Is there such a thing? I don't know, but I feel like I have it. Since I finished The Shining I have started and stopped 3 books!! I started Wicked, but that became my "workout read"...and let's just say that I've worked out once in the last week! It's sitting on my elliptical machine, just waiting for me to get on! I started Dracula, but the book is small and thus the writing is small and gosh darn it, I just can't find my glasses. I'm tired of that book. Then I started (for the second time) The Witching Hour. It caught my attention over the weekend, but right now I don't want to read it.
What do I want to read you might ask? I want to read The Pillars of the Earth! So that's what I'm going to read. I will read Wicked, I might finish Dracula and I will most likely finish The Witching Hour, but right now there's a book calling my name that will keep me from reading anything else until I've read it.
Does this make me a bad person, or just really weird?!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Secret Santa with GAB Ladies
Secret Santa time is here for the GAB ladies. Last night we compiled a questionnaire that might help your Secret Santa find the perfect gift for you. Make sure you go to our Facebook GAB group and post your responses there.
- favorite color
- favorite home scent
- favorite bath/body scent
- favorite store
- favorite movie
- collections
- hobbies
We'll meet on November 30th to exchange goodies. Looking forward to it!
Catching Up on Reviews
I haven't posted reviews for the past couple months, so here's my quick attempt to do so:
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
A Tree Grows in BrooklynI'm so glad I bought this book instead of checking it out from the library. Not only is it one I will read again, it contains a forward that gave me insight to this book.
This book is thought to be a memoir about it's author, Betty Smith. Betty Smith describes her life and the times she lived in with great detail that I often found myself lost in. While her life was hard, I found myself yearning for the simpler life style I saw on the pages of this book.
What you should know about this book is that it IS a memoir, and not a story. Nothing "big" happens. Don't look for a plot or a climax. Just allow yourself to get lost in Brooklyn in the early 1900s.
The Shining
I have never read a Stephen King book...until this past month. I've seen a few of his movies and those allow terrified me enough to keep me away from his written work. However, since this was the book our group picked for October I read it.
I thought it was a great book! It was very well written and descriptive. I love how much detail King went into to depict his characters. I felt like I knew them. I felt their pain and their fears. I was also pleasantly surprised that it wasn't overly terrifying. Yes, I was scared at times and would never read this book in a hot bath (my all time favorite leisure activity...if you've read this book you know why I wouldn't do so), but in the end good wins and that made it worth the read.
November & December Picks
Last night GAB met to discuss The Shining...I'll blog about that in a bit. After our discussion we decided to choose 2 books (which seemed like a daunting task because for the past 2 months it has taken us at LEAST an hour to chose our next pick), one for November and one for December. Surprisingly we found 2 after only 1 trip around Borders!
For November we will be reading Valley of the Dolls. One thing is for sure, being in this Book Club is making me read more variety than I would normally read on my own!! We opted for a "light read" for November because our December pick will take us a few weeks to get through. Here's the synopsis for Valley of the Dolls.
Dolls: red or black, capsules or tablets; washed down with vodka or swallowed straight-for Anne, Neeley and Jennifer, it doesn't matter, as long as the pill bottle is within easy reach. These three women become best friends when they are young and struggling in New York City and then climb to the top of the entertainment industry-only to find that there's no place left to go but down-into the Valley of the Dolls.
I've been longing for us to choose a classic, so here we go, Valley of the Dolls is "The All-Time Pop Culture Classic"!!
We opted to choose 2 books last night because when we meet in December it will be for dinner and a Secret Santa gift exchange. We knew we wouldn't be at Borders with millions of books to help us make our decision...so last night we settled on The Pillars of the Earth as our December pick. Here's a synopsis of Pillars:The novel The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett was a historic novel set during the 12th century. It centered on the lives of several people from different section of society and how the turbulent times of the English Civil War were affecting their lives. The book also concerns the building of the Kings bridge Cathedral and the murder of Thomas Becket. (For some reason this is the best synopsis I could find...)
There you have it. These 2 books will round out GAB's book selections for 2009. It's been a fun first year and we're looking forward to more fun in 2010!!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
What The Dead Know
We at GAB have read chick-lit, we've read light hearted mysteries, we've read feel-good, friendship books, we've read political novels and even one that would fall under the adult best seller list.
