Surprisingly Inconsistent Sunday, Including Bookfool's Entry into The 21st Century

Hi Everybody!!

First things first. Before I babble, I must share a lizard pic because it's been too long since you've gotten any lizard love from my blog and that's just wrong:

All together, now. Awww, so cute! We also have a huge, hairy spider hanging out at our house, but I didn't think you guys would appreciate him.

Second . . . good news! Thanks to Trish's wonderful post (I have no earthly idea how I found that post, in the first place, but it sure helped), I have finally figured out Google Reader!!! Bookfool has entered the 21st Century!! Squeee! Many thanks, Trish! Now, if I can just catch up with all those posts. There were two problems with the process of adding everyone currently on my blog roll (plus a few extra blogs I happened across whilst bopping around the blog world) to my Google Reader:

a.) I had to really fight my urge to stop and read every post as I loaded, and

b.) I ended up with 634 entries to read.

c.) Yikes. Look at (b). That's scary.

Third, although this really should be first, simply because it's been a few days: A squillion thanks to Care of Care's Online Book Club for bestowing this bit of bloggy coolness upon my little self:

Since I think everyone who visits my blog is cool, I'm going to be lame (again) and not pass this on to any specific people. You're all automatically inducted. There. Isn't that cool? Or, rather, kool. No, let's go with "cool".

Bookish quote moment:

The summer of 1997, Hale-Bopp rode the sky above Hollyburn Mountain every night for weeks on end. Sometimes it was buttery and weak, and sometimes it looked like felt cut with blunt kindergarten scissors -- but not once did I ever get used to seeing the damn thing up there. It wasn't natural. Nothing in the sky seems natural to me except the sun and the stars. Even the moon, for lack of a better word, is on probation. Why the thing can't just stay full all the time drives me nuts. Crescent? Waxing? Waning? Oh, just make up your mind.

-- from Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland

Sunday Short Story:

I just finished reading "Inside Information" from The Three Button Trick and Other Stories by Nicola Barker. Oh, Lordy, that was a weird little story. Here's a quote:

Martha's embryo was unhappy about its assignment to Martha. Early on, just after conception, it appealed to the higher body responsible for its selection and placement. This caused something of a scandal in the After-Life. The World-Soul was consulted -- a democratic body of pin-pricks of light, an enormous institution -- which came, unusually enough, to a rapid decision.

"Tell the embryo," they said, "hard cheese."

In case you're interested, that is one smart little embryo and he eventually comes up with a clever solution to that troublesome poorly-assigned mother issue.

Because I am one scattered chicky:

Apparently three books at a time is not enough. Is not enough? Are not enough? Oh, help. I'm losing my grasp of grammar. Point being, I happened to be sitting on the futon and therefore away from my little stack of current reads. And, I didn't feel like getting up. So, I began reading a fourth book, which just happened to be nearby: Mozart's Sister by Nancy Moser. Earlier in the month, I attempted to read Mozart's Sister and it just didn't "click" for me. But, this time the book glared at me and then unaccountably and suddenly screamed "Pick me up!!!" And, in a softer voice,"Go ahead, you know you want to . . . " In this manner, the book ended up getting 50 pages of itself read. Amazing how insistent a little book can be. And, this time I'm enjoying it thoroughly. Mozart's Sister is just what it sounds like -- historical fiction about Wolfgang Mozart's equally talented big sis, Nannerl, told in first person.

Dangerous Capitalization Fever:

That High Altitude Leadership review I keep talking about is halfway finished . . . and on hold because the husband is not being cooperative. He claims he's stuck on Hawaii time and (whine, fuss, wail) has The Misery. It should be done by tomorrow, though, or someone's going to get a swift kick back into Central Standard Time. However, it's a little hard not to forgive a man who brought home chocolate-covered macadamia nuts. They are a serious Negotiation For Forgiveness tool.

But, watch out -- chocolate-covered macadamia nuts can be a deadly choking hazard:

I popped one into my mouth, last night, and sucked it right into my windpipe. Fortunately, I just leaned forward and it popped back out or you'd all be putting up memorials to a dearly-departed Bookfool (or maybe not, but you get the point). At the moment that piece of candy lodged in the wrong place, I had this little flash of intuition during which I realized choking would be a very sucky way to die.

Favorite place name to say out loud, repeatedly:

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Seriously, isn't that just loads of fun to say aloud? I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing it correctly, but I could repeat that name all day. I'm not bored, just goofy.

I have no right to covet books because so many have walked into my house, lately. But, still. My son wanted to go to the bookstore while we were out and about; and, how do you tell a kid, "No, you can't go to the bookstore! No, no!" Well, you don't, especially if you really want to keep the joy of books alive in him. So, I wandered around and found a couple of novels to covet:

Searching for Eternity by Elizabeth Musser and

The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka

Has anyone read either of those titles? They both looked interesting for entirely different reasons. Whilst doing a quick search to make sure I wrote down the latter author's name correctly, I happened across this review of The Legend of the Firefish. The words "ripping yarn, full of grace in style and content" just served to reinforce my covetous inner book ninny.

I have forged a path into our spare room, which, upon the husband's irrational decision to completely empty a room and recarpet it while I was away (and then finding out that Home Depot's independently hired room-measuring chick either can't measure or is into fraudulently adding nonexistent square footage, deciding to put down hardwood flooring instead, then discovering the flooring is uneven), became rather a glorified closet. For 10 months we have been unable to set foot inside that room. Even the cat lost interest in exploring after a few perilously perched books came crashing down one day.

In celebration of the newly forged path, I filled two boxes full of VHS tapes and (it's okay; I'll never read them) books to donate to the library's perpetual sale corner. Plus, I can now actually reach some of those books you guys keep recommending. How many times have you heard me say, "I have a copy of that, but it's buried," in recent months? Well, I'm proud to say I don't have to repeat that same stupid comment about every single book in that room, now. Just . . . maybe 25% of them. There's still a part of the room that I can't get to. I suppose that's what I'll work on, this week. It's like hacking your way through a jungle.

And, now, I'm off to bed. Forging a path is hard work. I hope to catch up on blog reading and commenting (at Google Reader!!!), along with the completion of those two reviews that have been languishing in the draft box, this week.

Happy Sunday! Or, Monday. You know, whatever works for you.

Bookfool, Proud Cleaner of Spare Rooms, Forger of Paths, Reader of Fine Books and Discoverer of a New Century

Weekly Geeks Quote of the Day

I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.... People think pleasing God is all God care about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back. ~Alice Walker, The Color Purple, 1982

Two reviews forthcoming. I've been waiting for the hubby to return from Hawaii so that I can ask him to repeat some thoughts on High Altitude Leadership because I'm, unfortunately, rather forgetful. I've also finished Walking Through Walls by Philip Smith and will try to get around to writing up that review, this weekend.

Currently reading (and enjoying all):
Occasional Therapy for Your Midlife Years
Far World: Water Keep
The Darcys and the Bingleys

None are handy, or I'd tell you the names of the authors -- of course, we all know J. Scott Savage wrote Far World, after reading about a million blog reviews, right? The others . . . sorry. Brain drain. I'll tell you later.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, bookish weekend!

