September Book It 2010

I ran across a list of books recommended for medical interns and residents that was recommended by Michele Au from the the underwear drawer I was unable to link directly to her post but it is on August 11th. I chose to read The House of Hope and Fear by Aubrey Young that someone recommended in the comments . This is another Pacific Northwest book as the Author tells about her experiences at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. I thought it was well written with interesting stories involving the least likely population able to pay for health care, the homeless. It gave me new respect for the challenges that Hospitals face providing care for all regardless of the ability to pay. It also highlighted the enormous strain our hospitals are in under when disasters happen.

I also have had a chance to read The Blind Side and see the movie. I know I must be the last person to see the movie. The book was somewhat a hard read for me as reading about football was hard. This is one time the movie I thought was a great addition to the book. I admit I did skim some of the detailed football logistics in the book.I think that seeing football, the visual, is what makes the movie better for this part. The book goes more in depth of Micheal Other story but the movie did an excellent job of summarizing. I love Sandra Bullock in this movie.

In addition, I also saw the movie Eat, Love, Pray with Book Club and I had really mixed feelings. The movie seemed to suck the soul out of the book, the spirituality out. I think I agree with my friend, Carol that it was too neat. The loose ends are never wrapped up like that. Life is messy. I think the book was better. Our book club was 50/50 on the book. Here was our review.

Booking It September

I am linking up with Life as Mom Booking It.  Click on over and see what everyone else is reading.

I love a good travel story/memoir.  I read Going Somewhere by Brian Benson. It chronicled a bike journey from Wisonsin to Portland, Oregon with his then girlfriend.  I find that those that attempt these types of adventures such as the pacific crest trail or cross country treks are searching for something. I think Brian was too. I saw this quote recently and I think it fits this book and pretty much sums the book  up. This book was just OK for me. 

"We must take Adventure in order to know where we truly belong."

 



** Be advised there are some more racier scenes described in this book

Next I picked up the book, the smartest kids in the world; how they got that way by Amanda Ripley. I really enjoyed this book.  Education is a hot topic lately with common core. Amanda breaks down what 3 countries (Finland, Poland, and Korea) do to teach kids successfully and why these kids perform better than American Kids.  The ended up discussing this book with a lot of different people.  I generally don't find myself doing that.  There were several things I walked away with. One is we don't take education seriously enough. Secondly, we don't pay teachers enough nor do we expect them to be highly trained.  Lastly we have fallen behind other nations because we don't teach higher thinking skills.  We don't teach the language of math from an early age. In addition, most Americans don't consider math nearly as important as other skills. Amanda not only gives the facts but used first hand experiences from exchange students that lived and attended schools in Finland, Poland and Korea.

Lastly, I read Gone Feral; Tracking my Dad Through the Wild by Novella Carpenter. I have also read Farm City by Novella and I am glad to see this follow up though a very different type of book from Farm City.  It chronicles her search to learn about her father who lives somewhat a mountain man existence and how this is triggered by her want to become a mother. Novella is quite the character and that comes through in this book as well.

September Booking It

Please stop by Life as Mom and check out what everyone is reading. I am a little late posting but here it is.

I am still reading travel/biography books. Castles in the Air by Judy Corbett is about the restoration of a crumbling castle in Wales called Gwydir Castle.  I thought it was a great true story.  This book is for anyone who has looked at a run down building and said I can fix that. I loved the adventures that Judy and her husband had in restoring this gem.

I also read an Alphabetical Life by Wendy Werris.Wendy Werris is the daughter of Sang Werris a staff writer for the Jackie Gleason show. It is a memoir of her life and adventures in the book Industry.  My favorite quote in the book is, "We never know what may happen when we pick up a book to read. The turning of a page might actually change the course of our existence. There is something miraculous about this. Truth strikes at the very hear of books and readers who turn themselves over with great trust to finding the essence of themselves."  What is so interesting is when she started in the book industry there were small bookstores. Wendy was there when the Barnes and Nobles and other mega book stores came about.