This month we're going to embark on something darker than anything we've read. Here's a brief synopsis of What the Dead Know:
Thirty years ago, the Bethany girls, ages eleven and fifteen, disappeared from a Baltimore shopping mall. They never returned, their bodies were never discovered, and only painful questions remain. Now in the aftermath of a rush-hour hit-and-run accident, a clearly disoriented woman is claiming to be Heather, the younger Bethany sister. Not s shred of evidence supports her story, and every lead she reluctantly offers takes the police to another dead end - a dying, incoherent man; a razed house; a missing grave. But she definitely knows something about that terrible day - and about the shocking fissures that the tragedy exposed in the foundation of a seemingly solid family.
Hardesty Regional Library just notified me that my copy is ready for pick-up...I'll be heading there within the hour!
These Past Couple Months...Whitney's Reviews
I was completely surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I love mysteries, but was a little leery of one written from an 11 year old's perspective. BUT, she was so eleoquent that I forgot all about her age in the first chapter.
Between her outstanding detective skills and her keen mind for chemistry I fell in love with young Flavia de Luce! I can't wait to see what kind of journey she and ALan Beadley will take me on next time!
In July GAB read Firefly Lane. It was a great book about a 30 year friendship. Nothing extremely devestating or exciting happened throughout most of the book (However, I did find myself laughing out loud and wiping away a tear on more than a few occassions). It was just a well written story about 2 girls, their friendship and their lives (together and apart). Scenarios the "could" happen kept popping into my head as I read, but Kristen Hannah did a fabulous job of keeping her characters consistent. To date, this is my favorite book we have read!Sunday, May 17, 2009
Was it Worth It??
Yesterday I worked at Scholastic's Semi-Annual Warehouse Clearance Sale. I had been looking forward to it ALL week, until Saturday morning. I was scheduled to work from 12pm until 6pm that day. I'd had a crazy busy week and just was not looking forward to being at this sale for 6 hours. But, I went because I said I'd be there and I wasn't going to cancel the day of.
Things were a little awkward when I was there because it was obvious that other 6 workers knew each other and worked year after year together. At first time went by REALLY slow! But a few people I knew came to shop and I had people to talk to!
I knew that I would get $10/hour in books for working, but I kept asking myself, "Is this worth it?" Well, here are the titles I walked away with:
1. The Bobbsey Twins Ready to Read
2. A Very Special Snowflake
3. Little Miss Star
4. What Do You Call A Rhyming Riddle?
5. Firebears The Rescue Team
6. Bodies: Peel Back the Layers from the Outside In!
7. Highschool Musical 3 Picture Book
8. United States of America Jigsaw Book
9. Baby Mouse Queen of the World
10. Roscoe Riley Rules #1
11. The Magic Tree House: Dragon of the Red Dawn
12. Amazon Fever
13. Star Wars Last of the Jedi
14. Magic Tree House Reswarch Guide: Penguins and Antarctica
15. Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch
16. The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgwick
17. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
18. Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi
19. Gregor the Overlander
20. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
21. Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
That's $120 worth of books that I got for FREE...well, actually for $60 of Scholastic credit (everything was at LEAST 50% off) for working from 12pm-6pm. So back to my original question...Was it worth it?...yes, yes indeed it was!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
New Beginning Hesitations
I might be weird and this might sound completely absurd, but I'm going to share anyway...
If I'm going to spend time reading a book I want to make sure it's worth my while. I'm a busy mom with 3 kids, a part-time job and I hold a position on the Exec board at my boy's school...so when I read I don't want it to be a waste of time. I'm always fairly certain the book I'm about to read will be good. But there's always that "period" at the beginning of each book I read that I question my decision to read that particular book. VERY few books have hooked me within the first few pages. Twilight and An Offer You Can't Refuse were two books that had be from the beginning. Sadly, The Sorcerer's Stone took me 2 tries and encouragement from a dear friend (Thanks Lisa) before I made it through.
So what's it like for you...aside from Book Club picks, when you read a book are you hooked immediately, because after all, it was your choice to read the book? Or are you a bit skeptical when beginning something new. It's fine if I'm the only weird one...I'm content with my quirkiness. :-)
If I'm going to spend time reading a book I want to make sure it's worth my while. I'm a busy mom with 3 kids, a part-time job and I hold a position on the Exec board at my boy's school...so when I read I don't want it to be a waste of time. I'm always fairly certain the book I'm about to read will be good. But there's always that "period" at the beginning of each book I read that I question my decision to read that particular book. VERY few books have hooked me within the first few pages. Twilight and An Offer You Can't Refuse were two books that had be from the beginning. Sadly, The Sorcerer's Stone took me 2 tries and encouragement from a dear friend (Thanks Lisa) before I made it through.
