September 2021 Reading Highlights

I used to share short reviews of every book I read. Generally, I read about 4-8 books a month, so that task wasn't greatly daunting.

And then the C-word hit in March 2020. The first few months, I floundered when it came to reading. Anxiety kept me from being able to focus. My mind raced all the time. And the small people were home almost every second for most of 6 months.

My reading has changed a lot in the last 18 months. Around July 2020, I went from those 4-8 books to a month to reading anywhere from 12 to 17 books a month since then. Why?

• I'm escaping real life through books. This equals reading more.
• I've read a lot more YA and romance, which are much quicker reads.
• Around November 2019, I figured out how to fit audiobooks in my life more. About a third of my reading is now via audiobook. Sometimes this means I don't listen to podcasts as much, but that's OK with me.

All that said, I hope to share about reading here again, but it's definitely going to be the highlights. I'm always happy to talk about every book I read, though, in comments or by email.

Favorite Book of the Month

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride by Cary Elwes - ON AUDIO - If you grew up on The Princess Bride, this book is for you and you should go RUN to listen to it right now. Sure, you could read it on paper, but why would you do that when Westley himself will read it to you, with the help of other actors and directors from the film? I loved every second and had to go watch the movie right after I was done.

(My beloved author Jenny B. Jones commented on my Instagram about As You Wish that the audiobook is absolutely the best audio ever created and is unrivaled. So listen to her if you won't listen to me.)

Favorite Romance of the Month

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun is a sweet debut novel taking place in a Bachelor-esque reality show. Producer Dev is pretty newly out of a long-term relationship that almost burst his fairy-tale-loving bubble. Charlie, the new star of the show, is trying to rehab his image and make it through the weeks of filming. Both struggle with mental health, and the novel deals with that in such a lovely way. When Charlie finds himself more attracted to Dev than any of the women trying to win his heart, it's more than a little complicated.

Favorite YA

What I Carry by Jennifer Longo not only has an insanely gorgeous cover it also contains a pretty fantastic and heartfelt story. Muir is 17 and has bounced from house to house to house in the foster system. With less than a year left, she finds herself at the home of Francine, a single, retired woman, on an island outside of Portland, Oregon. Muir has so many walls up and knows what she wants: to walk outside, often, and to just make it out of the foster system.

Slowly throughout the novel her walls are pushed by Francine, new friend Kira, and Sean, the boy who is just a little too perfect for her. (This is my one complaint about the novel - truly, he's just too perfect.) It's a beautiful story inspired by Longo's own daughter.

Here are the other books I finished in September!

• Cookoff: Recipe Fever in America by Amy Sutherland [from my shelves, hardback] (4 stars)
• Flash Fire by TJ Klune [audiobook] (4.5 stars - this is the *third* time I've read this book ... I ADORE this series and wanted to listen on audio because Michael Lesley, the narrator, is so fantastic)
• Truth or Beard by Penny Reid [digital via Hoopla] (3 stars)
• Love, Jacaranda by Alex Flinn [audiobook] (3 stars)
• Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase [from my shelves, paperback] (4 stars)
• Float Plan by Trish Doller [Kindle via library] (3 stars)
• Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk [read aloud] (2 stars)
• Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner [audiobook] (4 stars)
• Fault Lines by Emily Itami [paper via library] (3.5 stars)
• Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher [digital ARC via Netgalley] (4 stars)

What was your favorite book you read in September?

A Whole Summer of Book Reviews

I’d like to blame a lot of things for having three months of book reviews to post.

The fact that we bought a new laptop for me to use but it has a glitch and now we can’t get it charged.

Having a really fun, packed summer.

Having four kids and getting three of them back to school.

But we all know we have time for what we make time for. (Like reading, for example!) And I’ve made more time for trying to start a little bit of a business on Poshmark instead of writing. And while both are good, I miss writing more! I’m trying to find a happy balance as we work our way back into a schedule.

So I’ve decided I can spend one hour and I will write ALL THE REVIEWS. They can just only be two sentences. I will try to flesh these out over time on GoodReads, so follow me over there. 

June

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman – I absolutely love Backman’s style. This novella feels more My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry and less Man Called Ove – kind of fantastical and slightly confusing but still beautiful.

Still Me by Jojo Moyes – I’ve heard a lot of people say they loved this third book in the Me Before You trilogy, but I can’t agree. The situations felt super predictable, and I didn’t hate it but it wasn’t love for me.

