Monday, December 30, 2013
Skipping Christmas Comments
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Voting for February
It's that time again. Time for our two book choices for the month of February are here. Voting starts today and will end Saturday, January 4th.
If I Stay
by Gayle Forman
In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, this will change the way you look at life, love, and family. Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.
Austenland
by Shannon Hale
Jane is a young New York woman who can never seem to find the right man-perhaps because of her secret obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Predjudice. When a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-obsessed women, however, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become more real than she ever could have imagined. Is this total immersion in a fake Austenland enough to make Jane kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Christmas Shoes December Book Comments
I finished before the end of the month and figured I would start a new post.
Monday, December 9, 2013
January's Book
Our book for January is The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal
If you have any book suggestions for our list please leave them in the comments so I can add them. Voting for our February book will start Sunday, December 29 and will go through Saturday, January 4th. Be sure to check in then and cast your vote.
Monday, December 2, 2013
January Voting
I got a little caught up in Thanksgiving and completely forgot it was time to start voting for our January book. Sorry for the little delay but here are the choices for our January book. Voting will start today and will run through Sunday, December 8th.
Elantris
The False Princess
Elantris
by Brandon Sanderson
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson is a rare epic fantasy that is a
complete and satisfying story in one volume. Elantris is fleet and fun,
full of surprises and characters to care about.
Elantris was the capital of Arelon: gigantic, beautiful, literally radiant, filled with benevolent beings who used their powerful magical abilities for the benefit of all. Yet each of these demigods was once an ordinary person until touched by the mysterious transforming power of the Shaod. Ten years ago, without warning, the magic failed. Elantrians became wizened, leper-like, powerless creatures, and Elantris itself dark, filthy, and crumbling.
Arelon's new capital, Kae, crouches in the shadow of Elantris. Princess Sarene of Teod arrives for a marriage of state with Crown Prince Raoden, hoping -- based on their correspondence -- to also find love. She finds instead that Raoden has died and she is considered his widow. Both Teod and Arelon are under threat as the last remaining holdouts against the imperial ambitions of the ruthless religious fanatics of Fjordell. So Sarene decides to use her new status to counter the machinations of Hrathen, a Fjordell high priest who has come to Kae to convert Arelon and claim it for his emperor and his god.
But neither Sarene nor Hrathen suspect the truth about Prince Raoden. Stricken by the same curse that ruined Elantris, Raoden was secretly exiled by his father to the dark city. His struggle to help the wretches trapped there begins a series of events that will bring hope to Arelon, and perhaps reveal the secret of Elantris itself.
Elantris was the capital of Arelon: gigantic, beautiful, literally radiant, filled with benevolent beings who used their powerful magical abilities for the benefit of all. Yet each of these demigods was once an ordinary person until touched by the mysterious transforming power of the Shaod. Ten years ago, without warning, the magic failed. Elantrians became wizened, leper-like, powerless creatures, and Elantris itself dark, filthy, and crumbling.
Arelon's new capital, Kae, crouches in the shadow of Elantris. Princess Sarene of Teod arrives for a marriage of state with Crown Prince Raoden, hoping -- based on their correspondence -- to also find love. She finds instead that Raoden has died and she is considered his widow. Both Teod and Arelon are under threat as the last remaining holdouts against the imperial ambitions of the ruthless religious fanatics of Fjordell. So Sarene decides to use her new status to counter the machinations of Hrathen, a Fjordell high priest who has come to Kae to convert Arelon and claim it for his emperor and his god.
But neither Sarene nor Hrathen suspect the truth about Prince Raoden. Stricken by the same curse that ruined Elantris, Raoden was secretly exiled by his father to the dark city. His struggle to help the wretches trapped there begins a series of events that will bring hope to Arelon, and perhaps reveal the secret of Elantris itself.
The False Princess
by Eilis O'Neal
Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at
court. But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth
birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has
been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes
on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari,
her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.
Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.
Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.
