The Wild Zone

I didn’t like “The Wild Zone” by Joy Fielding. The characters were bad, the plot was bad, the writing was even bad. Don’t waste time with this one!

Only With Your Love

Sometimes a book can make you feel shockingly strong emotion. One of my all time emotional favorites is “Only with Your Love” by Lisa Kleypas.

Kleypas has an amazing ability to draw strong characters. I have read this book at least 10 times over the years. Justin, the pirate, may be the first male character that I fell in love with on the page.

Some Kleypas fans criticized this one, but I loved it!

Too Good To Be True

I love to read books by Kristan Higgins. She does a perfect blend of sweet and funny.

“Too Good to Be True” is my most recent read. Higgins gives us Grace, who is reeling from a break-up with her fiancé…who is now dating her sister.

This wasn’t my favorite of Higgins work, but I still enjoyed the story.

Having It All

John Assaraf is an inspirational author. “Having It All” is one of my favorite books. In it, Assaraf coaches you to focus on yourself, to achieve your goals and dreams.

The book is easy to read and has you thinking immediately about how to tap into your unused potential. The ideas he presents are not new ones, but are presented in a way that has you wanting to better yourself.

Looking to grow and develop and live the life of your dreams? Read this one!

The Fatal Gift of Beauty

Many people were fascinated by the Italian murder trial of American Amanda Knox. The teenager was going to school in Italy when her roommate was brutally murdered. Amanda and her boyfriend were subsequently arrested and charged with the crime.

I recently finished “The Fatal Gift of Beauty” by Nina Burleigh. This book was hard to read. It is filled with a lot of historical detail about Italy and Knox, but seemed short of facts surrounding Meredith Kercher’s death and the case against Knox. I wouldn’t recommend it. I thought there was too much generalizing and not enough information, I was disappointed.

I am anxiously waiting for Amanda Knox to write her own book or memoir. I feel for the Kercher family, I wish they could know the truth about what happened to their daughter.

The Total Money Makeover

“The Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey is worth a look if you are concerned with your personal finances. Ramsey gives a straightforward map to getting out of debt and achieving financial independence. He explains financial concepts in simple terms and fills the book with success stories.

Those Who Save Us

Another novel set in Nazi Germany is “Those Who Save Us” by Jenna Blum. I enjoyed this moving story.

The narration takes two views. First, Anna, a young German woman that falls in love with and hides a Jewish man. When he is discovered and sent to Buchenwald, a pregnant Anna hides in a bakery basement. She is forced to do many things over the next few years to survive.

Fast forward to the future, where Anna’s daughter Trudy, tells her current day story. She struggles to understand her mother, not knowing what she has gone through and she has her own difficult love story.

The focus of this book is on secrets and survival. How far would you go to save your life and the life of your child?

On the positive side, I was really moved by a speech given by a Jewish survivor in the middle of the book. I relished Anna's story and how she was able to find strength to survive a difficult time in her life.  

I thought the ending could have been stronger, or that some of Trudy's story could have been truncated, as Anna's was more interesting. In fact, having the entire book about Anna's struggles may have been better.

Overall, I do reccommend this story if you enjoy touching historical fiction.

102 Minutes

I am back from my hiatus!! I did a lot of reading on my vacation...stay tuned for those reviews coming up.

For a heartbreaking look inside the Twin Towers on 9/11 read “102 Minutes—The Unforgettable Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers” by Jim Dwyer.

9/11 is a day in history that I will never forget. I remember what I was doing when the towers were hit and then I remember the grief and fear I felt in the weeks following the attack.

This book takes you inside the buildings while survivors and rescue personnel recount the chaos in their fight to survive and save others. These circumstances are unimaginable. Some things that really stuck with me from this are the 911 emergency transcriptions of the dying people waiting for a rescue that would never come, the family member accounts of phone calls with their loved ones who they never saw again and the heroes of that day who saved others at the cost of their own lives.

This book is a must read.

This is Where I Leave You

“This is Where I Leave You” by Jonathan Tropper is amazing!!! I haven’t been this entertained by a book in ages. I was laughing out loud. Just my flavor of sarcastic humor.

When I was giggling through the first few chapters I was sure that the humor would have to decline, that it couldn’t continue to tickle me so, but I was wrong!

I hope that someone is making this into a movie! I could see Vince Vaughn in the main character role, Jon Favreau as the older brother, maybe Janeane Garofolo as the sister. 

A hilarious, and crazily realistic view of the dysfunctions love and family. I highly recommend this one.

The Art of Happiness

“The Art of Happiness” by Dalai Lama is a good read. I’ve often wished I could sit down with a great spiritual leader and ask some questions. This book is based on questions asked to the Dalai Lama.

This man is inspirational. He radiates peace, contentment and compassion. And isn’t that happiness?