So what's it like for you...aside from Book Club picks, when you read a book are you hooked immediately, because after all, it was your choice to read the book? Or are you a bit skeptical when beginning something new. It's fine if I'm the only weird one...I'm content with my quirkiness. :-)
Monday, April 27, 2009
May's Book of the Month
After 2 months our book club met again tonight! We did something a little different tonight. Usually we meet at Bona and discuss our book over a cup of coffee. Tonight we met at Borders and chose our book from the store shelves. We got our drinks and discussed American Wife then we perused the "Borders Book Club", "New Release" and "Top Picks" sections of the store. We returned to our table with about 15 books to choose from. We then pulled out our phones and started reading reviews of the books we were considering. Finally we chose Love Walked In by Marisa De Los Santos. One of the reviews of this book said it was "a chic-lit with a little more meat." We are meeting again in 3 weeks due to Memorial Day and End-of-the-Year events with our kids, we needed something short and easy to read.
Now to address the picture...that's our book of the month along with the great Thirty-One bag we all got...yes, we're book club nerds. :-) They actually are really cute.
Here's what Love Walked In is about:
When Martin Grace enters the hip Philadelphia coffee shop Cornelia Brown manages, her life changes forever. But little does she know that her newfound love is only the harbinger of greater changes to come. Meanwhile, across town, Clare Hobbs-eleven years old and abandoned by her erratic mother-goes looking for her lost father. She crosses paths with Cornelia while meeting with him at the cafe, and the two form an improbable friendship that carries them through the unpredictable currents of love and life. Invoking classic movies to illuminate the mystery and wonder of love in all its permutations. LOVE WALKED IN is an uplifting debut that marks the entrance of an enchanting literary voice.
Belong to Me is the next book that follows these characters...GAB will most likely read that too, but for May we're embarking on a love story starting out in a 20th century icon...a coffee shop.
American Wife-Whitney's Review
I DID IT! I made it ALL the way through the 555 pages of this book JUST in time for Book Club! There was a period of time when this task seemed pretty daunting! I've learned my lesson about choosing a book without seeing it in person. It was long, but I'm glad I've read it.
I'm going to state up front that I'm weird about the books I read...I tend to judge books by their covers...and I prefer books to be broken up into chapters. American Wife was NOT broken up into chapters. It was broken up into 4 parts. There were "natural breaks" within these parts, but I look forward to the close of a chapter and the start of another. That threw me off a bit at first.
Okay, enough about my weirdness...on to American Wife. This book covered a longer time span than I thought it was going to. It starts when Alice is a child and ends when she's in her fifty's. We learn a lot about Alice and who she is in the first part of the book. There's also a tragedy that takes place in the first part. This tragedy becomes a huge part of who Alice is...things happen because of this event that wouldn't have happened otherwise. In the second part of the book Alice meets Charlie...her husband who becomes Governor then President of the United States. For me the second and third parts of this book were the peaks of the book...the fourth part is pretty anti-climatic. But, that was because of my expectations. I expected this book to start with Alice and Charlie already together then focus on his campaign trail and move right into him becoming President and Alice becoming the First Lady. I just thought Sittenfield would spend most of the book with Alice and Charlie in the White House...I was disappointed to find that the highlights of the book took place in the second and third parts.
Even though I expected something different I am glad I read the book. I like a lot of conversation in my books and this one did not have much conversation, rather A LOT of description. There were parts that I skimmed to get to the next event.
What I did love about this book is that Curtis Sittenfield described Alice and who she was and that character never wavered. Alice stayed true to herself and I found myself respecting her.
This book won't make it to my "Would Read Again" list, but I'm happy to have it on my "have read list".
I'm going to state up front that I'm weird about the books I read...I tend to judge books by their covers...and I prefer books to be broken up into chapters. American Wife was NOT broken up into chapters. It was broken up into 4 parts. There were "natural breaks" within these parts, but I look forward to the close of a chapter and the start of another. That threw me off a bit at first.