A dazzling first novel, The False Princess is an engrossing fantasy full of mystery, action, and romance.
Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.
Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.
A dazzling first novel, The False Princess is an engrossing fantasy full of mystery, action, and romance.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
The Light in the Ruins
Sunday, November 3, 2013
December's Book Choice
There was a tie in our voting this month so I was thinking that the month of December could just be a choose your own book month. What do you think? Just pick one of the two choices and then come back and let us know what you thought. If you're not thrilled with this idea or have another thought, I'm open to ideas and suggestions on what we should do for December.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
December Book Voting
Here are our book selections for the month of December. Voting starts today and will run through Saturday, November 2. Also, I have just noticed that the number of those participating has dropped a lot in the last few months. I know we are all quite busy, and that's ok, but if you know someone that would like to be a part of our book club feel free to pass the information on to them so they can join us. As always, if you have any books you'd like to read, leave them in the comments so they can be added to our list.
The Christmas Shoes
by Donna VanLiere
Sometimes, the things that can change your life will cross your path in one instant-and then, in a fleeting moment, they're gone. But if you open your eyes, and watch carefully, you will believe....
Robert is a successful attorney who has everything in life-and nothing at all. Focused on professional achievement and material rewards, Robert is on the brink of losing his marriage. He has lost sight of his wife, Kate, their two daughters, and ultimately himself. Eight year old Nathan has a beloved mother, Maggie, whom he is losing to cancer. But Nathan and his family are building a simple yet full life, and struggling to hold onto every moment they have together. A chance meeting on Christmas Even brings Robert and Nathan together-he is shopping for a family he hardly knows and Nathan is shopping for a mother he is soon to lose. In this one encounter, their lives are forever altered as Robert learns an important lesson: sometimes the smallest things can make all the difference. The Christmas Shoes is a universal story of the deeper meaning of serendipity, a tale of our shared humanity, and of how a power greater than ourselves can shape, and even save, our lives.
Skipping Christmas
by John Grisham
Luther and Nora Krank are fed up with the chaos of Christmas. The endless shopping lists, the frenzied dashes through the mall, the hassle of decorating the tree... where has all the joy gone? This year, celebrating seems like too much effort. With their only child off in Peru, they decide that just this once, they'll skip the holidays. They spend their Christmas budget on a Caribbean cruise set to sail on December 25, and happily settle in for a restful holiday season free of rooftop snowmen and festive parties.
But the Kranks soon learn that their vacation from Christmas isn't much of a vacation at all, and that skipping the holidays has consequences they didn't bargain for...
A modern Christmas classic, Skipping Christmas is a charming and hilarious look at the mayhem and madness that have become ingrained in our holiday tradition.
The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere
Sometimes, the things that can change your life will cross your path in one instant-and then, in a fleeting moment, they're gone. But if you open your eyes, and watch carefully, you will believe....
Robert is a successful attorney who has everything in life-and nothing at all. Focused on professional achievement and material rewards, Robert is on the brink of losing his marriage. He has lost sight of his wife, Kate, their two daughters, and ultimately himself. Eight year old Nathan has a beloved mother, Maggie, whom he is losing to cancer. But Nathan and his family are building a simple yet full life, and struggling to hold onto every moment they have together. A chance meeting on Christmas Even brings Robert and Nathan together-he is shopping for a family he hardly knows and Nathan is shopping for a mother he is soon to lose. In this one encounter, their lives are forever altered as Robert learns an important lesson: sometimes the smallest things can make all the difference. The Christmas Shoes is a universal story of the deeper meaning of serendipity, a tale of our shared humanity, and of how a power greater than ourselves can shape, and even save, our lives.
Skipping Christmasby John Grisham
Luther and Nora Krank are fed up with the chaos of Christmas. The endless shopping lists, the frenzied dashes through the mall, the hassle of decorating the tree... where has all the joy gone? This year, celebrating seems like too much effort. With their only child off in Peru, they decide that just this once, they'll skip the holidays. They spend their Christmas budget on a Caribbean cruise set to sail on December 25, and happily settle in for a restful holiday season free of rooftop snowmen and festive parties.
