Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Hey everyone, we are still here!

Hi friends. I just wanted to pop in quickly and let you know that we are ok. I'm writing this from work, because we have no power at home. This also means we have no heat, which has made things interesting as the temperatures drop (thank goodness I washed all of those blankets last week).

We have some damage in the backyard - a big tree is down and parts of our fence are destroyed. But we are very thankful because nothing damaged the house or our cars. David's school is closed until the power comes back on there and Halloween has been postponed in NJ until Monday.

These are some pictures from my hometown, where my parents still live (courtesy of the Atlantic Highlands Herald).

       


There is so much damage in the tri-state area. A lot of people lost their homes, either from flooding or from damage from falling trees. Thousands of people are without power and it will likely not be restored for many more days if not a week or two. If you would like to help, please consider donating to The Red Cross or the Salvation Army. And of course, your continued thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated. Thanks, everyone.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Review: Let's Take the Long Way Home

Let's Take the Long Way Home
A Memoir of Friendship
By Gail Caldwell
Random House 2010
205 pages
From the library

Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship

Gail Caldwell is a writer who is often a bit of a loner. She thrives on moments of quiet and rambles through the woods with her beloved dog. By chance, she happens to meet another writer - Caroline Knapp. The two connect on many levels: they both love their dogs, they both understand the joys and demands of the life of a writer, and they both share a past struggle with alcohol. Almost imperceptibly, the two become a necessary part of each other's lives. But life with someone you love is only half of the story. Caroline is diagnosed with cancer and Gail must learn about the rest of the tale - how to live when someone you love is gone.

Memoirs can be a tricky thing to write and to read. When we look back on our lives, it's easy to make excuses for the moments when we failed or to become overly sentimental. Caldwell manages to avoid both of these problems. Her memories of her best friend are truthful and sincere but not cloying. She writes about the ways they grew closer and the ways in which it seemed that they had always depended on each other to teach, to help, and to make the other grow in new ways. 

“Counting on each other became automatic. When I found a sweater in Texas I wanted, I learned to buy two, which was easier than seeing the look of disappointment on Caroline's face when I returned home with only one. When she went out from the boathouse on a windy day, she gave me her schedule in advance, which assuaged her worst-case scenario of flipping the boat, being hit on the head by an oar, and leaving Lucille stranded at home. I still have my set of keys to her house, to locks and doors that no longer exist, and I keep them in my glove compartment, where they have been moved from one car to another in the past couple of years. Someday I will throw them in the Charles, where I lost the seat to her boat and so much else.” 

It's wonderful to read a book about a friendship. So often we read about romance and the bonds of family, but there are few stories about the importance of a best friend. As we grow older, a true friend becomes a rare commodity and therefore, something to be treasured. Of course, Caldwell realizes that most friendships become strained by time and distance. Her situation is somewhat unusual in that she meets and loses her best friend within a few short years. She writes some truly breath-catching words about the depths and lengths of grief, such as this line: “Absence is a house so vast that inside you will pass through its walls and hang pictures on the air.” 

Let's Take the Long Way Home is a small, quiet book about one relationship among a whole lifetime of them. But as we all learn sooner or later, some relationships matter most in our lives and can live forever even if we lose someone who we love. This is a beautiful story about what it means to make a friend as an adult and the importance of that relationship. It's also a poignant look at losing someone you can't imagine living without. As one writer who loved another, perhaps this slim book is the greatest tribute that Gail could ever give her friend. 

Sunday, October 28, 2012

It's Monday and I have a giveaway!


So, first up is the good news. Today (Monday) is the last day for you to enter to win a copy of Double Blind, the brand new book from Brandilyn Collins. It's a really suspenseful read and it asks some very interesting questions about the medical industry. Go enter right now and then come back. 

