Project 52 - Spring Weather - Week 10

10/52

I can't believe it's March already - this winter seemed to go by so much faster than last year. Perhaps it's because it was also milder. No complaining here, except that we didn't do a lot of winter activities like sledding (twice) or ice skating (none, unless you count walking on ice in our boots). I guess we'll have to wait until next year because I'm pretty sure the heavy winter weather is gone.

This past Saturday we went to the Free First Saturday at the Walker for their Kid's Film Festival. I'm always cautious of going to free events because I think it's going to be nuts, crowded with people everywhere, but this wasn't that bad. We got there early enough to get a seat at the first showing and then left shortly afterwards. We enjoyed the film shorts and came home with a list of those from the previous year that we've been watching online. I'd highly recommend Home Sweet Home (among many others). They are suppose to have a Free First Saturday that focuses on photography so there's a good chance I'll check one of these events out again.

Riley and I also went to the library on Saturday where I picked up another Philippa Gregory book. I love a good historical fiction book and she does a great job bringing you back to Tudor times. I mentioned her to a co-worker and now there are a number of us at work talking about her books. Related: I've just finished watching The Tudors, am now watching The Borgias, and think I'll start on Reign after that. Next thing you know, I'll be wearing a opulent gown over my kirtle with contrasting sleeves and trying to decide between a French or English hood. Decisions, decisions...

While at the library I picked up some free magazines on senior housing. This is probably worthy of a longer post, but my 88 year old dad is thinking about moving to independent senior housing. Not now, but he's preparing for that. Not sure how I feel about that. I'd love to see my dad stay in his house, but it is getting a lot to manage. Plus, he's getting so he doesn't want to drive so he doesn't get to see his circle of friends as much. We'll see what happens - more to come on this, I'm sure.

Sunday we went to see Zootopia which was really good, but also had a scary part that we could have done without. Even I jumped out of my seat. Well ok, that doesn't mean much since I'm easily spooked, but trust me... it is scary for a kid. Even so, Riley loved the movie and is all things Zootopia now. Luckily, we already had a Zootopia book at home which we proceeded to read that night.

But first, when we got home from the movie, we decided to spend the last of the light outdoors. We hadn't spent a ton of time outside and it was a beautiful day so we needed to clock in some outside time for sure. I love that Riley is still so excited to play with chalk. I'll be super sad when the day comes (when she's like 15, right?) that she doesn't want to draw pictures on the sidewalk. She asked me to draw another obstacle course so I obliged. Our 'obstacle course' (I don't know what else to call it) includes things like needing to meow like a cat, sing, dance, hop, say yellow 5 times fast, walk in a circle, and so much more. And the neighborhood loves it too. I regularly see kids and adults do as the sidewalk orders as they walk in front of our house.

I'm so looking forward to many more of these days outside, painting the sidewalk with words and pictures and memories. And, if there is ever a time that she doesn't want to draw on the sidewalk (not possible, I'm sure), I'll always have these pictures to look back on.

Book Review: Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story

Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story by Wally Lamb

I fell in love with Wally Lamb's writing with his first novel, She's Come Undone. I had to wait another 6 long, long years before I read another one of his novels. His second novel, I Know This Much is True,  was an equally good book and had me excited to read more (side note: oddly enough I felt more connected the the first book about a woman and her weight struggles; something I've never had. The second book focused on twin boys in which one has paranoid Schizophrenia; something I do have much more exposure too. I'm not sure if it was anything in the writing or the fact that  it was while reading that first book that I fell in love with his writing hard.)

I waited and waited and waited for another novel and then sort of forgot about it. But one day I decided to see if Mr. Lamb had written anything new. Turns out there was a novel from 2008 and one in 2009. Boy, was I behind. I put them on my wish list only to have Wishin' and Hopin' show up as an Amazon deal of the day two days later. Sold!

This book does not disappoint. It's less a story about Christmas and more a story set in 1964 about a young boy named Felix who just happens to have a fairly famous cousin: Annette Funicello. And it's not really so much about Annette either, but about Felix's interpretation of the world around him while attending parochial school. I found the writing easy, the kind that makes you think you are watching this all unfold firsthand and forget you are actually reading a book instead. And it was laugh out loud funny. 

This book was a departure from Lamb's previous books he's written in the sense that it was more comical than serious... and he was able to do that just as well. I'm hesitant to mention this (only because I want to be clear that Wally Lamb's writing stands on it's own), but it reminded me a bit of David Sedaris (also a favorite of mine). Go forth and enjoy.

Grade: A

Books read since the beginning of 2012: 27

Book Review - What Happened to Sophie Wilder

What Happened to Sophie Wilder by Christopher Beha

Absorbing, eloquent, engaging, clever could all be used to describe this book. A well written story that made me feel that I had an inside view of... oh who am I kidding, I don't really have it in me to write a good book review (something that I'm not that great at anyway), and I have three outstanding 2012 book review posts. I want to get them out. So there.

You know those movies with the privileged young men who wear suit coats and party in someone's Manhattan apartment? Yeah, I sort of felt like I was in one of those movies. There were complex relationships, people who seem super cool and mysterious (but are probably just 'socially awkward' with lots of confidence), and unfinished stories. Just like those movies, but with slightly less testosterone.

I don't want to give anything away, but this book ended in a way that I didn't expect and to be honest I found myself a little frustrated. OK, a lot. This is the only reason it went from an A to an A minus. I can't figure out if the ending was brilliant or not, or if I just totally missed something (ok, ok, I'll stop talking about the ending now). Either way, I look forward to reading Beha's other works.


Grade: A -

Books read since the beginning of 2012: 26

Book Review - Following Daisies

Following Daisies by Heather Pardon

Heather Pardon decides to sell her home, give up her job, and gets rid of most of her belonging to travel across Canada in an RV. Always a lover of large trucks, this adventure fulfilled many dreams of hers. She shares her journey of how she came upon the decision, the signs she looked for to confirm her path, and the stories she comes upon along the way.

It's a great story about finding the right path for your self...for learning to let go and take the road least traveled... about acquiring items based on need vs want... and about trying to live life to the fullest, among other things. So it might be surprising to learn that I almost didn't finish reading this book.

Heather attempts to be witty and engaging (and sometimes is), but it felt strained - like she was trying to hard. She likes daisies. A lot. She ends up using the word 'daisy' far too often, and 'Nanaimo Bar'. It didn't help that there were random grammar issues and misspellings. Plus, I read it on my iPad and the author's name or title of the book would be randomly placed in the middle of a sentence (I don't blame the author on this, but just found it to be a slight annoyance).

However cheesy her writing is, I decided to keep reading because she did have a good message to share, and perhaps one that I really needed to hear right now. No worries though; I don't plan on giving up everything to RV it across America. At least not yet.



Grade: C+

Books read since the beginning of 2012: 25

Book Review: Sipping From the Nile

Sipping From the Nile: My Exodus from Egypt by Jean Naggar

As you've probably come to know, I like a good memoir. Oh sure, I like a good fantasy, but I really want to know what other people's real life is all about. At first glance when I read these memoirs, I always think these people's lives are so much more fun, exciting, or tragic than mine. And then I realize mine could be too if I wrote it down in just the right way.

It reminds me that these stories are still a bit of fantasy... and Sipping from the Nile felt like no life I would ever have... but that's sort of why I bought it in the first place. The author, Jean Nagger, grew up in Egypt, but has spent most of her life in America after essentially being kicked out of Egypt after the 1956 Suez Crisis.

The book reads, at first, like the author did an ancestry search and needs to fill us in on all the details of the various people in her family and the family that came before. Eventually, once we feel that we know who everyone is, we get to the center of the story... being told they need to leave their country and much of what they own behind. The author expresses the negative emotions related to this, but the overall message was much lighter, the transition seemed much less devastating than I would have imagined. I wondered if time had lessened her angry memories or if that's the way they all really handled the situation... you know, because people were much more proper and reserved in the '50's. : )

I enjoyed the book, but I often felt each sentence was so descriptive that at times I was a little exhausted by the thought of all that was put into each sentence. I also didn't really identify with the book. Does that make a book bad? No way, but it made it harder for me, personally, to be invested in the book. I grew up in a blue collar family and while we were financially secure, it was because my dad was a penny pincher extraordinaire. I certainly did not come from a family of means, and I didn't face the upheaval her family did. I can't imagine being kicked out of your country for who you are and losing much of what you owned.

The author does demonstrate that people can pick, up and move on after tragic events, but some things will never be the same. Even though her family is spread across Europe and America she stays connected by observing their family traditions and cooking family recipes... things that I often take for granted. If anything, with the holidays coming up, this story has made me more mindful of those special traditions my family has. Our traditional food isn't as labor intensive as many of her family's recipes are, but that doesn't mean I don't love a good Taco layer dip any less.

Grade: B

Books read since the beginning of 2012: 24

Book Review: A Gentle Rain

A Gentle Rain by Deborah Smith

Kara is an affluent woman who, after a great loss, learns something rather shocking about her past. She sets out to explore her past and discovers an interesting cast of characters including ranch owner, Ben, who has a colorful past of his own. His brother and ranch hands are of various special needs and it turns out that a couple of the ranch hands play a special role in her life.

At times the book is predictable, and a little outrageous, but entertaining, non the less. I imagine this book being a really goof Lifetime movie... although, who am I to speak, I haven't watched the Lifetime channel in years. And when I say Lifetime movie I mean I can't see it on the big screen. But even so I couldn't put this book down. And in the end it left me with warm fuzzies... and who cares if I knew how it would end. Sometimes you just need to have a book like this.

Grade: B +

Books read since the beginning of 2012: 23

Book Review:The Dark Monk

The Dark Monk: A Hangman's Daughter Tale by Oliver Potzsch

This book is a follow up to The Hangman's Daughter. Both are set in the Bavarian Alps where the son of the town's doctor, Simon, and a hangman, Jakob, team up to investigate local murders. Both are good books; although I slightly preferred The Hangman's Daughter. You don't have to read these in order, but it may help you understand the characters and some references in the second book.

In this book Simon and Jakob investigate the death of a priest through riddles which leads to the revelation of the involvement of the Knights Templar. It does a nice job of combining history with mystery although at times it felt like a stretch to me... but that might be because I never would have figured out the riddles. I'm just not that smart.

I enjoy these types of books, but after reading two in a series I am still confused on the character development of Simon and his fancy clothes (and his career motivation). Perhaps it will come together in the next book, or perhaps I need a better understanding of people during that time, but it is the one thing that just didn't seem to fit in quite right in this book. If you can look past that, it was a good story that has some actual historical context in the author's life (Jakob Kuisl, the hangman, is an ancestor of his). 

Extra bonus: the author takes you on a walking tour of the places featured in the book. 

Grade: B

Books read since the beginning of 2012: 22

Book Review - Silent Tears

Silent Tears: A Journey of Home in a Chinese Orphanage by Kay Bratt

Ugh, I feel like I read this so long ago and won't do it justice by finally writing about it now. Silent Tears documents the authors time in China while volunteering at a local orphanage. The author shares her story in journal format mostly focused on the orphanage, but also gives us a glimpse into life as an American living in China.

I'll warn you - it's heartbreaking and you may end the book feeling like you want to foster or adopt a gazillion babies. There were times I thought I should stop reading as it was just too difficult to stomach the lives these children were living (or not living). The orphanage was not a warm, loving place and a lot of children died or lived in less than favorable conditions. And if children were not in good health they were less likely to get attention, full feedings, and general care.

The author helped find additional volunteers and they were not only able to assist the staff, but hold the children, bring them treats, and raise money for surgeries. The volunteers had to struggle with what they thought was best for the babies (more food, warm rooms, being held, medical help...) with needing to be mindful of cultural norms, and financial constraints. For some volunteers it was understandably too much, but for others it drove them to continue doing what they could for these children.

Is this orphanage representative of all orphanages in China? Probably not. And I'm guessing there have been changes to this particular site as well. At least I hope so. But I think the author gives us a good inside view of what life is like for these children and that sometimes little things can make a big difference.

Grade:A -

Books read since the beginning of 2012: 21

Book Review: The Dirty Parts of the Bible

The Dirty Parts of the Bible: a Novel by Sam Torode


In 1936 Tobias is stuck in Michigan with his Baptist preacher father and his mother, but then an event leads him on a journey to find a hidden fortune back in Texas where his father grew up and his extended family live. Along the way he befriends a hobo named Craw and eventually becomes enamored with Sarah who lives on his uncles farm.

I so wanted to give this book an A especially when I read (at the back of the book) that the story was inspired by the author's grandparents and the story of Tobias and Sarah from the bible, but it seemed like there were parts that could have been developed much more than they were and some areas were a little forced. Regardless, it was a fun and fast read and would definitely recommend others read it.


Grade: B +

Books read since the beginning of 2012: 20

Book Review: The Summer of Ordinary Ways

The Summer of Ordinary Ways by Nicole Lea Helget

Earlier this year I was looking for blogs written by local working moms and happened upon one written by Nicole Helget. She's a wife, mom of 6, writing teacher and writer... and lives in an area I used to travel through quite a bit. I kept going back to her blog and had been meaning to check out one of her books for some time and am glad I finally did so. I started with her memoir since I am a sucker for them and it was her first book.

Helget tells the story of growing up on a farm in Minnesota, the oldest of 6 sisters, and the daughter of parents struggling in their own ways. I started this book innocently enough during my lunch hour and quickly became horrified, grossed-out, and saddened. There was a moment when I thought I might need to set this book aside as it was too graphic for me, but I couldn't get myself to put it down. Helget had me drawn into the drama unfolding with their cow, Big Jenny, and this was only midway through the first chapter.

Oh, poor Big Jenny. The description of what happened to Jenny was so visual, and seemed to never end that I was emotionally and physically spent. But I'm glad I plowed forward because this was a book worth reading. A book hasn't made me feel this much emotion in a long time. It wasn't always comfortable, but I think that's the truth about life. Luckily for all of us I kept reading this story so I could tell everyone about it. Why? Because, besides being well written (more on that below), I think it has a story to tell. Like I said, it's not always comfortable, but I have to give the author kudos to be able to share the demons in her family with the rest of the world.

Helget's writing style is a good reminder that not every good story starts at point A and works neatly towards Z. Sometimes you start in one spot, get lost in other related memories, and come back to where you started. (This speaks so true to the way my brain works). There were times that I momentarily got lost in it (weren't we just talking about...?), but overall I found it refreshing and engaging. Each chapter reads like an independent story and yet all contribute to a clear picture of life on the Helget farm. This one is worth picking up and is a relatively short read at 180 pages.

Grade: A


Books read so far this year: 19

Book Review: The Irish Americans

The Irish Americans by Jay P. Dolan

Since I've been doing a little research on my family history this historical account of Irish Americans appealed to me. Never mind that I don't come from an Irish family (adopted or birth family), but I've been curious about how people during these times decide to cross an ocean to live in a strange place. And, I'm always just curious about the past. What was life like?

The book covers Irish immigration and assimilation from the 1700's up until current times. We get to see the struggles and opportunities that arise and how it all evolves over the years. The author focuses on a number of key areas such as religion and politics. While I know the Irish are known as a passionate group, especially when it comes to religion, this book did give me a better idea on how their faith impacted the American landscape and the significant role they had in American politics.

I was a little confused when the author explains that the Protestant Irish in America were referred to as Scotch-Irish only to lose that title and then (after what appears to be a period of time when the term wasn't used) the Catholic Irish took on that name. So, apparently, if you hear the term 'Scotch-Irish' you also need to know what year it was to determine what population of Irish it is referring to. Who the heck came up with that?

I have to admit that I had a cold strong enough to make my head fuzzy for about 2 weeks while I read this book. This made reading slow going... and might have led to me not really retaining what I read during that time. Perhaps I have the whole thing about the Scotch-Irish mixed up. Regardless, I found it an interesting read that gave me a clearer idea of how the Irish impacted the American landscape. And I also might have found myself from time to time reading this book with an Irish accent in my head (and no, I wasn't on any cold medication at the time). It just couldn't be helped.

Overall, this book reads a little bit like an interesting text book. It seems to repeat itself a few times unnecessarily, but that was easy to overlook as a slight annoyance. I really did walk away learning so much more about the Irish and America's history in general. And I have a new-found respect for the struggles our ancestors (Irish or other) fought against to find a better life.

Grade: B

Books read since the beginning of 2012: 18

Book Review: I'm Dancing as Fast as I can

I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can by Barbara Gordon

This was yet another deal that I found through Amazon that worked out great. Barbara Gordon writes this account of her life in the 1970's. Barbara was an award winning writer and producer for CBS. She lived with her boyfriend and had many friends, but struggled with anxiety that led to a doctor prescribing Valium. When she suddenly stops taking the medication it leads to two stops in a mental hospital and a long recovery period. The story not only is a journey of Barbara's life, but it also delves into the world of psychiatry and therapy beliefs of that time.

I found this book to be an interesting look into the belief system of therapy and medications, yet it wasn't an overt book on that. It was a story on how Barbara was impacted by the particular people she met in the field. To be honest there were parts of this book that I wanted to pick up a bit "Just get it together Barbara!", but overall a good read.

Part of the reason this book spoke to me was because I used to provide counseling and I've been to therapists... and I know a number of people who happen to struggle with mental illness. I even had a mom (I have several moms) that was committed in a hospital for some time. I was young and removed from her life at that time, but her hospital stay was during the same time period in which Barbara writes. I applaud Barbara for exposing this part of her life and hope that it has provided comfort for others to know they are not alone. Grade: B+

Books read since the beginning of 2012: 17

Book Review: The Distant Land of My Father

The Distant Land of My Father by Bo Caldwell


Anna's father was born and raised in Shanghai by missionary parents. He marries, has a daughter, and insists on staying in Shanghai even after the Japanese invade while his wife and daughter move to California and await his arrival. Anna shares this story with the help of her father's journals and her own personal memories. We learner of multiple imprisonments, business ventures, and family betrayal. It is a moving story of family and of the world events of that time.

I have to admit I've always been a sucker for stories that include China's history (or history at all). I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's because China is so different from what I know now and what I've learned of my own country's history. I once read this 874 page biography on Mao... and even took it camping with me. Regardless, I found this book well written and engaging. I was drawn in, and didn't want to put the book down. There were a couple times I was glad I wasn't reading it on the bus because I cried, emotionally moved by the losses, and the regrets.

This book was one of the Amazon deals of the day I purchased. The last few deals I read weren't the greatest books so I am relieved to know that not all of them are misses. I was also surprised and impressed to discover that this was the author's first novel. Go read this. Grade: A


Books read since the beginning of 2012: 16

Book Review: In Search of Lucy

In Search of Lucy by Lia Fairchild

Due to her alcoholic mother Lucy has had to take care of herself and her sister for years. She eventually becomes estranged from both of them and finds herself alone, working a meaningless job and having few, if any, friends. At age 30 she reunites with her sister when she discovers her sister needs a kidney transplant. She gains support from the friends she didn't realize that she had and they help her to navigate through the emotions and events that come.

I found this to be an engaging story, but wasn't sure about the writing. I couldn't decide if the writing was poor or if that was the style in which they were going for. It only really bothered me when I felt like she should have added details earlier. It seemed at times that the author completely forgot about certain details only to add them later, but perhaps that's what she was going for. I wasn't sure what I wanted to grade this book as I enjoyed the story, but was less impressed with the writing. I thought about giving it a B, but then followed up this book with one that had fantastic writing (review to come). I may be slightly generous here: Grade: B-

Books read since the beginning of 2012: 15

Book Review: Your Oasis on Flame Lake

Your Oasis on Flame Lake by Lorna Landvik.

OK, time to get back to the book reviews, especially since this is a couple books back for me. This was yet another book recommended and supplied by a co-worker. I was especially intrigued since the book revolves around two female friends approaching 40 that live in Minnesota. Hey, I just turned 40 and I've lived in MN all my life. Perhaps, I'll find a connection with this book. Right? No, not in the way I thought I might, but it was still fun to have them talk about areas I was familiar with.

The book actually tells the story of two families and tells it from multiple perspectives. We get to hear from Devera and BiDi and both of their husbands (BTW - not normal MN names, and in Northern MN? I just don't see it). Between the two families they have three girls and one of them gets to share her perspective as well. This is a story of how families face crisis and how they just deal with life... and changes... and aging.

It was an easy enjoyable read. I may like it more than someone who has never been to MN and isn't as familiar with the references they make, but that doesn't make the book what it is. The book could have the same story and be set in any town. What helps this book stand apart was they way in which it was told from various perspectives. Certainly not the first book to do this, but it helped give the story some depth and richness. Grade: B


Books read since the beginning of 2012: 14

Book Review: Toujours Provence

Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle

Toujours Provence starts up where Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence  left off. It's a book filled with a collection of stories about life in Provence. Gold coins, truffles, French food, constipation...intriguing, fun stories that make you feel as if you were spending a year in Provence yourself. Not every story is as riveting as the last, but none the less, a good read even if you haven't read A Year in Provence (like me).

Each of us could probably find some interesting stories to tell about our own neighborhoods (I swear there are interesting things that happen in Minneapolis suburbs), but it is unlikely we could string together words the way Mayle does.What makes this a worthwhile read is less the stories themselves, but the way in which Mayle tells them. Grade: B

Books read since the beginning of 2012: 13

Book Review: Frankenstein

Frankenstein Books by Dean Koontz
I haven't written about books in a bit, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been reading. In fact, I just got through the Frankenstein  series by Dean Koontz. This isn't the typical type of book I would read, but Dean Koontz was recommended to me, I needed a book, and this series was on our work bookshelf.

I have to admit it was really, really hard to get into this series especially since I had just finished One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd, but I was determined to give it a try. The series includes:

Frankenstein Book 1: Prodigal Son

Frankenstein Book 2: City of Night

Frankenstein Book 3: Dead and Alive

Frankenstein Book 4: Lost Souls

Frankenstein Book 5: The Dead Town

If you asked me to rate this series after reading book one my rating would have been low. Again, I just read a completely different style of book and this was hard to adjust to. Plus the writing felt sorta formulaic. You can tell this guy churns out the books, but after the first book I determined I would give one more book a try and then give up if it wasn't any better.

Turns out I liked book two a little better. Oh, it still felt like formula writing, some of the story line was a bit cheesy, and it was pretty graphic which could sometimes be scary. In fact, I refused to read any of these right before bed since I have quite the overactive imagination... especially when it's dark. But the thing was the characters started to grow on me and as I proceeded though the end of book five I found myself liking this series mostly because it was really funny. Yes, funny. Koontz does a great job of putting humor in where other authors would have neglected to do so. I mean, this is supposed to be scary stuff folks!

If you would have asked me to rate it early on I would have given it a grade of a C, but the story line was sort of unique and the colorful (humorous) characters won me over. Sure this is no 'classic', but for what it is I'll give it a grade of a B.


Books read since the beginning of 2012:12

Book Review: Ghosty Men

I was almost done with the first Frankenstein book in Dean Koontz's series when I decided to take a little break and read something else. I recently started getting Amazon's daily book deal reminder when Ghosty Men: The Strange but True Story of the Collyer Brothers and My Uncle Arthur by Franz Lidz became available for 99 cents. (Lidz also wrote Unstrung Heroes about his four uncles which was made into a movie in 1995.)

Besides being lured by the price, I determined at 160 pages this would be a quick read. It was as I read it in one day. The book goes back and forth telling the story of the hoarding Collyer brothers who lived in Harlem in the early 1900's and the author's eccentric uncle Arthur who also liked to collect junk. The two Collyer brothers, Homer and Langley, rarely left the house (one of them didn't leave for 20 years), but still seemed to find time to collect items. A lot of items... as in piles many feet high with only paths through the house. In 1947 they were both found dead two weeks from each other which is when the outside world got to see the real scope of what their 12 room brownstone looked like. Uncle Arthur's story isn't so grim, but he clearly had his own struggles.

The book received a fair amount of positive reviews on Amazon noting that it had details that other books on the Collyer brothers did not. Since this is the first book I read about them I can't verify this or not, but if felt like he could have written a whole lot more about them or about hoarding.

A fair amount of people on Amazon were disappointed that this book was not just about the Collyer brothers, but to be fair the subtitle lets everyone know that it was also about uncle Arthur. However, it sort of felt like a stretch covering these two topics in the same book. Sure they lived somewhat close to each other and each had a hoarding habit, but that's it. The story often felt like it was missing something... like this was the beginning of a bigger book, but when the author didn't have the material he hoped to gather he pasted together this story.

As I was nearing the end of the book I decided to search online for some pictures of the house. This might have been a mistake as I also got to see Langley Collyer's month old dead body on a pile of rubbish right before I went to bed. I had such a hard time getting the image out of my head I actually went to bed with the light on. If you are easily disturbed like me I would suggest looking at images in the middle of the day instead... or skip it all together.

While this was a fascinating topic I feel like this book could have been so much more. Grade: C

Books read since the beginning of 2012:7

Book Review - One Thousand White Women

One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus

This book was lent to me by a friend and co-worker who has a similar taste in books. She's helped supply me with a number of books this past year and she's on a roll with some really great ones... and I hope they keep on coming. One Thousand White Women is the story of May Dodd's journey from an insane asylum to a Cheyenne bride. May's not insane, but gets placed in the asylum by her family when they don't approve of her behavior. May finds an opportunity to be free through a program where the government trades one thousand white women for one thousand horses with the Cheyenne Indians. Most of the novel documents her time with the Cheyenne and the other women who are with her.