But the Kranks soon learn that their vacation from Christmas isn't much of a vacation at all, and that skipping the holidays has consequences they didn't bargain for...
A modern Christmas classic, Skipping Christmas is a charming and hilarious look at the mayhem and madness that have become ingrained in our holiday tradition.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
November's Book
Voting for our December book will start October 27 and go through November 2.
If you have any suggestions for some Christmas books for us to read in December leave them in the comments.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
November Voting
Our voting choices for the month of November are here. Voting will begin today and will continue through Sunday September 29th. Just another reminder that if you have any Christmas books you might like to read in the month of December leave them in the comments so I can add them to the list. Thank you!
Unbroken
by Laura Hillenbrand
On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.
The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.
Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.
In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. Telling an unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.
My So Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife
by Sara Horn
Author Sara Horn always admired the Proverbs 31 wife, but when she became a busy writer and mother, she deemed this model to be dated and impossible. Or is it? Join Sara as she heads into a one-year domestic experiment and offers full access to see if this biblical model can be embraced by a modern woman—even one who can’t sew.
With humility and humor, Sara sets out to pursue the Proverbs 31 characteristics through immersing herself in all things domestic, but when her family's situation changes and she must return to a full-time job, she's forced to look at the Proverbs 31 woman with a whole new viewpoint. Through it all, she and readers discover:
- what it means to be a godly woman and a wife
- how investing in family and faith refines priorities as a spouse and a parent
- how mistakes are opportunities for growth
This thought-provoking, surprising, and entertaining personal account will inspire women to try their own experiments in living out God’s purpose for their lives.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Sunday, September 1, 2013
October's Book
October's book will be The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian.
Come back September 22nd for the choices and voting for the month of November.
Also, coming up on December's voting, if you have any Christmas themed books you'd like to read let me know so we can vote on them for the holidays.
Happy Reading.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
October's Book Selections
It's time to choose our next book. Voting for our October book selection will start today and go until Sunday, September 1st. Also, please remember that if there are any book out there you have been wanting to read and would like to read them with us, leave their titles and authors in the comments and I will add them to the list. I worry that the list is starting to look a lot like my book wish list. There aren't many suggestions from you guys on there.
The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.
The Light in the Ruins
By Chris Bohjalian
1943: Tucked away in the idyllic hills south of Florence, the Rosatis, an Italian family of noble lineage, believe that the walls of their ancient villa will keep them safe from the war raging across Europe. Eighteen-year-old Cristina spends her days swimming in the pool, playing with her young niece and nephew, and wandering aimlessly amid the estate’s gardens and olive groves. But when two soldiers, a German and an Italian, arrive at the villa asking to see an ancient Etruscan burial site, the Rosatis’ bucolic tranquility is shattered. A young German lieutenant begins to court Cristina, the Nazis descend upon the estate demanding hospitality, and what was once their sanctuary becomes their prison.
1955: Serafina Bettini, an investigator with the Florence police department, has her own demons. A beautiful woman, Serafina carefully hides her scars along with her haunting memories of the war. But when she is assigned to a gruesome new case—a serial killer targeting the Rosatis, murdering the remnants of the family one-by-one in cold blood—Serafina finds herself digging into a past that involves both the victims and her own tragic history.
Set against an exquisitely rendered Italian countryside, The Light in the Ruins unveils a breathtaking story of moral paradox, human frailty, and the mysterious ways of the heart.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Monday, August 5, 2013
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Here are our book choices for September. Voting will go until August 3rd.
More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings—merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.
As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students study the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing—kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery—one that will change Rithmatics—and their world—forever. Bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings his unique brand of epic storytelling to the teen audience with an engrossing tale of danger and suspense—the first of a series. With his trademark skills in world-building, Sanderson has created a magic system that is so inventive and detailed that that readers who appreciate games of strategy and tactics just may want to bring Rithmatics to life in our world.
