Reunited Readers

Love Day

2011-02-14T08:53:00.000-08:00

*update* Didn't mean to post it last time... : )

So, I read this book this week.

It was a big letdown. I was really waiting for this book to come out, hoping to be able to come on here and show my three readers a great love day book. But, I didn't feel in love while reading it. It was okay, and only took half an hour to read, so if you want to read it, be my guest. It had some beautifully written entries, but I didn't love the couple when I was through.

I did want to list other books that I love to read when I'm in love. Or just anytime. I love those characters that you root for. That you want to get together or work out. That make you remember how in love you are with your significant other.

I'm not talking trashy romance, I'm talking stay up till four in the morning talking because you just can't get enough of each other romance.

I wish I could come up with more, and I know I'm forgeting some, so I'd love to hear your input.

What books make you feel the love?

In No Particular Order

Romeo and Juliet
I don't care that it's Shakespeare, this story flows and is the classic love story.

Pride and Prejudice
I love Darcy. Like I really love Darcy. Thank you Jane Austen.

The Notebook
I know, the Nicholas Sparks formula. But who doesn't want a love that lasts till you're 100?

East of Eden and Jane Eyre
Not your typical love stories, but you can't help calling them that when you are done.

Like Water for Chocolate
Aahh Forbidden Love

Twilight
Did I really list that? Yes. Who wasn't on Team Edward or Jacob?

Harry Potter
It wasn't the main theme, but I was rooting for Ron and Hermione.

Honorable Mentions (Books that I loved the characters who fell in love)
Hunger Games, City of Bones Trilogy, Vampire Academy series, Any Sarah Dessen book (a whole other entry to come)

It's hard for characters to be like Ross and Rachel, Pam and Jim, Finn and Rachel....but I love to read them anyway.

Happy Valentines Day!

The Pig Did It...

2011-02-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

It made me dislike a book club pick. Almost so much that I didn't finish it but I have this weird rule about having to finish a book I start...anyway, it was a close one.

It was much too descriptive. I love description, but this was distracting and actually pretty boring. I didn't think it made him a good writer. I don't like to be distracted from the story. The passages seemed to go on forever and I found myself skipping long descriptions to get to something good and I never did. I did find it funny that author had an author for one of main characters and made fun of how dramatic authors are. I thought it would be a good mystery and I love Ireland and I was looking forward to the pig...but the pig and the author disappointed me. I didn't find it funny that everyone said they might be a murderer but you never find out who really did it. And I didn't really like the characters. I most definitely won't read the rest of the triliogy. I finally found a book I don't praise highly on this blog.

Hopefully the rest of the year goes better...

I have been reading like crazy these past few weeks and most of it was good. I did mention Stargirl in the last post and I still will rave about that. I may be alone in my enjoyment. My sister found the book hard to believe. I read a lot of fantasy so I guess I didn't care that Stargirl was unreal, I loved that about it.

I did read the sequel, Love, Stargirl, and didn't enjoy it as much, but I cried at the end, so it must not have been all bad.

I also read Pegasus by Robin McKinley which was really hard to get into, but I found myself really believing in the world. Then, she ended the story right in the middle and is promising a sequel. Not cool. I'll most likely read the sequel though.

I also am reading the Bayern series by Shannon Hale. I know I am way behind on the Shannon Hale train, but I LOVE her. I read Book of Thousand Days and Austenland a while ago. Then recently I read Princess Academy and this month I read Goose Girl and Enna Burning. There is a third book, River Secrets that I am itching to read. I LOVE her. Did I say that already?

I'm also reading a book called the Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale and am in the middle of a book called The Wishing Moon by Tunnell. Both good.

And, since it's February, I'm reading The Cookbook Collector which I already like more than the Pig and I hope you are all joining with me.

Now off to my imaginary worlds.....

Belle

2011-01-31T17:40:00.000-08:00

My first example of a girl who likes to read (besides my mother) I'll never forget it.

Shoulda Coulda Woulda

2011-01-19T18:13:00.000-08:00

I am in love. In love with Stargirl. I will emphatically say that this should have been our book choice for the month. I will go into how much I don't like the pig at the end of the month, and see if any of you liked it, which would be okay. For now, please read Stargirl. Now, next week, next year. It was short, quick and easy and I am so glad to have read it. I will talk more of that at the end of the month as well so as not to give anything away : ) Thanks for reading my incessant ramblings.

While I Wait

2011-01-10T09:53:00.001-08:00

I'm still waiting for my copy of The Pig Did It from the library so in the meantime, I've been reading The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale and The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordon. Both very recommendable.

I also am book club stalking a book club in the area. I can't make the meetings, but I love to pick up on a good read. This month they are reading Stargirl so I picked that and its sequel Love,Stargirl up from the library and will read those too.

Just thought I'd include you in what I'm reading in case you don't have your Pig either.

: )

Happy New Year...Almost

2010-12-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

Okay. So. I know December is almost over and I didn't talk about November's book or the book we were to read this month. And that's it. December gets so busy, I just didn't really get on here. But, I have been reading like crazy and will say a sentence or two about that.

November's book was History of Love. I put a passage on a couple posts ago and someone commented and said this was the kind of book that you read to make you feel smarter. And it was. I enjoyed the writing and it made me wish my vocabulary was that much more expanded and my thoughts flowed that much more smoothly. I did find the actual story depressing and the ending unfulfilling. But, that woman can write.

