More Girls In Trucks

A few weeks ago, I did a review for a a wonderful book called GIRLS IN TRUCKS by Katie Crouch. Well, last night Ms. Crouch left a comment on my blog -- you can imagine how excited I was since I think authors are the best types of celebrities! I'm predicting that it's going to be a huge book this spring, and everyone should run out to get it on April 9th. In the meantime, you can learn more about this book by watching this video of Ms. Crouch. She answers many of my questions about this book, especially whether she is at all like the main character Sarah. Or you can read about her here, where she opens up about her writing and what books she loves. I really enjoyed watching this clip and reading her background information, and I think it definitely enhanced my reading experience.

Girls Just Reading Giveway

Girls Just Reading has a great giveaway right now. One lucky winner will receive a copy (maybe autographed) of Jodi Picoult's CHANGE OF HEART. The winner will be announced on March 13th! Good luck to everyone (but I really hope I win!)

Review: The Birth House

Summary: An arresting portrait of the struggles that women faced for control of their own bodies, The Birth House is the story of Dora Rare—the first daughter in five generations of Rares.

As apprentice to the outspoken Acadian midwife Miss Babineau, Dora learns to assist the women of an isolated Nova Scotian village through infertility, difficult labors, breech births, unwanted pregnancies, and unfulfilling sex lives. During the turbulent World War I era, uncertainty and upheaval accompany the arrival of a brash new medical doctor and his promises of progress and fast, painless childbirth. In a clash between tradition and science, Dora finds herself fighting to protect the rights of women as well as the wisdom that has been put into her care. - Harper Collins

I'm not exactly sure where I first learned about THE BIRTH HOUSE by Ami McKay, but I do know that the description of the novel caught my eye. I finally got around to reading it, and I'm really glad that I did. I thought this book was terrific! I read the entire book in less than 24 hours because I couldn't put it down -- I was hooked from the start.

I should probably mention that I have read a few fictional accounts of midwives and enjoyed these books as well. I beginning to think I might just really be interested in the tradition of midwifery. I also enjoyed reading about all of the natural healing that the characters in the book practiced. At the end of the book. there are lists of herbs and cures for common illnesses that I found fascinating.

I absolutely loved Dora and Miss Babineau because they were such strong, smart and brave female characters. They truly felt that they were put on this earth to help and support other women -- they didn't take money or even charge for their services. When the doctor came into their town and tried to make all women deliver their babies in a clinic, these women stood up for a woman's right to give birth how she chooses. I thought these characters, as well as some of Dora's friends, demonstrated how powerful women can be if they come together for a common cause.

Ms. McKay wrote this book after she learned that the house she purchased once served as a birthing house. It's obvious that she did a great deal of research on the subject matter of midwifes before she set out to write this book. I also like the time period in which the book takes place (during WWI) because it was such a huge time of change for women. She did an incredible job of incorporating current events such as the war, prohibition, disasters, influenza, and the fight of women to vote into the story.

One of my favorite parts of the book occurs right after Dora attends the delivery of her first baby. She says that giving birth isn't the miracle (that's natural and supposed to happen). Rather she says, "How a mother comes to love her child, her caring at all for this thing that's made her heavy, lopsided and slow, this thing that made her wish she were dead . . . that's the miracle." I found such wisdom about motherhood amazing in the seventeen year old!

There is a great website devoted to the book with lots of resources. You can read an excerpt of the book, learn more about the author, and even read her blog. In addition, there are some fun things to do like take a test to see if you're hysterical or have your tea leaves read! There is also a sneak preview of Ms. McKay's new book THE VIRGIN CURE.

I think every all woman book club should consider reading THE BIRTH HOUSE in the very near future. There are wonderful discussion questions here to get your club talking (as if you'd need much help with this book.) There are so many issues to discuss in the book such as a woman's right over her own body, natural healing, infertility, motherhood, modern medicine versus traditional medicine, and various kinds of relationships (friendship, parental, romantic love, etc.) I highly recommend reading this book -- I loved it!

Sharing the Love with a Giveaway!

