"A woman who leads a quiet life, keeping other people at a cool distance, one day utters an idle wish to be struck by lightning - and her wish is granted. Instead of killer her, this cataclysmic event marks a strange and powerful new beginning as the woman soon finds herself drawn into a passionate relationship with another survivor of a lightning strike, a mysterious stranger who harbors dark secrets. Their affair becomes the center of a riveting story of loss, love and redemption, a novel that reveals Alice Hoffman at the ver height of her powers."
That description from the back of the book is why I bought it - but I must say that I didn't particularly like this book until the final 20 pages or so. I considered not finishing it, but something told me to keep going, and I'm glad I did.
Although the story is quite odd - who wants to be struck by lightning? (And then gets their wish?) - I found the topic of lightning striking a woman to be fascinating. (And I hope that doesn't sound morbid). The way Hoffman writes about the relationship between 2 victims of lightning strike is amazing, and I wonder how true to life it is. Are there really support groups for victims of lightning strike? Through her relationship with Remy, the woman seems to become more clear about her path in life, because she always just seemed to float from day to day before she actually experience passion.
I was also intrigued by how much nature was explored in the book. Hoffman seems to like writing about Florida (where I live) and I had a constant image of a small eco-friendly house in my mind as I read the book. The ending is honestly the best part, although it's rather sad, but it seems as though she understood her place in life after all the bad she had experienced.
I just noticed the "National Bestseller" mark on the cover of the book! That means some of you other book bloggers have probably read this book. I'm curious what you thought; share your opinions please :)
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
Santiago the shepherd boy travels from Spain to Egypt to see the Pyramids, which is his dream. Along the way, he is enlightened by a gypsy, an Englishman, a "king", and an alchemist, each of which teaches him a valuable lesson. Perhaps the greatest lesson comes from Fatima, a girl he falls in love with and longs to return to once he has chased his dreams.
Coelho has written a wonderful book based on simple concepts. It's one I envision Oprah saying "see the simplicity of it," "learn from these lessons,"..and so on. And I did. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
"What's the world's greatest lie?" the boy asked, completely surprised.
"It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie." (p.20)
"...To realize one's Personal Legend is a person's only real obligation. All things are one. And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." (p.24)
"...people need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want. We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand." (p.78)
"You should pay more attention to the caravan," the boy said to the Englishman, after the camel driver had left. "We make a lot of detours, but we're always heading for the same destination."
"And you ought to read more about the world," answered the Englishman. "Books are like caravans in that respect." (p.79)
"...he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke - the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love. Something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert." (p.94)
"Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him," his heart said. "We, people's hearts, seldom say much about those treasures, because people no longer want to go in search of them. We speak of them only to children. Later, we simply let life proceed, in its own direction, toward its own fate. But, unfortunately, very few follow the path laid out for them - the path to their Personal Legends, and to happiness. Most people see the world as a threatening place, and, because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place..." (p.132)
"What's an alchemist?" he asked, finally.
"It's a man who understands nature and the world. If he wanted to, he could destroy this camp just with the force of the wind." (p.141)
"This is why alchemy exists," the boy said. "So that everyone will search for his treasure, find it, and then want to be better than he was in his former life...That's what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too." (p.151)
Coelho has written a wonderful book based on simple concepts. It's one I envision Oprah saying "see the simplicity of it," "learn from these lessons,"..and so on. And I did. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
"What's the world's greatest lie?" the boy asked, completely surprised.
"It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie." (p.20)
"...To realize one's Personal Legend is a person's only real obligation. All things are one. And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." (p.24)
"...people need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want. We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand." (p.78)
"You should pay more attention to the caravan," the boy said to the Englishman, after the camel driver had left. "We make a lot of detours, but we're always heading for the same destination."
"And you ought to read more about the world," answered the Englishman. "Books are like caravans in that respect." (p.79)
"...he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke - the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love. Something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert." (p.94)
"Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him," his heart said. "We, people's hearts, seldom say much about those treasures, because people no longer want to go in search of them. We speak of them only to children. Later, we simply let life proceed, in its own direction, toward its own fate. But, unfortunately, very few follow the path laid out for them - the path to their Personal Legends, and to happiness. Most people see the world as a threatening place, and, because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place..." (p.132)
"What's an alchemist?" he asked, finally.
"It's a man who understands nature and the world. If he wanted to, he could destroy this camp just with the force of the wind." (p.141)
"This is why alchemy exists," the boy said. "So that everyone will search for his treasure, find it, and then want to be better than he was in his former life...That's what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too." (p.151)
Monday, April 13, 2009
Time of My Life - Allison Winn Scotch
Jillian Westfield pretty much has it all. The house in the burbs, the successful husband, the gorgeous baby daughter. But she can't quite put the past to rest. She constantly thinks of the "what ifs" from 7 years ago, when she broke up with her boyfriend Jackson and met her now-husband Henry. She wonders what it would be like if things had unfolded differently with Jackson...
And then Jill is sent back in time one morning, 7 years in the past. No husband, no daughter, but instead, the career she built in advertising and the apartment in the city with her ex, Jackson. She is aware that she was sent back in time, so with the knowledge of the way her life did turn out, she makes decisions she thinks would improve her life from the past: better work, a smoother relationship with Jack, etc. She finds out that life isn't what it would have been, of course...but that she loves and misses the life of the present.
The book was good, but a little too cliche what with the "what would I have done differently if I could relive the past?", and I found it a little ironic that she is sent back into the past to face the music of her relationship with her ex...Jack. As in Jack and Jill. Am I the only one who caught onto this?
All in all...it took me too long to read this, which is always my sign that it's not a favorite. I will say though, that it did remind me to cherish what I have...and to not worry about "what ifs." Life just is what it is.
And then Jill is sent back in time one morning, 7 years in the past. No husband, no daughter, but instead, the career she built in advertising and the apartment in the city with her ex, Jackson. She is aware that she was sent back in time, so with the knowledge of the way her life did turn out, she makes decisions she thinks would improve her life from the past: better work, a smoother relationship with Jack, etc. She finds out that life isn't what it would have been, of course...but that she loves and misses the life of the present.
The book was good, but a little too cliche what with the "what would I have done differently if I could relive the past?", and I found it a little ironic that she is sent back into the past to face the music of her relationship with her ex...Jack. As in Jack and Jill. Am I the only one who caught onto this?
All in all...it took me too long to read this, which is always my sign that it's not a favorite. I will say though, that it did remind me to cherish what I have...and to not worry about "what ifs." Life just is what it is.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Scatterbrained
I started reading The Rise of the Creative Class last week, but it's so much info that I need to read it in pieces. As long as I can keep taking notes on it as I go, I think I'll be okay. I'm going to start a new book tonight or tomorrow.
In other news, I've been busy with work, soccer, blogging, and finding ways to make money on the side. Which probably means more babysitting more than anything else, but I love it.
Hope you're all reading some great books and enjoying the spring! Happy Easter!
In other news, I've been busy with work, soccer, blogging, and finding ways to make money on the side. Which probably means more babysitting more than anything else, but I love it.
Hope you're all reading some great books and enjoying the spring! Happy Easter!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A Book Meme
1. Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback? Trade paperback. Most hardbacks are too large for me to comfortable handle, and mass market paperbacks I don't love but will buy sometimes because they're so cheap.
2. Barnes & Noble or Borders? Have never had a Borders in my town...BN all the way!
3. Bookmark or dog-ear? Bookmark. Unless I lose it.
4. Amazon or brick and mortar? Both!
5. Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random? Not sorted at all.
6. Keep, throw away, or sell? Keep most...some I take to a used bookstore in exchange for store credit. I definitely rotate them through friends/family first though.
7. Keep dust jacket or toss it? Keep it.
8. Read with dust jacket or remove it? Read with it - sometimes comes in handy if I've lost my bookmark.
9. Short story or novel? Novels definitely.
10. Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? Neither.
11. Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? Chapter breaks almost always. I hate leaving off in the middle of a chapter.
12. "It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time"? Ooh...depends on my mood. But I'll take the dark and stormy night because they usually make for better stories.
13. Buy or borrow? Mostly buy, but sometimes borrow.
14. New or used? Either. I prefer to buy used, cheaper books on Amazon, but every now and again I'll go on a book buying spree at BN.
15. Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse? Browsing definitely. But I keep a list of "want to reads" based on recommendations from book bloggers.
16. Tidy ending or cliffhanger? I prefer tidy endings, although every book can't end that way. I am always just disappointed if I finish a book and feel like things are unresolved.
17. Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading? Nighttime reading happens most often, although I've been known to lay in bed reading for a couple hours on weekend mornings.
18. Stand-alone or series? Stand-alone for sure. I don't read many series.
19. Favorite series? Hmm...I can't think of one right now! Like I said, I don't read too many series.
20. Favorite children's book? Lots! Good Night Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, Ramona Quimby, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie...I could keep going!
21. Favorite YA book? I loved the first Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but never finished the series...
22. Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? Wow, not sure here.
23. Favorite books read last year? The Da Vinci Code, In the Woods, The Audacity of Hope, The Last Lecture, Change of Heart, Lucky Man: A Memoir - click here for recaps.
24. Favorite books of all time? The Audacity of Hope, One True Thing, My Sister's Keeper, The Last Lecture, To Kill a Mockingbird
25. What are you reading right now? The Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida
26. What are you reading next? The Alchemist
27. Favorite book to recommend to an eleven-year-old? Well...I happen to know a 10-year-old who loves the Junie B. Jones series, so I'll go with that.
28. Favorite book to reread? I don't reread books very often. Actually can't remember the last time I did.
29. Do you ever smell books? Yes, but I much prefer the smell of magazines :)
30. Do you ever read Primary source documents? Occasionally.
Found this meme on Marie's blog.
2. Barnes & Noble or Borders? Have never had a Borders in my town...BN all the way!
3. Bookmark or dog-ear? Bookmark. Unless I lose it.
4. Amazon or brick and mortar? Both!
5. Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random? Not sorted at all.
6. Keep, throw away, or sell? Keep most...some I take to a used bookstore in exchange for store credit. I definitely rotate them through friends/family first though.
7. Keep dust jacket or toss it? Keep it.
8. Read with dust jacket or remove it? Read with it - sometimes comes in handy if I've lost my bookmark.
9. Short story or novel? Novels definitely.
10. Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? Neither.
11. Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? Chapter breaks almost always. I hate leaving off in the middle of a chapter.
12. "It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time"? Ooh...depends on my mood. But I'll take the dark and stormy night because they usually make for better stories.
13. Buy or borrow? Mostly buy, but sometimes borrow.
14. New or used? Either. I prefer to buy used, cheaper books on Amazon, but every now and again I'll go on a book buying spree at BN.
15. Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse? Browsing definitely. But I keep a list of "want to reads" based on recommendations from book bloggers.
16. Tidy ending or cliffhanger? I prefer tidy endings, although every book can't end that way. I am always just disappointed if I finish a book and feel like things are unresolved.
17. Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading? Nighttime reading happens most often, although I've been known to lay in bed reading for a couple hours on weekend mornings.
18. Stand-alone or series? Stand-alone for sure. I don't read many series.
19. Favorite series? Hmm...I can't think of one right now! Like I said, I don't read too many series.
20. Favorite children's book? Lots! Good Night Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, Ramona Quimby, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie...I could keep going!
21. Favorite YA book? I loved the first Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but never finished the series...
22. Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? Wow, not sure here.
23. Favorite books read last year? The Da Vinci Code, In the Woods, The Audacity of Hope, The Last Lecture, Change of Heart, Lucky Man: A Memoir - click here for recaps.
24. Favorite books of all time? The Audacity of Hope, One True Thing, My Sister's Keeper, The Last Lecture, To Kill a Mockingbird
25. What are you reading right now? The Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida
26. What are you reading next? The Alchemist
27. Favorite book to recommend to an eleven-year-old? Well...I happen to know a 10-year-old who loves the Junie B. Jones series, so I'll go with that.
28. Favorite book to reread? I don't reread books very often. Actually can't remember the last time I did.
29. Do you ever smell books? Yes, but I much prefer the smell of magazines :)
30. Do you ever read Primary source documents? Occasionally.
Found this meme on Marie's blog.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Mother Warriors - Jenny McCarthy
I'm going to open a can of worms.
Jenny McCarthy writes in Mother Warriors about how she healed her son Evan's autism by detoxing him, changing his diet to gluten-free, casein free, and adding vitamins and supplements to his diet everyday (in addition to other therapies). She believes that Evan's autism was linked to vaccines he received as an infant. I have long believed there is a link between vaccines and autism.
I am not against vaccines. I am against giving a child vaccines with high amounts of toxins and mercury. I am against vaccinating a child who is sick or whose immune system is compromised in any way. I do not have kids and I'm not saying I won't vaccinate them when I do have kids. I'm saying vaccines need to be greener. Safer. Administered by doctors who are caring, willing to triple-check a child's medical history, willing to proceed with vaccines only when a child is 100% healthy. For many of the warrior mothers in this book, their children's autism hit after their MMR and/or chicken pox vaccine. One of the mothers, Lisa Ackerman actually tallied her child's vaccines and realized her child was given 125 micrograms of mercury through thimerosal, the perservative in vaccines. That is astonishing. And it should not be happening.
You may say that my opinion holds no merit because I don't have kids, but I actually do have experience with autism. I was a nanny to a child with a disorder on the autism spectrum (although autism was not the child's final diagnosis). I took that child to physical and occupational therapy where other kids were also receiving therapy. Other kids who had autism.
Back to the book: I give Jenny much credit for sharing her and Evan's story, and for pushing the cause. It can't be easy, but as I read in the book, it seems to be becoming more and more common. (Autism Speaks states that 1 in 150 children born in the U.S. will be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.) One thing that really struck me was when she mentioned the older generations being susceptible to diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimers and Parkinsons, and how genetics is a large factor in these diseases, just as it is with autism. Genetics obviously plays a large part in everything, but there are always environmental factors.
Jenny's whole take on healing autism was to get behind the original physical ailment, such as leaky gut, yeast in the body, etc. It was upon that realization that she placed her son on the gluten free, casein free diet and noticed he was changing for the better. Getting to the root of the problem. Healing the physical ailment. Holistic healthcare is definitely become more popular, as well it should. Medication does not work the same way for everyone, and side effects can obviously be more prevalent in some than in others. This is why I think most issues - physical ailments, etc. - should be examined in depth before people just start medicating themselves.
Jenny has received hundreds of letters from parents of children with autism, and she did a great job telling their stories. Autism has made the news several times recently, and I wanted to share one article I found the other day regarding applied behavior analysis as a treatment for autism.
There are so many views on this subject, I am simply presenting mine, and as always, leaving room for your comments. I apologize for skipping around; I have too many thoughts on this topic swirling in my head that they don't all make sense to me.
Jenny McCarthy writes in Mother Warriors about how she healed her son Evan's autism by detoxing him, changing his diet to gluten-free, casein free, and adding vitamins and supplements to his diet everyday (in addition to other therapies). She believes that Evan's autism was linked to vaccines he received as an infant. I have long believed there is a link between vaccines and autism.
I am not against vaccines. I am against giving a child vaccines with high amounts of toxins and mercury. I am against vaccinating a child who is sick or whose immune system is compromised in any way. I do not have kids and I'm not saying I won't vaccinate them when I do have kids. I'm saying vaccines need to be greener. Safer. Administered by doctors who are caring, willing to triple-check a child's medical history, willing to proceed with vaccines only when a child is 100% healthy. For many of the warrior mothers in this book, their children's autism hit after their MMR and/or chicken pox vaccine. One of the mothers, Lisa Ackerman actually tallied her child's vaccines and realized her child was given 125 micrograms of mercury through thimerosal, the perservative in vaccines. That is astonishing. And it should not be happening.
You may say that my opinion holds no merit because I don't have kids, but I actually do have experience with autism. I was a nanny to a child with a disorder on the autism spectrum (although autism was not the child's final diagnosis). I took that child to physical and occupational therapy where other kids were also receiving therapy. Other kids who had autism.
Back to the book: I give Jenny much credit for sharing her and Evan's story, and for pushing the cause. It can't be easy, but as I read in the book, it seems to be becoming more and more common. (Autism Speaks states that 1 in 150 children born in the U.S. will be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.) One thing that really struck me was when she mentioned the older generations being susceptible to diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimers and Parkinsons, and how genetics is a large factor in these diseases, just as it is with autism. Genetics obviously plays a large part in everything, but there are always environmental factors.
Jenny's whole take on healing autism was to get behind the original physical ailment, such as leaky gut, yeast in the body, etc. It was upon that realization that she placed her son on the gluten free, casein free diet and noticed he was changing for the better. Getting to the root of the problem. Healing the physical ailment. Holistic healthcare is definitely become more popular, as well it should. Medication does not work the same way for everyone, and side effects can obviously be more prevalent in some than in others. This is why I think most issues - physical ailments, etc. - should be examined in depth before people just start medicating themselves.
Jenny has received hundreds of letters from parents of children with autism, and she did a great job telling their stories. Autism has made the news several times recently, and I wanted to share one article I found the other day regarding applied behavior analysis as a treatment for autism.
There are so many views on this subject, I am simply presenting mine, and as always, leaving room for your comments. I apologize for skipping around; I have too many thoughts on this topic swirling in my head that they don't all make sense to me.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Life on the Refrigerator Door - Alice Kuipers
You will probably read this book in one sitting. You will probably cry. At least you get a warning, which is more than I had.
The story is written solely through letters left between 15-year-old Claire and her mother as they struggle with their lives. Claire is an average teenager dabbling in boys, taking tests and babysitting for extra money to help her single mother. Her mom, who I gathered was a labor and delivery nurse (doctor?), struggles to run the household while supporting Claire in her projects. And then she's dealt a blow - breast cancer. You know where it goes from here. I could tell exactly where the story was going and couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I read the last page 40 minutes after I'd started the book and tears fell. You've been warned.
What a lovely story about a mother and daughter. Makes me appreciate mine more. (Are you reading mom? I love you). A must-read, even though it's obviously sad.
The story is written solely through letters left between 15-year-old Claire and her mother as they struggle with their lives. Claire is an average teenager dabbling in boys, taking tests and babysitting for extra money to help her single mother. Her mom, who I gathered was a labor and delivery nurse (doctor?), struggles to run the household while supporting Claire in her projects. And then she's dealt a blow - breast cancer. You know where it goes from here. I could tell exactly where the story was going and couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I read the last page 40 minutes after I'd started the book and tears fell. You've been warned.
What a lovely story about a mother and daughter. Makes me appreciate mine more. (Are you reading mom? I love you). A must-read, even though it's obviously sad.
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