This month's book was a great Hallmarky (yes, I know that word is a testament to my aforementioned lack of vocabulary) Christmasy book. I read that and Call Me Mrs. Miracle. Both fa la la la lifetime movies if I'm thinking correctly. They were cheesy and happy and a quick holiday read. Do I think they were great and do I recommend them? I don't know.

I also read a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Every year I am surprised at how short the book actually is, and am ever in awe of Dickens. I love that man and I love Tiny Tim.

I checked out 17 children's Christmas books from our local library and the kids and I have been reading up a jolly storm. One of our favorites: The Tale of the Three Trees. My mom gave it to us for a present this year with some cute trees she made. Helps you remember the reason for the season.

Okay, now, the moment you've all been waiting for. Drum roll please....

Here is the list of books we will be reading next year. I was grateful for the few suggestions I received and am happy for any contribution. I also need to say that I pick these books off of other book club sites and top whatever lists and if they have any questionable material or are just out right boring, I apologize. Everyone can use their own personal judgement on if they want to pick up or actually finish the book. I for one, and in all the way. These are also books that I wouldn't necessarily pick up on my own. I have become quite the fan of fantasy and am expecting a few sequels to be coming out next year, but didn't put them on the list because I am trying to branch out and let's face it, I almost always read more than one book a month. Mostly one a week if I'm lucky.

Before I get on with the list, if you've made it this far into the post. I read another of the sequels in the Blue Blood series and the Vampire Academy series and highly recommend them. Fun reads.

Okay, without further ado.....

January: This book seemed amusing...and if we like it, it's the first of a trilogy. You know how I feel about trilogies.

February: I love reading and I love cooking...a perfect novel?

March: This was a little different than what we read last year...but, why not? It's a fictional memior. Intriguing.

April: I've heard a lot about this author so I'm pretty sure he can really write. I don't know how I'll feel about this when I actually start reading (I tried to read the girl with the dragon tattoo and really couldn't open my mind enough to comprehend the first few pages) but...I am a huge fan of a bunch of stories in one city combining to see how we all effect on another.

May: I really loved the Help last year and I know this isn't even close to the same story, but for some reason it reminded me of it, and when I kept hearing about it, I couldn't say no.

June: This is another one of those books I keep hearing about. At the same time, I have heard nothing. Apparently this book is so good, you can't say anything or it will spoil it. Let's read it!

July: I have wanted to read this book for a while and although I've heard this book ends making you feel sad, I want to read a book about tasting people's emotions through their food. This author has something there.

August: A book from the point of view of a dog? Yes, please.

September: This is intended for a ninth grade level, but the description says it has history, action and the narrator is death. Cool.

October: Don't let the picture deceive you. The third book in the Maze Runner trilogy comes out this month. Can't wait! Thanks Ashley for the addiction : ) It is called The Death Cure. So join in the fun.

November: I guess this is the year for a variety of narrators. This one is a five-year-old boy. Although it seems this book has the potential to make me sad, I hope it makes me happy.

December: I wanted to read Christmas books last year in December, but have given this up this year. I was pulled in by the title and after reading the premise, the difference between real life and childhood dreams, I wanted to give it a go.

January is coming up...Let's see if The Pig Did It!

Harry Potter

2010-11-22T08:07:00.000-08:00

So, I was going to the midnight movie of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. Last minute I read the seventh book again. Now, I want to re-read all of them. So I finished the first and am on the second and wanted to invite anyone who wanted to to re-read them with me. Or, if you haven't read them, pick them up and give it a try. They are seriously probably the best books I have ever read. I'm not a bandwagon person, you just can't deny brillance when you see it. I'm off to Hogwarts!

13 Reasons Why

2010-11-10T11:54:00.001-08:00

I had totally forgotten that I didn't discuss 13 Reasons Why until Jenny reminded me : ) We've been sick at our house, still are, actually, so this is late in coming. But I will share a few of my thoughts on the book and would love to hear yours!

My first thought when I finished the book was...NO! She's not really dead. She'll come walking around the corner and this was all just a lesson to teach people how to treat people better. Then I remembered that she was dead and had had a funeral since the beginning of the book.

My sister and her husband read the book right after me and for all of us currently being or having been teachers, we thought this was an excellent book for students to read. I hate giving the idea of suicide to anyone, but I would hope this book would teach people that there are people there to help you, even if you don't feel like it. And I would hope that people would start treating people better, but sometimes that just doesn't happen.

Other thoughts, I was really mad at the Mr. Porter. I kept thinking, "what kind of a person are you? Don't you get what this girl is telling you?"

When you find yourself yelling at characters in a book, then you know it's a good one.

I love a book with more than one narrator. Especially when you find yourself loving both of them. I think that will help both boys and girls relate to this novel. I breathed a sigh of relief when Clay didn't do anything wrong on his side of the tape.

All the other sides of the tape...I couldn't believe those characters. Even thought I felt for some of them and I think there was a lot going on in the background of Hannah's life that contributed more to her death than was spoken of. I don't think her family was around. Family is important. If her family was a bigger part of her life, then the little rumors around school could be fixed and not spiraled out of control.

Okay, enough of my thoughts. I'm glad you guys liked the book too. Don't forget you still have more than half the month to read the November book. Or any other book we recommend. And I'm still open to recommendations from others! Thanks for reading!

