It takes time to read and truly appreciate a 600+ page novel. I can't believe, then, that in the two months of 2014, I have read not only one 600+ page book, but TWO! Must be because of all of those snow days from school. Snow days that are no more...sigh...
I read Roses several weeks back and was overjoyed to find a blurb in People magazine about Somerset, the prequel to Roses. As a lover of books that "tell me more" I adore sequels and prequels, as they quench the need to know more than just what happens from cover to cover. Aside from this fact, I was particularly impressed with Somerset and the vast amounts of research that had to go into writing this historical fiction novel. Set first in antebellum South Carolina and then moving to unsettled Texas, the historical information that Meachum fed us through her book was impressive. If I hadn't known it was fiction, I would've thought that I was reading a primary resource detailing life in the early 1800's. Amazing. I have a new found respect for those brave souls fighting to free slaves through the Underground Railroad. I may just start dotting my i's with a flourish in honor of these truly amazing men and women. (You'll have to read the book to understand that reference.)
I know that when I blogged about Roses I mentioned that I felt at times as though I was reading a soap opera. Well...in a way it was the same with Somerset, but this time it was with mansion ladies and their rugged Texas men--like Gone With the Wind instead of Dallas! It was a beautiful story and as much as I loved Mary in Roses, that's how much I love Jessica in Somerset. A courageous woman, a strong woman, a woman not afraid to fight for her family, but a woman smart enough to know when it was time to let them go. And her family...bless their hearts...the curse we learn about in Roses begins in Somerset and at times it will break your heart to read what they had to endure as they built their cotton plantation and life in Texas.
On a more personal note, I think what I am taking away from both of these books is pride in my marriage and an ever deeper love for my husband, my partner in life. As I read about Jessica and Silas, I realized how lucky I am to love my husband and to be IN LOVE with him simultaneously. What a rare gift that is. I have become more aware of how sad I am when he's traveling and how happy I become around 5:30 every evening when I know he's on his way home. I'm sure my mother would be disappointed in me to a certain degree that my life has become so wrapped up in another soul, but despite this, I hope that I am setting a good example for my girls for what a strong marriage really looks like. My greatest wish for both of them is to find a love like what their father and I share. I wish this every day. Jessica had it. Mary almost had it. Thomas found it later in life. Priscilla missed it, poor soul.
Take a deep breath and read Somerset. Don't be afraid of it's massive size. If you download it to your Nook, Kindle, or iPad, you'll never even notice how long it really is!
Happy reading everyone! I'm off to find another book!
:) Dodie
Friday, February 28, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
#13: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
I will be totally honest and admit that A Thousand Splendid Suns is not the sort of book I'd ordinarily chose to read. But, a friend, who has good taste in books, told me that she loved it, and she let me borrow her book, so I read it. She was right, it was a very good book and worth reading.
Friends, this is not a beach bag book. It is heavy. Super heavy. It deals with life in Afghanistan from "from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding." There was history mentioned in this book that I never learned in school and was too involved in college life to have ever payed attention to then (sad, but true facts). My husband had to fill in then gaps for me. As I read the story of Mariam and Laila, I felt tremendous guilt (for being in college and living a comfortable life in the US while they were subjected to such terrible pain and emotional/physical abuse) and sadness for them. And, I think it was then that I realized that there really are two sides to every war. (Let me stop here and say that I had decided NOT to express any personal thoughts about this book. It seems like a really touchy subject for a lot of people, and it seemed best for me to keep my thoughts to myself. But, I can't do that.) What I mean by that is that innocent people everywhere were effected by the wars in Afghanistan. Men, women, and children who did not want to be involved, who wanted to just live their lives, in all corners of the globe, have been impacted by this fighting and were forced to be involved. Being in the States, and being a US citizen, it's been hard for me to think of anything other than what I see and hear on the news, and it's really easy to put it totally out of my mind. It's not happening in front of me, I don't see the war happening outside of my front door, and if it really bothers me, I can turn off the TV. But, not everyone was as lucky. And, in my selfish, American ways, I can admit to only thinking about the impact of this war on Americans, and it does still make me angry beyond words that innocent Americans died. I am nothing, if but loyal to my country. But so many more people, aside from Americans, were hurt during this time. I can no longer ignore the other innocents. Thank you, Mr. Hosseini for opening my mind.
As I read, I also felt an overwhelming sense of relief that I was a girl born and raised in the US, because my life elsewhere could've been a much different experience. It's hard to think that women are not treated fairly and equally elsewhere in the world, because it's something that I take very much for granted here as a US citizen. I can vote, my opinion matters, I can own my own house if I want to, I can go to school, and I can work. In fact, I can NOT work, too, and can choose to raise my family. Because I have CHOICES. Wow. That has become a very powerful word for me lately. I can choose how I want to live my life. Laila and Mariam were not as lucky. It saddens me. And while I am fully aware that these ladies are fictional, there are hundreds and hundreds, if not more, of real women out there who don't have the same choices I have. I am pretty darn lucky.