The Cuckoo's Calling
The Rithmatist
by Brandon Sanderson
More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings—merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.
As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students study the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing—kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery—one that will change Rithmatics—and their world—forever. Bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings his unique brand of epic storytelling to the teen audience with an engrossing tale of danger and suspense—the first of a series. With his trademark skills in world-building, Sanderson has created a magic system that is so inventive and detailed that that readers who appreciate games of strategy and tactics just may want to bring Rithmatics to life in our world.
The Cuckoo's Calling
by Robert Galbraith
The Cuckoo's Calling is a 2013 crime fiction novel by J. K. Rowling,
published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
A brilliant mystery in a classic vein: Detective Cormoran Strike investigates a supermodel's suicide.
A brilliant mystery in a classic vein: Detective Cormoran Strike investigates a supermodel's suicide.
After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is
barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and
creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend
and is living in his office.
Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, thelegendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.
You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.
Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, thelegendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.
You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.
Monday, July 8, 2013
August's Book
We will start voting for our September selection July 28. If you have any additional books you would like to read, let me know and I will add them to our list for random selection. Until then... Happy Reading.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Heaven Is Here
It's time for your thoughts and comments on our June book, "Heaven Is Here" by Stephanie Nielson.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Voting
So I was so proud of myself for being on top of things and getting the book selection post all ready ahead of time and not forgetting about it this month. Today I remembered that I had not cast my vote yet so I headed over here to do so. That is when I realized that I had been on top of things as far as posting the book choices but I had completely forgotten to make the poll. (Insert head slap here). Not having a poll makes it a bit difficult to cast your vote. I have fixed that now and the poll is up and running. Because of my delay I have extended voting to go through July 3. Sorry about that.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
August Book Selections
It's that time again. Time to vote for your book choice for the month of August. Voting will go until June 30th.
In Paradise, nothing is what it seems...
THE FORGOTTEN
Army Special Agent John Puller is the best there is. A combat veteran, Puller is the man the U.S. Army relies on to investigate the toughest crimes facing the nation. Now he has a new case-but this time, the crime is personal: His aunt has been found dead in Paradise, Florida.
A picture-perfect town on Florida's Gulf Coast, Paradise thrives on the wealthy tourists and retirees drawn to its gorgeous weather and beaches. The local police have ruled his aunt's death an unfortunate, tragic accident. But just before she died, she mailed a letter to Puller's father, telling him that beneath its beautiful veneer, Paradise is not all it seems to be.
What Puller finds convinces him that his aunt's death was no accident . . . and that the palm trees and sandy beaches of Paradise may hide a conspiracy so shocking that some will go to unthinkable lengths to make sure the truth is never revealed.
Is there really such thing as a lucky charm? The hero of Nicholas Sparks's new novel believes he's found one in the form of a photograph of a smiling woman he's never met, but who he comes to believe holds the key to his destiny. The chain of events that leads to him possessing the photograph and finding the woman pictured in it is the stuff of love stories only a master such as Sparks can write.
The Forgotten
By David Baldacci
By David Baldacci
In Paradise, nothing is what it seems...
THE FORGOTTEN
Army Special Agent John Puller is the best there is. A combat veteran, Puller is the man the U.S. Army relies on to investigate the toughest crimes facing the nation. Now he has a new case-but this time, the crime is personal: His aunt has been found dead in Paradise, Florida.
A picture-perfect town on Florida's Gulf Coast, Paradise thrives on the wealthy tourists and retirees drawn to its gorgeous weather and beaches. The local police have ruled his aunt's death an unfortunate, tragic accident. But just before she died, she mailed a letter to Puller's father, telling him that beneath its beautiful veneer, Paradise is not all it seems to be.
What Puller finds convinces him that his aunt's death was no accident . . . and that the palm trees and sandy beaches of Paradise may hide a conspiracy so shocking that some will go to unthinkable lengths to make sure the truth is never revealed.
