The Help (the novel)

I just finished reading The Help, by Katherine Stokette. The movie is coming out and I confess, it was the tipping point for me to pick up the book (even though I have a strict rule about not seeing movies made from books I've read, as they are always disappointing). I'd been hearing about this book for some time. Diane Rehm had a Readers Review of it last February, and I remember thinking then, "I should read that."

Well, I finally did. And I just loved it. So much of it is what I love reading about: the civil rights movement, the south, relationships among women, "the rules" of living. I think the best part of reading it was getting swept up in their world. I felt like I was there, living in Jackson, Mississippi. I felt like I knew these women and their struggles, their reasons, their lives. I kept thinking about the women in my life and how the different characters reminded me of them (Minnie seems to be well represented). I am always fascinated by those who can write about the universalities of friendship among women; how we make rules about things and think very little about them sometimes; about how we remember the wrongs done to us for forever, even when we wish we didn't; and about how we find a way, even in the worst of circumstances.

And the ending was just right, believable. I won't spoil it for those who have not read it, but it was hopeful, and I always like that. This book will go on the shelf next to The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, and Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe; my go to reading when life gets to be too much. Thank you, Katherine Stockette, for such a beautiful piece of writing.

It's Not Easy Being Green (1)

I'm the sort of girl who's committed to a greener, healthier, less polluted, more peaceful earth. Our family tries to do what we can to make a difference in reducing waste, reducing the amount of chemicals emitted into the environment, and promoting growth and education within our small realm of influence. Sometimes it's easy, other times, not so much. Let's face it, if it's not convenient, we probably won't do it. In light of all of this, I'm beginning an occasional series of posts entitled "It's Not Easy Being Green." The goal is to share with you the ways our family is attempting to be kinder to the planet, and to ourselves, and perhaps to inspire you to consider being a bit greener too. If you have ways that your family is being green, I'd love to share them here on the blog. Please let me know about them!

Additionally, my summer reading theme this year (and it's been a while since I've been inspired to select a summer reading theme) is Being Green. Big surprise, no? Here are some of the titles I've already purchased. (Yes, I realize it would be greener to use the library, or audio books I can just download. Perhaps I will give myself that goal this year.) If you have suggestions, I'd be happy to add them to my list.

1. Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage, Heather Rogers
2. Green Gone Wrong: How Our Economy Is Undermining the Environmental Revolution, Heather Rogers
3. Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less are the Keys to Sustainability, David Owen
4. The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems, Van Jones

Author Appreciation Week: Maya Angelou

Our last author for Author Appreciation Week is simply amazing. Maya Angelou has written so many beautiful books and poems that it's difficult to showcase just one or two. Suffice it to say that this woman has an amazing talent and needs a place on your bookshelf. If by some fluke you have not read any of this author's work, may I recommend perhaps her best known (and loved) I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. I can't say enough about her writing.

But even more moving than her writing, is listening to her speak. If you ever have the opportunity to hear her speak, you absolutely must do it. The electricity in the room is incredible and her articulation and speech are like music. In fact, I knew I had met what was to be a very good friend when I learned that both of us (not having yet met one another) had attended the same lecture Ms. Angelou was giving in the Baltimore area. She's just that powerful.

I leave you with my favorite of her poems:

Still I Rise

You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? 'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops. Weakened by my soulful cries. Does my haughtiness offend you? Don't you take it awful hard 'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Diggin' in my own back yard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I'll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I've got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of history's shame I rise Up from a past that's rooted in pain I rise I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise. -Maya Angelou

Author Appreciation Week: Amanda Soule

Have you met Amanda Soule? If you haven't you are missing out. This is a woman you want to watch. Her blog is one of my daily stops. Her family life is something I often wish I had. She is all about the natural, the creative, and the family. She reminds me a lot of my sister.

Amanda has published two books: The Creative Family & Handmade Home. I have to admit I have not read them both, but her blog previews her books beautifully. You can certainly get a good feel for what you might find inside those pages. In fact, you can find all sorts of delightful things over there, including knitting and sewing patterns, reading lists, terrific crafty vendors and beautiful photographs of her family and projects. Like I said, it's a daily stop for me.

Author Appreciation Week: Kate Chopin

Not all my favorite authors are still alive. I must confess, one of my favorite authors has been dead for some time now. But her work still resonates with me, deeply. And I think she is much overlooked, except, perhaps, by the feminist readers who have been pointed in her direction. I am writing, of course, about Kate Chopin.

If you are new to her work, you should start with a short story or two. She's written close to a hundred of them. I highly recommend The Story Of An Hour. It was the story by which I first discovered her. You can read it here. I think it perfectly captures the life of many women, not just in a time before women had the right to vote, but even today. And her irony is pitch perfect. My favorite novel is The Awakening. If The Story Of An Hour appeals to you, you really must read The Awakening. It's simply divine.

Author Appreciation Week: Anne Lamott

One of my very favorite authors is Anne Lamott. I had the very great privilege of hearing her speak at St. Luke's here in Indianapolis a couple years ago. (Has it really been that long?) She speaks about her faith in a frank and witty way, yet her reflections are not without weight.

