STiLL ALiCE by Lisa Genova

Read in July
320 pages

Genova gives us a hauntingly accurate portrayal of a young woman's descent into Alzheimer's Disease from the prime of life and the loftiest of cerebral heights.




This has to be by far the best book I have read this year! I don't think that I would have ever actually picked up this book had someone not loaned it to me, thanks Lisa! Had I not had to work I would have read this book in a day, I could NOT put it down. I had a lump in my throat and tears ready to fall during the last 20 pages. Lisa Genova for sure knew what she was writing about and it was as if we were going through the process throughout Alice's descent through her terrible disease. I think this book really struck me since I work in hospice and have a few Alzheimer's patients, one who was diagnosed in her 50's. I have only known her since picking her up as a patient with the end stages of the disease. I have had lots of training on how to care for Alzheimer's patients but never really knew what they must be going through, till I read this book. I still probably have no idea, but it gave me a better understanding. Thank you Lisa Genova for writing such a great book!

Links:
http://www.lisagenova.com/

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Still-Alice/Lisa-Genova/e/9781439102817/?itm=1

http://www.dasninternational.org/

http://www.actionalz.blogspot.com/

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Read in June

253 pages

In nineteenth-century China, when wives and daughters were foot-bound and lived in almost total seclusion, the women in one remote Hunan county developed their own secret code for communication: nu shu (“women’s writing”). Some girls were paired with laotongs, “old sames,” in emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives. They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments.

This book was a pretty easy read and pretty interesting. She really could have made it longer, but I'm glad she didn't, too many authors get too wordy. She really jumped through the years but it was easy to keep up and follow along, at least it was for me. I really got into the end when FINALLY Lily starting seeing things from a different point of view. I really recommend this book to anyone who can get into different cultures, the history of Chinese women, and a nice epic that isn't epically long.

Links I liked:

http://www.lisasee.com/

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Snow-Flower-and-the-Secret-Fan/Lisa-See/e/9780812968064/?itm=1

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

Read in June
480 pages

One moment June Nealon was happily looking forward to years full of laughter and adventure with her family, and the next, she was staring into a future that was as empty as her heart. Now her life is a waiting game. Waiting for time to heal her wounds, waiting for justice. In short, waiting for a miracle to happen. For Shay Bourne, life holds no more surprises. The world has given him nothing, and he has nothing to offer the world. In a heartbeat, though, something happens that changes everything for him. Now, he has one last chance for salvation, and it lies with June's eleven-year-old daughter, Claire. But between Shay and Claire stretches an ocean of bitter regrets, past crimes, and the rage of a mother who has lost her child.





Jodi is one of my favorites so of course I really liked this book. Jodi really goes into religion in this book and is so good at making you really feel for each side. I really don't think I changed my views on the death penalty though, but you can tell she did A LOT of research for this book. She broke down each chapter with a different character, which she does in a lot of her books, and she still uses her normal formula that she does in pretty much all her books. Sometimes I get kinda bored with her courtroom scenes, I enjoyed them in this book. I really enjoyed reading Maggie's character, I think she was my favorite, and also Father Michael's. I think she could have done more with the ending, however. I liked the ending, but I just wish that there had been something more with Shay. A good book and I was able to read it rather quickly.

Links:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Change-of-Heart/Jodi-Picoult/e/9780743496759/?itm=1

http://www.jodipicoult.com/

Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark

Read in June
416 pages

Hours after throwing a third birthday party for their twins Kathy and Kelly in their Connecticut home, Margaret and Steve Frawley return home from a dinner in New York to discover the police in the house, their daughters missing, and an eight million dollar ransom note. The Frawleys meet the kidnapper's demands, but the abandoned car they're led to contains only Kelly, the body of the driver, and a suicide note, saying he had inadvertently killed Kathy and dumped her body in the ocean