When It's Cold Outside....

2010-11-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

I love to curl up and read. I read to my kids, with my kids, and if I'm lucky, I read for myself : )

I just finished November's book choice not five minutes ago and I once again am recommending this book with all I have.

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss:

I will admit that it took a while for me to get into it. The story wasn't one that pushed me forward. But...the writing was. And when the book was over, the story was as good as the writing. She is an amazing writer and every sentence was a well-written sentence. I will write more of this next month but I will leave you with one quote as a taste and will hope that it will give you the urge to read the whole book.

The History of Love:
The Age of String

So many words get lost. They leave the mouth and lose their courage, wandering aimlessly until they are swept into the gutter like dead leaves. On rainy days, you can hear their chorus rushing past: IwasabeautifulgirlPleasedon’tgoItoobelievemybodyismadeofglass I’veneverlovedanyoneIthinkofmyselfasfunnyForgiveme….

There was a time when it wasn’t uncommon to use a piece of string to guide words that otherwise might falter on the way to their destinations. Shy people carried a little bunch of string in their pockets, but people considered loudmouths had no less need for it, since those used to being overheard by everyone were often at a loss for how to make themselves heard by someone. The physical distance between two people using a string was often small; sometimes the smaller the distance, the greater the need for the string.

The practice of attaching cups to the ends of string came much later. Some say it is related to the irrepressible urge to press shells to our ears, to hear the still-surviving echo of the world’s first expression. Others say it was started by a man who held the end of a string that was unraveled across the ocean by a girl who left for America.

When the world grew bigger, and there wasn’t enough string to keep the things people wanted to say from disappearing into the vastness, the telephone was invented.

Sometimes no length of string is long enough to say the thing that needs to be said. In such cases all the string can do, in whatever its form, is conduct a person’s silence.

Please read this book.

Also, one of our members, Ashley, has been keeping me busy with more than one good read.

Potion Study (a trilogy) by Maria Snyder

The Maze Runner by James Daschner (also a trilogy and the third will be on our book list next year)

Thanks for reading!

Thirteen Reasons Why

2010-10-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so once again, I am ahead this month. I couldn't help it. Thirteen Reasons Why made me want to know why...and who... and I couldn't stop reading it. I'd love to know if you feel the same. I will refrain from talking about it until next month, but I have to say, please read it. It's awesome.

As far as my reading list is coming along...

Hannah's list by Debbie Macomber- finished- sweet and predictable-I thought it was ok

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin (It's the first in a series) -really good but won't read the next one because it was a little dirty

Piece of Work by Laura Zigman -missed the hold at the library so waiting again

The Secret Confessions of Anne Shakespeare by Ryan Arliss -ditto

Every Last One by Anna Quindlen- ditto

The atlas of Love by Laurie Frankel -pretty good, loved the literature references

Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner- only read the first ten pages or so it was THAT dirty

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

This book deserves a paragraph all its own. It's not often that I finish a book and I'm smiling because I enjoyed it so much. I may seem like I like every book I read, but it's not true. I tolerate most, like some, love a few.

I am confident in saying I LOVED this book. I may want to buy it. Wait until you see it and read it. All throughout are scans of pictures and reciepts from the fictional road trip. It is really cool. There are also playlists listed throughout so you can listen to music with the characters. It was such a fun and emotional read at the same time, and I love it when that happens.

Of all the books I've read, besides Thirteen Reasons Why, this is the one I recommend the most. Really, really, really try out this one.

Reading List

2010-09-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

So, as I already told you, I finished this month's book before September even started. I'd still like to hear if anyone finishes Mockingjay though. I don't like to say a lot if people are still reading it, but I will say a few more things now that I've had more time to think of it. Last time I wrote I was on a reading high and feeling good from the closure of finishing a series. When I had time to contemplate what I was reading, I felt that the book dragged on a little long and was very depressing. I know that the series as a whole was depressing, I guess I was just hoping for a better reason. I know the author had her reasons for writing it the way she did and closure for her played an important part, I'm just saying. I am happy I read it to finish the series, but I still think Catching Fire was the best of the series.

Moving on, these are the books I'm trying to read. I won't finish them all this month but I'm still trying to read them.

I just finished Searching for Pemberley by Mary Lydon Simonsen and really enjoyed it. I didn't think I would with all the history but it was intriguing. Check it out if you're a Pride and Prejudice Fan.

I am currently reading In Search Of Eden by Linda Nichols and it is holding my attention. I'll let you know if it's good when I finish...so far so good though.

Books on hold for me at the library:

Hannah's list by Debbie Macomber

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin (It's the first in a series)

Piece of Work by Laura Zigman

The Secret Confessions of Anne Shakespeare by Ryan Arliss
Every Last One by Anna Quindlen

The atlas of Love by Laurie Frankel

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner

I got a $25 giftcard for my birthday to Barnes and Noble and went online and found six books for that amount and shipping was free. So these books are on my to-read list, but I'm waiting until my library list dies down since there is no deadline on these.

On Writing by Stephen King (Already read this...SO cool...random info:SK reads 80 books a year WOW!)

Mr. Darcy's Daughters by Elizabeth Aston (I know more P and P)

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The Fiction Class by Susan Breen

Citizen Girl by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Belong to Me by Maris de los Santos

I was going to put links of all the books up but I am feeling lazy, so...if any of these sound good to you, look them up and check them out. If you want to know if I like any of them, ask and I'll be sure to read them first and tell you!

