In The Land of Second Chances

by George Shaffner


This book makes me regret picking up a random book and reading it. That's usually how I choose my reading material- I just grab and read the synopsis. Most often, if the synopsis catches my attention, I'll enjoy the book. This book... not so much. It was a very quick read, and for that I am grateful to the author. But his style of writing leaves a lot to be desired. He writes in this rambling prose that at times, seems to contain run-on sentences and dropped ideas, without actually HAVING run on sentences. It really read as if it was written by a junior high age kid. The characters were void of any depth, and I really had a hard time placing them in the story. The woman who is telling the story is supposed to be older, with grown adult children and grandchildren, yet her tone was that of a twenty-something. The characters were just poorly developed. The whole story was very predictable, and to be honest, I am angry with myself for trudging through and reading the whole thing. Even more shocking is the fact that this is part of a trilogy, which makes me wonder if just anyone can proclaim themselves an author these days.

In short, don't read this book. The story COULD be good if it were original, sadly, it was reminiscent of The First Wives Club with The Music Man thrown in for good measure. Just take my advice, put the book down, and back away.

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

by Gregory Maguire

Confessions of an Ugly Stepister is an adaptation of the story of Cinderella, as told through the life of one of the stepsisters, named Iris. I fear to tell very much of this story, as any little bit would reveal a portion of the story. It is set in 17th century Holland, in a city called Haarlem. Iris and Ruth are two sisters who accompany their mother to this new town. Without a penny to their name, the threesome finds charity in the home of an artist, and so begins a tale of intrigue and illusion.

This is a lovely story. I really enjoyed it from beginning to end. It was interesting to see the common fairytale of Cinderella brought to life in a somewhat believable adaptation. This was how the story of the little cinder girl could have really happened, before becoming something fantastical and magical. Gregory Maguire writes with a very easygoing tone, and I digested this volume very quickly. It read like a fairy tale, and it didn't take long for me to be rooting for our heroine and for love. My only beef with this book is with the Stepmother, Margarethe. I strongly suspect Mr. Maguire of watching the movie Ever After, and then writing his wicked stepmother, because I was convinced that the stepmother in his book is the same one played by Angelica Houston in Ever After. Despite that one issue, I highly recommend this book if you'd like to read an alternative fairy tale.

I have not read Gregory Maguire's runaway hit, Wicked, nor have I seen the musical, but I fully intend on getting that book to read soon. There was also a TV adaptation of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister with Stockard Channing as Margarethe. After finishing this book, I managed to look up the movie, and I am certain that I saw it, but that it was not a fair adaptation of the novel. I recommend avoiding the movie version and going straight to print.

Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination

by Helen Fielding.

I picked up this book from the library for no particular reason. I was going to pick up Bridget Jones, and decided I wanted to read a new story- so I reached for this one instead. I was not disappointed.

Similar to Bridget Jones's Diary, we are introduced to Olivia Joules, a journalist with an overactive imagination. She thinks she sees danger around every corner. The book began in a British tone, and I could easily find myself in Olivia's mind speaking with that lovely English accent. I was sucked right into her story of imagined intrigue that turned out to be not so imagined. There were funny bits, there were far-fetched bits, but overall it was a simply entertaining read. I found myself rooting for Olivia right to the very end.

One of the best parts of this book is that it could be happening right now, and most of it was believable. This book is post 9/11, so terrorism as at the forefront of Olivia's mind and she thinks she sees Osama Bin Laden more than once throughout the book. The seriousness of today's world is tamed down by the humor that Helen Fielding has managed to lace into the crazy every day life of Olivia Joules. This was a very fun book to curl up with- perfect for a lazy Saturday morning. Definitely a book for the girls though- it's written from the perspective of a woman by a woman, and rightly done. I highly recommend this for a fun light read. It would be perfect for the coming winter nights curled up by the fireplace. The cozy beach scenes would warm a person up in no time.

Chocolat

by Joanne Harris


Let me say right up front that Chocolat, the movie, is one of my favorites. When I am in the mood for a good movie all by myself, Chocolat is my go-to movie. It sort of surprised me when I saw this book on the shelf at my library and realized that I've never read the book. Of course, I brought it home with me and immediately began digesting.