I have really enjoyed being part of the book blogging community these past few months, and I've been so lucky with contests and giveaways that I've decided to do my own giveway. I have an extra copy of CARPOOL DIEM by Nancy Star to give to one lucky person! In short, the book is a very funny satire about a working mom who becomes involved with her daughter's soccer team. I reviewed the book a few days ago; and you can read more about it here.

If you would like to win a copy of CARPOOL DIEM, all you have to do is leave me a comment here by midnight EST March 7th. If you want to double your chances, please mention the giveaway on your blog (with a link back to mine); and let me know so I can enter your name twice. The winner will be announced on Saturday, March 8th. Good luck!

Review: The Monsters of Templeton

Summary: “The day I returned to Templeton steeped in disgrace, the fifty-foot corpse of a monster surfaced in Lake Glimmerglass.”
So begins The Monsters of Templeton, a novel spanning two centuries: part a contemporary story of a girl’s search for her father, part historical novel, and part ghost story, this spellbinding novel is at its core a tale of how one town holds the secrets of a family.

In the wake of a wildly disastrous affair with her married archaeology professor, Willie Upton arrives on the doorstep of her ancestral home in Templeton, New York, where her hippie-turned-born-again-Baptist mom, Vi, still lives. Willie expects to be able to hide in the place that has been home to her family for generations, but the monster’s death changes the fabric of the quiet, picture-perfect town her ancestors founded. Even further, Willie learns that the story her mother had always told her about her father has all been a lie: he wasn’t the random man from a free-love commune that Vi had led her to imagine, but someone else entirely. Someone from this very town.

As Willie puts her archaeological skills to work digging for the truth about her lineage, she discovers that the secrets of her family run deep. Through letters, editorials, and journal entries, the dead rise up to tell their sides of the story as dark mysteries come to light, past and present blur, old stories are finally put to rest, and the shocking truth about more than one monster is revealed. - Hyperion

As many of you already know, I "won" THE MONSTERS OF TEMPLETON by Lauren Groff a few weeks ago from Girls Just Reading. I have been dying to read this book for a few months; and almost as soon as I received it in the mail (I had to finish the book I was already reading), I settled down on the couch and cracked it open. I read the first quarter of the book in one sitting and I couldn't put it down. I don't know what happened after that, but the middle part of the book was very slow for me. I did read the last 125 pages in one sitting and I was definitely caught up in the story, but I have to admit that I didn't quite love the book like I was hoping.

Having read so many wonderful reviews (especially Entertainment Magazine's and Stephen King's), I was under the impression that this might be the best book that I've read in quite awhile. I did enjoy it, and I'd even say that I really, really liked it. It's just that I think my expectations for the book were so high that I'm having a little bit of a let down. But even saying that, I thought that this book was very interesting and unique. I'm not even sure how to classify this book -- mystery, suspense, thriller, historical fiction, supernatural, etc. I have to admit that I've never read a book quite like this one!

I do think that Ms. Groff's story-telling abilities were incredible and her writing style is definitely something special. It's very hard for me to believe that this is her first novel. I have a huge appreciation of the amount of research she conducted for this book, and I'm in awe of how she organized the entire novel with all of Willie's ancestors. I thought the genealogy charts and actual pictures were such a great touch to this novel. In addition, I thought Ms. Groff did an amazing job of writing in different voices and styles depending on who was telling the story in each chapter.

I'm not sure that I entirely "figured out" all of the symbols in the book -- I think that's what might be bothering me. I read in an interview with Ms. Groff (and I'm paraphrasing) that each reader can interpret the book in their own way. I think I understand a lot of the symbols, but I guess I just want to know for sure! I always say that a good book should keep you thinking about it even after you've finished it -- I guess if I use that criteria, THE MONSTERS OF TEMPLETON was definitely a good book for me.

I strongly recommend reading this book with your book club or just talking about it with some friends. There are so many dimesions to this book that make it a great book to share -- here are some discussion questions (either in html or pdf format) to get the conversation started. I have a feeling that this book will be a huge hit with book clubs, especially when it comes out in paperback.

