I am very slow with completing books as I adjusted to married life in the New England area. I thought it would be fun to track my reading progress each week. The Sunday Salon is  an online reading group where all the participants set aside time to read every Sunday and blog about the experience. To learn more or to join, click on the picture above.

This morning,  I read a few more pages of Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon.  In addition to being written from a unique perspective, the story has some interesting plot developments.  In the passage I read this morning, a mystery was solved.  A relationship between two characters was transformed.  As cliche as it sounds, I thought about how one act, moment or event can change your life forever.   I wonder what it would be like to change from loving my parents and trusting them completely to feeling very frightened of them and being unsure about everything they told me. 

On Wednesday, I attended my second meeting of a book club at our public library.  It was storming pretty badly and not many people came.  The folks who attended are what I would describe as the core group.  They all had lots to say and I had trouble interjecting myself into the conversation.  It is another lesson in how I need to speak up more, but I also enjoyed listening to them speak.  We read Bel Canto by Ann Patchett which was excellent.  I realize that now I have three reviews which need to be written, but I am struggling more and more to find the time to think about, create, and post my reviews. Hopefully, I will get to catch up on my reviews soon.

Next Saturday, I have to take an ethics exam in order to sit for the Massachusetts bar.  I am nervous because I am not very good at taking standardized tests and I failed the exam once already.  This time, I feel more focused because I have set aside time to study and a plan of action in which to finish.  The last time I took the test, I was trying to study while driving across country and then took the exam two days after we moved.  Even when I was studying, I did not feel particularly focused.  I am hoping that my familiarity with the exam combined with a use of flash cards or more practice questions will result in a passing score.

I am very slow with completing books as I adjusted to married life in the New England area. I thought it would be fun to track my reading progress each week. The Sunday Salon is  an online reading group where all the participants set aside time to read every Sunday and blog about the experience. To learn more or to join, click on the picture above.

On Wednesday we got a new bed which does not sound like it has much to do with reading.  However, it is now much easier and more comfortable to read in bed.  I also wake up in a better mood since I am not having back pain.  Today,  I read a few more pages of Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon.  The chapter I read today was about the main character, who is an autistic teenager deciding to be brave by talking with strangers.  Christopher, the narrator, has such a direct and honest voice.   I loved him even more because he is going to be brave by talking with strangers.   It got me thinking about what I could do to be brave. 

The biggest thing I am afraid of right now is preparing for an ethics exam which I have to pass in order to sit for the state bar.  In August, I studied and prepared for the ethics exam.  Everyone told me that it was easy, ,but I did not pass which was pretty devastating.  I have not been committed to studying again because I am worried that the effort will not pay off and I will be humiliated again.  I need to take my inspiration from Christopher and be brave to get the result that is important to me. 

You can read my previous post about this book, here.

I am very slow with completing books as I adjusted to married life in the New England area. I thought it would be fun to track my reading progress each week. The Sunday Salon is  an online reading group where all the participants set aside time to read every Sunday and blog about the experience. To learn more or to join, click on the picture above.

Even though I did not do much blogging about books over the past week, I did have a few book-ish adventures.  On Wednesday evening, I attended a book club meeting at the local library where we discussed Once Upon a Day by Lisa Tucker.  You can read my review here.  I was a little bit nervous because I did not care for the book too much.  At the meeting I discovered that not only did others feel the same as I did, but they were quite fierce about their opinions. I have been in quite a few book clubs in my day, but I have never been to a meeting with people who were so intense about expressing their opinion of the book.  The members ranged in age from retirees to young professionals.  There was one man who I actually felt sorry for because he had to defend his preference for long hair.  It sounds totally random, but I kid you not. 

On Friday night, I attended the first meeting of a book club that I started.  In my head, I have named the club "Partners of Professors" because we are all connected to a professor at a local college.  Our first selection was Julie & Julia by Julie Powell which I actually finished about forty minutes before I had to leave.  I am telling you that to explain why I have not written a review of the book yet :) The host served a yummy dinner and wine.  We enjoyed the discussion and I liked getting to know the members better.  We talked about a lot of other things, in addition to the book.  I am excited to return to both of these meetings next month.

As for my reading today,  I read a few more pages of Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon.  I started the book earlier this week and I am really drawn into the story. Getting the perspective of a fifteen-year-old autistic child who is working on solving a mystery is really engaging.  The main character is very observant and good at picking up random details.  When Partner and I were looking at bed's earlier today, I thought about what Christopher (the main character in the book) would look for in a bed and a headboard.  It was a fun exercise to take into account the opinion and potential reaction of a fictional character in my shopping adventure.  I think that thinking about Christopher helped me from purchasing a headboard prematurely.