For a while while I was reading this book, I was able to distance myself from a lot of these personal emotions because I was able to remind myself that this is fiction. But, as I was reading the last 50 pages or so, just became so overwhelmed with emotion that I found myself silently crying for these women and their pain and thinking that never again would I complain about anything. Because I have no right to complain about anything at all living the life I lead. I have a friend who is a great listener and very wise beyond her years who calls the sort of problems that we have here in the West End of Richmond "First World Problems." Her words help to put things in perspective, and to put a halt to most complaining that I do. I love that my girls, 14 and 12, have picked up on this phrase. Perhaps they too will realize that they are lucky to have been born into a country, and at a time, where women have choices. I pray they never know anything else.
So, read this book. It will open your mind and your heart. It did for me.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
Friends, this is not a beach bag book. It is heavy. Super heavy. It deals with life in Afghanistan from "from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding." There was history mentioned in this book that I never learned in school and was too involved in college life to have ever payed attention to then (sad, but true facts). My husband had to fill in then gaps for me. As I read the story of Mariam and Laila, I felt tremendous guilt (for being in college and living a comfortable life in the US while they were subjected to such terrible pain and emotional/physical abuse) and sadness for them. And, I think it was then that I realized that there really are two sides to every war. (Let me stop here and say that I had decided NOT to express any personal thoughts about this book. It seems like a really touchy subject for a lot of people, and it seemed best for me to keep my thoughts to myself. But, I can't do that.) What I mean by that is that innocent people everywhere were effected by the wars in Afghanistan. Men, women, and children who did not want to be involved, who wanted to just live their lives, in all corners of the globe, have been impacted by this fighting and were forced to be involved. Being in the States, and being a US citizen, it's been hard for me to think of anything other than what I see and hear on the news, and it's really easy to put it totally out of my mind. It's not happening in front of me, I don't see the war happening outside of my front door, and if it really bothers me, I can turn off the TV. But, not everyone was as lucky. And, in my selfish, American ways, I can admit to only thinking about the impact of this war on Americans, and it does still make me angry beyond words that innocent Americans died. I am nothing, if but loyal to my country. But so many more people, aside from Americans, were hurt during this time. I can no longer ignore the other innocents. Thank you, Mr. Hosseini for opening my mind.
As I read, I also felt an overwhelming sense of relief that I was a girl born and raised in the US, because my life elsewhere could've been a much different experience. It's hard to think that women are not treated fairly and equally elsewhere in the world, because it's something that I take very much for granted here as a US citizen. I can vote, my opinion matters, I can own my own house if I want to, I can go to school, and I can work. In fact, I can NOT work, too, and can choose to raise my family. Because I have CHOICES. Wow. That has become a very powerful word for me lately. I can choose how I want to live my life. Laila and Mariam were not as lucky. It saddens me. And while I am fully aware that these ladies are fictional, there are hundreds and hundreds, if not more, of real women out there who don't have the same choices I have. I am pretty darn lucky.
For a while while I was reading this book, I was able to distance myself from a lot of these personal emotions because I was able to remind myself that this is fiction. But, as I was reading the last 50 pages or so, just became so overwhelmed with emotion that I found myself silently crying for these women and their pain and thinking that never again would I complain about anything. Because I have no right to complain about anything at all living the life I lead. I have a friend who is a great listener and very wise beyond her years who calls the sort of problems that we have here in the West End of Richmond "First World Problems." Her words help to put things in perspective, and to put a halt to most complaining that I do. I love that my girls, 14 and 12, have picked up on this phrase. Perhaps they too will realize that they are lucky to have been born into a country, and at a time, where women have choices. I pray they never know anything else.
So, read this book. It will open your mind and your heart. It did for me.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
Thursday, February 13, 2014
#12: The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees
It is yet another snow day here in Richmond, which accounts for my above-average reading totals for the year. I was able to happily finish reading book #12 this morning, as I watched my husband clean off his car and head to work in slushy snow. Poor guy.
The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott is a must-read for any fan of LMA (as I have now come to know her through this novel). It is a brilliant re-creation of a short span of time during Alcott's life where there seems to be no recorded history for her. McNees, a fan of LMA, did scores of research and when she found this undocumented time her mind starting spinning and wondering what exactly happened during this time of Louisa's life. The Lost Summer was born.
I will admit that I am more of a Little Women fan than I am a LMA fan. I discovered Little Women in college and I can still remember sitting in my apartment, reading, with my new kitten curled up in my lap, devouring each page as I procrastinated housework and homework. I loved the book and have loved each version of the movie (although the more modern version is perhaps my favorite). So, reading about LMA was a big slow going at first. Honestly, she makes me crazy at times, but she makes the modern me crazy. It's hard for me, a college-educated working mom who is trying desperately to balance home and work, to listen to her complain about how all she wants to do is write and work and how she thinks marriage is a terrible fate for women. But, when I recall that I have the choice and the women of LMA's time did not, I get it. She wanted the choice that I now take for granted. I should really stop complaining about juggling and be grateful for freedom.