Freaky Blogger Sci-Fi Disappearances SNAFU

SNAFU: Situation Normal, All Fouled Up

Just a quick note to let my readers know that I've gone to approve messages several times, today, and then when I click on the number of messages, sometimes Blogger tells me there are "No Messages Needing Moderation". If I go back to the dashboard, it'll still say "1 message" or "3 messages", etc. But, if I hit refresh, suddenly they disappear.

Either Blogger is performing some strange magic act or eating messages; I'm not sure which. So, if you have left me a message and it isn't showing up -- that doesn't mean I blocked your message. It means Blogger went *POOF* or MUNCH, MUNCH. Maybe I should get my own magic wand.

In the meantime, if your message doesn't show up within 24 hours, please feel free to comment a second time, but don't feel obligated.

Weekly Geeks Quote of the Day

Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars... and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. Look at the flowers - for no reason. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are. ~Osho

Note from Bookfool: The happy flower above lived in the Vicksburg National Military Park and bloomed on a lovely little hill. It was not the slightest bit fazed by the proliferation of tourists and joggers going past. The ant tickling its favorite petal has been obliterated by the wonder of modern technology.

Just one big, happy family

Please forgive me for not joining in . . . I haven't participated in Blogger Appreciation Week because:

a. I'm more than a little bit scattered and found the quantity of posts overwhelming, and
b. The thought of potentially leaving someone out or offending them made me cringe. I just love all my blog buddies so much that I can't bear the thought that I might nominate or vote for someone at the expense of someone else.

There's got to be a "c", but I can't think of one. 2 items -- looks really weird, doesn't it?

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I think of my blog buddies as just one big, extended, happy family. I do appreciate you all and hope I haven't horrified anyone by not participating!!

Weekly Geeks Quote of the Day

Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth that around every circle another can be drawn; that there is no end in nature, but every end is a beginning, and under every deep a lower deep opens.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Chameleon Butterfly Dragonfly: A Divine Guide to Lasting Fulfillment by Cindy Silbert

Chameleon Butterfly Dragonfly: A Divine guide to Lasting Fulfillment by Cindy Silbert

Copyright 2008

149 pages

Author's website

Restoring the Yin in the Universe is not only essential to restore the balance we long for but also to restore the powerful feminine energy that allows us to seamlessly create our lives and manifest our desires. This isn't about having to quit your job or give up everything you've worked for to wear frilly dresses and run through poppy fields. We can't replenish feminine Yin by denying our own masculine Yang. Denying our femininity is partly what got us here in the first place. It's not the way out. The Divine Feminine isn't guiding you to be more "feminine" and less "masculine" but to become more "you" than ever before.

Oh, wow. No wonder I'm whacked up. Truth? I really do want to wear frilly dresses and run through poppy fields.

From the cover:

In Chameleon Butterfly Dragonfly, Cindy Silbert guides you beyond your ego and intermittent happiness to your true self and lasting fulfillment. Based on her own encounter with the Divine Feminine, she reveals untouched wisdom and three Divine Archetypes that hold the key to balance, expression, power and your destiny. Chameleon Butterfly Dragonfly is more than just another "self-help" book, it takes you on a mystical journey to manifest your greatest desires. Through a self-quiz, readers discover their eminent archetype further revealing their unique characteristics, lifestyle tendencies and life purpose. Ultimately readers receive inspiration and practical guidance to create their destinies and make their mark in the world.

The underpinnings:

Author Cindy Silbert finds that she is compelled to write a spiritual book that will help women overcome their tendency to let ego rule, in order to find the True Self buried beneath ego. The message, as it were, is fed to the author by the Hawaiian goddess Hina. Cindy's Hawaiian home (at the time of writing) sits on top of the "eye of Hina", so it's only natural that the channeling occurs at her island home.

Why I read this book:

The cover blurb sounded a little New Age but I love reading books about finding fulfillment and balance -- positive-thinking, go get 'em books -- and Chameleon Butterfly Dragonfly sounded right up my alley.

Minor oops . . .

Google is just too handy. I was looking for a cover blurb and, instead, happened across this review at Breeni Books. Usually, it's my policy not to read other reviews when I'm preparing my own; one tends to absorb another person's choice of wording and it's preferable to be totally objective and original, right?

But, I really enjoyed what Breeni had to say -- in part because my viewpoint is so different from hers. The sections of the book I really enjoyed the most were the introduction and the epilogue, in which Silbert natters on about how the idea for the book came to her, the influence of the Hawaiian goddess, her own personal challenges at the time, the chaos of her early notes and the literary agent who said, "Oh, you're a woo-woo, too?" then later told Silbert, "If you don't write that sucker I will." She has a pleasant, chatty style.

Unfortunately, I found the meat of the book extremely disappointing. The concept of the three Divine Archetypes is certainly unique and, if I were to believe the quiz, I'm a combination of chameleon and dragonfly with hardly any butterfly at all. Not surprising, since the butterfly is all about beauty and being in the spotlight. I hate being in the spotlight and never thought of myself as pretty. But, while reading about the archetypes, my feeling was roughly the same as what I feel while reading a horoscope in a major publication-- there's too much cross-over, too much generic content that could easily apply to anyone. Here's a perfect example:

You don't like clutter but can also become overwhelmed by it so your home is immaculate, messy, or inconsistently somewhere in between the two.

Doesn't that pretty much cover every base? You have an immaculate home, a messy home or something in-between. Duh. We all have one of those, don't we? And, I'd say most people -- even those who are cluttery -- tend not to actually like clutter (hence the proliferation of books about ridding clutter from your life) so the clutter comment strikes both sides of the coin, as well.

However, the author had some good advice and some of what she described made total sense to me. I've copied all quotes directly from the book, so please don't blame me for the horrendous punctuation:

In an effort to become the best you can be, your ego begins to compare you to your ideal ego self and of course you always come up short. You end up spending your life trying to measure up to the standards of your ego; which isn't even real. On top of this, add traumatic experiences, emotional abuse, or just plain old disappointments. Then sprinkle on more and more responsibilities and different roles pulling you every which way. Finish it off with the imbalance of Yin causing you to deny your femininity inadvertently causing a break at your very core. The result is layer upon layer of distortion and more and more separation from your True Self and natural integrity; not to mention reality.

Eventually, I found myself taking notes saying that my chameleon is injured (and thinking, "Not possible, since I don't have a freaking chameleon!") then occasionally laughing out loud. That was the point at which I realized that what the book sounded like, to me, was the author's life coaching job combined with a little hippie philosophy and . . . maybe I'd be better off if I rolled it up and smoked it. Kidding, I don't smoke and I didn't give up on it, ever. I kept going because there were some occasional gems of wisdom. But, man . . . the number of capitalized words, alone, honestly did make me roll my eyes:

The stronger the balance among your Chameleon, Butterfly, and Dragonfly, the more powerfully your Eminient Archetype will emerge and the more fulfilling it will be to express your True Self and experience your True Feminine Power.

Eye roll. But, I love this:

Live Courageously as your True Self and you'll encourage other women to live courageously as well. As the women you've encouraged step forth, they in turn will encourage more women to do the same. Soon, an exponential explosion of Yin will occur bringing our Universe back into balance and the Divine Feminine will have fulfilled her mission. Beyond this, where will bold and courageous expression lead you? The answer is your Destiny.

