The House on Tradd Street by Karen White

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Karen White’s novel, The House on Tradd Street, is a ghost story, a mystery, with a dash of romance-- all rolled up in one! Melanie’s own past is connected to an old house both by ancestral ties as well as the similarities in situations between her and Nevin, the gentleman she inherits the house from. They were both seemingly abandoned by their mothers at a young age and as Melanie searches out the truth of one man's past, she in turn must deal with her own.

Melanie is one of those women that we all love to hate. She is not only beautiful but she can eat anything she wants without worry about gaining a pound. She has to have complete control of her life and I actually found her to be a little OCD with regards to organizing and scheduling.

She sees her ability to communicate with the dead as a huge burden and tries to hide her gift-- mostly because experience taught her as a child that people would laugh at her and think she was crazy. Because of that, she chooses to ignore the voices and spirits around her as often as she can. She assumes that the adults in her life will laugh at her ability-- but in reality they already all know what ability she has-- they are just waiting for her to accept it.

She is considered one of the experts in Historic Home Real Estate in Charleston, yet her personal life is sort of a shambles. Melanie does not let many people get close to her-- because of being abandoned not only by her mother, but by her Father as he looses himself to Alcohol. She has been disappointed too many times to take that risk again.

There were several times that I found myself smacking myself on the head as I hollered "Seriously Melanie?" She frustrated me with some of the reckless decisions she made. Everyone could see the obvious except her, and that was a tad irritating. It felt that if Jack or her Father said one thing, then she automatically did the opposite.

I felt myself actually being afraid when she would climb the stairs to her room-- would that scary man be there again? Why did he hate her so much? That is a question that I don't think ever got resolved.

Every time she was confronted with "did she see something" and she chose to deny it, or lie about her abilities infuriated me. But, I suppose that is what makes for good conflict in a book.

The ghosts that chose to show themselves to Melanie I found to be very interesting. Why Melanie? Why wouldn't they just tell her what they wanted? But, then again, Melanie never asked. (Which, after watching Sixth Sense would have been the first thing I would have done!)

I loved the setting in the book-- Charleston. I have never been there, but felt like I was while reading the book. The descriptions were excellent, and I even found myself smelling roses a time or two.

I did think it was a little too easy to figure out. If I would have had the energy I could have figured out the puzzle because as soon as they said they needed a "key word" I knew exactly what the word was. However, I was too lazy to take the time to do that. Some parts of the plot were obvious, but because of that, it was a rather easy, delightful read. This book is a great book to snuggle up to on a cold, rainy day!





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I recently read nOprah's list of the Top 5 Must Read Books of All Time and promptly gaged.  They were boring and made me want to go to sleep. For a year.

(I say nOprah as a way of saying No Oprah—she is trying to take over the world. Like the Emperor and Darth Vader.) 

(Yes, I realize several of my books were in her book club—but I liked them first. Pinky Swear.)

 I started thinking about what my Top 5 List of Must Read Books were and here's what I've come up with. These are the books I always recommend to people when they ask me for good books to read-- My Go To List.  Feel free to share yours in the comments.

Top 5 List of Must Read Books

1.  To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
2. The Bean Trees – Barbara Kingsolver
3. Harry Potter Series – J.K.Rowling
4. The Road – Cormac McCarthy
5. The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins

Honorable Mentions:

Drowning Ruth – Christina Schwartz
The Help – Kathryn Stockett
A Lesson Before Dying – Ernest J. Gaines

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: A Novel by Jamie Ford


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"The more Henry thought about the shabby old knickknacks, forgotten treasures, the more it seemed as if his own broken heart might be found in there, hidden among the unclaimed possessions of another time. Boarded up in the basement of a condemned hotel. Lost, but never forgotten."

I would have no problem recommending this book to anyone, even to high school kids.

Bitter is the New Black : Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office by Jen Lancaster

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was a little nervous to read this series because I had heard about the True Blood series on HBO and how "skanky" it was. Those kind of shows do not appeal to me, and so I was worried this book would follow suite.

I was very excited when the Barnes and Noble employee told me all about the book, and that HBO had taken a lot of "creative liberties" with the series. I purchased the first book and devoured it in one weekend.