So, once I made this realization that this book is as much about history as it is about the life of Alcott, I moved on and began to really appreciate the story. The last 50 pages were my favorite, as the story ends and we see McNees re-create what was once lost. It is my wish for Alcott, that her story transpired exactly as McNees envisioned. What a lovely way to take control of your life, to mend broken fences, and to protect your love from the public.
It's a lovely story. If you love Little Women, or have any interest in Alcott/Feminist Studies, this is a book you should definitely read.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott is a must-read for any fan of LMA (as I have now come to know her through this novel). It is a brilliant re-creation of a short span of time during Alcott's life where there seems to be no recorded history for her. McNees, a fan of LMA, did scores of research and when she found this undocumented time her mind starting spinning and wondering what exactly happened during this time of Louisa's life. The Lost Summer was born.
I will admit that I am more of a Little Women fan than I am a LMA fan. I discovered Little Women in college and I can still remember sitting in my apartment, reading, with my new kitten curled up in my lap, devouring each page as I procrastinated housework and homework. I loved the book and have loved each version of the movie (although the more modern version is perhaps my favorite). So, reading about LMA was a big slow going at first. Honestly, she makes me crazy at times, but she makes the modern me crazy. It's hard for me, a college-educated working mom who is trying desperately to balance home and work, to listen to her complain about how all she wants to do is write and work and how she thinks marriage is a terrible fate for women. But, when I recall that I have the choice and the women of LMA's time did not, I get it. She wanted the choice that I now take for granted. I should really stop complaining about juggling and be grateful for freedom.
So, once I made this realization that this book is as much about history as it is about the life of Alcott, I moved on and began to really appreciate the story. The last 50 pages were my favorite, as the story ends and we see McNees re-create what was once lost. It is my wish for Alcott, that her story transpired exactly as McNees envisioned. What a lovely way to take control of your life, to mend broken fences, and to protect your love from the public.
It's a lovely story. If you love Little Women, or have any interest in Alcott/Feminist Studies, this is a book you should definitely read.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
#11: Roses by Leila Meacham
I was born in Dallas, Texas and while I don't recall ever even living there I think Texas is in my blood. I love hearing about Texas, reading about Texas, and secretly long to be a ranch wife (hence my fascination with The Pioneer Woman). So, when I stumbled upon Roses at the bookstore, even the 609 pages didn't deter me from picking up this book. Now, it did sit on my shelf until the recent snow, because, quite honestly, lugging a 609 page hardcover book around isn't something I like to do every day. But, the size and weight of the book isn't so noticeable when I am sitting on my sofa and reading during a snow day.
It is really hard to summarize a 608 page book, so I won't even attempt it. What I will say is that Roses is the interwoven story of three powerful families (The Warwicks, The Tolivers, and the DuMonts) who founded a town in Texas called Howbutker. The main characters are Mary (the Toliver daughter), Percy (who is in love with Mary), and Rachel (Mary's niece) and each character tells a part of the story. Percy's section was my favorite.
It is a beautiful, yet complicated, story although at times I felt as though I was reading a Texas styled soap opera. There were times when I gasped out loud or shouted a "No Way!" that reminded me of the days of watching soaps (or "Dallas") with my mom, and that got me strange looks from my family. It was a fantastic story with a clear warning to anyone who puts more stock into work than they do love, or anyone who believes that people will love you no matter how you treat them. Watch out...you might become rich, lonely, and cursed Mary Toliver.
Sounds juicy, doesn't it?
It's a good read. Don't let the size of the book scare you!
Happy reading!
-Dodie
It is really hard to summarize a 608 page book, so I won't even attempt it. What I will say is that Roses is the interwoven story of three powerful families (The Warwicks, The Tolivers, and the DuMonts) who founded a town in Texas called Howbutker. The main characters are Mary (the Toliver daughter), Percy (who is in love with Mary), and Rachel (Mary's niece) and each character tells a part of the story. Percy's section was my favorite.
It is a beautiful, yet complicated, story although at times I felt as though I was reading a Texas styled soap opera. There were times when I gasped out loud or shouted a "No Way!" that reminded me of the days of watching soaps (or "Dallas") with my mom, and that got me strange looks from my family. It was a fantastic story with a clear warning to anyone who puts more stock into work than they do love, or anyone who believes that people will love you no matter how you treat them. Watch out...you might become rich, lonely, and cursed Mary Toliver.
Sounds juicy, doesn't it?
It's a good read. Don't let the size of the book scare you!
Happy reading!
-Dodie
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