Let me also say, that just as many book/movie combinations, the book and the movie are two very different stories. But both are entirely enjoyable. This book made me smile from beginning to end. There is a bit of mysticism and magic involved, as well as a bit of religion and humor. It's a fantastic story about indulgence. The real point of this story is that life is too short to not do what you want to do. Whether that be to eat a chocolate or escape a bad marriage. It's about recognizing what your deepest desires are, and following through. This was an expertly woven tale about the conflict between two people. We have the chocolate shop owner, Vianne, who moves into a new town under serious suspicion. Up to this point, the Father of St. Jerome runs the town. He knows everyone, and what goes on. Other than a few stragglers, they are all under his control. Not so with Vianne.


I loved how we would get a chapter from the point of view of Vianne, and then a chapter by Pere Reynaud. Vianne was struggling with her past and with memories of her mother throughout, and oddly enough, so was Reynaud- although in a different manner. And of course, by the end of the book, most conflicts have been resolved, and we are left hoping for a wonderful future for this village. Most especially though, we are left with a serious craving for some chocolate. The food descriptions in this book are just heavenly. You can almost taste the apricots as they are being described, and of course, the hot chocolate which is mentioned over and over, you just wish you knew the secret for making the ultimate cup of hot chocolate.


This book is worth it for the chocolate alone. And if you can immerse yourself in a not-quite- 100% believable fantasy, this is the book for you. It was delightful, and now I must make a date with my DVD player to give the movie a viewing as well.

The Proposal and The Rescue

by Lori Wick

These are Christian romance novels. Now I have to admit that I was bit sceptical at first. I mean, to me, a romance novel is full of juicy love scenes. And Christian fiction is not. So how could the two really successfully merge without seeming fake and contrived. Ah but they can. These books are set in England in the 1800's. Status was important, and men and women behaved in a very proper manner. This was the era of courting, and it couldn't be a better setting for Christian romance. I will say, these books are laced with Christian values and conversations about God, so once again, if that is not your cup of tea, these will not be for you. But overall, these were very nice to read.

Lori Wick writes beautifully. I was caught up into both books right away, and I was unable to put them down until completion. Literally. These were one-a-day novels for me. They were a quick read, and completely enjoyable. It didn't take me long to fall in love with the people of Collinsborough, England. The first book, The Proposal started off in such a fun, albeit a predictable manner. We meet Jennings, a proper Englishman who has a sister he's estranged because she "found God" and he is alone. For the first time he finds himself lamenting the fact that he hasn't had children, and sadly feels that he is past the years of having them. Surprise, surprise, a distant relative dies, leaving him the sole guardian for three children. While amazed with the turn of luck that could afford him children without the inconvenience of a wife, he quickly realizes that he is in over his head.

Jennings turns to his sister Lydia, a married mother or 4 of her own. She is very welcoming to her brother who she thought she'd never see again, and a friendship quickly blossoms between Jennings' wards and Lydia's children. What ensues is a wonderful friendship among family members, and it doesn't take long for Jennings to realize that he needs to be near to his sister, and so he befriends a community. Along the way, he finds love in a most unexpected place and bungles a proposal twice before getting it right the third time. Along with the love story is the story of Jennings finding God and determining to give these children the love they deserve.

The Rescue continues the story of this community, only this time we meet a single woman Anne, who is caring for her elderly father, The Colonel. The Colonel has a mental disability that makes him forget things from day to day, and he doesn't always process what he sees or hears. So when he stumbles upon his daughter Anne in a precarious position with a new-to-town Mr. Weston, he insists upon an instantaneous marriage, and orders Mr. Weston to a wedding by sword point. The story that ensues is wonderfully written. Anne comes under scrutiny for behaving as a woman of her position shouldn't- and is a victim of careless and untrue gossip. While an entertaining love story, it is also full of lessons that you can take away with you.

These are the first in a series called The English Garden series, and I'm looking forward to reading the remainders. Although they are a bit predictable, they are still fun stories full of heart and real-life lessons. A definite thumbs up from me, and a great light read for a lazy Saturday afternoon.

East of Eden

by John Steinbeck

Wow. This was a fantastic book. Thank you Belle for suggesting it. It was captivating and thought provoking, and altogether a wonderful novel. If I were to begin to describe what this book is about... I think I would fail miserably. Ultimately, it's a view of life in the Salinas Valley in California mostly through two families- the Hamiltons and the Trasks. But there is so much more to it than that.

