2010 Reading Challenges

This is a short recap of how horribly I did on last years reading challenges. This year I am signing up and hoping to do better. There are two that ware still ongoing and I hope to complete them also. Even though I failed miserably I do have fun participating.

ARC Reading Challenge 2010-I read 34 Arcs, made the gold level when I was only going for Bronze...not shabby. I will do this one again!


Reading From My Shelves Project I only have posted 11 out of 30 books read, I think I did better but just forgot to keep track, I will most likely do this one again also as I need to clear some books out.


Historical Reading Challenge read 5 out of 12 books

Okra Picks Challenge this one is ongoing until the end of March I have read 0 books for this, hey there is still hope! I only signed up for the Goober level and I hope to read two books.

Read, Remember, Recommend Fiction Reading Challenge I have only read 2 books for this challenge but this challenge doesn't end until April 1 , 2011.

I'll be making decisions today about which challenges to sign up for this next year. All the challenges have been fun and I would like to thank each and every host of all of the challenges. Even when I have done poorly I have had fun!

Catching Genius

Catching Genius by Kristy Kiernan

Summary from Goodreads

As children, Connie and Estella were best friends-until Estella was discovered to be a math prodigy, which led to the sisters' estrangement. Now, years later, they are forced to reunite on the Gulf Coast of Florida as they pack up their childhood home and ready it for sale. The reunion comes at a time when both Connie and Estella must come to terms with painful revelations and devastating consequences in their own lives. And once again, her sister's genius may alter Connie's life in ways she cannot control.

My Thoughts

This is the second book I have read that was written by Kristy Kiernan. I love finding new authors to read and I am so glad a friend recommended her to me. Catching Genius is a complex story about relationships. The main characters, Connie and Estella are sisters who don't have much of a relationship at all. When the girls were young, Estella was labeled as a math genius. She is sent off to college at age 12. The girls, who were once very close, drifted apart. Now adults, they are forced to close up their mother's beach house before she sells it which makes them both very uncomfortable. They not only have issues with each other but both sisters are dealing with other problems in their lives. The story is told from the viewpoint of both sisters, dealing with their relationship now as well as their past. There are two sides to every story and that is very clear in this book. I look forward to reading more from Kristy.

I received this book from a friend.

Between Friends by Kristy Kiernan

Between Friends by Kristy Kiernan

Ali and Cora are the best of friends. The type that will do anything for the other. When Ali and her husband, Benny find out they can not conceive a child, Cora comes to the rescue and helps then have the baby they so desperately want. Now that the child is a teenager, Ali is feeling the yearning of wanting another child and there are frozen embryos that could be used to have another child. However, Cora has a secret that could change all of their lives forever.

I am a pansy when it comes to books about friendships. This one I loved! The story is told from three different viewpoints, Cora's, Ali's, and Letty's, Ali and Ben's teenage daughter. It was very interesting to read the story through three very different set of eyes. This story took turns that I did not see coming. This is a book about friendship, mother/daughter relationships and marriage. If you like a good girlfriend story, give this a try. I think you might just like it. It's a very quick read and I had a hard time putting it down.

This book came from my own personal library.

Shanghai Girls

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See


Shanghai Girls tells the story of Pearl and May, two sisters who live a quite comfortable life in Shanghai in 1937. Both are beautiful girls and pose for paintings to be used in ads. Their father gambles away their fortune and arranges for Pearl and May to be married to repay his debt. Before the girls can leave to join their husbands in America, China is invaded by Japan and the girls must flee their beloved Shanghai. The two go through many difficult times together. This is a wonderful story of the love and loyalty between the two sisters. I found myself many times thinking of my own sisters and how we would go to the ends of the earth for each other as these two sisters do. I learned a bit about how the Chinese immigrants were treated in this country. That is something I knew very little about. Lisa See does an excellent job researching information to include in her stories. I learn something new every time I read one of her books. I give this book 4 stars.

This was a book I purchased myself.

The Poacher's Son

The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron

Synopsis

Set in the wilds of Maine, this is an explosive tale of an estranged son thrust into the hunt for a murderous fugitive—-his own father.

Game warden Mike Bowditch returns home one evening to find an alarming voice from the past on his answering machine: his father, Jack, a hard-drinking womanizer who makes his living poaching illegal game. An even more frightening call comes the next morning from the police: They are searching for the man who killed a beloved local cop the night before—-and his father is their prime suspect. Jack has escaped from police custody, and only Mike believes that his tormented father might not be guilty.

Now, alienated from the woman he loves, shunned by colleagues who have no sympathy for the suspected cop killer, Mike must come to terms with his haunted past. He knows firsthand Jack’s brutality, but is the man capable of murder? Desperate and alone, Mike strikes up an uneasy alliance with a retired warden pilot, and together the two men journey deep into the Maine wilderness in search of a runaway fugitive. There they meet a beautiful woman who claims to be Jack’s mistress but who seems to be guarding a more dangerous secret. The only way for Mike to save his father now is to find the real killer—-which could mean putting everyone he loves in the line of fire.

The Poacher’s Son is a sterling debut of literary suspense. Taut and engrossing, it represents the first in a series featuring Mike Bowditch.

My thoughts

I have only recently started reading mysteries again. I read them when I was younger but then got away from them for some reason. This book as made me want to read more mysteries again. I was intrigued from the very beginning.

Paul Doiron has written a suspenseful novel filled with very interesting characters. Some likable while others are not so likable. It's a great mix of people. The setting of the Maine wilderness was a perfect backdrop for the murders and mystery which followed. This is a mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. Just when I thought I might have it figured out someone else would become a suspect on my radar. I enjoyed it very much! I can't wait for the next book in the series. I read this book as part of the Barnes and Noble First Look Book Club.

The Kitchen House

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

Synopsis from the back of the book:

Orphaned while onboard ship from Ireland, seven-year-old Lavinia arrives on the steps of a tobacco plantation where she is to live and work with the slaves of the kitchen house. Under the care of Belle, the master's illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes deeply bonded to her adopted family, though she is set apart from them by her white skin.

Eventually, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house, where the master is absent and the mistress battles opium addiction. Lavinia finds herself perilously straddling two very different worlds. When she is forced to make a choice, loyalties are brought into question, dangerous truths are laid bare, and lives are put at risk.

The Kitchen House is a tragic story of page-turning suspense, exploring the meaning of family, where love and loyalty prevail.

My thoughts:

This story starts out with the prologue narrated by Lavinia. It depicts a horrible scene of a hanging. We know something bad has happened but we don't know why or to whom. The story then begins with Lavinia and Belle narrating alternating chapters. Lavinia is the young Irish girl who is orphaned on her family's journey to America and is taken in as an indentured servant by the ship's captain. Belle is a slave on the captain's plantation who also happens to be the daughter of the captain. Lavinia is sent to the kitchen house to be taken care of until the time that she can be of service. Lavinia becomes part of the family of Mama Mae, Papa George, Beattie, Fanny and Belle. The captain's family is pretty dysfunctional and plays a huge role in the lives of Lavinia and Belle. Lavinia eventually finds herself torn between two families and places in society. I like how the chapters alternate between Lavinia and Belle. The story flows beautifully between the two narrators. There is a lot going on in this book and I don't want to give the story line away. I think it is a story you have to experience and be surprised by. Trust me! It is a great story! There are times the story gets uncomfortable which makes it much more realistic feel than other books about the antebellum period. I could actually feel the fear of the characters at times. Once you get involved in the story of Lavinia and Belle you will not want to put this book down. I enjoyed this book very much and I highly recommend it. Don't read it too fast. You don't want to miss one morsel of this book. Kathleen Grissom does a fantastic job telling the story of The Kitchen House. I can't wait to read what she comes up with next!

I received this book courtesy of Kathleen Grissom. Thank you Kathleen! I enjoyed it so much!

Making Toast

Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt

Synopsis(from Barnes and Noble)

When his daughter, Amy, died suddenly of a heart condition, Roger Rosenblatt and his wife moved in with their son-in-law and their three young grandchildren. His story tells how a family makes the possible out of the impossible.

My thoughts

This book was sad but not depressingly sad. When their daughter Amy dies unexpectedly, Roger and Ginny Rosenblatt move in with their son in law to help raise their three grandchildren, Jessica, Sammy and James (aka Bubbies). You can tell it is both painful and comforting at the same time for them to take over Amy's role as parent. There are many touching moments in this book such as when Sammy lies on the floor in the same position they found his mother in. I think the grandchildren really help Roger and Ginny through the grief of losing their daughter. Roger tells little tales of Amy's life, intertwined with stories of dealing with grief and stories of their new daily life with their grandchildren. This book tells the story of how one can be very grief-stricken but still continue on. I found myself both feeling their pain and laughing at the antics of the children. It is a very honest memoir. Probably one of the most honest I have ever read. This was a quick read and I found it very touching and beautifully done.

I received this ARC for review courtesy of through EccoBooks through Shelf Awareness.

Letter To My Daughter

Letter To My Daughter by George Bishop

This book was a nice surprise. When Laura's daughter runs away on the eve of her fifteenth birthday after a disagreement, Laura is sick with worry. She decides to write her daughter a letter in which she tells about her experiences as a teenager and daughter. As a teen, Laura was involved with a young man who her parents did not approve of. He enlists in the army and goes to Vietnam hoping Laura will wait for him. As Laura grows into an adult she does not want to be like her mother and yet finds herself in a very similar situation. The story pulled me in from the beginning. I could feel Laura's frustration with not knowing where her daughter was. George Bishop did a wonderful job capturing the dynamics of a mother/daughter relationship. I read this book in one sitting. As a mother of a daughter and a daughter myself I found this to be an excellent read!

I received this book for review courtesy of Random House. Thank you Random House!

One Amazing Thing

One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

One Amazing Thing is about a group of 9 people who are trapped in an Indian passport and visa office somewhere in the U.S. To pass the time and comfort themselves they take turn telling one amazing thing that happened in their lives. Some are good things and some not so good. We also learn a bit about each character and why they were in the office seeking a passport/visa to India. Some characters were more likable than others. I like the author's writing style. It almost felt like a book of short stories intertwined with the main story which was being trapped in the earthquake. After reading their amazing stories, I concluded that each character was trapped in other ways in their lives not just trapped in a building after an earthquake. It was very different from the books I have read lately. I have read the last page and a half over several times and I'm not sure how I felt about the ending. I felt left hanging. I guess I like my endings cut and dry. Other than the ending I enjoyed the book. Reading this book right after the earthquake in Haiti felt very surreal to me.

(I received this book from Voice through Shelf Awareness for review. Thank you to Voice!)

Winter Garden

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

Synopsis(courtesy of Barnes and Noble)

From the author of the smash-hit bestseller Firefly Lane and True Colors comes a powerful, heartbreaking novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past.

Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard: the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father fails ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time - and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya's life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother's life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.

My thoughts

Great book about two sisters who grow up thinking their mother hates them. When their father passes they promise him that they will take care of their mother and make her tell them a childhood fairy tale that she has kept to herself for many years. In doing so they learn who their mother is and much about the women they have become. I had very little sympathy for Anya, the mother in the beginning until she tells her story. As the story progressed she became my favorite character. Another hard to put down novel! Kleenex necessary! Another touching story from Kristin Hannah!

I received my ARC copy of this book through the Early Reviewers Program at Librarything. Thank you to Librarything and St. Martins Press.

Eternal On The Water

Eternal On The Water by Joseph Monninger

Synopsis (borrowed from Barnes and Noble)

From the day Cobb and Mary meet kayaking on Maine's Allagash River and fall deeply in love, the two approach life with the same sense of adventure they use to conquer the river's treacherous rapids. But rivers do not let go so easily...and neither does their love. So when Mary's life takes the cruelest turn, she vows to face those rough waters on her own terms and asks Cobb to promise, when the time comes, to help her return to their beloved river for one final journey.

Set against the rugged wilderness of Maine, the exotic islands of Indonesia, the sweeping panoramas of Yellowstone National Park, and the tranquil villages of rural New England, Eternal on the Water is at once heartbreaking and uplifting — a timeless, beautifully rendered story of true love's power.


My thoughts

From page one this book took me in and really held me. At first I was a little leary thinking it was going to be a very depressing book. Boy was I wrong! Mary, one of the main characters is found dead in the Allagash River. I wanted to know why. I like how Joseph Monninger gave us the ending right off the bat and then took us back through the whole story of how Mary met Jonathan Cobb and how they came to be a couple. The story just flows wonderfully just like the river which plays an important role in the book. The book comes full circle with the ending. It's very hard to write this review and not give too much away. Trust me this is one of the most beautiful love stories I have ever read. I found it both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Eternal On The Water is an emotional read that one really needs to experience for themselves. It's very hard to describe but this book is still very much in my thoughts and I finished it over a week ago. I highly recommend this book. I enjoyed Joseph Monninger style of writing very much. It was easy to read but there was a lot of depth to his writing. It was just beautiful.

(I received this ARC copy courtesy of Barnes and Noble First Look Book Club.)

Small Kingdoms

Summary (borrowed from Goodreads)

Set in Kuwait during the ominous
years between the two Gulf Wars,
Small Kingdoms traces the intersecting
lives of five people—rich and poor,
native and foreigner, Muslim, Christian,
and non-believer—when they discover
that a teenaged Indian housemaid is
being brutally abused by her employer.

Tensions are high. Just miles away in
Iraq, Saddam Hussein is threatening a
second invasion of this tiny desert
kingdom, which he destroyed six years
before, in 1990. Even without a war on
the horizon, rescuing a maid employed
in a private home is a sticky matter in
this rigid, class-conscious society, where
the rich protect their own; and any intervention
involves great personal risk.

Emmanuella, an impoverished cook
from India, risks losing her job and thus
her ability to support her family back
home. Kit, the young wife of an American
businessman in the Gulf, could face
grave damage to her marriage. Mufeeda,
an upper-class Kuwaiti woman, must
buck the powerful status quo of her
family and her class, as well as her own
history.

And there’s Hanaan, a rebellious
young Arab woman who may have as
much to lose as the desperate maid.
Having fallen in love with Theo, an
American doctor working in the country,
she has already faced violent retribution
from her family. How much more violence
lies ahead she doesn’t know. Stubborn,
charismatic, and dismissive of her
society’s strict codes of behavior for
unmarried women, she will step forward
to help the captive maid.


An Upstairs/Downstairs of the Arab
world, Small Kingdoms tells the intimate
story of ordinary people facing an extraordinary
test in the face of another war.

My thoughts

I was really looking forward to reading this book. It seemed like something different than my usual reads. I don't know much about Kuwait or it's people so I was looking forward to learning a little about the culture. The story starts off slowly and there are many characters to keep track of. I tried to connect with the characters but found myself caring less about what happened to them as the story went on. It made it harder to pick the book back up after setting it down. I can't say I hated this book because I did learn some things. If you like political/social fiction you probably will enjoy this book. I think it just wasn't the book for me. I'm curious what others who read it thought of it.

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

Synopsis(borrowed from B&N)

Steel Magnolias meets The Help in this Southern debut novel sparkling with humor, heart, and feminine wisdom

Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt is in trouble. For years, she has been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille-the tiara-toting, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town-a woman trapped in her long-ago moment of glory as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. But when Camille is hit by a truck and killed, CeeCee is left to fend for herself. To the rescue comes her previously unknown great-aunt, Tootie Caldwell.

In her vintage Packard convertible, Tootie whisks CeeCee away to Savannah's perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity, a world that seems to be run entirely by women. From the exotic Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in her backyard bathtub and uses garden slugs as her secret weapons, to Tootie's all-knowing housekeeper, Oletta Jones, to Violene Hobbs, who entertains a local police officer in her canary-yellow peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.

Laugh-out-loud funny, Beth Hoffman's charming debut novel, which Mary Kay Andrews calls "charming, disarming, sweet as the scent of magnolias on a Southern summer night," hums with wacky humor and down-home heart. It is a novel that explores the indomitable strengths of female friendship and gives us the story of a young girl who loses one mother and finds many others.

My thoughts

This is a great Southern coming of age story about CeeCee Honeycutt, who you just can't help but fall in love with. After her mother's death she is sent to live with her Aunt Tootie in Savannah where she meets a host of amazing strong women who play very different but important roles in her life. Beth Hoffman's descriptions of Savannah are beautiful and I felt as though I were right there. She describes everything from the architecture to the gardens perfectly. I laughed at the shenanigans that take place in the book and I was deeply touched by the love and tenderness of the characters. I especially loved Mrs. Odell and Oletta. I laughed and cried several times reading this book. It really stirs up emotions. I was truly sad to see the book end even though the characters will stay in my heart for a long time. Beth Hoffman has a wonderful storytelling gift and I can't wait to read more from her in the future.

When I first saw this book on a blog(sorry I can't remember who's it was), I knew I had to read this book and I knew I would love it! I went right over to Amazon and put it on my wish list. A short time later I received an email from Beth Hoffman offering me a copy. I was thrilled beyond words! I knew I wanted it to be my first read of the New Year. What a way to start my reading for the year! Oh, my, my! This book is a must read! Thank you to Beth Hoffman for offering me an advanced copy and for writing one of the best books I have read in a long time! In case you can't tell I adored this book!

2010 Reading From My Shelves Project

Another challenge I am doing this year is the 2010 Reading From My Shelves Challenge hosted by Diane at Bibliophile By The Sea. The idea is to read books from your shlelves and then pass the books on. Sounds good right? This should be easy for me. I pass my books on to my mom and my friends for the most part. A few go to the library sales too. I have more than enough books on my shelves to read. Here are the particulars from Diane's blog:

Does this sound like something you'd like to do as well??? If so, feel free to join in:

grab the button
decide how many books you want to read from your shelves (minimum of 20 - no maximum)

find a new home for the books once you read them
post the titles and the authors of books you've read and passed on
project runs from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010
crossover challenge books are allowed

I am going for 30 books which may be a bit ambitious but I am hopeful that I'll be able to do it. I will post my list here as I go along.
1. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
2. Small Kingdoms by Anastasia Hobbet
3. Eternal On The Water by Joseph Monninger
4. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
5. One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
6. Letter To My Daughter by George Bishop
7. Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt
8. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
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