Bargain Books

Yesterday I was trying to kill some time so I ran into the Dollar Tree. I don't know about you, but I always go in needing nothing and come out with a few things (sometimes like $20 worth.) I have had some luck in their book section in the past -- mainly for my kids, but sometimes for me too. It's always hit or miss there, but I couldn't believe how many hardcover books they had. I wanted to pick up a few, but I did manage to show some restraint! It's hard to justify buying more books (even when they are $1) when I have hundreds of unread ones at home.

I did come home with SLOW DOLLAR by Margaret Maron. It's the ninth book in her Deborah Knott series. Last fall, my book club was fortunate enough to have the award winning author join us via telephone to discuss her latest mystery (#13) in the series, HARD ROW. I had read BOOTLEGGER'S DAUGHTER (the first in the series) years ago and really enjoyed the book, so I was thrilled to read another one in the series and get to talk about it with the author. My entire book club enjoyed HARD ROW, but the reading experience was definitely enhanced when we talked to Ms. Maron about how she came up with the ideas for this book.

One book that I didn't pick up (but I'm now kicking myself) is Kate Atkinson's short story collection NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. I'm not a big short story reader so I passed on it; however, I did love her book CASE HISTORIES. They also had HOOKING UP by Tom Wolfe and MY PRISON WITHOUT BARS by Pete Rose to name just a few.

Let me know if you have found any good books at Dollar Trees (or other discount stores). I might find myself checking another Dollar Tree this week to see what they have in stock. While I do love reading a good book, I also love getting good bargains!!!

Lots of Goodies

Although this hasn't been the best week for me since I've been fighting the flu, it has been a wonderful week for receiving books in the mail! On three different days this week, I opened packages with books in them -- that might be a record for me! That is even on top of winning an ARC of IMMORTAL from Iliana (aka bookgirl) on Friday.

On Wednesday, I received a copy of THE READING GROUP by Elizabeth Noble from bookclubgirl.com. The Reading Group follows the trials and tribulations of a group of women who meet regularly to read and discuss books.Over the course of a year, each of these women become intertwined, both in the books they read and within each other's lives. (Harper Collins) I think this book sounds like a great potential read for my book club; and there are already discussion questions available.

I got so excited when I saw the FedEx man pull up in front of my house on Thursday! He delivered a copy of THE SECRET OF LOST THINGS by Sheridan Hay. I requested this book from Random House based on a promotional postcard that they sent to me. This books looks so intriguing, and I can't wait to read it. Eighteen years old and completely alone, Rosemary arrives in New York from Tasmania with little other than her love of books and an eagerness to explore the city. Taking a job at a vast, chaotic emporium of used and rare books called the Arcade, she knows she has found a home. But when Rosemary reads a letter from someone seeking to “place” a lost manuscript by Herman Melville, the bookstore erupts with simmering ambitions and rivalries. Including actual correspondence by Melville, The Secret of Lost Things is at once a literary adventure and evocative portrait of a young woman making a life for herself in the city. (Random House)

On Friday, I received a copy of THE MONSTERS OF TEMPLETON by Lauren Groff. A few weeks ago I won a giveaway from Girls Just Reading. I have wanted to read this book ever since I found out that it was the first selection in Barnes and Noble's First Look Book Club. The Monsters of Templeton is a novel spanning two centuries: part a contemporary story of a girl’s search for her father, part historical novel, and part ghost story, this spellbinding novel is at its core a tale of how one town holds the secrets of a family. (Hyperion) I can't remember the last time a book has gotten this much positive press. Entertainment Weekly magazine raves about it almost every week.

I am dying to read all of these books, but unfortunately for now they are sitting on my TBR pile. I reserved some newly released books from the library that I have to read first (I only get two weeks.) I love getting new books, but somehow I seem to make getting free books a stressful situation! I have so many books in my TBR pile that I want to read -- I don't even know how to prioritize anymore. Does anyone else ever feel stressed out when they look at their TBR pile, or am I just crazy?