A return....

I've decided I'm going to try my hand at this blog of mine again. Looking back at my previous posts I realize it was a short-lived experience but I remember enjoying the process of writing and sharing. Even if that sharing wasn't going anywhere to anyone, it was just nice to write.


I started this blog in July of 2008. I was reading a lot and wanted a way to share my thoughts of the books I was reading and my husband suggested I start a blog. He helped me with the name, and came up with title "Forewords and Book Words" and I liked it a lot. In the time I've been away from the blog, I've thought about it and while I think it could be fun to write again I didn't know if I could keep up with just writing about books. So I recently decided that there are no rules, I can have the same title and write about whatever I want. Things change, ideas change, I evolved, my mindset has changed. I still really like the title and don't want to give it up so I'm sticking with it and decided my blog will be whatever I make of it. Maybe a reading journal, maybe something else.


Just shortly after I wrote my last blog post, I would find out I was 7 weeks pregnant with our first child. My mind became filled with pregnancy thoughts, ideas, worries and I didn't read much which is a big reason why I stopped posting anything. My mind was elsewhere. It's been 2 years since my first post and I feel like it's time to get back to something I liked. I'm now a mom of an almost 15 month old daughter but I'm still a reader and I'm still a writer.

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.