I picked up French by Heart by Rebecca Ramsey in the biography section. It is all about an American Family's Adventure in France. I really liked it. It was an easy read.  My Husband's Grandmother grew up in France. One of Rebecca's neighbors and friends in France is an older woman named Madame Mallet. At first, Rebecca is not friends with Madame Mallet because she always is criticizing Rebecca. Eventually Madame Mallet and Rebecca become friends. Madame Mallet reminds me so much of my Hubby's Nanna. Nanna was an opinionated  feisty lady,too . She is missed.

Year in Review

December 31,2010

All over blog land there are these end of year reviews. So, I thought I would join in. I was reviewing some of my photos for the year and a small theme started to emerge. All the photos are of from windows of my house.

Feb 10, 2010

Here is the year by the numbers

Total Number of Posts for the Year -205

October 2010

One Little Word for 2010 -Live

October 25,2010

Most Read Posts

Christmas Tour 2010

Sea Glass - discusses our massive Sea Glass collection and how we are displaying it.

September Book it books discussed are The House of Hope and Fear, The Blind Side, and Eat, Love, Pray

December Book it - Books discussed Border Songs, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Happiness Project, Plain Perfect

Dollar Store Challenge - The pipe cleaner wreath I made for the $5 dollar store Challenge

November 4, 2010

Number of Books Read in 2010-34

December 4, 2010

Top 5 Books Read

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin my review

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shafer and Annie Barrows my review

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay my review

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford my review

Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin my review

December 6, 2010

Most Under Read Posts -Also known as I can't believe these aren't the most popular posts. In case you missed these gems, here they are again in all their glory.

Old People are Slippery

What to Show Out of Town Guests

Shucks

December 29,2010

What I Read September

 I am linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy's Quick Lit.  Check out what everyone else is reading

The Maid by Nita Prose

My friend recommended this book. It is about a hotel maid named Molly aka Molly the Maid that gets involved in some shady dealings unintentionally. Molly while not explicitly spelled out is on the spectrum and does not read people's social ques well.  I thought this was an interesting book. I didn't expect the deep undertones. 

The quote below is advice from Molly the Maid's gran and it was one that I kept thinking about. I think this would be a good book discussion question. 

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

I re read this book.  I read it in 2019 but I am participating in Sharon Says So Third Semester Book Club.  This is a heavy read. I cried again re reading this book. This the real-life stories of Bryan and his fight to get innocent people off death row.  IT says a lot about how justice is served in this country. I am looking forward to hearing the author talk. Just Mercy was written in 2014.  

September Booking It

I am linking up with Life as Mom and the 2013 Booking It.

I read 52 Loaves - A Half -Baked Adventure by William Alexander.  William Alexander was also the author of The $64 Tomato.  I thought it was a wonderful book.  William baked a loaf of bread - peasant loaf once a week for the entire year.  He was after the perfect loaf but along the way discovered a lot about bread and himself.  I learned that flour has additives in order to prevent pellagra.  His quest also lead him to France to teach some monks to bake bread.  The book made me want to renew my interest in baking bread beyond my breadmaker.  It also reminded me of my favorite loaf of sourdough from a local bakery.

I fell victim to the Hot Picks shelf at the library once again.  I picked up Shelter by Frances Greenslade. It reminded me somewhat of  This Life is in Your Hands by Melissa Coleman.  It was about two sisters basically abandoned by their mother.  Some sensitive subjects are covered. It was set in Canada.  It was ok for me.

Lastly, I read the bonnet novel Leaving Lancaster by Kate Lloyd. I don't recommend it.  It was just a little too contrived.  I think there are better bonnet novels.

What I Read September

I am once again linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy's Quick Lit linky.  IF you need to find some new reads, check out what everyone else is reading. (Doesn't everyone need a few new reads) I am always on the lookout for some good reads.  

This year our National Parks celebrate a 100 years of service.  So in the spirit of that, I read Ranger Confidential.by Andrea Lankford. I think when we think of Park Rangers we think of all the work they do as naturalists.  The gritty reality is the law enforcement aspect of their jobs.  This book I believe does a good job of looking beyond the hat to share the rescue operations and other unique characteristics of their job. Being a ranger is a dangerous job.  Crime doesn't stop at the borders of parks.