But . . . I'm not going to say it. I'm not going to say it. Yes, I am. The word "destiny" with a capital D? That reminds me of Back to the Future and a young man whispering, "You are my density. I mean . . . my destiny." This, however, is another passage that has merit (except for all those capital letters):

Begin to Tell the Truth by making a list of all the things you've always wanted to say. Then, look at your life and Tell the Truth by writing down what's currently working and not working. Continue to Tell the Truth by writing down what's been stopping you from pursuing what you know would be True Self expression or a source of joy in your life. Reformat your responses into an action list. Work your way through the list until you've eliminated each item one-by-one. This can be extremely liberating. Once you get going you may not be able to stop, and that's a good thing.

That is a good thing. We all build our own imaginary road blocks. It's that kind of suggestion that makes Silbert successful as a life coach, I'm sure.

In general: A little weird, with occasional smatterings of excellent advice. I would not recommend against reading the book, simply because I think most people can squeeze a little juice from this lemon. But, it's not a book I would ever shove into a friend's hands, proclaiming it a "Must Read" (rampant capitalization: it's infectious). Like Breeni, I was a little dismayed that the book only contains 150 pages of content and a raft of blank journal pages.

Also: Not really a guy book.

Other thoughts: I think the author's chatty style would lend itself well to a memoir; and it would be awfully interesting to read about how she became a successful life coach with two homes (in very expensive locations) and a nanny.

Still reading: Far World: Water Keep and Walking Through Walls

Added to current reads: Occasional Therapy for your Midlife Years by Dr. Ellyn Gamberg

Weekly Geeks quote of the day:

Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland - Canadian book #3

Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland

Copyright 2004

Bloomsbury/Fiction

249 pages

Author's website

And, his blog

Back by popular demand (not really, but a couple of people really liked it so I'm going back to the prior version of this post, white-coated tranquilizer-carrying mental health experts be damned): the original version of my Eleanor Rigby review -- it's long and rambling and scary. Sorry, it just is. Huge apologies about the triple repeat - I didn't mean to save the post to draft form, the second and third time. Some days . . . Anyway, here you go:

Every now and then, I get totally sick of myself and the typical blog format, so I have to change things a bit. Therefore, I'm going for the self-interview routine, today. You can always rely on Bookfool to add a little "bizarre" to your day.

Me: First of all, I must know why you chose to read Eleanor Rigby. It's relevant.

Myself: Great question. Relevant to what?

Me: I was kidding, actually. I'm not sure anything you do is really relevant. But, for some reason "relevance" reminds me of acid rain and the freedom of children to play till dusk without checking in with the parentals, since the seventies and how things have changed since then seemed to be an underlying theme in this book.

You might ask, what was a twelve-year-old girl doing alone in a semi-remote place near a big city? Simple answer: it was the seventies. Past a certain age, children just did their thing, with little concern shown by their parents for what, where, when or with whom. Chase and Hunter probably have chips embedded in their tailbones linked up to a Microsoft death-satellite that informs William and Nancy where they are at all times. But back then?

"Mom, is it okay if I hitchhike to the biker bar?"

"Sure, dear."

I loved those seventies remarks. Very witty. You asked me why I read Eleanor Rigby and I'm going to tell you, right now, before my Mountain Dew loses its fizz. I really enjoyed Douglas Coupland's Girlfriend in a Coma in 2006 (this link leads to my review) and immediately added everything Coupland's ever written to my wish list. After nearly two years, I still hadn't managed to acquire a copy of Eleanor Rigby the cheap way (Paperback Swap), so I sucked it up and bought one. Actually, I was in Oklahoma and saw a copy on a table. Ding-ding went the little bells. Canadian!! Creak went the gears. Book you've wanted for two years!!! I knocked over three old ladies in my hurry to check out. Kidding. But, I was excited.

Me: Wow, you sure can prattle on.

Myself: Sorry, it's a chemical problem, as in: "Chatty runs in your blood." Here's another great quote:

I felt like a prisoner of conscience. My pillow was the size of a Chiclet, the mattress as thick as a saltine cracker. I curled myself into a ball and cried quietly, doing that thing that only young people can do, namely, feeling sorry for myself. Once you're past thirty, you lose that ability; instead of feeling sorry for yourself, you turn bitter.

Me: What's the deal with the floating mattress?

Myself: I'm not sure why the mattress on the cover is floating (unless it has to do with the farmers -- just read the book), but that particular item is significant. Wait, would you ask me what the book is about, first?

Me: Sure. What's the book about?

Myself: Loneliness, of course. You know the Beatles song, "Eleanor Rigby", right?

Me: Right. "All the lonely people." Death, misery, people going to hell.

Myself: It's not quite that dreary, though. The story is about a woman named Liz Dunn. Liz is overweight, plain, and leads a dull life working a dull job and then going home to her lonely, sterile condo. She's friendless and loveless, although her family (brother, sister, parent) adds some color to the story. Then, one day she gets a call from the hospital. A young man is unconscious in the ER and her name and number are on his emergency bracelet. Since Liz has no friends, she thinks a mistake has been made. But, then she realizes who that young man is . . . and her life changes.

Me: Are you being deliberately vague?

Myself: A little. Wouldn't want to give anything away. Let's just say the young fellow lights up her life for a time. He changes everything; she's no longer lonely. He eventually ends up selling mattresses, hence the cover image. But, then Liz becomes lonely, again. However, all roads lead to Rome . . . or, at least Vienna. She ends up in Vienna, toward the end of the book, and there's an exciting bizarre scene involving a deadly meteorite and airport security and there is a connection to Rome, actually. Then, believe it or not, the trip overseas leads to an almost happily-ever-after ending. It's all rather convoluted but in a good way.

Me: Would you call the book "quirky" or "off-beat"?

Myself: I would, if it didn't sound like I removed those two words from a can.

Me: If you could meet Douglas Coupland, what would you want to do? Hear him read from one of his books? Go hiking or canoeing or drink coffee together? Pummel him with questions? Think Canadian.

Myself: I'm not into readings, although I really, really enjoyed hearing Douglas Adams read from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. So, let me think . . . I'd want to meet him on his home turf, naturally, because he lives in Vancouver and Vancouver is way at the top of my wish list of Canadian places to see. I'd let him choose what to do, but I'd have to ask him to wear his favorite toque (or carry it) because I require an excuse to say "toque" repeatedly. I'd be glad to go canoeing or hiking, browse bookstores, drink coffee, eat Canadian bacon, look at art or play Scrabble with him. Whatever. I'm not so big at pummeling with questions; I tend to be the follower in a conversation, simply because I love listening to people rattle on. I think it would be fun to hang out with him for a day. He'd probably express disinterest. "Who? She wants to do what with me?"

Does Douglas Coupland hike or play Scrabble? I just don't know. What about Battleship? Now, there's a great game.

Me: Does the book take place in Canada? Or is it just a "Canadian" book because the author is Canadian?

Myself: Liz lives in Vancouver. So, yes, it takes place in Canada, as well as Rome and Vienna.

Me: What is your most prized Canadian possession?

Myself: I have a loonie and a $5 Canadian Tire bill (which was generously donated to me by my eldest son).

Me: That's two items.

Myself: I never can stick to one.

Me: How many books have you read for The Second Canadian Book Challenge, Eh?

Myself: Eleanor Rigby is my third. The first two were Anne of Green Gables and The Best of Robert Service.

Me: What do you think of Canadian writing, so far?

Myself: It's awesome, eh?

Me: That was uncalled for.

Myself: Sorry. You didn't ask, but I will definitely read more books by Douglas Coupland.