The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie – See my post about reading aloud with my kids here. Loved this treatise, and it encouraged me to keep on the read-aloud path as my kids grow.

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman – Backman’s intense understanding of human nature and ability to convey it on the page is perfect. Five stars.

The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues by Edward Kelsey Moore – I was hoping for more considering how much I adored The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat (review here). Enjoyable, funny, and quirky, but not the original.

My Southern Journey: True Stories from the Heart of the South by Rick Bragg – I’d tried to read this maybe a year ago, when it was a new release, but it wasn’t the right time. The right time was at the beach on Tybee Island, where I delighted in the foibles of Bragg and his South (other than the sports essays).

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan – I’m sorry I haven’t seen this all over the web, because it is a fantastic debut YA novel chronicling the life of half-Taiwanese teenager Leigh after her mother commits suicide. (Not a spoiler – trigger warnings, obviously, but suicide is a MAJOR trigger for me and I did OK with this book.) 

July

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak – Reread for me, and so glad I did. Still amazing, still cried like a baby.

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan – Excellent, Newberry medal-winning book with intersecting stories from around World War II. Loved the fantastical element in it, and the young heroes and heroine.

Home by Marilynne Robinson – For some reason, this appealed to me much more than Gilead. Heartfelt spiritual struggle, familial relationships, perfect prose.

My Life with Bob by Pamela Paul – Memoir through books, based on the fact the author has kept a running list of what she’s read since high school (!!) (wish I had!). Not my favorite, but some good insights and fun book nerdiness.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before / P.S. I Still Love You / Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han – I had a really good binge on this trilogy during our Great Road Trip in late July. Thought the first one was great, the other two were pretty good, although what does it mean if you’re rooting for the other guy to win the girl? (Shrug.) (Definitely read the first one if you watched the movie. So much not fleshed out in the movie!) (Also I went to high school with Jenny Han.) (Six sentences because it is three books.)

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter – I had really high hopes for this YA spy school start of a series, because several of my online book buddies have raved about it. Alas, just not for me, and now I know. 

August

Still Waters by Lindsey P. Brackett – Sweet Southern romance on Edisto Island, which reminds me of Tybee and I felt like I was there. Realistic family relationships and romances, while not being too angsty. Looking forward to the sequel. (GoodReads long review here.)

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander –
How can this author
Use so few words
And still make me feel
Right there in the midst of his tale?
Perfect poetry
and I cried, of course.

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell – Two women are sending emails at work, and one man is reading them all … and finding it hard to detach. Rowell is so witty and adorable and I loved this.

I’d Rather Be Reading: the Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel – A series of short essays from my beloved Anne about books, reading, bookstores, and of course, You’ve Got Mail. My only complaint is that I wanted more in each essay so I could keep reading! (This book was provided to me by the publisher as part of the author’s launch team. Full review here.)

Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke – Snarky teen finds herself on a low-budget, community college reality show after a life crisis. While hilarity often ensues in this book through journal entries, the underlying spiritual questions are really very interesting.

____________

Twenty books over three months! It’s amazing what you can do when you just don’t clean your house. 😉 I hope you had a fantastic summer of reading, and I’d love to hear about your favorite title.

This will be added to Quick Lit at Modern Mrs. Darcy.

What I Read: May 2018

Yes, I’m fully aware that it is July 11. I’m playing catch-up (always, it seems), and I read too many books in May and June to squish them into one post! So here it goes. 

Empire Falls by Richard Russo – My short, initial review was that I give this a 4.8 stars. I LOVE Richard Russo’s writing. He does an excellent job building the town of Empire Falls and making you fall in love with its people. I don’t think it’s a mindset-changing book for me, but it’s an excellent example of a great novel. Two thumbs up. (Just beware, there’s an unexpected twist and if certain types of violence are a trigger for you, you might Google what it is before you read. I hope that’s not too spoiler-y.)

Rebound by Kwame Alexander – I didn’t realize when I started reading this that it is a prequel to The Crossover, probably Alexander’s biggest book (and a Newberry medal winner). I picked it up off the YA table at the library because I’ve heard of Alexander but never read anything by him. I started reading the novel in verse while my kids were picking out books and was engrossed enough 10 minutes in that I needed to take it home and finish! Charlie, a young teen who has just lost his father, is sent away to his grandparents’ house for a pivotal summer. I have to say, I love books in verse. They go fast but pack a punch, and this one is so vivid to me. A great read, and I am definitely going to find The Crossover and Alexander’s other books.