America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. This book is about Patsy Jefferson daughter of Thomas Jefferson.  I wasn't sure what to think about this book at first.  This is a fictional account of Patsy's life but I liked how the authors tried to use their words whenever possible. This book explores what Patsy contributed to her father's career and the presidency.  What Patsy had to give up as a daughter of political figure.  I like how Sally Hemmings relationship was explored and how Patsy may or may not felt about it. I enjoyed this book immensely and I really learned some new things about Thomas Jefferson and his family without this feeling like a boring history book.

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison is our county's read for 2017 - Whatcom Reads - One Book. Jonathan Evison is a Pacific Northwest writer and the book is set in Washington State. This book was OK for me. I think there is some interesting discussion material here. The main character is Benjamin Benjamin a man forced to take a caregiving job for Trev who suffers from MD.  This also a book about fathers and the often complicated relationship they have with their kids.

Ben Benjamin, all has been lost--his wife, his family, his home, his livelihood. Hoping to find a new direction, he enrolls in a night class called The Fundamentals of Caregiving, where he will learn to take care of people with disabilities. He is instructed about professionalism, about how to keep an emotional distance between client and provider, and about the art of inserting catheters while avoiding liability. But when Ben is assigned his first client--a tyrannical nineteen-year-old boy named Trevor, who is in the advanced stages of Duchenne muscular dystrophy--he soon discovers that the endless service checklists have done nothing to prepare him for the reality of caring for a fiercely stubborn, sexually frustrated teenager who has an ax to grind with the whole world. (excerpt from Whatcom Reads)

Booking It September and Uncle Sam's List

Please check out what what everyone is reading at Life as Mom. I didn't request the book that most are reading , Kisses for Katie. So I once again picked a book off the Hot Picks shelf at the library.

I read an interesting book about the Untied States border called Borderlands - Riding the Edge of America by Derek Lundy.  I found this book  interesting as I have lived at the southern border of the United States and now live close to the Northern Border.  Illegal immigration is a hot topic no matter if you live at the Northern or Southern Border.  This book was actually written by a Canadian, Derek Lundy, who rode his motorcycle along the southern and northern border.  He tried to ride as close as possible to the border.  He did it in memory of some friends that passed on.  Derek had some interesting adventures which he outlines in the book along with the history of the US Border and United States relationship with Canada and Mexico. I think the main conclusion he comes to that no fence is going to stop illegal immigration. That overwhelmingly most Americans that don't live near the border believe a fence will stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking.  Those who live near the border and those that patrol the border (Border Patrol Agents) don't believe a fence is slowing down illegal immigration and drug trafficking.  The northern border due to the remoteness cannot be secured with a fence.

I especially like this quote  - " The border can't be both things: a goods-and services conduit and a security perimeter. One form must trump the other, and there's little doubt that security will win out." - Derek Lundy

Because I now live near the Canadian border, I really love some the observations/criticisms he made about Americans and their views of Canada.  He stated that Americans are very ignorant about their northern neighbor especially what Canadians are doing to interdict terrorists. I agree.  This book really gets you to think about illegal immigration and the function the border serves.

Tying into this, my friend just started a new business called Uncle Sam's List which lists businesses that pledge to only use legal documented workers. Here is their mission statement:

At Uncle Sam's List, we promote businesses and organizations that commit to employing U.S. Citizens and those lawfully present and legally eligible to work in the United States. We believe that informed consumers will slowly put a stop to the endless flow of illegal laborers that compete with legitimate workers in the United States. The American consumer can succeed where governments refuse to even try. Economic Patriots understand that supporting our workforce will strengthen our Nation.
I think this is a great way to put out to the community that your business is making a conscious choice to only employ legal workers.

What I Read September

 I am linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy's Quick Lit.  Check out what everyone else is reading.