There are some excellent concepts discussed in this book. A definite recommend for those on a self-discovery or spiritual quest.

The Unnamed

I picked up “The Unnamed” by Joshua Ferris because I had heard good things about the author. However, I was unable to engage in this story.

Has anyone else tried this one? Or could recommend a better book by Ferris? I’m hesitatnt to try him again…

Think of a Number

“Think of a Number” by John Verdon was a disappointment. The cover said “If you love Baldacci, Gerritsen, Kellerman, DeMille, and Lescroart, you’ll love Verdon.” I do love some of those authors! But I didn’t love, or even like this book. The plot was unrealistic and the story moved at a snail’s pace. I was bored before the second chapter. I didn’t care who the killer was! I had to skip to read the end, and I wasn't shocked or impressed by how it turned out. Glad I skipped half the book.

Educate Yourself

“Self education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.”—Isaac Asimov

Love this quote!

Little Earthquakes

I read “Little Earthquakes” by Jennifer Weiner soon after having my first child. I found the plot interesting due to where I was in life.

Three women meet at a pre-natal yoga class and become friends. In a witty, true style Weiner shows how motherhood changes you and opens you to new friendships and how it affects every woman in a different way.

A funny and emotional read for the mommies out there.

Take No Prisoners

The second book in the Black Ops Series “Take No Prisoners” by Cindy Gerard—Loved it...very hot! This series is full of action and romance. Gerard really brings the characters to life. On to the next!

Bhagavadgita

Another spiritual text worth reading is the “Bhagavadgita.” This is Indian scripture/classic religious text. 

I believe this book goes beyond Hinduism with valuable lessons for people of all faiths. These lessons are given through poetic, beautiful prose. If this is your first time reading this type of text, I definitely  recommend one with introductions and a glossary, for enhanced understanding.

For those seeking wisdom along their spiritual path, add this to your “to-read” list.

Bond of Hatred

Another foray into my basement brought up “Bond of Hatred” by Lynne Graham. As a young adult I read so many of these contemporary short romances. This is one I loved. The strong male character falling in love with the strong female character. Ah…

On a side note, reading these type of books is how I grew my vocabulary. I would highlight words I didn’t know and look them up in the dictionary. Then I would try to work them into conversations/writing. However, using new words was sometimes funny. I read the word “rendezvous” many times. Used it in sentences as “ren-duh-vus.” Until a kind soul finally gave me the proper pronunciation!

Reading these books from the basement brings back so many memories!

Heart of Buddha's Teaching

If you've been following my blog, you must know that I love various types of books. However, very few actually make it into my personal collections. One book you will find on my shelf is “Heart of Buddha’s Teaching” by Thich Nhat Hanh.

The author is a Vietnamese monk, Zen master and activist for peace. Simply put, he inspires me.

My awakening to spirituality happened in my early teens. I had been brought up in the Lutheran church. My family was not in regular attendance, but around 12, I started to become more interested in learning about the faith. I fed on the idea of being part of something larger than myself. I was virtually unaware of other faiths, as in a small town, Christianity is prevalent.

My disillusionment occurred after my confirmation ceremony, when my pastor tailored a teaching around why the Caucasian race is dominant and actually read bible verses meant to show that other races were put on Earth to serve whites. I was crushed. Absolutely heartbroken. So hurt that this man, someone I trusted, had used the bible to “teach” such ridiculous things. I never went back.

I decided that I needed to find my own truths. I needed to study religion in depth and find what made sense in my own heart. I read the Bible. I read the Koran. I read the Torah. I read the Tao Te Ching. I read the Bhagavad Gita. And my personal beliefs began to evolve and grow in strength. In college I took courses in World Religion and continued to read individual books about each religion. I needed to be on my own spiritual path, not part of an organized group. Christianity was out. Judaism, out. Islam, out. The faith that spoke to me the most was Buddhism.

I had been so uninformed. Like a lot of people, I thought that Buddhists worshipped Buddha. And that they did not believe in God. But neither of these things is true. The Buddhist beliefs allow you to focus on your own spirituality. Buddhism is a guide to finding enlightenment in life. Had I not gone on my own spiritual journey, with help from Buddhist teachings, I feel I would not be the person I am today.

I don’t claim to be a Buddhist. In fact, I make it a point not to claim any religion. I live my life by the moral code that I believe in, justifying myself to no one. I have faith in a higher power and that relationship, to me, is intensely personal.

This book had an impact on my life, at a time when I was still searching for meaning. It acts as a guide for the person interested in Buddhism and also a guide for the person looking to reaffirm their own personal beliefs. Thich Nhat Hanh goes through all the core teachings of Buddhism including the Four Noble Truths, The Noble Eightfold Path and the Seven Factors of Awakening. He is able to take the complex teachings and explain them in simple terminology. The focus, for me, is that suffering in life is self created, training your mind allows you to transform that suffering into peace, joy and liberation.

