THE REHEARSAL

THE REHEARSAL by Sarah Willis

From the back of the book:

The farmhouse near Lake Chautauqua is where theater director Will Bartlett and his family spend their summers. But the summer of 1971 is different.  Will's entire troupe of actors is also descending on the house, for a month-long, round-the-clock rehearsal of Of Mice and Men.  For Will, this is a great communal experiment, an artistic adrenaline rush.  For his wife, Myra, it's an overflowing sink, an organizational nightmare - and, maybe, a chance to resurrect her abandoned stage career.  For Beth, their sixteen-year-old daughter, it's the opportunity of a lifetime - not just to steal the lead (and only) female role in the play from her mother, but to make her move on a handsome actor.  And for the youngest Bartlett, Mac, it's pretty much summer as usual - dodging spiders, catching crayfish - until everyone else's plans start to fall apart, with results that walk a thin line between comedy and tragedy.

I would call this a ho-hum book at best.  Another book were I failed to connect with the characters.  Will had this great idea of having his actors live their parts for the month.  That would work for possibly a few hours, then boredom would set in and they would go searching for other things to do.  That was when the trouble started.  Bored people start looking for new and exciting things - and people.  And that leads to a whole set of new troubles.

Sometimes it's best to leave your work at the workplace.

THE GIRL IN THE GREEN RAINCOAT

THE GIRL IN THE GREEN RAINCOAT by Laura Lippman

From the book jacket:

In the third trimester of her pregnancy, Baltimore private investigator Tess Monaghan is under doctor's orders to remain immobile.  Bored and restless, reduced to watching the world go by outsider her window, she takes small comfort in the mundane events she observes...like the young woman in a green raincoat who walks her dog at the same time every day.  Then one day the dog is running free and its owner is nowhere to be seen.  Certain that something is terribly wrong, and incapable of leaving well enough alone, Tess is determined to get to the bottom of the dog walker's abrupt disappearance, even if she must do so from her own bedroom.  But her inquisitiveness is about to fling open a dangerous Pandora's box of past crimes and troubling deaths...and she's not only putting her own life in jeopardy but also her unborn child's.

This is the first Tess Monaghan book I have read, and also the first by Ms. Lippman.  The story borrowed greatly from the movie The Rear Window, which was one of my favorites.  It's amazing what type of story can develop from someone's imagination.  In this book, Tess was determined to find out all about this mystery woman.  She and her friends uncovered quite a background story and were determined to find the girl in the green raincoat.  The story took quite a twist at the end.

I was a little surprised, and disappointed, that this book was so short.  Reading further, I found this had once been published as a serial in the New York Times Magazine.  I don't know if I was drawn in enough to want to read more books starring Tess - maybe one more to test the waters.

ATLANTA'S BABY PANDA

I realized I haven't posted anything lately about our baby panda.  Our little boy is now almost 3 months old and weighs over 8 pounds.  His eyes have been open for a while, and he's starting to scoot around his den.  Mama Lun Lun has been able to leave him for short periods while she eats her bamboo and treats.  But the little guy doesn't like being left alone too long and he lets mama know!

He will be given his name on the 100th day, which I think is around February 15.  I haven't heard if there will be a contest to pick his name as there was for his older sister and brother.  No word yet, either, on when he'll be going on exhibit with Lun Lun.  I'm anxiously awaiting the time I can go down to the zoo to see him in person.

THE INNER CIRCLE

THE INNER CIRCLE by Brad Meltzer

From the book jacket:

"There are stories no one knows.  Hidden stories.  I love those stories.  And since I work in the National Archives, I find those stories for a living."

Beecher White, a young archivist, spends his days working with the most important documents of the U.S. government.  He has always been the keeper of other people's stories, never a part of the story himself...

Until now.

When Clementine Kaye, Beecher's first childhood crush, shows up at the National Archives asking for his help tracking down her long-lost father, Beecher ties to impress her by showing her the secret vault where the President of the United States privately reviews classified documents.  After they accidentally happen upon a priceless artifact - a two-hundred-year-old dictionary that once belonged to George Washington - hidden underneath a desk chair, Beecher and Clementine find themselves suddenly entangled in a web of deception, conspiracy, and murder.

Soon a man is dead and Beecher is on the run as he races to learn the truth behind this mysterious national treasure.  His search will lead him to discover a coded and ingenious puzzle that conceals a disturbing secret from the founding of our nation.  It is a secret, Beecher soon discovers, that some believe is worth killing for.

If a sign of a good mystery book is not being able to figure out what's going on and who the good guys are, then this book ranks as a very good mystery book.  I was so confused reading this - which person belongs to the good group, which group is the good group.  If I were this confused, imagine how confused Beecher must have been.

My problem with the book, after the good guys and the bad guys were identified, was that the reasoning behind the big mystery didn't really make any sense.  Why certain people were involved was never fully explained.  Too many unanswered questions at the end.