Me: Good to know. And, I wish you a deliriously adventurous trip across Canada and a toque of your own. Do you recommend the book?

Myself: Awww, you're just saying that because you're Me. Yes, I recommend it. Coupland has an interesting way of injecting spirituality and meaning into his books -- at least, the two I've read have been pretty heavy on life, death and where we might go when it's all over. I like that.

"It can be so beautiful, you know -- earth, I mean"

"Look, Jeremy --I, uh-- I'm not like you. I have a hard time understanding beauty." I thought maybe Jeremy was lonely like me. Perhaps loneliness was genetic. Maybe, but he tried to make his loneliness shimmer, while my own loneliness flickered like a failing fluorescent tube.

Me: What do you think of the Canadians, in general?

Myself: Excellent neighbors, very tidy and friendly, love the accent. Not the slightest bit inferior to the United States; in fact, I'd say Canada is better because it's cooler, in general, and people are less prone to shoot each other. But, the Canadian border official who didn't want to let us leave Canada with our adorable little dimpled kiddo (then about 4 years old), merely because we'd forgotten his birth certificate? Too uptight.

Other reviews I located by cheating (aka "googling"):

Used Books Blog

Book Slut

Blue Gal's Quaker Blog

An Adventure in Reading

Favorite photo from Saturday's swim meet (I call it "Swimmer Foot Sandwich"):

Currently reading:

Walking Through Walls by Philip Smith

Far World: Water Keep by J. Scott Savage -- Kiddo read this one, over the weekend, and enjoyed it.

Sunday Short Story:

I read "At the Bay" from The Garden Party and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield. I absolutely loved it and feel clueless as to how one would describe the story. I'm not sure it had a plot, but it didn't matter. I loved the characters and used a lot of Post-its. Perhaps I'll just post some excerpts, later this week.

Best Advice My Mother Ever Gave Me:

Use plenty of sunscreen. You won't believe how fast those wrinkles appear.

Weekly Geeks Quote of the Day:

Let Yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. --Rumi

Did I Expect Angels? by Kathryn Maughan plus Weekly Geeks #17 and misc.

Did I Expect Angels? by Kathryn Maughan
Copyright 2007
iUniverse Fiction
172 pages
Author's website
Guest blog at Booking Mama's site by the author, a must read

What led you to pick up this book? Did I Expect Angels? was already on my wish list, thanks to some very positive blog reviews, when I was contacted about reading it for a book tour. Well, of course I jumped all over that offer.

Summarize the plot without giving away the ending. Jennifer Huffaker, a suicidally depressed widow and mother of one, is on the verge of ending her life when a friend shares his own story of grief and becomes, in the process, her angel.

What did you like most about the book? Kathryn Maughan really understands grief and depression. While it was hard reading because it's so emotional, the pages absolutely flew. I could easily imagine a real-life Jennifer and I was rooting for her.

What did you think of the characters? They're a nice, believable mixed bag. Jennifer was actually my least favorite character because, even at her best, she was a little bit odd and not very likable. And, yet, I cared about her in spite of her flaws, probably because the challenges she wrestles with are similar to many of my own or those of people I've been close to. Henry, the friend who shares his story with Jennifer, is both compelling and easy to love. Jennifer's mother-in-law is a woman of amazing strength and compassion.

Recommended? Definitely. I would particularly recommend this book to people who have experienced loss or grief and want to read a book about finding hope. But, it's just an all-around good read. Not for when you're in a fluff mood; it's quite emotional.

Cover thoughts: I'm not sure I quite understand the purpose of a scratched-out cherub statue, but at the same time I love this cover. From the first time I saw it I thought it might, in some way, represent frustration, depression or grief. It's an unusual, eye-catching image and I think it's representative of the emotions in this book. Definitely a winner.

Coming up:

Reviews of High Altitude Leadership, Eleanor Rigby and Chameleon, Butterfly, Dragonfly

Now waffling:

Can't seem to decide what to read next, although I've started several. Nothing is grabbing me. Don't you hate it when that happens?

Weekly Geeks #17

looks too fun to pass up. And, Dewey, the sign means "Live long and prosper."

This week's activity is a quote a day. No stealing is allowed, but that's from other blogs. I assume I can steal from a good book. This quote was taken from the pages of Chameleon, Butterfly, Dragonfly by Cindy Silbert:

The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be.

--Oprah Winfrey

Of course, this shatters my belief that the meaning of life is 42.

Husband is off to Hawaii, without me, and his alarm didn't go off -- neither one of us heard it, at any rate. So, I was rudely awakened by a spouse-in-a-hurry at about 5:15 a.m. I'm going back to bed. When I wake up, I'll ponder what to read.

Happy Sunday!

That's my boy!!! and some bookish stuff

He'll have my head if he sees I've posted a big old photo to my blog, but this is my kiddo, taken at swim practice, today. I just love this shot!!

I noticed I've forgotten to mention a couple of things, being an airhead and all:

1. Estella Time, Baby - Yes, the latest issue of Estella's Revenge is available for your reading pleasure!! Wahoo!

2. Josh Henkin Gets Crazy - Okay, kidding. He just did a whole lot of guest posting, here -- nothing insane, unless you consider 23 posts totally over the top. You'll have to page down a bit, since the official blog fella is back and Josh's posts end on the 4th of September; but it's worth the effort. Josh had some interesting things to say about writing and Matrimony (his book), politics and doppelgangers and punctuation. Here's one post. There, I made it easy for you. Don't ever say I don't do anything for you.

In other news (or, is it not?):

Sometimes I think that because of the focus on a hurricane's landfall (the eye, of course -- the nastiest bit, but I promise you those suckers are mean to their edges, especially on the eastern or "wet" side), a lot of other people who get sloshed, flooded, battered, lose rooftops and power and have trees crashing down upon them are totally overlooked by the press. I guess that's how they work, eh? Although, as we saw with Gustav, sometimes they look bored and miss the story completely. Anyway, just to let you know . . . I've been told that I-10 on the Mississippi Gulf Coast has already flooded. Florida is getting socked and I'd imagine people in Alabama and Georgia aren't too thrilled if they live on the beach. And, Louisiana . . . man, I would not want to live there. Sorry, Chris. Thinking of all of you on the Gulf Coast, wherever you are. And, I'm sending stay-safe vibes to all who are hunkering down, even Texans. That was a joke. I love Texans.

On that topic, we already have quite a number of Texas refugees in town. There are huge lines at the gas stations and we had a bit of a wait, but one of the cars was down to a quarter tank, so we sat patiently (one of us -- the hubby was tapping impatiently) and waited our turn. Then we bought pickles. Because, you know, you don't want to get caught without plenty of pickles if your refugees suddenly get a craving.

Okay, I'm done. No, wait! One more thing!!! C. W. Gortner, author of The Last Queen, left a comment at my post about his book. He's willing to answer questions. Anyone have any questions about Juana, his research, the writing, etc.?

Really, I'm finished, now. You can go back to your books. I hope you're reading something fabulous. Actually, tell me about it if you are. Had to ask.

Blue Sky July by Nia Wyn

Blue Sky July: A Mother's Story of Hope and Healing by Nia Wyn
U.S. Release: August, 2008
Dutton/Memoir
197 pages, incl. epilogue

Sam at the corner shop tells me that in Pakistan, a household that has a disabled child is thought to be blessed.