All done? So now the bad news. As I write this, we are hunkering down in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy.  It does not look like it will be fun for those of us on the East coast. Schools and businesses are closed and we are expecting heavy rain and winds and lots of flooding. So if you live on the shoreline or in NY or NJ, please be careful. If you live elsewhere, all of your prayers and good thoughts would be much appreciated! 


Read This Week:
Wish You Were Here
By Stewart O'Nan

Posts from this Past Week:
Reviews of Double Blind (with giveaway!) and The Lifeboat

Reading Now:
The Last Tycoon
By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Up Next:
The World Is Bigger Now: An American Journalist's Release from Captivity in North Korea . . . A Remarkable Story of Faith, Family, and Forgiveness
The World is Bigger Now
By Euna Lee

What are you reading this week? 

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Review: The Lifeboat

The Lifeboat
By Charlotte Rogan
Reagan Arthur Books April 2012
274 pages
From the library

The Lifeboat

Grace Winter is 22 years old when she embarks on a journey to America with her new husband. When the ship sinks, Grace makes it into a lifeboat without Henry. The boat is overcrowded and full of conflicting personalities. As the weather worsens and no one comes to their rescue, the survivors have to make difficult decisions. What lengths will Grace go to in order to ensure that she makes it to safety? 

From the first pages, we know that Grace survives her ordeal at sea. In fact, she is on trial and writing down her recollections of those weeks in the lifeboat. But the reader is uncertain exactly what she is on trial for and who survived with her. The story goes back and forth between the present as Grace and her lawyers try to mount a defense and the past as tensions rise on a tiny lifeboat with limited supplies and lots of people in conflict.

I really wanted to like this book. It sounded like a fascinating premise. But the story fell flat for me. Grace is truly the main character in this novel. While we get a bit of information about her husband Henry and some of the people on the lifeboat, the only person who really gets a lot of attention is Grace. And yet I don't think you can say that we really know her. She is purposefully ambiguous. The people hearing her testimony and we who are reading it are supposed to be unsure about what is the truth and what Grace is twisting in order to look better. That, unfortunately, makes her a rather unlikable character. Perhaps it is because she is suffering from the trauma of her experience, but she comes across as completely detached from what is going on and oftentimes, her decisions don't seem to match up with her character.

It seems that this book is supposed to make us think about the choices we make when pushed to the most extreme of circumstances. It doesn't always accomplish this though, because the choices are either made by an ambivalent, unreliable narrator or by characters we hardly know. It's not bad for a first novel, but I had hoped for characters with more depth and development than we find in The Lifeboat.



Did you enter the giveaway yet for Brandilyn Collins' new book Double Blind? Check it out here. 

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Wednesdays with David: Ramona the Pest

Ramona the Pest
By Beverly Cleary
Yearling January 1982
192 pages
From our shelves

Ramona the Pest

The story: Ramona is finally going to kindergarten after living in the shadow of her sister Beezus for so many years. She loves her teacher, Miss Binney, who seems to be one of the few grownups who truly understands her. But this year is not without trials - Ramona can't seem to stop pulling the curls of one particularly aggravating classmate, her mother forces her to wear ugly hand me down boots, and she even has to endure a substitute teacher! 

Mama opines: I loved this series as a child and I'm really enjoying reading it with David. Ramona is the original precocious child and I think a lot of little kids relate to her excitement about finally being one of the big kids. As grownups, we sometimes forget about a lot of the things that really matter to little ones. Ramona helps us remember and perhaps even relate to our little ones a bit better. This is truly a wonderful book. If you haven't read it yet with your son or daughter, get to it! 

Thoughts from David: I love Framona the pest because it is the weirdest thing in the whole book land. I love it because it is so so awesome. It was the amazingest book I have ever seen in my life. 
Favorite part: My favorite part is when Ramona the pest dresses up in a witch costume. 


