Review: Sunflowers; A Novel of Vincent Van Gogh by Sheramy Bundrick

When I heard about the book Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick I knew that I had to read it. I am a fan of historical fiction novels and am familiar with Vincent Van Gogh's work. The beautiful cover of Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflower painting is eye catching and stunning. It is an integral part of the story and connects the characters deeply. I was most familiar with the story of Vincent Van Gogh's cutting his ear off for love and his questionable mental status. I was also familiar with his brilliance as an artist and especially with paintings such as Starry Night.

Sunflowers is told in the first person perspective of Rachel, a young girl whose parents had died and her only option was to live with her spinster aunt. Instead, she ended up on a train to Arles, France and forced into the life of prostitutution. Rachel develops a friendship with Van Gogh after she finds him sketching her when she seeks refuge from the brothel in a public garden. Their friendship quickly turns into love and romance. Rachel, unrealistically believes she can eventually marry Van Gogh her customer and lover and leave the brothel. There is a deep connection between Rachel and Vincent but his madness interferes. He is frequently hospitalized and then moves away from Arles and Rachel to be near his brother in Paris. I liked how the author used letters between Vincent and Rachel when he left Arles as a way to continue the first person perspective and add in Vincent's perspective. Rachel has many moments of naivete and obsessiveness towards Vincent that was at times annoying. She was deeply in love and dedicated to Vincent and he was the only person she felt connected to since she lost her parents. He became the main focus of her life. I think that most who are familiar with the history of Vincent Van Gogh's life know the tragic end it takes. I knew this and when I got to that part in the story it touched me deeply as I was rooting for Rachel and Vincent to have more happiness in their tragic lives.

I found myself wanting to research the artwork that Ms. Bundrick refers to in each chapter. The author has a reference at the back of the book that listed the paintings referred to in each chapter. I could go online and view the paintings as well which made me feel more connected to the story. The Vincent Van Gogh Gallery was a wonderful resource.

This is a debut novel for Sheramy Bundrick who is an art historian and professor at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Her passion for art and the artist is evident in her writing and style. There is also very strong character development in Sunflowers and I like how the author took factual information about Vincent Van Gogh's life and added the fictional elements. I look forward to more books by Ms. Bundrick and hope that she continues on her journey of writing Historical fiction related to art and artists.

Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick is definitely Book Club Worthy! This would make an excellent book to discuss with a book club as there is so much to discuss including the meaning of the title, the historical vs. fictional elements, mental illness, prostitution etc. There is a reading guide at the back of the book to guide the discussion. Sheramy Bundrick has a wonderful page at her website on suggestions for reading group meetings. She even has ideas for food, drink and music to make a fun themed discussion. Ms. Bundrick recommends listening to Josh Groban's version of Don McClean's song "Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)". I found this video on YouTube and am sharing it here, it really is touching and meaningful to listen to after you read Sunflowers.

Thank you to Book Club Girl for sending me a copy of this book as part of the On Air book discusssion. You can listen to the discussion of Sunflowers with Sheramy Bundrick , here.

Check out Sheramy Bundrick's Website, here.

I am an Amazon associate.

Review: Saving Sammy by Beth Alison Maloney

Saving Sammy: Curing the Boy Who Caught OCD is a powerful journey of one mother's strength and tenacity to literally save her son's life. Beth Maloney is a single mother raising three young boys in Maine. Her middle son, Sammy, had a sudden and drastic change in behavior and his ability to function normally when he was 12 years old. He was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Tourette Syndrome. Sammy was a bright, gifted math student who was an active and happy boy. His behavior continued to decline rapidly and their family life was centered around Sammy's compulsions and behaviors. Sammy and the family were suffering and Sammy could not function on a day to day basis or even to attend school regularly. Beth would not give up and was a tireless advocate for her son to find the answers to his illness. She finally learned that Sammy's illness was caused by a strep infection, a disorder known as PANDAS. With much determination and tapping into any and all resources, Beth found two doctors that helped to cure Sammy.

Saving Sammy is a deeply touching and moving memoir of one mother's strength to never give up and an amazing boy who suffered through great pain to come through it all. This story hit home with me as I have a son who has struggled with and continues to struggle with health issues. I have had to be an advocate for my son and push to get answers. I understand that depth of feeling Beth had to find answers and the heartfelt pain in seeing your child suffer. I am still in the process of finding answers and solutions and hope to one day feel that relief that Beth has in seeing your child turn the corner and fly away from the ties that bind them in a world that others do not quite understand.

This is a video of Beth & Sam Maloney on the Today Show:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Check out the Saving Sammy website, here.


For more information on PANDAS ( Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections), go to the PANDAS Foundation.


Thanks to TLC Book Tours for sending me a copy of this book to review.


I am an Amazon Associate.

Review: Oprah Book Club "Luxurious Hearses" by Uwem Akpan

Luxurious Hearses is the fourth story of the short story collection in Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan.

