The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

SUCH a great read. I devoured it when Kyle left for his stake priesthood meeting at 7pm Sunday and finished it at 1am. Not bad! :)  I have zero self control when it comes to a good book.

I love historical fiction books as well as memoirs. This is a great one set during the time when the Japanese were put into internment camps in America during the 40s.   This book is actually from the perspective of a Chinese American who watched this unravel before his eyes as a 13 year old boy.

It is a sweet story of love and loss.  Clean, educational, and will have you page turning!

Life Gets So Complicated When I Try To Read Too Many Books At Once

So.... I am currently reading:
1) The Help--started it yesterday. Was up with it until 2:30 last night before Travis gave me the look that meant GO TO SLEEP! I can't stop thinking about it today and can't wait until I can get back to it.
2) Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald--darn cute book for the kiddies. Teaches about manners and chores and all those things that we parents struggle with. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is a GENIUS I tell you!!!
3) Delivered From Distraction by Edward M. Halloweel, M.D. and John J. Ratey, M.D.--a book about dealing with ADD. AMAZING book!
4) The Book of Mormon--I know I should be constantly reading this one but I don't. I am however doing pretty good and I'm in Mosiah reading about Abinadi. Good stuff!
5) The Big Red Bike by E.J. Tims--bought this guy at Costco the other day. The author was there. Nice guy. Probably wouldn't have bought it without hearing his story. He says it's about learning the importance of hard work and persistence. Jaden HATES to work, any kind of work. So I thought maybe this would help. We'll read it together as soon as I get done reading Mrs. Piggle Wiggle to him.
6) Fablehaven Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull--Travis is actually reading this to the kids. I am just listening in because I have already read it. I am so EXCITED that the last book is finally out! The problem in that I am in the middle of all these other books! I really need to get them done so I can read this new one!!!

& 7) Baptists at Our Barbecue--I haven't technically started this one yet but it's what we're reading for book club this month. We wanted something easy. One gal read this and said it is hilarious. Much Much MUCH better that the movie apparently. I'm the next one in line for it to get passed to, so I really have to get on the ball and get these other books done.

The Glass Castle

Well all I can say is DITTO to AnnMarie's comments. I still don't know how I feel about that book. angry is a good word for it. Amazed is another good one. I hope to start The Help soon to get on with a better life! (TGC keeps coming back to haunt me!)

I loved The Help

I read it in 2 days. DH kept teasing me because I haven't been that wrapped up in a book in a really long time. Overall I really enjoyed it. I thought the ending was not a typical happily ever after and not at all what I was expecting -although my mother would disagree- she thinks it was too unrealistic and did have a happy ending. I would love your opinion.

I Finished The Glass Castle

I just barely finished The Glass Castle. I have a whole slew of emotions going through me... I'm still not sure if I liked it or not. Nor, I think, will I ever be sure. One of the reviews printed in the book sums up my feelings for it quite well.


"The Glass Castle will at times exhaust you, occasionally fill you with fury, and finally leave you in slack-jawed wonderment." --National Review Online

How on earth can a family go through all of that and come out on top of the world, so to speak. I am disgusted that a mother and father could put their children through all of that. I am in total amazement that 3 out of 4 children ended up in a much better place and were able to make a life for themselves and each other. I am furious........

Okay, I left this post in draft mode for a while and came back to it. I've pondered some more what it is exactly that has left me so upset by this book. I think it boils down to this: Jeannette's parents weren't exactly dummies. They were very well educated smart people. They both had a sickness... but they both had a responsibility to their children to give them the provisions and care they needed. Every time I read that her mother needed to care for herself for a while and take some "me time" I wanted to scream out at her. It seemed to me that that is exactly all she ever did. I do believe that homemakers do need me time every once in a while but only if the needs of her dependants are taken care of. Michelle, you were right, it does make me feel better as a parent but it's dug up some feelings that I am still not sure how to explain. This post was an attempt to figure that out. .......it helped, a little..... Thanks for reading.

Life As We Knew It Part II

I read this book in just a couple of days days and I don't often find books I can't put down. It has an apocalyptic theme, but don't let that scare you. It is more realistic than you would think.

On another note, I started The Help a couple days ago after being on the waiting list at my library for 2 months. I can hardly put that one down either.

Life As We Knew It

Ok, I'm only 1/4 of the way through this book by Susan Beth Pfeffer, but I hardly want to put it down and I am already planning on revamping my 72 hour kits and reorganizing our years supply... I won't go into any more detail that that for those of you that are interested in reading it. The woman in my BC that recommended it suggested we only start to read it when we have a lot of time on our hands (as if), and I can definitely see why.