"My Invented Country" Isabel Allende

Yesterday was a day off for me. The kids were having a PD Day (yes, yet another one) and when the kids don't have to go to school, I don't have to drive them there. Although I actually prefer to work the entire week, I viewed yesterday as a particularly delicious day off. I had time to get some things done that I haven't been able to get to this past week, I had a little time for housework, and a little time to relax. Ahhhhh...there's nothing quite like an extra day off. In the afternoon while Jarek was napping I took a nice relaxing bath and finally finished reading Isabel Allende's "My Invented Country: A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile." I had a hard time getting into the book. I wouldn't say that I didn't like it, I would just say that it jumped around so much that I couldn't figure out what exactly was going on. Allow me to explain.

Isabel Allende wasn't born in Chile, but was raised there after her father left her mother with three young children to bring up. Allende's mother moved back into her childhood home in Chile, and the four of them lived with Allende's grandmother and grandfather. Allende and her first husband fled from Chile during a time of intense political discourse, and because she never returned for good she felt as if she didn't quite belong anywhere; America, where she settled with her second husband or Chile, where she spend many of her formative years. This book is her attempt to come to terms with her multi-country life and a chance to re-live her years in Chile. The book itself was very interesting, enlightening readers about Chile's history and politics, as well as telling us about Chilean men and women, their legendary fish, and their delicate wines.

Although learning more about a country that I don't know very much about was interesting, I found that the book didn't quite gel together for me as I read, and I found myself losing interest from time to time. I would be reading about Allende's ancestors, and on the next page I would be reading about Chile's politics. It was, at times, a little confusing. Allende is aware of this problem, though, and she explains it herself on page 141:

"But, I've gone way off on a tangent, and I need to pick up the main thread of this account, if there is any thread in all this meandering. But that's how nostalgia is: a slow dance in a large circle. Memories don't organize themselves chronologically, they're like smoke, changing, ephemeral, and if they're not written down they fade into oblivion."

Aside from this small problem, I did learn a lot about Chile and found the book to have a very interesting subject. If you're willing to read a book that does meander a little, this is a great way to learn about an interesting country with a rich history. You can find out more about this book on Harper-Collins' website here. This is also my first entry into the Warm Up For Winter Reading Challenge.

Up Next: I've been reading quite the variety of books lately (the one New Year's Resolution that I've definitely kept so far!) but I'm ready to read something fictional now. I think that I will start Larry Doyle's "I Love You, Beth Cooper" as I've heard that it's a funny book. I would like to read something light-hearted in order to pass these cold winter days (will the winter ever end???).

"The Tales of Beedle the Bard" J.K. Rowling

I'll forever be a fan of the Harry Potter series. The seven books in the series have their very own shelf on my bookshelf, and I often re-read them when I don't have anything new to read or want to read something familiar and comforting. Taking this into account, I had to of course read J.K. Rowling's latest.

"The Tales of Beedle the Bard" is a collection of short stories for young witches and wizards, set us in the same way that Aesop's fables would be for our young muggles. Each short story is followed by Albus Dumbeldore's comments, which were found after his death in his Hogwart's office. Each story has a moral or lesson for young witches and wizards, and realistically a lesson for non-magical readers.

I enjoyed this short book, although it did make me lament the fact that there will be no more Harry Potter novels. J.K. Rowling has a unique way of immersing us in the world of magic that I believe no author has quite been able to achieve in the same way. Highly recommended as a light read for any Harry Potter fan.

Up Next: I've read two books meant for children and am now ready to read something intended for adults! I'm now reading Isabel Allende's "My Invented Country" for my first entry into the Warm Up for Winter Reading Challenge.

Could you pick a favourite author?

The other day I was thinking about all of my favourite authors and I wondered if I was forced to, could I pick just one and call that person my absolute "favourite"? I just don't think that I could (unless I was at gunpoint, because I could do just about anything at gunpoint!)