The Summer of the Great-Grandmother by Madeleine L’Engle – In this, her second of the Crosswicks Journals, L’Engle writes both about the last summer her mother was alive and the history of her mother’s side of the family. An only child, L’Engle had an exceptionally close relationship with her mother that continued until her mother started suffering from dementia. Raw, open, and lovely, L’Engle writes passionately about her family history and the gaping wound of losing her mother piece by piece.

Occasionally the Kindle set of the four Crosswicks Journals will go on sale for $2.99 or so, and they are so well worth picking up. I have read the first two and just adored them desperately. 

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison – I half listened to this on Audible, half read it on paper (because I am so slow with listening to audiobooks, I always pick podcasts!). It was a fantastic audiobook and I kind of wished I had listened to the whole thing! Much of this is wholly disturbing, but it’s a super important book in the history of books and especially books about race relations in America. Ellison’s memoir follows the disillusionment of one young man, as he travels from the South to Harlem and becomes a public figure. The rhythm of the sentences isn’t quite Jazz by Toni Morrison but it captures the fast pace of the city and the times. I don’t know that I can say I LOVED it but I can see how it is important and well deserving of all attention and awards.

Rich and Pretty by Rumaan Alam – I feel kind of ridiculous even putting this next to a classic. Had I read any reviews before picking this up, I would have stayed far away. It has awful ratings on GoodReads and Amazon and they aren’t wrong. While the idea of this book is interesting – can your childhood friendships grow with you? – and the writing isn’t bad, the book doesn’t seem to go anywhere. It was too racy for me in places, unnecessarily so, and just not great. 

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman – In a way, this feels a lot like A Man Called Ove (my review here). Odd, misfit, grumpy protagonist. Learns to become somewhat normal socially. But it’s also completely different. Eleanor had a childhood trauma, grew up in foster homes, and is still not sure how to function among normal people. When she falls fast for a musician she sees in concert, she wants to figure out how to make herself more appropriate for him. Through the novel, we see her transformation and find out whether it sticks. It took me longer than I thought it would to sink into this story, but once I did, I couldn’t stop reading. I stayed up late to finish it. Honeyman’s quirky writing voice is a little humorous in places but goes to gut-wrenching really fast.

Wires and Nerve Volume 2: Gone Rogue by Marissa Meyer – I love everything in Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles universe. This is her second graphic novel that takes place after the series, mostly from the point of view of Iko, Cinder’s robot with personality. In this one, we find a little bit more about Iko’s back story and a lot about the gang of former Lunar mutant wolves making trouble on Earth. It’s a quick, fun read that made my heart happy.

_________

Those were my reads for May! June coming soon. Hopefully before July is over. I read so much great stuff in June I can’t wait to tell you about.

The Joy of Reading Aloud

 

This is the year we started to take reading aloud seriously. 

It’s not that we haven’t always, always, read aloud to our kids. It’s been our practice to do so every night before bed as long as they’ve been able to sit and listen. We’ve had months and years where we read Bible stories. Times when it was picture books. And lately – for the last year plus – we read the entire Harry Potter series. (We finished last weekend!) 

But after an episode of What Should I Read Next?, where a mother and college-aged daughter talked about their reading times together, I decided maybe a little extra reading was exactly what my daughter and I needed. 

She turned 9 this past fall, and our relationship has always been a little challenging. We both have hot tempers, and it felt like we were having a lot more fraught times than tender ones. We needed some one-on-one time, and with six people in the house that can be hard to come by. So one afternoon I asked her to come to my room and just let me read to her. 

She fought it. She thought it was a trick, I suppose. But, her trust won, she gave in. We started reading Frindle by Andrew Clements; it was new to both of us, and we were charmed. 

Quickly we realized the afternoon reading time was probably not going to work most days for our family, but I turned to reading just to her before bed. We’ve traveled through Ramona’s Oregon, Pippi Longstocking’s crazy home, the dollhouse home of a family of mice, the fantastic world of Arlo Finch, and more. 

Some time during these nights, I suggested my husband read to our sons, who share a room, during this same time. Their books are vastly different, but also much beloved; my husband is mainly trying to hook our 7-year-old on new series that he can devour. (And it’s worked!) 

We have loved this, and it’s been a wonderful point of connection for us with the kids. I feel closer to my daughter than I have in a long time, and the fact that I can simply mention that I see her “tattletale cloud” and it makes us both laugh is delightful. (And she loves that her brothers have no idea what we’re talking about. It’s a Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Magic reference.) 