Okay, enough about my weirdness...on to American Wife. This book covered a longer time span than I thought it was going to. It starts when Alice is a child and ends when she's in her fifty's. We learn a lot about Alice and who she is in the first part of the book. There's also a tragedy that takes place in the first part. This tragedy becomes a huge part of who Alice is...things happen because of this event that wouldn't have happened otherwise. In the second part of the book Alice meets Charlie...her husband who becomes Governor then President of the United States. For me the second and third parts of this book were the peaks of the book...the fourth part is pretty anti-climatic. But, that was because of my expectations. I expected this book to start with Alice and Charlie already together then focus on his campaign trail and move right into him becoming President and Alice becoming the First Lady. I just thought Sittenfield would spend most of the book with Alice and Charlie in the White House...I was disappointed to find that the highlights of the book took place in the second and third parts.
Even though I expected something different I am glad I read the book. I like a lot of conversation in my books and this one did not have much conversation, rather A LOT of description. There were parts that I skimmed to get to the next event.
What I did love about this book is that Curtis Sittenfield described Alice and who she was and that character never wavered. Alice stayed true to herself and I found myself respecting her.
This book won't make it to my "Would Read Again" list, but I'm happy to have it on my "have read list".
Friday, March 27, 2009
GAB's Book of the Month for April is...
American Wife...
It was my (Whitney) month to choose a book for us to read and I chose American Wife. I'm easily influenced by advertisements so after seeing American Wife on a few book lists as well as on Amazon I knew it would be the book I would chose when my turn came around. Here's a brief synopsis of the book:
A kind, bookish only child born in the 1940s, Alice Lindgren has no idea that she will one day end up in the White House, married to the president. In her small Wisconsin hometown she learns the virtues of politeness, but a tragic accident when she is seventeen shatters her identity and changes the trajectory of her life. More than a decade later, when the charismatic son of a powerful Republican family sweeps her off her feet, she is surprised to find herself admitted into a world of privilege. And when her husband unexpectedly becomes governor and then president, she discovers that she is married to a man she both loves and fundamentally disagrees with-and that her private beliefs increasingly run against her public persona. As her husband's presidency enters its second term, Alice must confront contradictions years in the making and face questions nearly impossible to answer.
Happy Reading!!
Whitney
It was my (Whitney) month to choose a book for us to read and I chose American Wife. I'm easily influenced by advertisements so after seeing American Wife on a few book lists as well as on Amazon I knew it would be the book I would chose when my turn came around. Here's a brief synopsis of the book:
A kind, bookish only child born in the 1940s, Alice Lindgren has no idea that she will one day end up in the White House, married to the president. In her small Wisconsin hometown she learns the virtues of politeness, but a tragic accident when she is seventeen shatters her identity and changes the trajectory of her life. More than a decade later, when the charismatic son of a powerful Republican family sweeps her off her feet, she is surprised to find herself admitted into a world of privilege. And when her husband unexpectedly becomes governor and then president, she discovers that she is married to a man she both loves and fundamentally disagrees with-and that her private beliefs increasingly run against her public persona. As her husband's presidency enters its second term, Alice must confront contradictions years in the making and face questions nearly impossible to answer.
Happy Reading!!
Whitney
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Confessions of a Bookaholic
I was in OKC yesterday with my cousin and we went to a consignment sale...JBF (Just Between Friends) for all you mom's out there. I found some cute clothes/shoes for my kids, but what REALLY got me excited were the books I found!
I found Captain Underpants (2), Teacher of the Black Lagoon and Geronimo chapter books for Trey for $1 each! I'd been wanting to get him a few of those books, but didn't want to pay the $5 or $7 Scholastic was selling them for. While I'm thrilled to find those books for Trey, it's what I found for me that is truly exciting...I found the ENTIRE 8 book series of Anne of Green Gables for only $10!!!
I watched the Anne movies all the time growing up, and read the series when I was a pre-teen, but I can't wait to read it again! I started the first book last night. It's bringing back some fun memories. Thank goodness for JBF!
I haven't been too impressed with the clothes and prices at JBF over the past few years, but I might start going again just for the books!!
