Everything She Thought She Wanted

Everything She Thought She Wanted

by Elizabeth Buchan

Published in 2006. 384 pages.

Amazon link

Genre: Fiction, Women's Lit

My Overall Score: 3

What its about (taken from amazon.com): The separate stories of two women--one a career-driven late-20th-century professional and the other a 1950s housewife--are displayed in this novel. Thirty-five-year-old Siena Grant enjoys a life that many women only dream of. A highly successful fashion consultant with her own business, a magazine column, a book deal and an American television show, Siena is also married to a loving, sensitive man. She and Charlie live in a trendy flat and enjoy intimate little suppers. What more could anybody want? For starters, Charlie is dreaming of a country home and children--not a life that appeals to the oh-so-chic Siena.

Meanwhile, in 1959, 42-year-old Barbara Beeching, a married mother of two grown children, lives with her pilot husband, Ryder, in a charming country home and hosts the most delightful little parties. Perfect partners, Barbara and Ryder survived the atrocities of war over England and now face the rest of their lives as Ryder thinks of retirement and Barbara thinks of... Alexander Liberty, a hunky psychiatry student whose passion for her takes her by surprise.

What I thought: Interesting storyline taken from two different yet similar women. I was curious how it would turn out but I never connected with either of the main characters. It felt slow moving to me and I honestly couldn't wait to be finished with this one.

Why I read it & where I got it: I got it at the Ocean City Library Used Book Sale last year and thought it would be a quick read to help me up my annual book count.

Date finished: June 10, 2009

Currently reading: Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Dewey

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

by Vicki Myron

Published in 2008. 288 pages.

Amazon link

Genre: Non-Fiction

My Overall Score: 3

What its about (taken from amazon.com): One frigid Midwestern winter night in 1988, a ginger kitten was shoved into the after-hours book-return slot at the public library in Spencer, Iowa. And in this tender story, Myron, the library director, tells of the impact the cat, named DeweyReadmore Books, had on the library and its patrons, and on Myron herself. Through her developing relationship with the feline, Myron recounts the economic and social history of Spencer as well as her own success story—despite an alcoholic husband, living on welfare, and health problems ranging from the difficult birth of her daughter, Jodi, to breast cancer. After her divorce, Myron graduated college (the first in her family) and stumbled into a library job. She quickly rose to become director, realizing early on that this was a job I could love for the rest of my life. Dewey, meanwhile, brings disabled children out of their shells, invites businessmen to pet him with one hand while holding the Wall Street Journal with the other, eats rubber bands and becomes a media darling. The book is not only a tribute to a cat—anthropomorphized to a degree that can strain credulity (Dewey plays hide and seek with Myron, can read her thoughts, is mortified by his hair balls)—it's a love letter to libraries.

What I thought: First of all, if you dont like cats or libraries, this is not the book for you. I thought it was cute and touching at times. Definitely a fast read and by the end, you do feel some love for little Dewey.

Why I read it & where I got it: My dad had told me about this book when it first came out (he is IN LOVE with cats, hence the recommendation!) so when I found it for 50% off at Borders I picked it up.

Date finished: May 31, 2009

Currently reading: Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Body Surfing

Body Surfing
by Anita Shreve

Published in 2007. 298 pages.

Amazon link

Genre: Fiction

My Overall Score: 3.5

What its about (taken from amazon.com): The beach house in New Hampshire which figured in Anita Shreve's The Pilot's Wife, Fortune's Rocks, and Sea Glass is once again featured in Body Surfing. This time, it is the summer home of the Edwards family, Anna and Mark and daughter Julie. Mrs. Edwards has great hopes for Julie, who is "slow," so she hires Sydney to tutor her, in preparation for her senior year. There are two older brothers, Jeff and Ben, whose arrival changes the household dynamic considerably.
Once again, Shreve revisits the minefield of love and betrayal that she has explored so well in her best novels. Sydney is 29, twice married, once divorced, and once a widow. Mrs. Edwards dislikes her instantly, is dismissive, and treats her like a servant. Mr. Edwards befriends her, shows her his roses and talks to her about the history of the house, giving the reader a rundown of the role the house has played in prior novels.

What I thought: This was a decent read, definitely not top on my list, but worth the read I guess. It kept you wondering how it was going to end, but it turned out to be a bit silly and a bit anti-climatic.

Why I read it & where I got it: I got this off the sale rack at Atlantic Book store because I have enjoyed some of Shreve's prior novels and wanted to give this one a chance.