In the past year I find that I've rediscovered reading, often choosing books to read that are out of my usual comfort zone, and finding out that I enjoy reading a variety of genres by a variety of authors. Recently I've discovered Wally Lamb and I find his work to be thought-provoking and compelling. I've long been a fan of chick lit- it's comforting on a cold day and an enjoyable read. Some of my favourite chick-lit authors are Marian Keyes, Jill Mansell, Jennifer Weiner, and Emily Giffin. I also enjoy reading fiction and have fallen in love with the books by Tish Cohen, Marisa de los Santos, Christopher Moore, and Thrity Umrigar. There are so many more that I love; I'll probably post this and then think of 50 more great writers, but these are the ones that are at the top of my head. Some are authors that I've been following for a long time, some I've only discovered recently.

What about you? Do you have one favourite author, or do you have a list like me? Which authors are at the top of your list?

"Coraline" Neil Gaiman

I picked up a copy of "Coraline" after seeing a preview for the upcoming movie. I generally find that I enjoy the book far more than the movie, so I try to read the book before I even have a chance to see it (case in point: The Harry Potter series; the books were ten times better than the movies).

The premise of the book is this: It's summer and Coraline Jones is bored. She explores her new home and gets to know her eccentric neighbors, but she is fascinated by a door in her living room that leads only to a brick wall. One day, after a series of strange nighttime happenings, she unlocks this interesting door only to find that it no longer leads to a brick wall but to a fascinating corridor. This hallway leads to a house that is just like hers, but with a few exceptions. Her real mother has been replaced by her "other mother"; someone who looks just like her mother but she has weird fingers and buttons for eyes. Coraline's "other mother" wants Coraline to live with her forever; she needs someone to love and to love her in return and will do just about anything to make this happen. Coraline must decide if she wants to live in this strange world where anything goes or if she wants to return home; if she wants to return home she's going to have to be rather clever for the other mother is determined to keep her there.

This was a charming children's book; well-written with great visuals. I have a feeling that the movie is going to be great; there's just so much to work with! I'm looking forward to seeing this one.

"Veronika Decides to Die" Paulo Coelho

I picked up this book from my library after it was recommended by an article on The Savvy Reader. The premise: Veronika has decided to kill herself, even though she is a young woman, simply because she doesn't wish to do the same things over and over again for the rest of her life, pleasing others and not herself. She doesn't want to get old, because in her opinion everything is downhill from there. She swallows several packets of sleeping pills but instead of dying she wakes up in Villette, a mental hospital known for it's severe treatment of the patients. Once she wakes from her coma she finds out that although she failed at her first attempt to take her life, she will soon succeed. Her heart is irreversibly damaged and she has only days to live.

What follows is the account of Veronika's last days once she finds out that she is about to die. She starts taking chances in her life and figures out that all along she was trying to please others but wasn't being true to herself.

I'm kind of on the fence about this book. It wasn't the greatest book I've ever read and at times I had to force myself to continue reading, yet the story sums itself up quite nicely on the last pages, and it does manage to come together as a whole. In the last pages the book explains that we need to view each day of our existence as a miracle, instead of something that we just need to "make it through". This is a great point; I spend too much time looking ahead to the future and back at the past without concentrating on the beauty of the here and now. For this reason, I am thankful that I took the time to read this book. The message is simple, yet needs to be said.

For more on "Veronika Decides to Die", please check it out here.

Up Next: I've just read the first page of "Coraline". The commercial for the movie caught my eye and because the book is almost always better than the movie I want to read it before I watch it. I don't read a lot of children's literature, but I'm excited to give this one a try!

"She's Come Undone" Wally Lamb

I'll admit it. After devouring "The Hour I First Believed" I became addicted to Wally Lamb. And it's not at all because Oprah likes him. I have nothing against Oprah, but it bugs me when people only read books because she's recommended them! Anyways, after reading "The Hour I First Believed" I went and checked out "She's Come Undone", one of his earler books, from my library. Thanks in part to the several hours that we spent waiting in the emergency room last Tuesday I was able to fly through it despite the busyness of last week, and I finished it late Saturday afternoon.