This is the longest story in the book and one that I did have to push myself to get through as it is so drawn out. I have to say that the end was a shocker so you must push yourself through this one to read to the end. This is about a long wait for a bus ride where a Muslim boy is trying to hide that he is Muslim as the bus is filled with Christians. They are all fleeing northern Nigeria to the south. This story makes you look at how prejudice can cloud judgements of one another especially in war times. It made me think about conflicts within people and how they justify them as they have been taught certain ideologies and beliefs that consume them. The ending was unexpected and shocking. As in the other stories, it reflects the reality of the situation and time it is referencing. It's very hard for me to imagine living life like this and allows me a look into a world that I am unfamiliar with.

This is an Oprah Book Club Selection , there was an Oprah's Book Club Live Webcast with Oprah, Anderson Cooper from CNN and the author Uwem Akpan last night. I was able to finish the book and listened to the Webcast which had some technical difficulties but was a fantastic discussion with people from all over the world participating. You can watch the webcast, I'm not sure if it's up and running yet but you can get the details here at Oprah.com.

Here is a video with some thoughts Oprah shares about Luxurious Hearses:

*This book is my own personal copy. I am an Amazon Associate.

Review: Oprah Book Club "What Language Is That" by Uwem Akpan

What Language Is That is the third story of the short story collection in Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan.

This story is quite short at eleven pages in length compared to the other stories in this book. For me, this was an endearing story of the power of unspoken language and connection between two young kindergarten girls of different faiths and backgrounds in Ethiopia. It reminded me of my very first best friend around that age and the connection that we had. When you are connected to someone at a deep level you can communicate without words and understand one another.

This is an Oprah Book Club Selection , there is an Oprah's Book Club Webcast Live Tonight with the author Uwem Akpan. It starts at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, go to Oprah.com for more details. I haven't finished the book yet but I plan to listen to the Webcast tonight.

Here is a video with some thoughts Oprah shares about What Language Is That :

*This book is my own personal copy. I am an Amazon Associate.

Review: Oprah Book Club "Fattening For Gabon Say" by Uwem Akpan.

Fattening For Gabon is the second story of the short story collection in Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan.

This is the story of two young children, a brother and sister who are being raised by their uncle as their parents have AIDS and are dying. You learn as you read this story the deceit on the part of the uncle who tries to sell the children. I assume it is for sex trafficking but it is not said straight out in the story. This is a story that allows you to connect to the experiences and feelings of the children, a brother and sister taken away from their loving parents, brothers and sisters and extended family. It's gut wrenching at times although the language and dialect added to the dialogue is confusing at times and makes it hard to follow. I found myself guessing as to what was being said and reading between the lines. The last line at the end left me hanging a bit as I was unsure as to what really happens to the children.

This is an Oprah Book Club Selection , there is an Oprah's Book Club Webcast Live Tonight with the author Uwem Akpan. It starts at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, go to Oprah.com for more details. I haven't finished the book yet but I plan to listen to the Webcast tonight.

Here is a video with some thoughts Oprah shares about Fattening For Gabon:

*This book is my own personal copy. I am an Amazon Associate.

Review: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest is the last book in the Millenium trilogy by Swedish Author Stieg Larsson . This final book in the trilogy picks up where the second book, The Girl Who Played With Fire leaves off. It's over 600 pages and gets bogged down in details now and then but it's still a very gripping novel. We are able to follow Salander as she faces her past head on and ends up barely holding on to her own life. Mikael puts the pieces together and helps solve a mystery related to a hidden group that has protected one man and themselves amongst high government security. Larsson's writing style is rich and detailed and is strongly character driven. There are definitely disturbing parts to this novel as in the others that are graphic and violent in nature, so be forewarned if this is something that bothers you. From what I've read about Larsson, I believe it was his intent to bring attention to the issues of violence against women that he must have believed was a societal issue as well as government corruption. This was a common thread throughout the Millenium Trilogy. Wikipedia shares some interesting information about the books where it states Larsson's literary influences:

"However, one of the strongest influences originates from his own
country - Pippi Longstocking by Sweden's much-loved children's author, Astrid
Lindgren. Larsson explained that one of his main recurring characters in the Millennium series, Lisbeth Salander, is actually based on Pippi Longstocking and in his books is reimagined as a grown up version of her"

I found Lisbeth Salander to be the most interesting character in the series. She was a strong, quirky, unique and feisty character. She endured a childhood of abuse and tragedy that was horrific and continued into her adulthood. In the toughest situations she endured and fought and never gave up her fight for truth. She was resilient and intelligent and even referred to as possibly having Aspergers Syndrome which would explain some of her social challenges and genius level abilities with computers.

Sadly, Stieg Larsson was a Swedish writer and journalist and died before the Millenium Trilogy was published. You can read more about Stieg Larsson here. This is the last book in the Millenium series and I will miss reading more about the characters and some storylines that were left hanging and we will never know the answers to...one especially is what happened to Lisbeth's twin sister Camilla. We are left to our imaginations now.

