The Yellow Wallpaper

by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

This was actually a short story- and part of a collection. And I have to say, it was one of those pieces that really reflects how an author feels. The Yellow Wallpaper itself was the story of a young wife who is sent to a country home for some "rest." In this home, in her bedroom, is this yellow wallpaper that she becomes obsessed with. It becomes her metaphor. She feels other women in the wallpaper- trapped behind yellowish lines. She understands how the women in the wallpaper feel, and she wants to help them out. The descent into madness is very believable and well-done.

The other short stories in this book also captured my attention, and I found them to be fascinating pieces from an era gone by. I imagine many women back then felt just as Charlotte Perkins Gilman did, and I imagine there are still women today who feel trapped in a situation, and would identify wholly with Gilman's writings. Do I agree with her? Not a chance. I am thrilled with my "station" as a housewife and mother. I don't feel the need to do more- and I certainly don't feel trapped. But I do know it's not for everyone. Even though I do not agree with Ms. Gilman's assessment on wife and motherhood, her writing is fascinating. She captures such emotion in inanimate objects- like the wallpaper. I would likely read more by her if I could find it at my library.

Prodigal Summer

by Barbara Kingsolver

I picked up this book at the library because I was actually looking for a different book by Barbara Kingsolver, and they didn't have it, so I chose a different one. I had no idea what this was about, but it didn't take long to get sucked right in.

This book is actually three woven into one. There are three separate characters who tell different stories. They all live in the same area, but they don't really interact with each other, so they are really three separate stories. We first met Deanna Wolfe, a nature biologist who is basically a mountain woman. She lives alone in a very rustic cabin, and devotes her life to maintaining the forest around her. When we meet her, she is hot on the trail of something very exciting- she has discovered a pack of coyote, which are not native to the area, and she is very excited to study them further. While out tracking, Deanna meets Eddie Bondo, a coyote hunter from Wyoming, and it doesn't take long for a strange romance to ensue.

The second character we meet is Lusa. Lusa is a young wife who finds herself widowed shortly before her first wedding anniversary. She is now a farmer, with no idea what she is doing, and her husbands family of five sisters is not making life easy for her. She grapples with the decision as to whether she should stay on her deceased husbands farm and try to save it, or should she run, and go back to the life she knew before. The journey on the way to the decision is full of surprises.

And the third character is a grumpy old man named Garnett Walker. We discover that Garnett thinks he has an enemy in his elderly neighbor Nannie. Nannie is an organic farmer, and Garnett is not. Nannie is constantly after Garnett to stop using his pesticides and his herbicides, and the struggle between the two is rather humorous. We find that Garnett is on the forgetful side, but has devoted his remaining time to breeding chestnut trees. The demise of the great chestnut to the blight so many years ago is constantly on his mind, and it is his dream to develop a generation of chestnut that is resistant to the blight.

All three stories interweave to tell a much grander story about conserving the earth. The message is pretty blatant, but the stories were engaging, and I particularly enjoyed the story of Lusa. And while I also enjoyed the stories of the other two people, I found Deanna's story to be a bit disturbing. Deanna's story is, quite frankly, the romance portion of the novel. Some of the details could have been done without, in my opinion. And while Deanna did contribute to the other two portions of the novel, I just felt some of the "details" a little un-necessary, and just not to my liking. But that is my preference, of course.

After I finished reading this book I felt a serious urge to move to an Appalachian valley and try my hand at organic gardening, and goat raising. The message contained within the stories was received loud and clear, and I suppose it did have some effect since I would like to learn more about the science behind organic gardening. I already garden, to some extent, but don't use chemicals, so technically, it is organic gardening, but I would like to learn more about which plants grow well together, and what kind of bugs are good for certain plants, that type of thing.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel, and I will not turn down another opportunity to read Barbara Kingsolver, and I recommend it with reservations. If adult situations bother you, this book is not for you. But if you can get past them with no problems, I think this book is worth reading.

Table For Five

by Susan Wiggs

As this book begins, we are introduced to Lily, a schoolteacher about to have a tough parent-teacher conference with her best friend, Crystal,and Crystal's ex-husband, Derek. In this brief introduction we discover that Lily is a very dedicated teacher, but still tries to keep the line that keeps her from becoming too involved in her students lives. The meeting doesn't go very well, and the fighting couple leave without any resolution. After leaving the meeting, Crystal and Derek meet a tragic end, and suddenly there are three children left without parents.

Enter Uncle Sean. Sean is a single bachelor golf-player who is living the single life to the fullest. Sean becomes single dad overnight, and resigns to put his career as a PGA golfer on hold for his nieces and nephew.

Lily has been in these children's lives since they were born, and decides to help Sean in whatever way possible, despite having doubts in his parenting ability. As this motley group of people move along in the grieving process, we begin to see hope and life after tragedy begin to unfold. The story concludes in predictable fashion, but shows that even amidst death, love can triumph.

As a Mom, this story was heart wrenching. The grief of the children at losing two parents was very well-done and realistic. I found myself full of tears at more than one occasion, and often found it difficult to continue reading. Continue I did, and I was rewarded for my efforts. While this book was overwhelmingly predictable, the characters were very well done and I found myself engrossed in their intertwined lives. This book accurately portrayed the grieving process, and it was engaging to see how each character dealt with it in a different way.