Until Next Time,
Whitney
I found Captain Underpants (2), Teacher of the Black Lagoon and Geronimo chapter books for Trey for $1 each! I'd been wanting to get him a few of those books, but didn't want to pay the $5 or $7 Scholastic was selling them for. While I'm thrilled to find those books for Trey, it's what I found for me that is truly exciting...I found the ENTIRE 8 book series of Anne of Green Gables for only $10!!!
I watched the Anne movies all the time growing up, and read the series when I was a pre-teen, but I can't wait to read it again! I started the first book last night. It's bringing back some fun memories. Thank goodness for JBF!
I haven't been too impressed with the clothes and prices at JBF over the past few years, but I might start going again just for the books!!
Until Next Time,
Whitney
Friday, March 20, 2009
The Reader-Whitney's Review
This book was QUITE different from last month's pic! Last month's book was light-hearted, funny and a quick read. The Reader was an easy, quick read, however, the content was quite different.
I can honestly say that I've NEVER read a book like this one. At first I thought it would be hard to read this book since it was originally written in German, but it was translated very well. What really got me was the explicit descriptions of the couple's intimate moments...and the fact that the boy was 15 and the lady was 36!! I guess I'm just sheltered. I read Part 1 of this book pretty quickly, but then I had to take a break in reading it for a couple weeks. When I did pick it back up I finished it in 2 days.
I don't mind comedic romance novels...but serious romance novels are just not my thing. Am I glad I read this book? Yes, I like exposing myself to different types of books. Will I read this book again? No...I already know the story and I won't read it again. Will I see the movie? I'm still thinking about it. I'll really have to be in the mood I think.
Until there's a new book to discuss...
Whitney
I can honestly say that I've NEVER read a book like this one. At first I thought it would be hard to read this book since it was originally written in German, but it was translated very well. What really got me was the explicit descriptions of the couple's intimate moments...and the fact that the boy was 15 and the lady was 36!! I guess I'm just sheltered. I read Part 1 of this book pretty quickly, but then I had to take a break in reading it for a couple weeks. When I did pick it back up I finished it in 2 days.
I don't mind comedic romance novels...but serious romance novels are just not my thing. Am I glad I read this book? Yes, I like exposing myself to different types of books. Will I read this book again? No...I already know the story and I won't read it again. Will I see the movie? I'm still thinking about it. I'll really have to be in the mood I think.
Until there's a new book to discuss...
Whitney
Friday, March 6, 2009
Remember Me? -Whitney's Review
This was my first Kinsella book to read. I DEVOURED it in just a few days. I then had to quickly run out and get the rest of her books. At the time I was in Little Rock AR with my Dad and there just happened to be a re-sale book shop across the street. I had SO much fun finding all her books...but back to Remember Me?
I will admit that I haven't read many non-Christian authors so her use of cuss words threw me off for a bit. But it wasn't long before I was laughing out loud at several different things!
I thought this book was a great light-hearted, easy to read book. Which was just what I needed. I enjoyed being able to escape into this comical life of a girl trying to recover 3 lost years of her life.
Would I read this book again?? Most likely not. It was a great book, but I'm just not a big re-reader. Aside from the Twilight Series, the Harry Potter Series or Redeeming Love) I typically don't read books more than once. I'm like that with most movies...once I've seen it and know what happens I don't want to spend time on it again. The book/movie has to be EXTRAORDINARY for me to read/watch it again.
But I obviously LOVE Kinsella's writing style. I read the rest of her 7 books last month! I'm going to take a break and read something a little "heavier" but I'm looking forward to trying her books written under the name Madeleine Wickham!
I will admit that I haven't read many non-Christian authors so her use of cuss words threw me off for a bit. But it wasn't long before I was laughing out loud at several different things!
I thought this book was a great light-hearted, easy to read book. Which was just what I needed. I enjoyed being able to escape into this comical life of a girl trying to recover 3 lost years of her life.
Would I read this book again?? Most likely not. It was a great book, but I'm just not a big re-reader. Aside from the Twilight Series, the Harry Potter Series or Redeeming Love) I typically don't read books more than once. I'm like that with most movies...once I've seen it and know what happens I don't want to spend time on it again. The book/movie has to be EXTRAORDINARY for me to read/watch it again.
But I obviously LOVE Kinsella's writing style. I read the rest of her 7 books last month! I'm going to take a break and read something a little "heavier" but I'm looking forward to trying her books written under the name Madeleine Wickham!
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