5. Late Bloomer

My mom likes to refer to the fact that my awkward period of life lasted a lot longer than well... everyone we know. In all honesty, I'm not so sure it ever ended! At 25 I still have days where my arms and legs are too long for my body, my hair is scraggly and my clothes just don't quite match.

To say I was a late bloomer is an understatement.

One of the things I love so much about my parents is that they never pushed me into anything. Ever. With their encouragement I was able to find the things in life that interested me but move past those that didn't hold my attention. You might be thinking that my parents never pushed me at all. That is absolutely not the truth. With their guidance and knowledge of my personality they were able to help me figure out what my interests were and then helped to provide the resources I needed to be a success.

When my mom recommended Late Bloomer by Fern Michaels to me I thought that is what this book was about. It is soooo not! But that's okay because it is probably the best mystery I have ever read!

I love a good suspense (I never missed the back to back episodes of CSI on Spike in college... before I realized that basic cable was more financial responsible...) and this one held my attention like none other- obviously- I read it in three nights and a morning (THANK YOU SNOW DAY!)

I think the reason this story held my attention was the lightness of it. It wasn't a dark twisty novel. It was light and airy and funny and definitely memorable. After a few weeks of heavy reads this was a breath of fresh air.

This novel follows Cady, a young woman who was accused of murder in the 80's- when she was just 10 years old. The problem lies in the fact she remembers nothing about that day. With her grandmother dying she returns back to the town that judged her, accused her and lied about and to her. All this is complicated as she tries to regain the friendships of the people who, unbeknownst to her, are her biggest betrayers.

The characterization in this book was amazing! For so many amazing characters- no one was snubbed. I felt like I understood them and their quirks and I really was able to connect to everyone in the story. My favorite character, besides Cady, is her grandmother Lola. Think Joan Rivers, Elisabeth Taylor, Blanche from Golden Girls... with a mix of Shirley MacLaine. She's a spitfire if there ever was one! Lola aids her granddaughter in her search for self in the most outlandish ways. She truly would do anything to ensure that the truth eventually comes to light.

Besides the scared and confused Cady and outrageous Lola, this novel is rounded out by a cast so rich it read like a big screen hit. There was the money hungry town lawyer, a sick and twisted housewife, a street preacher who punishes more than preaches and the hot police chief who may be the key to everything... just to name a few.

I, for real, would love to see this story played out in the theater. I can see it being a huge hit!

It is rare that I find a book that I can't wait to read again, but Late Bloomer definitely is one of those rare discoveries. It will be a favorite I will come back to time and time again.

Have you read it? What do you think?

5/52 Books
1574 Pages Read.

Selection 5.

The next book I've chosen to read is Late Bloomer by Fern Michaels! It's fascinating so far! I can't wait to share my review with you later next week!!!

4: Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead: Diaries and Letters 1929-1932

Growing up I was fascinated by three of the greatest tragedies of all time: The Hindenburg Disaster, The sinking of the Titanic and the disappearance of Charles Lindbergh Jr. I don't know why these mysteries fascinated me, but I find myself reading the occasional news article, and stopping if I hear them mentioned when I'm flipping channels.

Several years ago I purchased Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead: Diaries and Letters 1929-1932 by Anne Morrow Lindbergh at a local book sale. I don't know what drew me to this book- after all, the loss of a child is said to be one of the most excruciating blows one can be dealt - I certainly didn't want to read this book for the morbid fascination... but rather to understand the story from a perspective other than the one offered by news sources.

I was very surprised what I discovered.

The first half book, Hour of Gold, followed the Lindbergh's engagement, the first few years of marriage and their flight around the world.

Charles and Anne Lindbergh were sought everywhere they went by paparazzi. They were the Beyonce and Jay- Z of their time... okay, so maybe more the flavor of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. The thing is, they did not seek the celebrity lifestyle because they wanted the attention (Jersey Shores anyone?!?!) but rather, they simply did what they loved. They explored aviation. They were pioneers in their field. Flying was rare in those days- the idea of commuter flights were just beginning to be explored and the Lindberghs were the faces of that exploration.

