Category: Books

This is the most recent book we picked for book club! We are meeting tonight to discuss it. I came across this book as a book I could get for free through Amazon Prime. They have a lending library where, if you have a Prime account, you can borrow one eligible book a month for free.

It was a really good book. Here’s a description.

In 1837, Lisbeth Wainwright is born to the white mistress of a sprawling Virginia plantation. Seconds later, she is delivered into the arms of her black wet nurse, Mattie. For a field hand like Mattie, her transfer to the big house is supposed to be considered an honor—except that the move tears Mattie away from her beloved grandfather and her infant son, Samuel. But Mattie is a slave, with no say in the matter, and so she devotes herself to her master’s daughter, though she longs to be raising her own child. Growing up under Mattie’s tender care, little Lisbeth adopts the woman’s deep-seated faith in God, her love of music and black-eyed peas, and the tradition of hunting for yellow crocuses in the early days of spring.

As the years pass, Lisbeth is drawn slowly back into her white parents’ world and begins to learn the ins and outs of life for a high-born young lady. Still she retains her connection to Mattie, befriending Samuel and drifting comfortably between the two worlds. She accepts her parents’ assertion that their slaves depend upon them for guidance and protection, yet that notion becomes more and more difficult to believe as she gains awareness of the inequality of life in the big house versus the slave quarters. When, on the threshold of her society wedding to debonair Edward Cunningham, Lisbeth bears witness to a shockingly brutal act, the final vestiges of her naiveté crumble around her. Just twenty-one years old, she is forced to choose between what is socially acceptable and what is right, a decision that will change her life forever.

This compelling historical novel chronicles young Lisbeth Wainwright’s coming-of-age during one of the most difficult chapters of American history. Lisbeth’s powerful bond with Mattie makes her loss of innocence in the face of society’s ugly secrets all the more heartbreaking, and yet it is the courage she learns from her stand in mother that enables Lisbeth to blaze a new path for herself. Yellow Crocus offers moving proof of how the greatest social change often blooms forth from small personal acts of love.

So if you can find a copy of this book, I highly recommend it. It was an easy read and a very interesting perspective of what went on during slavery.

Happy reading!

I just finished reading this book for book club. Here is a quick synopsis I found about the book.

After losing her high-octane job as an entertainment blogger, Noelle Hancock was lost. About to turn twenty-nine, she’d spent her career writing about celebrities’ lives and had forgotten how to live her own. Unemployed and full of self-doubt, she had no idea what she wanted out of life. She feared change—in fact, she feared almost everything. Once confident and ambitious, she had become crippled by anxiety, lacking the courage required even to attend a dinner party—until inspiration struck one day in the form of a quote on a chalkboard in a coffee shop:

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
—Eleanor Roosevelt

Painfully timid as a child, Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated herself to facing her fears, a commitment that shaped the rest of her life. With Eleanor as her guide, Noelle spends the months leading up to her thirtieth birthday pursuing a “Year of Fear.” From shark diving to fighter pilot lessons, from tap dancing and stand-up comedy to confronting old boyfriends, her hilarious and harrowing adventures teach her about who she is, and what she can become—lessons she makes vital for all of us.

This book was hilarious! There were so many times that I would laugh out loud and just had to share what I read with Chuck. I am sure he didn’t find it nearly as amusing since he wasn’t reading the book, but I was happy to share it anyway.  

I felt it was a little like Eat, Pray, Love, but not really in a bad way. Just the idea of the author “finding herself” and then writing about it, and that they were both memoirs. But I actually enjoyed this book much more than I did Eat, Pray, Love. I thought this was funnier and not as somber. Noelle could have been anyone. She was just looking for a change and found a way to do it.

I would recommend this book for a funny read. There were a few times I would have rather heard more of the things she did than hear about Eleanor, but overall, it was well written and kept me interested. I’m looking forward to hearing what my friends have to say about the book!

Happy reading!

I have been reading a lot. This is a book I came across for my Kindle. I found a website where they list a bunch of free books every day and I came across this one. I really liked it. I had a hard time putting this book down. I just wanted to know what happened next. Even though I figured out what the ending was going to be, it was really well written and kept me entertained the whole time.

In the summer of 1909, Solomon Mayfield awoke to find his mother and sister had disappeared. Left with his alcoholic and abusive father, Sol lived his life believing the story he’d been told, the story all the people of Varner Creek believed about what happened that summer. But in a plot of twists and family secrets that will leave the reader reaching for their jaw upon the floor, Sol is taken back to his childhood by the spirits he knew in life when he passes away so many years later . . . it is only then he learns what secrets The Ghosts of Varner Creek have been keeping so many years.

I would definitely recommend this book. I even downloaded another book by the author to read since I enjoyed this one so much.

Happy reading!

I mentioned a little while back that I started a book club in the neighborhood with a few friends. I am happy to find more reasons to read! We read this book for our first get together. It sparked some pretty good conversation from the ladies!

Nine-year-old Oskar Schell has embarked on an urgent, secret mission that will take him through the five boroughs of New York. His goal is to find the lock that matches a mysterious key that belonged to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11. This seemingly impossible task will bring Oskar into contact with survivors of all sorts on an exhilarating, affecting, often hilarious, and ultimately healing journey.