I am very slow with completing books as I adjusted to married life in the New England area. I thought it would be fun to track my reading progress each week. The Sunday Salon is  an online reading group where all the participants set aside time to read every Sunday and blog about the experience. To learn more or to join, click on the picture above.

I need some serious motivation to write up a review of Blindsight by Robin Cook, but I did not really enjoy the book very much.  I had a lukewarm reaction to it and I find myself having some writer's block.  As I mentioned in my post last week, I also had some issues with some offensive undertones in the book.  I want to expand on what I found offensive, but I feel like I need to have a lot more energy to write a critical review than one which is filled with gushing.  Does anyone else struggle with that?

As for today, I am going to continue to work my way through Julie & Julia by Julie Powell which is the selection for the book cub I am starting in town.  I started reading the book late, so I am worried that I may not finish in time for our meeting.  However, I am hoping that I can put in some long reading hours in between preparing for class, struggling through thank you notes, and continuing to unpack.  Given my pattern, I am pretty sure that reading the book will give me a good excuse to continue to ignore the last two items on the list.  So far, I find the book pretty engaging and easy to get through.  While I enjoy Julie's sassiness and drive to find her passion, there is something that is not jiving with me.  Maybe it is because I read a few of her blog entries and I also read interviews and reviews of both the movie and the book.  I feel like I know her voice and have a good idea of what to expect, so I am not very surprised.  As the book progresses, I am looking forward to witnessing more of her transformation and hopefully liking her more.

I am very slow with completing books as I adjusted to married life in the New England area. I thought it would be fun to track my reading progress each week. The Sunday Salon is  an online reading group where all the participants set aside time to read every Sunday and blog about the experience. To learn more or to join, click on the picture above.

Partner was consumed with running some code to finish up a paper that he is presenting at a conference in a few weeks.  As a result, I had a few hours to devote to reading today.  I continued working my way through Blindsightby Robin Cook.  From the moment I started the book, I kept thinking that my mother would enjoy this book.  It is a murder mystery, similar in tone to Agatha Christie novels, but not as strong in my opinion.  The premise of the book is interesting; however, I am not getting as swept up in the plot as I would like.  Also some of the details Cook puts in are mildly racist which I find very irritating and distracting.  When I write my full review, I will go into more detail on that.  Nonetheless, I find the story interesting and I am curious to see what happens next.  Plus, it is fun to get to spend most of your day immersed in a book.

This week I finished reading Once Upon a Day by Lisa Tucker; I wrote up a review.  I am looking forward to attending the book club meeting to discuss the book in a few weeks.

Tucker's novel is structurally dextrous, boasting a chorus of extraordinary voices and assured parallel plot lines separated by four decades. In the present day, 23-year-old Dorothea has left her overprotective father's secluded 35-acre New Mexico estate, called the Sanctuary, where she and her brother, Jimmy, had been sheltered from current news and all modern-day innovations. Searching for her runaway brother in St. Louis, Dorothea meets a recently widowed doctor-turned-cabbie, who introduces her to the vibrant outside world he's been trying to escape. A parallel tale set in the 1970s follows the budding romance between a successful film director and the waif who becomes his muse, his wife and the object of his obsessive control. The tour de force resolution that ties both stories together is a lyrically poignant reminder of the necessity of hope.

Pages: 352 pages (hardcover)

Rating: 6 out of 10

A few weeks ago, I visited our local library. People had told me that it was quite lovely and had recently been renovated. I was also excited to find out if they have a book club.  When I entered the building, I signed up for a library card which I always think is fun . (I know NERD alert!) I asked about the book club and found out that there is a book club which meets on the last Wednesday of the month.  They also had a copy of the book which had just been returned. Even though I was not sure if I would enjoy the book based on the cover (shame on me for being so quick to judge), I decided to check it out and come to the first meeting.

Once Upon a Day by Lisa Tucker turned out to be a very interesting and engaging read.  I had it by my bed and often went to bed later than intended because I was so engrossed in the story.  The character I liked the most was Stephen who became a cabbie after his wife and daughter were killed in an accident.  The story was engaging, but I did not find it as satisfying as I was hoping.

Towards the end, the plot lines seemed to come together too neatly.  Also, some of the choices made by the characters did not have realistic consequences.  I am looking forward to the book club discussion about this book in a few weeks.  Until then, I am going to ponder some other points of discussion.

I am very slow with completing books as I adjusted to married life in the New England area. I thought it would be fun to track my reading progress each week. The Sunday Salon is  an online reading group where all the participants set aside time to read every Sunday and blog about the experience. To learn more or to join, click on the picture above.

This morning, Partner and I participated in a fundraising walk to cure cancer. Before we left, I managed to finish Once Upon a Day by Lisa Tucker.  I never would have picked up the book if I had not decided to try one meeting of the book club that is held at the local library.  I will write my review soon, but overall I enjoyed the book. 

I have realized that being able to take the train from our place into Boston gives me more reading time than I had before.  I have also been reading a little bit before going to bed and/or before getting out of bed in the morning.  I imagine that those routines will change once I get busier.  For now,  I am trying to savor the pages. 

Since my last post for Sunday Salon, I review two books.  The books were different from each other, but I enjoyed them very much.  Eva Luna by Isabel Allende was a compelling story about a young girl growing up without her mother, but also a story about the history of a country.  You can read my review here.  

House and Home by Kathleen McCleary is about a woman whose in a difficult transition.  In the midst of trying to cope with losing so many things, she has a strong attachment to her house.  You can read my review here.

I also started reading Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood earlier this week.  I started it while on the train from Boston and I missed my stop.  If the rest of the book continues to be this engaging, I am going to enjoy it very much! Although, I may have to work out a system where I pay attention to the train stops while I am reading :)

Conceived on her father's deathbed and almost strangled to death by her umbilical cord, the baby who emerged would become the woman, Eva Luna. Her birth is incredible and her life is even more so as Eva spins for us her story and the story of those who impacted her life. Come with Eva, as a little girl where she plays with a stuffed puma owned by a mad-man who uses Indians for his embalming experiments. Watch as this orphaned girl is "sold" off by her strange godmother who believes in the gods of her ancestral Africa and the saints of Catholicism. Watch Eva as she grows from childhood to adolescence to an adult who has to confront the reality of love and revolution.

Pages: 320 pages (paperback)

Rating: 8 out of 10

When I first picked up Eva Luna by Isabel Allende from Partner's childhood home, I did not know exactly what to expect.  I was looking for an engaging story, Partner told me that he read the book in Spanish and could not remember too much of the story.  I was excited to try because I did read some of Isabel Allende in college, but had not had her words as part of my daily routine for quite awhile.   It took a bit of time for me to get into the story.  Allende has very detailed prose and takes her time introducing you to the characters.

Once I got rolling I became totally engrossed in story and the characters.  In particular, I wanted to learn more about Eva and Rolfe's journey.  The book explores sexism and classicism within revolution. It also discusses a burning desire to write.  At one point, Eva is having a conversation with Huberto who is involved in the guerilla movement.  Through her conversation with him, she realizes her exclusion from the benefits of the revolution he is working towards:

The people seemed to be composed exclusively of men; we women should contribute to the struggle, but were excluded from decision-making and power.  His revolution would not change my fate in any fundamental way.  Perhaps it was at that moment I realized that mine is a war with no end in view.

At another point in the book, a group of Indians are housing the guerillas.  While it may seem that the Indians would be on the side of those who are striving to overthrow the government, the Indians have a different perspective:

But the Indians were not interested in his revolution, or anything else that came from that hated race.  They did not share the guerilla's ideals, they did not believe their promises or understand their reasoning.  The chief knew that even if the Indians had not been involved, the soldiers would hold them responsible because the village was so close to the village.

The above passage illustrates Allende's genuis. While the story of the main characters is moving forward, she also educates the reader about how marginalized groups are often left out of progressive brought by revolutions.  She also points out how some groups are constantly blamed for ills of society even when they may have nothing to do with the root cause.

Finally, Eva finds her passion for writing.  Throughout the novel, we see examples of her ability to tell stories.  I really enjoyed reading about how she felt the first time she put her words to paper:

I believed that that page had been waiting for me for twenty years, that I had lived only for that instant, and I hoped that from that moment my only task would be to capture the stories floating in the thin air, to make them mine.