Be warned there are a few sex scenes. I would give this book a solid PG-13. The HBO series portrays the books to be R-rated (with intense, graphic sex scenes) and that is where I would say they take creative liberties. They do follow the story line consistently, according to my neighbor. (I've never seen it)

Most people that know me know that I really did not like the Twilight series all that much. So it came as a huge surprise to me that I liked this book as much as I did. It's a grown up version of Twilight, and edited much better.

No. Scratch that!

It's not a grown up Twilight. Twilight was a sexless book, written for teens, where vampires were just myths. Dead Until Dark is not sexless and is a world where Vampires and humans mix-- knowingly. They have just recently "come out of the coffin" and are recognized in society as a minority race.

Really, according to the vampires, they have been a tortured race by the humans. They aren't really dead, they suffer from serious side affects from a "virus" that leaves them looking dead.

Harris has clearly given a lot of thought to the Vampire society-- right down to the high Archy that governs them. There are the Vampire Drainers-- people who capture vampires and drain their blood to sell on the black market. There are the "fang-bangers" who love to be bitten by the vampires. Then there is the synthetic blood that the vampires drink, and the fact that they now are tax paying, voting citizens of Society. World wide.

The series centers around Sookie Stackhouse, the heroine, who has a "disability"... She can read minds. While the thought of mind reading sounds completely intriguing to me, Sookie swears its debilitating. Frankly, I wouldn't mind a little clairvoyance, but Sookie wishes she could just get rid of this "disability" so she can have a normal relationship with a man. Which is where the vampire, Bill, comes onto the scene. Sookie can't read his mind, and she is completely smitten.

Bill Compton, the vampire in question, has returned to his roots. When he was living and before he died -- DURING THE CIVIL WAR -- he lived in that area of Louisiana. He had spent several years as a loner vampire and has now returned to try and be more mainstream.

How can you argue with a good mystery laced with clairvoyants, vampires and shape shifters? You can't. It's an easy, fun read that will leave you wanting more. Lucky for us there are nine of them, with book ten set to hit the scene in the spring of 2010.

Harris has a straight forward, just between you and me kind of style of writing that is fun and easy to read. One minute she's making you laugh, the next she's sending chills along your spine, and the next she's got you wondering who done it. This book will entertain and keep you guessing until the very end.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I finished reading The Hunger Games, I seriously wondered how on earth Ms. Collins was ever going to maintain the intensity and thrill that The Hunger Games held. I mean,really?! How do you top children fighting children, tributes-turned-mutant-dogs and a love triangle?

Ms. Collins has hit a solid home run with Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2)! It picks up a couple of months after the games have ended. Katniss has inadvertently become the symbol of rebellion against the tyrannical government of Panem. The safety of her family, the ones she loves and even herself hinges on her ability to quell the resisters back into submission.

This book maintains the intensity and thrill that was set by the previous book. The book moves at a much faster pace than The Hunger Games because there is no need for the back story to be laid. Collins does a fantastic job of reminding the readers of important, critical events, without distracting from the moving plot.

There were definite surprises and twists that I did not see coming, which makes reading books like this one absolutely delightful!

Some of the toughest challenges yet are faced in this book: love, conscience, survival, deranged monkeys and a flock of "candy pink" birds equipped with long beaks used to skewer human necks.

The brilliance of Catching Fire is the wonderfully sick idea of the games --Children fighting Children-- being broadcast live on TV for all of Panem to watch, and force into submmission.

Collins does a fantastic job of painting the horror and then letting your imagination take over. She understands that your imagination will paint what is scary to YOU better than she ever could. She supplies just the right amount of details and lets your mind do the rest.

While it sounds "scary" or "horrifying", it is actually in fact a brilliant piece of literature. It has a little bit of everything: solid writing, a compelling storyline, action, adventure, a little romance, and multiple layers of conflict. Reluctant readers like it because it moves along quickly, and seasoned pros appreciate how thoroughly Collins creates Katniss’s world and fills in the gaps about how it got that way in the first place.

Simply put: This book is Brilliant!

Josi Kilpack sent me this book back in February to read, and sadly I am a total slacker and just barely finished it. IN TWO DAYS, I finished it.

I really enjoyed Lemon Tart: A Culinary Mystery. It was an exciting, quick read! There are actual recipes littered throughout the book, and I found myself craving brownies as she talked about brownies and Fettuccine when she talked about Fettuccine! (thank heavens I actually had some leftover Costco Fettuccine on hand!)

I cannot even begin to tell you how refreshing it was to read a book that is clean. There were no swear words, and no sex scenes. However, the lack of those two elements did not make this a boring, cheesy read.