If you are looking for other good books to read, I found this website: Book Movement

There are a TON of good book ideas on there and I was hoping to get requests for books for next year, too. I'll probably start putting together the schedule in the next month or two. If you know a book is coming out next year and you want to read that too, just let me know.

Wow...that's a lot of books. I'm going to go read!

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

2010-09-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

This is a little late, but we were on vacation. I really hope somebody read this book with me. I was SO attached and these characters felt like my next door neighbors when I was done reading it. Except for I cannot even begin to claim that I understand the poverty and the life they lived. I was touched by the fact that Betty Smith could write a book that had so much sadness in it but Francie was happy almost the whole time. What a precious character. I loved her and I loved her father. I was so upset when he passed. I wanted the best for that family and I cheered them on through piano lessons and school and when Francie made something of herself in the city and found love. I cannot recommend this book more highly. I know I always say this, but this book was amazing. I forgot to write down quotes as I went but here are some I found on the internet that I remember as touching me. Oh, how I hate to finish a book as good as this one. *SIGH*

•"Part of her life was made from the tree growing rankly in the yard. She was the bitter quarrels she had with her brother whom she loved dearly. She was Katie's secret, despairing weeping. She was the shame of her father staggering home drunk."
- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 8

•"From that time on, the world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again, never miss the lack of intimate friends. Books became her friends and there was one for every mood."
- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 22

•"Let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. Let me be gay; let me be sad. Let me be cold; let me be warm. Let me be hungry...have too much to eat. Let me be ragged or well dressed. Let me be sincere-be deceitful. Let me be truthful; let me be a liar. Let me be honorable and let me sin. Only let me be something every blessed minute. And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost."
- Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ch. 48

Sorry Readers

2010-08-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

I got MockingJay yesterday and finished it before I let myself go to bed. I will not be reading with you next month...but maybe some of you are in the same position as me? I couldn't put it down!

Eat Pray Love and Sit Under the Tree That Grows In Brooklyn

2010-08-12T16:33:00.001-07:00

Okay, so that's a really long title. It may even end up being longer than this post because I keep getting busier and busier and my book reviews get shorter and shorter. I loved this book and can't wait for the film (even though Julia Roberts isn't who I pictured when I read, I will love it anyway). I don't agree with every religious thought she has and can't apply it to my life like I did the happiness project, but I did find a few quotes that inspired me and I am thinking about reading it again to find more the second time around.

“You were given life; it is your duty (and also your entitlement as a human being) to find something beautiful within life, no matter how slight.”
— Elizabeth Gilbert

“Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.”
— Elizabeth Gilbert

“There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under the jurisdiction. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with, whom I share my body and life and money and energy with. I can select what I can read and eat and study. I can choose how I’m going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life-whether I will see them as curses or opportunities. I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts.”
— Elizabeth Gilbert

“In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.”
— Elizabeth Gilbert

“We search for happiness everywhere, but we are like Tolstoy’s fabled beggar who spent his life sitting on a pot of gold, under him the whole time. Your treasure–your perfection–is within you already. But to claim it, you must leave the buy commotion of the mind and abandon the desires of the ego and enter into the silence of the heart.”
— Elizabeth Gilbert

"Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be."
— Elizabeth Gilbert

"Tis' better to live your own life imperfectly than to imitate someone else's perfectly."
— Elizabeth Gilbert

"There’s a crack (or cracks) in everyone…that’s how the light of God gets in."
— Elizabeth Gilbert

"Having a baby is like getting a tattoo on your face. You really need to be certain it's what you want before you commit."
— Elizabeth Gilbert

"Look for God. Look for God like a man with his head on fire looks for water."
— Elizabeth Gilbert

This last one is just for me for laughs:

"Dear me, how I love a library."
— Elizabeth Gilbert

I probably could go on forever quoting this book. My copy is almost highlighted more than not : )

If you didn't read this book last month, I hope maybe these quotes will inspire you to do so now.

Now, we will end our non-fiction kick (for now) and move on to a little fiction. Well, I could never describe this book as "little fiction". I am already reading this book and I hope you listen to me when I say this, because I always say this, PLEASE read this book.

I am LOVING it! It is so beautifully written and I am hanging on every carefully placed word. I had always heard of this book and never read it, and I am so glad I am now. It may seem long, but it is AMAZING. I'll write more when I finish it.

Other things I read last month: Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay (recommended by one of our members) and I read it in a day because the story was written in just the right way. I also read Numbers by Rachel Ward. It was pretty good while I was reading it, but the last sentence made my jaw drop and I can't wait for the sequel. Really, really good. I don't know if I mentioned last time that I finished all the Percy Jackson series and they were a pretty good easy read...the fifth book definitely being the best of them all.

So, I guess that's all. This turned out being longer than I thought. Please keep reading. Isn't it SO much fun! Yes!

Eat, Pray, Love...Baby!

2010-07-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

So, things are busy here in the Creel household so I'll keep this short and simple, especially since I posted how much I loved this month's book already in the previous post.
How did everyone like the happiness project? I'm on my second month of resoutions and commandments and I've formed new habits and my house is on it's way to becoming clutter free. I have yet to create an empty shelf, but I'll be there by the end of July.
I even got my husband to read it and I have never had so many gold stars....not like I'm supposed to expect them...right ; )
This book was life changing, and so is this month's book.
EAT PRAY LOVE....baby!
Get reading!