The Lucky One
By Nicholas Sparks
Is there really such thing as a lucky charm? The hero of Nicholas Sparks's new novel believes he's found one in the form of a photograph of a smiling woman he's never met, but who he comes to believe holds the key to his destiny. The chain of events that leads to him possessing the photograph and finding the woman pictured in it is the stuff of love stories only a master such as Sparks can write.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
July's Book
July's book is Crossed by Ally Condie. I did just want to say something about The Paris Wife though. I voted for Crossed but only because I had already ready The Paris Wife. I really enjoyed The Paris Wife and if any of you have the opportunity to read it, I would recommend it. Even if it doesn't show up here again for a little while. Ok, that being said, I wanted to put it out there again that if you have any suggestions or ideas for books please be sure to leave them in the comments so I can add them to the list from which I randomly select our choices for voting. We haven't added any new ones lately and I'd love to keep adding new, fun ideas.
Choices and voting for our August book selection will be up around June 23rd so be sure to check back.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Wildflower Hill
Friday, May 24, 2013
July Book Choices
And our two choices for July's book are up. Voting will continue through May 31.
Crossed
by Ally Condie
The highly anticipated second book in the Matched trilogy!
Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky--taken by Society to his certain death--only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life . . . and the enthralling promise of rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices everything to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game. On the edge of Society, nothing is as expected, and crosses and double crosses make Cassia's path more twisted than ever.
The Paris Wife
by Paula Mclain
Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking, fast-living, and free-loving life of Jazz Age Paris. As Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history and pours himself into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises, Hadley strives to hold on to her sense of self as her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Eventually they find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.
A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.
Monday, May 6, 2013
June
I will have our selections and voting for our July book up around May 24th.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
June's Voting Selections
I have to admit that is always kind of fun for me to put the list of books into the randomizing web site and see what comes up. I love that there is no rhyme or reason to it and that I never know what is going to pop up. Sometimes it really surprises me with how similar titles can come up in the same month. We've have World War II themed books in the same month, we've had young adult fiction choices in the same month, and now here we have 2 non fiction memoir type books. I mean really, what are the odds? Anyway, that is my little side note and with that here are our two voting choices for the month of June. Voting will remain open until Saturday, May 2nd. Happy Reading.
No Where Near Normal: A Memoir of OCD
When all the neighborhood kids were playing outdoors, seven-year-old Traci Foust was inside making sure the miniature Catholic saint statues on her windowsill always pointed north, scratching out bald patches on her scalp, and snapping her fingers after every utterance of the word God. As Traci grew older, her OCD blossomed to include panic attacks and bizarre behaviors, including a fear of the sun, an obsession with contracting eradicated diseases, and the idea that she could catch herself on fire just by thinking about it. While stints of therapy -- and lots of Nyquil -- sometimes helped, nothing alleviated the fact that her single mother and mid-life crisis father had no idea how to deal with her. Traci Foust shares her wacky and compelling journey with brutal honesty, from becoming a teenage runaway on the poetry slam beat in the hippie beach towns of Northern California to living at a family-owned nursing home, in a room with a seventy-five- year-old WWII Vet who kept mistaking her for a prostitute. In this funny, frenetic, and wonderfully dark-humored account of her struggles with a variety of psychological disorders, Traci ultimately concludes that there is nothing special about being “normal.”
Heaven is Here: An Incredible Story of Hope, Triumph, and Every day Joy
Stephanie Nielson began sharing her life in 2005, drawing readers in with her warmth and candor. She quickly attracted a loyal following that was captivated by the upbeat mother happily raising her young children, madly in love with her husband, Christian (Mr. Nielson to her readers), and filled with gratitude for her blessed life.
However, everything changed in an instant on a sunny day in August 2008, when Stephanie and Christian were in a horrific plane crash. Christian was burned over 40 percent of his body, and Stephanie was on the brink of death, with burns over 80 percent of her body. She would remain in a coma for four months.