On the contrary, there were affairs, illegitimate children and murder for Googles sake. Josie just handled the subject matter in a tasteful way. That to me speaks of the raw talent that is Josie Kilpack's writing. She did not have to rely on the lowest common denominator--sex and swearing-- to move her plot along because her words, writing and story carried itself without them.

While Josi's book is being sold in LDS bookstores (ie: Deseret Book), there is not one mention of religion in this book. I appreciated her ability to write a great story, and leave the religion on the shelf.

At the center of the story is the busy-bodied main character Sadie. She takes the art of homemaking to an all-new, hyper level. She perfects recipes, eats a small portion and then proudly delivers her culinary masterpieces to her neighbors. All in the name of "gathering information".

I really thought I had the entire plot figured out and was completely thrown when it nose-dived in the total opposite direction. I really like books that allow me to think I have it all figured out, only to show me in the last few chapters that I'm not as smart as I think I am.

Lemon Tart: A Culinary Mystery is that kind of book. Read it. You won't be disappointed.

The Diamond of Darkhold (The Ember Series, #4) by Jeanne DuPrau


My rating: 3 of 5 stars




The Diamond of Darkhold is the fourth book in the Ember Series. The book wraps up the series quite nicely, and ties it all up with a pretty bow.

It is slated for kids in grades 4th and up. I would not have a problem with my 5th grader reading it. It has great plot development(for kids) and opens up opportunities for excellent dialogue. There is one scene where a family butchers a sheep for food, but in all fairness the sheep was already dead (and people need to eat...).

Doon and Lina set off on an expedition back to Ember to solve the mystery of the mysterious book "For Ember" that they buy from roamer. They discover that their city has been taken over by a group of people, scavenging for food and other things. It surprises the kids at how much this really bothers them.

They are trying to find "something to help the people of Ember and Sparks" because finding food after the "end of the world" is quite difficult. What they find is a fantastic find and enables them to trade with other colonies for supplies. The "founders" were quite clever making this avaliable to The People of Ember, but my question is why did they think it would be a good idea to send them on a wild goose hunt? Couldn't they have come up with a better system so that the "knowledge" of the outside world wasn't lost?

The subject matter is handled tastefully and is not portrayed in a scary way at all.

I liked this book alright. My children really liked it. It's not as good as the City of Ember, but it works for kids and finishes up the series nicely.

Every summer I look for what I like to call "Beach Reads". Books that require very little thought, and yet are still entertaining. Finding books like these that are light on Sex has been hard, but Firefly Lane totally fit the bill!

There was some sex, but not descriptive and there was mild language (the f-bomb was dropped a few times). I would give it a solid PG-13 rating. It's light, it's fluff and its the perfect summer read.

It was a quick, light, easy read. At first, I had thought it was going to also be a predictable one as well. I was pleasantly surprised when there was a twist in the plot that I had not anticipated.

We follow two girls-- best friends-- on their journey through life. We see the pivotal moment when they met, and all the adventures that ensued because of their friendship. Each knows things about the other that no one else does... making them the truest definition of 'soul sisters'.

One of the main characters has set the goal to be a national news correspondent. While reading, I kept envisioning in my mind the current, various news anchors/TV hosts and wondered if this was what their life was like? Who wouldn't want all that fame, money and fortune? But, it turns out that what our mothers have taught us really is true. In the final analysis the only thing that matters is people and the relationships you make. No amount of money will ever replace feelings of loneliness. Family and friends are what bring you the most joy.

Kristin Hannah set this book in the pacific northwest. It was delightful to read about places I have seen and visited. I have a long standing love affair with the northwest, and it seems so does Ms.Hannah. I picked up another one of her books on a recent jaunt to the library. We will see if this next story is as entertaining as my first read of hers.

This book was absolutely incredible! Suzanne Collins has created a mind boggling post "humanity" world. The United States is gone and what is left is the country of Panem, divided into 12 colonies or districts. The government is controlling the various districts and wants them to always remember who has the ultimate power-- them, the government.

They create The Hunger Games where each district sends tributes: 2 children a boy and a girl to fight ala gladiator style-- to the death. All of this televised on TV-- with people cheering on their favorites and taking bets. The winner getting glory and much needed supplies sent to their district.

Its the latest, greatest version of "reality TV"... gone wrong.