I liked the book. I thought it was a little strange and hard to read and get into at first, but overall was a very interesting story. I don’t think it would be the first book I would recommend to people, but I certainly wouldn’t tell people not to read it (if that makes sense.)

I found that I didn’t really analyze the book as much as my friends did, though. I think I need to try harder on the next book. (Which is “My Year With Eleanor: A Memoir” in case you are curious.) This book definitely provoked some feelings, both good and bad, from my friends. But I don’t want to sway you one way or the other with that. I know….I’m so mean!

I am curious to see the movie someday. I wonder how it is in relation to the books. Usually books are better, but I am not sure that would be the case for this one. Someday I might watch the movie, and if I remember, I will report back on my thoughts on the two.  

Are any of you in a book club? What type books do you stay away from or flock to when you are reading for a book club? Or for yourself?

I came across this book when I was looking for new books to read on my Kindle. (And I absolutely love my Kindle, in case you were wondering!) It was a fast read. A little bit of a strange title, but it was pretty good. Here’s a description:

Freddie Nutter is a rookie cop with the Michigummee City Police Department in the wilds of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, riding desk during the last weeks of her unplanned pregnancy. When her partner Doyle, and her baby’s daddy Mick send her on an innocent errand to pilfer some leftover spaghetti and meatballs from her mother’s refrigerator, Freddie’s life takes a horrifying turn. In her mother’s living room, Freddie discovers a blood soaked crime scene, but no body.

Hidden deep in the woods, psychopath Sammy’s obsession with Betsy Nutter’s corpse intensifies while his relationship with his own mother strains to its final thread, and he pursues his next victim. All the while, Freddie’s grief is compounded by the tense kinship with her alcoholic, philandering father, and a convoluted affection for her addicted brother—and the histories of Freddie Nutter and Sammy Gunn intertwine not for the first time, and certainly not for the last.

I thought it was pretty good. There were a few times I had my hand over my mouth with some of the horrifying details. If you don’t like bloody/gory books, this wouldn’t be for you. But overall, it was a pretty interesting story with a couple plot twists.

I also set a goal for myself to read 30 books this year. GoodReads is helping me keep track and I am apparently two books ahead of schedule. I was excited to fly through this book and add another book to my 30 books!

What are you reading these days? Anything worth recommending? Or anything worth advising to stay away from?

Happy reading.

A friend of mine posted yesterday on her blog about Lent. I am not Catholic, so I don’t usually give something up for Lent. But Laura (see previous link) had a great idea to read the New Testament of the Bible during Lent. Below is a 40 day plan for reading. I started yesterday and you can easily catch up if you want to join along. It seemed like a good thing to do since I have never read through the New Testament fully.

This image shown above is from HERE. I like the idea of having something structured so I read a little a day. Maybe after I finish the New Testament, I will find something to help me read through the Old Testament. can’t believe in 31 years, I haven’t read the whole bible front to back. But I am looking forward to giving it a try!

Happy reading! And I would love to know if you are planning to read along with me….and Laura!

I finished the trilogy…(The Hunger Games and Catching Fire were the first two books). I couldn’t put them down. Part of the reason I needed to read this one quickly was because Chuck bought me a Kindle. I will tell you more about that tomorrow.

This book was a little slower than the first two. Thankfully, it tied up the loose ends and, of course, had a happy(ish) ending. I don’t think young adults could handle books without happy(ish) endings. The book was gruesome at times, just like the other two books. The author did a great job tying all three books together and making them cohesive.

I enjoyed reading all three books and I liked the ending and the way everything wrapped up. I would definitely recommend these books to anyone. They were an entertaining read. I have talked to many people (younger than me – my 14 year old brother, and older than me – my aunt) and they have all loved the books. I think it is quite a skill to make books that are enjoyable to all ages.

Happy reading!

Well, I finished the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy. Right after I was done with the first book, I dove right in and read the second book. It’s going to be kind of hard to give you a run-down of this book without giving too much away…like how the previous book ends. But I will say it was another action-filled book. It was creative and there were some fun twists. Overall, I liked this book, too. I can see why teens/young adults enjoy these books. They are quite entertaining.

On to book #3!

My friend has this trilogy and has let a number of friends read it. When one friend was returning it to her, I became the happy recipient of the trilogy to read.

First, I think I need to read more “teen” books because I read them much faster than other books. Ha! I think it also has a lot to do with the fact that I have been walking and reading on the treadmill almost every day and reading before bed.

The story takes place in the future. There are 12 “cities” and once a year, girls and boys between the ages of 12-18 get their names in a drawing to be part of “The Hunger Games.” This is a televised event where these kids fight to the death. There’s a love triangle, blood, futuristic creatures…what’s not to like?

It was a good book. There was some action, some fun twists and it was overall, pretty creative. I can see why teens like it…the mushy love crap going on. Oh blah blah…”I don’t realize I love this one guy, I might love this other guy, but then there’s the first guy again…Oh what is a girl to do?” Thankfully the blood and sci-fi nature evened out the mush.

Can you tell I am not much for sappy things?  

With that said…I am a sucker for trilogies and as soon as I finished this book, I started reading the next one! Let’s see what hijinks these crazy kids get into next!

Happy reading.