He says it when I'm buying milk over the counter, Joe in a pale blue papoose on my chest.

He looks straight into my eyes and says: "You've been so lucky, there isn't the medicine in Pakistan to save kids like him -- you'd have lost him."

Sam might have saved my life today.

I guess it's like when you're dying;
you see a light
unless you don't.

As I walk back home, Sam's words pierce the cloud between my heart and the sun.

I hardly know Sam.
He barely knows me.

--pp. 24-25 of Advance Uncorrected Proofs (changes may have been made)


As we pass the running children who hold up their heads so easily, I realize miracles are so commonplace we barely recognize them anymore, and near the circles of mothers anxiously comparing milestones at the school gates, I see how we live in a time where
normal is never enough,
and we are never full.

Joe gives me insights I could never have understood without him
and he gives me heartbreak.
To separate these two responses would be impossible. He is equally
beautiful and terrifying.

p 42. of Advanced Uncorrected Proof


I just whipped through this book and felt compelled to immediately sit down to review it, Blue Sky July is so moving. I'm going to skip the usual format. Blue Sky July is a memoir told by the mother of a child diagnosed with severe cerebral palsy. At birth, Joe appeared healthy and normal. But, then something went wrong and Nia Wyn knew, despite doctors' reassurances. After a brain scan, Nia and her husband Alex were told that Joe's brain damage was so severe that he would never walk, talk, hear, see or even know they were there.

Instead of just giving in to the diagnosis, Nia and Alex searched for answers and immediately began exhausting rounds of therapy and exercises in which they stimulated Joe by tapping on him, moving his arms and legs, flashing lights on and off, singing and talking to him, taking him to oxygen treatments and healers. Eventually, the fact that their entire life revolved around treatment of Joe became too much for Alex and he moved out. But, Nia refused to give up hope. And, then, the tiniest ray of light appeared when Joe reached out and touched her.

Blue Sky July describes the first seven years of Joe's life, from Nia's blissful pregnancy to the miraculous changes in a child who didn't move or respond to light, sound or touch. I can't seem to come up with the right words to describe this book; it's just amazing. I highly, highly recommend it, particularly to anyone who is grasping for hope.

Now reading . . .

Just one book?! Yes, but that won't last long. I'm going to dig back into Chameleon, Butterfly, Dragonfly, this afternoon. It was set aside so I could finish The Last Queen, yesterday, and then I picked up Blue Sky July and couldn't put it down. I'm sure I'll add in a novel, today.

Stupid sidebar . . .

Still can't alter it. This is a come-and-go problem. Sometimes a change of browser works. Sometimes switching to another computer does the trick. Sometimes nothing helps at all and I'm just stuck. This sometime I'm in stuck mode; it's been going on for weeks. I'll just have to keep my reading updates limited to the text of my posts, for now.

Husband's favorite photo from last week's swim meet:


Still need to review two books: High Altitude Leadership by Chris Warner & Don Schmincke and Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland.

Got tagged for a couple of blog awards and, once again, I've broken the pattern. I can't even seem to locate the posts, now, so I must apologize and say "Thanks", at once, to those who have kindly tagged me. I'll try very hard to keep up with passing on blog awards, in the future. I've really dropped the ball, in the past year.

With apologies to Texas: Thank you to those who chanted with me, causing Ike to jog west. And, to those in Texas, I am wishing a soft landing, a fizzled hurricane, and that Ike will move as quickly as possible in order to reduce the chances of flooding. Best to those in Lousiana, and anywhere else effected by the hurricane, as well.

Gotta go. Things to do and all that lot. Have a peachy day!

Bookfool, who has simply got to quit putting off the housework, period.

The Last Queen by C. W. Gortner

Aging sucks: I've corrected the publisher on this book, which I looked at without bothering to hold the book far enough away to actually focus.

The Last Queen by C. W. Gortner
Copyright 2008
Ballantine Books/Historical Fiction
365 pages, including afterword
Author's website

The scent of jasmine washed over me. Above, a sickle moon hung suspended in a dazzling spangled night. I heard water spill from the stone lions ringing the fountain; my feet soaked in the waterways as I slowly turned about to stare at the Alhambra's curving arches, the intricate pediments and sculpted marble.

The silence was a presence. Everything had changed. This world I loved so much, it would not mourn me. It would not even feel my absence. It would continue on, agelessly indifferent in its beauty, its walls absorbing the echoes of its departed.

I felt Soraya at my side. As her hand enfolded mine, I let my tears fall in furious silence.

What led you to pick up this book? I love historical fiction and jumped at the chance to review the book for a book tour.

Summarize the plot without giving anything away. The Last Queen is the story of Juana of Castile, also known as "Juana the Mad" and the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit the throne of Spain. It tells of her life from adolescence to the time of her death.

What did you like most about the book? The sense of time and place. I thought the author did a beautiful job of describing Spain and other places Juana lived and traveled. One gets not only a sense of what it must have been like living during this time period, but also of the pressures of royalty, the intrigue and danger. It reminded me of one of my favorite memoirs, Autobiography by Benvenuto Cellini. One minute the heroine is living the high life in velvet, eating off a gold plate, and the next minute she's imprisoned in a dark room with guards at the door, without even the option to bathe.

What did you think of the characters? The Last Queen is packed with perfectly crafted characters, believable and often frightening in their vagaries and sinister ways. Juana, her mother Isabel and the women close to Juana were my favorites. I loved the author's descriptions of their strength and resilience. I thought it was perfectly conceivable that Juana's "madness" was simply a ploy to remove her from power.

Describe your favorite scene: I loved the scene in which a pregnant Juana escapes from one of her many imprisonments on horseback.

Recommended? Yes, absolutely. Whether or not you know the time period, the book is accessible and an engrossing, often adventurous read. I enjoyed the emotional tug, as Juana often loved deeply without being truly loved in return. One could not easily leave this book without feeling sympathy for Juana.

In general: I often mention that I'm not knowledgable about history and this is yet another case in which I went into another historical time period with little knowledge or understanding of historical facts. The Last Queen has an ease and flow that made even the political maneuvering readily understandable. There are some graphic sex scenes, so I don't consider the book family friendly, but I thought they all fit within the framework of the novel. The author mentions that some of the most exciting scenes did, in fact, take place.

The Words of War by Donagh Bracken

The Words of War by Donagh Bracken

Copyright 2007

History Publishing Company/NF

320 pages, including bibliography & index

Publisher's website

The expulsion of the steamer Star of the West from the Charleston harbor yesterday morning was the opening of the hall of the Revolution. We are proud that our harbor has been so honored. We are more proud that the State of South Carolina, so long, so bitterly, so contemptuously reviled and scoffed at, above all others, should this proudly have thrown back the scoff of her enemies. Entrenched upon her soil, she has spoken from the mouth of her cannon, and not from the mouths of scurrilous demagogues, fanatics and scribblers. Condemned, the sanctity of her waters violated with the hostile purpose of reinforcing enemies in our harbor, she has not hesitated to strike the first blow, full in the face of her insulter. Let the United States Government bear, or return at their good will, the blow still tingling about her ears -- the fruit of her own bandit temerity. We would not exchange or recall that blow for millions! It has wiped out a half century of scorn and outrage. -- p. 2 of The Words of War, quoted from the Charleston Mercury, Jan. 10, 1861

What led you to pick up this book? I've been on a bit of a Civil War kick. I'm afraid it's only just begun.