Happy Reading!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Review: Double Blind

Double Blind: A Novel
By Brandilyn Collins
B and H Publishing Group October 2012
325 pages
Received for Review

Double Blind: A Novel

Lisa Newberry is deep within the grips of depression. She has recently lost her husband after several heartbreaking attempts to have a child. On top of everything, she is attacked by a robber in a parking lot. She is utterly without hope until she receives a strange letter. She is offered the opportunity to become a part of a new medical trial. The Cognoscenti company will implant a chip in her brain that will emit electrical impulses. The researchers believe that this chip will cure depression. The catch is that Lisa will not know whether she is implanted with a real chip or a placebo. Is it worth the risk? And what will be the side effects of this promising new procedure?

Ms. Collins knows all about suspense and writing incredible twists and turns. Each time you think you have figured out what is happening, Lisa (and we as readers) find out that it can't possibly be what we thought. This book is full of intrigue as Lisa becomes a part of the shadowy world of pharmaceutical trials in which you sign away your right to fight and your fate is in the hands of an unknown few. The science presented seems entirely plausible, but the plot of the story is not overshadowed by medical jargon. 

It is easy to feel compassion for Lisa as you read Double Blind. You truly feel her desperation as she wonders how she will get through another day and then her exhilaration as she imagines a new life not darkened by depression. Depression is presented as a deeply crippling condition and I think Collins gives the illness the respect it deserves. Lisa is an engaging character and it is easy to cheer for her as she tries to leave her dark days behind her and search for the truth of what is going on with this medical trial.

I also really enjoyed what this book says about relationships. From the beginning, we learn that Lisa has a very strained relationship with her mother. Collins paints a realistic picture of a daughter who feels she can never live up to expectations and a mother trying to do her best to support her child. The journey that mother and daughter go through during this story feels realistic on every page and I think it gives the reader hope  that even the most broken bonds can be salvaged.

Double Blind is a page-turner that will do that thing that the best mysteries do - keep you up at night. You want Lisa to finally get a break from all of the difficulties of life and find happiness. Her desperation is palpable because you want to find answers just as much as she does. Ms. Collins has written a realistic story about the pain of depression, the promise of science, the dark side of power, and a thrilling search for justice. 


Want a copy of Double Blind for yourself? I am thrilled to be able to offer one copy of this book to a reader, courtesy of the DeMoss Group. If you want to win, leave a comment with your email address and let me know if you would ever get a chip implanted in your brain. I will announce the winner next Wednesday.  


To the ladies and gents of the FTC: I received this book from the DeMoss Group in exchange for an honest review. 

Sunday, October 21, 2012

It's Monday and I just got home...


Hi everybody! I'm back after a weekend away. I was in upstate NY here. It was so nice to spend time with my mom, my grandmother, and two of my sisters. It's always lovely to get away for a few days and not worry about doing the laundry or cleaning the house. That being said, it's wonderful to be home. I missed my two boys quite a bit. 

Read This Week:
The Imperfectionists
By Tom Rachman


Posts from this Week:


Reading Now:
Wish You Were Here
By Stewart O'Nan 

Up Next:
The Last Tycoon
By F. Scott Fitzgerald


What did you read this week? 

Friday, October 19, 2012

Review: The Devoted

The Devoted
By Jonathan Hull
Dancing Muse Press August 2012
315 pages
For review

The Devoted

As a child, Ryan Brooks was in a horrific car crash. His life was saved by a stranger who pulled him out of the burning wreckage. Every year since then, Mike O'Donnell sends Ryan a birthday card. One year, Ryan gets no card. He calls the O'Donnells and finds out that Mike is dying. Ryan decides he must head back to Wyoming to say goodbye to Mike and try to put into words the impact that he has had on his life. He immediately connects with Mike's wife Alessandra and his daughter Shannon. His trip ultimately becomes one of stories - the true story of what happened the day of the accident, the story of his parents, the story of Alessandra's past, and the story of Ryan and the O'Donnell family.

