In So Many Words

Welcome to my Nightstand post for September.

Reviewed This Month (linked to my reviews):

• Love Anthony by Lisa Genova – This one is a must read! So incredibly good – read more and enter to win a copy (through 9/28) at 5 Minutes for Mom.
• The Book of Life Recovery: Inspiring Stories and Biblical Wisdom for Your Journey through the Twelve Steps by Steve Arterburn and Dave Stoop – awesome book for everyone, not just for those in AA!!
• Trinity: Military War Dog by Ronie Kendig – a fast-paced inspirational story
• Objects of My Affection by Jill Smolinski – a fun take on a serious topic
• India’s Summer by thérèse – let’s just say this wasn’t my favorite
• Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury edited by Sam Weller and Mort Castle – wonderfully diverse collection that makes a fitting tribute to a many-talented writer

My Other Reads:
Sugar Crash by Elena Aitken – Think good women’s fiction with a message. This was a fairly quick read about a woman adjusting to being left by her husband and then finding out her daughter has diabetes. The diabetes awareness message is peppered throughout but in a natural way that does not detract at all from the story. There was one character who makes a quick turnaround in her attitude at the end, which was the only jarring note in the book.

March by Geraldine Brooks – I wasn’t sure what I would think of this book, as I had read some mixed reviews. It was a bit difficult at first to accept the differences in Mr. & Mrs. March’s personalities from the portrayal in Little Women, but taking it as a fictional account that combines the original characters with the people they represented allowed me to accept the book as Brooks’ own creation. One could even argue, I suppose, that Little Women showed the couple through the eyes of their children, which would automatically be a bit distorted.

Anyway, I loved the writing style, and the contrast between the letters home and the reality of being at war was so well done and sets the stage for when Marmee has to write a letter home and realizes how the conflicting emotions it raises in her must have been so much greater for her husband the whole time he was away. I liked that it was realistic without being hopeless. Definitely worth the read.

Goodbye for Now by Laurie Frankel – Read this based on Jennifer’s review at 5 Minutes for Books and thought it was wonderful! It has a mild sf/fantasy element as the technology used is within the realm of possibility but doesn’t exist right now. As expected, it had a lot of fun, light parts, but it also has a poignant and deeper side. Highly recommended!!

Don’t Let Me Go by Catherine Ryan Hyde – Great story about a young girl whose mother is struggling with addiction to painkillers and how she forms a community out of the assortment of neighbors in her apartment building. The characters were all uniquely interesting and I loved watching how the relationships grew and shifted over time. Highly recommended!

Once Was Lost by Rosemarie Naramore – Sweet, enjoyable story about a woman learning to trust after being betrayed in love.

Celebrity In Death by J.D. Robb – Classic Eve and Roarke – great addition to the series. Loved it!

One by One by Phil Tucker – Interesting story. I guess you’d call it apocalyptic without the bang. In that sense, it reminded me of The Age of Miracles; the main difference being that focuses on younger characters. At times I felt like I was reading a secular version of a rapture story, and at others a retelling of the events leading up to Nazi Germany. But mainly it brought up lots of questions about how a society is held together and what we hold on to when nothing is certain anymore, not even our own existence.

My First Two Audiobooks!
Changes That Heal: How to Understand Your Past to Ensure a Healthier Future by Dr. Henry Cloud – This was my first audiobook, so I am going to have to listen to this one a second time to really absorb everything. It was especially odd to hear the narrator because I am used to Dr. Cloud’s voice from the New Life Live radio program!

What I really liked about the book on my first listen is that Dr. Cloud shares information about why we do things as well as ideas on what to do about the root causes. It goes deeper than just changing your behavior; it involves looking at what is hidden in your heart and soul.

Regret-Free Living: Hope for Past Mistakes and Freedom From Unhealthy Patterns by Stephen Arterburn – Great book, especially since it is read by the author, which made it much more personal for me. The section on how to end a relationship in a regret-free way was especially helpful to me, but there is a lot in here to help at any stage of a relationship.

My DNF for the Month
The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen – The first half was decent, but I just got too depressed by the overall story to continue reading. When the book shifted to focus on another character, I was not really motivated to hear her story on top of the ones I had already absorbed. I did mark one passage about the feelings of the teenage boy in the family:

Sometimes he suspected that his greatest worries remained nameless, that the concrete, identifiable ones that massed in his mind were illusions, diversions in the service of a malevolent force whose sole purpose was to prevent his ever resting easy. It seemed to him that as the nameless worries were supplanted, or obscured, by more tangible ones, he was actually moving further and further from the possibility of freeing himself from their root cause.

So true, but I just couldn’t wait any longer for the tide to turn towards hope and so this book went back in the library bag unfinished.

Currently Reading/What’s Up Next:

• Blood Type by the fabulous Melissa Luznicky Garret – new YA vampire series from one of my favorite online friends – currently available for only $3.99 on Kindle (click here for official release announcement with book trailer and giveaway)
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
• Asperger’s on the Job: Must-have Advice for People with Asperger’s or High Functioning Autism, and their Employers, Educators, and Advocates by Rudy Simone

To read more posts or join in yourself, visit What’s On Your Nightstand? at 5 Minutes for Books.

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