I picked up this book at Costco because the cover caught my eye. I am a girl and prety things impress me and the cover of this book is very cool. After I read the back cover, I was so interested in the book that I actually wrote down the title and came home and bought it in the Nook version. The story is about the events before, during, and after a 40th High School reunion. This year marks the 20th reunion for my high school class and perhaps that is what initially drew me to the story. In fact, as I was reading, I kept picturing people my age, not people who were 58 years old. But, even if this is not a reunion year for you, this book very well could be a good book for you to read. I think anyone who graduated from high school would identify with this story. You know what? I bet anyone who went to high school for any length of time would identify with this book because everyone from high school plays a part in the story somehow: the nerdy boy, the nerdy girl, the ones who were on the edge but who were never quite part of the popular group, the cheerleader, and the golden boy. It's no big surprise, the kids who turned out best--good, steady job, kind to others--were the nerdy kids in school. The cheerleader isn't satisfied with her life, neither is the golden boy, and they all return to their reunion to straighen things out and to look for second chances.
It mades me wonder what might happen at my reunion this year. I will not be attending. I will be at Walt Disney World sweating in the August heat. But, I wonder...will there be people there who are hoping to start a relationship that they always dreamed of, but could never quite get? Are there people there who are there only to prove that they made something of themselves? And, are there people there who just want to find one person who is worse off than they are? I bet there will be. I hope that there's not a death table, like in the book. A table with a bouquet of flowers tied with a black ribbon in honor of those classmates who have died. That part made me cry. I am not sure that I could walk past a table like that and still have fun for the rest of the evening. Honestly, I would love to see a handful of classmates and would love to sit and have a conversation--a real conversation--with them like we used to 20 years ago. A conversation that isn't filled with what our kids are doing and how proud of them we are, but a conversation about what we think about our lives and how they turned out. These are the people we dreamed with. It seems only fitting that these are the people with whom we could analyze our lives to see how well we did. I just don't think we are brave enough to do it.
This book begs the question--are you happy with your life and how it turned out? Do you have regrets? It certainly makes you think. Well, it made me think. But then again, this is what I do when I read. I rarely can read a book without relating it to my life in some way. This one was no different.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
#15: Falling for Gracie by Susan Mallery
I found this book at my local Borders during its going out of business sale and bought it because I like Susan Mallery's books and had never read it. Falling for Gracie was a great read and made me realize that Susan Mallery is one of my favorite Romance writers. I will admit, there are scenes in this book that are quite steamy, so if this sort of thing does not appeal to you, you should steer clear of this book (and perhaps all of Susan Mallery's books). But, the story line is so good that the 2-3 steamy sections did not seem to be all for show (or all in the name of a Romance novel) and fit right in to the plot. I think this is why I continue to come back to Susan Mallery's books. Hers are not typical Romance novels that you can predict the ending of in the first chapter. She throws in so many twists and turns that you are kept on your toes, are required to pay close attention, and are never disappointed. Falling for Gracie is no exception! I have to admit that I loved Gracie's character, but her sisters made me crazy. I furthermore loved Riley's character, but want to know where all of the 98 million dollar millionaires are in real life? Especially one who is depicted to be as hunky as Riley! I guess that's the whole point of a Romance book. They are not supposed to mirror real-life. They take real life and turn it into what we'd prefer it to be! And that, my friends, is why I keep reading them.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
#14: We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg
Sometimes I pick a book to read because it was recommended by a friend (The Help). Sometimes I pick a book to read because I think I should (Uncle Tom's Cabin). And, sometimes I pick a book because it's on sale big-time at Barnes and Noble. This is how I chose We Are All Welcome Here and it was worth every penny of the $4.99 hard-cover sale price I paid for it and then some. This book reminded me at times of The Help. Perhaps because it is set in 1964 in Tupelo, Mississipppi, the home of Elvis Presley (maybe this is why I bought it in the first place--I do love The King!). Perhaps its because the main characters, while not black, struggle with life (you'll have to read to discover how). In fact, I think this second reason is exactly why it reminds me of The Help. This is another book that reminded me that I am a very lucky lady, indeed. I have lived a life filled with tragedy from the beginning--death of a parent, manic-depressive step-father, death of all grandparents, death of cousin who was too young to die--but have never given in to it. My life and all of its events, for better or for worse, have made me who I am. I could've given in and given up, but I didn't and look at me now. Married, job, two great girls, live in a nice house, most certainly happy on most days and most certainly lucky. Well, Paige, Diana, or Peacie did not give up or give in either and Lord knows they had reason to. These 3 amazingly strong women could've given up but they didn't. And, from the story that unfolded in this book, they had a fairly decent life, struggles and all. My favorite line of the book came from Paige, "It's funny, it seems like people need obstacles to bring out their finest qualities." I couldn't agree more. Now, do I want people's lives filled with tragedy and sorrow? No--absolutely not. But, if you find yourself in the middle of something that's not ideal, you can bet that you'll come out better for it on the other side. This is what my mother always called "the silver lining in the cloud." And, you can be certain that we had more than our share of cloudy days when I was little. Read this book. It's not the least but sad or depressing. In fact, I feel uplifted and thankful for my life--all of it. #14 was a great read! I'm sensing a #2 fave for 2011 in this one.
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