The book is intense, mind boggling and gut wrenching. Yet there were times where I laughed right out loud. I was nervous for the games to begin. How can a society that watches children killing children be humane?

I was completely hypnotized. The book is addicting-- I had to keep reading. I had to continue to see how it all plays out. I knew it wasn't real, and and yet I was completely transported into the land of Panem and truly believed that I was there-- in the arena with Kat, fighting for my life.

It has been a long time since a book as grabbed me and transported me into its world. The Hunger Games did just that. For days after, I would find myself thinking about Kat and Peeta. I would hear a strain of familiar music and immediately think that it would be perfect in this scene, or that.

It has enough suspense, horror and the requisite love triangle to make for a perfect read. I could have turned around and started again with this book-- finding new discoveries with each turn of the page.

The author has created a believable future. I found myself often thinking "Just how far are we from something like this? What will 100 more years bring?" Don't believe me? Take a look at the reality shows on cable.

This book is billed for "young adult" readers, but that would imply that it was "meat head" reading, or that you would not need a brain to follow along. (Which is how a lot of people view young adult fiction.) Collins writing is smart. How else do you explain the humor that Katniss displays; a person being stung to death by gigantic wasps and adult compassion as Katniss "saves" someone from mutant werewolves?

Collins, like J.K.Rowling, is not your typical, predictable young adult author. I for one, cannot wait for Book Two.


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You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic. - Doris Egan

This week has been filled with lots and lots of . . . spring breaking, whiny, boo-hooing kids. Seriously? Who thought of spring break for elementary age kids? I kind of think it blows.

Does it make me less of a Mom that I am anxious for my kids to go back to school-- to get back to some sort of schedule? No. At least I don't think so.

I read on all these various blogs about all the crafts they are doing, and how they all just sit around, singing Kum-bah-ya and holding hands and doing a little jig. (Or at least that's how it seems) Yeah. That ain't happenin' at my house.

Just today there was a major fit about how "I got ditched by my friends", and we all got to endure the ranting. Then there was the "she won't let me jump. No. He won't let ME jump." I solved that little tift with a "No one can jump now. Happy?"

Sometimes, after reading other peoples "oh so perfect blogs" I feel less of a Mom because I want my kids to go back to school. And be on a schedule. And to stop fighting. Because my head is spinning out of control.


I was talking to my friend earlier this week, and boy howdy. Was I ever on a roll. I was popping funnies out left and right! My friend even commented about how I needed to write them down, so I could blog them. I didn't. And do you think I can remember a single solitary one? Nope. Not on your life. Bummer too. Cause she was laughing... I was laughing... It was good times all around.


I wish I were kidding about the Sheep coming to our Easter party. But, I'm not. It sounds like they are a go. And boy I'm soo excited. (said dripping with sarcasm!) I guess nothing says Easter like Sheep sh!t. Yes. I will totally take pictures. Nothing is worth doing, if you can't blog it. Come on people! This will provide me with weeks of comedy relief!


I have been doing a lot of "regular" reading lately. I have read some wonderful books! The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society; The Hunger Games; and my book clubs monthly selection, Queen Bee's and Wanna Bee's.


I am the "discussion leader" this month, and I'm nervous about it because I want to present it different than all the other books. I think this one requires a lot more preparation on my part because I think that most people won't read it.

This is actually my 4th time reading it. It sits in my nightstand, right next to my scriptures, with sticky tabs and notes in the margin. It has become my bible on how to deal with girls and women.

I firmly believe that anyone that has to deal with girls OR women should read it. Whether you are having problems with it now or not isn't really relevant. I think it's naive to think you will never encounter it, because at some point, we all will play the various roles mentioned in the book-- even in our adult lives. If you think won't, you are wrong and it would be better it would be better to armed and ready, rather than waiting and wanting.

Knowledge is power, people. Knowledge is power.

Have you read Queen Bee's and Wanna Bee's? What do you think would be important information to highlight? Have any opinions you would care to share? If you don't want to share them in the comments, feel free to email me crazylandblog AT gmail DOT com .


All right. That's it for this weeks edition of the random randomness. I have to finish painting the wall next to the fridge for the party tomorrow. The dog poop still needs to be scooped so we can trade it out for the sheep poop. Food needs to be made, baskets filled (cause the bunny comes Saturday morning) and bathrooms cleaned. Not to mention the umpteen hundred kids I am tending as well.

