Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by A Striped Armchairand Out of the Blue that encourages Bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.
This week’s haul. (3) week’s (no renewals as they are all new books with others waiting for them:
So how do I read all (10) of these and still fit in a few of my own for the "Read Your Own Books Challenge" LOL????????????.Hope the Library was good to you this week too.
After a friend of mine raved about Tallgrass, by Sandra Dallas, I decided to try the audio version. The reader Lorelei King was terrific. I started this one about 2 weeks ago, but since I do not drive long distances too often it took me until now to finish it.
The story is narrated by a young girl named Rennie Stroud, and the story takes place in the early part of 1942, not long after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Rennie tells the story what happened the summer she turned thirteen when the Japanese came to Ellis, Colorado to live in an internment camp known as Tallgrass. Tallgrass is less than one mile from Rennie's home and the family farm.
I loved Rennie. She is a bright and intuitive young girl who spends her days observing the actions of the people around her. Rennie’s father is much more tolerant of the Japanese people at the camps than most of their neighbors. He feels that these people have been stripped of their rights. The neighbors, on the other hand, believe it is wrong that their own sons are off to war while some Japanese roam free. When a young handicapped girl in town is murdered, the neighbors become suspicious of the Japanese camp residents. Rennie's keen eye during the investigation of the murder of the young girl to helps aid those investigating the crime.
There are several themes which evolve in this story: family bonds, friendship, loyalty and injustice. Towards the end of the story the mystery of the young girl’s death is uncovered, for a satisfying ending. This is a heart warming coming of age story. I am looking forward to the author’s next novel Prayers for Sale which will soon be released.
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While My Sister Sleeps, by Barbara Delinsky came to me highly recommended by some of my book group friends. It is a great story that deals with some tough issues.
One day Molly Snow receives a telephone call from the hospital about her sister Robin. She is told to come to the hospital as soon as possible. Molly is not alarmed about the call after all her sister is young, 32, a marathon runner and healthy. When Molly arrives at the hospital she is devastated by the news that her sister had suffered a massive heart attack and the prognosis is not good for her recovery.
As the family members take turns at Robin’s bedside, the family tries to cope with the fact that Robin may never recover. Molly is determined to find out what Robin would have wanted done, and when she unearths some journals belonging to her sister some surprising secrets are revealed.
A page turner and a touching story dealing with sensitive issues, this book is recommended.
Ever since I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel, I've become a huge Lisa See fan. I was excited to received an ARC yesterday of her soon to be released book. I'll be sure to post my review once I've read it.
From Amazon:
May and Pearl, two sisters living in Shanghai in the mid-1930s, are beautiful, sophisticated, and well-educated, but their family is on the verge of bankruptcy. Hoping to improve their social standing, May and Pearl’s parents arrange for their daughters to marry “Gold Mountain men” who have come from Los Angeles to find brides.
But when the sisters leave China and arrive at Angel’s Island (the Ellis Island of the West)—where they are detained, interrogated, and humiliated for months—they feel the harsh reality of leaving home. And when May discovers she’s pregnant the situation becomes even more desperate. The sisters make a pact that no one can ever know.
A novel about two sisters, two cultures, and the struggle to find a new life in America while bound to the old, Shanghai Girls is a fresh, fascinating adventure from beloved and bestselling author Lisa See.
As a Baby Boomer, just a tad beyond middle age, I find myself reading more about health, nutrition, exercise etc. I thought Living Agelessly, by Linda Altoonian might be a good choice that would cover these areas of interest, and also a good book for my Spiritually Speaking Challenge.
This book is divided into 3 parts:
PART 1: RECIPE FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS
1. Aging Gracefully: The Power of the Mind-Body-Spirit Connection
2. Food as Potent Medicine: Nutrition for a Zestful Life
3. Spice Up Your Diet: Antioxidants for an Anti-aging Lifestyle
4. Move That Body: The Best Prescription for Healthy Aging
PART II: GET READY FOR A FABULOUS RETIREMENT
5. Hitting the Road: See the World Without Breaking the Bank
6. Pay Back: The Amazing Rewards and Opportunities of Volunteering
7. Grandparenting: The Best of All Possible Worlds
PART III: TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE
8. Age-proofing Your Home: Create a Safe Environment
9. Safety on the Road: To Drive or Not to Drive?
10. Avoiding Scams and Fraud: Refuse to be a Victim
11. Taking Control: Safety Away fro Home
12. Depression, Fear and Grief: Conquering the Challenges of Aging
13. Gratitude: Honoring Those We Love
A few interesting facts for me were:
· Baby Boomers and their parents are 81 million strong
· Every year 4 million Baby Boomers turn 50.
Even though at my age I could only relate to Part I of this book, I thought there was some great information in this book for anyone between the ages of 50 and 80. The book also includes a extensive resource guide which has something some everyone in this age group.
RATING - 4/5 - COMPLETED - 3/8/09 WHERE FROM: Library
The Help, by Kathryn Stockettis a simply amazing debut novel that hooked me from the first chapter. It is sure to be one of my favorites for 2009.
The story takes place in Jackson, Mississippi, in the early 1960s. It is a story about the lives of black maids and the white women who employ them. It is also a story filled with hope, about (3) remarkable women set in difficult times. The voices are perfect pitch and even though the story deals with a serious topic, there is much humor for the reader to enjoy, and lessons to be learned by all.
We meet Eugenia Phelan (AKA ...Skeeter) who just graduated from Ole MissCollege. Skeeter is back home living with her parents and she is bored with her friends. Her dream is to become a writer, and to move to New York City, but for now she is stuck in Jackson writing for the Junior League’s Newsletter. Her mother, however, has other dreams for Skeeter: to find her a rich husband from a good Southern family. Skeeter is tall, a bit socially awkward, but she is very sensitive. Realizing how badly the black maids ---“The Help” are treated by their white employers, she comes up with an idea to interview and write about the black maids in Jackson and their relationships with their white employers. This is a dangerous project that must be kept secret, but one that has the potential of changing the lives of so many. To Skeeter it is worth the risk, and it just may be her ticket out of Jackson and off to New York City if she succeeds. Abilene and Minny are the focus of the interviews although many more maids agree to participate.
Abilene is a 50 something black maid. She has endured many hardships including the death of her son in a tragic accident. Despite this she remains kind, sweet and dedicated to raising the children of her employers. Although she endures much discrimination, she tries not to judge people, and to remain loyal and kind to her employer, their family and their friends.
Minny is another black maid who has had many jobs. She is angry and bitter and she finds it hard to keep quiet about some of the discrimination she has seen. Minny cannot seem to follow her mother's advice which was preached to her. The (7) rules which can pretty much be summed up by “keep your mouth shut when it comes to white folks business”.
I don't want to say too much more, except to say that this is one of those books that will make you sad when you have turned the final page. The characters and story will live on in your memory long after you've finished this book. I found myself putting sticky notes throughout so I could reread certain parts.
I found it interesting that this story in part was inspired by the author’s own life growing up in Mississippi. Her family had a black maid named Demetrie. The maid died when the author was 16, and she never got to ask her how she felt about being black and working for a white family in Mississippi.
; Lisa See
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