America America: A Novel by Ethan Canin

This was an audio book. I really enjoyed it. I am getting spoiled by reading such good ones lately!

This story is about a young boy who is hired on by the founding family of the town. As he works for them he is drawn into their lives. He begins to help with various things and the patriarch of the family is helping a senator run for president. During this time, the boy learns I think more than he ever imagined about the political process and what wealth can do good and bad.

I'm not going to go too much into it because I don't want to give it away, but its told from the view point of the young boy who is now a married man with mostly grown daughters of his own.

I thought it was really good. If I were grading it, I would give it a B+. Not one of my all time favorites, but one I am really glad I read.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Another book I wasn't too anxious really to read, but it had gotten such good reviews. Of course I loved it too.

In this story Skeeter comes back to Mississippi after college. This is at the beginning of the civil rights movement. Her mother is anxious for her to marry, but she really just wants to be a writer. She applies for a job in New York, but is turned down. The editor however is interested in her and offers to read some of her work. After sending off ideas to her that are rejected by her, she comes upon the idea of writing about what it is like to be a black maid in a white household. She is hoping that through this she can find out what happened to her own housekeeper that raised her.

She gets one maid to tell her story and after interest from the publisher they are able to get others. Each has their own reason for wanting to tell their story, which is what makes it so fascinating. Most are very distrustful of Skeeter and her motives, but eventually they overcome that and get the stories told.

The book was written from three of the characters point of view, Skeeter, and two of the maids Aibileen and Minny.

It was a very good enlightening book. Another book I would highly recommend.

The Guernsey Literar and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Wow what a great book!!! I totally understand why it is so popular. I wasn't sure about it, but it had gotten such great reviews it was put on my TBR list. I'm so glad I read it.

Told in letter form it is a story of an island in Europe that was occupied by Nazis during WWII. An author received a letter from a man on the island and comes to talk about the Literary Society they formed during that time, completely by accident. Intrigued the writer, Juliet, begins corresponding with not only Dawsey, the original gentlemen who sent her the letter, but other residents of the island and members of the Literary Society.

I thought it was fantastic and fair minded. While it does describe the atrocities of the Nazis, it also tells of the humanity of some of the Germans. But that is not the main story. The main story are these residents and how they survived. Each character is somewhat quirky and fun. I loved them all!

It is definitely a book I would recommend to everyone. Absolutely fantastic.

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

I'm trying to get caught up on my reviews. So I'm starting with the last book I read.

All of her books are very educational about different diseases and social issues. I really enjoyed all the characters and for a change was more ambivalent about the outcome.

The mother of the OI daughter I thought was sympathetic and I understood why she was suing, trying to make sure that her daughter would always have the care she needed. However I think that she was wrong to do so. I do think that our society is way to litigious now. I also think that to blindside her best friend was inexcusable.

As always she has a twist, but to be honest after so many of her books, it was a twist I expected. Her books don't bring the reactions out of me that they used to, mainly because you see them coming.

Overall I did think it was a good book.

Agh, I am a bad blogger

Okay I have been horrible with this, after my vacation I had a business trip and just got back a few days ago. I am still recovering.

I will go home tonight and update on all the books I have read.

I did purchase the new Kindle 2 before leaving on my business trip. I really like it. There are some pros and cons, but overall it was much easier than packing all the books I normally bring on a trip. A con of it is that my reading speed is much slower on it than with a book, but I think that may just be adjustments and hopefully can get that back up. With a book I am at about 100 pages per hour, with the Kindle I am about 60-70 pages/hour. I'm figuring that out by the amount of pages per book and the time it takes me to read it. The Kindle doesn't really have pages so its a bit different.

Well I promise to catch up on everyone else's blogs and get my updates done on here.

MIA - Vacation

Sorry I have been MIA, I have been on vacation and away from computers for some of it. When I did have access to the internet, I was doing work. Blah! I just didn't have time to blog. I did Facebook though.

So we get back from a great vacation for a niece's wedding in Savannah, GA (one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to) and then we get our hot tub delivered, I have a nephew's first communion and a niece/nephews birthday, so its been a bit crazy. To top it off, I leave next week for a business trip to Las Vegas. Should be fun and hopefully I will get some reading and some writing done.

I did get three books completed while on vacation which isn't as many as I normally would, but they were good. I will hopefully work on reviews this week to get them up. I also want to catch up on everyone's blogs!

My reading is slowing down a bit because I have been working really hard on my book. I am almost 1/2 way done with the second chapter, and I have to admit I really like how its going. I have gotten some really positive feedback so it helps keep me going. I haven't told many people in my "real" life about it. Just my book club basically.

Hopefully I will get to catch up on everyone's blog and get my reviews posted this week!

Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy

Another hit! I loved it. She has such a way of taking these wonderful characters and weaving a story around them all.

It starts with stuffy, crabby Frank the hospital administrator wanting to sell some land the hospital owns, but being over ridden by the board who wants to turn it into a heart clinic. Enter Clara who is the one chosen to run the heart clinic. She finds all these wonderful people she hires to be part of the clinic.

The think I love is that characters from other books pop up, Fionna from Nights of Rain and Stars is featured prominently. But your able to catch up with other characters from that book as well as many from her other books.

The patients in the clinic also figure prominently as part of the story. While Clara is meaning to set up this heart clinic, she finds herself building a family.

It was a wonderful, heartwarming story. It was also a very quick read.