The Devoted is a beautifully written book about the ways in which secrets can eat away at those who keep them and love can sustain us for a lifetime. The characters are nuanced and wonderfully flawed. Each character is given enough attention that you feel you truly know them, from Ryan and Mike to Ryan's parents to Alessandra's family in a small Italian village. Everyone in this story is trying to do the best thing for the people they love. You are rooting for them to succeed, for their relationships to be salvaged, and for their lives to have a happy ending even when you suspect that it will not happen that way.

The storylines in the past and the present are equally compelling. So often, as readers, we find ourselves wishing to get back to one story or another. But in The Devoted, I was equally fascinated by Ryan's attempts to understand the man who saved his life and the story of Alessandra's coming of age in Italy during the Second World War. The transitions can sometimes be awkward. There were times when I was unsure that people who had barely met would open up to each other to such a great extent. But once those stories of love and loss began, I was completely engaged.

Jonathan Hull is an incredibly gifted writer. He easily puts the complexities of our lives and relationships into words and creates characters that you will be thinking of long after you close the book. The Devoted  is a complex story that will often surprise its readers with its rich family saga, sweeping history, and realistic love story. I am thrilled to have received this book and to have discovered Mr. Hull as an author. 


To the ladies and gentlemen of the FTC: This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Wednesdays with David: Wild Cats and Other Dangerous Predators

Wild Cats and Other Dangerous Predators
By Claire Oliver
Illustrated by Ross Watton
Paragon Publishing 2001
From our shelves

Wild Cats and Other Dangerous Predators: A Question and Answer Book

The Story: Well, this is a non-fiction book so there isn't a story exactly. This book is a question and answer format about dangerous animals. This book has information about wolves, big cats, bears, and hyenas. 

Mama opines: I like throwing in a non-fiction read in between all of the Berenstein Bears and Magic Treehouse books that we are reading around here lately. I think this book is a great pick for kids. It has a lot of information, but it's broken up so that the book doesn't feel information heavy. The illustrations are great, although they don't shy away from the circle of life. If your little one is sensitive, this might not be the best pick.

Thoughts from David: I love it because it was amazing. It was the best book I have ever seen in my entire life. I like the cover with all of the animals.
Favorite part: My favorite part is with the bear cubs.



What books about animals do you read with your kids?
 

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Review: Outcasts United

Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, An American Town
By Warren St. John
Spiegel and Grau 2009
307 pages
Borrowed from the library

Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town

Luma Mufleh moved to the United States from Jordan. She coached a team at the YMCA and ran a cafe, but found herself strangely unsatisfied. Almost by accident, she finds herself in the small town of Clarkston. Clarkston was a traditional small town with a huge and sudden influx of refugees. She finds boys from countries all over the world playing soccer in the streets. Luma decides that those boys need her more than her YMCA girls, and becomes the coach of a ragtag team called The Fugees. 

Mr. St. John does an excellent job of bringing Luma, the kids, and the town to life. While he cannot focus on all of the players (Luma eventually ends up with 3 teams), he does give insight into a variety of kids from different countries and the problems that they faced as young immigrants. Their lives are incredibly difficult - many of them have come to the US direct from war zones with incomplete families. There is little assistance for them to assimilate into their school system or for their parents to find jobs. Violence is no stranger to their lives in the US either, whether it is from immigrants from warring nations or from the 'old' residents of Clarkston's prejudice. That being said, St. John does not make the citizens of Clarkston villains. He points out the sense of confusion when it seems as if your town has literally changed overnight and the ease of misunderstanding across cultures. He is also quick to point out the ways in which people opened their arms and their town to the new residents.

This book is about a soccer team. and there is no shortage of stories about practices and games. As someone who grew up playing soccer, I loved reading the accounts. I think it is accessible to anyone though, even if the reader is not a soccer player or fan. It is fascinating to witness the players grow, as they go from boys who love soccer but not each other to a well-practiced team of boys who love and respect both their coach and each other. Luma does not have an easy job. In addition to honing the boy's athletic skills, she must fight for them to have a place to practice, ease the tensions between players of different ethnicities, and gain the trust and respect of children who have gone through some very dark situations.

