145 - Rescue; Anita Shreve

As Rescue begins, Peter Webster, a paramedic in Vermont, is living with his seventeen year old daughter Rowan. Webster, is concerned about his daughter, her grades are slipping, she's drinking,  rebellious, angry and distant. She has not been accepted into the college of her choice, Middlebury. Webster is reminded of earlier days when he met Rowan's mother.

Eighteen years earlier when Webster was a new EMT, one of his first assignments was responding to a one-car accident involving a young woman, Sheila Arsenault. Sheila had been driving drunk and crashed her car. Hospitalized and in serious condition, she recovers from the accident, but doesn't seem to learn her lesson about drinking. Webster can't seem to stop thinking about Sheila, and the two immediately begin a physical relationship. When Sheila quickly becomes pregnant with Rowan, the relationship moves into high gear, even though Sheila has just escaped from an abusive relationship. Webster and Sheila marry, and Rowan is born soon after.  Sheila is not prepared for the stresses of motherhood, and she begins sneaking alcohol.  When her drinking results in an accident, that could have threatened the life of the couple's toddler, Sheila is sent away to avoid jail time, and Webster raises his daughter with the help of his parents. A crisis year's later, sends Webster searching for Sheila.

I was afraid of giving spoilers as I wrote this review, but then realized that the product overview gives away quite a bit of the sparse plot. I thought the title was perfect as Websters job involves "rescues", and he tries to do the same for the women in his life.

The story was a quick read, and for me there really were not any surprises or plot techniques that made this story anything more than an average read for me.  Having read ALL of this author's works, my favorite books of Shreves are still: Eden Close, Strange Fits of Passion, Resistance, and Testimony.   This is one of those books that fans need to experience for themselves and decide. I do hope you like it. This book hits the book stores on November 30th.

RATING - 3.5/5 stars - Review Copy

Never Growing Old

I just discovered this new weekly meme, for bloggers like me, (over age 40) and thought it sounded fun. A great opportunity to meet new bloggers as well. It is hosted by Java at Never Growing Old. If you are over 40, feel free to play along. Here are the rules...

1. Grab the button
2. Add your link to the list
3. Visit as many other blogs as you can
4. Follow the ones you like (and comment on their blog to say that you are following)

Sign up at Never Growing Old.

144 - Fred Stays With Me; Nancy Coffelt

Fred Stays With Me is a touching story about the uncertainty a young girl is experiencing when her parents divorce. She must get use to two homes, two beds, but where ever she goes, so does her dog Fred. As she goes through her daily activities, Fred is by her side. Two houses is an adjustment for Fred as well, and although he doesn't mean to, he tracks mud in the house, eats dad's socks and annoys the neighbor's dog when visiting mom.   Her new life takes some getting use to, but soon she sees, many things in her life stay the same: same school, same friends, and her loyal furry pal Fred always at her side.

The story is told in the first person, and it was just a delight to read. This is a perfect story to reassure children in similar circumstances that although divorce can be scary, many things that are near and dear to children can stay pretty much stay same. Life, although a bit different, can still be fun.  The illustrations, by Tricia Tusa are fabulous.  RECOMMENDED

RATING - 5/5 - Library Book

143 - It's a Book; Lane Smith

It's a Book, by Lane Smith, is a cute spoof on today's technology. The story features a monkey, reading a book, while his techie friends, a mouse and a jackass, watch him puzzled - unfamiliar with what a print book is.  The monkey starts getting frustrated by all the questions: "How do you scroll down"; "Can you text, tweet or wi-fi"; "How do you charge it up" etc, so the monkey hands over the book to the jackass, and the jackass starts shortening the story, Long John Silver, into text format. You can take a sneak peek at some of the book by checking out this video.

While, the book is very cute, it seems like it would be a bit over the head of some 4 years old children, and in some ways it reminded me of the Goodnight Bush: A Parody book spin off of Goodnight Moon, that I read a few year's back --very fun, but also over the head of some young children.

Nevertheless, It's a Book is a fun book, period appropriate, and the illustrations are just terrific. Have you read it?

Rating - 4/5 stars - Library Book

142 - Barefoot Contessa: How Easy Is That? Ina Garten

Ina Garten has always had the most eye appealing cookbooks.  In her latest book,  Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? There are 225 color photographs, and many recipes made me drool a bit just looking at them.  Some of the ones I jotted downs were an Old fashion Banana Cake, that one kind of reminds me of one that my mother made years ago; cranberry/apple cake;  a strawberry rhubarb crisp, easy Parmesan risotto, Lemon Chicken Breasts, and a wild rice salad with dried cranberries, oranges and pecans.

There were many other recipes that sounded great BUT....a description overview of the book says,  "How Easy is That? and...that you don't need special equipment, and won't need to stop at more than one grocery store to make wonderful dishes for your family and friends."

I don't know about your grocery store, but mine doesn't carry Stonewall Kitchen, Fox U-Bet,  or Barefoot Contessa products --not that I would buy them when I thought about trying a new recipe, so I would have to go to more than one store and to me --"That is not Easy".  Why McCann;'s quick oatmeal and not Quaker? The thing that I did not like about this cookbook is that Ina does too much product endorsing: LeCreuset, Williams Sonoma, and so many more.

Despite this, I did jot down a few recipes to try (not all were new but variations of ones I've seen before).  Although this book is terrific visually, I am glad that I borrowed it from the library instead of buying it.  You might want to do the same, and then decide if this is a keeper your collection.

RATING - 3.5/5 STARS

Library Book

141 - What We Have; Amy Boesky

What We Have, a memoir by Amy Boesky is revealing look at the life of  a woman, wife, mother, daughter, sister, and English Professor.  A courageous woman born into a family where all of the women (except one) died of ovarian cancer by their mid forties. 

Amy is determined to live her life and fulfill her dreams, of getting married and having two children by the age of thirty-five. She has decided to undergo voluntary surgery to have her ovaries removed when she turned thirty-five, the age when the risk of ovarian cancer dramatically increases.

Most of this story takes place in the course of one year, however, the reader does learn about how Amy meets her husband, insight into their careers, pregnancies, motherhood, and her close relationship with her two sisters, and her mother, who was terminally ill in this memoir.

What We Have was no ordinary memoir -- imagine living each day with a black cloud over your head. It would be easy to become depressed and obsessed, but the author does not exhibit the "poor me" attitude. Instead, Amy knew what she wanted to accomplish in life and made it happen. She chose to live her life to the fullest in spite of all the uncertainty. This memoir was well done and RECOMMENDED 

RATING - 4/5 Stars

Library Book

As a side note, I was up in the air about reading this book. You see that dreaded (C) word, is never too far from my mind either. In the case of my family, both my mother and older brother died from pancreatic cancer. None of us really know what the future has in store, so all the more reason to......"read the best books first...right?"

Mailbox Monday - November 8th - 2010

For the month of November, Mailbox Monday is hosted by Knitting and Sundries.

Last week the following arrive in my mailbox:

• Easter Island; Jennifer Vanderbes - purchased after loving her new book Strangers at the Feast
• By Nightfall; Michael Cunningham - audio book (Amazon Vine)
• Bury Your Dead; Louise Penny - audio book (Amazon Vine)

Hope you received some books that you have been looking forward to.