that does not sound like a book I would like." Boy was I wrong....so so so wrong! It is a story of loyalty, true love and acceptance, integrity, self-conviction, and enduring friendship. I can only imagine how this story reads to those who have actually been to Afghanistan, those who have walked the streets of Kabul. I hope that if you are considering this book you will go ahead and give it a try. It is worth your time! I can't talk too much about it because several of the ladies have not read the book....a few of them have my blog address and I really do not want to spoil it! Enjoy!

Thoughts on The Nanny Diaries

I finished the second book selection for our Camp Rudderville Book Club, The Nanny Diaries. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I read this book about 6 years ago. I did not care for it the first time. I thought the main character, Nanny, was a bit annoying.....complaining a bit. The little boy, Grayer, got on my ever-lovin' nerves and his parents, well....if you ever read the book you would know. It was a quick read, but a read that I felt like I forced myself to finish.

Skip ahead 6 years and here I am re-reading the book for our book club. And I must say that I did enjoy it much more the second time. I had a better connection and more understanding for Nanny. I think that is because I am a mother now and I know how difficult it is to raise children. Now raising other people's children, I can not even imagine how difficult that would be. Mine are hard enough... and I'm their MOTHER! Anyway, back to the book, I did like the little boy this time too. He was sweet, lovable, and all-boy. There were many times that I thought of my sweet William and had to go give him kisses. Many parts of the books made me sad because of the lack of parental involvement, particularly on the father's part. I found myself getting choked up. The character of the mother....well, there is not much to say about her.....she is a transplanted Bocahontas.....living in New York City. I know too many women like her in South Florida, spent too much time with them while living there and care to not spend any more on them.

I am looking forward to this month's meeting...........WE ARE GOING TO THE MOVIES!!!!!!!! I have not been to a movie in a REALLY, REALLY LONG TIME! I am hoping that the ending is changed a bit though. That tends to happen in movies based off of books. The book ending bothered me a bit.....I wanted more from Nanny. I wanted her to confront Mrs. X....really let her have it. I am hoping that happens in the movie, and from the trailers it looks like it might go that way......we'll see! Let's hear it for all those smart-mouthed, opinionated girls......YOU ROCK!

OK, scrap that....

We were going to read The Kite Runner this month for our Camp Rudderville Book Club. But after reading Gilead all of us needed some fluff.....I mean come on people. Gilead was beautiful and simple in its idea and some of the writing, but it was downright boring, hard to get into, and very difficult to relate to! I am one that NEEDS to be drawn in IMMEDIATELY in order to finish. This DID NOT happen with Gilead. I am sure that the fact I was on major pain medication during the time when I was supposed to read this book didn't really help matters, but hey, the book sucked! So back to the reason for this post..... we all decided that fluff was necessary....and then we picked The Kite Runner?!?!? Huh?!?!? So, our neighbor came up with a glorious idea. We are going to read The Nanny Diaries and then go see the movie for the book club meeting. How great is that!!!!! I LOVE THIS IDEA!!!!!!! LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT! I get to have a girl's night, see a girlie movie, eat popcorn, be with friends, and GO WITHOUT MY CHILDREN! Can you say, YES.......THIS IS THE BEST IDEA EVER!!!!!!!!!! The book, I could really care less about. I have already read it and did not care much for it.....but the movie part......BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!!

Randomness: tired, book club thoughts, and whatever else enters my mind.

I know you are all checking the blog wondering "Why has she not updated it?" Well,......I am just plain tired and really have not had time to update the blog. Getting back into the routine of me and the boys has drained me JUST a wee bit. We had a great night last night. But the morning started early and then I had meetings for the FRG (Family Readiness Group) and then afternoon craziness with the boys.....so I am a bit drained. Right now I am trying to relax....beer in hand and I have one screaming child in a Jolly Jumper, the tv blaring, a dog scratching at the backdoor, and the other two boys (father and son) in the living room. So, I am not too relaxed at the moment. The beer does seem to be working, making me more desensitized to it all. Enough complaining right.....I know you are just here for pictures. But seriously, sometimes it takes too much time to upload the pictures......we are not on DSL here people....a bit slower and sometimes it gets annoying....so no pictures tonight.

Book Club Review:

For the first book we selected Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. We met last night at my neighbor's, Melissa, to eat, drink and review the book. Our thoughts: DON"T SPEND YOUR MONEY OR TIME ON IT! The premise of the book was beautiful, a man writing thoughts and letters for his young son before he passes on. Getting connected to the characters in the book was nearly impossible, especially women. They seemed to be non-existent in the book. We all felt the author could have expanded on several passages and created many wonderful story lines filled with emotion and intensity, but this did not occur. So, it was a BIG THUMBS DOWN! We are hoping the next selection is better. We chose The Kite Runner.

My mother has returned home. William adjusted well after the goodbye. He even slept for part of the night in his bed. He did end up in my bed by the middle of the night. Paulie did well, too. He feel asleep early, awoke once for a binkie, and then slept the rest of the night. I am hoping tonight is a repeat of last night (without the middle of the night visitor).

Last thought of randomness........I love Schwans food. Some nights it is the greatest thing ever created, frozen, and delivered to my door. I did not know they existed until my mother and Aunt Sara bought some from the drivers 2 weeks ago. Then last week, as we sat in the front circle of the house drinking our beer watching William ride his bike, the Schwans truck rounded the bend. Whala....dinner was made. I bought two frozen meals, popped one in the oven, and had a great meal for the family. Tonight we are doing the same. The Schwans truck is scheduled to come back next week.....I am already thinking about my orders. See, this is what happens to a young, vibrent mind when you live 17 miles from the main road and then an additional 10 miles to the nearest grocery store. Thank god for Schwans.