You know it's the sign of a good book when you turn the last page and wish that there was more to read. I think that it says a lot about the story of Luma and her team - it's not over yet. Luma plans to continue to coach new generations and the experiences that the boys face as immigrants do not change once they become adults. This is a great book for anyone who loves the game of soccer but, more than that, it's a story that will (re)open your eyes to the difficulties that immigrants face in our country every day. 

Sunday, October 14, 2012

It's Monday and I am exhausted...


So a bookish thing happened this weekend. You may have heard of a little event known as the 24 Hour Readathon...I did not read for 24 hours, but I did read for almost 18. This means I read a few more books than usual this week. It also means I am ready to sleep for a solid 12 hours.

Read This Week:
The Devoted
By Jonathan Hull

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel
By Robin Sloan

Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship
By Gail Caldwell

The Lifeboat
The Lifeboat
By Charlotte Rogan

Double Blind: A Novel
Double Blind
By Brandilyn Collins

Posts from this Week:
It's Monday 
Wednesdays with David
Review of Brick Lane 
Readathon Posts

Reading Next:
The Imperfectionists
The Imperfectionists
By Tom Rachman


I'm off to write a review or two or five....What did you read this week? 

The Readathon: Hour 17

Well friends, I am heading off to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day.
During this readathon, I got to cheer for almost every blogger assigned to my cheering team. This was my first time cheering and it was a blast. It's great to break up your reading by seeing what other readers are up to. I am happy to report that I finished reading all 3 of the books I planned to read today.

Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship

149 pages read
Finished!!


The Lifeboat

274 pages read
Finished!

Double Blind: A Novel

325 pages read
Finished!

That's a total of 748 pages. This year's readathon = success.

To all of you intrepid readers going for the full 24 hours, you are amazing. Have fun! To everyone who worked so hard to put this all together, thank you so much. Goodnight, all!

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Saturday, October 13, 2012

The Readathon: Hour 13

Guys, guys, I'm still here!!! I was reading and then there was some napping, and then we had to take a trip to Target...you know how it goes.

Anyway, here is what I have been reading the past few hours:

Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship

149 pages read
Finished!!

The Lifeboat

215 pages read
59 pages to go...

I hope you are all reading some great books. I'm off to check off some mini-challenges and go cheer on some intrepid readers. See you in a while!

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The Readathon: Hour 7

Hi everyone! I'm still here! Well, I wasn't...but now I am again. We headed over to the church this morning for a breakfast and to do some work. Then my lovely in-laws were here for a while. So...now I am in for the long haul! :)

I've been reading my book for a while outside while David rode his bike. So here is the progress so far.

Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship

8 a.m. - on page 57
Now - on page 181
25 pages left!

Next up will be The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan. I'm off to do some cheering. I'll check back in later! Happy Reading, Readathoners!

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The Readathon: It Begins!

It's here, guys and gals! The 24 Hour Readathon kicked off about ten minutes ago and I am happily sitting on the couch in my pjs with computer and book. The little guy is playing the other room and we have a little bit of time before we have to hop over to the church for a fellowship breakfast. So...the first book up to day is Let's Take The Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell. I was going to start fresh with new books today, but I finished my other book on Thursday night and really, who can go a whole day without reading?

So....here are the beginning numbers.

Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship

On page 57 at 8 a.m.
149 pages to go!


Introductory Questionnaire

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? The lovely state of NJ (If you say that it is the armpit of the country, I will have to come fight you. And I really don't want to fight....or interrupt my reading)

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? I would say The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan, although I am really enjoying my current read so far. 


3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? All snacks. What kind of crazy question is this? 


4) Tell us a little something about yourself! Uh...well...I like to read? And sing and play the piano and bake things. I do not like to clean or do puzzles. I am terrible at puzzles. 