• You can read my review of the first book in the Millenium Trilogy, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo here.
  
• You can read my review of the second book, The Girl Who Played With Fire here.
  

*My wonderful friend Ginny who I know from an online book group read the series ahead of me and sent me her copy of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest. She was so anxious to read it and couldn't wait until the US version would be published and available in 2010. She ordered a copy through Book Depository UK which is the hardback edition. I passed it along to another friend Marie-Louise who is also in our book group, it's being shared among friends! Thanks Ginny!

Sunday Salon: November 1st

Today is my son Andrew's 11th birthday...wow, I can't believe that he's growing up so fast! He's looking forward to celebrating and of course, his gifts. I'll be giving Andrew the card I won this summer in a custom card contest at ...DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW?.







Ginny made me a beautiful card for Andrew's 11th birthday. You can see more details here. Make sure to stop by Ginny's blog, ...DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW?. she is a very talented lady and has a beautiful blog, lots of crafty ideas on making cards, bookmarks and other goodies. Thanks Ginny!
I'm also back in the reading and blogging groove! I've caught up on reading and writing several book reviews. I need to catch up on more reading now!
Reviews and Giveaways posted this week:

• An Ex-Mas Feast. the first story of the short story collection in Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan, you can read my review here.
• The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
• Revew & Giveaway: Fierce Style by By Christian Siriano (Project Runway Winner)

Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney

Review & Giveaway: Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy by Mary Tomer


Current Giveaways: Fashion & Fab Giveaways sponsored by Hachettte

• One Copy of Fierce Style by Christian Siriano, ends November 30th, details here.
• One Copy of Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democray by Mary Tomer, details here.

Review: Chocolate: A Love Story by Max Brenner

Chocolate: A Love Story by Max Brenner is a cookbook filled with 62 unique recipes for the chocolate lover and connoisseur. It's a cross between a cookbook and coffee table art book. It's filled with a combination of photographs and artwork with an art deco avant garde look to them. They are definitely engaging and fascinating to look at. To be honest, the recipes are pretty fancy and not simple everyday baking. I think that you need to be a more experienced baker or adventurous chocolatier to take on the challenge of making some of the recipes. This would be a wonderful gift book for the true chocolate connoisseur.

I found this video which takes you into Max Brenners restaurants and shows some of his amazing chocolate concoctions:

*Thanks to Hachette for providing a copy of this book for review. I am an Amazon associate.

Review & Giveaway: Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy by Mary Tomer

I follow Mrs-O.org - the web site that Mary Tomer created to chronicle Michelle Obama's fashion style. When I saw that this idea was turned into a book called Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy by Mary Tomer, I knew I had to have a copy myself. I find that Mrs. Obama is a First Lady with intelligence, style, class, strength and charisma. These qualities are reflected in her personal style and choice of clothing that is inspiring. I like that she combines high end designer labels with more affordable brands such as Gap, J Crew, and Liz Claiborne.

Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy includes over 120 beautiful photographs of Mrs. O and describes the back story related to her clothes and accessories. The photographs are stunning and bold and I enjoyed looking through them and reading about details related to the fashions she chose to wear. You get a true sense of her personal style. There are also interviews with her favorite designers which include Isabel Toledo, Jason Wu, Michael Kors, Maria Pinto and Isaac Mizrahi. The book opens with Michelle Obama's earlier years and even includes rare photos from behind-the-scenes of the presidential primary trail , the 2008 Democratic National Convention, the events of election night, the inauguration and early life in the White House. There are even drawings and opinions at the end of the book from Mrs. O's fans which was fun to read.

I found this video from Mrs-O.org that describes the book and you can see actual photos and details from the book. Check it out:

*Thanks to Hachette for providing a copy of this book for review. I am an Amazon associate.

**GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED**

~GIVEAWAY DETAILS~

Thanks to Anna at Hachette I have ONE copy of Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy by Mary Tomer,to give away to one lucky reader!

1. Leave a comment and PLEASE, make sure to leave an email address in your comment so that I can contact you. I will have to draw another winner if I have no way to contact you. ~1 entry

2. Blog about this giveaway (Posting the giveaway on your sidebar is acceptable). Leave a separate comment with a link to your post. ~1 entry

3. Subscribe to my rss feed, follow me on blogger or subscribe via email (If you are already a follower or subscriber that applies as well, just let me know). Leave a separate comment for this. ~1 entry for one option not all, let me know if you are a subscriber or follower.

4. Tweet this post on Twitter. Leave me a separate comment with your twitter user name.~1 entry

Please remember to leave an email address so that I can contact you if you are a winner. Also, there are many ways to get extra entries, LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT for each one or they will not count. I will be using random.org to pick the winners.

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada, only. No P.O. Boxes Please.