Summarize the book without giving anything away. The Words of War is nonfiction. It contains dispatches from field reporters for the Charleston Mercury and The New York Times, during the Civil War, as well as notes by the author and "What the Historians Say", at the end of each chapter. The author's objective was to show how coverage of the war was slanted. The book also contains illustrations (which are small, but really add to the sense of place) and reproductions of battle maps. The latter tended to be appear scanned and blurry or pixilated, often to the point that even a magnifying glass was useless. So, I purchased The West Point Atlas of War: The Civil War.

Obviously, that qualifies me as a total nerd. I eventually found that it worked best to read the text in the atlas and study the maps before reading the dispatches in The Words of War. In that way, I became familiar with the generals, land formations, movement of troops, etc., before reading dispatches. I doubt that would be necessary for those who are most likely to pick up this book, but my lack of understanding of the war, its leaders and even the battles (apart from having heard a few names you can't miss, like Gettysburg, and knowing a bit about the Siege of Vicksburg because I happen to live in Vicksburg) was -- and probably still is -- startling. I needed all the help I could get.

What did you like most about the book? I loved the colorful language of the time period, the soap-box declarations of victory, the drama, as well as the overall view of the war from two different angles.

Ridicule was a weapon the press on both sides of the war used particularly well. Truthfulness would suffer as a result. The New York Times took aim at Stonewall Jackson and his men just prior to the battle at Antietam, describing Jackson and his men entering Harpers Ferry, which they had just taken: "(He was) dressed in the coarsest kind of homespun, seedy and dirty at that, uniform, wearing an old hat which any Northern begger would consider an insult to have offered him. In his general appearance, he was in no respect to be distinguished from the mongrel, barefooted crew who followed his fortunes." Hardly an objective analysis of what was then a conquering army. -- from the Author's Commentary on the battle of Antietam, p. 109

The dispatches are reproduced verbatim, errors and all, occasionally including updated information or retractions. It was obvious that both sides were determined to claim victory and the numbers of killed, wounded, prisoners and names of officers presumed wounded or dead were so inflated or altered that it's hard to believe how deluded the readers on each side must have been. I should know better after my husband and I have been on the inside of several national news stories that were unbelievably slanted (Hurricane Katrina, Tropical Storm Gustav and another story I still don't talk about publicly but which involved an airplane). Interesting to find that this has been the case for 150 years. The Words of War is a fascinating piece of Civil War documentation.

What did you think of the characters? The "characters", in this case, were real people fighting a real war, slogging through mud with wagons of artillery, charging up hills and riding horses through and around a dense wilderness, shooting at each other, asking each other for cease-fires in order to bury their dead -- and the men who wrote about them. I found them all utterly fascinating. Because I knew so little, I was nearly two-thirds of the way through The Words of War before things began to really click and I finally was able to keep the generals straight. At that point, I really started to get into it and to understand why some people spend their entire adulthoods studying the personalities, the geography and the details of the Civil War (and why some of them reenact battles).

Recommended? Yes, particularly for those who already have an interest in and knowledge of the American Civil War. If you're as ignorant as I am, I recommend buying an atlas to go along with the reading of The Words of War if you're not interested in looking up battles online (I preferred to flop out on the bed with my maps and my book and study the two).

Cover thoughts: I quite like the cover, but I have to admit I felt a little misled, at first. When I read "Civil War Battle Reportage", I initially expected news articles rather than dispatches from the field. But, I really just glanced at the cover and dove right in. Admittedly, I didn't pay much attention to cover blurb and flap information. I love the dramatic illustration on the cover.

In general: It took me forever to read this book -- about 7 or 8 weeks. That length of time was partially due to the fact that I was determined not to read it without knowing who the heck the reporters were talking about and where everything took place. It's a geek issue. I wasn't just going to skim the book, rate it and move on. I wanted to know exactly what really happened in order to understand which facts were distorted.

So, I took my time, familiarized myself with the characters and battles, with the help of the military atlas, and really studied as if I were doing a major project on the Civil War. I had to save the two books for hours when my concentration was at a peak, but it was well worth the effort. The only disappointment was that occasionally there were times that field coverage was just not there. In those cases, often there was an equally engrossing reason why -- for example, a reporter who bragged that he could drink his competitors under the table and then missed a battle because he ended up unconscious. That one just happened to occur toward the end of the Siege of Vicksburg. Darn.

An important caveat: I think this book could be made more accessible to the layperson via lengthier introductory notes about each battle, including general descriptions of the geography and a cast of characters. There were many cases in which I had to study the maps at length (here, the downfall of the atlas is highlighted: state lines are so faintly marked that they're very hard to see) just to figure out the states in which troop movements took place. Again, most people who read this book will probably not have any trouble with that, but from the standpoint of a person new to reading about the Civil War, a little bit more description would have gone a long way. Once you know who is involved and where the battles occur, those dispatches make a lot more sense.

Now reading:

The Last Queen by C. W. Gortner

Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland (almost finished with this one)

Chameleon, Butterfly, Dragonfly by Cindy Silbert

On this day in Bookfool's Reading History:

In 2003, I was reading The Nanny by Melissa Nathan (really enjoyed that one)

In 1997, I'd just finished Diana in Private by Lady Colin Campbell (I have no memory of this book, whatsoever) and had begun to read Darkness Be My Friend by John Marsden (love, love, love this Australian YA series)

I spent my weekend:

Shoving furniture around, attending a swim meet, cleaning house and reading. Today, I freshened up the dry foods and bottled water, in case Hurricane Ike heads our way. He started to turn west, probably because we're now well supplied and I was chanting, "Right turn, right turn, right turn." We were hoping to end up on the "dry side" of the hurricane. Now, I'm encouraging him to continue the westward jog by repeating, "Left turn, left turn, left turn." Whatever works.

This is one of my favorite photos from Saturday's swim meet. My husband looked at it and said, "Umm, why? It's probably the [blah, blah] relay." Well, that's not the point. I just thought it was interesting how everyone is leaning over, looking at the water, but all you can see of what's happening is a splash. It's the end of a race, yes, hence the folks standing with timers in their hands. Is it boring?

Argh, the son's progress reports are terrible. I'm going to have to cut back on computer time to make sure he's doing his homework. I hate that. But, I still need to work on brevity, obviously.

Off to chew out the son,

Bookfool, apparently not the perfect parent

The Last Days of Krypton by Kevin J. Anderson: A Guest Review

The Last Days of Krypton by Kevin J. Anderson

Copyright 2007

Harper Fiction/Sci-Fi

467 pages

Guest review by my youngest son, William, who is like Pac Man with books (munch, munch, munch). He often reads 3 times as many books as I do, in a year.

What led you to pick up this book? My mother ordered it on me. [Bookfool's note: I thought William would like it, so when an offer to review arrived, I requested a copy for him to read.]

Summarize the plot but don't give away the ending. The Last Days of Krypton is the prelude to Kal-El's (Superman) leaving Krypton because of the planet exploding and the story of his father's life.

What did you like most about the book? The foreshadowing -- subtle but any true fan can see the foreshadowing and knows what they're talking about. Like Yar-El telling Jor-El not to be afraid to have children.

What did you think of the characters? You can tell from the beginning of being introduced to them whether they're going to be good guys, bad guys or just plain fools that'll destroy the world. They sounded about right.