In the aftermath of this harrowing tragedy, Stephanie maintained a stunning sense of humor, optimism, and resilience. She has since shared this strength of spirit with others through her blog, in magazine features, and on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Now, in this moving memoir, Stephanie tells the full, extraordinary story of her unlikely recovery and the incredible love behind it—from a riveting account of the crash to all that followed in its wake. With vivid detail, Stephanie recounts her emotional and physical journey, from her first painful days after awakening from the coma to the first time she saw her face in the mirror, the first kiss she shared with Christian after the accident, and the first time she talked to her children after their long separation. She also reflects back on life before the accident, to her happy childhood as one of nine siblings, her close-knit community and strong Mormon faith, and her fairy-tale love story, all of which became her foundation of strength as she rebuilt her life.
What emerges from the wreckage of a tragic accident is a unique perspective on joy, beauty, and overcoming adversity that is as gripping as it is inspirational. Heaven Is Here is a poignant reminder of how faith and family, love and community can bolster us, sustain us, and quite literally, in some cases, save us.
No Where Near Normal: A Memoir of OCD
By Traci Foust
When all the neighborhood kids were playing outdoors, seven-year-old Traci Foust was inside making sure the miniature Catholic saint statues on her windowsill always pointed north, scratching out bald patches on her scalp, and snapping her fingers after every utterance of the word God. As Traci grew older, her OCD blossomed to include panic attacks and bizarre behaviors, including a fear of the sun, an obsession with contracting eradicated diseases, and the idea that she could catch herself on fire just by thinking about it. While stints of therapy -- and lots of Nyquil -- sometimes helped, nothing alleviated the fact that her single mother and mid-life crisis father had no idea how to deal with her. Traci Foust shares her wacky and compelling journey with brutal honesty, from becoming a teenage runaway on the poetry slam beat in the hippie beach towns of Northern California to living at a family-owned nursing home, in a room with a seventy-five- year-old WWII Vet who kept mistaking her for a prostitute. In this funny, frenetic, and wonderfully dark-humored account of her struggles with a variety of psychological disorders, Traci ultimately concludes that there is nothing special about being “normal.”
Heaven is Here: An Incredible Story of Hope, Triumph, and Every day Joy
By Stephanie Nielson
Stephanie Nielson began sharing her life in 2005, drawing readers in with her warmth and candor. She quickly attracted a loyal following that was captivated by the upbeat mother happily raising her young children, madly in love with her husband, Christian (Mr. Nielson to her readers), and filled with gratitude for her blessed life.
However, everything changed in an instant on a sunny day in August 2008, when Stephanie and Christian were in a horrific plane crash. Christian was burned over 40 percent of his body, and Stephanie was on the brink of death, with burns over 80 percent of her body. She would remain in a coma for four months.
In the aftermath of this harrowing tragedy, Stephanie maintained a stunning sense of humor, optimism, and resilience. She has since shared this strength of spirit with others through her blog, in magazine features, and on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Now, in this moving memoir, Stephanie tells the full, extraordinary story of her unlikely recovery and the incredible love behind it—from a riveting account of the crash to all that followed in its wake. With vivid detail, Stephanie recounts her emotional and physical journey, from her first painful days after awakening from the coma to the first time she saw her face in the mirror, the first kiss she shared with Christian after the accident, and the first time she talked to her children after their long separation. She also reflects back on life before the accident, to her happy childhood as one of nine siblings, her close-knit community and strong Mormon faith, and her fairy-tale love story, all of which became her foundation of strength as she rebuilt her life.