This is a novel about good vs. evil. Really. This entire novel is full of Biblical references and parallel, and it doesn't take much to see that we see the story of Adam and Eve and Cain and Able played out more than once. And it seems, as we start out, that evil always triumphs. we have Cyrus Trask who succumbs to evil but stealing from the US government and dying a rich man. Then we have half-brothers Charles (Cain) and Adam (Abel). On one of their father's birthdays, the two boys give him gifts- Charles a pen-knife, and Adam a puppy. Cyrus favors the puppy over the knife- very much like God choosing Abel's offering over Cain's. Eventually this leads to Charles almost killing his brother Adam.

We also get to meet Cathy who seems to be nothing but evil. All she sees is evil, and she spends her life trying to exploit the evil in others. It isn't until the end of her life, when she sees that her sons have something she doesn't that she begins to realize that maybe the whole world isn't evil. Adam trask marries Cathy, and out of their union came twin sons named Caleb and Aron. And once again, the Cain and Abel story is played out, only with a different ending this time around. In fact, at one point, Adam and his housekeeper Lee are asking on the whereabouts of Aron, and Cal snaps back with "Am I supposed to look after him?" I doubt anyone even half familiar with Cain and Abel would miss the reference to "Am I my brother's keeper?"

A huge point with this novel- I think, is the one of timshel, or Thou Mayest. In the Bible, in the story of Cain and Abel, God tells Cain that he CAN overcome evil- that he mayest, and the Hebrew translation of that is timshel. Ultimately, I believe that Cal was the sole winner in this book. He ultimately attained timshel by realizing the power of free choice and resists the evil within himself. Free choice to overcome evil.

There are so many other parallels in this book that could be touched on, I would love to hear from others who have read this book. There's the issue of money... Cyrus stole a fortune and passed it on to his sons who couldn't triumph over evil wholly themselves. Charles left his portion of that fortune to Cathy who used it to the benefit of her whorehouse, and subsequently left that fortune to Aron. Aron, the pure son possibly couldn't handle the taint of evil within the money itself- hence part of what drove him to his eventual demise. Only Cal remained untouched by the tainted money... does that have any bearing on his triumph over evil? Is this another story about money being the root of all evil? Samuel Hamilton was the happiest man on earth- but the poorest. And when his children moved on to try and make something of themselves, they all fell into ruin of some form or another.

A fascinating book. I would love to hear from anyone else! This is definitely a novel worthy of discussion. I'm actually sorry I didn't read this for a class- it would have been a fun one.

Princess: A True Story Of Life Behind The Veil

This one is along the lines of the book I reviewed yesterday. Except that this book IS a memoir. This was a choice for my virtual discussion group, and I probably never would have read this if it hadn't been for that.

Sultana is a young Saudi princess. This book is the story of her life growing up in Saudi Arabia and becoming a young woman. It's such a haunting story because it's true. The events in this book actually happened, and it is truly a mind-opening experience to the plight of Saudi Arabian women. My heart went out to Sultana so many times over. And not just to her, but also to her friends and family, and all the other Saudi women. Sultana had to change her name for these stories. She took her story and personal diaries to her friend, author Jean Sasson, who has turned this into a gripping tale of Islamic persecution. It was extremely eye-opening to see what happens to the women of Saudi Arabia, all in the name of Allah. At the end of the book, there is an appendix with passages from the Q'uran that show where the reasoning comes from for the treatment of women.

One thing to keep in mind while reading this book is the timing. All of this has taken place years ago, since then, I am sure that some things have changed, and maybe some of the extremism has been tempered. But for the most part...it's sad to think that women are still regarded in the same manner- as possessions that are disposable. Boys are treasured in Saudi Arabia. A woman prays and prays to become pregnant with a boy. The boys will confirm the status of a man, and carry on his line. Girls will eventually become the same as their mothers- mere possessions. Little girls are raised with a more relaxed hand. Some go to school, but most don't. They are watched over very carefully by the male members of their family, but the real test of a woman comes after her first menses. Then she is officially a woman, and it is an honor for her to be able to go shopping to choose her very first burka- the veil worn by all Saudi woman. It becomes a sin for the woman to appear in public without her veil- and until she is married, she must be accompanied by a male relative to do the simple tasks, like going shopping.

There are so many other details I could share, but I will leave it there. This book was a quick read because it was so fascinating and intriguing. The Sultana novel has become a series, and although I haven't read the others, I suspect they are equally as eye opening. Definitely a recommended book here.