5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to? Well, I'm cheering for the first time, so that will be different! 


See you later, friends! Read on! 

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Friday, October 12, 2012

Let's Do the Readathon Again!

I would be a very bad book blogging friend indeed if I didn't make sure you were going to the coolest book event of the fall tomorrow. Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon kicks off tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. in my neck of the woods. It will be my third time taking part in this awesome event.

What is this readathon, you ask? Well, almost 400 readers have signed up to read for 24 hours (or as close to that as they can get). You can post on your blog or on twitter with your updates on what books you are reading, how many pages you have read, and what delicious snacks you are munching on. There are also hourly check-ins on the 24 Hour Readathon website. These check-ins encourage you to keep reading, provide fun questions for you to answer, and send you off to do mini-challenges to give you a little break from all of those pages. Did I mention there are prizes for the challenges?

So...if you are planning to read tomorrow, let me know what you are going to be reading in the comments. I will be starting with these guys:

           The Lifeboat   Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship   Double Blind: A Novel

 If you haven't signed up yet, get thee to the website! It's a ton of fun and there is really no pressure. You can read as much or as little as you like. See you tomorrow at the Readathon!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Review: Brick Lane

Brick Lane
By Monica Ali
Black Swan Books 2004
492 pages
Borrowed from a friend

Brick Lane

As an eighteen year old girl, Nazneen is given in marriage to a man she has never met. Her husband, Chanu, takes her from her home in Bangladesh to London. Since childhood, Nazneen has been reminded that she was left to her fate as a baby and should continue to do so. So she tries to make the best of her situation, listening to each of her husband's impossible schemes, raising their children, and tending to their increasingly cluttered apartment. But tensions are rising in London between immigrants and long time residents. As things begin to change around her, will Nazneen finally change as well?

This is a good novel. It brings up a lot of interesting questions. Can immigrants become a part of a new community or will they always be outsiders? How can women overcome their oppressive upbringings? Can we ever truly leave our pasts behind? While it was a thought-provoking read, it ultimately suffered from two major problems.

The first problem is that no book could ever live up to the amount of hype that surrounds this novel. The edition that I read exclaims on the front cover that it was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize and then opens to four pages of ecstatic blurbs from every publication in London and the US. As I read, I had one of those moments where I wondered if I was reading the same book that they all gushed so enthusiastically about.

The second problem is the length. The reader knows just from looking at the back cover that Nazneen is going to go through some change. We know that she will begin an affair with a younger man who is involved in the uprisings. But it takes an incredibly long time to get there. Karim, the man in question, does not show up for 200 pages. Brick Lane is very repetitive. I have to imagine that this is a conscious decision on Ali's part, that she gives the husband so many schemes and ways to berate his wife in order to show the painful monotony of her days. In spite of all of these pages, I never felt connected to the characters. Part of that may be their cultural upbringing - Nazneen is told to let fate do what it will. But those circumstances don't make for captivating reading.

While I'm talking about the things that bothered me, there was one smaller bit that drove me crazy. Nazneen often gets letters from her sister Hasina who lives back in Bangladesh.  Her life is very different from Nazneen's and the relationship between the sisters is one of the most interesting parts of the story. We know that Nazneen speaks very little English, so we can only assume that her sister writes to her in her native tongue. For some reason, Ali chooses to represent Hasina's writing in Bengali as extremely mangled English. This was an irritating and confusing choice.

Brick Lane is a very long book where not much happens. It is not a terrible book - it will give you some insight into the lives of immigrants in modern times and the struggles between a traditional upbringing and a modern world. I wish it had been a shorter book with characters who do more and evolve more. As it stands, it was a disappointing experience for me. 