My favorite of her books is most definitely Traveling Mercies. If you haven't read any of her material, I highly recommend starting with this one. I'm much more of a memoir reader than a fiction reader. Anne Lamott has written both, but in my humble opinion, her fiction does not rise to the same level as her memoir writing.

I am excited to discover that she has a new novel coming out this spring entitled Imperfect Birds. I will certainly be checking it out.

Author Appreciation Week: Jody Sparks

I may have mentioned once or twice that my sister has written a Young Adult novel. In an attempt to remind my readers of how important reading is, (and perhaps to shamelessly promote my amazing sister) I will be celebrating Author Appreciation Week here on the blog.

So today, I introduce you to an up and coming author - Jody Sparks. She is one of the wittiest people I know with a super sense of humor. If you ever have the opportunity to hear her speak, I highly recommend it. And she has this fabulous blog: Sparks & Butterflies. (Don't you love that blog header? Wonder who designed it? ahem.) Even if you are not a writer, you should check it out. The stories she tells are terrific and you may even get to see a photo or two of me in her Self-Deprecating Sunday Posts. Trust me, it's worth it.

Book Review: The Dogs of Bedlam Farm

A dear friend of mine (and fellow dog lover) lent me this book. I don't think I would have picked it up on my own, (even though the title is a huge draw for a person like me) but I have to admit I really, really enjoyed reading it.

The Dogs of Bedlam Farm is more than just a memoir, it's a journey - well, a glimpse into a journey - that we are asked to follow even for just a while. It's more than just a dog book too, which I tend to have a weakness for anyway. I have mentioned before, that dying dog books make me crazy and are right off my list. You can imagine my delight in reading the forward of this book where the author admits intentionally writing this book with an eye toward no dogs dying. Thank you Mr. Katz!

And if you have the time, you should wander over to the Bedlam Farm website. It was fun to see some actually photos of these animals I felt rather connected to through this reading. If you are a dog person, or a farm person for that matter, consider reading this book. It's well worth your time.

Book Review: The Green Book

I don't usually find myself reading kid fiction, but at my child's insistence (and he was extremely persistent) I found myself reading The Green Book by Jill Paton Walsh. My son loved it and it has a very fun twist at the end. If your child is at all into mystery or science fiction books, this is a quick read along those line. Fun, futuristic and fair.

Vintage Children's Book: Need Help

I remember a book I had growing up which had directions for all sorts of things we could do with boxes and tubes that might otherwise be thrown away. I specifically remember directions for an alligator made from a toothpaste box. Does anyone else out there remember this book? I've tried a quick google search to no avail. I'd love to rediscover it if it's still out there somewhere. Perhaps it was titled "What Can I Do With A Box"? Although my memory is not very helpful on this.

Kindle Konundrum

I've been watching the advent of these electronic readers closely. And apparently I am not alone. CBS Sunday Morning just had an article about them this week. They claim that the book is sure to go digital. I'm an avid reader, and I love books. Perhaps, too much. Or perhaps I'm too much of a luddite at heart, because I am having trouble seeing the benefit of something like the Kindle for someone like me. I can't imagine giving up my shelves and shelves of books. How would I use one of these readers? Why would I want one? Is it really better than holding a hardback book in your hands and feeling the weight of the words on the paper? I'm just not sure.

If I were in a profession which needed me to call upon a range of books at one time, I could see the benefit of an electronic reader. I could also see the potential benefit of a student not needing to carry 50-pounds of books to class, or from library carrel to library carrel. But I fit neither category. I'm a mom and a housewife and an artist.

I do love my audio books and feel they fit into my lifestyle beautifully. I'm finally able to read and knit, or paint, or sew at the same time. But an e-reader? I'm just not sure....

Baby Wrap

I recently purchased (ok, I suppose it was this summer) a knitting book that has some really adorable projects in it -- and bonus! they are quick. One More Skein, by Leigh Radford

is just the place I happened to find this sweet little wrap I knit up for one of my sweet nieces. Here you can see the photo from the book:

How could you not want to knit that up immediately??? It's so easy and carefree and no other baby is going to have one! So I did. And here's the finished product before it was shipped out to that sweet little girl:

I used a Cascade Superwash in a pink/yellow colorway so it could be thrown in the wash as needed. I just hate to send anything to a baby that can't be cleaned easily. And I must admit, I love the cabled edge. I'd never done that before. I just might have to work that into a new scarf.

It's enough to make a girl want a baby of her own :)

French By Heart

I finished reading a charming book last night, French By Heart, written by Rebecca S. Ramsey. I have to confess, right off the top, anything with French, Paris or Musée in the title is a shoe in for my stack of books on the nightstand. But truly, I'm so happy to have read this book. It may be the only way my dream of living in France will actually come to fruition.

Ramsey is a southern woman who arrives in a small neighborhood in France and is the only American the neighborhood has ever seen. She shares some of her best and worst moments while in France, raising a family of 3 children while her husbands spends much of his time working (and traveling) for Michlin. It's delightful to follow her through the ups and downs of life as an expat.

I think my favorite part of the entire book is her neighbor, Madame Mallet. I swear, if my grandmother were a french woman, this would be her! Despite the cultural gap -- the woman is a handful.

If you are a francophile or just love the idea of living abroad, I think you'd enjoy this little romp through southern France.

I've Said It Before....

And I'll say it again: the Etsy shop is brimming with new books. You really ought to check it out if you haven't done so already. And if I could ask a small favor of you? If you like what you see there, please mention it to a friend or two. Word of mouth is my best advertising. You all are super, you know that?

Time Traveler's Wife

I've been reading a lot this summer, but I thought I would post about the Time Traveler's Wife. (Jody, fair warning, I didn't have a love affair with this book.) It was certainly an interesting read; one that made me think a lot.

I think on the whole Science Fiction aspect, it was a great novel. I love the idea of a guy traveling through time to kick the ass of a punk who needed it. I even liked the idea of him meeting himself. But the whole love story was hard to take. I really thought it should have been on Oprah's book list it was so sad and depressing at times. And yet, the overall arc of the story was wonderful. True love conquers all, even a chronological disorder, adapting to one another, love at all costs, that was truly delightful. I just don't know. I know many people loved the book, but I can decide how it made me feel, or if I even liked it that much.

Gentle Ben

I just finished reading one of the best YA novels ever. Seriously. It ranks right up there with Where The Red Fern Grows, Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry, and Leroy And The Old Man. YA is young adult fiction -- for those of you out there who don't have a YA author for a sister. (Love you, Jodes.)

I was afraid that Gentle Ben was going to be one of those dying dog books (although you might guess from the cover that it would actually be a dying bear book). I hate it when I get tricked into reading a dying dog book. I have vowed not to read them anymore. They are like a sucker punch. (I realize the Red Fern is, in fact, a dying dog book. I fell in love with it before I realized how many other dying dog books are out there. Sue me.)

I was pleasantly surprised. I won't give away the ending or anything, but if you have a child who is as empathetic as mine, you try and monitor the amount of sadness he reads. Especially when his reading at school this year will include Where The Red Fern Grows. Ironic, no? The moment I finished it, I put in on Hayes's pillow. I can only hope he'll feel compelled to read it. I know he'll love it. It's hard to find boy books, and this one is super. Oh, and if your kid is an animal lover, this is definitely the book to get.

Summer Reading

It's the start of summer. Never mind that my child still has a week of school left. We went to the lake, the 500 Race was run, and the temps soared into the 80s. It's summer.

And the start of summer means summer book lists. Oh how I love to stack books on my bedside table and pack them in my "ditty bag" for trips. (Yeah, it's a term left over from my days of traveling as a child - you have one too, I'm sure. It's the bag you DON'T pack in the trunk, but keep next to you so you have all the goodies you'll need for the trip. Mine usually has my knitting and my books in it. But I digress.) And lately I've been on a travel and food kick with my summer reading. Here's what I have stocked up on so far:

(ok, so I know this is more of a cookbook, but it's time to think about these things. The harvest is coming sooner than you think. It always does.)

(I ordered this last winter and never got around to reading it. I'm hopeful that I can dig in this summer. I dare say, my child may be the last child in the woods.)

Ahhh.... the pace of life is so much better in the summer. Yeah, we usually schedule ourselves silly, but they are the things we love and that invigorate us. Not the doldrums of the rest of the year. And books are always a large part of it. I'm ready.

 

What The Dog Did

I have the thank my friend Elaine for this one - she loaned me a book, _What The Dog Did_, by Emily Yoffe. I LOVE this book! It cracks me up. This is a beagle owner who just can't stop! If you have ever owned a dog, you have to read it. It makes me feel better about the antics of my whippets, the way I dote on my animals, and the unabashed love I have for them. Thanks Elaine.

Boys Adrift

I finished reading this book over the 4th of July holiday. It has made a HUGE impact on the way I understand my son and the world he lives in. I'm not saying that Dr. Sax has it all right; but I am convinced he has done some very careful and thoughtful examining of what it means to be a boy today. He addresses: ADHD drugs and why "just giving it a try" is damaging to your child's brain, how schools generally treat male students, why the video game culture is so epidemic and how to think through your own child's video game routine, boys and motivation and the changing physical environment. Just a few small details you may have been thinking about yourself! If you have a boy, or teach boys, you must read this book.

Love In The Time Of Cholera

Contrary to what my blog my hint at, my life has been about more than just the dogs lately :) I finally finished reading Love In The Time Of Cholera. 

I have to admit, for me it was a bit of a slog. I don't know why really, except that I just couldn't love ANY of the main characters. They were too well written. Gabriel Garcia Marquez is unflinching in his character descriptions. They all have so many flaws, so many downright ugly qualities, that it was a hard read. It was too realistic for me to enjoy and I feel a bit embarrassed admitting it. I think when it comes right down to it, they reminded me of myself too much and were not nearly escapist enough for me. The ending was a slight redemption, for some characters and for the plot.

The writing was beautiful, but for my money, I'll take the lyrical writing of Zora Neal Hurston over this book any day. Sorry Richard. It was just ok.