Full of Grace

I finished Full of Grace by Dorothea Benton Frank last night. I have to say that I was pleansantly surprised by the whole story. It's rare that a book surprises me but this one did. Maybe because what was written on the dust jacket made it sound like it was just about Grace and her family and didn't spill the beans of the true story. Often when reading the short description of a book they will elude to something happening that will change a life or the main character will return home or find love or something along those lines so you are prepared for the story to take a twist or turn here and there. But Full of Grace lets you find out right along with the characters of what's going on and I found that really refreshing. Without giving anything away, I would say that the book is about family, love, faith and of course grace.

Another element of the book that I enjoyed was the chapter titles. As I've previously mentioned, I find chapter titles missing from adult fiction.

I am finally getting around to reading On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah. I started it this morning on the way to work and have found it easy to read. I was worried it would be depressing and it wouldn't hold my attention. I hope to finish it in the next few days since it's due at the library on the 2nd. I did manage to get an extra day because of Labor Day! Don't you love when that happens?

Questionnaire

This fun book related questionnaire came to my attention through LibraryThing.com from another member who reads Shelf Awareness. I love books and questionnaires so it made sense to answer the questions.

On your nightstand now: Technically I only have my Bible on my nightstand right now. I have a stack of books on the floor next to the bed. The stack was getting too tall to sit on my nightstand. In that pile there's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. And each night before going to sleep I do put the book I'm currently reading on my nightstand. Tonight that will be Full of Grace by Dorothea Benton Frank.

Book you’ve “faked” reading: I keep books that I thought I would like that didn't hold my attention, but I think they make me look more well-read if I keep them. They may not be great novels or well-known but they are different than books I tend to read. One is American Dreams by John Jakes and the other is Time and Again by Jack Finney.

Book you’ve bought for the cover: I remember being in the bookstore years ago looking for a fun, girly book. I only had the spines to give me a clue of that type of book to catch my eye. I came across a bright pink spine and have been hooked on the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella ever since.

Favorite book when you were a child: Silver by Norma Fox Mazer. It was more a young adult book than a children's book.

Book that changed your life: The only one that comes to mind is The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton. I don't know that it changed my life but it changed how I thought about writing--anyone can write and if you love it you can do it regardless of whether or not your goal is to get published.

Favorite line(s) from a book: I just read this last night, so it's fresh in my mind. From Full of Grace "But it wasn't the day for me to bail out on Michael. And to be honest, I couldn't foresee a day when I would. That was one more significant fact about really loving someone; when you did, you stayed."

Top five favorite authors: Elizabeth Berg, Sophie Kinsella, A.J. Jacobs, Nancy E. Turner, and Fannie Flagg

Books you recommend as regeneration when people say, “I’m bored by almost all contemporary American writers”: No one has ever said that to me so I haven't responded to that question exactly. However, top on my list of recommendations is Water for Elephants, The Thirteenth Tale and Garden Spells.

Book you can’t believe that everyone has not read and loved: Even though so many people have read the series, I am still surprised there are people who are against reading Harry Potter.

Book you can’t believe everyone has read and loved: I have two--She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

Book you are an “evangelist” for: Depending on who I'm talking to and the type of book they like, it could change. I guess I would go for The Thirteenth Tale for the general population.

Book you most want to read again for the first time: Hmm...I really loved reading These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner so I think I'd like to enjoy that experience all over again.

Home to Holly Springs and other library books

Two weeks ago I needed a new book to read after finishing The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I went to the library in hopes to find the next book in the Elm Creek Quilt Series but it wasn't there. So I had to wander the library until I found at least one book that was on my mental to be read list. I ended up leaving with three, just because I could and even if I couldn't read all three in two weeks I could always renew them. I borrowed Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon, Full of Grace by Dorothea Benton Frank and On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah.

I choose Home to Holly Springs because I've read all but the last Mitford Series books by Jan Karon. I read them a few years ago so all the details of the storyline were a little fuzzy but since this new series is more about Father Tim's life growing up in Mississippi I found I didn't really need to remember everything from the other books to enjoy it. It was nice to spend some time with Father Tim and learn about him as a child and his family and friends. I started to really get into it about 3/4 of the way through when the story started to wrap up and it was more about things happening rather than just background. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

The two other books I borrowed from the library came about from two other books I got from the Early Reviewer program with LibraryThing.com. I reviewed Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah and Bulls Island by Dorothea Benton Frank earlier this year. I was not familiar with either author before getting their newest books through the Early Reviewer program but since I enjoyed both books I thought I would read some of their other ones. I could be wrong but by judging from their books I've read, Hannah's On Mystic Lake will be very emotional and introspective and Frank's Full of Grace will still be reflective but a little lighter. I guess I'll find out soon enough, although I will have to renew them since they are due in two days.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

This was a book that I added to my list of books to read awhile ago. It sounded interesting and I had heard good things about it. The cover and title just by themselves are both different and memorable. My husband refers to this book as the "Upside Down Dog Book" which just shows you a good cover can stick with you. The title is a long one and one I had a hard time remember until I had the book in front of me and read what it said. The title leads you to believe there will be a mystery involved--you're curious right from the start about what happens. A great way to start a book.