Date finished: May 28, 2009

Currently reading: Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Rewind to April: Part 2

Disney - April 13-19... I'm sure you remember those updates! lol

In April, we began the process of applying for Obama's mortgage plan to see if we qualify (due to Tim's recent pay cuts and job changes). It looks like we qualify for a free refinancing program, but here we are two months later and still no further ahead. So we'll see how that works out.

Also, my allergies started up awful in April, but thankfully have gotten better more recently. Kaitlyn also started with allergies this year and has taken Claritin for kids almost every day...hers continues just as strong even now, poor girl.

The girls had some nice time with Mommom & Poppop...
Pops jumped in the trampolene with them:



He walked the girls to a lake nearby on a sunny afternoon and got a few cute pics:



Mom & Pops took them on a bike ride for treats at the local market:


Sunday, April 26 my cousin Julie got married! I drove up to Tommy's house (her brother) and rode to the wedding with Tommy and his wife Kim.
Tommy & his pregnant bride:




Sean & Boochy (Holly):

Brian & Amanda:



Korn (Karen), mom, me & Julie:





Uncle Tom & Aunt Joann - parents of the bride - with Korn:

Bride's whole family: Tommy, Korn & Jen plus parents:

Family with spouses:

Ortiz family: Julio, Karen, Julian & Madeleine:



Uncle Tom with my mom (brother & sister):


What a beautiful wedding!!

April 30, Kaitlyn went on a class trip to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and I was lucky enough to be chosen as a chaperone! Her three best friends were in our group and it was such a fun day!





And that wraps up our April... busy busy busy! Check back soon for May updates - they will be aplenty! :)

Rewind to April: Part 1 :)

I'm trying to get caught up cuz there's lots going on around here that I'd like to post about daily, but feel like I'm so far behind...

April did not start out real well for us - Tim got a dreaded call from work... there were 5 more pilots laid off and those that are left were getting a $15k pay cut (this on top of the other pay cut from a month ago). He is now at a salary lower than he started at with the company 2.5 years ago. Scary. Things are not looking good at his company and although he is trying to hang in there, the future does not look bright. On top of all these pay cuts, Tim has also acquired additional duties and positions within th company (good for job security, horrible for quality of life). Therefore, he is gone even more, and rarely gets his whole week off once per month.

Mommom, Poppop & I took the girls to see Monsters vs. Aliens 3D which was SO much fun! Cool movie with fun 3D effects :)



Spring Fun playing outside:





EASTER
Easter was nice -- We all made the best of it, although Tim was gone (as usual) and missed all the fun. Our town had their local Egg Hunt which the girls enjoyed. It was windy and FREEZING, so we came home like ice cubes, but it was well worth it!





Poppop bought us some beautiful hyacinths - probably my all time favorite smell and definitely my favorite flower! Of course I couldnt resist taking pics of those:



The girls and I and Poppop dyed Easter Eggs with Carl, Anita & Ry Guy:







Tommy & Kim came down Saturday morning (April 11) so we all spent the day together. Carl & Anita left that evening and Tommy & Kim slept over to spend Easter morning with us...
We were so lucky the Easter Bunny came on Sunday morning with lots of goodies for the girls!

He even hid the real eggs that we dyed all over the front yard!






Then we went to church... we tried a new church in Ocean City which we all really enjoyed!



We even baked a special bunny cake (got directions from a girl at work)...I think it came out adorable!! Especially with the girls help :)




And a yummy meal to wrap up a beautiful day!

Testing new website...Cute?

Click the play icon in lower right to 'turn pages'...

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

The Middle Place

The Middle Place

by Kelly Corrigan

Published in 2008. 288 pages.

Amazon link

Author's website

Genre: Non-Fiction, Health Mind & Body

My Overall Score: 4.75/5

What its about (taken from amazon.com): Newspaper columnist Corrigan was a happily married mother of two young daughters when she discovered a cancerous lump in her breast. She was still undergoing treatment when she learned that her beloved father, who'd already survived prostate cancer, now had bladder cancer. Corrigan's story could have been unbearably depressing had she not made it clear from the start that she came from sturdy stock. Growing up, she loved hearing her father boom out his morning HELLO WORLD dialogue with the universe, so his kids would feel like the world wasn't just a safe place but was even rooting for you. As Corrigan reports on her cancer treatment—the chemo, the surgery, the radiation—she weaves in the story of how it felt growing up in a big, suburban Philadelphia family with her larger-than-life father and her steady-loving mother and brothers. She tells how she met her husband, how she gave birth to her daughters. All these stories lead up to where she is now, in that middle place, being someone's child, but also having children of her own. Those learning to accept their own adulthood might find strength—and humor—in Corrigan's feisty memoir

What I thought: This was definitely one of the most uplifting inspirational stories I have ever read. Well written. Encouraging. Engaging. I enjoyed reading about local spots in the Philadelphia area, including the King of Prussia mall. The relationship between Kelly and her father was extraordinary. Perhaps the most inspiring part was the essay at the end of the book, which Kelly wrote during her treatments entitled 'Transcending'. I wish I could find the text online, but trust me, it is beautiful!

You Tube video of author reading Transcending - CLICK HERE

A few passages I really enjoyed were:
p 215 "The way I see it, if you have four kids, you don't really have to do anything else, ever...Four kids gives you a pass for every forgotten birthday, overlooked appointment, and missing form....It's like having nonthreatening cancer, forever." - funny!!
p 216 talking about why she wants a big family: "...every kid I've ever met from a big family doesn't take himself too seriously and has learned things you cant teach...they make do. They roll with it." --Helped to put my mind at ease about having a large family

Why I read it & where I got it: Once again, I heard some wonderful things about this book so I ordered it on amazon.

Date finished: May 21, 2009

Currently reading: Body Surfing by Anita Shreve

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

by Mark Haddon

Published in 2004. 240 pages.

Amazon link

Genre: Fiction

My Overall Score: 4.5/5

What its about (taken from amazon.com): Christopher Boone, the autistic 15-year-old narrator relaxes by groaning and doing math problems in his head, eats red-but not yellow or brown-foods and screams when he is touched. Strange as he may seem, other people are far more of a conundrum to him, for he lacks the intuitive "theory of mind" by which most of us sense what's going on in other people's heads. When his neighbor's poodle is killed and Christopher is falsely accused of the crime, he decides that he will take a page from Sherlock Holmes (one of his favorite characters) and track down the killer. As the mystery leads him to the secrets of his parents' broken marriage and then into an odyssey to find his place in the world, he must fall back on deductive logic to navigate the emotional complexities of a social world that remains a closed book to him. Christopher can only make sense of the chaos of stimuli by imposing arbitrary patterns. His literal-minded observations make for a kind of poetic sensibility and a poignant evocation of character. Though Christopher insists, "This will not be a funny book. I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them," the novel brims with touching, ironic humor. The result is an eye-opening work in a unique and compelling literary voice.

What I thought: I really liked this book! It was written from the perspective of a teenage boy with Aspergers (on the Autism spectrum) and was such an eye-opening reality check of what life can be like for these people. The chapters were numbered by prime numbers because thats what Christopher feels comfortable with. Although it is a work of fiction, it really feels like a true story - very real and true-to-life characters. I highly recommend this book - whether you go into it with zero knowledge about Aspergers or if you live/work with someone with the syndrome - either way, there is much to learn about this charming boy named Christopher!

Why I read it & where I got it: I got this book from the library. Although I never heard of it before, when I read the back, I was instantly drawn because I am fascinated by this topic. And due to my line of work, I was eager to enter the mind of a boy with a similar disorder to what many of those kids live with every day.

Date finished: May 15, 2009

Currently reading: The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

Ten on Tuesday

10 Favorite Places to Shop


Play along HERE!

1. Ross
2. Old Navy
3. Amazon
4. Ebay
5. etsy
6. Michaels & A.C. Moore
7. Walmart (a big thing I miss from PA, NJ Walmarts stink)
8. Target
9. Any bookstore (especially Used book sales)
10. TJ Maxx

Next week: 10 Favorite Cities

REWIND to March!

Here's a quick update (mostly in pictures) to catch us up ...
March 11 - Megan & Madison both got their first official haircuts! Can you believe it, at 5.5 years old?!


We've had lots of FUN play dates!

All of the triplets are officially riding two-wheelers (and have been since March!)... no more training wheels! In fact, just today we all rode bikes to school and overall it was a pleasant experience.


March 17 - We had a Happy St. Patty's Day... I even took the girls to McDonald's for Shamrock Shakes! Tim started this tradition years ago, but since he wasn't home, I wanted to keep the tradition alive :)

Tim & I enjoyed a date night (just went for Wings in Margate):

March 28 & 29 - Brian and Amanda came down to visit and we had so much fun with them! Our weekend included bowling, Applebees, bookstore, S'mores in the fireplace and Tetris on Wii (highly recommended!)
Here's a glimpse into our bowling bonanza! I only got a shot of our scoreboard and missed the other team's... most important - notice who WON! lol

















March 30 - Pops started his new job with the Vineland School District. He is working as a Bus Attendant full-time and so far he really enjoys it.

March 31 - Kaitlyn got her retainer! This is only the beginning of our orthodontic journey. For now, she only wears it at night while she sleeps and we've already noticed a slight difference. Of course, we have a long way to go...
Isn't she beautiful?!