What emerges from the wreckage of a tragic accident is a unique perspective on joy, beauty, and overcoming adversity that is as gripping as it is inspirational. Heaven Is Here is a poignant reminder of how faith and family, love and community can bolster us, sustain us, and quite literally, in some cases, save us.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Comments for April's Book "Saving CeeCee Honeycutt"
I know Erica's been busy and we all can start a post so I figured I would do it this month. I keep reading the books at the beginning of the month and then it is hard to remmebr all that I thought about it later on. I am going to leave my comments and favorite quotes to this posting, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.~Rebecca Howard
Thursday, April 11, 2013
May
It would appear that this is just not my month! I have been late with posts all the way around this month. My apologies. I have been out of town for our Spring Break and checking in on the voting completely slipped my mind. As a matter of fact, voting completely slipped my mind, however I was having a really hard time choosing between the two books so perhaps it is best this way. I am excited to read Wildflower Hill and will be hoping to see Austenland pop up again soon. I will try to post in a more timely fashion with our June selection choices. I hope to start the voting about the 26th of April. Be sure to check back. Until then, Happy Reading!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
May Voting Selections - Better Late Than Never
I have to apologize. The end of March came and went, without me really even noticing that it had happened, and I am just now noticing that I am a week behind in getting up our voting choices for the month of May. I hope this doesn't cause too big of an inconvenience for anyone. Voting will begin immediately and will continue through Sunday, April 7th. Here are our two choices for consideration.
Wildflower Hill
by Kimberley Freeman
Emma, a prima ballerina in London, is at a crossroads after an injured knee
ruins her career. Forced to rest and take stock of her life, she finds that
she’s mistaken fame and achievement for love and fulfillment. Returning home to
Australia, she learns of her grandmother Beattie’s death and a strange
inheritance: a sheep station in isolated rural Australia. Certain she has been
saddled with an irritating burden, Emma prepares to leave for Wildflower Hill to
sell the estate.
Beattie also found herself at a crossroads as a young woman, but she was
pregnant and unwed. She eventually found success—but only after following an
unconventional path that was often dangerous and heartbreaking. Beattie knew the
lessons she learned in life would be important to Emma one day, and she wanted
to make sure Emma’s heart remained open to love, no matter what life brought.
She knew the magic of the Australian wilderness would show Emma the way.
Wildflower Hill is a compelling, atmospheric, and romantic novel about
taking risks, starting again, and believing in yourself. It’s about finding out
what you really want and discovering that the answer might be not at all what
you’d expect.
Austenland
by Shannon Hale
Jane is a young New York woman who can never seem to find the right man-perhaps
because of her secret obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the
BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. When a wealthy relative bequeaths her a
trip to an English resort catering to Austen-obsessed women, however, Jane's
fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become more real
than she ever could have imagined. Is this total immersion in a fake Austenland
enough to make Jane kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams
actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?
Friday, March 15, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
April's Selection
Check back March 25th for our choices for the month of May.
Happy Reading.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Safe Haven
It is almost the end of the month. Here is a place to leave your thoughts and comments on Safe Haven.
April Voting
It's that time again. Time to vote for our April book selection. Voting will continue through Sunday, March 3 at 5:00pm. Here are our 2 choices.
The Magician's Nephew
by C.S. Lewis
NARNIA…where the woods are thick and cool, where Talking Beasts are called to
life…a new world where the adventure begins. Digory and Polly meet and become
friends one cold, wet summer in London. Their lives burst into adventure when
Digory's Uncle Andrew, who thinks he is a magician, sends them hurling
to…somewhere else. They find their way to Narnia, newborn from the Lion's song,
and encounter the evil sorceress Jadis, before they finally return home. Enter
this enchanted world countless times in The Chronicles of Narnia.
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt
by Beth Hoffman
It's that time again.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
March Voting is Here
It is time to vote for our March book selection. Here are our choices. Voting will stay open until February 2nd.
The Forgotten
by David Baldacci
Army Special Agent John Puller is the best there is. A combat veteran, Puller is the man the U.S. Army relies on to investigate the toughest crimes facing the nation. Now he has a new case-but this time, the crime is personal: His aunt has been found dead in Paradise, Florida.