What I love about this book is that it reminds us that we can be who we are, think the way we think and can still be loved. This is a truly unique book. If there are books out there that are similar to this, I am unaware of them. The main character, Christopher, is not your average boy. He shows incredible intelligence, but also deep fears that we can all understand. I'm a logical, routine-driven sort of person and I can understand his need to have a schedule and timetables. You may not think you can relate to Christopher at first glance but you might be surprised.

This isn't your typical fiction book. Mark Haddon did a great job exploring this unique story.

Borrow versus Buy

I used to buy all of the books I read. I wanted to own them. I wanted to hold them. Smell them. Be the first to crack the spine. I wanted to collect them and keep them. I wanted to be able to look at them all lined up on a shelf and remember reading them. But then I realized how much more open my options were if I didn't buy but borrowed. From the library that is. I used to limit what books I read by thinking to myself...will I enjoy this book enough to buy it? If yes, then I would buy it. If I wasn't too sure, then I most likely passed it up. I couldn't afford/didn't want to spend all of my money on books that I might not finish or really enjoy enough to keep. Although in a dream world, maybe I would. With borrowing from the library I can get any book I want through the library system and if I don't love it or choose not to finish it, it's not a big deal. I just give it back. It doesn't sit on my shelf, reminding me that I haven't read it or that I didn't love it. Although I do have plenty of them, even still. I've found a greater joy in being able to experience any book I want rather than finding joy in having books in my possession.

I do occasionally buy books. I can't resist, I am a book lover after all. I usually get a lot of books for birthday or Christmas presents and stock up that way. And I like to collect reference books so I have access to obscure questions or trivia that might come up. Just a few months ago I realized I didn't have a book about the U.S. Presidents. I panicked! I couldn't believe I had missed getting a book like that. It's a must have for any household (isn't it?). My husband said that I could always look up any question I had online, but really that's not the same. As a kid I could sit for hours looking at the World Almanac and find a wealth of information on almost any subject I was interested in. The internet is great but, in my opinion, it can't take the place of books for everything.

Finished!

I finished Olive Kitteridge last night. I have to be honest. I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. I did like it but I thought I would really enjoy it but I didn't. I did find the short story format interesting but I'm not sure I'm a short story kind of girl. I get too attached to the characters I'm reading and then the next chapter just moves away from them and I'm wondering what became of them. I did like the chapters with Olive in them. You got to see the world from her eyes and understand her better. I would say if the story and the format sound interesting to you, you should definitely read it. Elizabeth Strout does write nicely and weaves together a great story.

Next up, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. I haven't started it yet but did flip through the book quickly last night. I saw some math equations in there--it should be interesting! I'm looking forward to something a little different.

Slow going....

I am close to finishing Olive Kitteridge. Maybe 60 pages left. I hope to finish it today. It's been slow going though. I do like the story and the characters but it's been hard for me to really settle into it. I haven't found the rhythm on the voices. I find myself reading along and then lost as to what just happened and have to re-read the last paragraph or so. I'm not sure if the short story style of the book is what is slowing me down or if it's something else.

Even though it's taken me awhile to read Olive Kitteridge I never thought I wouldn't finish it. This year I have not finished a record number of books I've started (about 5 or 6). It might be a combination of my interest in reading the book when I start it. If I'm not in the mood for a certain type of book then I'm less likely to enjoy it or even pick it up to continue to read it. I know I've started books just so I'd have something to read but at the time was really hoping for something else. There are so many choices of books out there, one to fit each mood. You just have to find the right one to enjoy.

Two passages

I was looking at some other blogs and came across this entry and it reminded me of the one time I wrote down two passages from Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler that I really loved and thought made a lot of sense.

"People imagine that missing a loved one works kind of like missing cigarettes...The first day is really hard but the next day is less hard and so forth, easier and easier the longer you go on. But instead it's like missing water. Every day, you notice the person's absence more." From page 111

"She started to speak, but then stopped. Anything she could think of to say seemed a mistake. In face, speech in general seemed a mistake. It struck her all at once that dealing with other human beings was an awful lot of work." From page 162

Like I said this is the only time I've ever written down something I've liked from a book. The two passages were written on a back of a page-a-day calendar page and I've saved it and known where it is for probably 6 or 7 years. Because I've written the words down they do tend to pop up in my thoughts from time to time. They've stuck with me as all good parts of a book should. It would be nice to start to keep track of these sorts of things in a book. Something to think about...

Footnotes in fiction?

When you hear someone say footnotes you might think of a long, possibly boring reference book. But there are two books out there that can change your opinion of those pesky small fonted words at the bottom of the page. The Spellman Files and The Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz are both entertaining books. They are a mix of Stephanie Plum books and the canceled yet wonderful tv show Veronica Mars. The books are about a family of private detectives. Isabel "Izzy" the middle child is the voice of the book. She can't live up to her perfect older brother, David, who escaped the family business and became a lawyer. And her parents think she's a bad influence on her teenage younger sister Rae. The footnotes are more frequent in The Curse of the Spellmans and I thought they really added to the story. They give you history of the situation, things Izzy's thinking and even plugs for the Get Smart dvd collection offered by Time Life. The Curse of the Spellmans even offers you a comical Appendix. Sound interesting? Check them out here.