Never did I think I would pick up a Mary Higgins Clark book. I was doing private care for a patient of mine who loved to read but was not able to anymore due to her failing eyesight. She was a big fan of Clark's and had asked me to read this book to her. Unfortunatly she passed before we could finish the book together and I went ahead and finished it on my own. I really had to know what happened to both the little girls in blue. Clark really plays up the whole twin telepathy thing, which is sorta interesting, but I think she really whacks you over the head repeatedly with it. I really felt for Margaret, the mother, though I can't imagine having my child taken from me, I could feel for her as a mother and a wife. The twists and turns are pretty obvious I thought, but entertaining nonetheless. I probably won't be picking up another of her books anytime soon, but I won't totally write her off. She does seem like a good author for a more mature audience, and yes, I'm talking old people, the "murder she wrote" generation, lol, sorry, had to put that in there.

Sorry, no links for this one.

The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

Read in May
223 pages

The success stories speak for themselves in this book from money maestro Dave Ramsey. Instead of promising the normal dose of quick fixes, Ramsey offers a bold, no-nonsense approach to money matters, providing not only the how-to but also a grounded and uplifting hope for getting out of debt and achieving total financial health.
Ramsey debunks the many myths of money (exposing the dangers of cash advance, rent-to-own, debt consolidation) and attacks the illusions and downright deceptions of the American dream, which encourages nothing but overspending and massive amounts of debt. "Don't even consider keeping up with the Joneses," Ramsey declares in his typically candid style. "They're broke!"
The Total Money Makeover isn't theory. It works every single time. It works because it is simple. It works because it gets to the heart of the money problems: you.




My parents bought this book for Scott's birthday. He read it in 3 days! I catch bits and pieces of Dave's radio show when I can. I really love his advice and his becoming debt free and staying debt free. I also love that he doesn't really call it his plan, but God's plan. Scott and I have accomplished baby step one from his plan are hopefully with our garage sale we can be able to really start baby step two and start snowballing some debt. We are hopefull that with Dave's advice we can be totally debt free, except for the house, in just over 2 years. With our debt paying as we had been paying we would be in debt for the next 30 years!!! That is INSANE! I recommend EVERYONE to read this book!!!

Links I like for this book:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Total-Money-Makeover/Dave-Ramsey/e/9780785289081/?itm=2

http://www.daveramsey.com/

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Read in May
406 pages

Margaret Lea works in her father's antiquarian bookshop where her fascination for the biographies of the long-dead has led her to write them herself. She gets a letter from one of the most famous authors of the day, the mysterious Vida Winter, whose popularity as a writer has been in no way diminished by her reclusiveness. Until now, Vida has toyed with journalists who interview her, creating outlandish life histories for herself - all of them invention. Now she is old and ailing, and at last she wants to tell the truth about her extraordinary life. Her letter to Margaret is a summons.

I had never heard of this book until my good friend Kathryn sent me a box of books that just so happened to arrive on my birthday, though I don't think she actually planned that. Thanks so much Kat for the books!!! I picked this book out because it was the only hardback in the box and I was strangly drawn to this book. Once I started it I was hooked. The book is rather British, which was fine with me. I LOVED every part of this book. I loved the twists and turns and what I like to the the WTF twist towards the end. Bravo Diane Setterfield for writting this wonderful story! I am actually sad to have finished the book and not hear any more about the Angelfield family. I found the relationships in the story to be very dark and twisted and rather disturbing, but I loved them all, no matter how dark and twisty they were. It's a ghost story, mystery, a sisters story. Everyone should read this book, it's a GOOD story!

Links:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Thirteenth-Tale/Diane-Setterfield/e/9780743298032/?itm=1

http://multiples.about.com/od/twintoddlers/a/twintalk.htm

A Year of Fog

Read in April

397 pages

Abby Mason, photographer, turns away from 6 year old Emma for just a moment, that's all it took to lose her fiance's little girl. With determination and heartache Abby searches her memory and San Fransico in search for Emma.



