I read Riding Lessons because I loved Water for Elephants so much.  It’s always intersting to me to see if I will love most novels by an author, or just the one.  For example, there are very few Stephen King novels I don’t like, and despite his towering ego, I really enjoy most John Irving novels. In any case, I thought this book was OK.  Water for Elephants was just so good, it’s hard to compare.  I found myself not liking the main character in Riding Lessons that much, which made it a little more difficult to enjoy.  It’s still worth reading, but you can’t go in with too high of expectations.

When Will There Be Good News was recommended to me by my mother in law.  I immediately downloaded it to my Kindle without even reading the summary, based on her enthusiasim alone.  I then saw that Stephen King recommended this book in his “Best Books of 2008” article he wrote for EW.  I took that as a sign and read this book as soon as I could.  It was excellent!  I suppose at the heart of it, it is a mystery, but what I liked most is that even through all of the darkness that prevaled through most of the novel, there was a fierce hope and determination not to let that darkness win.  This is the first novel by Atkinson that I have read, but I downloaded a second to the Kindle just yesterday. I haven’t started it yet, but plan to soon.  I am curious of they are all as good as this one.

Why was my last post March 25 of this year, you may ask?  Because I found out I was pregnant in early April and struggled with morning (all day) sickness and finding enough energy to go to work, never the less post on the blog!  However, I did get some reading done over the last several months (and even some now that the baby is born – she still sleeps a lot and I am still on maternity leave;-).
One novel that I really enjoyed was The Host. As you know, I completed, and thoroughly enjoyed, the whole Twighlight series, so The Host was a logical next read.  I was curious how Meyer would handle a novel targeted to adults, and in my opinion she didn’t disappoint.  Without spoiling the plot, this is an interesting story about a race of sentient beings who believe they are improving worlds by “body snatching” other sentient beings.  That is the moral back drop of the story, but I really enjoyed the characters as well, both alien and human.  I am not sure my hubby would enjoy the book as much as I did, as there is a love story that figures as one of the central plot lines, but I suspect many of my girlfriends would.
In any case, I hear that Meyer is working on a sequel to The Host. If so, you can bet I will pick that up too!

Snow Angels is a quick, if dark, read. I read it because I really like Kate Beckinsale, who plays the lead in the movie version of this novel. It is well written but very sad. Most of the characters are not happy, and I tend to prefer books with at least some glimmer of hope.  Just when I thought this book might have some, it was quickly snuffed out. If you are in the mood for characters who struggle to be better, but sadly can’t get out of their own way, you may want to check this one out.

I LOVED this one!!! The Book of Bright Ideas is one that you can’t pass up.  I absolutely fell in love with this book. With the character’s flaws, their pain and misunderstanding, contrasted to other character’s fierce embrace of life, love and acceptance. I loved Winnalee to no end. Her disregard for what others thought of her, for her acceptance of herself and others.
The story is told from 9 year old Button’s perspective, and a summer when Winnalee and her sister Freeda blow into town like a fire storm that wipes out some things, and allow others to grow in their place. I didn’t want the Summer of The Book of Bright Ideas to end…
The Book of Bright Ideas itself is a book that contains “life lessons”, so that Winnalee will learn how best to live life. The quote below is just one Bright Idea, but I loved it. I didn’t want this book to end, and cried when it did. I would absolutely recommend this!!!
“Bright Idea #94: If you always ride on the slow rides that don’t lift far off the ground, just because you’re afraid of falling, you won’t fall far, that’s true, but you won’t get many thrills either. And you won’t be proud of yourself when the carnival’s over.”

Some Things That Stay is the second of the 4 novels I recently purchased.  It’s a coming of age story of a 15 year old girl who is moved every year with her family to a new place by her artist father, always in search of new inspiration for his paintings. Themes of religion, loss, love, and the ability to change resonate throughout the novel.  I liked this one as well, but didn’t connect to the characters quite as much as I did to Whistling in the Dark or The Book of Bright Ideas.
I especially liked the conflicted feelings the main character has about religion. Raised by atheists, she is exposed to Christianity by her Baptist neighbors.  She never experiences what the others seem to in church, but she desperately wants to feel connected, to feel that there is a Grand Scheme to things.  I think most people experience this, whether religious or not, the desire for community, to feel connected.  I thought Sarah did an excellent job of portraying this, without beating us over the head with either atheism or Christianity.
I would recommend this one as well.

On the cover of this novel is a quote by Sara Gruen, the author of Water for Elephants, which of course is one of my favorites!  That alone gave me reason to read Whistling in the Dark, and I wasn’t disappointed.  I ordered a handful of books from amazon.com, based on recommendations on the site.  I really liked 4 of them, this being one.
It’s a sweet story of two sisters, one fearless and smart as a whip named Troo, and her older sister Sally who is fiercely protective of her sister, while not quite as fearless but extremely observant.  The story has a bit of a mystery wrapped in it, which carries the plot, but I just fell in love with the characters.
I read this in less than week, always an indicator of a good story.

The Secret River is a piece of historical fiction set in the early 1800’s colonial Australia.  It isn’t the fastest book I have ever read, but it was poignant.
In retrospect, I would like to read this story from the perspective of the native Aborigines.  It was hard for me to have a tremendous amount of empathy for the main characters based on the decisions they ultimately make.  I can’t highly recommend this one, but those who really like historical fiction should enjoy it.

I loved this book! Once Upon A Day was quite a nice surprise. I loved the characters, their raw and honest emotion, their broken lives and the hope that transcended their separate tragedies. This was the first novel by Lisa Tucker that I read, and I already have another one in my Amazon queue! This was the type of novel and you don’t really want to end, because it will mean the end of your relationship with the characters.
I would definitely recommend this one.

Middlesex is a beautifully written novel with memorable turns of phrase and a complex rich story line that spans 3 generations.  The story takes place in Greece, Turkey and Detroit MI, and is told from the perspective of a narrator who begins their story as a female, and ends as a male.
It is certainly not a short read.   The subject matter is a bit unusual, but there is nothing unusual about the momentum that carries the plot, from war, to the hey day of Motor City, to race riots,  all of which so colorfully and often times sadly highlight the human condition.
I would recommend this book, but you have to be in the mood to invest time and be willing to engross yourself in what I sometimes found to be uncomfortable topics.