A picture-perfect town on Florida's Gulf Coast, Paradise thrives on the wealthy tourists and retirees drawn to its gorgeous weather and beaches. The local police have ruled his aunt's death an unfortunate, tragic accident. But just before she died, she mailed a letter to Puller's father, telling him that beneath its beautiful veneer, Paradise is not all it seems to be.
What Puller finds convinces him that his aunt's death was no accident . . . and that the palm trees and sandy beaches of Paradise may hide a conspiracy so shocking that some will go to unthinkable lengths to make sure the truth is never revealed.
by David Baldacci
Army Special Agent John Puller is the best there is. A combat veteran, Puller is the man the U.S. Army relies on to investigate the toughest crimes facing the nation. Now he has a new case-but this time, the crime is personal: His aunt has been found dead in Paradise, Florida.
A picture-perfect town on Florida's Gulf Coast, Paradise thrives on the wealthy tourists and retirees drawn to its gorgeous weather and beaches. The local police have ruled his aunt's death an unfortunate, tragic accident. But just before she died, she mailed a letter to Puller's father, telling him that beneath its beautiful veneer, Paradise is not all it seems to be.
What Puller finds convinces him that his aunt's death was no accident . . . and that the palm trees and sandy beaches of Paradise may hide a conspiracy so shocking that some will go to unthinkable lengths to make sure the truth is never revealed.
Matched
by Ally Condie
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Two Kisses for Maddy
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Book List
I was skimming through our book selection list and noticed that it has been awhile since some of them have been added to the list. It also occurred to me that most of you may not really know what our list looks like. That is why I decided to post it here in case you are interested. Plus I thought it would be good to have you look over it, just in case I forgot to get a book added to the list. And, as always, if you want a book added to the list, just leave the title in a comment and I will add it.
The Matched Series by Ally Condie (there are 3 books)
Perfect on
Paper by Maria Murnane
Bring on the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins
Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen
The Paris Wife: A Novel by Paula Mclain
Bring on the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins
Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen
The Paris Wife: A Novel by Paula Mclain
The Night
Circus by Eric Morgenstern.
The Lucky
One by Nicholas Sparks
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Fire by Kristin Cashore
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Fire by Kristin Cashore
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht
Austenland by Shannon Hale
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Book
Thief by Markus Zusak
The Violets
of March by Sarah Jio
The Glass
Castle by Jeannette Walls
After You by Julie Buxbaum
The American
Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
Home in the
Morning by Mary Glickman
John Adams by David McCullough
Wildflower
Hill by Kimberley Freemen
The Weird
Sisters by Elenor Brown
Cutting For
Stone by Abraham Verghese
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Saving
CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth
Hoffman
Nowhere Near
Normal by Traci Foust
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander M.D.
The
Forgotten by David Baldacci
The
Magician's Nephew by C.S.
Lewis
The Bride's
House by Sandra Dallas
Saturday, January 5, 2013
1 Year, 12 Books
It occurred to me as I was posting about Safe Haven being our February selection that we started with our very first book last February. We used 2 months, February and March, to read that book but when we finish with Safe Haven, that will become our 12th book of this book club. We are very close to completing our very first year of books together. I for one have to say that I have had so much fun with this. As I looked back over our past selections there are so many books there that I would not have chosen on my own but I am now so glad I read them and many of them are favorites. Out of the 12 (taking into account I've not yet read Safe Haven) there has been one book I didn't care for (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close), one book I didn't read (The Casual Vacancy), one book I was able to enjoy sharing with my daughter (Peppermints in the Parlor), two books I absolutely fell in love with (Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and These is my Words), and others that fell somewhere in between. I am excited for many more wonderful books to come and enjoy sharing my thoughts with you and hearing your thoughts as well. As we continue on, and as always, if you have any comments or suggestions please feel free to leave them so we can make improvements or adjustments as needed. Feel free to invite people to join us and please leave suggestions for new selections for us to vote on. I think we have covered a pretty decent selection of books in the past 12 selections.
What are your thoughts on the last 12 months or books?
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