I definitely recommend this novel if you're in the mood for a good cry. I was moved to tears several times throughout the book and couldn't put it down until it was finished. Definitely read with a box of tissue nearby, but overall it was a very satisfying read, and I would love to see another book that furthers the story of this little family.

The Perfect Summer

by LuAnne Rice

I picked up this book after watching a TV movie of another of Rice's novels. The movie was enjoyable as a little something to pass the time, and since books are always better than the screen adaptation, I searched it out. Of course, my library did not have the one I wanted, but they did have this one. And I thoroughly enjoyed this easy read.

The characters developed wonderfully and quickly, enough that I was caught up in the lives of Bay McCabe and her children in the very first chapter. We also met her feisty best friend Tara who lived across the way. It didn't take long to discover that Bay's life wasn't all roses, but that she adored her children and would do anything for them- including put up with a cheating husband. When her husband Sean doesn't come home one night as promised, Bay suspects him of cheating on her once again until she realizes her husband is actually missing. The introduction of the FBI and the charges of embezzlement brought along a fun character in the lead detective that brought a different point of view to the story.

As the search for Sean and the reasons behind his embezzlement begin to unfold, Bay finds herself looking to an unexpected person for help- that of an old friend from the past Daniel Connolly, and his fragile daughter Eliza. Eliza and Bay's oldest daughter Annie become best friends instantly and add yet another layer to this charming novel. Eliza is anorexic and is a cutter, due to witnessing the violent death of her mother a year earlier. She is able to help Annie to cope with her missing father and together the two girls discover the meaning of friends forever.

There was a bit of predictability to this book, but the setting of a seacoast town in Connecticut more than made up for it. Every time the seaside was mentioned, I could smell the salty air and feel the breeze on my face. I will certainly be searching out more of LuAnne Rice's work, as it is heartwarming through and through. This would be an excellent choice for a beach read or for sitting in the garden with a cup of tea. It's more of a girls read though, so I have to recommend this to the ladies, but overall, definitely enjoyable, and recommended here.

The Nasty Bits

by Anthony Bourdain

I've been reading this book on and off for the last few months. It truly is a gem. It is a collection of articles and vignettes, and perfect for filling in the cracks between full-length novels. Or for that 15 minutes before you have to run out the door. I was already a fan of Anthony Bourdain before reading this book. I truly enjoy watching his show, No Reservations, on the Travel Channel. He has such a zest for exploring a new culture, and he is so gracious to his hosts. While he'll tell the camera when something really isn't good, he will profusely thank the host and the chef at the time, because he fully appreciates the effort they put into the dish.

The Nasty Bits was just a fun book to read. Full of commentary from Anthony Bourdain on the restaurant industry, travel, and The Food Network. He has a sincere appreciation for the little guy, and it shows in his writing. He has such a clear voice when he writes too, I feel like I'm in a room having a conversation with the guy, it's such a conversational tone. I would earnestly recommend this book to any foodie or fan of Anthony Bourdain. There are some adult references and some language, so I wouldn't recommend it for just anyone, or for someone under the age of 18, but it really was an enjoyable book to read. And it sure makes me want to travel to Vietnam.

Sense and Sensibility

by Jane Austen

I've never read Jane Austen before. In fact, once again while I was reading I found myself lamenting the poor choices the powers that be had us read in high school. Where was the literature? I took two years of Literature and Composition, and you know what I remember reading? 1984, Dune, The Shining, One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, In Cold Blood, and some Shakespeare. I enjoyed most of them, except Dune. But none of them really were challenging to read in any way. Ah, except one horrible experience with Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. And maybe that awful novel was the reason we never were challenged further?

Anyway, while it did take me a few pages to become accustomed to Ms. Austen's writing style, it didn't take long to become a page turner. I did not know the story of Sense and Sensibility, as I have also not seen any screen adaptations. Apparently I was missing out on something grand because I loved this story. I did get confused on occasion as to which Miss Dashwood was being discussed, but mostly, I thought the story of love and family and friendship was enchanting. I was transported straight to that time period, and I desperately wanted to be invited to one of the many social engagements the Dashwoods found themselves invited to. This novel also showcased the importance of money in the nineteenth century. People married for money, and the lack of money led to lesser choices for a suitable match.

Sense and Sensibility was Jane Austen's first novel to be published, and as I have learned further novels became more and more complex. I will most definitely be seeking out others, including Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Mansfield Park. And I will definitely have to find the movie of Sense and Sensibility because I could just see Hugh Grant as Wiloughby in my mind. I am infinitely glad that I curled up with this novel, and I will not shy away from more.

The Da Vinci Code

by Dan Brown

I realize that I am very behind the times in picking up this novel. However, I am one of those people who hates reading what everyone else is reading. I know it sounds silly, but for the most part, I seldom read a book that can be found on a current bestseller list. But I decided that it was time to pick up this book and find out what all the hoopla was about.