Yeah. I will be glad when school starts again. I need a freakin' break from Spring Break!


1. Believable Doubt - Andy Davis
2. Chasing Pavements - Adele
3. Bedshaped - Keane
4. Here It Goes Again - OK Go
5. Listen - Amos Lee
6. 83 - John Mayer
7. Crucify - Tori Amos
8. Masochist - Ingrid Michaelson
9. Big Casino - Jimmy Eat World
10. Savin' Me - Nickelback

Bonus: Don't Lie - Black Eyed Peas

When I was in Elementary school, I spent one entire year checking the same book out every week at Library time. I would actually read the book over and over again, much to the chagrin of Mrs. Robinson, our librarian.

She tried her darnedest, every single week, to get me to check out a new book. She would show me the latest, greatest books, begging me to try something new. I would look around, pondering and clutching my favorite book, and then it would be time to go back to class... me and my book. Mr. Sendeck and I were inseparable that year.

That is, until Mrs. Robinson told me that she would not check that book out to me anymore. I think she said something like she had promised it to another child and so I had to find something else to read. I think I was the bane of her existence that year... me and my obsession with Where the Wild Things Are.

Oh how I loved this story, Where the Wild Things Are. My Mom would even beg me to try something new. "You never know, you could find a book that you love even more than this one." No way. Never! I would shake my head and head off to my room to imagine myself as the little wild thing.

Can you imagine how excited I was when they started making those adorable little wild thing stuffed animals? Thrilled beyond words. When I went to the Chicago Art Museum once, they had Wild Thing note cards... Yeah. I bought them all.

So. Knowing all that about me, imagine my sheer glee when Jefe showed me this trailer last night.






It's just like I had imagined it, all those years ago, when I spent an entire school year reading, imagining and plotting how I could be The Wild Thing.

The first time Annette Lyon commented on my blog, I clicked over to her blog to see who she was and surf around for a while. I was giddy with excitement when I saw that not only was she an author—with books that were actually published, but she was an award winning author, with published books. I nearly peed myself I was so excited. I went around for days spontaneously blurting out that I had an author—a real live author—that read my blog. And she liked me. Jefe got so that when I would start in on my well known speech, he would mutter "yeah yeah. We know. You've got an author. Can I have dinner now?"

So, you can imagine how totally over the moon I was when I got an email back in January asking me to read her book and tell you all what I thought. I was completely, 100% over the moon. Then I got rather nervous. Why? Well. Because all of my previous experiences with Mormon authors had been well, how should I put it? Suck-tastic. Lame-O. Cheesey. Typically in the past when I have read Mormon fiction, I have felt a strong urge to order a bottle of Sparkling Apple Cider to go with my large plate of Cheese ('cause I'm Mormon and don't drink wine). I hadn't read a Mormon book in well over 25 years and was worried it would still be the same… Cheesey and Lame-O.

Somewhere, in my vast blog-travels, I read where the Mormon fiction venue has actually improved… a lot. The authors that I had read in my youth, were the trail-blazers. There was not much for the publishers back then to choose from, so pretty much what you saw was what you got. However, in the last few years, there is such an abundance of LDS authors that the publishers can and are quite choosy. They only publish the best of the best.

I was pleasantly surprised with Annette's book. I was hooked with the opening scene… Coalville. My Mom is from Coalville. Then the book shifts to Manti. My grandparents are from "those parts". She describes the "drive" into Manti perfectly. I knew exactly what she was talking about, and where we were in town. I had seen it a hundred times. The horses? Yeah. I was raised around horses. The book felt sort of like coming home for me. I was completely surprised at how much I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is an easy, quick read. My teen daughter is also reading it and when I asked her what she thought, she replied: "Mom, its good and its really nice." Then she disappeared back into the catacombs that are her room.

I loved Samuel and I must admit that I read his part with a British accent. I felt for him. I loved the realness that this Character had—and the doubt he was struggling with. "Why am I here? What good can I do?" I could really relate to him; I had felt a lot of the same feelings he was feeling.

I loved Tabitha and her remarkable strength. The trials that had beset her would be enough to force the strongest woman to falter—and yet she doesn't. She pushes forward and evolves into an amazing, smart, successful, strong woman.

I really disliked Tabitha's Mother-in-law, Mother Hall (said disdainfully). The venom dripping from that woman was palpable! (so what if she redeemed herself in the end? I still don't like her)

I have no problem recommending this book, especially for a Mother/daughter read. What better way to get to know and understand your daughter, than to read with her? This book, Tower of Strength, is a wonderful one to read together. You will not have to worry at all about something questionable popping up… because it is a good, clean read.