In general: There are some differences from the movie version. I've never read the complete original comic versions about what happens before Superman comes to earth, so I can't say whether they follow the storyline as set by the creators.

Recommended? Yes. Those that enjoy comic books will find this a good read. Those who like science fiction/fan fiction will probably find it enjoyable.

Cover thoughts: The cover hurt my eyes, but it's a very interesting one. It gives you the unique presentation of what happens at the end, as the planet is going boom. [Bookfool's note: The cover is holographic].

Many thanks to William for reading and guest reviewing The Last Days of Krypton and to Harper for offering the opportunity to review the book!!

Coming up, next: A review of The Words of War by Donagh Bracken. Yes!! I finished it! I had such fun, but I was totally bummed when General McPherson was killed. I could really get into studying the Civil War.

August Reads in Review

We have swim meet #2, tomorrow, so before I forget . . . a very wahooey photo of one of the kids on my son's swim team. His name begins with a "J". Cosmic coincidence? No, of course not, but I can have fun if I want to:

August Reads in Review (if applicable, I've added a link to the review via the title -- I have not yet reviewed two of these books):

Matrimony - Joshua Henkin - Very good story of friendship, marriage and the ups and downs of both. Slow, character-driven read.

High Altitude Leadership - Chris Warner & Don Schmincke - Interesting book in which the principles of mountaineering are applied to business. Hubby & I both read this one and had different thoughts, but we especially enjoyed the climbing stories and both came out of it thinking, "Those guys are nuts." Will post full review, soon.

When Twilight Burns - Colleen Gleason - The 4th in Colleen's vampire series. I love every one of them -- always swash-buckling, knuckle-biting, paranormal fun -- and I was happy with the romantic turn in this book, although at the same time I was a little surprised at how she handled it (not in a bad way).

The Best of Robert Service - Poetry, heavy on rhythm and rhyme but never annoyingly so. I loved the variety, the humor, and the sense of place.

Why Women Shouldn't Marry - Cynthia and Hillary Smith - The authors had some good points but the book was primarily negative -- not about why it's great to be a single woman but more of a bitter perspective on how men can ruin your life if you choose to be tied down.

Don't You Forget About Me - Jancee Dunn - A fun, light read about a woman dealing with the unexpected end of her marriage and immersing herself in memories as her high school reunion approaches. Pretty good for a first novel, although I think she could have elaborated on some of the heroine's characteristics to make it an even better book.

Get Smart: How e-mail can make or break your career and your organization - M. Pulley and J. Hilberry - Just what it sounds like; very brief and could have used more examples but a very good little book that probably everyone who e-mails could stand to read.

A Promise to Remember - Kathryn Cushman - The story of two mothers (one wealthy and wimpy; one a single mother and tough) each dealing with the loss of a son in the same automobile accident. Very good, although I think it was obvious the author hasn't really experienced grief. Still, a good story and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

Copper Fire - Suzanne Woods Fisher - A former German Resistance worker finds out she is the only remaining relative of a cousin who survived Dachau and, after fetching the cousin from Germany, must deal with the cousin's emotions as she adjusts while facing a love from her past and searching for clues to the whereabouts of a war criminal. I'd have liked a little more depth, but I still plan to read her first book.

The Importance of Being Married - Gemma Townley - Fluffy book based on The Importance of Being Earnest. I thought it started badly, improved, and then became too transparent. So-so, in general.

Princess Academy - Shannon Hale (YA) - When all the girls from Mt. Eskel between ages 12-17 are sent to a makeshift academy to prepare for the fact that one of them will become princess, Miri finds that she loves learning but isn't certain whether she wants to end up marrying a stranger. Loved this one!

Did I Expect Angels? - Kathryn Maughan - A suicidally depressed widow and mother of one is on the verge of ending her life when a friend shares his own story of grief and becomes, in the process, her angel. Hard reading and yet I couldn't put it down. This author understands grief. Review will be posted on the 14th.

12 books; a little more than 3000 pages, total.

You guys are going to be so envious. I inherited this bunny planter (that's Violet poppet looking up at him -- the doll in the background is not mine):

We stuck the bunny up front in the moving truck, for the drive home. Oklahoma is a state with quite a network of toll roads. We always pay to use the toll roads because the traffic is light (and the path familiar). So, I plunked a bunch of change for the toll roads in the bunny's basket and dubbed him, "The Money Bunny". When we got to Arkansas, we no longer needed to keep change within reach and we both got the munchies. I was driving, so Huzzybuns stuck an open bag of potato chips in bunny's basket and he became "The Potato Bunny". Then, we turned on the iPod, after a time, using a portable speaker. Plunked the speaker and iPod in his basket and he became "The Music Bunny". Darned if I didn't inherit an all-purpose bunny. Everyone should have one.

Soundtrack of our return trip:

America - The Best of America
Jim Croce - Photographs and Memories
Dan Fogelburg - Phoenix
Rich Mullins - Winds of Heaven, Stuff of Earth
Lyle Lovett - The Road to Ensenada

Next up: A guest review of The Last Days of Krypton by Kevin J. Anderson, written by my youngest (frequently referred to as Kiddo).

Happy Weekend! Safe, dry thoughts are going out to those who are having a Hurricane Hanna weekend. May she move quickly and do little damage.

Too tired to write, so you get photos

Yesterday in Vicksburg:

And, today, same time and place (obviously aimed a bit higher):

Ahhhh, much better.

Here's what the flashlight aisle at Walmart looks like, after a hurricane threat:

Hahahaha! I love it! Nobody wants a dinky flashlight, when they're expecting the lights to go out. They bought all the Maglites and lanterns (yep, we own both).

I didn't check out the bottled water aisle, but I'm betting that was stripped, too.

Will try to get to that August wrap-up, tomorrow.

Wish you well,

Bookfool (feeling like a Flat Stanley, which would be neat because you could stick me in an envelope and send me around the world, but . . . maybe not)

Talk of the Town by Lisa Wingate

Talk of the Town by Lisa Wingate
Copyright 2008
Bethany House Fiction
359 pages
Author's website

Who knew what could happen to a lone woman here, where it was impossibly dark and there was no one to hear you scream? Ursula probably wouldn't even report me missing. I'd be like one of those people who fall off cruise ships and three days later someone says, Hey, Joe hasn't been sleeping in his bed. Has anyone seen Joe?

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Harlan, you expect us to swallow that?" I said. "It's more likely Brother Ervin's been eating too many of them pickled raisins with his breakfast." Ervin soaks brown raisins in white gin and eats them for medicinal purposes. It's supposed to cure arthritis, so everyone looks the other way, even though Ervin's our Baptist preacher. I don't hold it against him, and God probably don't, either. Being the Baptist preacher in a small town would drive anyone to eat gin-soaked raisins, eventually.

What led you to pick up this book? I read one book by Lisa Wingate, a couple of years ago, and have meant to read more by her. Opportunity knocked; I opened the door and let the book walk in.

Summarize the plot but don't give away the ending. Mandalay Florentino has a decent job as an associate producer for the hit TV show American Megastar and a nasty boss who demands perfection. When she's sent to tiny Daily, Texas, to prepare for gospel singer Amber Anderson's hometown reunion concert -- which must be kept quiet because the top 5 contestants have not yet been announced -- Manda is none too thrilled. News travels like wildfire in tiny Daily and she's stuck sharing a suite with a charming man whom she suspects may be paparazzi. When the "secret" of Amber's top-5 standing appears to be common knowledge in Daily, Manda realizes she has a challenge on her hands. Can she find a way to sneak Amber back into Daily for the concert and keep her job? And, what is she going to do about that gorgeous cowboy she keeps running into?