A good mystery book, yes...but not really a good mystery.

MY BEST HAIRCUT EVER!

This is absolutely the very best haircut ever!  Perfection.  The exact length I wanted.  Nothing wrong at all.

Unfortunately, this is NOT the haircut I got a week or so ago.  It will take months before my hair will even get to this length again.

When will they ever listen?  When will I ever learn???

PS - The above haircut was done by a good friend who had the NERVE to move away from this area.  Oh Mary, I miss you so!

VENETIA KELLY'S TRAVELING SHOW

VENETIA KELLY'S TRAVELING SHOW by Frank Delaney was read for the Ireland Reading Challenge 2011.

From the book jacket:

January 1932:  While Ireland roils in the run-up to the most important national election in the Republic's short history, Ben MacCarthy and his father watch a vagabond variety revue making a stop in the Irish countryside.  After a two-hour kaleidoscope of low comedy, Shakespearean recitations, juggling, tumbling, and other entertainments, Ben's father, mesmerized by Venetia Kelly, the troupe's magnetic headliner, makes a fateful decision:  to abandon his family and set off on the road with Miss Kelly and her caravan.  Ben's mother, shattered by the desertion, exhorts, "Find him and bring him back," thereby sending the boy on a Homeric voyage into manhood, a quest that transverses the churning currents of Ireland's fractious society and splinters the MacCarthy family.

Interweaving historical figures including W. B. Yeats and a host of unforgettable creations - "King" Kelly, Venetia's violent, Mephistophelean grandfather; Sarah Kelly, Venetia's mysterious, amoral mother; and even a truth-telling ventriloquist's dummy names Blarney - Frank Delaney unfurls a splendid narrative that spans half the world and a tumultuous, eventful decade.

Teeming with intrigue, pathos, and humor, VENETIAL KELLY'S TRAVELING SHOW explores two of Ireland's great national passions:  theater and politics.  Writing with this signature mastery and lyrical prose, Frank Delaney once again delivers an unforgettable story as big and boisterous as the people and events it chronicles.

I loved this book!  Narrated by Ben many years after 1932, the book begins with introductions to the main characters in the story.  It is written in a conversational tone, as though Ben were across the table from the reader, telling his story.  Throughout the story, the narrator frequently digresses:

"Important Digression, which will usually be something to do with factual history; Relatively Important Digression, where a clarification needs facts and I will ferry them in from a side road; and - my favorite - Unimportant Digression, which can be about anything."

These digressions flow easily with the story and give quite a bit of back history of the situation in Ireland at an earlier time, especially regarding the political climate.

The book ends with an unfinished story, and the reader is left to ponder the fate of some of the characters, although it isn't the type of ending that leads to a sequel.

I read and enjoyed an earlier book by Mr. Delaney - he is quite the storyteller.  And I have two more of his books sitting on my bookshelves, waiting to be read.

MY POOR LITTLE NEGLECTED BLOG

My poor blog.  I haven't really posted much of anything except book reviews for quite a while.  And this isn't supposed to be a book blog.

It's just that nothing too exciting has been going on in my life.  Just hum-drum things.  Like Dom having a really bad cold, the first one he's had like that in years.  Complete with sneezes, coughs, whines and complaints.

I don't think I wrote about our Christmas.  If I did, I can't remember!  Anyway, we gave gag gifts this year in an effort to not spend too much money on presents.  It seemed to go over pretty well.  Susan and Donna each got a toddler bike - they always complained because they never got Big Wheels when they were little, and these bikes were the closest I could find to actual Big Wheels.  Susan's new boyfriend William, who shaves his head, was given a long black wig.  He was a good sport and even put it on for a while.  Shelby and Ashlie were given the dresses that I had bought for the male members of my bowling team for Halloween.  I was given a lacy thong - and a pack of Depends!

I posted pictures of the snow on Christmas and the big snow and ice storm we had last week.  The snow is all gone now, but it sure was pretty when it first fell.  Life is returning to normal in the South.

Donna is redoing her bathroom.  She had a new tile shower put in, then she started the rest herself.  She ripped up some carpet and the old floor, installed backer board and radiant heat and is laying a tile floor herself.  She has about 3/4 of the floor installed and will finish the rest this weekend.  She tore out the old vanities and bought new ones.  She's going to have to make some alterations in the plumbing to get the vanities to fit where she wants them - I'm hoping she'll get professional help for that part.  New drywall will have to be put up when the mirrors come down, new baseboards and quarter-round, and the room painted - she's having that part done.  It's going to look great when it's finished.  She's pretty handy and not afraid to do a lot of physical work.

Here's something new coming up.  Shelby and probably Mike will be moving in with us for a while.  Mike interviewed for a job in South Carolina, so if he gets it, he'll move there and stay with his dad and Shelby will stay with us for a bit so they can save some money.  If he doesn't get the job, they'll both come here with their dog Lucky.  I'll have to make some changes in the rooms to accommodate them and some of their furniture, but we can do it.  Compromise is the name of the game.

I can't think of anything else going on that might be of interest to anyone reading.  Just the same old, day after day.  But life doesn't have to be exciting and adventurous all the time to be good.

I SEE YOU EVERYWHERE

I SEE YOU EVERYWHERE by Julia Glass

From BOOKLIST (Donna Seaman):

In her third exquisite, piercing novel, National Book Award winner Glass juxtaposes the temperamentally opposite Jardine sisters.  Analytical, cautious Louisa is destined to become an art critic and gallery owner.  Reckless, sensual Clem is drawn to the wild and becomes a field biologist dedicated to protecting endangered species.  While Louisa seeks marriage and motherhood, Clem catches and releases a stream of lovers.  As the two women struggle for their place in the world, they embody archetypal struggles between nature and civilization, self and society.  As compelling as the many-faceted Jardine sisters are, so is everyone in their circle, from their foxhound-breeder mother to the men in their lives:  a history teacher, animal tracker, stuntman, and guru.  Glass' episodic, funny, and deeply inquiring novel is inlaid with priceless set pieces involving the sisters' great-aunt Lucy; Titus, their mother's kennel man; and Esteban, a Haitian artist who knits enormous sculptures.  Terrible accidents, epic heartbreak, petty squabbles, and fatal despair are dramatized with Glass' offhand brilliance and charged with her hunger for enlightenment.  Does art matter?  Can we protect nature from ourselves:  Can we ever truly understand each other, let alone other species?  Isn't it our calling as humans to try?  Glass is a wisely questioning, ardent, and artful novelist.

I didn't really care much for this book.  The characters didn't connect with me at all and I had no interest in their lives, especially Louisa.  Maybe it's just me.  I just can't get into deep, insightful novels right now.  I don't want to put forth the effort to have to think too deeply while I'm reading.  At another time, this might have been a good choice.

Time for a light-hearted novel or maybe a good mystery.

MORE SNOW!

I'm sure by now everyone has heard about the big snow down South.  I woke up early Monday morning to almost 6" of beautiful white snow.  This is a picture of my backyard.

And another view of the backyard.

This really surprised me - a half-inch of snow on our covered, screened-in back porch!  The wind must really have been blowing.

Schools and businesses were closed.  We don't have any snow plows here, so the roads stayed covered.  A few brave (or foolish) souls ventured out, leaving a row of tire tracks on the roads.  By afternoon, freezing rain started and covered all the snow with a thin layer of ice.  And by evening, all the roads were ice covered and very dangerous.

Tuesday, the temperature might have gone above freezing for a short time, allowing some of the ice to melt and turn into slush.  Then the temperatures dropped again and the ice reformed.  This morning, it's all ice again and the roads are extremely dangerous.

Dom went out for a short time yesterday and said the roads were terrible - and that was when the ice had started to melt.  I had shoveled the front walk and part of the driveway on Monday and he finished the job yesterday.  Funny, Home Depot was completely sold out of snow shovels, but no one seems to clear their driveways.  Maybe they use the snow shovels as decorations!  We sure could have used one - using a regular shovel was tedious.

So it looks like another day snow- and ice-bound.  Luckily, we have heat, power, plenty of food and a big pile of books to be read.  But I can't wait for this weekend when this mess should finally be able to melt.

ON MYSTIC LAKE

ON MYSTIC LAKE by Kristin Hannah was read for the Just For Fun Reading Challenge 2011.

From the back of the book:

Annie Colwater's husband has just confessed that he's in love with a younger woman.  Devastated, Annie retreats to the small town where she grew up.  There, she is reunited with her first love, Nick Delacroix, a recent widower who is unable to cope with his silent, emotionally scarred young daughter.  Together, the three of them begin to heal.  But just when Annie believes she's been given a second chance at happiness, her world is turned upside down again, and she is forced to make a choice that no woman in love should ever have to make....

I've read quite a few of Ms. Hannah's books and enjoyed them all.  Add this one to the list of good books.  I liked all of the characters with the exception of Annie's husband, but I don't think any woman would like that cheating excuse for a man.  Annie was hurt deeply, but was able to move ahead with her life and help other people at the same time.  Then something happened that made Annie question her right to happiness.  How she handled this situation showed just how much Annie had learned about herself in a short time.

Ms. Hannah continues to be one of my favorite authors and I'll be looking for more of her books to read.

A PAIN IN THE NECK

I've got a pain in the neck.  No, not my family this time.  An actual neck pain.  Right at the base of my skull.  It's been hurting for the past few days.  And I think I know what's caused it.  My laptop.

I've been using my laptop on my lap.  Instead of on a desk.  With it on my lap, I'm forced to bend my head forward and I think this is the problem.  So I've moved the computer back onto a desk and I'm making a conscious effort to keep my head straight.

I also have the same problem when reading.  I'll hold the book close to my lap, again causing me to bend forward.  Now I'll have to hold the book up to eye level.

I also have trouble turning my head to either side, especially to the right.  Which makes driving in reverse - looking over my shoulder - very uncomfortable.  Thank goodness my car has a back-up camera.  I've had this particular problem for years, but I think I'm going to finally do something about it.  I'm mentioning it to my doctor at my next visit in February and see if she can refer me to PT.  It's probably just arthritis in my neck - I just love getting older!

So for those who use a laptop computer, get it off your lap.  Put it on a desk or table and don't bend your head forward when you're using it.  Your neck will thank you.

LETTER FROM POINT CLEAR

LETTER FROM POINT CLEAR by Dennis McFarland

From the book jacket:

A brother and sister return t their Southern hometown to rescue their younger sister from her marriage to an evangelical preacher - only to find their expectations turned completely upside down.

The Owen children long ago left their gracious family home in Point Clear, Alabama, in favor of points north.  But when their father takes ill, the youngest, Bonnie, who has spent a decade in Manhattan as an unsuccessful actress, returns to care for him.  Soon after his death - unbeknown to her two siblings - Bonnie falls in love with and marries a handsome evangelical preacher, and together the couple takes up residence in the stately Owen mansion.

When they receive Bonnie's letter announcing her marriage, Ellen and Morris head for Alabama, believing they must extricate their troublesome sister from her latest mistake.  To their surprise, they find that Bonnie's charismatic young husband, Pastor, has already saved her from her self-destruction ways, and Bonnie is now nearly three months pregnant.  But Bonnie has only recently informed Pastor that Morris is gay, and Pastor quickly undertakes a campaign to "save" him as well.

With grace, warmth, and humor, Dennis McFarland reveals the common ground shared by these flawed yet captivating characters, setting them all - and the reader with them - on an unlikely course toward redemption.

Maybe I just don't get the message in this book, but I found it to be boring and a jumbled mess.  I didn't care for any of the characters except maybe the old dog.  The story, such as it was, jumped all over the place.  I didn't find any "grace, warmth, and humor" in the book at all.

I really should have stopped reading this book after the first 50 pages, but for some reason I continued reading.  I found it to be a colossal waste of time.

Not the best way to start a new year, but things can only go up from here.

DECEMBER BOOKS AND A 2010 READING CHALLENGE WRAP-UP

2010 is over, done, kaput.  The year flew by - "they" weren't kidding when they said that time flies.  Time for a wrap-up of my December books and the challenges I started and finished during this past year.

Here are my December books:

CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER by Michelle Moran

A CHESAPEAKE SHORES CHRISTMAS by Sherryl Woods (2010 Holiday Reading Challenge)

CALL ME MRS. MIRACLE by Debbie Macomber (2010 Holiday Reading Challenge)

THE CHRISTMAS BUS by Melody Carlson (2010 Holiday Reading Challenge)

THE POSTCARD KILLERS by James Patterson and Liza Marklund

THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT by Melody Carlson (2010 Holiday Reading Challenge)

HOW TO BE LOST by Amanda Eyre Ward

ANGELS IN THE SNOW by Melody Carlson (2010 Holiday Reading Challenge)

THE SCARECROW by Michael Connelly

CHRISTMAS AT HARRINGTON'S by Melody Carlson

I STILL DREAM ABOUT YOU by Fannie Flagg

THE RICHEST SEASON by Maryann McFadden


2010 Reading Challenges - all completed:

100+ Reading Challenge - I finished with 106 books
2010 Holiday Reading Challenge
Ireland Reading Challenge 2010
New York Challenge
Pub 2010 Challenge
Medical Mystery Madness Challenge 2010
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2010
What's in a Name 3 Challenge
Reading Through the Seasons Challenge 2010
Chunkster Challenge 2010
Read and Review Challenge 2010


Here are the challenges I'm doing for 2011:

Read and Review Challenge 2011
100+ Reading Challenge 2011
Ireland Reading Challenge 2011
2011 Medical Mystery Madness Challenge
What's in a Name 4 Challenge
Just for Fun Reading Challenge
Chunkster Challenge 2011

There might be others - I'll have to think about it.  Although I'm sure I'll be doing a Holiday Reading Challenge again toward the end of the year.

So now it's time to start making lists of books that I need to read for the challenges and others that I want to read just because.  I get so many ideas from reading other book blogs - books and authors that are new to me but sound interesting.  Some have worked for me, others not so much.  But it's always fun to try new things.

Here's hoping that your 2011 will be a great year, full of fun books and adventures!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year!  May 2011 be your best year yet!