I'm impressed with this book for a number of reasons, but the one that stands out the most is that the author, who is a man, does a fantastic job of writing from a woman's perspective.  It's a well told story with a message that spans all times. 

Grade: A+
Books read since the beginning of 2012: 6

Kid's books

If you haven't noticed we are a family of book readers. I like my memoirs and historical fiction, Jesse likes historical non-fiction, and Riley likes... well, she likes kid's books. And as you can imagine we all end up reading kid's books more than anything else. Due to this I thought I would capture a list of our favorite books.

These aren't in any particular order and I'm sure I'm missing some of the 'greats'. This list is based on what my husband and I like, and what my two year old likes... and, of course, what we own. I intended to stop at 10 books, but as you'll see I wasn't able to. Hopefully, you'll discover some new books for your little one... and if you have any suggestions I would love to hear them. Enjoy.


1. The Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle

This is a new book for us, one that Riley just received as a birthday gift, and it is certainly a winner. I have to admit I get a little excited when Riley asks to read this as it is just fun to read.  Lots of rhyming and animal noises to make.

2. Llama Llama  by Anna Dewdney

We have three Llama Llama books: Llama Llama Home with Mama, Llama Llama Red Pajama, Llama Llama Mad at Mama . Our favorite is Home with Mama, but Red Pajama is a close second. This is another book that is fun to read due to the rhyming and range of emotion. Plus, Riley likes to spell out the bolded words.

3. Moo, Baa, La La La by Sandra Boynton

We have many books by Sandra Boynton and most are winners, but this one has certainly been the most requested in the past. However, she just received Barnyard Dance for her birthday and requests I read it several times in a row so that may be her new favorite.


4. Brown Bear, Brown Bear By Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle

This book played a big role in Riley learning her colors. The language repetition in this book lends itself to kids being able to pick on on reading it themselves sooner than other books.

5. Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse

I picked this book up from Goodwill and wasn't sure how Riley would like it. I like it because it has a universal theme, and introduces some elements of the Native American culture. Turns out she really likes it and I love when she reads along and identifies things like the "Musk-ox".

6. I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak

We've had this book since Riley was a newborn and it has almost always captured her attention. It introduces body parts and emotions through a cute little boy and his teddy bear. Plus, I find it heartwarming.

7. The Tooth Book by Dr. Seuss

When Riley was born, Grandma Suzie's co-workers each selected their favorite kid's book and presented them to Riley. They work in a dentist's office so it is no wonder that this book made it into the mix. Good story, good rhyming, good message... that is until the book encourages you to bite someone other than your dentist. Hmmm.


8. Jamberry by Bruce Degan

I have to admit I found this book to be nonsensical and a bit of a tongue twister at first. For example, here's what one of the pages says:

Raspberry rabbits

Brassberry band

Elephants skating

On rasperberry jam



Wha? After I stopped thinking about it so much and realized how kids would like the rhyming and the silliness (and I noticed how much my kid liked it) I fell in love with it.

9. Elmo & Friends First Look and Find by Sesame Street

Pretty much any 'look and find' book is a winner at Riley's age. For those not familiar, essentially there's usually a box with a bunch of objects that you search for throughout the page.  Riley has gotten really fast with this so we usually throw in a few different 'rules' to make it more fun. We have a number of 'look and find' books, but this was the first we obtained.


10. Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathman

Riley has had this book for some time, but doesn't seem to bore of it. As she's gotten older she's been able to identify all the animals, point out the balloon that's on almost every page (even when it gets super tiny), and wakes me up when I start snoring like the Gorilla at the end of the book. She really gets a kick out of that.

11. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Riley enjoys finding the mouse on every page and for awhile 'playing' with the fire. I tried introducing the concept of 'hot' by touching the fire and making a burning noise, but instead of seeing this as a warning she found it hilarious. Like, 'I've never seen her laugh so hard' hilarious.


Ok, I can't seem to stop so here are a few more that we've really enjoyed.

I'm Thankful Each Day by P.K.Hallinan

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow

Welcome to the Zoo by Alison Jay

Aaaarrgghh! Spider! by Lydia Monks

Eye Guess by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes