Several years ago, I was given The Mark of the Lion Trilogy by Francine Rivers as a gift from a friend. I adored these books and was so excited to receive Redeeming Love as a gift this Christmas from another friend. It was just as spectacular! It's also currently on Barnes and Noble's "Books Everyone Should Read" table. I concur--this is a book everyone should read. Friend and family, watch out! You might be getting this for your birthday or Christmas!
Redeeming Love is the story of Sarah (aka Angel, Mara, Amanda, Mandy, Tirzah), set first in New England 1835 and moving to California 1950. It spans most of her life and includes a lovely little epilogue at the end for those of us who are curious how the story really turns out. Sarah is the daughter of a married man, Alex Stafford, and her mother, Mae, who is his mistress. She learns early that men will disappoint you, that you can trust no one in the world, and you must do what you must do to survive. Through a sad chain of events, she ends up working in a brothel, and is quite successful there. She's beautiful and men adore her. One day, Michael Hosea spots her in town while she is on one of her long walks with her caretaker. From the moment he sees her, he knows he will marry her and love her forever. It is here that their story begins. It is a back and forth story for the entire length of the novel--does Angel love Michael and can she be his wife, or should she leave him to let him live his love with another woman, who is more deserving of this great man? It is also a struggle, Michael's struggle to get Angel to see her worth, her value, and that she is deserving of love, no matter what her past may be.
For those of you more alert than I, you can also see the parallel between Michael and Angel and God and Man. (Thank you Meghan for pointing this out to me). Once this became clear, I also noticed how Angel was sinning in Pair-A-Dice (Paradise) in California, and was removed from that place by her savior, Michael. Michael Hosea is a beautifully spiritual man and from his unconditional love and the love of a family the two meet up with towards the middle of the novel, eventually Angel sees her value and her worth and does an amazing thing with her life. (You will have to read all 468 pages to uncover that mystery!)
If you choose to read this book, I strongly encourage you to read the note from the author before beginning. It is a touching story that explains why this book was written and I think it makes the story all that more beautiful. Even those of you out there who might not believe that God loves us all unconditionally and that he forgives our mistakes, I think you still might think that Angel's story is compelling and beautiful.
It is a long book, but don't let that discourage you from reading it. I am a better person for reading this story. It reminded me that I married a man like Michael--one who loves me for who I am, despite my past, who loves me through my mistakes and who will be waiting on the other side of them every time, and who saved me long ago from a life that I no longer wanted to be a part of. Rob...you are my savior. I am so grateful for you.
Read this one. It's worth your time and will make you better for having read it.
Enjoy!
:) Dodie
Monday, January 20, 2014
Sunday, January 5, 2014
#5: Complete Me by J. Kenner
I have finished the Stark trilogy and am glad that I read the entire story, but feel very strongly that the first book was the best part of this trilogy. Complete Me left me feeling very dissatisfied. (hahaha)
While reading books like Complete Me or the books by Maya Banks, or even the ever popular Fifty Shades series, I overheard girl friends ask more than once, why can't I find a guy like ____? Well, I have figure it out. We can't find men like these men because they don't exist in the real world and even if they did exist women with half a brain would run for the hills if confronted with demands similar to those of Damien Stark in this last edition of the Stark Trilogy. Sexually abused, a murderer...who cares about his billions? Some things are more important than money. And, why is it that these intensely sexual men have been born from teenagers who have been abused? What does this say about men like them? That all men who aren't vanilla have a sordid past? Good grief. The unrealistic nature of these books just keeps getting more unrealistic.
So, I am glad to close the cover on Damien Stark and am headed to a book that swings in the totally opposite direction from these novels. Thank goodness, too. I need a break.
Happy reading everyone!
:)Dodie
While reading books like Complete Me or the books by Maya Banks, or even the ever popular Fifty Shades series, I overheard girl friends ask more than once, why can't I find a guy like ____? Well, I have figure it out. We can't find men like these men because they don't exist in the real world and even if they did exist women with half a brain would run for the hills if confronted with demands similar to those of Damien Stark in this last edition of the Stark Trilogy. Sexually abused, a murderer...who cares about his billions? Some things are more important than money. And, why is it that these intensely sexual men have been born from teenagers who have been abused? What does this say about men like them? That all men who aren't vanilla have a sordid past? Good grief. The unrealistic nature of these books just keeps getting more unrealistic.
So, I am glad to close the cover on Damien Stark and am headed to a book that swings in the totally opposite direction from these novels. Thank goodness, too. I need a break.
Happy reading everyone!
:)Dodie
Friday, January 3, 2014
#4: Wonder by R.J. Palacio
My youngest daughter, Emily, is soon going to read Wonder as part of her English class. In fact, her entire school, Holman Middle School, will be reading this book. So, per a suggestion by the principal to purchase this book, I did and then I read it (it's now in Emily's room waiting for her). Oh, if only I could have read such a book when I was in middle school. I only hope that Em likes the book as much as I do.
It's a brilliant work in terms of layout and I think will be a hit with kids because the chapters are short and they flow like you are listening in on a conversation. I told Em it was a bit "gossipy" at times, and it is. You feel like you are privy to a really good conversation, even if the person who is speaking is just relaying their thoughts. The other layout piece that I love so much is that the book is divided into sections and each child character from the book gets a section of their very own. The sections are then divided into chapters where each character tells a part of the story on their words. It's brilliant. And because you are caught inside this conversation, the pages turn fast.
The story covers the entire fifth grade year of August Pullman, Auggie. Auggie has never attended "real school" before. He has previously been homeschooled, due to a genetic facial abnormality that made life fairly difficult for Auggie. He has always wanted to keep his face covered, either with a mask or with long hair, and has been dealing with unfavorable reactions from people when they get a glimpse of his face. But, as he is ready to begin Middle School, it's time for Auggie to begin traditional school. And thus begins Wonder, Auggie's story of his first year in private Middle School.
As I read this story, I really pondered how Holman was going to tackle the discussion of this book. Was there going to be talk about bullying or about the importance of including others? As a teacher myself, I know how important being nice to others is and how necessary it is for kids to get along at school. As a human, I know how hard that is, even under the easiest of circumstances. There are just some people you don't want to be friends with in this world. You do, however, have to show them respect and be nice. And then you move on. But, it wasn't until I read the very end of the book when I got it. (Or at least I think I got it). School is hard. For some, it's the academics. For some it's social. For some, God love them, it's both. But the bottom line is that school is hard for everyone in some way. And, every child in Wonder, not just Auggie, had some sort of struggle, even the beautiful girls and the popular boys, that they were dealing with inside. Every one of us has a struggle to overcome--it might be a class that's really hard, or it might be that you have a facial deformity--and because of this, we are all in the same boat. So, instead of paddling in opposite directions and getting nowhere, why not just be nice to each other, respect each other, and, as a result, help each other overcome these little struggles, and become who we were meant to be?
Mr. Tushman, during his graduation address, quoted J.M. Barrie, author of The Little Bird: "Shall we make a new rule of life...always try to be a little kinder than is necessary?" I think we all should. All of us...adults, too. (Maybe adults especially!) If we just worked a little harder to be a little kinder than what's really necessary, imagine what our world can be. Holman is on to something...if they can reach their students, who are 10-14, and can get this message to them now, imagine what kind of adults they could grow up to be? And, if these students share the message, imagine how the kindness can spread? Perhaps this is just the beginning of a new generation of people. I am so glad that my daughter gets to be part of this.
Thank you, Holman Middle School, for spreading this unbelievable message of kindness and strength to your students.
Foy my adult readers, you should read this too. This one is not just for kids.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
It's a brilliant work in terms of layout and I think will be a hit with kids because the chapters are short and they flow like you are listening in on a conversation. I told Em it was a bit "gossipy" at times, and it is. You feel like you are privy to a really good conversation, even if the person who is speaking is just relaying their thoughts. The other layout piece that I love so much is that the book is divided into sections and each child character from the book gets a section of their very own. The sections are then divided into chapters where each character tells a part of the story on their words. It's brilliant. And because you are caught inside this conversation, the pages turn fast.
The story covers the entire fifth grade year of August Pullman, Auggie. Auggie has never attended "real school" before. He has previously been homeschooled, due to a genetic facial abnormality that made life fairly difficult for Auggie. He has always wanted to keep his face covered, either with a mask or with long hair, and has been dealing with unfavorable reactions from people when they get a glimpse of his face. But, as he is ready to begin Middle School, it's time for Auggie to begin traditional school. And thus begins Wonder, Auggie's story of his first year in private Middle School.
As I read this story, I really pondered how Holman was going to tackle the discussion of this book. Was there going to be talk about bullying or about the importance of including others? As a teacher myself, I know how important being nice to others is and how necessary it is for kids to get along at school. As a human, I know how hard that is, even under the easiest of circumstances. There are just some people you don't want to be friends with in this world. You do, however, have to show them respect and be nice. And then you move on. But, it wasn't until I read the very end of the book when I got it. (Or at least I think I got it). School is hard. For some, it's the academics. For some it's social. For some, God love them, it's both. But the bottom line is that school is hard for everyone in some way. And, every child in Wonder, not just Auggie, had some sort of struggle, even the beautiful girls and the popular boys, that they were dealing with inside. Every one of us has a struggle to overcome--it might be a class that's really hard, or it might be that you have a facial deformity--and because of this, we are all in the same boat. So, instead of paddling in opposite directions and getting nowhere, why not just be nice to each other, respect each other, and, as a result, help each other overcome these little struggles, and become who we were meant to be?
Mr. Tushman, during his graduation address, quoted J.M. Barrie, author of The Little Bird: "Shall we make a new rule of life...always try to be a little kinder than is necessary?" I think we all should. All of us...adults, too. (Maybe adults especially!) If we just worked a little harder to be a little kinder than what's really necessary, imagine what our world can be. Holman is on to something...if they can reach their students, who are 10-14, and can get this message to them now, imagine what kind of adults they could grow up to be? And, if these students share the message, imagine how the kindness can spread? Perhaps this is just the beginning of a new generation of people. I am so glad that my daughter gets to be part of this.
Thank you, Holman Middle School, for spreading this unbelievable message of kindness and strength to your students.
Foy my adult readers, you should read this too. This one is not just for kids.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
Thursday, January 2, 2014
#3: Claim Me by J. Kenner
Put this one in your beach bag, but don't forget to take the third book Complete Me, too. Claim Me ends in such a place that you will want the third book with you to find out what happens in the end. (If you haven't yet read Release Me, start there!)
It's a delicious story. Well worth the read. You might want to clear your schedule, though, because once you pick up this book, reading is all you are going to want to do. Well...reading is all you will mostly want to do. :)
Happy reading!
:) Dodie
It's a delicious story. Well worth the read. You might want to clear your schedule, though, because once you pick up this book, reading is all you are going to want to do. Well...reading is all you will mostly want to do. :)
Happy reading!
:) Dodie
#2: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
My high school English teachers will find it funny that I read this book, The Paris Wife, a fictional account of the first love and marriage of Ernest Hemingway, an author that I could've lived without in high school. Perhaps had I been able to read this book first, I would've been able to muddle my way through his fiction with a bit more tolerance.
The Paris Wife is brilliant. Truly a marvelous work. One that had me wanting to re-read A Farewell to Arms and The Sun Also Rises (but NOT The Old Man and the Sea, ugh...) and had me thinking about and reflecting upon my role as mother and wife. Now, that's a compelling novel, don't you think?
While I really have no plans to re-read those books, I do find myself thinking a lot about Hadley Richardson Hemingway and her evolution as a woman in this novel. While the book is about Hemingway, it is clearly more about Hadley, Hemingway's Paris wife. I googled Hemingway about 100 pages into the book, Hadley, too, in order to help me decipher fact from fiction. Hadley was Hemingway's first of four wives, but she was the one who made him Hemingway. She helped him rise above and get his career launched. She sacrificed everything in the process, except Motherhood. He thanked her by leaving her for another woman. Nice.
The story is detailed and every word is so precious that I found myself not reading as fast as I typically do. It was a slower-paced story, but never boring. It was calming and soothing and I found myself wanting to leave my work and work only towards the raising of my family and the supporting of my husband in his work. Hadley found it to be quite satisfying, in most cases, why shouldn't I, as well? Again, I re-iterate how compelling this book was for me. It had me re-thinking my goals as wife, mother, and woman.
At the very end of the book, there are book club questions and one in particular made me stop and think:
In many ways, Hadley is a very different person at the end of the novel than the girl she was when she first encountered Ernest by chance at a party. How do you understand her trajectory and transformation? Are there any ways she essentially doesn't change?
Wow. What a question. But one that I'd like to answer here. I understand her transformation because I, like Hadley, married in my twenties, and was a wife before I was a woman. I was married at 22, before finishing college (which I did the following spring) and before I began teaching. I was so excited to be married and to be someone's wife and partner, I didn't really care much about me. Honestly. It was more important to me to be a part of something than for me to exist individually. I think Hadley was the same way. She loved Ernest so very much that she just wanted to be with him. It didn't matter where they were or what they were doing, just that they were together. But then, they moved to Paris and she was alone. She had to find her place in the world. She didn't work, she didn't even cook or clean their tiny apartment. She existed to support Ernest, to be his guide, his rock, and to talk him through life when he needed her guidance. He loved her very much for being so supportive and wise. But in the end, that wasn't enough for him. Now, I, unlike Hadley, worked. It was a different time, after all. I taught school for five years before Rob and I began a family and during that time, I found my place in the world. I was a wife, but I was also a teacher. I worked teaching little ones to read and write. I loved my work--it helped define me. It gave me a purpose. It gave me something to focus on while Rob was busy doing his job. He had a purpose and, now, so did I. I think for Hadley, having her son helped to give her purpose. Hadley raised Bumby by herself, with the help of their cook/maid. Hemingway had no time for his son. He was too focused on his writing. Hadley and Ernest were only married about five years, so in the time it took me to establish a career and have a baby, Hadley and Ernest had been married, had a son, and had already separated. She, like so many young wives, took her job of supporting her husband very seriously. She thought little about herself and what would make her happy and focused instead on her husband. And, while she was so busy loving Ernest, he found someone else, someone knew, to love. I can only imagine her heartbreak.
So, back to the question...I can understand her transformation because what woman, in 1920 or in 2014, doesn't change over the course of their marriage? I understand Hadley's transformation because I feel that she grew up while being married, just like me. I think a lot of women find themselves over the course of their marriage, whether it be 5 years or 50 years. We all grow up; we have to. We discover what's important and what's not and we can only hope that our marriage lasts or that we can find our place outside of it if it doesn't.
Hadley's love for Ernest never changes. But, because she was not willing to share Ernest, her marriage ended. Even when they separate, she clearly still loves and respects the man who broke her heart and wants him to have what he needs to be happy in life. She knows she couldn't have been all that he needed, but she also knows what she wants, and what she always wanted, and works to find that after separating from Hemingway. Her love for her son never waivers and it's this goodness, this strength of character, that makes you love Hadley, and makes you feel so proud of her choices and actions throughout the entire novel.
At the end of the novel, Hadley acknowledges that she was the first wife, The Paris Wife, and that three more wives followed, all trying to give Ernest what he wanted and trying to be the perfect wife for him. Reading this made me sad, and a bit panicked. What wife doesn't fear being the one who was not good enough, supportive enough, or attractive enough to hold the interest of her husband? Of being the "First Wife," the one who supports and builds a family and then gets left behind. Hadley took comfort in knowing that it wasn't her, that Ernest just wasn't able to find anyone who could hold his attention forever. I'll be honest, I get scared of becoming the First Wife. I can only hope that it never happens.
I have to admit that I finished The Paris Wife several days ago, in December. Technically, this is a 2013 read. But, because of the day to day demands of life, I haven't been able to blog until today and I am glad for that. The Paris Wife will be at the top of my top ten list for 2014, rather than #15 of the 2013 list. It deserves a place at the top.
The Paris Wife is amazing. Read it.
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
#1 Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
I read Mary Poppins in anticipation of the new Disney movie "Saving Mr. Banks." I have seen the movie version of Mary Poppins more times than I can count. It was not only one of my mother's favorite Disney films, it was one of my girls, so I've watched it a lot over the years. I had not, however, ever read the book, and did so, as I often do, to make sure that I knew the real story before watching the film adaptation.
All I can say about the story is that reading Mary Poppins does not give you enough of the story to compare anything to anything. Clearly, I needed to have read all of the Mary Poppins books, and there are several. Disney must have taken them all and rolled them into one story when they created their movie. Mr. Banks really isn't even mentioned in the first book and he is clearly the focus of the movie.
Aside from that fact, and that there are actually four Banks' children (Jane, Michael, Barbara and John--a set of infant twins), the book is quite different from the film and it is no wonder that it took Mrs. Travers 20 years to agree to a movie.
I read the book also hoping that I could read it to my KG students. I am not sure that children in 2014 would understand it. There's just too much imagination involved.
I will admit that I have no plans to read the remaining Mary Poppins's books. I find that I like her movie character much more than her literary one.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
All I can say about the story is that reading Mary Poppins does not give you enough of the story to compare anything to anything. Clearly, I needed to have read all of the Mary Poppins books, and there are several. Disney must have taken them all and rolled them into one story when they created their movie. Mr. Banks really isn't even mentioned in the first book and he is clearly the focus of the movie.
Aside from that fact, and that there are actually four Banks' children (Jane, Michael, Barbara and John--a set of infant twins), the book is quite different from the film and it is no wonder that it took Mrs. Travers 20 years to agree to a movie.
I read the book also hoping that I could read it to my KG students. I am not sure that children in 2014 would understand it. There's just too much imagination involved.
I will admit that I have no plans to read the remaining Mary Poppins's books. I find that I like her movie character much more than her literary one.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
Top 13 Best Reads of 2013
I just couldn't get this year's list down to 10. I tried, but there were just so many great books that I read last year. Y'all are lucky I didn't just list all 52!
So, here they are, in no particular order...
If you can only find time in 2014 to read one or two books, be sure to pull them from this list. They are amazing works and worth every second of the time you will put into them. If you want to find out more about each work, just check out my original posts from last year's blog.
Happy New Year and happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
So, here they are, in no particular order...
- Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
- Looking For Me by Beth Hoffman
- The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani
- The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani
- The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean
- Georgia Bottoms by Mark Childress
- The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
- The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks
- The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
- One Mountain Away by Emilie Richards
- The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly
- With Violets by Elizabeth Robards
- What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarity
- The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels--A Love Story by Ree Drummond
If you can only find time in 2014 to read one or two books, be sure to pull them from this list. They are amazing works and worth every second of the time you will put into them. If you want to find out more about each work, just check out my original posts from last year's blog.
Happy New Year and happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
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