Read Anytime

2010-06-17T10:28:00.001-07:00

I just had to say something about the books we have been reading. I have loved them. You know a book is good when you are still thinking of the characters months later. I still think of Olive sometimes and often am glad that I don't have depressing things in my life like they do. I still think of Aibileen, Skeeter and Minny and how they changed the world we live in. Even though they are fiction, I am the kind of reader that remembers these characters like they are real.

And reading the Happiness Project has really made me happier.

I am looking forward to reading all the books we have planned and any other book anyone recommends. Please, if you haven't read one of the books yet because you didn't read it in that month, read it anyway, at your own pace on your own time.

If you don't have the book and you are in the Lancaster area, I bought a few of them and you can borrow mine anytime.

Also, I've said this before, but September's book is the final book of a trilogy, so start the Hunger Games now to catch up. I promise, you won't be disappointed!

My Happiness Project

2010-06-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

Finished the book (Loved it!) Got my resolutions chart, trying to come up with resolutions and truths. Anybody else with me on this changing your life without changing your life thing. I'm loving it!

The Happiness Project

2010-06-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

Okay. I am SO super excited for this month's book. But first, I will give a few thoughts on May's reading selection. I could go on about my favorite Austen quotes, characters, novels, etc...but that would take forever. I loved this month's book, or books in my case, because although I love reading Jane Austen, it's hard to read with kiddies around. These books gave me a little bit of Austen in an easy read that didn't take too much attention. I love Austen because I love that time period. There are a few time periods I would love to live in, Austen times being one of them. I don't think I'd like being in the whole position of marrying for money and all the things that Austen complained about in her novels, but I love the idea of dresses and balls and gentlemen and manners. But, this is a former high school teacher talking. All in all, it was an easy read and a nice escape. Not much of a review, but, oh well.

This month's book is The Happiness Project. (this link will take you to the project website) I know it's non-fiction but I have heard such great things about this book. How many of us just aren't happy all the time? I know I have my days. People always say that happiness is a choice. You can choose your mood. Some days, even when I know I have everything to make me happy, I am just down right blue. I thought this book was a good idea because she spent a year of her life testing theories on what makes people happy. I figured somewhere in there will be an exercise I can use to bump up my mood on those certain days.

I haven't read even one page of this book. I just got it today. I am excited to use the book and the website and maybe even after make my own happiness project. Please click the link, get the book from your local library or splurge and get it. I think this could be a cool thing for us all.

If you have anything to say about Austen or happiness, I'd be happy to hear it. Happy Reading!

(other books I'll be reading this month: Spirit Bound(book five of Vampire Academy) by Richelle Mead, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer. )

Nicholas Sparks Month

2010-05-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first to admit that I've never been a huge Nicholas Sparks fan. I mean, I liked his stories and he was a pretty good writer, but after a while, his books all seemed the same to me and I stopped reading them.

On with the next admission, I LOVED this month's book. I loved the story and I loved how I kept wanting to turn the pages. I didn't expect to like it so much. Maybe that's why I did. I'm not saying it's up to the caliber of Elizabeth Strout and I don't think he'll be winning any Pulitzer prized anytime soon. And in saying that I'm not discrediting Nicholas Sparks at all. And this is why:

Nicholas Sparks

This is a link to his About Me section on his website. Admission number 3 of the day is that I am aspiring to be a writer. If that will ever happen is still to be decided, but it's a lifelong dream of mine. So, when I read a book, and I'm impressed with it, I immediately go to the author's website and read about them and how they got into writing and any advice tips they have. In reading Sparks website, I found him to be inspiring. I think you guys should read it too. Whether you want to be a writer or anything else, he's all about following your dreams.

How did everyone else feel about their Sparks books? I'm curious.

The book for May is the Rude Awakenings of Jane Austen Addict: The sequel to Confessions of Jane Austen Addict. I'm sorry to get ahead of myself again, but I've already read both of these books and they are both nice, easy reads. If you don't want to read the first and the second, just read the first and we'll talk about it. If you're like me and love Jane Austen, which is why I pick books like these, we can also discuss a Jane Austen classic as well. Let's get our Jane Austen on this month.

In other reading news, I've been reading other good books this month if you want to pick up an extra read or two. First, is author Jennifer Weiner. I'm loving her stuff. Second, is the FableHaven series. It's a children's novel, probably middle school or so, so it's a REALLY easy read, but really creative and clever and I AM HOOKED.

I know summer is coming up so hopefully we'll all get some more time to read soon. Let's READ, READ, READ!

If you haven't chosen a Sparks book yet....

2010-04-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

Then read The Last Song. I loved it and finished it in one day. With two kids, that's an accomplishment and a really good book. Really. You'll hear more later this month.

Also, next month's book is a sequel, so if you aren't reading anything, read it's prequel: Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. I read it last month to prepare and it's pretty good. Waiting to read the second next month.

If you don't want to spend money on books, I definitely don't buy every book I read, then look ahead and get on library waiting lists if you have to. It makes a big difference.

Happy Reading!

Wuthering Heights Review

2010-04-07T11:06:00.000-07:00

Wuthering Heights. I read it in high school and found it to be one of the most depressing books I had ever read. When my sister suggested we re-read it, I thought it would be a great opportunity to see how I felt about it almost ten years later (aaah!) with different experiences under my belt. The results?

