Expressive Photography

I haven't actually finished this book yet but I love it.  I'm taking my time and savoring it.

It's written by a group of women photographers who also contribute to the Shutter Sisters blog.

The pictures are exquisite and the suggestions for improving and being more creative are excellent.

Things have been crazy since school started two days after my mom's funeral.  My father-in-law suffered a mild stroke during the summer and it messed up his short-term memory.  His wife was unable to care for him so my husband flew to Florida and picked him up and he lived at camp with Gary (and me on the weekends) for almost 3 weeks before a room opened in an assisted-living facility. 

On top of that, there are lots of things at school going on.  I have to prepare a presentation on writing for our juniors by Monday Oct. 4th.  Also, our school is due for its ten-year evaluation at the end of October and there is so much to do to get ready for that. 

As if all that wasn't enough, I caught a horrible cold.  Fun, you bet!

So, my reading has really taken a hit.  I'm working on Juliet: A Novel but am having a hard time getting into it.  I don't know if it's me or the book but I'll continue trudging through it.

Think Twice

I had the hardest time reading this book but I also couldn't put it down.  In the beginning the main character, Bennie Rosato, is buried alive by her twin sister.  I'm claustrophobic and almost couldn't breathe when reading those sections.  It gives me goose bumps just remembering it!

But I really enjoyed the book!  Crazy, huh?  Bennie's sister, Alice, has always been the bad seed.  She's jealous of Bennie and impersonates her in an attempt to embezzle all her money.  It made for an intriguing read.

Things have been different around the camp because my husband's father has been staying here.  He had a slight stroke earlier in the summer and his short-term memory was affected.  I'm at home during the week because I have to go to work.  My husband has been staying at camp with him and I join them on the weekends.  Have you seen 50 First Dates ?  Remember ten-second Tom?  Well, it's almost like that!  He's easy-going and takes care of himself pretty much with a few reminders but it's the same conversation all day.  I'm telling you, it's exhausting. 

Other than that, though, this, my last school year, has been going really well, knock on wood!  I'd like more reading time, but...there'll be plenty time for that next year when I'm retired.

Eat, Pray, Love

It took me awhile to get through this book.  Part of it was because I had my mom's funeral to organize (It was absolutely beautiful!) and part of it was because school started last week.  We had two days of teacher workshops and preparation then the kids came in on Wednesday for three days.  And it was so hot!  It was in the mid 90s and humid.  Our school doesn't have air conditioning so it was sweltering.

This book is divided into three parts.  It covers one year in the life of the author.  She spends four months in Italy seeking pleasure, four months in India at an ashram seeking god, and four months in Bali looking for balance.  I enjoyed the Italian part the most but found the Bali section the most informative.  It was a very interesting look at that Muslim island in Indonesia.  The middle section was a bit boring since nothing ever happens but her witty and beautiful writing kept me turning the pages. 

Now, I'm curious to see the movie even though it's getting likewarm reviews.  I'll wait until I can rent it.  Happy reading!

Breaking Dawn

Well, I finally finished this saga.  My niece, Michelle, will be happy about that.  Now, she won't have to worry about letting any spoilers slip out.

Surprisingly, I loved three quarters of this book.  At the beginning, I just couldn't put it down.  Unfortunately, the ending was a big snooze and I couldn't wait to be done with it.

I can understand why teenagers like this series.  It takes them into the unknown and mysterious and forbidden.  But once they're there, the excitement seems to stall, at least it did for me.  I guess I've finally grown up!

Fly Away Home

The title of this book is kind of ironic because my mom died a few days ago and it gives me solace to think of her flying away home to my dad, who died 13 years ago.  Six years ago my mom had cancer and since that time she has suffered from multiple health issues.  Finally, she's at peace and pain free.

The book itself was good!  It's told from three different points of view: a mom and her two daughters.  Sylvie is the wife of a US senator.  When she hears of his extra-marital affair, she must come to terms with her own life. 

Her older daughter, Diana, is a doctor, married to a man she doesn't love.  They have a little boy and she's having an affair with a medical student.  The news of her father's affair forces her to examine her own.

Sylvie's younger daughter, Lizzie, has just been released from a drug rehabilitation facility...and not for the first time.  When she hears of her father's infidelity, she realizes that she's not the only screw-up in the family and that helps her as she tries to live an unaddicted life.

Jennifer Weiner knows how to tell a story that grabs the reader right from the first page and never lets go.

As I read about these three women negotiating the avenues of their lives and finding their way to truthfulness, my mom was on her own journey.  Fly away home, Mom! 

I Am Nujood, Private, Sizzling Sixteen, Ballistics

Holy Cow, I've been lax in updating this blog!  Yes, I've been busy with traveling and other things but...really, I think I just got summer lazy.

I pretty much read this book in one day.  It's told through Nujood's innocent eyes and that makes it even more horrible.  The young Yemeni girl is married off by her father to a 30-year-old man who promises not to touch her until she reaches puberty.  Of course, he was lying and poor Nujood has to suffer his rape every night with her mother-in-law listening to her screams.

She finally escapes to the court and a kind judge and a woman lawyer help her get a divorce.  Really, so chilling to know this is going on in the world and it's perfectly legal!

I downloaded this novel for my plane ride and almost read the whole thing on my flight.  Love that uninterrupted reading time! 

Jack Morgan, an Afghanistan veteran, inherits a couple million dollars from his father and revives his private detective agency known as Private.  He only takes high-profile cases for the rich and famous.  The novel moves quickly through several of his cases and at the same time unravels the mystery behind Jack's nightmares of the war.

This was the perfect read to make a plane ride fly by!

The reason I went to Florida was to visit with my mom who is in an assisted-living facility.  My sister, who lives nearby, had warned me about my mom's mental deterioration and she wasn't exaggerating.  My mom is now in her own world but is not in pain and is kept clean and she seems happy.  Sad for me to see, though.  So, I needed something light-hearted to read next.  Stephanie Plum and her crew to the rescue!

In this edition of the series Vinnie has been kidnapped because he owes over a million dollars to his bookie.  Stephanie, Lula, and Connie must find him and find some money to keep the bail bonds office open so they'll have jobs. 

As usual the characters cracked me up and gave me the chuckles I needed.

I bought this book over a year ago and read it once, then, but needed some poetry last week so I downloaded this collection and read the whole thing, again.  I love Billy Collins!  His writing is simple and ordinary and speaks to me.  He has an eye for the everyday little moments that make up the big emotions of our lives.

Phew!  Caught up, finally!  My husband is in Florida, himself, this week visiting his dad so I've got some nice, quiet time to read.  I sat in bed last night reading as long as I wanted with no one bugging me to turn the light off.  Such a treat! 

Rules of Deception

Hallelujah!  I finally finished this book.  It was pretty good but contained just too much complicated political intrigue for my taste. 

Jonathan Ransom is a doctor working for Doctors Without Borders.  His wife Emma is the director of that program.  On a hiking vacation in the Alps, she falls into a crevasse and dies.  Shortly thereafter Jonathan receives a package addressed to his wife and he realizes she wasn't who she appeared to be.

His quest to unravel her past involves him in an international plot involving Israel, Iran, Switzerland, the U.S., and nuclear bombs.

I liked the parts with Jonathan but got bogged down in the technical parts.

This is the first book of a trilogy.  Will I read the others?  Doubtful, but you never know.

I'm of to Florida tomorrow to visit my mom who is in assisted living down there.  The airplance ride will give me some uninterrupted reading time.  I'm almost glad they don't serve meals anymore because that was so annoyingly disruptive to my concentration.