*sigh* I wish that I hadn't finished it. Unsurprisingly, I loved it and had a hard time putting it down! "She's Come Undone" is essentially the life story of Dolores Price. We meet her in her earlier childhood; which quickly becomes traumatic for her as her parents divorce and she experiences another tragedy (I'm not going to spoil it for you!). Childhood turns into adolescence, which is no better for poor Dolores, and after another tragic event we follow her to college. After college we follow Dolores into the big, bad world, staying with her as she spends time in a mental institution, and later tries to survive (and thrive) among the average population.

I rooted for Dolores the entire way through. I wanted so badly for her to succeed in life and find happiness, despite the horrible things that had left their mark on her. Lamb's talent lies not only in telling a great story, but in making the reader care for his characters along the way. This was a truly remarkable book, well worth reading for anyone who has not yet had the pleasure.

You can find out more about "She's Come Undone" here.

Up Next: I've apparently been reading about mental health lately (I just figured that one out!) and am currently reading Paulo Coelho's "Veronika Decides to Die". The jury's still out on this one.

"The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly" Jean-Dominique Bauby

The critical praise for this book says it all:

"Read this book and fall back in love with life" Edmund White
"Everyone in the country should own at least one copy" Guardian
"The most extraordinary book of the year" Daily Telegraph
"One of the great books of the century" Financial Times

This remarkable book follows the journey of Jean-Dominique Bauby, who wakes up after having a stroke and finds that while his mind is fully intact, his body is almost completely paralyzed, a rare phenomenon called "locked-in syndrome". Bauby has become a prisoner of his own body, and while he can look at his children and feel the wind in his hair and smell the fresh air, he has lost so many things central to being human. He can no longer speak, or hold his children, or eat a meal (he's fed through a tube as he's unable to swallow). Instead of becoming depressed about his condition, he wrote this remarkable book using a system devised by his speech-therapist which allows him to dictate letters by using his left eyelid, one of the only parts of this body that is not paralyzed.

Dictating the entire book to someone sent by his publishing company, letter by letter, Bauby tells us about how it feels to be locked into himself. He tells us his fantasies about food, what he does to pass the time, and the TV shows he enjoys watching. He tells us his nicknames for the various workers in the hospital, nicknames that he will never be able to vocalize. He tells us of the books that he wishes he had read, the things that he wishes he had said and done while he had the chance. Instead of being depressing, this book celebrates life and all that it consists of. It will make the average person, such as myself, thankful for the times when my children are cranky and I am able to pick them up and hold them, or the times when the food at a restaurant takes an hour to come, but I am able to pick up a fork and savour the food. It really is a triumph of human life.

Bauby died in 1997, but this book will live on as one of his legacies. Truly remarkable. More information on this book is available here, and you can pre-order Harper-Collins' 25th anniversary edition here.

"Irish Girls About Town" Various Irish Authors

I've decided to neglect any as-yet-unfinished housework for the moment (and there's quite a bit of that!) and finally blog about the books I've finished reading this week. Considering that I'm almost finished "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb, I figured that I had better get caught up!

I decided to take "Irish Girls About Town" out of my library because I've always loved Irish writers and books set in Ireland. It didn't hurt that two of the authors featured in the book are favourites of mine: Maeve Binchy and Marian Keyes! The book consists of sixteen short stories written by female Irish authors, and a portion of the proceeds were donated to various Irish charities.

Unfortunately for me, I had already read the short stories in the book by the authors that I was most looking forward to ("Soulmates"by Marian Keyes and "Carissima" by Maeve Binchy) but the majority of the other stories in this book made up for it. They were charming and surprising both, and I read through the book fairly quickly. There were only one or two of the stories that I didn't care for in the end. This was an enjoyable read by some of Ireland's most prominent female authors, and I would recommend it as a short yet sweet read. You can find out more about the book here on Chapters.Indigo's website.

The Warm Up For Winter Reading Challenge is Here!

Wow, it's been a crazy week! On Tuesday my oldest son landed himself in the Emergency Room after falling on the ice at school (thankfully only a sprain!), on Wednesday I had to take my youngest son to the doctor's office for an immunization, and yesterday was the day I registered my middle son for Junior Kindergarten (sniff, sniff). The house is disastrous, I'm exhausted, but I thought that I would just leave a quick note to let everyone know that Harper-Collins has announced their newest reading contest! I find the newest edition of the contest to be particularly well thought-out and exciting; there's a way for everyone to participate, no matter what your reading preferences! I'm particularly looking forward to reading Christopher Moore's new novel, "Fool".

