Rich Dad Poor Dad is definitely worth reading if you are interested in getting your money to work for you, rather than you working for your money. Kiyosaki brings up a lot of great points of how the typical American (myself included!) thinks about money: you make it, spend it, get a loan for a house or car, make more money and start the cycle all over again. The whole concept of “keeping up with the Jones'” prevents a lot of people acquiring actual wealth. This was probably one of the more potentially life changing books I have read in a while. I have been sticking more to the “how to be a better leader” type of material, but this book gave me insight into how to be a better business person for the benefit of our family, not for the benefit of a corporation. It’s a quick read, and worth it if you are anything like me, and think money is for “making and spending”.
On the topic of money, while traveling this week in Austin, I ironically came across a PBS special by Suzie Orman. Because I never study money or finance, I had no idea who she was, but since I was halfway through Rich Dad Poor Dad, it caught my interest. Her message was directed to women and it was pretty clear – don’t be afraid of money! It resonated with me because I often feel that way. I haven’t read any of her material yet, but I included the link to her books listed on Amazon as it was on topic.

Since so many have limited time to enjoy movies other than those of an animated nature, I thought I would share a couple of movies we watched lately.
Worth watching: The Lookout – I was skeptical as I knew nothing of the movie, but it had enough action for Bryan and I liked the characters. Interesting story and worth its 99 minutes (also nice that it wasn’t too long).
Worth skipping: Hannibal Rising – OK, so you probably didn’t need me to tell you to skip this one. Just in case you had any doubt – it’s gory and doesn’t correlate at all to the version of Hannibal that was so brilliantly portrayed in Silence of the Lambs. This Hannibal seemed like an entirely different character, and not nearly as interesting as the original one.

I should first warn you that this title is in the young adult (YA) genre. I have actually found a lot of really great fiction by venturing into the YA section of the bookstore; The House of the Scorpion and the His Dark Materials Trilogy to name a couple. It is ironic that this isn’t the way I discovered Twilight by Stephenie Meyers. On one of our (many) stops at the local Barnes and Noble, I was perusing the fiction/literature aisles and a striking black cover with a bright red apple caught my eye. The cover indicated it was a vampire story. It was also the only one of its kind on that shelf and I was actually in the “B” section, so although it was apparent that it was in the wrong aisle, at that point I had no idea it was indeed a YA book. Being that the story is told first person by a 17 year old girl I quickly suspected its YA roots, but I ended up really enjoying the story. I have subsequently read the next two in the series (Eclipse was just released in August 2007). This series lacks the adult themes and undertones that weave themselves throughout Harry Potter, His Dark Materials and the like, and because of this it is definitely a lighter read. The Twilight series is a little like a low calorie yet indulgent dessert; you know there isn’t a lot of nutritional value there, but that doesn’t stop you from getting seconds! I probably would have loved this series if I were a young adult too. It’s a sweet (and clean – the author is Mormon) Romeo and Juliet style love story with a supernatural twist. The only real theme I can decipher is if you love something let it go. Noble, but lacking depth. If you are in the mood for a sweet, fast read, I would recommend picking this one up.

If you haven’t read Harry Potter yet, stop reading this entry, go to amazon.com, and buy book 1. How JK Rowling created the world of Harry Potter I will never understand, but I am grateful she did! The series is a must read, but I had a few thoughts on book 7. Overall, it was a good end to a fantastic series. I am almost hesitant to say anything negative about it, but one section of the book didn’t resonate well with me. Near the end, where Harry realizes his fate and walks to face his death, I was getting prepared to dig out the tissues, and almost did, until Harry wakes up in some strange form of purgatory, at which point my reaction was closer to “huh?”. That scene didn’t fit. It felt contrived and squeezed into the story. A more natural ending to me would have been for Harry to sacrifice himself, and the audience left to hope that the rest of the HP crew can finish Voldemort off without Harry. That would have been a more adult ending, frustrating and tough to swallow, but closer to being “right”. Harry ultimately living to finish off Voldemort and raise a nice neat little family with Ginny seemed to me the rated G ending, the version that would satiate Rowling’s young readers with a happily ever after ending. I have to admit, normally I am the first person to appreciate a Disney ending, but for some reason it just didn’t sit right this time. A tragic ending would have been deeply moving, and somehow more poetic than the ending we got. JKR – I don’t know if the editors got to the story, or if this was the ending you had intended all along, and ultimately I suppose it doesn’t matter. I still enjoyed every rich chapter of every sizable tome, and would and perhaps will read them all again some day.