Go as a River by Shelley Read

This is one of Jen Hatmaker's selections for her book club. I am not a member, but it sounded interesting as it was set on the western slope of Colorado.  This is a coming-of-age story, Victoria/Tori has a chance encounter with a stranger, Wilson Moon that alters her life. The story is set on a peach farm in 1948 and is also inspired by the true event of the destruction of the town of Iola. It took me a minute to get into this book, but I was unable to put this down.

The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel by Douglas Brunt

Raise your hand if you didn't know the Diesel Engine was invented by Rudolf Diesel.  I had to check this book out 3 times.  This one was a slow burn for me.  Rudolf Diesel supposedly committed suicide by jumping off a ship crossing the English Channel.  His engine would shape WW1 as it was used in submarines and German U-boats.  Rudolf Diesel didn't plan on his engine being used for war. As it came closer to World War 1. Everyone wanted Rudolph Diesels invention and more than that the expertise that Diesel brought to the table. This included Churchill to the Kaiser.  Douglas Brunt did a great job of researching Rudolf Diesel. Douglas Brunt puts forth his proof and theory what really happened to Rudolf.  I think his theory is possible.

What I Read September

I am linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy's Quick Lit.  Check out what everyone else is reading!

I took Modern Mrs Darcy's Reading Personality Quiz and one of the books Recommended was Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan.

I loved it.  The Setting is an Island in Scotland.  It is the perfect escape novel. Flora works in London after fleeing her home in Scotland is sent back on a special assignment for her boss. Of course, there is family drama and romance.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

I thought this was a really thought provoking book. I guess it was my nerdy read of the fall.  If you have ever wondered what makes people successful, this book is for you.   There is stuff about when the best hockey players are born, why the Beattles became famous, and if valedictorians go on to be successful. All this and more is explored in this book. I kinda geek out on that kind of stuff. Gladwell presents the information in a accessible way.  I kept reading parts out aloud to my husband. This is the first book that the Seahawks Micheal Bennett picked for their book club.

September Reading

Oh I am way late to linking up to this party. I am linking up to Modern Mrs Darcy. Check out what everyone else has been reading.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb  This was in the Modern Mrs Darcy's Summer Reading Guide and was a favorite. This is about a therapist and her clients and also mostly about her own therapy. I really really liked this one.

Lori Gottlieb - Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
graphic Project Life App

There is so much to unpack here. It is the kind of book you find yourself thinking about.

Magnet in Lori Gottlieb's office
Graphic made with Project Life App

Mistress at the Ritz is set in Paris right before WWII.  It about the Ritz hotel manager , Claude Azuello and his American wife, Blanche. This is also about those in the French resistance. I thought it was interesting though maybe a bit drawn out. The title makes it seem like it is a steamy romance novel. It is not

American Duchess by Karen Harper. This book is about Consuelo Vanderbilt. A long time ago I read her biography The Glitter and Gold. I actually preferred this. Consuelo Vanderbilt was married to the Duke of Marlborough in basically an arranged marriage by her overbearing mother. She got a title and the Duke got her money.

What I read September

*** I am linking up to Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit .  Check out what everyone else is reading.

It is Fall at last and my reading has picked up as the weather has cooled.  It also helped that we lost our electricity so I got lots of reading done.

I finally read Me Before You.  This should of come with a Kleenex warning. This has been on my to read list for quite a while. In part JoJo Moyes  based this on a true story.  This book is about euthanasia and I had known that from the outset I don't know if I would of read it.  I am glad I did.  The book made me think about that subject differently. The book is set to be made into a movie released spring of 2016.  The movie is to star Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin.

I also read One Plus One by JoJo Moyes as well.  This one to me took a bit to get into.  I loved the ending and the point about finding people own tribe. This is a book about a single mom just trying to get her daughter to a Math competition in hopes that she might win and attend private school. They take a remarkable quirky interesting road trip to get to this math competition.

Other books I enjoyed by JoJo Moyes

 The Girl left Behind - This is actually my favorite.
Last Letter From Your Lover

What I Read September

 I am linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy's Quick Lit. Check out what everyone else is reading.