I didn’t really understand it all, though, until I started to devour The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie. Her thesis is that reading aloud to kids, all the way until they leave the home, is the best way to create family connection. Reading aloud is proven to improve grades, writing, and more, but her first point is that it makes a family culture. You have a whole series of “inside jokes” and references. You have stories to discuss and love and reread. 

It clicked for me. I love having those points of connection. Talking about books is basically my favorite thing in the world, and to do it with my kids makes my life so much more enjoyable. Our memories of reading Harry together will last a long time, and I’ll remember how much the kids enjoyed running around putting unforgiveable curses on each other when they are far past that phase. 

I love that my 9-year-old wants me to come to her room each night and read to her. I hope we’ll keep doing it another 9 years, until she graduates. And maybe even past then. 

It’s our own family book club, and I treasure it.

Read in 2012

1. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - This is the third installment in the Hunger Games trilogy. I have not talked to one person who wasn't disappointed by it - but that's not to say they didn't race through all three books to see what happened. The trilogy is utterly readable, and yet I think it's one where maybe the author only intended to write one book. Or she was rushed to write the second and third volumes. They are just not up to par with what she could have written. I would say only read the first book, but I think we all know that's laughable. So just consider this your fair warning.

2. The Hipsters by Tim McAtee - I should probably write a long review of this. First of all, because my cousin wrote the book. He's trying to get funded to publish print copies, but through that link you can buy it for $3 on your Kindle (which is what I did). Secondly, because my opinion of the book is so conflicted and ultimately based on the fact that I am a middle-class, suburban, stay-at-home mom in Tennessee.

3. Life from Scratch by Melissa Ford (Stirrup Queens) - I had seen a blurb about this book somewhere and pinned it on my "want to read it" board. My note on the pinboard, however, was that the book was about someone learning to cook. Which is not at all what it's about. The book is about a blogger who HAS learned to cook post-divorce and writes about it on her blog, Life from Scratch. The book follows her new success as a blogger and writer, as well as a new relationship, and the ups and downs of learning to be a divorcee in NYC. I was disappointed that the book skimmed over the part of the character's life I thought I might find interesting, and yet, it was utterly readable. And definitely worth the $1 I paid for it for my Kindle (sorry, it's 9 bucks now!).

Want to see more?

 31 28 Days of Reading Well
Read in 2011
Read in 2010
Read in 2009
Favorite Books of 2007

----
Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
Twitter much? I'm vanderbiltwife there, too.
Join my Facebook Fan Group

Turn Over a New Leaf and CLEAN!

source: robstephaustralia

So, it's another new year. For me, it brings the realization that I have been a stay-at-home mom for TWO years now! (Um, seriously? Cause I remember writing a post about my first 6 months as a SAHM that I'm pretty sure I never finished. Wasn't that last week?)

I hate to admit it, but with the upheaval that has been our life in the last two years, I still don't have any kind of regular schedule or methods in place. Need a refresher? This has been my life since January 2010:

• Quit my job
• Moved to Chattanooga
• Went from being a full-time working mom to a full-time SAHM and part-time freelancer
• Got pregnant three months later
• Had a baby
• Foreclosed on a house
• Moved to a small apartment on-campus at the school where my husband teaches
• Don't have any family nearby

A little nuts, no?

I am trying to work up the nerve to declare 2012 THE YEAR OF ORGANIZATION.

I am a slob. I would SO much rather sit here click-clacking on my computer than do anything else, and that does present a problem. So if it means I have to set timers and schedule my days in 15-minute increments, I want to change.

If you're like me, you might be interested in my friend Christine's e-book Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule. Honestly, the Motivated Moms schedule worked pretty well for me during the very short period I actually adhered to it while we were in our rental house. But living in a different, smaller space, with no outdoor tasks and some unique circumstances, I really need the customized option Christine offers.

(Christine was my friend before blogging, by the way. We worked on the same floor at LifeWay. And she is the most genuinely nice person I've ever met. Also so happy sometimes I just want to pinch her ... but that's OK.)

Here's how Christine describes the book on her site:

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all schedule.

As I began putting together my own cleaning schedule I looked high and low for cleaning templates and guides. You know what I realized? There isn’t a one-size-fits-all schedule. We all have different homes, needs, and expectations when it comes to cleaning.

I’ve put together an easy step-by-step plan for you to create your own cleaning schedule that fits your lifestyle, your preferences, and your family. It will help you Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule.

The e-book is really an excellent resource, and right now you can get it for 50% off with the code CLEANNEWYEAR2012, making it a ridiculously affordable $2.98. That code is good until the 7th.