Sometimes when I am blogging, I find myself wishing to have writing be my only responsibility.  Other times when I have writer's block, I cannot imagine anything worse than having to write :)  Anyway, Eva Luna by Isabel Allende is truly a terrific read.  My only complaint is that it took me awhile to get into the story.  To make the stories easer to follow, I would recommend writing down the names of the characters.  I did not follow that piece of advice and I had to go back and reread various parts to remind myself of who was who. 

I wrote about my experience reading this book for two Sunday Salons. 

I am counting this book for the Orbis Terrarum challenge. 

*If you read and reviewed this book, please leave me a link in the comments or email me.  I will include it at the end of my post*

The story of a woman who loves her house so much that she'll do just about anything to keep it. Ellen Flanagan has two precious girls to raise, a cozy neighborhood coffee shop to run, terrific friends, and a sexy husband. She adores her house, a yellow Cape Cod filled with quirky antiques, beloved nooks and dents, and a million memories. But now, at forty-four, she's about to lose it all. After eighteen roller-coaster years of marriage, Ellen's husband, Sam--who's charismatic, spontaneous, and utterly irresponsible--has disappointed her in more ways than she can live with, and they're getting divorced. Her daughters are miserable about losing their daddy. Worst of all, the house that Ellen loves with all her heart must now be sold.  Set in the gorgeous surroundings of Portland, Oregon, Kathleen McCleary's funny, poignant, curl-up-and-read debut strikes a deep emotional chord and explores the very notion of what makes a house a home.

Pages: 272 (hardcover)

Rating: 8 out of 10

I won this book from Books and Cooks a long time ago and it took awhile for me to start reading.  When we returned from Thailand, we were at Partner's apartment for a few days before moving into our new place.   I had brought the book with me on one of my previous trips and it was on his bookshelf.  I started reading one morning when I was waking up slowly.  The story drew me in immediately and I felt like I wanted to love a home as much as Ellen, the main character, loved hers. 

Partner and I have moved into our new place.  Right now, we are living in the midst of boxes.  I loved all the details of what Ellen did to make her house feel homey.  It made me feel inspired to make our own print on our new place. I liked reading about the complicated relationship she has with the house and how it grows to represent major milestones in her life.  Through her memories, I liked hearing how her relationship with Sam developed.   The kids were also great characters.  I loved Sara's spunk and Louisa's sweetness.  I remember crying when my parents got rid of their cars, so I could not imagine how sad I would have been to leave my childhood home in the midst of childhood.  

**Spoiler Alert**

I cried pretty much through the last two chapters of the book.  I found it ironic that the house did end up burning down and I was glad that Ellen had the chance to be reminded of what is important to her.  The scene inside the burning house and after her family comes out is very moving.  However, I thought that it became a bit melodramatic and wrapped up a bit too neatly. The end of the book wrapped up a little too quickly for my preference.  I wanted to know more about the process of Ellen's reconciliation with Sam.   Overall, I really enjoyed the book.  I would recommend it to anyone who is in transition and trying to figure out how to make a house a home.

I am using this book for the What's in a Name Challenge Two.

Other reviewers of the book:

• Books and Cooks
• Books on the Brain
•  Planet Books
• Breaking the Spine

(If you have a read the book, leave a comment or send me an email and I will add you to the list)

I am very slow with completing books as I adjusted to married life in the New England area. I thought it would be fun to track my reading progress each week. The Sunday Salon is  an online reading group where all the participants set aside time to read every Sunday and blog about the experience. To learn more or to join, click on the picture above.

I have a confession to make.  While I have been reading Eva Luna by Isabel Allende on the commuter rail and while in various lines, I have also been reading House and Home by Kathleen McCleary.   House and Home is the book that I have on my night stand.  I read it before getting out of bed in the morning and sometimes before falling asleep.  It is a good book for helping me get out of bed and for helping to put the day behind me.  Since I am trying to set up a new house and hope to have a long marriage with my Partner that is filled with momentous occasions, I am taking special interest in the main character's attachment to her house.  I love all of the details of setting up house and running a new business as much as I am enjoying the interaction between the characters. 

Today, we hosted our first dinner guests.  Even though we have only been in our house for three weeks, I find myself getting attached to the place.  When it is time for us to move, I wonder which memories I am going to carry with me.   On a slightly different note, I am awed with the main character's ability to decorate.  Specifically, she seems to have super powers at picking out colors.  Partner and I are trying to figure out the right shade of blue for our bedroom.  If anyone has any advice on how to not pick the wrong color, it would be greatly appreciated!!