And? I really enjoyed it! It was very well done, in my opinion. The mystery and intrigue was well-balanced with the suspense and the action, and it most definitely kept me turning the pages. It really was a fun novel to read and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. What I liked best about it was that I had no idea how it was going to turn out. Some parts, yes, but for the most part, I didn't correctly identify the bad guy or his purpose for being a bad guy. It was very good, and I would read it again in a second.

While I was reading, I was also keeping in mind all the controversy surrounding the movie and it's release, and I can't do a proper review without addressing all that. And quite frankly, I don't get it. The book is fiction- very well done fiction in fact. It may present ideas and thoughts within as fact, but common sense still says that all those ideas are just that, ideas and, quite frankly, fiction. It was a fun story, and I challenge anyone who thinks this book is evil to actually read it. For awhile I was thinking that I could see where the Catholic Church got upset about the details within, but it all wrapped up at the end, and the bad guy was not the Catholic Church, so where all the drama came from? I couldn't tell you. I will say that I don't have any desire to see the movie because I think Tom Hanks was miscast, he just doesn't strike me as a Robert Langdon. I also recall seeing reviews that said it was a poor adaptation of the book and left out too much. So instead I will just enjoy the fact that I read a great book. A fun work of fiction.

This was a story about the quest to find the Holy Grail. I think it was fascinating that Dan Brown chose to write a grail story, making the grail more a person and an idea than a physical cup or object. It was creative and exciting, and really, no different than enjoying another grail legend or grail movie- what comes to mind for me is Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. Why is that an okay movie, but The Da Vinci Code isn't? It's the same idea, that the Holy Grail will lead to something more. Whether that be immortality or a change in the way the world views something. And like I said before, if you are one of those people who has protested this book or movie in any form, I challenge you to read the book. It was fun and entertaining, and no more controversial to me than The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe.

Ireland

by Frank Delaney

I have to admit, I was disappointed with this book. This was a selection from Zooba when I was a member, and I bought it without really knowing what it was about. What I was expecting was some kind of historical fiction about Ireland. What I got was basically a collection of short stories and Irish folklore disguised as a novel. At the beginning we meet a storyteller and it is he who carries the book with story after story about some of the folklore of Ireland. Was it entertaining? Somewhat, some of the stories were neat. But I have no idea if these stories are actually part of Irish legend or if they were just made up for this book. Overall, this one was a bit of a disappointment. The continuity from story to story was seriously lacking, and I would have a hard time recommending this without reservations.

The Shunning, The Confession, The Reckoning

By Beverly Lewis

I thought I'd review these all together, because it really is one flowing story. You could probably get away with reading the first one and stopping, but you'd still wonder what happened. But all three books could have easily been published as one story, with maybe a little more detail. In fact, that's exactly what I wish would have happened with these books.

At the beginning we meet Katie Lapp, a young Amish woman who is looking forward to her upcoming marriage to a widower. We find her and her family busy planning and getting ready for the wedding, and as most young brides experience, Katie finds herself full of nerves. She has always felt like a free spirit, and is hiding a love for music and the guitar (forbidden in their Amish Ordnung). And one day, while looking at her mother's wedding dress, she finds a satin pink baby dress with the name Katherine Mayfield on it. The discovery of the dress takes the entire Lapp family on a long and winding road full of discovery and love for each other.

Overall, I really enjoyed these books. In fact, I read two of them in one day, they were gripping and very easy to read. I enjoyed learning a little more about the difference between Amish and Mennonite communities, and once again I found myself drawn to these people and their way of life. These are most definitely Christian novels, and there is no getting around the strong message of forgiveness among the pages. My only problem with this book was that it was really easy to figure out what was going to happen. The foreshadowing was pretty blatant, and while I was satisfied with the conclusion, I knew most of what was going to happen well ahead of time. I also found that there were several loose ends that just seemed to be dropped, and I would have liked a little more closure there. But overall, an excellent was to spend a few afternoons. I would read more from Beverly Lewis, and in fact, plan to do so, as she has several series of books set in Pennsylvania Dutch country.

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons

by Lorna Landvik

The title says it all, really. I picked up this book knowing full well that this was going to be full-fledged chick-lit. Hey, sometimes you just need to unwind and look at life behind a white picket fence. This was an engaging novel, I was snapped into it right at the very beginning, and I found myself absorbed into these friend's lives. At first I was a little annoyed that the narrator was going to change throughout the book- every chapter belonging to a different member of the Freesia Court Book Club. Oddly enough though, it worked really well for this book. There was still a sense of continuity that I don't normally feel when the point of view changes in a book.

This book definitely honed in on the sense of nostalgia. The ideas of an era gone by where neighborhoods still got together for picnics and children played together until dark without a care in the world. The five women we meet Faith, Slip, Audrey, Kari, and Merit all have extremely different personalities- and very different marriages. Each book the group reads together brings something else out for them to discover about themselves, and we see the journey from housewife to someone who affects change in the world around them.

This was an engaging novel, definitely recommended for the ladies- but guys, you may want to stay away from this one. My only beef with this book was with the character Grant. He added so much to the last portion of the book, I would have loved to see him introduced sooner. This was a perfect book for a coldwintry day, and I would look forward to reading more from Lorna Landvik.