This book was very sad and bittersweet. I really did enjoy this book, the chapters are short so it was easy to find a stopping point without forgetting anything so I could take care of other things. There were a few chapters or parts of chapters that I thought were a bit dry and unneccessary. Abby's search for Emma takes her to Costa Rica, which really made me want to become and expat, learn to surf, and just live on the beach. This is a must read.



Links I like for this book:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Year-of-Fog/Michelle-Richmond/e/9780553591392/?itm=1



http://michellerichmond.com/

www.bantamdell.com

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Read in March/April
350 pages
Becky Bloomwood has a fabulous flat in London's trendiest neighborhood, a troupe of glamorous socialite friends, and a closet brimming with the season's must-haves. The only trouble is that she can't actually afford it -- not any of it.

I bought this book because it was on sale. I'm mildly interested in seeing the movie and I wanted to read the book before I saw the movie. I found Becky to be mostly really annoying and selfish. I really don't understand her thought process at all. What frightens me is that there really are people like her out there walking around. The end seemed to all just come together with a perfect pretty bow. However, through the whole thing I did laugh a few times. The letters from the bank responding to Becky's lame attempts to not pay her bills I found amusing. I'll probably read a few of other books in the series but not anytime soon. I was say this is good summer reading. I read it rather quickly, it didn't really take a lot of thinking. Easy plot, easy story, easy everything.

Links I like for this book:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&ISBN=9780385335485&ourl=Confessions%2Dof%2Da%2DShopaholic%2FSophie%2DKinsella

www.readsophiekinsella.com

Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock

Read in March

368 pages

The title characters in Me & Emma are very nearly photographic opposites--8-year-old Carrie, the raven-haired narrator, is timid and introverted, while her little sister Emma is a tow-headed powerhouse with no sense of fear. The girls live in a terrible situation: they depend on an unstable mother that has never recovered from her husband’s murder, their stepfather beats them regularly, and they must forage on their own for food.

I picked up this book just after Christmas and have been putting it off. Finally I picked it up a day or so after finishing up Shelter Me. It really only took me about 2 days to read this book. At first I was a bit annoyed because the story is told from 8 year old Carrie's perspective and therefore almost rambles and speaks like an 8 year old would, and add the deep southern Carolina accent and I found myself rereading a lot of sentences here and there. Soon enough I got use to the writting and grew to really appriciate it more because I really started feeling for Carrie. This book makes me want to cry for her for the terrible situation she was in. About half way through the book the end was becoming more and more predictable, however, I was so wrapped up in Flock's story telling that I didn't seem to mind. Once I started getting into the predictable twist toward the end I found I couldn't put the book down. Poor Mollie was trying everything she could think of to get my attention and I just couldn't put down my book, I wanted to know what was happening to poor Carrie and Emma. This is the first book of Flock's that I have read and I am looking forward to reading more of her books. She's a great story teller. She has a website, check out the links below.

Links I like for this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Me-Emma-Elizabeth-Flock/dp/0778327337/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238292875&sr=8-1

http://www.elizabethflock.com/

Suggestions Desperatly Needed!!

HELP!!!! I'm really afraid that I'm not going to make my goal this year at the rate I am going. Please ANYONE, send me books that you recommend! You can either post a comment to this or you can send me an email:

batinka77f@yahoo.com

Shelter Me

Read in March

448 pages

Janie LaMarche is alone with two young children when she loses the love of her life. She recieves the last gift from her late husband in the form of a new front porch and learns to live her life from some of the most unexpected people.

I was begining to wonder if I was ever going to find a book to read for this month. I started a couple and couldn't get through them and I really thought that I wouldn't be able to reach my goal. I really didn't care for this book at first, I found Janie to be too angry. She was understandably angry for sure, but she was just getting annoying. I enjoyed young Dylan and his friend Keane and especially Tug and Aunt Jude. Janie has such a great support group around her and that's what I liked about the book because instead of pulling away from her support group Janie leans on them and understands that they are a little crazy but they are the ones that get her through each day.

