Sunday, July 28, 2013

An Attention Grabber

Is This TomorrowIs This Tomorrow by Caroline Leavitt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lewis and his mom, who happens to be Jewish and divorced, are ostracized in their neighborhood. I'm not so sure it's because of their Jewishness though . . . it seems to me it had more to do with Ava's curves and the way the neighborhood husbands looked at her. But I digress.

The story actually revolves around Lewis and his friends Jimmy and Rose. Jimmy and Rose also don't have a dad - he died when they were young. So these three friends hang out and love each other. They are practically inseparable until Jimmy mysteriously disappears.

The story revolves around what happens to their lives during all the tomorrows after Jimmy's disappearance. We see the perspective of Ava and Lewis, of Rose and Rose's mom Dorothy, and the neighborhood.

I reached a point in "Is This Tomorrow" where I was riveted, and stayed up much later than normal to find out what was going to happen next. There were some surprising twists and turns. I could hardly stand it when I realized I wasn't going to be able to finish the book for two more days!

What is it what grabs our attention in a story? I don't always know, but this one certainly grabbed mine.

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Saturday, July 27, 2013

It's About Lydia and What She Done To Help Her Mama

Child of the MountainsChild of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One thing I like about "Child of the Mountain" is how the book is written in mountain dialect through the eyes of Lydia, a young girl who, obviously, lives on the mountains.

Each chapter starts with "It". "It's about how BJ ended up going to Ohio" or "It's about having nothing to do and my real smart brother", or, Chapter 1, "It's about my problem.

Here's a bit from the first chapter to entice you:

"My mama's in jail. It ain't right. Leastwise I don't think so. Them folks that put her there just don't understand our family."

Lydia is forced to leave her mountain and go to school where everyone knows her mama is in jail and treats her meanly. If it wasn't for Mr. Hinkle, her teacher, and Ears the dog she wouldn't have anyone in her corner. And then of course there's Anne. That would be "Anne of Green Gables" who Lydia felt she had a real connection with. She often retreated to reading this when she was feeling low. I did like that connection in the story.

This is a good book to while away an afternoon when you just want something to take your mind off, but don't want to think too hard.

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Auggie - He's a Boy You Want to Meet

WonderWonder by R.J. Palacio
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an excellent little book about a young boy who was born with a facial deformity. It is mostly told from this boy's perspective (August, or Auggie for short), although we do get to hear from his sister and others as well. We meet Auggie as his parents are considering having him attend a real school, instead of being home-schooled by his mom. Auggie, is very realistic about what he looks like and how people react to him, so he doesn't have high expectations.

I like Auggie a lot. He reads people very well, and even though he's afraid, he's also courageous. I'm not going to tell you much more, because I want Auggie to be the one to share his story with you. (This is fiction, but believable fiction.)

This would be a great book to read with your child - many of Auggie's experiences would be fodder for some interesting discussions.

Loved the ending but I can't share it here :-)!

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Meet the Smoke Meat Community!

Thin Blue SmokeThin Blue Smoke by Doug Worgul
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes you like a book, and you're really not quite sure why. That's how I've been feeling about "Thin Blue Smoke". This book is about black people and white people, poor people and rich people. People who've made big mistakes and picked themselves up and started over because their families and communities loved, cared for and supported them.

This may sound funny, but I grew to care about the characters in the book. . . LaVerne, A.B., Periwinkle (yes,Periwinkle) and Ferguson to name a few. They all have their own stories, but they all connect with each other through LaVerne's restaurant, Smoke Meat. Their lives are not always easy, but they carry on, just as all of us ordinary people do.

I loved the tough conversations that are held with friends, and wise advice that the older folks give to the younger ones. For example, Uncle Delbert to LaVerne during a tough time in LaVerne's life:
"You can lose many years of life in bitter and sad, LaVerne. I did. And I was very alone. It is lonely when we make our hearts like stones."
Or what about this thought from LaVerne to A.B.
". . . love can only exist of its own free will. If God manipulates all our choices and decisions; if we're nothing more than his playthings, then we have no real relationship with him. . .It's only when we're free to commit monstrous acts of murder, that we're also free to love God and each other."

"Thin Blue Smoke" does jump between characters and times in the character's lives, which I know some people struggle with, however I did not find it disruptive to the story line. I feel kind of sad to have to say good-bye to the everyone I met in "Thin Blue Smoke". I'm going to miss connecting with them of an evening!


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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Love DOES!

Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary WorldLove Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been telling so many of my friends the stories that Goff shares in his wonderful book "Love Does". In fact, once I start sharing it's hard to stop, because they are so funny and fabulous. They hardly even need to read the book once I get done!

I find the way Goff talks about loving Jesus and honoring Him with our lives so engaging and inviting. I do not have his personality, so I find his, "why plan, just do stuff" (an oversimplification) way of living a little daunting . . . but yet . . . he has so much energy, and has such a passion for loving people. It's actually quite wonderful.

I'm having a hard time deciding which story I should entice you with . . . should I share about how when his kids turn 10 they can choose the adventure they want on their birthday? The filming of National Treasure 2? How he snagged his wife? But no, I think I'll choose the September 11 story.

I'm going to give you a very synthesized down version - it's September 11,2001. Goff gets his family together, and he asks his kids - what could we do so something like this doesn't happen again? The solution? We need to have relationships with each other. How do we make that happen? As a result of this family meeting, his children wrote letters to foreign dignitaries all over the world, sharing their idea and asking if they could come visit to talk it over. Guess what - many said yes. Their family traveled to visit the "yes" people and had great conversations. They gave each person they visited a key to their home and said, anytime you want to come see us, just give us a call. As a wonderful follow up, someone did come visit them at their home. Isn't that great! The book is worth the price for this story alone, and don't worry I didn't spoil anything - there is way more to the story than my synthesized version.

I borrowed this book from the library, but am planning on buying multiple copies to gift to my friends. It is a quick, funny, engaging and convicting read.

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