So, anyone ready to make this year THE YEAR OF CLEAN? Or at least, THE YEAR I TRY NOT TO LIVE IN A PIGSTY?

Yes, these are affiliate links. It takes me a lot of time to write this blog and if you'd like to help fund that time in the slightest, I appreciate it. If you'd rather go directly to perfectcleaningschedule.com to buy the book, that's OK with me too!

----
Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
Twitter much? I'm vanderbiltwife there, too.
Join my Facebook Fan Group

Favorites of 2011

You know when you have really bad writer's block? After you've been to three states in nine days and thought about nothing but family and Christmas for weeks.

Since imitation truly is the highest form of flattery, I decided to copy Simple Mom and share my favorite books, movies, TV shows, and music of 2011. (As she said, ones that were new to me, not necessarily new to 2011.)

Sometimes it takes the act of writing to spark further writing, which is why "they" say all the best writers write every day. A practice I've fallen out of. I write a lot in my head. Does that count?

So without further ado ...

BOOKS (of course)

I read so, so, SO many amazing books in 2011. I don't know what sparked that, if it was just a streak of luck or coming into contact with great recommendations, but I am certainly glad for it.


You can read my treatise on why I think everyone should read Heaven Is for Real. I zipped through the small book a few short hours and found it very affecting. Read it.

I don't think there's much you haven't heard about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo or The Help. Both are wonderful, fast-paced reads that have spurred movies. (The former, movies in both Swedish and English!) There is a reason both are so popular: plots full of detail and excitement, rendering the reader completely unable to put them down. Read when you have the hours to devote to them!

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood was an unexpected favorite from this year. The author created another world ... just after the one in which we currently live. (After reading The Hunger Games, fear of the government is starting to get to me!) Atwood is a word artist and I left this book wanting to read everything she's written.

You can see everything I read in 2011 on this page. A few other favorites: Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks; The Paris Wife by Paula McClain; Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis.

TV

I loved watching Top Chef: All-Stars. I suppose it's part of the little voice in my head that tells me I could be a chef if I REALLY wanted to (I don't.) that convinces me to watch the crazy cooking shows. I'd seen most of the prior seasons of Top Chef, though, and enjoyed watching the old favorites. (As I am sure I will love Project Runway All-Stars. Woohoo!) 

I am pretty sure Modern Family is the best show on television. (At least if you vastly prefer sitcoms, as I do. I'm just not a drama girl.) It never fails to crack me up; and mid-week, a girl just needs a good laugh.

Mr. V and I still watch How I Met Your Mother, and we will 'til the end. I won't say it's the best show out there ... it's had its ups and downs and maybe peaked at season 2. But in all its ridiculousness, it just makes me smile a lot of the time.

Honorable mentions to Once Upon a Time and Firefly, which Mr. V and I saw for the first time and proceeded to mourn the loss of all the seasons it should have had.

MOVIES

I confess I am not into movies like I used to be. Mr. V and I went with the crowd and changed to just Netflix instant streaming with the price increase, and we mostly use it to watch old TV shows anyway.

The only movies I saw in the theater this year were Something Borrowed (and you know that was a great cinema masterpiece) and two-thirds of Monsters vs. Aliens ($1 summer movie with the kids, who started crying, so we left).

So, as I can remember, the best movies I watched this year (for the first time) were The Social Network, Edward Scissorhands, and Despicable Me.




MUSIC

Thanks to the wonder that is Spotify, we've listened to a lot of new music this year. (I am not someone who thinks your music, make-up, exercise, etc, need to be "social," but we definitely enjoy being able to listen to anything under the sun!)

Here are some new favorites.


Station Wagon: Songs for Parents by Sara Groves - If you are a parent, you MUST give this at least one listen. All of the songs ring true and some crack me up. (The line "Do you have any idea how much it hurts to give birth?" is sung in the background of one song. Love it.)

Kari Jobe by ... well, Kari Jobe - A great album of praises to God. Love her voice.

The Band Perry - Another great breakout album. Fills my country fix. (Since when do I need a country fix?? I HATED country music growing up. I've been in Tennessee too long!)

Kuhzoo by Bellaruse - The lead singer of this group happens to be my uber-talented cousin, Kay Gillette ... but if I didn't like the music, I still wouldn't listen to it. And I do. It's crazy, jazz/folk/something type stuff. Just trying listening to The Kazoo Song and see if you aren't addicted!

If you've made it through this lengthy ordeal, you must tell me: what were your favorites of 2011?


Let's pretend this is a top ten plus, oh, eight list and link it to Top Ten Tuesday. I think Amanda loves me too much to call me out on it. ;)

----
Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
Twitter much? I'm vanderbiltwife there, too.
Join my Facebook Fan Group

Truth in the Tinsel; Or, How Other People Plan My Crafts for Me

It's both a relief and panic-inducing to me that Libbie is finally old enough to do craft-type things. I longed for her to be able to color, glue, and maybe even cut. And now that she can, I try to take advantage of it!

I'm not a crafty person myself, but thankfully I live in the era of Pinterest. We've done several creative things from there recently, including cloud dough and toilet-paper-roll turkeys!

I'm thankful to continue letting others plan my craft projects, and in December we're undertaking a big one: learning about the nativity story by making an ornament every day.

Amanda (of OhAmanda and Impress Your Kids) is my oldest blogging friend. Her passion for teaching her children about Christ never fails to amaze me. And this year she's put all her crafty energy and passion into Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands.

I was thrilled to see how thorough each day's experience is: Amanda provides a "clue" for the kids to discover in an advent calendar or on a paper chain, a Scripture to read together, questions to discuss, an ornament to make, and a further activity to do if you choose. There are also supply lists and recommendations for only doing selections from the 24 days of Advent.

The Truth in the Tinsel e-book is $4.99, but for Black Friday it's $2.99! WOOHOO!

I sincerely hope you'll take advatage of the opportunity to teach your child the importance of Christmas. I've read through Truth in the Tinsel and it's so full of gospel truth, creativity, and love. I can't wait to do it with Libbie and watch her grasp the Truth. And I'll be sharing some of our projects on the Truth in the Tinsel Facebook page, so make sure you like it!

Yes, I will make a small affiliate fee if you buy through my link. If that bothers you, just type in TruthintheTinsel.com and buy it from there. But please DO IT! Cause this is an awesome resource.
----
Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
Twitter much? I'm vanderbiltwife there, too.
Join my Facebook Fan Group

On Being Wrong

During my 31 27 Days of Reading Well, I made a big old stinking deal about the book The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney. It's so good! I said. I cry every time! The characters are so real!

Well, apparently there's something to be said about reading books in different phases of life. According to Laura, Catcher in the Rye is extremely poignant if you read it at the right stage. (I didn't read it until after college and found it rambling and ridiculous.) I didn't read Wuthering Heights until I was well along in my English major, and I adored it, while I know many who read it in high school found it abysmal.

I don't think I had actually read The Saving Graces since early on in our marriage. The summer before we got married, my daddy's best friend died from liver cancer at age 50 ... and looking back, I think perhaps that affected my reading of the book more than anything.

At 29, I've struggled with infertility. I am married with two kids. I've held a job, I've wanted to be a writer, I've gone through some deep depressions. I might have too much in common with some of the characters now.

I was eager to reread my battered copy after I wrote about it this October. But in those water-stained and creased pages I found none of that original emotion. I shed no tears. I felt no real pull to the characters.

Too far away from a cancer experience? Too long without intimate women friendships? I don't know.

I hate to recant my statements but in this case ... I wouldn't want anyone to buy the book, read it, and think I was nuts. Compared to most else of what I recommend to you, it's just not my cup of tea anymore.

I think reading tastes change ... and I think that is OK.

Are there any books that have led you to say, "What was I thinking?"

----
Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
Twitter much? I'm vanderbiltwife there, too.
Join my Facebook Fan Group

A Christmas Baby (No, Not That One.)

My little David is a Christmas elf. He was born December 20th. When you ask those with Christmas birthdays how they feel about it you get one of two responses. Either, "I love it! I always have family around then!" or "I HATE IT SO MUCH MY PARENTS MUST DESPISE ME TO HAVE CONCEIVED ME IN MARCH AND I CELEBRATE IN JUNE." Well then.

We're approaching David's first birthday. Let's not talk about how much it pains me to even write that! He is still my little tiny baby and I am not ready to give that up for toddlerhood. He is trying to walk and talk and play with Libbie and it's too much for my mama heart.

But anyway, I am trying to decide if I should do something for his first birthday. It feels wrong NOT to! I know we won't have any family there, obviously, because we will see them all the following weeks for Christmas. So ... will anyone come?

Right now I'm thinking of having an open house-type get-together the Saturday before his birthday. I realize most people will have something else that day, but maybe they would drop by. What do you think?

If we do have a mini-party, I think I am going with a snowflake/winter theme. Here's some of my inspiration.

Source: pizzazzerie.com via Vanderbilt Wife on Pinterest

Source: ohamanda.com via Vanderbilt Wife on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Vanderbilt Wife on Pinterest

Of course, if you know me you realize I mean a VERY simplistic version of these decorations. I'm not a very good party planner. And I haven't been able to convince Amanda to just throw one of my parties for me yet.

So, I want to hear it. What's your advice for Christmas babies?

Speaking of parties, last week my sweet bloggy friend Mary released her first e-book, Plan a Fabulous Party without Losing Your Mind.

Is that not the most hilarious cover ever?

Seeing that Mary's blog is Giving Up on Perfect, her writing speaks to me! (Because really, I am forced to give up on perfect each and every day. Good enough is the new perfect, or something like that, right?)

I had the privilege of proofreading Plan a Fabulous Party and if I do throw a little David shindig, I will definitely be referencing my copy! It has tips for planning, decorating, and food, along with cute quotes, tricks, and pointers for every kind of get-together.

You can buy it using that link above or get it for your Kindle on Amazon. With the holidays quickly approaching ... it can't hurt to have some quick party tips at your fingertips! The book is $7.99, but with code FABPARTY you can get $3 off through tomorrow, 11/15.

----
Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
Twitter much? I'm vanderbiltwife there, too.
Join my Facebook Fan Group

31 Days of Reading Well: Day 26

The Books That Changed Them

I recently read The Book That Changed My Life. No, really. That's the title! It's an excellent collection of essays from writers ranging from Anne Lamott to John McCain to Frank McCourt. All share a book (or few books, for those who are like me and can't make up their minds) that changed them.

It's been sitting on my shelf for probably two years. I stocked up on books when I started using PaperBackSwap and as a result have spent the last year trying not to acquire any new books while I read the 200+ that I have. But now that I've read it, I'm sad I waited so long. As someone who loves chatting about books more than most things in life, reading this was like sitting down with a group of good friends and finding out their very favorite books of all time.

(Although I'm not sure I trust anyone whose life was changed by Catcher in the Rye. I just don't get it, I guess.)

The Books That Changed My Life

I can't pick one. Are you surprised? I would guess not if you've read any of my posts about books. But I can narrow them down to two: one that changed my reading and one that changed my writing.

I've waxed poetic about A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving before (see this post). I first read it for a creative writing class in high school--by far the best gift I received from that particular teacher. I had never been presented with a novel so intricate, one that was so incredibly thought-out.

I don't know if Irving writes with such a detailed outline that he knows each and every event that will happen (Bird by Bird refutes that this actually happens, but I still wonder!), or that he goes back and tinkers with precision once he has determined his characters' paths, but either way this book has such a sophisticated road to the end it takes my breath away. Above all else, it caused me to think about what I am writing and not just blab on in train-of-thought--although we all know I do that some too.

The book that changed my reading is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I was in a 200 level English class entitled Great Novels with the lovely Susan Heroy. I was flip-flopping around about my major, having discovered that I would need more than a summer study abroad to obtain an International Studies major and not really wanting to go that route. Opening Garcia's masterpiece led me on a wild goose chase. I scribbled in the book. I asked questions of my professor. I was fascinated by his use of mysticism, smells, colors.

Shortly after I closed the text, I decided to declare a major in English despite not having one class toward the major. I wanted to read more books like One Hundred Years of Solitude. I wanted to spend my time talking about them and writing about them with the hopes that one day I would write my own.

So I did.

Maybe some day I'll finish that book I'm writing.

Is there a book that's changed your life?

Originally published in January 2010.

See the books the authors recommended: Part I and Part II.

----
Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
Twitter much? I'm vanderbiltwife there, too.
Join my Facebook Fan Group

31 Days of Reading Well: Day 25

I have a small confession: I am a comfort reader. Whenever I am in an emotional mess, I turn to familiar books and read myself through the crisis. My favorite comfort-reading books are Echoes by Maeve Binchy, the Harry Potter books, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells, and the Glenbrooke series. 

My very ultimate comfort read, though? A short children's chapter book called The Attic Mice.

Aren't the illustrations charming? They were done by David Catrow, who has illustrated many books. These sketches are very unlike his newer illustrations, but were perfect for the antiquated charm of Ethel Pochowski's short book.

From the precious Robert Southey poem used as an epithet to the mice performing a Christmas pageant in their spacious attic home, The Attic Mice is enchanting, delicious, and the perfect read-aloud.