It was almost as depressing and almost just as hard for me to read. Is this supposed to be a love story? If it is, I find it twisted. Maybe I'm just not meant to read and critique classic literature. Maybe I was too distracted by kids and life to read it properly. But I didn't feel like it was a love story. Here are my favorite quotes from chapter 9 when I did feel that there was some sort of love. Catherine is speaking:

•"It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he's handsome, Nelly, but because he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton's is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire."
•"If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger: I should not seem a part of it."
•"Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being."

I remembered the story, but I fooled myself into believing that I just didn't notice the love the first time around. Nope. That was it. I found myself annoyed at how easily everyone was making themselves sick and how dramatic all the characters were. I guess if I were to lose my one true love then I'd be in pretty bad shape, but she chose it and she was still married to this great guy who was taking care of her and treating her well. The man she loved was spiteful and dare I say, EVIL.

Without going on too long, I will just say that I know Heathcliff was mistreated as a child, but the actions he takes for revenge were just too much for me to read. There was one part of me that read differently than my high school self, and that was the mother in me. How anyone could treat children so badly was beyond me and I didn't care for Heathcliff. I know he showed his love for Catherine and was wishing her ghost would haunt him, but I didn't believe him almost because of how cruel of a person he was.

I liked that Hareton and Cathy have a somewhat happy ending, but this was not a happy book.

Probably too many words for a proper review, but oh well.

What are your thoughts? What of Wuthering Heights?

Lets read Nicholas Sparks!

Winner Winner

2010-04-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

Hey, so I used Random.org and the generator picked commentor number 3. So, Adrienne, get me your address and I'll send you the book. Talk to you all Wednesday!

Reminders and A Giveaway

2010-03-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

The month is coming to an end and that means we should be done reading Wuthering Heights. I know that it is a hard book to read, it was for me anyway, so since I'm not posting discussion questions or favorite quotes until next Wednesday, if you haven't finished...KEEP READING.

Maybe it's just me but there's nothing like the feeling you get when you finish a book all the way through. Even when it's a tough and depressing one like Wuthering Heights. Enough of that, you'll be getting my opinions next week.

April's reading assignment (for lack of a better word) is a Nicholas Sparks book. I have chosen to read The Last Song. I'll admit, I'm a sucker for television advertising and the movie is coming out so it peaked my interest.

I'm also a sucker for a giveaway...even though I have never won one. I have an extra copy that I will send to a randomly chosen commenter on this site. All you have to do is leave a comment/shout out about reading or Nicholas Sparks, or whatever you feel like saying, and you'll be entered to win.

Entries will be accepted until Midnight April 2 and the winner will be picked the morning of April 3. You can get an extra entry if you refer someone to the site and they mention your name in their comment.

I will contact the winner for their address and you will be reading along with me this month!

Enjoy Wuthering Heights and you'll hear from me on Saturday!

Change of Schedule

2010-03-12T10:16:00.001-08:00

So, I got a little ahead of myself and started reading next month's book, Water For Elephants. I am really glad I did, because although the book was interesting and definitely hooking me in and I couldn't stop turning the pages, I have stopped reading it and would like to recommend that it be taken off the list. There were a few inappropriate parts in it and I was getting uncomfortable. If anyone would still like to read it, feel free, I just wanted to place the warning and let you guys know my decision.

Moving on....one of our members, Jenny Burbank, had a great idea and it works perfect for this now blank spot in our future. She wants to read The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks. I know some of us may have read this, so I'll take it one step further. Let's have a Nicholas Sparks month next month. Read your favorite or pick up the one you've been eying on the shelf. Maybe even see one of the adaptations into movies and have a good laugh/cry/ect with your friends. I'll post futher on this when this month is over, but I just wanted to give a heads up.

Is everyone loving Wuthering Heights? I love me some good Bronte. One funny thing my sister and I discussed is it's different to us now that we've read Twilight. Anyone agree : )

Keep reading and keep discussing! I love everyones comments and I love a good book!

The Help Quotes

2010-03-09T11:52:00.000-08:00

I was meaning to do this before, but I went out of town and forgot. Here are a few quotes I loved from The Help.

"Truth.
It feels cool, like water washing over my sticky-hot body. Cooling a heat that's been burning me up all my life.
Truth, I say inside my head again, just for that feeling."

"The first time I was ever called ugly, I was thirteen. It was a rich friend of my brother Carlton's over to shoot guns in the field.
'Why you crying, girl?' Constantine asked me in the kitchen.
I told her what the boy had called me, tears streaming down my face.
'Well? Is you?'
I blinked, paused my crying. 'Is I what?'
'Now you look a here, Egenia'-because constantien was the only one who'd occasionally follow Mama's rule. 'Ugly live up on the inside. Ugly be a hurtful, mean person. Is you one a them peoples?'
'I don't know. I don't think so,' I sobbed.
Constantine sat down next to me, at the kitchen table. I heard the cracking of her swollen joints. She pressed her thumb hard in the palm of my hand, somthing we both knew meant Listen. Listen to me.
'Ever morning, until you dead in the ground, you gone have to make this decision.' Constantine was so close, I could see the blackness of her gums. 'You gone have to ask yourself, Am I gone believe what them fools say about me today?'
She kept her thumb pressed hard in my hand. I nodded that I understood. I was just smart enough to realize she meant white people. And even though I still felt miserable, and knew that I was, most likely, ugly, it was the first time she ever talked to me like I was something besides my mother's white child. All my life I'd been told what to believe about politics, coloreds, being a girl. But with Constantine's thumb pressed in my hand, I realized I actually had a choice in what I could believe."