22 and counting

Since 2006 I've been keeping count of how many books I read and what months I finish them in. If you know me, you know I have a lot of rules and this list of books can not escape from the rules either.

One rule is that I mark down the month that I finish the book in. This doesn't seem like a big deal except for when I end up finishing a book on the 1st of the month. The last few days of a month may be devoted to reading a certain book but if I'm not paying attention and don't finish it before the month ends, that book gets included in the next's months tally. If it's the last day of the month and I'm even anywhere close to finishing the book I will devote as much time in that day as I can to finishing it.

I ride the bus to get to and from work (a 50 minute ride each way) and I am able to get a lot of reading in this way. Yesterday Missy saw me reading and she knows I keep track of the number of books I read each year so she asked what number I was on. When I told her 21 or 22 she said, "You're behind!" Last year I read 52 books, which was a huge accomplishment. My goal had been 40. This year, I didn't start out with a goal and as of right now I'm hoping I can make it to 40. I'm on my 23rd book of the year but I have high hopes for catching up. This brings me to my second rule of the book list. Missy wanted to know if I read short little books of encouragement with lots of pictures and a few words, could I count them on my list to help me catch up. She was kidding, of course, she knows that I wouldn't do that. I had a hard enough time counting the two Harry Potter books I re-read last summer in prepartion for book 7. I felt like I had to read extra just to make up for counting them. While I might write down books I've re-read (which doesn't happen often), I really am only counting new books.

In keeping track of the number of books I read in a year I find that I go through cycles. March is a low month, maybe 1 or 2 read. And July is a high month, last year I read 9 books and this year I've already read 5 and should be able to read 2 more. I tend to slow down again around November. After Thanksgiving I like to read Christmas-related books so I keep a list of which ones are available from the library so I can request them in time.

I'm not in a race to read the most books ever. I know some people read over 100, maybe even close to 300 a year. I'm not striving for that but the nice thing about keeping track of what you read, maybe not how many you read, is that you can look back and remember a certain time in your life and relate a book to then. It can sometimes make the memory of the book even sweeter.

A Collection

So this is my very first post, a collection of recent books I've read and all topics related to them.

Yesterday I finished reading The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini. It's the first book in the Elm Creek series. I plan to read the rest in the series but when I went to the library on Monday it seemed the only book they didn't have in the series was the second one! I enjoyed it but I also am looking forward to seeing how the current characters grow and what new characters we'll meet.

The one nice thing about starting a series already in progress is you can read them as fast as you wish. There's no waiting around for them to be published. I started the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich this way and read all 13 of them last year within a few months. Now I am waiting for Fearless Fourteen to be available from the library. It's always enjoyable to see what Stephanie is up to. Even though these books may seem repetitive they are so funny that you can't help but enjoy them.

Last week I read one of my new all-time favorite books. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. I am a member of the Literary Guild book club and get catalogs once or twice a month. I love getting the catalog in the mail. I always set aside time that night to read through it and look for new books that I want to read. I tend to memorize the covers of books I'm interested in so I can quickly spot them on the library shelf. With Garden Spells, I was familiar with the cover, having seen it in the book club catalog, but never read what it was about. What got my attention was her new book, The Sugar Queen. I thought I might like to read it so I checked to see what Garden Spells was about. Even though I was interested in reading it, I was still unsure how easily I would get into once I started. Would be be too hard to read, too confusing, not interesting? Thankfully, none of things apply to this book. It's enjoyable, comforting and simply a wonderful story.

Currently I am reading Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. I am only on chapter 3 but am looking forward to seeing how the story progresses and finishes. There are two things that are different with this book. One, the chapters have titles. What's great about this is how many times do adults get to read books written for adults that have chapter titles rather than just the number written at the top of the page? Or even more boring, nothing but a page break? Many adults read Harry Potter, even those without kids, and in that case we got to enjoy a book with creative chapter titles and little pictures to help tell the story. Some things we have to give up when we become adults. Clearly chapter titles are one of them but with Olive Kitteridge we get to enjoy them once again. The second different thing is that each chapter is from a different characters point of view and as the story progresses you get to know a little bit more about Olive Kitteridge. Like I said I'm only on chapter 3 (The Piano Player for those of you who are curious) but I'm finding it's a really fascinating way to tell a story. The time that had to go into it to tie everyone and everything together. The story even jumps back and forth between years within each chapter so for the reader you really have to pay attention to the character who is telling the story at the time to catch the changes. Since I am still at the beginning of the book, I am still adjusting to the way it's written and the flow of the words. It makes for slower reading when you have to take time to get comfortable in the book's world. One other thing I find interesting is the setting. It takes place in Maine and once you read the book and get to know Olive and the other characters you realize that this same story couldn't work anywhere else. The landscape of Maine, while beautiful, can certainly bring to mind, rainy days, cold winters and a feeling of entrapment in a land where there's only one main highway out of the state. Olive and all the characters I've met so far seem to have those depressing feelings inside of them and they come out in this book.