Below are some recommendations for good summer reading. These are some of my favs:
The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving *One of my all time favorites
Cider House Rule by John Irving *One of my all time favorites
Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
The Mummy by Ann Rice
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
The Pull of the Moon by Elizabeth Berg
Even Cowgirls get the Blues by Tom Robbins
Happy reading!

I was browsing in Barnes and Noble last weekend, waiting for Bryan to find one Java book or another, and a woman about my age asked for a book recommendation. I was only too happy to oblige, and the book she recommended in return was this one.
The plot is about a young woman who experiences a tragedy and has to make a difficult decision. My opinion is that the underlying theme is about a woman trying to find out who she is, and needing to seperate herself from her childhood identity to do that. Have you gone to your high school reunion? If you have, you the know what I am talking about. You step into the room filled with people that knew you when you were 16, and you think, I am not that person anymore. I can’t say that I liked the main character. In fact, I wish she had been stronger. I wish she had set out on her own, not tied to a man or relationship. Her choice in relationship is so obviously bad from my perspective. However, the book had me from the first chapter, and I did complete it in a week.
I would recommend this one, and I would be interested to hear your thoughts if have read it as well.
What I am reading now – When God was a Woman

I have to admit, I only read half of this one. I recommend it to those of you who either have or will have teenage daughters, or those who work closely with teens (teachers etc). I read it out of curiousity, after watching the movie Mean Girls. In Jr high, if you are a women, I bet you either new a mean girl, or were one yourself. I know plenty of them, and was curious about the psychology behind the behavior. I quit reading when I started getting nightmares about being picked last in dodge ball;-)
My overall recommendation – most of you will want to pass one this one. Watch the movie instead!

As you know by now, S. M. Kidd is one of my favorite authors, and I am as much a sucker for mermaids as I am for bees. I am not sure whether to recommend reading The Dance of the Dissident Daughter before or after The Mermaid Chair. I think I got more out of Mermaid by reading Daughter first. In any case, I really loved this book. I read it in 3 days. The summary will tell you it’s the story of a woman who has an affair with a monk while taking care of her self mutilating mother. That sounds so harsh! Yes, those are the vehicles that move the plot forward, but that is not what the book is “about”. The theme centers around a woman finding out who she really is, finding her spiritual center, communing with other women and with nature in a way that we are not often taught through our society or through the 3 major monothiestic religions. This is one of my favorite topics (which I have discussed with some of you at length!) . In any case, whether you agree with this perspective, or think it’s a load of crap, The Mermaid Chair is a very touching, soleful read. I definitely recommend this one (note that it is only in hardcover currently – May 2005).
What I am reading now – Queen Bees and the Wanna Bees (yes it’s bees again!) So far I like it. More to come once I finish it!

I picked this one up because scrolled across the top of the cover were the words ” A New York Times Notable Book of the Year”, and also because I have taken a liking to the topic of bees. The only interesting fact I learned from this novel is that honey bees across the nation are dying from mites. I found this very sad, but short of being a genetic engineer, there is not much we can do about it. My overall recommendation, don’t get further than the cover. Perhaps I was spoiled by “The Secret Life of Bees”, but this just seems a like a shallow imposter, a hollow story with characters that I could not relate to. If you are looking for bees, read some Tori Amos lyrics, or of course, Sue Monk Kidd;-)

This is a really quick read. In a nut shell the 4 agreements are not to gossip, not take things people say personally, don’t make assumptions, and always do your best. Seems like simple and obvious enough advise, which I didn’t find particularly life shattering. In short, I can’t really recommend this one, although it’s such a short read that it’s not too much of an investment if you decide to read it.