Ha. I had a lot more quotes but this last one took a while...didn't mean for it to be that long. Maybe I'll be back....

2010 Reading Schedule

2010-03-03T13:35:00.000-08:00

April: Water For Elephants

May: Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict

(This is a sequel to Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict so read that first if you can)

June: The Happiness Project

July: Eat Pray Love

(The movie comes out Aug 13th...we could see it together!)

August: A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

September: Mocking Jay

(This is a new release and a sequel to Hunger Games and Catching Fire. I am hooked on this series and HIGHLY recommend these two in time to read the third and final installment)

October: Thirteen Reasons Why

November: The History Of Love

December: The Christmas Wish

March Pick

2010-03-03T09:46:00.001-08:00

Some of you have been asking questions about the time limit we have to read the book. If you haven't finished January or February's book...keep reading! This isn't school. This is just an excuse to read a good book and get reunited with friends. If it takes you six months, or the whole year to read the book, that's okay! We are happy to have you reading with us. Just keep reading the list and we will all have something to talk about!

My sister, Andrea, picked this month's book and I am so excited to get back to the classics. Even if you have read this book, pick it up and read it again. I can't wait!

(I apologize for this month's synopsis...because the book is such a classic, a lot of the websites are trying to help students by summarizing the whole book...this was the best I could find without giving it all away)

Wuthering Heights is Emily Brontë's only novel, first published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell. A posthumous second edition was edited by her sister Charlotte.

The name of the novel comes from the Yorkshire manor on the moors on which the story centers (as an adjective, wuthering is a Yorkshire word referring to turbulent weather). The narrative tells the tale of the all-encompassing and passionate, yet thwarted, love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, and how this unresolved passion eventually destroys them and many around them.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2010-03-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

How great was the book this month? I am so glad that we have great members picking such great reads. I have posted some discussion questions on this last months book so we can all discuss it. Also, later today I'll post the book schedule for the year. I've recieved some awesome input on book ideas and we're going to put them all together into a schedule for the year instead of month to month. I think it would be a good idea to know the book ahead of time so we can get it on sale or have time to get it from our local library. If you still have ideas on books you want to read, leave a comment and I"ll include them! See you later today!

1. Who was your favorite character? Why?

2. What do you think motivated Hilly? On the one hand she is terribly cruel to Aibileen and her own help, as well as to Skeeter once she realizes that she can’t control her. Yet she’s a wonderful mother. Do you think that one can be a good mother but, at the same time, a deeply flawed person?

3. Like Hilly, Skeeter’s mother is a prime example of someone deeply flawed yet somewhat sympathetic. She seems to care for Skeeter— and she also seems to have very real feelings for Constantine. Yet the ultimatum she gives to Constantine is untenable; and most of her interaction with Skeeter is critical. Do you think Skeeter’s mother is a sympathetic or unsympathetic character? Why?

4. How much of a person’s character would you say is shaped by the times in which they live?

5. Did it bother you that Skeeter is willing to overlook so many of Stuart’s faults so that she can get married, and that it’s not until he literally gets up and walks away that the engagement falls apart?

6. Do you believe that Minny was justified in her distrust of white people?

7. Do you think that had Aibileen stayed working for Miss Elizabeth, that Mae Mobley would have grown up to be racist like her mother? Do you think racism is inherent, or taught?

8. From the perspective of a twenty-first century reader, the hairshellac system that Skeeter undergoes seems ludicrous. Yet women still alter their looks in rather peculiar ways as the definition of “beauty” changes with the times. Looking back on your past, what’s the most ridiculous beauty regimen you ever underwent?

9. The author manages to paint Aibileen with a quiet grace and an aura of wisdom about her. How do you think she does this?

10. Do you think there are still vestiges of racism in relationships where people of color work for people who are white?

11. What did you think about Minny’s pie for Miss Hilly? Would you have gone as far as Minny did for revenge?

February's Pick

2010-02-04T08:38:00.000-08:00

January is over and I think the book we read was amazing. I admired the way she wrote with such detail that I felt like I was there. As I read these discussion questions in the back of my book, it was nice to analyze the book a little deeper. I loved the titles of the individual chapters and how they went into such detail of each characters life. Some of my favorites were "Basket of Trips", "Criminal" and "Incoming Tide", even though I loved them each for different reasons. I loved how Elizabeth Strout took time to make each sentence perfect and each word mean something.

If anyone wants to comment on any of these questions or just say what their favorite part of the book was, I'd love to hear it. I think we all could identify with one of the characters or know someone a lot like them, and that is the mark of a great novel.

Book Club Discussion Questions

1. Do you sympathize with Olive Kitteridge as a character?

2. Have you ever met anyone like Olive Kitteridge, and if so, what similarities do you see between that person and Olive?

3. How would you say Olive changed as a person during the course of the book?

4. Discuss the theme of suicide. Which characters are most affected (or fascinated) by the idea of killing themselves?

5. What freedoms do the residents of Crosby, Maine, experience in contrast with those who ﬂee the town for bigger “ponds” (California, New York)? Does anyone feel trapped in Crosby, and if so, who? What outlets for escape are available to them?