Here is a trailer for the book. (Did you know that is the latest way authors promote their books? Its true. Even Jodi Picoult has trailers).

Sher is doing the music for it... and its her own arrangement. (go wish her a happy birthday, will ya? She's like 10 or something) There is a giveaway for all four of Annette's books on the MMB today. Go enter. You just might win.

Recently I was having a conversation with someone about movies. She was telling me her favorite movie was some chick flick that I had never seen. She asked me what my favorite movie was, and when I told her I think her jaw hit the floor. (Band of Brothers! Thanks for asking! Just hearing the music makes me happy...) She screwed up her nose all funny and said "Ewww. How can you possibly LIKE those kind of shows? They are SO gross." I got a little irritated and said: "I dunno. How can someone as smart as you like dumb chick shows?"

Yeah. I have such great tact.

But, that's when I realized I am not your A-typical chick. I made a list of reasons, in no particular order, as to why my chick card should be revoked.

1. I love to watch sports and I like to play sports. I like pretty much all sports-- including the whole whack-a-do sport of mixed martial arts fighting. (Yes. I watch this with Jefe. I even know the dudes names... scary? Yeah. I thought so too)

2. I really really like science fiction stuff. Heroes? Yup. Lost? Check. Battlestar Galactica? Oh yeah, baby!

3. I hate to go shopping. Any kind of shopping. I try to like it. I fake it a lot... but really its just irritating. I will wait until I have absolutely NOTHING to wear and then I will break down and go to the store to get new stuff. This drives Jefe freaking insane. (Like last weekend when I went and bought a ton of new clothes... I think he had a minor seizure when he saw how much I had spent. I heard him mumble something about why can't you just be a normal girl?) I'm a get-in-get-out-get-on-with-your-life kind of shopper.

4. Decorating is NOT something I like to do. I don't get how to pick out colors or where to hang crap on my walls. Besides the whole not having an eye for it, I just don't like to do it. Sometimes, when I go into other people's homes, I feel really un-chick-like because of my extreme disinterest in the whole decorating department.

5. I like to shoot guns. Need I say more?

6. Chick flicks usually annoy the crap out of me. I can't think of anything else to say about chick flicks. I watch them... but usually find myself quite annoyed by the end.

7. What kind of flicks do I like to watch then? Well, Action/Adventure of course. Is there anything better than a good car explosion??

8. I have no idea how to put outfits together. I think I have told you about my tendencies to purchase 4 of the same shirts, just in different colors... But have I told you about my jewelry? I have lots & lots & lots of amazing jewelry that I picked up in Hong Kong (the real-deal stuff) but I have no idea how to garnish myself with it... so there it sits in my closet. In a box. On a shelf.

9. Most women get annoyed when their spouse plays video games. Me? Nope. I like to watch him play them. Sometimes, I even play too. (hello! Rock band!) What I really like to do is hang out in the same room with him while he plays and either work on the computer or do my other dumb stuff. He's doing his deal. I'm doing my deal. We're both happy. What's not to like??

This last one is the card-revoking-deal-breakin one...

10. I don't like to read Jane Austen. Or any other books like that. I have tried. Heaven knows I have tried. I have even tried to make myself like them... but I don't. At all. I usually feel like banging my head against the wall. Or stabbing myself in the eye with a fork. I fall asleep every single time I try to read them. Those types of books make me feel like I have taken about 10 Ambien.

For reals.

I just finished the 3^rd Stephanie Meyer Book. I waited a whole year to read this book. I needed to wait that long so that I could forget just how irritating these books are. I am not sure why these particular books irritate me so much, but they do. I know that I am now going to get an onslaught of comments about how I just don't “Get” these books. Or, I need to relax, they are "JUST" books.
I know. I know. But, they really, really bug me.

Maybe its the fact that the vampire (again, I can not believe I read this book) is EVERYTHING I do not want my daughter attracted to. He is controlling, manipulative, and lets face it people. He's 100+ years old. Ick! He is seducing this girl... This stupid retarded (sorry. I know that word is so NOT P.C.) numb-nutz of a girl!