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Wednesdays with David: The Great Fairy Tales Treasure Chest

The Great Fairy Tales Treasure Chest IV
Tormont Publications 1992
Adaptation by Jane Brierley
Text by Peter Holeinone
Illustrations by Tony Wolf, Piero Cattaneo, and Severino Baraldi




The Stories: This collection of fairy tales includes the well known stories of The Golden Goose and The Pied Piper of Hamlin along with lesser known stories such as Sasha, Mansor, and the Storks and The Red Dragon. These huge books are good for cuddling over and have gorgeous illustrations that accompany each story.

Mama opines: This collection belonged to me as a child and I read these stories over and over again. I like that it has a mix of fairy tales from different cultures and it has some that are laugh out loud funny (as David discovered today) and some that are a little scary, like The Witch in the Tower. Today, we only read The Golden Goose and The Pied Piper of Hamlin. It takes a little bit of convincing these days to read something we haven't experienced before.

Thoughts from David: I like The Golden Goose because it’s so cool. And that’s because I love it so much.
Favorite part: It’s when they get stuck together in a parade.


What is your favorite fairy tale to read with your little one? 
 

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Review: Gone Missing

Gone Missing
By Linda Castillo
Minotaur Books 2012
277 pages
Won from Nise of Under the Boardwalk

Gone Missing (Kate Burkholder, #4)

Kate Burkholder is the chief of police in a small town in Ohio. She works in two very different worlds - the modern town of Painter's Mill and the traditional Amish community that dwells within it. Kate grew up Amish, but left her church as a teenager, which gives her unique insight into the lives of both the Amish and the Englishers. When State Agent John Tomasetti asks her to assist on a case involving a missing Amish girl, Kate wonders if it is connected to the cold cases of other missing Amish teens. Are Amish teens enjoying rumspringa and then choosing a modern life or is something more sinister at work in this close community?

Gone Missing is the fourth novel by Castillo with Kate Burkholder as the protagonist. But this doesn't mean that it can't be read as a standalone. We get just enough information about Kate to understand how she works as a police officer, her history with the Amish people, and her growing relationship with Agent Tomasetti. As a character, Kate is very engaging. She is strong and self-assured, but has doubts too. She regrets the distance she has from her family, who are still Amish. She is invested in her relationship with Tomasetti, but unsure where it will go with two officers working difficult jobs in different towns. Her moments of hesitation with the people she loves balance out the tough demeanor necessary for her to succeed as a female police chief.

The mystery speeds along with a lot of tension and perfect pacing. The actual plot is interesting, but I wonder how plausible it is. Kate and John discover a dark side to the seemingly simple Amish life. When young people go through their rumspringa, they are allowed to partake in English life and experience the things that normal teens take for granted - blue jeans, driving, cell phones, cigarettes and drinking. Their choices lead to problems between the extremely conservative, religious, Amish people and their teenagers as they engage in behavior that is seen as a sin. This is a dark and very violent story. While I was very engaged, I have to wonder how many stories Castillo can come up with portraying the Amish people as villains.

Gone Missing is a fascinating mix between a gritty mystery novel and the stories of the Amish people that are so popular these days. Kate Burkholder is a great character and I am interested to see what else Castillo has in store for her. I am willing to overlook my skepticism about the amount of crime stories in an Amish community in order to enjoy an excellently paced mystery with a wonderful protagonist. 

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Ladies and Gents, It's Monday!


Hello there, reading friends! How were your weeks? We had a good week, and today (Monday) we are off to the aquarium with some of my siblings. David is in love with a TV show called The Octonauts, which is all about cartoon animals saving sea creatures. I have a feeling he is going to have a blast. 

I'm getting back into the swing of reading after a slow week last week. I really liked Outcasts United and the first few chapters of The Devoted are flying. It's so nice to love books again!


Read This Week:
Brick Lane
By Monica Ali


Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town
By Warren St. John


Posts from this Past Week:


Reading Now:
The Devoted
The Devoted
By Jonathan Hull


Up Next: 
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel
By Robin Sloan 


What are you reading this week?