Summer Reads...Thus Far

One of the items on my Top Ten Summer To-Do list involved reading for enjoyment.  I am proud to say that I'm actually accomplishing that goal!  For a girl with an attention span of a gnat, that's a big deal.  It probably helps that I've been able to enjoy a few gorgeous afternoons pool-side with my books :-)

Thus far...

I finally finished Push.  It's the book to the movie, "Precious."  There was all this hype over the movie as supposedly, Mariah Carey went without make-up for her role and Oprah was very active in promoting the film.  I bought the book when the movie was released, so obviously I've been "reading" it for a while now.  Some people couldn't handle the book or even the movie--for me, I think I've just become too desensitized to child sexual abuse.  It was boring.  I literally had to make myself finish the book.  But I finally got it done!  Will I watch the movie now?  I have to honestly say, I'm not sure.  The movie would have to be a lot more gripping than the book!

The second book is One Small Boat by Kathy Harrison.  It is the CASA Book Club selection for July.  It's written by a foster mom back East who takes in a little girl that had significant issues...the book tells the story of the child coming out of her shell, making great strides and the emotional journey that follows when the little girl comes up for adoption.  It was a quick read that was actually uplifting!

This next book, The Cider House Rules, took me a while to read.  It is LONG!  Like, 500-some pages of small print LONG. I had a hard time with it in the beginning but everything finally started to click--then I was hooked. It was especially interesting to read about Dr. Larch's perspective on abortion in light of all the legislation taking place right now...but the story also involved soldiers going to war and how their relationships evolve while deployed. Kinda reminded me of some families I've worked with!  Once I finished the book, I rented the DVD.  The movie was very good but I have to admit, some major parts of the story were omitted for the movie and I found it quite frustrating!  But the book is totally worth taking the time to read it :-)

And the last book, The Long Song, I just started.  Based on an online description, "The child of a field slave on the Amity sugar plantation, July lives with her mother until Mrs. Caroline Mortimer, a recently transplanted English widow, decides to move her into the great house and rename her “Marguerite.” Resourceful and mischievous, July soon becomes indispensable to her mistress. Together they live through the bloody Baptist war, followed by the violent and chaotic end of slavery. Taught to read and write so that she can help her mistress run the business, July remains bound to the plantation despite her “freedom.” It is the arrival of a young English overseer, Robert Goodwin, that will dramatically change life in the great house for both July and her mistress. Prompted and provoked by her son’s persistent questioning, July’s resilience and heartbreak are gradually revealed in this extraordinarily powerful story of slavery, revolution, freedom, and love."  I'm not very far into the book but hopefully it's as good as all the reviews say it is!

Any Given Day

In my post-collegiate years, I have not read books for fun like I hoped I would.  I'm terrible about picking up a book and never getting past the first couple dozen pages.

During our wedding weekend, my grandpa's wife was reading a book, Any Given Day, that my mother had loaned her.  Pat said it was about a little old lady--Jessie Lee Brown Foveaux--who lived in Manhattan, KS most of her life and the author recounted all her memories of our community in her book.  My old roommate, Jill, and I found ourselves talking about various Manhattan "things" throughout the weekend and when we had no idea what the answer could be we'd laugh about asking Pat to look it up in the book for us!

A few weeks later Mom gave the book to me and I thought "Ehhhhhh, we'll see if I ever get around to it" and stuck it away in the bottom of our china hutch.

The past three days--yes, three....not one, or two but THREE days--of school were cancelled due to the "snowpocolypse" and in order to keep any cabin fever at bay, I decided to dig the book out.  By Wednesday evening, I had finished it.

I cannot remember the last time I read a book in just three days!  I found myself getting my chores done as quickly as possible so I could return to the book.  The book is basically a memoire that Jesse wrote for her family at the age of 99 while living in her house at 3rd & Thurston.  It was refreshing to read about her simple childhood in Washington & Missouri...and it was neat to read her recollection of Manhattan as it was when her family moved here.  After a short stint in Lucas, KS she returned to Manhattan and spent the rest of her years here.

Honestly, I thought it would be a lot like reading someone's diary--and can you say BORING?!  But it was nothing like that.  The life lessons she discusses and her ability to trump adversity are priceless.  I found myself unable to sleep last night as different parts of the book kept running through my head--and even today, additional stories and references kept popping into my mind.  It's one of those books that will definately stick with me for some time. 

If you're up for a good read, I would definately suggest Any Given Day by Jessie Lee Brown Foveaux.  If I'm able to read through it in 3 days, I know some of you avid readers could finish it much more quickly! 

And you know what else is great about the book?  The price! It's currently listed on Amazon.com for $2.40 AND it qualifies for free shipping...it'd be well worth your time and money!