But this book is a thousand times more special to me than just its contents. My uncle's ex-wife, a children's librarian and elementary-school teacher, gifted me the tome when I was in its correct age range. She always gave books, and they were always ones I'd never heard of but loved passionately.

I was in college when she and my uncle divorced; it broke me a little, because I hadn't known it was coming at all. Any divorces on either side of my family had taken place before I was could remember them. All of my grandparents were living. This was the first time I was losing a family member, and I couldn't do a thing about it.

Perhaps it was just the point in time, my junior year of college, where I was cramming in as many English major courses as possible while my best friend and confidant was studying abroad in England.

Either way, I grieved their relationship and my loss. And my sweet boyfriend, also known as Mr. V, just didn't know what to do. Finally, I figured out a way he could help.

He read me The Attic Mice, out loud.

It was perfect and healing. It helped.

----
Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
Twitter much? I'm vanderbiltwife there, too.
Join my Facebook Fan Group

31 Days of Reading Well: Day 24

Revisiting the Past

Perhaps it's just the writer in me, but certain words or phrases can trigger a memory so sharp I can practically feel it pierce the top layer of my skin.

Two years ago or so, I reread The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote, many, many years after reading it for a middle-school class. It almost seemed that some of the phrases were printed in bold, so familiar they seemed as they jumped off the page and started playing hopscotch in my brain.

Just a flash, I am in eighth-grade English with Mrs. Long and her gigantic bun atop her gray head. She wears housecoats and talks so slowly I can barely make it through the class. Compared to my seventh-grade English teacher, one of my top-three teachers of all time, she might as well be the Wicked Witch of the West. And she certainly doesn't appreciate my writing enough.

I think I am clever for using the computer thesaurus to come up with the alliterative title "Polish Palaver" for a persuasive essay. I write about how girls shouldn't venture so far from pinks and reds ... and then find myself wearing dark purple nail polish quite often the next school year.

But oh, my essay on The Thanksgiving Visitor. It comes back with wild red circles and things crossed out. I didn't put the right words in quotes. I wrote about Capote's comparison of lions and chrysanthemums, but all the "roars" and "lions" were not quoted correctly. In her opinion.

I still don't care for overused quotation marks.

What's amazing to me is how much of the tale I could remember with all of those years in between readings. Capote captures his childhood eloquently with details that breathe. Those lions ... Capote's "friend" ... his wild family ... they are true enough and forceful enough to be carved into my mind, despite the baby brain and schedules and mania of adult life.

You won't regret taking an hour to read this short story. Let me know what you think about it.

----
Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
Twitter much? I'm vanderbiltwife there, too.
Join my Facebook Fan Group

31 Days of Reading Well: Day 23

A Short Ode to Robin Jones Gunn

Is there an author that always manages to touch your heart, no matter what she or he writes?

That's how I feel about Robin Jones Gunn.

I was really too old for them when I started reading the Christy Miller series. I think I was probably in college. It's a 12-book series of skinny volumes; I could read the whole series in a day now. We follow Christy through her teenaged years, as she moves from Wisconsin to California, through the ins and outs of her (mild) teen angst, relationships, and love for God.

Sometimes a little too perfect, Christy still deals with all the normal aspects of being a teen: fighting with her parents, getting a part-time job, unrequited love, troubles with her friends.

Gunn really captures the essence of a teenager who grew up in the church but didn't really know Jesus until she was older. Through the series, the central plot is God's wooing of Christy and how that plays into her life.

After I read the Christy books, I immediately jumped in the Glenbrooke series, which is Christy for grown-ups. Real women, real problems, lots of romance with many different angles. Yes, they are romance books, but still the main point is about healing your relationship with God above all else.

It's what makes Robin Jones Gunn just a little bit different. Her books aren't just fluffy romance with a little church thrown in, like many Christian fiction books are. It's obvious that her heart is to bring women of all ages closer to their Heavenly Father.

I'll confess I find the Sisterchicks books a little more cheesy, but still something draws me to read everything Gunn writes. The Katie books, a spin-off involving Christy's best friend, are pure fun and a delight to read. The Sierra books offer another look at Christy's group of friends and a younger teen's thoughts. (And I know Gunn has even written a children's series, although I haven't read any of those yet!)

Don't you love it when your favorite author has a zillion books to read? It's so convenient.

Who's your favorite author?

----
Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
Twitter much? I'm vanderbiltwife there, too.
Join my Facebook Fan Group