Flashbulbs went off everytime they opened the door. This collection of letters is sometimes written in code due to the delicate nature of their content. There was fear their letters would be intercepted, read, published. False dates of their wedding were released. They constantly tried to thwart off reporters. Their honeymoon was by boat, off the east coast.... until the press found them and made every step miserable.

This whole idea flabbergasted me. (I love that word: flabbergast!) I think sometimes we get so caught up in our own little bubble. I don't think I ever thought that each generation had their own celebrities- people the normal, boring masses worshipped, adored... If you think about it- the idea gets even crazier! There was no Perez Hilton back then, no Twitter, no blogging or even CBS Evening News. These people were stalked purely for good old fashioned newspapers! Sometimes the news came several days LATER! There was no instant gratification in terms of celebrity news. We get upset if our favorite blogger doesn't get the news to us right away. The Lindbergh's were watched, stalked, and scrutinized with that same ferociousness that our modern day celebrities face! Isn't that a strange thought?!?!

The second half of this book, Hour of Lead, follows the Lindbergh's after their oldest child was kidnapped and brutally murdered. These letters, written to various family members and friends truely express the depth of despair this young family felt. But what I found so encouraging was the transformation they went through- TOGETHER. Many families go through tragedies, in this day and age, and fall apart. This family was strengthened and came out stronger. I think partially this had to do with the fact they had to explore "why" this horrible thing happened. Had they not been in the public eye- it certianly would have turned out differently. But had they not had that shared interest of aviation- they may never have been a couple to start with and would never have found that deep undying love they shared.

This whole book shook me a bit in a way I wasn't prepared for. It had nothing to do with the love story that was shared with me, or the intimate thoughts I read, from a mother mourning her child but rather the idea that we will not have these records for our future generations. Will this blog be around in 100 years? Preserved on the internet? Printed out for someone's personal records? Will all the text messages we save still be around? In an age where we fall in love via texting and phone calls and facebook and myspace, I'm afraid we're losing all record of our personal transactions. We'll have no proof of the journeys we take. We only have what is in our heads and hearts. I think that is a pity.

Overall I think this was a really touching collection of letters and I'm glad that, in her later years, Mrs. Lindbergh decided to share such an intimate look at her story. It was all truly fascinating- from their flight over the orient to their search for a new guard dog. I think though- the lesson in all this is that even through tragedy- we can come out better people. Something Anne said (shortly after the discovery of Charles Jr.'s body) on June 20, 1932 has stuck with me and I'd like to share it with you.

"I have taken, all my life, from family, friends, and the social organization and have not given anything back. And I must not wait for perfect conditions before I try to give back. I've had a good enough chance and have only procrastinated.
You can best give probably by carrying out what you specialized in at college, or if you don't want to do that, do something else but make up your mind and do something, something constructive."

Read this book. Pain is universal. Trauma is universal... but so is strength. This story proves it.


4/52 Books
1261 Pages Read.

Selection 4.

Since I'm slightly ahead of schedule I thought I'd jump into a book I've been meaning to read for several years now, but whose thickness and slightly heavy story line overwhelmed me. Over the next week and a half I'm going to read Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead: Diaries and Letters 1929-1932 by Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

Have you read it?

3. The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

First of all, one of my biggest complaints of popular author Nicholas Sparks is his use of short sentences. I HATED The Notebook. What should have been a beautiful story was ruined for me like by passages like "He went to the stove. He dropped the lobster in the pot." (Those may or may not be actual sentences in the book, but you get the idea.) Since I first experienced Sparks' writings I've moved passed that objection. I understand it is simply his writing style and I really try not to let it bother me.

Secondly, if you've been around me long enough to get to know me you've probably figured out my thoughts are not always coherent or sequential. Sometimes my brain works faster than my mouth and I get really excited and a little bit flustered when I'm going on and on about something. I often compare myself to a raccoon. Place a shiny object in front of me and I lose my train of thought completely. It happens to me all the time. I also find it very difficult to sit through monotone speakers, boring lectures or read books in which the tone never changes (Read back to Review 2: The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter). This may be why I did not do well in Psychology in college. I loved the subject matter but it was all reading and talking and... boring! The only things I ever remembered were the very interesting things. For instance, one day my professor showed us a picture of Britney Spears. Then he showed us the same picture but her mouth had been turned upside down. You could still tell who she was. This had to do with brain recognition and how we don't use all points of an object to identify it. I've run on a tangent that really has nothing to do with anything... Squirrel!

(Sidenote, see UP if you haven't already.)

Back on subject: You may recall that I had trouble making it through my last book and I fought it page by page. Other than my psychology textbook I'm not sure I ever read that slowly in my life. The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time by Mark Haddon was a completely different story. Here it is, Sunday, and I'm 4 days ahead of my deadline. The book is finished and I have a satisfied feeling in the pit of my chest.

Earlier I mentioned that I have a certain loathing for short sentences that leaves me feeling anxious and annoyed. This book offered the same type literary style, but my reaction to it was completely different. The lead character of this book is Christopher, a young teenager, who has autism. Every thought, albeit short, was calculated and understandably so. He only likes prime numbers. He hates the color yellow. Math is the driving force in his life because it makes sense. Always. His thoughts may have seemed jumbled but once you understood his method of thinking- everything always had the same pattern, the same root.

I've worked with children with autism before on several occasions. This may have been the most interesting piece I've read on the subject because it was actually written from the child's point of view. His actions, his groaning, his fits were actually very reasonable in his mind. They made sense to him and they eased his suffering, even if the rest of the world didn't understand. I've often heard that autism is like being trapped in your own world and this offered a perspective into that world that I'd never thought of.

The random thoughts I have are just because I have a short attention span. I let myself get ahead of me and it gets me tongue-tied... but Christopher's random thoughts are not random at all. His routines are not set because he has discipline problems or his parents are strict- he has these routines because they help him cope. The noise is too loud, the touching bothers him and the amount of visual stimulation is too much for him to absorb. He knows whats going on but its like the circuit in his mind is on overload. It makes complete sense.

The storyline of this book follows a murder that Christopher must solve. What he discovers though is the reasons people do things are driven by feelings which he does not understand. He doesn't know what it means to think ahead or to feel remorse or wonder what if? His life is very matter of fact and void of all useless information. I think that is actually the point that made this book such a great and easy read- there was no useless information. There were no flowery descriptions or over the top tangents (see the first two paragraphs of this post!)

I think I found this book refreshing because everything I read is so bogged down in the information I think I need but is not necessary. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. A + B = C. I think we need all the other jumbled mess because it makes us feel better. It soothes our feelings to know how a character really felt deep down even if he was telling us otherwise. How many other characters have you experienced who's thoughts, actions and emotions were one in the same?

I'm not going to tell you how this story ends or any of the twists and turns because I want you to read it. I finished it in just a few hours so its certainly one that won't take you long and I really think you're going to enjoy it.

Thanks Katy, for letting me borrow this book! You were right- I loved it!

We'll see, later in the spring, how this compares to Jodi Picoults' House Rules. This book, also a murder mystery centered around a young boy with Asperger's Syndrome, will be published in March of this year. Jodi Picoult is my favorite author and you can bet that novel will definitely be on this list!

For the record, I got my comment section fixed so feel free to leave your thoughts! This means you, Scott. You said this is the review you were waiting for!

3/52 Books
938 Pages Read.

2. The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter

It is only week two and I've already missed my deadline! It had been my hope to update this blog every Thursday- after Grey's Anatomy of course- but that just didn't happen this week. I let myself down, ignored my personal deadlines and pushed this blog off until Friday. I wasn't all that busy, in fact I had two days off work in which I didn't really do all that much... but my reading selection bogged me down more than I imagined it would.

In selecting my books for this challenge I really wanted to experience a wide range of literature. I wanted to venture from my usual favorites and really give many different genres a try. My first choice was a book I chose solely on the fact that the author writes in a way that is fun to read... my second choice I really considered before picking it.

Recently my mother (the retired librarian) went on a book buying binge. This is not a complaint. My mother's literary shopping sprees may be one of my favorite things about her. These spur of the moment trips are certainly something that only she and I share, as my sisters do not like to read. We've spent countless hours at book stores, used book sales and thrift shops filling our bags and baskets with things that just... look interesting. (I'm going to admit it: We judge books by their covers!) A few weeks ago she called and told me about several purchases she'd made- including a classic that she just knew I'd enjoy. The fact my mother was such a strong proponent of this book made it a fairly easy choice. I couldn't get what she'd said about it off my mind. The book: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers.

My first thought when I started this novel was that it could be compared to What The Deaf Man Heard (a favorite Hallmark movie of mine). The first chapter centered around the odd relationship of two deaf-mutes in the south. Odd and/or different cultures are something that can be interesting so I kept reading. Then I realized that this book was NOTHING like What The Deaf Man Heard and things got weird. This turned out to be a story about the 5 most pathetically lonely people I've ever met... er, read about. I've had rough times in my life. I've had moments when I was lonely and felt like I didn't know which direction was up... but these people just wallowed in it like a bunch of dirty pigs. Harsh, maybe, but true. If you know me at all you know I have little sympathy for those who have an obvious path out of their negative circumstances yet refuse, time and time again, to take said path. Every character in this book was so full of loathing for any ideas but their own that they wound up lonely and miserable. (I won't say "in the end" on the off chance you want to still read it when I' m done.)

It made me so stinkin' sad to read this book and I honestly struggled to get through the pages.... which is odd for me. I can normally digest an entire book in an afternoon.

It is my belief that art cannot be judged. It is one of the reasons I left the art department in college and changed my major. Who am I to say someone else's lifelong masterpiece is crap? Who am I to let you tell my my canvas doesn't show heart or emotion? For this reason alone I find if painfully difficult to say that Carson McCullers book is bad. Its not bad. Its an honest take on what many people live and die with- the belief that they, alone, are right and they'd rather go on living their lives than admit that just simply reaching out to someone would completely change their circumstances. I just can't imagine curling up with this book on a chilly afternoon with my favorite blanket and a Dr. Pepper. This was NOT a feel good read.

I will say, at certian points, feel a connection to each of the characters and had great hopes that they'd better themselves... but each character let me down. No one grew. No one changed. They went on this long, twisted journey in and out of each others lives and no one came out of it a stronger or more developed person. I find that so disappointing. But then again, I'm disappointed with real life people who seem to be fighting the same personal battles on repeat, never to gain anything from the last time they went through it.

For those of you who are literary nerds like myself- I might compare this book to We Were The Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates. That book took me an entire summer to read! (Both The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and We Were The Mulvaneys were picks on Oprah's Book Club list.... makes me question her taste in literature!)

Oddly enough, it was halfway through this book when I was complaining on the book to my mother, "I hate this! I have no idea where it's going. I don't know what the point is!" when she said to me "I don't remember it either... I just read it in college." Turns out I took the advice of my awesome mother who didn't even remember the storyline in the first place. Guess next time I should probe for a little more information before I take her suggestion... although this is the first book in 25 years she's been wrong about. (I LOVE YOU ANYWAY MOM!)

The next book on my reading list will come from my friend Katy. Yesterday we spent the day at her house addressing Save The Date cards for her wedding. We talked about my challenge and she sent home several of her favorite reads for me to experience. This coming week I'll tackle: The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. Care to read along?!?!

2/52 Books
717 Pages Read

Selection 2....

This week I've chosen to attack "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers.
I'll update you when I've finished!!!

1. Leaving Carolina

Several years ago I picked up a book at a Lifeway Christian Bookstore called Perfecting Kate, by Tamara Leigh, This novel was quickly added to my list of favorites. I related (on ridiculous levels) to Kate in her plight to understand why her circumstances were exactly what they were supposed to be. This is actually a novel I've considered rereading... but that breaks rule #1 of this New Year's Challenge- All books must be books I haven't read before.

This Christmas I did research and found that Tamara Leigh has several more novels available and I added them to my wish list. My mother came through with Leaving Carolina wrapped under our tree. This story was confusing, and honestly a bit unsettling, to me at first. I wasn't sure I wanted to read about a girl with an unhappy childhood and a bone to pick with God, fighting over her uncle's will. The whole story line seemed very cliche and I didn't really want to listen to legal gargon that, frankly, in the first chapter gave me a headache. I even laid the book aside for a while before going back to the story. (I have a strict rule that I ALWAYS finish a book that I start. No. Matter. What.) I'm glad I gave Leaving Carolina a second chance.

Piper, the main character, was almost pathetic in her attempts to block out the her painful past. I wanted to pull her aside and tell her she looked like a fool- that she really was the paranoid one but I felt a sad bond with her. I've definitely been the one who tried to go back- to family, to old friends- and felt like I was the better one... only to realize that the world didn't stop and their lives are better as well, and what's worse (or better) is that perhaps the other people have actually grown more than I have. No one wants to confront pride in their lives, but we've all done it and Piper's story, albeit hard to stomach at times, struck a cord with me.

By the end of the book I was so proud of Piper, and the other characters, for their transformation as a family. I was even excited to see that one of the villians that I grew to love will have her own novel out later this year. I won't go into the details of the ending, as that's just silly to do if you're going to read this novel, but I will say it left me feeling kinda warm and fuzzy inside! Okay, so it was very much a cliche story but who doesn't like a guilty pleasure read- especially when there are so many fun and unexpected twists and turns!

For those who are familiar with Christian fiction, I will say that this book offered a little perk I wasn't expecting- a leading man, unlike one I'd experienced before. He was sarcastic, he was patriotic, he was honest, he was wounded and he was protective. He seemed almost human. I think its Leigh's ability to make her characters seem real that made me give her work a second look. I get frustrated with authors who make their leading men pathetically... female. We've all heard that women want men who put down the seat, who come home and cook dinner, who straighten the living room and take out the trash without being told, who stand up for us no matter who is at fault... but those are qualities that most men just don't have. Frankly- I appreciate a guy who will tell me that I'm looking like an idiot and maybe I really am at fault (In a sweet and caring way, and with chocolate, of course.) I think a little honest characterization from an author is refreshing.

Have you read this book? Plan to? Let me know what you think! Also, I'm up for book recommendations!!!

On a side note, as I've been writing this, I've been attempting to enjoy a homemade float (soda + ice cream) and it's been a sad disappointment. My float making skills are apparently lacking.

1/52 Books.
358 Pages Read.

I'm Too Nice To Review Books

As the child of a librarian, I spent most of my childhood with my nose in a book. Logically it could be said that I inherited my love of learning from my mother, simply because after school I'd help her shelve books and enjoy a sneak peak at all her new arrivals.

Or it could be said that because I lived in a rural community that did not offer daily neighborhood activities, my love of reading offered me a glance at worlds unknown.

I tend to think its a little of each of those things. I love to read because books are my friends. Living in such a rural area, it wasn't always possible to have friends over every day, I didn't get to go camping with my friends or spend my Saturdays at the mall so I learned to experience those things through the literary world.

The Baby-Sitter's Club may not be considered a collection of masterpieces but I experienced so much more with Stacy, Kristy and Claudia than I ever did in my own home town. I loved to ride horses in real life, but I got to go all the way to the Olympics with D.J. in the High Hurdles series. Throughout my teen years and into college, my literary choices became more mature and involved and while I've learned many valuable lessons by simply living my life- books have shown me that, really, anything is possible. I'm pretty sure I'll always hold out hope for a true love story because I've read Jane Eyre and if I ever had to select a literary twin, she'd be Jo from Little Women.

Now that I'm 25, and college is over, I find that any second I can steal away with a great page-turner is becoming more and more precious. I'm not the smartest cookie in the jar, but I love the feeling I get when I reach the conclusion of a good book, when the story has come to a close and all is right in the world of my new friends. I miss that feeling when my life gets so hectic and the quick story lines of television shows take over.

Hence, my 2010 New Years Resolution: A book a week, complete with an online book review. (In case you are wondering, I did recently see Julie & Julia and I do feel just a tad bit inspired... I hope this isn't as difficult as cooking so much food!)

First things first though, I'm not nice enough to actually give bad reviews... okay, so that might happen occasionally... but mostly I'll probably just talk about how these books apply to my life and what I got from the story, without giving too much away. We'll see how this develops along the way. I also hope to read a wide sampling from many different authors and genres. I have hundreds of books I've been collecting over the years so I plan to attack that pile, but if you have any recommendations- I'd love to hear them!

I hope you enjoy what I've got to say over the next 52 weeks and I hope I inspire you to turn off the television occasionally and pick up a good read!