Some links I like:

http://www.amazon.com/Shelter-Me-Juliette-Fay/dp/0061673390/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238021074&sr=8-1

Outlander

Read in Feb
627 pages
Claire steps through a stone formation and ends up in 1700's Scotland. There she meets and becomes involved with Jamie Fraser. Claire and Jamie move throughout Scotland as Claire comes to terms with her unique situation.

I had heard about this book through several members of www.goodreads.com so I finally decided to pick it up. I was told that this book was pretty steamy in parts but I don't think that I would really qualify this book as a romance novel, though it did get very hot in parts. I really enjoyed the story of Claire and of Jamie. I do think that Jamie is too good to be true, but that's why we read stories! It did take a while to read as it is a long book, and the books keep getting longer and longer throughout the series. This is a series, and I do love a good series, of 6 books, currently. I believe that there is a 7th book on the way, someone, please correct me if I am wrong. After several attempts at finding the second book in the series, Dragonfly in Ember, I was able to pick it up cheap at a great used bookstore on Crescent and N. Anthony.

Here are some links to check out.

www.goodreads.com

http://www.amazon.com/Outlander-Diana-Gabaldon/dp/0440212561/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235325208&sr=8-1

http://www.dianagabaldon.com/

Craziness

As if I'm not busy enough with Mollie, work, 3 different Bible studies, and finding time to sleep and eat, I picked up a book at church, Parenting from the Pew: Guiding your children into the Joy of Worship by Robbie Castleman. I'm going to try to finish Outlander as I am reading this book since I am so close to being done with it. I'm pretty excited to read Parenting from the Pew as it has been recommended several times to me, and almost always comes up when I complain when Mollie acts up in church. I know most of the time I really shouldn't worry about it because if it isn't my child making noise in church it's someone else's, so I am not alone. However, I'm almost always on my own with Mollie at church since we are the only ones from our house that goes, so there is no one to help me with Mollie and that makes me feel even more self conscience about Mollie's toddler noises. I'll read it and give you my review of it. Also stay tuned for my review of Outlander, which I am thoroughly enjoying. I have about 200 more pages to go in this book so it won't take me much longer. I don't get to read hardly at all, if any, on Mondays because of work and then Bible Study Fellowship right after. Mondays are LONG days in the Grover house since neither Scott or I are usually home till around 9 or 10.

Nineteen Minutes

Read in January
480 pages
A story about a high school shooting in Sterling, New Hampshire. This time the shooter is caught alive and we see what goes through the mind of the teenage shooter and all those around him.

This is the typical Picoult formula. I do enjoy her books though for the twist at the end, which are usually pretty good and worth getting through all the courtroom melodrama. She really gets to the heart of the matter right away which really makes it easy to get into and hard to down. It also is heart wrenching to read through the actual shooting. Picoult really does a great job for making you feel for each and every character, good or bad. I recommend this book to hardcore Jodi Picoult fans.

Links I like for this book.

http://www.jodipicoult.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Nineteen-Minutes-Jodi-Picoult/dp/0743496736/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233881955&sr=8-1

The Christmas Sweater

Read in January
284 pages
The story about a boy, Eddie, who only wants a bike from his mom for Christmas and ends up with the sweater that changes his views on life. After a heartbreaking Christmas Eddie ends up living with his grandparents for a year that changed their lives.

The first book of my reading challenge this year! This was a Christmas present from my husband, Scott. I really like listening to Glenn Beck on WOWO 1190 radio and was excited to read his book. I'm really not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. I did enjoy the book though. I knew Glenn Beck believes in God, however, I wasn't sure as to what extent. Reading this book was like a direct view into his very heart and soul. It was a sweet story, very comforting, full of the spirit, and easily read in a day. This book is not just for Christmas but should be read throughout the year.

Check out the following links I like for this book.

www.glennbeck.com

http://www.wowo.com/

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141659485X/ref=s9_sdps_c2_s1_p14_t1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1SCN71QD9Y2ZNJTGEE3K&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=463383371&pf_rd_i=507846