6. Why does Henry tolerate Olive as much as he does, catering to her, agreeing with her, staying even-keeled when she rants and raves? Is there anyone that you tolerate despite their sometimes overbearing behavior? If so, why?

7. How does Kevin (in “Incoming Tide”) typify a child craving his father’s approval? Are his behaviors and mannerisms any way like those of Christopher Kitteridge? Do you think Olive reminds Kevin more of his mother or of his father?

8. In “A Little Burst,” why do you think Olive is so keen on having a positive relationship with Suzanne, whom she obviously dislikes? How is this a reﬂection of how she treats other people in town?

9. Does it seem ﬁtting to you that Olive would not respond while others ridiculed her body and her choice of clothing at Christopher and Suzanne’s wedding?

10. How do you think Olive perceives boundaries and possessiveness, especially in regard to relationships?

11. Elizabeth Strout writes, “The appetites of the body were private battles” (“Starving,” page 89). In what ways is this true? Are there “appetites” that could be described as battles waged in public? Which ones, and why?

12. Why does Nina elicit such a strong reaction from Olive in “Starving”? What does Olive notice that moves her to tears in public? Why did witnessing this scene turn Harmon away from Bonnie?

13. In “A Different Road,” Strout writes about Olive and Henry: “No, they would never get over that night because they had said things that altered how they saw each other” (p. 124). What is it that Olive and Henry say to each other while being held hostage in the hospital bathroom that has this effect? Have you experienced a moment like this in one of your close relationships?

14. In “Tulips” and in “Basket of Trips,” Olive visits people in difﬁcult circumstances (Henry in the convalescent home, and Marlene Bonney at her husband’s funeral) in hopes that “in the presence of someone else’s sorrow, a tiny crack of light would somehow come through her own dark encasement” (p. 172). In what ways do the tragedies of others shine light on Olive’s trials with Christopher’s departure and Henry’s illness? How do those experiences change Olive’s interactions with others? Is she more compassionate or more indifferent? Is she more approachable or more guarded? Is she more hopeful or more pessimistic?

15. In “Ship in a Bottle,” Julie is jilted by her ﬁancé, Bruce, on her wedding day. Julie’s mother, Anita, furious at Bruce’s betrayal, shoots at him soon after. Julie quotes Olive Kitteridge as having told her seventh-grade class, “Don’t be scared of your hunger. If you’re scared of your hunger, you’ll just be one more ninny like everyone else” (p. 195). What do you think Olive means by this phrase? How does Olive’s life reﬂect this idea? Who is afraid of his or her hunger in these stories?

16. In “Security,” do you get the impression that Olive likes Ann, Christopher’s new wife? Why does she excuse Ann’s smoking and drinking while pregnant with Christopher’s ﬁrst child (and Henry’s ﬁrst grandchild)? Why does she seem so accepting initially, and what makes her less so as the story goes on?

17. Was Christopher justiﬁed in his ﬁght with Olive in “Security”? Did he kick her out, or did she voluntarily leave? Do you think he and Ann are cruel to Olive?

18. Do you think Olive is really oblivious to how others see her– especially Christopher? Do you think she found Christopher’s accusations in “Security” shocking or just unexpected?

19. What’s happened to Rebecca at the end of “Criminal”? Where do you think she goes, and why do you think she feels compelled to go? Do you think she’s satisﬁed with her life with David? What do you think are the reasons she can’t hold down a job?

20. What elements of Olive’s personality are revealed in her relationship with Jack Kennison in “River”? How does their interaction reﬂect changes in her perspective on her son? On the way she treated Henry? On the way she sees the world?
(Questions issued by publisher.)

Now, onto February's choice. One of our members, Adrienne, picked the book and I couldn't be more excited to read it. It's been on my "to-read" list for quite some time. So let's get reuinted and read! See you again on March 3rd!

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women--mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends--view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

One More Week

2010-01-27T16:48:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has been reading their books! If not, there's still one week left until we announce the pick for February and meet to discuss January's book. The people in my area are meeting at my house on February 3rd. That morning, I will post discussion questions for those who don't live by me or for people who want to get together where they live. Then, later that night I will post what the next book will be. I've really enjoyed this book. If you haven't read it, I highly reccommend it. So get reading!

Reunited Readers

2010-01-06T16:53:00.001-08:00

I started this blog so that friends who keep in touch every day or every six months, can have another reason to talk, and something else to talk about. Hopefully this will keep us all in each other's lives, and get our brains working at the same time.

We will take turns picking the book every month. We will probably go in order of who joined first. I will pick this first month: January 2010. We will meet online or in each other's houses if we are nearby, the first Wednesday of the next month. There we will discuss the book and be presented with the next read.

Let me know if you have any ideas or inputs.

I look forward to reading this first book with you!

January's Pick

2010-01-06T16:50:00.000-08:00

Short Summary:

2009 Pulitzer Prize

At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town of Crosby, Maine, and in the world at large, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her: a lounge musician haunted by a past romance; a former student who has lost the will to live; Olive’s own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and her husband, Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse.

As the townspeople grapple with their problems, mild and dire, Olive is brought to a deeper understanding of herself and her life–sometimes painfully, but always with ruthless honesty. Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition–its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires. (From the publisher.)