The Kite Runner

By Khaled Hosseini

In the interest of keeping this blog fresh, while I am catching up, I intend to review several of the books that I have read recently, but haven't reviewed. This is the first in that series.

This book is probably one of the two best books I've read this year. It was beautifully written. I was caught up in the story right from the get-go, and I literally stayed awake into the wee hours to finish this book. I could not put it down.

The Kite Runner begins as a story of friendship. We are introduced to Amir, the son of a wealthy Afghani businessman, Baba. We also meet Amir's playmate Hassan, the son of Baba's caretaker. Hassan is born with a hare lip, and although very poor, he and Amir develop a cautious friendship. Hassan adores Amir with his whole heart, and Amir is torn about his feelings for Hassan. One part of him believes Hassan to be his best friend, and the other part of him is aware of the social status, and realizes that Hassan is more a servant than a friend. Hassan's loyalty to Amir eventually leads to Amir's disloyalty to Hassan. This novel fully investigates the relationship between two people in such an intense manner. As Amir and Baba move to America, Amir continues to be haunted by his past, and only years later when some unexpected information arrives, does Amir return to his homeland of Afghanistan, now under Taliban leadership.

This book is amazing on so many levels. The story of Amir and Hassan itself is a wonderful story. As we are reading this book though, we also get a great dose of Afghanistan's history and culture. It bring such an awareness of what life was like for so many Afghani people, that at times, I wondered if I was actually reading a biography. It is so realistic and thought provoking. One reviewer on Amazon likened this book to reading a memoir. Such an extraordinary work of fiction, The Kite Runner was a fantastic book. A bit gritty at times, and very real in a sense, but superbly written in simple to read and colorful prose. I challenge anyone to read this novel and not enjoy it. This is one that will be re-read many times over, I enjoyed it that much. Do check it out if you get a chance, I promise a spectacular read ahead.

My Antonia

Oh my. First I feel like I owe an apology. My reading has fallen sorely behind. I'm not sure what I've been so busy doing, but I've been busy apparently. Hopefully my schedule will even out soon.

My Antonia

by Willa Cather

This is a classic. This is a novel first published in 1918, and by a woman. Which at the time, there were very few women writers. Willa Cather wrote three books about Pioneer life, one called O Pioneers! And the one I read, My Antonia. This was my selection for my virtual discussion group. There are so many classic novels that I haven't read, and I though this one looked like a good choice, without being too controversial.

The story was divided up into 5 shorter pieces, and each was actually the story of Jim and the events of his life, many of which involved or included Antonia, a Bohemian transplant to Nebraska. This book does not spare the details of the harsh life on the prairie for settlers and immigrants, I'll give it that. Death and hard times were very common in the pioneer days. The story goes from Jim and Antonia's youth to their mid-forties or so, when life has changed for both of them.

While I was glad to have read this book, I can't say that I would highly recommend it. To be honest, as far as Pioneer life goes, I would find Laura Ingalls Wilder much more interesting of a read. But My Antonia is a nicely told story. It flows nicely, and the voice is consistent. It does leave out some of the details though. There were many times where I would have liked a little more description or clarification.

Overall, a nice read. If you want to read one of the great classics, pick this book up. But if you want to read something gripping that keeps you going back for more, I would recommend you pass this book by.

The Storekeeper's Daughter

by Wanda Brunstetter


Well, I simply had to go back and read the first book by Wanda Brunstetter. And I will say this, read them in order. I knew what was going to happen in this one, and I found myself anticipating it, and it almost made it difficult to read. I mean, I got caught up in the lives of these people. I wanted them to make different choices, different decisions. And I found myself crying along with their pain and sharing their joy as well. Basically, another great book. And yes, this has a lot of the spiritual stuff in it as well, so if that's not your thing...

Once again though, I find myself amazed at the Amish people. I know for a fact that the author has not taken liberties with the generalities of the Amish people. What we are reading, is very much how life is among the Plain people. The whole aspect of Amish courting is amazing, and the fact that before every decision is made, a quick prayer is sent off to ask for guidance. Simply amazing.

I am really looking forward to reading the third part of this series, The Bishop's Daughter. I feel like I know these people well, and there are some conclusions that must be brought into the lives of these families. I can only hope that my patience is rewarded.