Well, I didn't make it through my summer reading list. I am living the library hold life.

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts

This quirky book was really enjoyable. The characters were really well written and who doesn't like a high stakes treasure hunt.

Tuesday Mooney is a loner. She keeps to herself, begrudgingly socializes, and spends much of her time watching old Twin Peaks and X-Files DVDs. But when Vincent Pryce, Boston’s most eccentric billionaire, dies—leaving behind an epic treasure hunt through the city, with clues inspired by his hero, Edgar Allan Poe—Tuesday’s adventure finally begins. - Amazon

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim

This kept getting recommended to me. If I were to retell this in modern times, it is a girl trip with all strangers to Airbnb in Italy. The castle Airbnb has some kind of restorative effect on the girls/women on the trip.  I can see why many were inspired by the book to travel to Italy. It was an interesting read. I read it on vacation. * Free to Kindle

September Reading

I am linking up to the Modern Mrs Darcy's Quick Lit. Check out what everyone else is reading.

I seem to be stuck in a golden age non fiction reading binge.  Earlier this year I read the Big Burn which is our county's reading book for 2019. Well, I ended up reading, The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan about the Biltmore.  I thought it was fascinating and because I read the Big Burn some of the big historical figures of the time also were big influencers on the forest surrounding the Biltmore such as Gifford Pinchot. George Vanderbilt built this massive house but it was really his wife and later their son in law John Cecil which allowed it to be the nation's largest privately owned home. I haven't had the opportunity to visit the Biltmore.

I guess my reading this month could also be summarized as books about really really rich people. I can not lie, I read books about the rich. I read Crazy Rich Asians. This book didn't disappoint.  I can see how this could made into a movie. I haven't seen the movie yet. Anyone seen the movie?

What I read September

 I am linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy's Quick Lit. Checkout what everyone else is reading.

A Woman of Intelligence by Karin Tanabe

Katharina worked as a translator for the newly formed UN. She speaks 4 languages. She was single and carefree. She met a pediatric surgeon and married him. She becomes a mother and feels trapped in her role and unfulfilled. Katharina is asked by the FBI to be an informant. This is the life she craves.

This book is one that was part of Jen Hatmaker's book club. I saw it mentioned on her Instagram. I thought it was a decent read. This would be an excellence book club read. There is a lot to discuss with parenting roles, interracial relationships, expectations for mother's, working mother's. 

What I Read September

 I am linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy's Quick Lit. Check out what everyone is reading this month.

Oh the reading has been eclectic! 

Life in the Jar by Jack Mayer

This is about the true story of 3 high school students that researched Irene Sendler and developed a play on her life for a National History Day Project.  Irene Sendler rescues countless Jewish children for the Ghetto in Poland during WWII.  

She was a social worker and allowed into the Jewish ghetto. This is an amazing story about her life. 

Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See

This was a quick interesting read for me.  Lisa See is a great storyteller and I found this story about a Female Chinese doctor so interesting. Lady Tan was a real doctor and wrote a book. This story is loosely based on her life. This is very well researched. I think this would make an excellent book club read with a tea tasting. Lisa See's Website

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See 

This was a quick read, but this book has a sequel, Dreams of Joy, which I haven't read. It is about 2 sisters, Pearl and May, who live in Shanghai and were models but then were put in an arranged marriage and make their way to America. This is happening during the backdrop of WWII. I had never heard of the term Paper Son or Paper Daughter.  This is an interesting look into immigration at the time.

Wrapping Up Booking It 2012

I thought I give you a wrap up of my booking it 2012.  I read an amazing number of books - 51 to be exact. 

My top 5 reads (so difficult to choose)

1. The Night Road by K Hannah
2. Girl in Translation by J Kwok (somehow I didn't review this but a great first book for this author)
3. Kingdom of Strangers by Zoe Ferraris (love the whole series)
4. Heft by Liz Moore
5. The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon

Here is the round of up of the monthly posts and the books that I have reviewed

Jan -  Reversal by Micheal Connelly, The Great Fitness Experiment by C Hilton Andersen, and One Bite at a Time by Trish Oxenreider

Feb -No One You Know by M Richmond and In the Presence of the Enemy by Elizabeth George.