The deadline to enter is November 30th at Midnight, EST

Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney is the 4th book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series that is very popular with elementary aged kids. That includes my son Andrew who is about to turn 11. He has read the whole series twice and this is definitely one of his favorite series. I've shared here before when I read and reviewed the other 3 books in the series that my son begged me to read the books and lined them up on my nightstand. How could a mom say no?! Well, I have to say that I understand why kids like the humor in these books but as an adult I can honestly say that I am tiring of them. It could be that Greg who is in middle school continues to experience the same lessons in different ways but doesn't seem to learn much about the lessons of life.

In Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, Greg is on summer vacation and is writing his experiences down in another diary but this summer, he prefers to stay indoors playing video games. His mother tries to find ways to coax him outside to the pool which he hates or on various family and outdoor adventures. There is usually a problem along the way and Greg gets into trouble. Greg often includes his friend Rowley in his antics and doesn't always treat him with the most respect and Rowleys parents don't like that. The comics accompany each story add a nice touch and are the highlight of the series for most kids. I did enjoy Greg's excursion to the beauty salon where his mother drops him off for a haircut and he gets involved in the ladies gossip, gets to read gossip magazines and wants to go back again.

As a parent, I would like to see Greg learn more from his actions and show more maturity and emotional growth as he gets older. As a kid, they love that he gets away with things and gets himself into hysterically funny situations that he can't get himself out of.

My son Andrew's thoughts: "I like that these books are funny and Greg has a good personality....he is kind of cool because he does funny stuff. I can't wait until the next book comes out!"

• The first book in the series is: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, you can read my review here.
• The second book is: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick rules, you can read my review here.
• Another book in the series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do- it-yourself Book(an interactive journal).
• The third book is Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, you can read my review here.

*Thanks to Abrams Books for providing me with a copy of the book for review. I am an Amazon Associate.

Revew & Giveaway: Fierce Style by By Christian Siriano (Project Runway Winner)

I am a recent fan of Project Runway but I missed the season when Christian Siriano was the winner. It's a fun show to watch and see the contestants create amazing , unique and some off the wall and bizarre fashions. I like that the show encourages out of the box thinking and creativity. I am not a fashion diva but I can dream!

Christian Siriano was the youngest designer to win Project Runway in 2008. He is only 23 and has already made a name for himself in the fashion world. Now, he is also an author of Fierce Style, in which he shares his story and his philosophy about living a "Fierce" life and not allowing fear to stop you from creating your own personal style. The book is full of helpful fashion hints, behind the scenes photos and his personal experiences with famous people. One of my favorite pictures showed Whoopi Goldberg in a dress that Christian designed for her which highlighted her gorgeous legs. This is not a feature that Whoopi usually shows as she prefers more comfy clothes. Christian has a sense of humor, determination and boldness. He even has his own lingo of words which you find sprinkled throughout the book and a glossary in the back of the book with definitions. He also gives advice on creating your own personal style, building self-confidence and reveals his own list of fashion dos and dont's.

*Thanks to Hachette for providing a copy of this book for review. I am an Amazon associate.

**GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED**

~GIVEAWAY DETAILS~

Thanks to Anna at Hachette I have ONE copy of Fierce Style by Christian Siriano to give away to one lucky reader!

1. Leave a comment and PLEASE, make sure to leave an email address in your comment so that I can contact you. I will have to draw another winner if I have no way to contact you. ~1 entry

2. Blog about this giveaway (Posting the giveaway on your sidebar is acceptable). Leave a separate comment with a link to your post. ~1 entry

3. Subscribe to my rss feed, follow me on blogger or subscribe via email (If you are already a follower or subscriber that applies as well, just let me know). Leave a separate comment for this. ~1 entry for one option not all, let me know if you are a subscriber or follower.

4. Tweet this post on Twitter. Leave me a separate comment with your twitter user name.~1 entry

Please remember to leave an email address so that I can contact you if you are a winner. Also, there are many ways to get extra entries, LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT for each one or they will not count. I will be using random.org to pick the winners.

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada, only. No P.O. Boxes Please.

The deadline to enter is November 30th at Midnight, EST

Review: The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

Towner Whitner is the narrator of The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry and she starts off recommending that we as a reader not believe her as she is not honest. Hmm..that is a big clue and gives you pause to start this story as it is a mystery to the end. The Towner women are from Salem, Massachusetts and are able to read the future in patterns of lace. Towner left home at a young age but comes back to Salem after the disappearance of her aunt. Towner is forced to confront the secrets of the past, the truth about the death of her twin sister, her parents and her family. As a reader we are taken on a bit of a roller coaster ride trying to separate the truth from the lies and unravel the secrets. At times I was confused reading through the events that got a bit bogged down with past details that were unclear. There is a major twist at the end that I didn't see coming which changes the story and makes for a satisfying ending. There are so many rich layers to The Lace Reader that I can't share anything more as I don't want to spoil the reading experience for those who have yet to read this book.

The Lace Reader definitely fits my description of Book Club Worthy. There is so much to discuss about this book and especially the ending! Add it to your list of books to choose from for your next book club discussion. There is a Reading Group Guide at the back of the book and you can also find it online here .