Bella.
She is another character that I just want to slap silly and then shake her to death. I guess I was never so over the moon about a boy that I was willing to give up everything. Never. Nor would my parents have allowed it. Seriously. That whole parental dynamic thing was weird. It seemed like Edward was a boyfriend that was heavy on the father figure role. Isn't that sort of.. oh. I don't know. Icky?

I was reading this book at the same time as my sister, ima10cow. We kept comparing notes, and thoughts. She texted me right after she finished and asked me if I had finished “that vampire book yet.” I asked her how she liked it, and she said “Its been several days... I'm not as irritated any more.”

Thats exactly how I felt. I kept muttering under my breath about how this book bugged the crap (with a capital C) out of me. Jefe finally asked me why the heck I was reading it, if I hated it so much. Well. I HAVE to find out if she marries the stupid Vampire(?!) or if she comes to her senses and realizes that life with a Vampire really would not be a that great of a life. I mean, lets face it. She gets woozy at the sight of Jacobs bleeding hand!! How does she think she is going to handle NEEDING blood?? She clearly hasn't thought this thing out! Sheesh.

I know that I am in the minority here, not liking these books. I have been trying to figure out why I don't like them. I guess I am irritated with the fact that I let my daughter (who had just turned 12) read these books before I did. It was at the suggestion of a friend... That was my stupidity, and I should have known better.

For me, reading these books = no big deal. A 12 year old = big deal! The fu-fu la-la feelings that I am sure were stirred up in her bother me. She was exposed to something that I can now never erase from her beautiful mind. It irritates me that they are billing this for YA... I would say it is for older YA's that have had more life experiences than that of 12-14 year olds.

I just don't want my daughter, or any of the Young Women I teach, to think that THIS is the way “True love” is. You should never feel like you have to give up any of yourself when you are with someone. I feel like it is a great example of love vs. lust... but maybe I am over analyzing this book. Maybe I need to just relax and enjoyme a good vampire/werewolf/human love triangle.
Eee Gads.

When my sister asked me if I was going to read the 4^th book, I nearly shouted at her: “Yes! Because now I have to find out if she marries the stupid vampire, or comes to her senses and runs off with the werewolf!”

Lets discuss.

ps. I DO like Jacob. I liked book # 2 the best... because it was Jacob-centric. Edward creeps me out. Old man.
Pshaw!

My SIL just finished getting her Masters in Child Psychology. She is doing her internship this year, and then applying for PhD programs. She often gives me great books that deal with children, and the various issues regarding raising children. They are always fabulous, and I am always grateful to be able to bounce ideas off her, and get suggestions for raising my own kids. So far, she hasn't turned me in to DCFS... so I must be doing OK. :>)

She gave me this book to read a while back, before Moxie was born. I just couldn't bring myself to read it. It is a HARD subject, (thats putting it mildly!) and it can be an offensive subject. I mean, who wants to read about Predators? And hear from their mouths, first hand, how they choose their victims? I surely did not. So, I put that there book on a shelf and tried to forget about it. Yet, every time I went to the bookshelf to get something to read—there it was. Staring at me. Daring me to read it.

I picked it up several weekends ago and read it from cover to cover in one sitting. It was mind blowing, disturbing and every bit as awful as you could imagine. I just could NOT stop myself from reading. And, in the end, I am glad that I DID read it. It is not an easy read. I had to skip several parts-- it was just too yucky for my little naive brain to comprehend.

Yet, its descriptions of predators, and how they stalk our children was valuable information. I found myself evaluating all the relationships in my life... being more vigilant. There is never a time where we should have our guard down, according to this book. And, I think that I would agree.

This time that we live in... this era... it is not the same that You and I grew up in. No longer can we send our children out to ride their bikes all over town-- as Jefe & I both did-- all summer long! NO. It's just not safe any longer.(yes. My children DO have cellphones... so that I can let them have a little more freedom!)

No longer are backyard sleepovers OK. No longer are sleepovers in general OK. We just don't do them at my house... you can ask us for a “half sleepover” and I will gladly pick my child up before 11pm... but anything more is just out of the question! You just never know what COULD happen. I understand that I am probably a little over the top. Thats OK with me. I would rather be over the top, and my child safe, than WISHING I would have been more vigilant.

This book is a hard read. It is not for everyone. Heck, its probably only for us “over protective- SIL - of - therapist" types. But, I AM glad I read it. However difficult/painful it was.