So, curl up under a blanket, have a cup of coffee, and start reading for "The Warm Up For Winter Contest". If that doesn't warm you up in this ridiculously frigid weather, nothing will!

(I'll be posting two new book reviews later on today or tomorrow- just as soon as I get some work done around here. *Yawn*)

Random Thoughts for a Friday

Well, I got through my first week back at work, which is good. Although we had a snow day in there, the kids and I got back into the swing of things, and next week should be easier still. Here are some random, completely unconnected thoughts for a quiet Friday afternoon:

• I watch wayyyyy too much Treehouse TV for a 27-year-old
• I need to get my eyebrows waxed, pronto. I'm going to get a unibrow and that won't be pretty!
• I finally got my blog over at pricenetwork.ca up and running, so I feel better about that
• I finished "The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly" this week but I need some time to process it before I blog about it. It was everything they said about it and more.
• I'm happiest when I have a pile of books to read. I picked up three more from the library last night and got one in the mail today. THAT makes me happy :)
• I really like Quaker's new cereal: Corn Bran Squares. I picked up a "Big Trial Pack (250 g)" from the Superstore for only 99 cents this morning, and it's delicious! Perfect for snacking, as I'm not really a breakfast person. It's sweet, but not overly so, and only has 120 calories for a one cup serving! I think that I'll go there and get some more over the weekend.

Well, I guess that's it for now! Happy weekend everyone!

"Jolted" Arthur Slade

I liked this book, but I probably would have liked it better had it not been so similar to the "Harry Potter" series.

"Jolted" is a YA book about a boy named Newton Starker. Newton's entire family has been killed by being struck by lightning- it seems to be a curse associated with being a Starker. Newton is determined to escape this curse by surviving so he enrolls in The Jerry Potts Academy of Higher Learning and Survival to help him learn how to survive in the most extreme conditions. The book chronicles Newton's first semester at the school, including his making of new friends, his adjusting to life away from home, and his adopting of a Truffle-sniffing pig from France.

The book was cute, but I couldn't help but notice the sheer number of similarities between this book and the Harry Potter series, which made "Jolted" lose points for originality in my opinion. Harry Potter is an orphan, Newton's mother was killed by lightning. Both children attend special boarding schools, both have one male and one female friend, and both are up against and unknown force (Harry Potter is up against Lord Voldemort, Newton is against lightning). Both boys have unusual pets (Harry an owl, Newton a pig). You get the point.

I have no doubt that "Jolted" will be popular with the younger set who kind of missed the whole Harry Potter book thing, but it needs to strive to be more original to make me pick up the next one. Thanks to HarperCollins' Facebook group for this copy!

Another Snow Day!

Wow! I just get back to work (and back into the groove of things- it usually takes a couple of days after a break!) and we have a snow day already. I completely understand that the Board of Education has a huge responsibility when it comes to deciding whether or not buses should run, BUT that being said, I drove to Tim Horton's this morning with no problems. I could have driven my bus run without a problem, and most of the other bus drivers that I know could have too, depite the fact that we drive a lot of backroads out here. Better safe than sorry, though, and I know that the safety of the children we transport is a huge factor when deciding whether or not the buses should be cancelled.

So, that leaves me with an entire (delicious) day of getting things done, which I love to do. Although the fact that all three kids are bored might slow me down a little. I've given them a stack of boxes that they have permission to both sit in and eventually destroy, which should buy me 15 minutes of computer time. I also have plans to take down our Christmas tree today, and I should be able to get it all done now that I don't have to work. I was reluctant to take it down this year because this is the first year that the boys haven't had it completely re-arranged within a week. They all love turning it on, which is why if you drive by our house right now, the tree is pretty much always on. Why deny them one of the simple pleasures in life, namely looking at pretty twinkling Christmas lights? I'm also hoping to get the first entry of my Food blog for pricenetwork.ca completed and up. I'm totally behind on that, so I should get going on it.

Well, on I go for now; the boys are almost finished destroying the boxes so I should try to come up with something else to amuse them. Happy Snow Day for all those who are off!

"It Sucked and Then I Cried" Heather B. Armstrong

Heather Armstrong, the blogger from Dooce.com, gained popularity online when she was fired from her job after blogging about her boss. She has since changed the tone a little and now blogs about her husband, Jon, her daughter, and her dogs. I personally have never heard of Dooce.com prior to reading this book. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I've always preferred books to blogs and online newsletters. I can cuddle up with a book, I have a harder time cuddling up with my computer.

"It Sucked and Then I Cried" is a book chronicling Armstrong's nine months of pregnancy, followed by the first nine months of her daughter's life. Although some bloggers are unable to make the transition from blogging to writing a book (I can think of one example in particular), Armstrong makes the transition flawlessly, writing a book that is as touching as it is funny. Armstrong first shares with us her decision to go off medication for her depression in order to try to conceive a baby with her husband, and tells us that coming off of her medication was one of the hardest experiences that she had to go through, although worth it in the end. She shares with us her nine months of pregnancy, which were not always easy, and then her first nine months of parenthood to her beautiful daughter.

Armstrong held nothing back in writing her story. Her version of pregnancy and new motherhood was above all realistic. While reading the book I caught myself nodding along to what she was saying because it is JUST SO TRUE. So many women go into their first pregnancy with a rosy view of what things will be like, but until you've dealt with morning sickness, and the sore boobs, and heartburn that is brought on by simply blinking one simply has no idea what pregnancy will be like. It's the same with new motherhood: babies are cute and adorable (especially when they are someone else's!), but for those first few months they barely sleep, you're exhausted, and those little creatures are the most demanding thing on the planet! Heather Armstrong manages to capture these things about pregnancy and motherhood, but she also captures the pure joy of being a parent. There are so many moments in those first few months when you just can't believe you gave birth to this amazing child! Even though I'll tell anyone who asks (and even those who don't!) that I'm pretty darn happy with only having three children, not to mention the fact that I have my hands full, this book actually made me want to have another child (I think that I will just re-read those chapters about not sleeping until the feeling goes away!)

Beautifully written, with humour and wit and sarcasm, ths book is a must-read for any parent or parent-to-be. Thanks to SimonSays Read! on Facebook for this ARC.

New Year's Resolutions 2009

On New Year's Eve we were at a party at a friend's house and some of the people there were discussing the fact that they don't make resolutions anymore. They said that since they don't ever keep their resolutions, they have no intention of making any. This made sense to me; I've made countless resolutions that I haven't kept, indeed haven't even thought about past the point of actually making it. This year I decided to actually give my resolutions some thought before I made them, in the hopes of being able to keep them. Perhaps by really thinking about them before I make them I will be able to follow through as never before! So, without further ado:

1. Make Exercise and Healthy Eating a Part of My Everyday Life
Almost every year my New Year's Resolution is to lose weight. And it never happens. I think that the problem is that I make unattainable goals, stick with them for a couple of weeks, and burn out. I actually really dislike exercising. I'm definitely not one of those people who you'll find jogging outside, or hitting the gym religiously. My idea of exercise is watching an infomercial for Turbo Jam. However, according to the commercials, not exercising is equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. I know that in order to be healthy, I need to incorporate physical activity into my life, but I'm going to do it my way. So, more specifically, my resolution is to find activities that I enjoy, and do them for at least 20 minutes a day. I love doing Yoga, so I hope to find a good "Yoga for Weight Loss" DVD and try that out (anyone have any suggestions??). Or I'll work out on my elliptical machine while my shows are on. Heck, I'll even break out the "Dance, Dance Revolution Universe 2" game for the XBox 360 that Santa got me for Christmas and try to get some exercise that way.

2. Stay a Non-Smoker for all of 2009
Jay and I quit smoking (again) on November 3, 2008. My goal is to stay a non-smoker for all of 2009. My problem is that I quit, and then I fall off of the wagon, I quit again, and then fall off the wagon. I love to smoke and I miss it desperately when I quit. This year, though, I am going to kick the habit for good, and stay a non-smoker for the entire year.

3. Be More Financially Responsible
I have some outstanding debts that I would like to take care of for good this year. I would also like to save more, and perhaps be a little more concious about where our money is going. Hopefully by cutting out the extras, which we probably won't even miss, we'll be able to save for a house.

4. Be More Positive
This is a big one for me. I'm a half-empty kind of girl. I think that I've always been one (I get it from my dad- can you inherit negativity?) I drive Jay nuts with my bitching about absolutely nothing, and with my whining about things that really aren't that bad. If I'm honest, I think that I drive myself crazy with my negativity. The facts are that I have a lot to be thankful for: a loving, loyal husband, three beautiful, healthy boys, a home and a job and a family whom I love deeply. This year I plan on focusing on the positive instead of the negative, in hopes of making me an easier person to get along with. I actually plan on researching, and then reading, some good self-help books on the topic. I find self-help books inspiring. This brings me to my last (and easiest!) resolution...

5. Read a Variety of Books
I love fiction books, the kind that you can get lost in, and before this year, they were all that I read. In 2008, thanks to the HarperCollins Facebook group, the SimonSays Read! Facebook group, and minibookexpo.com, I've expanded my book choices and I've started to read "outside the box". Although I wasn't sure that I would enjoy them I've read mysteries, non-fiction, historical fiction and Young Adult novels and to my surprise I've enjoyed almost all of them. This has shown me that although fiction is wonderful, there are other genres of books out there, and so many of them are just waiting to be discovered. In 2009 I hope to continue reading a variety of different wonderful books.

That brings me to the end of my resolutions for this year. I hope to re-visit this list every three months so that I can keep myself on track and hopefully make 2009 the year in which I finally achieved some goals! Happy New Year!

"The Conditon" Jennifer Haigh

I spent an utterly enjoyable New Year's Day at home with my husband and kids today (well, two of my kids, my oldest is visiting Grandma for a couple of days and taking a break from his "annoying" little brothers). We got up late and Jay made us French Toast, something that he's incredibly good at, but only does occasionally, which makes it a treat. We then stretched out on the couch together and watched a "Kitchen Nightmares" marathon playing on the Food Network (oh, how I adore Chef Gordon Ramsey!) Jay decided around 3:00 that he wanted to turn on the XBox 360 and play his game for a while (Call Of Duty: World At War, in case you were wondering) and I took the opportunity to finish reading Jennifer Haigh's "The Condition". One thing that I love about having a husband who plays video games is that I get to read while he plays. Often if I try to read while he's watching TV I get so disctracted that I can barely read more than a page!

What an amazing book this was. We meet the McKotch's right away, a proper New England family spending time in the family beach house in Cape Cod. There's Paulette, the prim and proper wife, formerly a Drew, with breeding and background to spare. We meet her workaholic scientist husband, Frank, well-meaning but truly unable to love anything but his scientific research. The three McKotch children are Billy, the eldest, just entering into adolescence, Gwen, the middle child and the only girl, and Scott, the hyperactive youngest child.

Fast forward 21 years and the family situation has changed drastically. Gwen has been dignosed with Turner's Syndrome, a genetic condition that has prevented her from maturing. She is a woman trapped in a child's body, unable to react socially the way the people around her do. Paulette and Frank have long since divorced, unable to weather the tensions that Gwen's disease have caused (this is Paulette's version of the cause of the divorce). Billy is living in New York with his partner, unable to tell his family that he's gay. Scott is teaching at a school that he dislikes, somewhat unhappily married to his wife Penny, and saddled with two rambunctious children. Things certainly haven't turned out as planned for the McKotch's. Paulette is miserable, Frank lonely, Gwen anti-social, Billy inhibited, and Scott unhappy.

The rest of the novel follows the McKotch's as their lives change and they begin to try to salvage what their lives have become. I was absolutely unable to stop reading once I hit page 300. Haigh has a writing style all her own; this book is fast-paced and enthralling. A must-read for any fiction fan!

Up Next: "It Sucked and then I Cried" by Heather B. Armstrong, the creater of Dooce.com. Heather started off as a blogger in Salt Lake City and now has written a book about her pregnancy and the month's following her baby's birth.