There is a wonderful discussion with the author Brunonia Barry with Book Club Girl on Blog Talk Radio. You can listen to the discussion here .

*Thanks to Harper Collins and Book Club Girl for providing me with a copy of the book to review. I am an Amazon Associate.

Review: Oprah Book Club "An Ex-Mas Feast" by Uwem Akpan

An Ex-Mas Feast is the first story of the short story collection in Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan.

This is the story of a poor, homeless family living in Africa in deplorable conditions. The family rely on their 12 year old daughter who turns to the streets to work and raise money to provide for her family. Her younger siblings including her 8 year old brother ,who narrates the story, also work the streets and beg and steal for money and food. My heart went out to this family trying to survive and the ways they do so is heartbreaking. This story emphasizes the the victims of the plight of poverty in Africa and how they survive. It opened my eyes to a lifestyle that is unimaginable but is reality in this world. I think it's important to read stories like this to open our eyes to what is happening in the world even though it's uncomfortable to read about and even though we may not personally be affected by it.

This is an Oprah Book Club Selection , here is a video with some thoughts Oprah shares about the first story.

*This book is my own personal copy. I am an Amazon Associate.

Review: $20 Per Gallon by Christopher Steiner

$20 Per Gallon: How the Inevitable Rise in the Price of Gasoline Will Change Our Lives for the Better by Christopher Steiner

(Hachette Audiobook , Unabridged and read by John Wolfe )

Review written by my husband Greg:

Have you given a moment to consider what would happen if gasoline prices doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled? You might be tempted to think that the effects would be limited to the types of vehicles you drive and consequently what you pay at the pump. Maybe you're thinking that electric cars will eventually become practical and so the problem is solved. If that's your understanding, then you would do well to read this book. What you may not be considering, and what Christopher Steiner points out, is that the entire fabric (literally) of our society depends on petroleum products. Polyester clothing, carpeting, countertops, roofing, asphalt, and everything made of plastic requires petroleum to produce. Consider too that all products, be they petroleum based or not, require gasoline to transport them from their source to our local retail stores. Of course this includes agricultural products as well, which end up on our grocery store shelves. Air travel becomes affordable only for the wealthy and Walmart prices skyrocket due to their reliance on cheap transportation costs.

Disrupt the flow of petroleum and our well oiled, petroleum leveraged, societal machine begins to crack at its seams. There seems little doubt of that, but the real question is can we adapt appropriately if and when that occurs. Christopher Steiner makes a strong case that it's really a case of "when" and not "if". Given that petroleum is a finite, non-renewable resource it's inevitable that production will peak and then steadily dwindle down to oblivion. The author also suggests that we are at or near that peak and that all of the easy to extract oil has already been extracted making it increasingly expensive to sustain our current appetite for oil. It's a sobering thought.

The chapters in this book are given titles such as $4 gas, $10 gas, $20 gas and reflect the consequences associated with the specific price. There's a spectrum here which includes the demise and decline of such things as the SUV, air travel, asphalt highways and roofs, living in the suburbs, imported goods, trash pickup, and all petroleum based products including the case for your iPod. The consequences are anything but mild.

However, the future may not be all doom and gloom, especially if we rise to the occasion with an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. We'll learn how to conserve, make our processes more efficient. These measures will yield environmental benefits as well. We'll become more of an electric society where wind, solar, and nuclear power provide the bulk of our energy needs. Spending less time in our cars will also mean that more lives will be saved and a healthier populace as we spend more time walking and riding bicycles rather than driving to the local fast food chain. Christopher Steiner speculates the melting of the suburbs as it becomes more cost effective to once again live in the cities. We'll see the rebirth of trains as well as new subway projects which were previously unfundable. Our plastic products will be replaced with materials derived from corn and will decompose soon after they're buried in the landfill.

Whether or not all this will unfold just as Christopher Steiner claims is not completely certain as some of his tenets are better supported than others (some downright specious), but one thing is for certain, changes due to petroleum shortages are inevitable and will affect us in our lifetime. $20 Per Gallon offers us a clarion call to action. Now is the time to prepare, and some forward thinking companies such as UPS are already taking the right steps and will allow them to thrive in the future. In addition to the prognostication, what I like about this book is that it motivated me to take a fresh look at my own energy consumption habits and how they might be improved. For some, this could translate into refraining from purchasing a gas guzzling vehicle or it could be as simple as deciding not to purchase that cutesy piece of Chinese junk.

• Listen to an excerpt of $20 Per Gallon, here.
• Read an Q &A with author Christopher Steiner, here.
• Christopher Steiner's: THE TOP 10 CHANGES IN A FUTURE OF HIGH GAS PRICES
• Check out the authors website, The Steiner Post, here
  
  

Information to purchase book, audiobook. (I am an Amazon Associate)

Thanks to Hachette for providing this audiobook for review.

Sunday Salon: Sunny Fall Sunday 10/25

It's a gorgeous sunny fall day in Ohio. I didn't take the picture above but it was taken in my area. Isn't it beautiful with the fall leaves changing and bright colors? That is what it looks like here. I was under the weather again with the stomach flu and that was why my blog was very quiet this week. I even missed a professional conference (that I had prepaid months ago) as I was so sick. That was really a bummer as I wanted to attend and had our schedules all arranged with my son and hubby. I've attended many conferences over the years and have never had to miss one due to illness. I did manage to finish reading several books as I was "resting" and that was the highlight of my week! My son Andrew was sweet and made me a homemade card...one of those that you treasure when they're older.

I finished reading:

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry (I missed the live Book Club Girl discussion with the author): The ending was a stunner and I'm looking forward to listening to what the author has to say and I will be writing my review this week.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney : My son read it before me and devoured it. He's already re-reading the series again. Can you tell he's a fan?! Me, I'm getting tired of the series but am glad that he enjoys the books. We were just at Wallyworld this evening and noticed that this book was sold out! We'll be posting a review this week, hopefully!

The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest by Stiegg Larson: My wonderful friend Ginny from our online book discussion group passed this book on to me...wasn't that nice?! We both loved the series and she was kind enough to send it to me and I'm passing it along to another friend in the discussion group. This book was action packed as well and dense with information. It definitely answers a lot of questions about the main character Salander. I need to write up my review this week as well. At Amazon, this book is not available until May 2010. You can buy it now at The Book Depository in the UK and they ship worldwide free.

I started reading:

Sunflowers: A novel of Van Gogh by Sheramy Bundrick. There is an online discussion with the author through Book Club Girl on November 2nd at 7pm EST.

Giveaways:

My Off the Bookshelf Giveaway of 4 different books ends October 31st. Check out the details and enter here.

I have several more giveaways in the works and will be posting those soon so stay tuned!

Book Club & A Book Review for Honolulu by Alan Brennert

Book Review:

What can be better than to read a book about Hawaii? Probably, to visit there which is my dream vacation and I hope to travel there someday. The next best thing was to discuss a wonderful historical fiction book related to Hawaii with my book club.

Honolulu by Alan Brennert captures the essence of Hawaii in the 1920's and 1930's and encapsulates the immigrant experience through the characters that emigrate there from different countries and cultures. At the center of Honolulu is Jin, a young girl who leaves her native country of Korea to become a "picture bride" to a man she has never met in Hawaii. She is led to believe that the roads are paved in gold and there are many more opportunities for women there. Girls are not valued in Korean culture and Jin was named Regret at birth. That broke my heart to read that girls lives had such little value and to label them with names that were so demeaning emphasized this. Thankfully, Regret changes her name to Jin when she arrives in Hawaii. Sadly she is not met with roads paved in gold but to find her husband-to-be a farm worker with a harsh and bitter character. The marriage is not a good one as he is horribly abusive and Jin is forced to leave and find her own way.

Jin travels to Honolulu and is able to find her way to change from a naive woman to a strong and determined woman. She finds a way to divorce and remarry a wonderful man and builds a family. She develops a strong connection to a group of friends that are also Korean picture brides and they help each other develop businesses and to survive and thrive. Along the way, they are faced with great prejudice and must deal with their own prejudices. Even the Hawaiian natives are treated poorly by American leaders who invade Hawaii.

This is a historical fiction novel and the author weaves a great amount of information that was interesting and fascinating but at times didn't flow smoothly. As readers we learn of Korean culture and the Japanese invasion of their country. We also learn a great deal about the history of Hawaii from the 20's and 30's through to the 50's which include sugar cane plantations, pineapple and carnation farming, strikes, surfers, prostitution, and the conflict between whites and and other cultures. Ultimately, the Massie Affair was brought into the story at the end which tied Jin and her family to the family of one of the accused.

In the end, Jin travels back to Korea to see the family she left behind and to make peace with her past and present. Jin was a woman of tremendous courage and strength and I admired her character greatly.

Additional Thoughts: I also read Moloka'i by Alan Brennert with my book club several years ago. I highly recommend this novel, it was one of my book clubs favorite books. It's also based in Hawaii and related to factual events. A young Hawaiian girl is sent away to a leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i and her life forever changes.

Book Club Views:

My book club met this week and we had a terrific discussion about Honolulu . We all liked the book but had different viewpoints on the story and how it was told. Several felt the book had too many story lines that were a bit choppy and didn't flow well. There was a lot woven into the story and others felt it flowed fine and needed to be taken down the different roads that it travelled to share the history of Korea, Jin's life and Hawaiian history. We all adored Jin and were happy that she was not referred to as Regret for very long in the book. We were all appalled at how undervalued women were and not allowed to be educated in Korea at this time. Many of us found ourselves researching and reading more about the Massie Affair and found it a sad and devastating part of Hawaiian history. We all agreed that Mr. Brennert did a wonderful job as a male author portraying a women's voice through Jin. All but one of us had read Moloka'i and we agreed that we liked Honolulu but preferred the story told in Moloka'i .