Overall, this book resonates with the way I strive to live my life. Thich Nhat Hanh is an inspiration amid a world of insanity.

Mercy

The most recent Jodi Picoult novel I picked up was “Mercy.” The plot mixed the moral implications of euthanasia with love and adultery.

I had several issues with this novel. I felt the characters were not realistic and very poorly depicted. I thought the topic of euthanasia could have been handled in a much better way. Mixing in the adultery was in poor taste, taking away from the better plot line.

My opinion--overall judgement--Good topic, bad execution.

James Van Praagh

On my spiritual journey I have been drawn to many people. One such person was James Van Praagh. Reading his books, I was introduced, for the first time, spiritual ideas similar to mine.

Van Praagh is a professional medium, which throws some people off. But his thoughts on the afterlife and  soul are fascinating and really resonate. If you are interested in spirituality or open to new ideas, try “Reaching to Heaven” or “Talking to Heaven” or any other of Van Praagh’s works.  

Soul Surfer

My 7-year old daughter is starting to show interest in books with more depth. We read “Soul Surfer” by Bethany Hamilton together. What an inspiring story, told in a beautiful, honest voice.

Bethany was bitten by a shark and had her arm amputated. Through her ordeal, the teenager teaches a story of positivity, having a meaning in life and just keeping it all in perspective.

In Death

For lovers of crime fiction with strong female leads, try the “In Death” series by JD Robb. I am in the midst of the series and have not gotten bored yet!

The Executor

“The Executor” by Jesse Kellerman was a surprising delight. Kellerman shows his skill with a dark, detailed plot.

The story was quite strange and only became stranger as I continued to read. I enjoyed the character of Jospeph Geist, I felt he was an original, interesting character.

If you like suspense, crime or just something different, try this one!

Perfect Parenting

A good book for parents is “Perfect Parenting” by Elizabeth Pantley. Sometimes parenting books are too strict in the subject matter. "Do this. Don't do that."  Pantley’s book was not like that. It was surprisingly easy to read and very resourceful.

You find an issue you are dealing with in the index, such as backtalk. The section then discusses that particular behavior, how common it is, what may be causing it and then a variety of solutions.

I found some helpful hints and would recommend it to other parents.

The Talented Mr. Ripley

My list recently threw “The Talented Mr. Ripley” by Patricia Highsmith into my hands. I have not seen this movie, but knew the plot from movie advertisements.

In this old-fashioned crime novel, the reader is able to enter the mind of a sociopath. I liked the speed of the book; very descriptive and the suspense of what would happen to Tom Ripley kept me reading.

I know this is the first in a series, but I don’t feel the need to read the others, although I enjoyed this one.

The Diary of a Young Girl

 “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank in an enduring memoir of life during the holocaust. I was introduced to this book in high school, and recently picked it up for another read.

Anne Frank puts a human face on the atrocities committed during this time in history. The honest words of a young girl put the reader, for a brief moment, in her shoes. Through this diary Anne Frank lives on, teaching so many others the effects of hatred and abuse of power on others.

Anne was denied the chance to develop into a woman. She was denied everything that comes with a long, happy life. And to add insult, she died amid hatred and inhumane conditions. I'm sure she could not understand how her fellow humans turned their backs on her, why she was hunted. And I cannot understand the why, can anyone?

I felt hopeless and sad thinking of Anne. She was introduced to the dregs of humanity. And they surround us, still today, these people filled with hatred. The persecution of others is still happening.

The Melting Season

I felt that “The Melting Season” by Jami Attenberg wasn’t worth the time. It lacked strong characters and plot development. Any else read this one and liked it?

A Child Called It

I first read “A Child Called It” by Dave Pelzer in high school. This story has stayed with me and I have since read it again. Gripping and heart-rending, Pelzer’s memoir details his childhood of severe child abuse.

Children are my soft spot. When I hear a story of neglect or abuse, it affects me. I think of these children often and I hurt for them. The horror of Pelzer’s abuse is absolutely impossible to fathom. As a small boy, he experienced a loss of his very identity. All of his rights, to even basic human dignity, were denied. The emotions I experienced through Pelzer’s words were so intense.

The moral of the story, the strength of his spirit to overcome such atrocities, is worth so much to me. Watch out for signs of child abuse and don’t let other children go through a childhood like this. Pelzer was robbed of a childhood of unconditional love and support; robbed of innocent dreams and whimsies. And these are things he can never get back. If I can touch even one hurt child's life, that is a true meaning to my life.

Pelzer has a follow up book in "The Lost Boy." This is also a must-read.