Imagene Doll is feeling old and tired, unsure life is worth living after the loss of her beloved husband, Jack. When a slick young gal from Hollywood shows up in Daily, Imagene takes to her immediately. And, that young fellow seems just right for her. A little bit of match-making might just be what the doctor ordered. But, the young gal may need even more help than expected.

What did you like most about the book? There is a great deal to love about Talk of the Town. The small-town dynamics, the characters, the humor and understanding of real life, real people and their emotions . . . and the story is just flat fun, but there were times it was so touching that it brought tears to my eyes. I laughed, I cried, I adored this story.

What did you think of the characters? They're wonderful! Imagene calls Mandalay "Amanda Lee" and I think the fact that Manda never corrects her is just one example of what a nice person she is. Everyone bands together nicely, in the way that small-town people often do. They're unique and quirky, but honest. I had a tiny bit of trouble getting used to the two viewpoints; each chapter is told in alternating voice -- first Mandalay, then Imagene, then back to Mandalay, etc. But, by the third chapter, I was comfortable switching viewpoints and the chapters were conveniently labeled with the name of the character from whose point-of-view one was reading. And, they grew on me rapidly. I liked both women and enjoyed reading their thoughts. Amber was a touch too sweet to believe, but she actually didn't appear till near the end of the book, so I didn't choke on the sugar.

Recommended? Highly! I loved this book. Because it's another Bethany House book, there is a Christian element, but again . . . Christianity is just a part of their lives. There isn't any preaching, although there's the occasional moment of musing about God and how He figures into things, but that could show up in any Southern novel. The book is not overtly Christian; it's just a fun bit of Southern fiction with some funny characters. Talk of the Town would be an excellent book for the Southern Reading Challenge, next time around. It is apparently the beginning of a series, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what else Lisa Wingate has up her sleeve.

Cover thoughts: Bethany House does is, again! I think their covers are wonderful. The character on the right side of the cover looks very much like the description of Mandalay. The little town of Daily is nicely illustrated. And, the two old ladies are a hoot -- there are plenty of women who fit their description, but Imagene and her best friend are probably the two women the artist intended to show gossiping. Perfect!

Coming up: August reads in review

Currently reading:
The Words of War by Donagh Bracken (I will finish this book soon, oh yes I will)
The Last Queen by C. W. Gortner
Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland

Books spotted in other folks' hands, whilst on the plane and in the airport:
A John Grisham
A Daniel Silva
The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman
Buddha Takes No Prisoners (about meditation; didn't catch the author's name)

Oddly, the man who was reading a book on meditation left a space between his wife's seat (by the window) and his seat on the aisle; he was hoping they wouldn't have to share their set of three seats on our Southwest flight and proclaimed victory when nobody asked him to move over. We shared our third seat and ended up with a sweet, chatty woman who was heading out to celebrate her 30th birthday without the kids. I personally believe we were the winners in that deal. We had a fun time chatting with our seat-mate.

I just spent an hour trying to rescue my son from the school hallway. Apparently one tornado warning has blended into another. Meanwhile, we have water from Gustav's downpours backing up outside our house. We've been flooded several times and I'm irritated because the husband simply will not fix the drainage mess he made. I tried bailing, but it didn't work so I'm waiting for (deeply in trouble) spouse to come home and we'll go look for a pump. Gah. I hate tropical hurricany stormy depression rains. And, we need cat litter. You can only wait so long to fetch fresh litter, once it runs out. Calgon, take me away.

Off to tiptoe through the puddles,

Bookfool, sloshy and tired of rain and not very wahooey

We are all fine here, albeit a bit soggy and very opinionated

We're all soggy but fine, here! Kiddo is home from school, today, due to power outages in the area and it's pouring outside because we ended up on the east side of Gustav (the torrential rain side -- yucky). But, the storm has not been bad, relatively speaking -- just buckets and buckets of rain and a bit gusty, at times. Our power has flickered, but not gone out at all in our neighborhood, which is extremely unusual and something for which we are all grateful. I curled up and read, slept, read some more and just had a relaxing day, yesterday. It's still raining heavily and gusting on occasion -- probably will be for another day and then should begin to clear.

Thanks to all who sent thoughts, wishes and prayers that Gustav would fizzle and turn sharply. The storm held off until we had unloaded the rental truck and sent our eldest off with a couch, yesterday morning. All worked out perfectly! That's hubby with the Budget rental truck, at our first stop in Oklahoma, above. I drove all but the first half-hour or so, thinking that the husband needed to save his strength for unloading.

The drive was quite comfy. Around Lake Village, Arkansas, we began to pass some pretty heavy refugee traffic from Gustav. I found last night's wholly negative news coverage of a few angry, sobbing evacuees really frustrating. Southerners tend to be tough and resourceful and we saw mostly happy families driving past, some tossing balls in hotel parking lots, a few packed campsites full of RVs and trailers. Yesterday, we went to the local mall. Usually not a happening place, it was buzzing with activity and people seemed relaxed. The real news is apparently not good enough. I was kind of stunned to see Katie Couric standing in New Orleans (which didn't receive the worst of the storm) looking, frankly, bored out of her mind. This reminded me, of course, of why I stopped watching the news in the first place. It's not truth; it's slanted -- as it has been for over 100 years (the topic, in fact, of the Civil War book I'm reading: The Words of War).

Here's what it's been like at our house, although we're not quite so pixilated (but that hanging plant really is quite dead and the sound seems to be pretty good) -- this is my first attempt at using the video feature on my new phone and was taken a few hours ago:

I finished Talk of the Town by Lisa Wingate, yesterday. Review forthcoming, along with an August wrap-up. This weekend I zipped through Did I Expect Angels? by Kathryn Maughan. I'll be reviewing the latter for a book tour; I'm going to post-date the review so that it will appear around the 14th of the month. Both books were quick reads -- of totally different character but equally engrossing. I didn't read any of The Words of War, this weekend, because it requires too much concentration and I thought the atlas of battles was a bit too heavy to take on a plane, but really . . . if I don't finish it this week, there's just something wrong with me. It's a great book.

My sidebar is stuck, again, so pardon its outdatedness.

I double-checked the batteries on our flashlights before the storm hit. Darned if I didn't let the batteries in one of my Maglites corrode. Crud. There's one for the Christmas wish list. Seriously, I got that Maglite for Christmas. I am so bummed.

Yesterday was my birthday and I asked my husband to please just buy me a birthday cupcake. He's so funny. He was determined to get me that cupcake, come rain or shine. We eventually piled into the car and he said, "Stay here," then trudged into Kroger and bought a 6-pack of colorfully frosted cupcakes. I ate the purple-frosted one and planned to save the green-frosted cupcake for later because it looked just a bit too much like Oobleck and I had to give that green stuff some thought (purple and green being my favorite colors, I bypassed the pink, blue, orange and yellow). Fortunately, the kiddo saved me by eating it before I made it back to the kitchen. Boys are so useful.

Off to curl up and read, some more. Sounds like the rain is letting up a bit. Wahoo!

See you later, alligators!

Bookfool, damp but happy