On to the food, my friend who hosted book club tied the appetizers and dessert she made to the Hawaiian theme and she did a fabulous job. She prepared a very special Hawaiian themed dessert of Chocolate Lava Cakes that were scrumptious. I didn't take a picture but it looked similar to this picture I found at The Pioneer Woman Cooks, you can even find a recipe there.

Next month, we are reading Blame by Michelle Huneven.

Honolulu by Alan Brennert definitely gets the

Book Club Worthy stamp of approval.

Mailbox Monday~October 12th

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. In this fun meme, we share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week. This is what arrived in my mailbox last week:

• Time of my life by Allison Winn Scotch (win from Presenting Lenore)


• Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman (ARC from author)


• Secrets of a Christmas Box by Steven Hornby (Publisher)


• Saving Sammy: Curing the boy who caught OCD by Beth Alison Maloney (Random House and TLC Book Tours)


• Overcoming School Anxiety by Diane Peters Mayer (AMACOM BOOKS and FRN)

Review: Betsy-Tacy & Betsy-Tacy and Tib by Maude Hart Lovelace

I was an avid reader as a young child and don't know how I missed the Betsy~Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace. I would have loved these books and read them back to back if I had known about them. I am thrilled that I have been able to discover them as an adult and plan to share the discovery with my niece and friends who have young daughters. This heartwarming series is actually set at the turn of the century, over 100 years ago in the small town of Mankato, Minnesota. In the first book, Betsy~Tacy, Betsy is a young 5 year old girl wishing for a girl her own age to move into her neighborhood. Lo and behold, another family moves in across the strreet and they have a 5 year old girl named Tacy who is quite shy and bashful but the girls become the best of friends. Betsy and Tacy have many adventures, get into trouble, and have very vivid imaginations. They help each other adjust to life in kindergarten and dealing with sibling issues.

The story continues in Betsy~Tacy and Tib when a new girl named Tib moves into the neighborhood and their friendship broadens and they are 9-10 years old. Now, the three girls have many more adventures together and even start their own club. They have their share of troubles that they get into and I chuckled to myself at quite a few of them. They also must deal with life and death issues such as illness and the loss of a family member. I believe that the experiences Betsy, Tacy and Tib share are universal ones related to enduring friendships, sibling rivalries, parental authority etc. I believe that the Betsy~Tacy books can open up a world to young girls that can also teach them about compassion, sharing, generosity and so much more.

What I loved about Betsy~Tacy books was the simple and gentle approach to life, community and family. I would best describe them as wholesome, and they share a way of life that is different than our current modern lifestyles of today. There were no TV's, computers, cell phones to distract them away from the simpler things in life. I could relate to some of the girls experiences as I grew up in the 60's and 70's. I met my very first "best friend" in a similar way as Betsy when a new girl moved in across the street when I was between 3-4 years old. She was a year older and we became instant friends and loved playing dolls together. She was more of the bossy one who took charge and came up with the ideas that usually got us into trouble, similar to Betsy. I guess, I was more like Tacy who was a bit more shy and followed along with the "great" ideas. I also had red hair like Tacy as well. When my friend Robin was to go to kindergarten, she was not happy that I could not go with her as I was a year younger. She came up with a way for me to go with her to kindergarten. She gave me a dress to wear and I hid it in my closet. My father worked night shift and often was asleep around the time the bus would arrive and my mother was working. Robin told me to sneak out and get on the bus with her and then I could go to Kindergarten also. Well, it didn't work as my dad caught on to what we were doing just as I was about to get on the school bus. It's a family story that we still chuckle about today. Sadly, I've lost touch with Robin as we moved away and our lives changed. I loved cutting out paper dolls as a girl and so did Betsy, Tacy and Tib. They explored nature, built houses from wood, and were allowed some freedom to explore the world. These days, it is harder to trust our own world and society to allow our children to ride off on their bicycles or play unattended as for fear of predators and other dangers. I'm sure that there were issues in these times as well but we live in a different world now. There were also no TV's, computers, cell phones to distract them away from the simpler things in life. I think it would be enriching for more children to read the Betsy~Tacy books (especially books 1 & 2) today and give them some wonderful ideas as to how to "play" without the use of all of the electronic media that they "think" they so desperately need to survive! In my opinion, as a mom and as an occupational therapist by profession, kids have lost some of the natural curiosity and ability to play easily and simply and many have to be taught imaginative play. I know that we are fortunate to have our electronic gadgets and it would be hard to live without them if we were to have to give them up. On the other hand, if we don't have all the "stuff" or limit it and have more of a balanced life, our children can live a simpler more imaginative life. I think it would be enriching for more children to read the Betsy~Tacy books which can open up a whole new world to a child, to me, that is the beauty of reading and books!

The artwork was beautifully illustrated by Lois Lenski. There were wonderful black and white sketches throughout the books. They added charm and a way to imagine as a reader, what the girls worlds were like in Minnesota. I also enjoyed reading Maud Hart Lovelace's forward, notes and photos and sketches at the end of each book where she explains that much of the books are related to her real life. There is also a website dedicated to the Betsy~Tacy books called the Betsy~Tacy Society.

You can learn more about Maud Hart Lovelace,

the Betsy~Tacy Books,
Teachers & Librarians - Teaching ideas and activities
Betsy-Tacy Book Club - Start your own Betsy-Tacy Book Club
Fun & Games - Betsy-Tacy Activities for all ages
Birthday Party - Have a Betsy-Tacy Birthday Party


The exciting news for Betsy~Tacy fans is that Harper CollinsPublishers recently released and reiussued new double-volume editions of the final six books in the series and all of Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy Tacy books are back in print.

There are reissue celebrations scheduled in the following cities:

• 10/23 Bainbridge Island, WA at the Library (this date is still a bit tentative)
• 11/7 Highland Village, TX Barnes and Noble
• 11/8 St. Paul, MN at the Red Balloon Bookshop
• 4/17/10 Dallas, TX, Dallas Heritage Village

There is also a Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge at A Library is a Hospital for the Mind,
check out the details here.


Thank you to TLC Book Tours for inviting me to participate in this tour.

Check out these other TLC tour stops this week:

• Tuesday, October 13th: A High and Hidden Place


• Wednesday, October 14th: The Well-Read Child


• Thursday, October 15th: Diary of an Eccentric
  

Review: The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

I recently reviewed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the first book in the Millenium Trilogy. The Girl who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson is the second book in the the series. I found this second book, even better than the first which says a lot as I described the first book as spellbinding. The Girl who Played with Fire held my interest from start to finish as it was such a powerful and engrossing story. I find these books very hard to review so bear with me as I don't want to give away the storyline or any spoilers. To me, this is the kind of series that you need to dive into and not know what comes ahead.

My favorite storyline and character from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was Lisbeth a twenty-something pierced and tattooed young woman with a horrible past full of secrets. She is intriguing and mysterious and her mind works at a genius level including her computer hacking abilities. In this book, Lisbeth is the focus and the heart of the story as you finally learn much more about her childhood, her family and what her life was like growing up. Her story is haunting and it's amazing that one can survive through such trauma in one lifetime. Mikael a political and financial journalist who runs and co-owns a magazine called Millenium is now tracking a story that exposes the sex trade industry in Sweden. He discovers ties to members of Swedish society, business and even government. When he is closer to exposing this, murder and mystery ensue. Lisbeth is linked to the murders and Mikael is the only one who believes in her innocence. Lisbeth is drawn into this through her own curiosity and hacking skills once again and she is finally forced to confront details from her past.

There are definitely disturbing parts to this book as in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo that are graphic and violent in nature so be forewarned if this is something that bothers you. The storyline was so amazing and intelligent that these dark aspects didn't destroy my opinion of the book. As in the first book, there was a lot of violence towards women and it seems excessive. The author tends to focus on human interest stories in which women are dealt with in underhanded and evil ways. I believe that his intent was to bring attention to this issue of the sex trade/trafficking issue as it is a global one.

The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is the third and final book in the Millenium trilogy. It is to be released in paperback in the U.S. at the end of October but it is unclear as to its availability. If anyone has any information about this, please share in the comments section. I am very anxious to read this final book in the trilogy even though I hate to see it end.

Bookmark Giveaway Solving Zoe

I recently reviewed Solving Zoe by Barbara Dee, an entertaining look at middle school life through the eyes of Zoe, a 12 year old girl who is in 6th grade at a private gifted school in New York. The story is funny, entertaining and the characters are drawn with a depth and complexity that don't make them just superficial characters. The story itself is one that the reader can learn about ciphers and cryptanalysis in which the author presents in an interesting fashion. I highly recommend Solving Zoe for middle school readers and adults...it is a fun book to read!

Make sure to check out Barbara Dee's website for more information.

Barbara Dee kindly sent me 6 Solving Zoe Bookmarks to give away to my blog readers. Thanks Barbara!

To win one of these cool bookmarks, just leave a comment and make sure to leave an email address so I can contact you. I will choose a winner randomly using random.org, ends October 15th. Open Internationally!

Mailbox Monday: A bit late....

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. In this fun meme, we share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week. I didn't post a mailbox last week so I'll be sharing what I received the past two weeks.

• Thank You For All Things by Sandra Kring (Bookmooch)
• Fierce Style by Christian Siriano (Hachette)
• Mrs. O by Mary Tomer (Hachette)
• Close Encounters of the third-grade kind by Phillip Done (Hachette)
• The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry (Book Club Girl)
• Bookmark It! Club bookmark from The Literate Housewife Review (I don't have a picture but you can see the beautiful Indian Inspired bookmark at Bermuda Onion's Mailbox Monday post from last week. It's gorgeous!)