March - Hunger Games Trilogy and Cutting for Stone by A Vergese

April - The Cactus Eaters by Dan White, The Night Road by K Hannah, A Blistered Kind of Love by A & G Ballard, Barnheart by J Woginrich

May - Hope's Boy by Andrew Bridge, The Kitchen House by K Grissom, and Hey American Your Roots are Showing by M Smolenyak

June - Mindblind by J Roy, The Unquenchable Thrist by M Johnson, and Wild by Cheryl Strayed

July - Becoming Odyssa by J Davis, Russian Winter by D Kalotay, Local Treasures: Geocaching Across America by M Kelley, The Voluntourist by K Budd, Hiking Through by Paul Stutzman

September -Borderlands- Riding the Edge of America by Derek Lundy

October -Kisses for Katie by Katie Davis and The Quarter Acre Farm by S Warren

November - My Abandonment by Peter Rock, American Heiress by D Goodwin, Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, War Horse by Micheal Morpurgo, The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon, Await Your Reply by D Chaon, and Ed King by D Guterson.

Dec - Heft by Liz Moore, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, and The Racketeer by J Grisham

Books of 2017

What I Read 2017

You know I love to tell you all what I read in 2017. I read 32 books. It would seem I am more partial to non-fiction.

Favorite 5
Chosen because these are the books I talked the most about in 2017 and to me that is a mark of a great book.

The Life We Bury by A Esken
The Magnolia Story by Chip and JoAnn Gaines
Outlier by M Gladwell
Cafe by the Sea by J Colgan
The Story of a Good Marriage by A Patchett

*runner ups
The Sound of Gravel by R Warnier
Dear Bob and Sue by Matt and Karen Smith
The Woman in Cabin 10 by R Warner
Trespassing Across America  by K Ilgunas

Here is the Monthly Breakdown

January
Better Than New by Nicole Curtis
Wish You Happy Forever by J Bowen
The Life We Bury by A Esken

February
The Sound of Gravel by R Warnier
The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines

March
Girls of Riyadh by R Alsanea

April
A Tender Struggle by K Bremer
Rise  by C Brookins
Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden

May
Finding Fraser by KC Dyer
Outlander by D Gabaldon

June
The Last Season by E Blehm
Life in Motion by M Copeland
Sisi by A Pataki
The Daring Ladies of Lowell by K Alcott
The Moon in the Palace by Weina Dai Randel
Trespassing Across America by K Ilgunas

July
The House by the Lake by T Harding
The Other Einstein
Voyager by D Gabaldon
The Wild Truth by Carnie McCandless

August
Traveling Light by L Branard
Unearthed by A Risen
At Home in the World by T Oxenreider
Dear Bob and Sue by Matt and Karen Smith

September
Outlier by M Gladwell
Cafe by the Sea by J Colgan

October
True Crime Addict by J Renner

November

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

December

June by M Bevelry -Whittemore
The Duchess by D Steele
The Story of a Good Marriage by A Patchett
The Runaway Princess by Hester Browne
The Whistler by J Grisham

The State of My Library Hold Life

Well, I have wrapped up what I am doing for summer reading. It seems appropriate to share what I have read on the first day of fall. I  even colored my library's summer reading log. Do you like?

I ended up reading 11 books for June, July, August and part of September. I didn't think that was too shabby.

My top Reads

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts- I read this while waiting to get my hands on the Thrill of the Chase- the real life treasure hunt of Forest Fenn. My review

This Tender Land - My Review

Sparks Like Stars - My Review - This is a completely current topic read as this was about the soviet invasion of Afghanistan- though a fictional account. Read what Nadia has to say about the Taliban takeover - here

The Comfort Book - My Review

Books that still are on my hold list

Broken by Jenny Lawson

While Justice sleep by Stacey Abrams

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave