Another great historical fiction by Alan Brennert.
I preferred this book to his first novel. The writing felt more fluid and the history of Korean picture brides was fascinating.
A truly enjoyable read.
Recently in Wednesday: read a damn book Category
I picked this one up from the recommended by library staff table in my local library. I'm a sucker for any novel that takes place in another country. I love to learn about other cultures.
This was small and bright, so I snatched it. Now I can't look at the cover without thinking of my teeth. I read this when I first started using invisalign. Now this book reminds me of intense oral pain.
Ah, well. It was a sweet, short book that had a lot to do with Mathematics and more to do with bonding with people. It was endearing--though not very exciting.
A new Sanderson--so of course it is a great read.
Enough said.
This was a recommendation I was given at Yoga class. I always bring a book to read while I wait for class to begin--otherwise I feel like I am wasting a shred of precious free time without children. I love when people see that I am reading and then offer me up suggestions. This was a great one.
Another nonfiction, this book is written by Wes Moore (a man who fulfilled the American Dream of going from "nothing" to "something"). Wes met his counterpart, a man who shares his name, whose life went in a different direction. Part of the book is set in Baltimore, which as my home (it still feel funny to say so) brought another layer to the book.
It is a book about how hard it is for impoverished youth to pull themselves out of the environment in which they are raised. A story about how the people we meet and the opportunities we are offered, can open doors and change our lives in dramatic ways.
Here are some of my favorite bits of the book:
"Role models and mentors that pushed me to see more than what was directly in front of me, to see the boundless possibilities of the wider world and the unexplored possibilities within myself."
"Failing doesn't make up a failure. but not trying to do better, to be better, does make us fools"
Another book club book and non-fiction on top of that. This is the true story of the whale ship that inspired the novel Moby Dick. The Essex was rammed by a whale and sank in the Pacific Ocean. The crew was lost at sea for three months and most of the men died from starvation. Some were eaten so their fellow shipmates could live long enough to reach aid or land. I would know a whole lot more about history if all historical books were written this well.
A fascinating read.
I am loving non-fiction lately.
Give it a try.
I picked up this hefty book at the recommendation of one of the blogs I read. This is not something I typically would read, but the cover artist really did a great job. Between that and the blogger's recommendation, I eventually got around to plowing my way through this.
Was it a bit dry and rambling?
Yes
But I really did enjoy it.
The novel travels through time focusing on a small shipping town in Denmark. You get a lot of history, a lot of sailing lingo and lifestyles, and adventures on the high seas.
Ahoy!
Although this book has a religious base, I think the advice inside is still applicable to all parents. I take parenting seriously. While a lot of nurturing is just something that happen naturally, I think all parents can continue learning how to do what we do better. We all have bad habits and frustrations. Parts of parenting where we "hit a wall" with our children and don't know how to get around it. Sometimes the right words can guide us to new techniques. It's all easier said (or read) than done. But wanting to change and educating ourselves is one of the first steps towards positive improvements.
The following are notes I wrote down that are particularly important to me. Things I felt I could work on. While I think I do a lot of things well--these are my weaknesses, things I was leaving our completely, or things I know but have trouble remembering to do that I think would be great tools to use to improve communication between River and I.
*
- Am I hearing my children or listening?
- Hearing--concerned about what is going on inside you
- Listening- involves caring and being empathetic
- Your eyes convey the silent language of love
- Don't bark order in the morning (I am so guilty of this)
- Be supportive of mistakes. No, "Listen to me next time!"
- Five minutes of quite time to talk to each children each day.
- The importance of positive reinforcement
- Nurturing message--show their value to you. More affirmations than corrections.
- Poor choice does not mean--bad boy
- "Stop it" include what child can do instead.
- tone and touch when correcting (compassion)
- Positive greeting always when child comes in door.
- Requests not commands
- And stop yelling (the hardest for me!)
Ok For Now was a book club book, but since these are sister books (not exactly sequels) I went ahead and read both. They are young adult novels and extremely easy to get through. I love the author's style. Both books had me laughing out loud and left me feeling good. Positive, hopeful, and humorous. You won't be sorry picking these ones up. I'm glad I did, since these are books I never would have grabbed for myself otherwise.
Everyone needs one of those feel good type books once in awhile. The type that remind us that even though life sucks sometimes, it has its silver lining. That trials come and go and we have to keep on trudging on--hopefully with minimal complaining and self pity. Hopefully, we can heal, forgive, and move forward while still welcoming joy into our lives.
This is a book about nontraditional families and loss. Which suits my mood these last few days.
I dreamed about Bryan the other night. I dreamed he had found a new pizza place and was happily eating pizza. Such a simple little dream, but so very real. The nobs of his knees through the baggy and worn fabric of his jeans, and his big block head, and sleepy, stoner eyes. His small teeth and sheepish smile. It was all there and when I woke up, I curled around the ache in my heart.
I heard John Lennon's Christmas song on the radio. I could only think of how many times my mother played that last year--our first Christmas without Bryan. For the first time, I felt sadness beneath my excitement for the holidays. It crept up and numbed me. I just felt tired. Felt for a moment that I just wanted to sleep through the rest of the month.
It grew worse after talking to my mother. She was always the Christmas spirit of the household. I can tell from her voice that Christmas is still just a hurdle (a hell hurdle even) to jump over this year--the same as last.
I let out a big sad sigh from the deepest part of my gut where mourning never seems to end.
I also saw a man today that looked a bit like my father taking his grandson out to play. I thought, with a measure of self pity and bitterness, how my Dad could have had that--if he wasn't a junkie. If he didn't just give up and whine. He could have had that too. He could have had me and my babies. He could have made some sort of effort. More than a few half ass visits arranged by Bryan and I, and half the time ruined by his whining/complaining/and general self-pity party.
I gave a little pat to the little girl in me that was is so greatly, sadly disappointed that I also didn't don't have that now. I recognized that I wanted it want it. There is only a small persistent voice that used to scream how badly I wanted my Daddy to be someone he wasn't. To be that daughter's ideal. It's hard to admit that voice still remains in me at all.
I haven't spoken to my father since a month after my brother died.
I wonder, this time of year and from a sick, knot of guilt, if I should do something about it.
And, *head shake* I just don't want to think about any of this.
Those men of my life are one sad tangle in my being.
A second sigh.
This fugue will pass. I'll beat my melancholy back. But all sadness has it's moment. It needs a moment on center stage. It needs a bit of applause. Even though I hate feeling like the world is suddenly an anvil on my back--I can't always be merry this month.
I have so much to be thankful for and so much joy. So much, I feel unworthy of it.
Maybe I need to pick this book up again!
This book was recommended to me by Trodayne quite a long time ago, but I didn't actually get around to reading it until I found it for free at The Book Thing. This novel was old school Fantasy--glory, honor, bravely, epic battles and tangled politics. Kay does such a good job with the characters that I was swallowed right into the story. It was amazingly well done and brought me back to my first years of reading fantasy.
Try it.