When I was telling my sister about this book that I was reading, she looked at me like I was crazy... why would you read something that sounds totally depressing? The truth is, the subject matter of this book is quite depressing, and yet Jeanette Walls has a way of making this depressing story be entertaining and at times quite funny. I found this book to be a wonderful reminder that we all have things to be grateful for.

I saw a documentary on this woman several years ago ( I tried to find a snippet of the documentary on the internet... but was unable to), and then read the book. I am actually quite glad that I did it backwards this time... I think I might have been a little skeptical had I not seen the show first. The documentary really made the book come to life for me...

I was astounded with the creativity these kids had to come up with to eat, stay warm and basically take care of themselves. In the movie, Jeanette takes the crew to walk along the train tracks where she would gather coal to heat her house . As she was walking along the tracks talking, she was absentmindedly picking up pieces of coal. She stopped and was really excited about a huge piece she found and she commented about how long that piece of coal would heat their home. She then showed them her home (?) from Welch, and holy cow! How does someone live in something like that? I mean really?! She then took them to see the various garbage cans they would forage through, and showed them the “best” garbage cans to get the best food. That right there is just astounding to me. She had such an amazing attitude about the whole thing. She had come to peace with her past and her “roots”. I heard her say that everyone has some sort of past, and you can either rise above it or let it control you. She chose to rise above it and be thankful for the experiences she has had. That to me is the gem of the entire book.

We all have reasons to moan and groan and complain; Reasons to get “stuck” and not progress. Jeanette shows us that it is entirely up to you, how you choose to view life. Her candor, and at times humor with her upbringing are astounding. I heard a quote once from a very famous woman in my church, she said: “I can either laugh or cry, and crying gives me a headache, and so I choose to laugh.” I think Jeanette chose to laugh as well. She realized that she COULD cry over her childhood, and not one person would begrudge her. She had it rough, and terrible. However, she chose to laugh and rise above it. Her childhood dose not define her. It helped to shape her, but it does not define her.

I loved this book. It was not only just a fascinating read, it also helped me to realize that I am ok. I am a good parent. I haven't let one of my kids fall out of the car, I didn't leave them with their insanely angry grandmother, and my children have never foraged for food... in dumpsters.( I better add-- they forage in the cupboards, but thats ok... right?!) This book helped me. I am a good parent. And really, Jeanette's parents did the best they could with what they were.

Alcoholism is a terrible demon to battle. And add mental illness into the mix, and you have a recipe for disaster. I really do think that some of her mothers issues were a direct result of her fathers alcoholism and his trying to kill her on several occasions. How could that NOT make you go just a little crazy? Hearing first hand experiences from my Mother on life with an alcoholic... I have greater respect not only for my own Mother, but also Ms. Walls. It is easy for us all to be judgmental and say we would do this and we would do that... when really we just don't know what we would do. My hats off to Ms. Walls, (and my Mom for that matter) for turning out so seemingly “normal”, and lacking in the emotional scars that seem to plague people with this kind of upbringing. I find her success, attitude and outlook on life amazing and inspiring.

I also found myself wondering about my children... Have I done enough to teach them how to work? Do they know the value of work? Or, are they lazy? I especially wonder this when my oldest was informed she needed to work to earn her ticket to see her cousins in Seattle this summer. You would have thought I told her she was going to have to donate her left eye to
charity.

Anyway.

I loved this book. It was a great read! I would, without hesitation, recommend this book to anyone. You will be so glad you read it!

Watch this interview with Ms. Walls. There are several others listed as well, here and here. They are quite insightful.

To read more great reviews of this book, go HERE. This is part of our online book group, and I am so glad to be apart of it! These women are fantastically smart, and you will come away wiser for the read.
Thanks girls!

I just read about this book on the publishers website. I absolutely LOVE Mark Twain. He is such a wonderful author, and I love how he writes! I have a deep seated love affair with the mid-west, and love books that are centered there. This is the next book that I am going to tackle.

THIS website has a fantastic interactive thing going on (not to mention some AMAZING music that I have now been listening to for the past 30 minutes... and its driving Thing 1 crazy!) From my exploration of the site, it looks like it has all sorts of things available not only for teachers to use when they teach this book, but also book clubs. When authors, and publishers alike, offer this kind of material to us the readers... Well. I just get plain giddy with excitement. I like to read books that there is commentary avaliable. That way if I really like the book, I can get more insight into what the author was thinking.
Yes. I am a total nerd.
And proud of it!