THE BEST OF TIMES

THE BEST OF TIMES by Penny Vincenzi

From the book jacket:

On an ordinary Friday afternoon, on a major motorway outside of London, a tractor trailer suddenly and violently swerves across five lanes of traffic - careening cars into one another like dominoes and leaving a trail of chaos and confusion.  Within the space of a minute, an astounding miles-long pileup has amassed, and, as the survivors await help, their stories unfold.


Vincenzi expertly maneuvers the plot between the panic-stricken husband trapped in his car with his young mistress, his adultery sure to be discovered; the bridegroom trying frantically to get to the church on time (he won't); the widow on her way to reunite with the love of her life after sixty years, now forced to ponder whether she'll ever see him again; the junior doctor waiting to receive the crash victims in the ER ... And at the epicenter of this field of destruction lies the truck driver, suffering from memory loss, while the mysterious hitchhiker, the only person who knows what really happened, has fled the scene.

This book was good, but about 200 pages too long.  It covered the time from a short while before the accident to about a year later.  Stories of the different characters were intermingled throughout.  Some of the characters were interesting, others rather boring.

Not a bad book, but I'm rather glad it's finished.

WE'RE NUMBER ONE!

Yesterday was the last day of our summer bowling league, and it was a position round.  That means the team in first place bowls the second place team, number 3 bowls number 4 and so on.

We went into the day in second place, 8 points behind the first place team.  We use an 8 point scoring system - 2 points for each game won and 2 points for total pins.  So we had to win all 8 points - all the games - to tie for first.

We came to win.  We had Ninja headbands and little voodoo dolls.  We won the first game by a small margin.  Game two went to us by over a hundred pins.  We were on a roll - the other team was falling apart.  We came out roaring in the third game, and took that one by almost a hundred pins.  Tied for first!

The league rules calls for a 3 game roll-off if there is a tie.  But we were all pretty tired by this point, so we agreed to a 1 game roll-off, winner of that game to take the championship.

Oh yes, we did it!  By a hundred pins again.  In fact, that last game was our team's best game this season.  Our lowest score was a 175.  We really had fun this week.  We knew we had to win all the games and we never let up.

The difference in prize money between first and second place is only $1 per bowler, but we wanted the bragging rights.  So I'm bragging!!

DROOPY EYELIDS

For years, I've been bothered with droopy eyelids.  They make me look tired all the time.  It's impossible to wear eyeliner.  And it affects my vision, particularly in my left eye.

So I decided to have upper eyelid surgery.  I took a visual field exam at the ophthalmologist's office last week, and failed - which is good.  Now I have a documented medical diagnosis, and insurance should pay for the procedure.

I had an appointment yesterday with the doctor who will do the surgery - an optical cosmetic surgeon.  And he told me that it's not so much that my eyelids are droopy, it's that my eyebrows are too low.  So he'll be lifting the eyebrows then he'll do the eyelid surgery a little while afterward.  He said if he just did the eyelids, my eyebrows would be sitting right on top of my eyes.

I'm not having it done until February though.  The insurance we have right now is not great, and this year's benefits are almost gone.  And since in February, I'm reaching that "golden" age where Medicare kicks in (I can't believe I'm admitting that!), I'll let Medicare handle this for me.

Why, when I'm finished, I'll probably be able to pass for 21 again!!!

A SAD NIGHT - A FUN NIGHT

We lost Teddy a year ago last night.  Time has lessened the pain and the heartache, but not a day goes by that we don't think about him.  He was a very special dog and was loved very much.

On a happier note, Dom and I went to our local theater, the Cumming Playhouse, to see a production of The Music Man.  It was wonderful!  Men, women and children of all ages and they were great.  We enjoyed it so much that we're going back to see it again next Saturday night.

THE IRRESISTIBLE HENRY HOUSE

THE IRRESISTIBLE HENRY HOUSE by Lisa Grunwald

From the book jacket:

It is the middle of the twentieth century, and in a home economics program at a prominent university, real babies are being used to teach mothering skills to young women.  For a young man raised in these unlikely circumstances, finding real love and learning to trust will prove to be the work of a lifetime.  In this captivating novel, bestselling author Lisa Grunwald gives us the sweeping tale of an irresistible hero and the many women who love him.


From his earliest days as a "practice baby" through his adult adventures in 1960s New York City, Disney's Burbank studios, and the delirious world of the Beatles' London, Henry remains handsome, charming, universally adored - and never entirely accessible to the many women he conquers but can never entirely trust.


Filled with unforgettable characters, settings, and action, THE IRRESISTIBLE HENRY HOUSE portrays the cultural tumult of the mid-twentieth century even as it explores the inner tumult of a young man trying to transcend a damaged childhood.  For it is not until Henry House comes face-to-face with the truths of his past that he finds a chance for real love.

While reading this book, I didn't really like Henry.  I thought he was too detached and unfeeling and a user.  But after thinking about it, I guess I can see Henry's problem.  For his first two years, he was passed from "mother" to "mother" every week, never having one around all the time.  Except for Martha, the director of the home economics course.  She wanted to keep Henry for her own, and she wasn't above lying to Henry to keep him close.  Henry had no real attachment to anyone and a difficult time trusting or believing in anyone.

The author, while looking at a Cornell University website for information on the history of home economics, discovered a picture of a baby who happened to be a "practice baby."  The university ran a practice house where babies from orphanages were "raised" by students.  This course ran at the university from 1919 through 1969.  A great idea for the students, to learn how to handle a real baby.  But terrible for the babies, who must have had trust issues throughout their lives.

While the book was an interesting concept and the parts about animators at the Disney studios were informative, I won't be counting it as one of my favorites.

IT PAYS TO BE OLD

Getting older can be problematic.  You just can't do what you used to do, you're more tired.  The bones and joints ache, the eyesight and hearing are going.

But, sometimes it's not that bad.  Like on Wednesdays at Kroger's and Publix - senior discount of 5%.  Chick-Fil-A gives free senior drinks.  Coffee is half-price at McDonald's.  15% off at Kohl's on certain days.

Here in Forsyth County, Georgia, we get 25% off our water bill and we get 100% off school taxes - that's huge!

Today, Dom and I went to meet with our car and home insurance agent.  We added a lot of coverage, increased our liability limits by 500%, and because she hadn't taken the "mature" discount before, we wound up getting all the extras for free - and a $13 credit to boot!

Yep, it sure can pay to be old!

VERTIGO - ALL GONE???

I haven't had a dizzy spell since my PT on Monday morning.  What I do have is a sore back from trying to sleep with 3 pillows.  I gave up and moved to the recliner in the living room, but I still need to have a pillow behind my head to make sure that my head is pointing down.

And I'm so tired!  I think I've had about 6 hours total sleep the past 2 nights.  One more night in the recliner, then I can move back to my bed, even though I have to sleep on my right side for a week.

For the joy of not being dizzy, I'll do just about anything!

VERTIGO - GO AWAY!

I just came back from physical therapy for my vertigo.  Vesticular rehabilitation is what it's called.  I call it torture.

The therapist has determined that the problem is in my left ear.  She had me turning my head in different directions, bending over, looking up.  The kicker was when she had me on my back, with my head hanging off the edge of the table.  Not fun.

And to top it off, I was nauseous and had to make use of a bucket, if you know what I mean.

Now for the next 3 nights, I have to sleep on my back with three pillows, then for the next week after that I can sleep on my back or right side only (of course, I always sleep on my left side).  I have to keep my head slightly tilted down, no bending over, and I can't bend my head back at all.  And when I get dizzy, I have to keep my eyes open and stare at something straight ahead.

After an hour of feeling dizzy and nauseous, I feel worse than when I went in this morning.  Hopefully, this feeling will pass quickly and I can rid of this vertigo, once and for all.

VILLA MIRABELLA

VILLA MIRABELLA by Peter Pezzelli

From the book flap:

When Jason Mirabella returns to his childhood home on a blustery winter's day, the only thing he's sure of is that he'll be staying in Providence just long enough to get back on his feet again.  It's been three years since Jason moved to Los Angeles, brimming with ambitions he knew could never be fulfilled in Rhode Island.  He had no intention of entering the family business - running a beautiful by timeworn B&B that's struggling to compete with downtown's luxurious new hotels.  Smart, proud, and hardworking, Jason found quick success in L.A. until one foolish decision cost him everything.


Jason's widowed father, Giulio, is overjoyed to have his prodigal son back in the fold under any circumstances, though his siblings, Ray and Natalie, are less than thrilled.  But as days go by, Jason slowly begins to carve out a place for himself, rediscovering the people and places he was so eager to leave behind, and beginning a tentative romance with a young woman who opens his eyes to a wider world.


Just as Jason begins to forge a better understanding of his family, circumstances transpire to test that bond and challenge his resolutions.  Now, as the promise of spring comes to New England once more, Jason will learn that sometimes, you can go home again, and the answers found there may be the only ones you need...

I love books by Peter Pezzelli.  He's a male Debbie Macomber.  He writes feel good books about families with some problems, but you know they will all be resolved before the last page.  And even though I know from the beginning how the story will unfold, reading it is still a nice way to spend a quiet evening.

ICE COLD

ICE COLD by Tess Gerritsen was read for the Medical Mystery Madness Challenge 2010.

From the book jacket:

In Wyoming for a medical conference, Boston medical examiner Maura Isles joins a group pf friends on a spur-of-the-moment ski trip.  But when their SUV stalls on a snow-choked mountain road, they're stranded with no help in sight.


As night falls, the group seeks refuge from the blizzard in the remote village of Kingdom Come, where twelve eerily identical houses stand dark and abandoned.  Something terrible has happened in Kingdom Come:  Meals sit untouched on tables, cars are still parked in garages.  The town's previous residents seem to have vanished into thin air, but footprints in the snow betray the presence of someone who still lurks in the cold darkness - someone who is watching Maura and her friends.


Days later, Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli receives the grim news that Maura's charred body has been found in a mountain ravine.  Shocked and grieving, Jane is determined to learn what happened to her friend.  The investigation plunges Jane into the twisted history of Kingdom Come, where a gruesome discovery lies buried beneath the snow.  As horrifying revelations come to light, Jane closes in on an enemy both powerful and merciless - and the chilling truth about Maura's fate.

Wow!  This book was packed with adventure and mystery, medical and otherwise.  It was definitely a book I didn't want to put down.  It left some unresolved questions at the very end - I'm hoping her next book will continue and provide some answers.  I'll be waiting for that one!

I'M SUCH A GEEK!

True.  The high point of my day so far has been a trip to BJ's with Dom.  While there, I just "happened" to peruse the book aisle and found this:

A new book - VILLA MIRABELLA - by one of my favorite authors, Peter Pezzelli.  I didn't even know it was out!  I had just about given up hope that he would have a new book - his last one was published in 2007.  This will definitely be my next book to read.

SWEET THURSDAY

SWEET THURSDAY by John Steinbeck

From the back of the book:

In Monterey, on the California coast, Sweet Thursday is what they call the day after Lousy Wednesday, which is one of those days that is just naturally bad.  Returning to the scene of CANNERY ROW, the weedy lots and junk heaps and flophouses of Monterey, John Steinbeck once more brings to life the denizens of a netherworld of laughter and tears - from Fauna, new headmistress of the local brothel, to Hazel, a bum whose mother must have wanted a daughter.

I read CANNERY ROW last week and loved it.  This book was just as good.  The mixed-up adventures of Mack and Eddie and Hazel - residents of the Palace Flophouse - continue, culminating in a fixed raffle and a masquerade party where everyone is expected to be a character from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  Doc, the marine biologist, is trying to write a paper about the emotional state of octopi.  Fauna is teaching manners and etiquette to the ladies of her establishment.  Joseph and Mary Rivas (that's his name!) takes over Lee Chong's grocery store.  And Suzy enters town and changes everything.

There was a movie made in 1982 - Cannery Row - starring Nick Nolte and Debra Winger which combines these two books.  I'm not especially fond of movies, but this is one that I really want to watch.  I'm ordering the DVD tonight!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Don't forget to remember those who made and keep this country free.

JUNE BOOKS

I just realized that it's July already!  Where did June go???  It seems like just yesterday that I went on the Epic Sibling Tour in Florida.  We had a lot crammed into the past 30 days.

Here's what I read this month:

LITTLE BEE by Chris Cleave

SHOOT TO THRILL by P. J. Tracy

WATERMARK by Vanitha Sankaran (Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2010)

WHITER THAN SNOW by Sandra Dallas (Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2010)

SEEING STARS by Diane Hammond

ON FOLLY BEACH by Karen White

DEADLY HARVEST by Leonard Goldberg (2010 Medical Mystery Madness Challenge)

CANNERY ROW by John Steinbeck


Somehow I managed to read 8 books in June - I was really surprised when I looked at my list.  And most of them were good or great books.  Hopefully July will bring a bunch of good books too.

What did you read this month?