In So Many Words

Healer
by Carol Cassella
Simon & Schuster, 2011
320 pages

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

About the Book

Claire Boehning must dust off her long-unused medical expertise and make a living for her family in rural Washington when her husband’s biotech venture crashes–taking everything they owned with it.

Healer exposes the vulnerabilities of the American family, provoking questions of choice versus fate, desire versus need, and the duplicitous power of money.

My Thoughts

Well-written prose, multi-layered themes, realistic characters and contemporary social issues mixed in with the drama of recovering relationships and purpose after years of gradual withdrawal – these are the elements that make up Carol Cassella’s second novel, Healer. Like her first book, Oxygen, this story takes place in the world of medicine – not surprising since the author is also a practicing anesthesiologist.

I was quickly drawn into Claire’s story, which held my attention throughout. As we follow her progress of trying to pick up the pieces after her family’s financial collapse, we also learn more and more about how it happened, both in terms of the business dealings and within Claire and Addison’s marriage. Thankfully, both partners become willing to see their own mistakes and make an attempt to reconnect rather than simply place blame for their situation.

I would highly recommend both of Cassella’s novels as well worth the read.

Note: This is Book #77 of my 2011 Reads (master list here).

The Fine Art of Insincerity
by Angela Elwell Hunt
Howard Books, 2011
320 pages

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

About the Book
Three grown Southern sisters have ten marriages between them—and more loom on the horizon—when Ginger, the eldest, wonders if she’s the only one who hasn’t inherited what their family calls “the Grandma Gene”: the tendency to like the casualness of courtship better than the intimacy of marriage.

Could it be that her two sisters are fated to serially marry, just like their seven-times wed grandmother, Mrs. Lillian Irene Harper Winslow Goldstein Carey James Bobrinski Gordon George? It takes a “girls only” weekend, closing up Grandma’s treasured beach house for the last time, for the sisters to really unpack their family baggage, examine their relationship DNA, and discover the true legacy their much-marrying grandmother left behind…

My Thoughts
Angela Elwell Hunt is one of my favorite writers, so I was very excited to see a new book from her. It did take me a few chapters to become immersed in the story, especially as each chapter is not only written from a different character’s perspective, but is also printed in a different font!

After a while, I stopped noticing the font changes and it became easier to keep track of who was speaking. It was fascinating to see how the sisters’ relationships changed as they dug deeper into their Grandmother’s possessions and into their own memories and perspectives of both the past and the present.

Although there were a couple of plot points that I felt were drawn out a bit too long, in the end I thought it was a good read.

Note: This is Book #70 of my 2011 Reads (master list here).

Big Daddy’s Tales From the Lighter Side of Raising a Kid With Autism by F. Lewis Stark

Loved, loved this! Sooooo funny!! Here’s the full review on this one.

Times Tables the Fun Way: A Picture Method of Learning the Multiplication Facts by Judy Liautaud and Dave Rodriguez

A friend of mine who has a son with Asperger’s recommended this book to me. Although he is incredibly smart, he was stuck on learning his times tables, but with this book he had them down almost instantly. I decided to give this a try myself and see how Michael would like it.

Turns out he loved it! He enjoyed the little tricks they give for certain numbers, such as calling “0″ the king because he wants everyone to be like him or calling “1″ a mirror because any number sees itself. He also liked the stories that they made up for the harder to remember facts. I was impressed with how appealing the book was and was very glad that he enjoyed it. And multiplication seems to be going quite smoothly, which is a good thing!

The Ultimate Guide to Sensory Processing in Children by Roya Ostovar, Ph.D.

This is a wonderful book from a fascinating perspective that added a lot to the discussion about sensory processing disorder. Full review coming soon!

Updated 7/3/11 – read full review here

Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb

Ahh, who can resist a detective novel set in the future, featuring lots of high-tech and fast-paced action along with a fascinating cast of colorful characters. I love these books and grabbed it off the shelf the second I saw it, despite the number of books already sitting next to my bed waiting to be read. And it didn’t disappoint.

Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy

Another charming story from one of my favorite Irish writers, full of fascinating characters and centered around Frankie, a baby girl whose mother passes away from cancer immediately after giving birth to her. Although the fact that Frankie’s future wasn’t completely settled kept me rushing through a bit to see what happened, I still enjoyed this book enough to recommend it highly!

Have you read any of these? What did you think?

Starting Sensory Therapy: Fun Activities for the Home and Classroom! by Bonnie Arnwine

This is a great little book that I had the pleasure of receiving a review copy to read. I will be finishing up my full review soon, but wanted to list it here just for keeping track of all my books.

The Uncharted Path: My Journey with Late-Diagnosed Autism by Rachel B. Cohen-Rottenberg

You may already be familiar with Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg as the blog author of Journeys with Autism. Even if you aren’t, I would highly recommend reading this compelling memoir of her life. I was deeply touched by much of what she shared, probably more than you can imagine, and I found her observations on her own coping strategies and on the nature of autism itself to be extremely insightful.

The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships: Decoding Social Mysteries Through the Unique Perspectives of Autism by Dr. Temple Grandin and Sean Barron, Edited by Veronica Zysk

I have had this book on my wish list for quite a while and am so glad that I finally read it. Although the way the text switches back and forth between the two authors and the editor was a bit disconcerting at times, I did appreciate having the perspectives of these two very different people brought together in one discussion on this important topic. The book is aimed primarily at parents and educators of children with autism, but I believe it could be very helpful to teenagers or adults with autism who are reading it for themselves.

There are ten unwritten rules shared in this book, although the first four words of the first rule (“Rules are not absolute”) give you a hint that this is anything but a black-and-white manual. The most helpful part for me was actually in the beginning of the book, where Temple talks about the difference between social skills and emotional relatedness and encourages adults to focus on teaching their child appropriate social behaviors while recognizing and accepting that he or she may not relate to others emotionally in the same way they do.

Daughters-in-Law by Joanna Trollope

I have long been a fan of Joanna Trollope, and this recent novel is no exception. When I saw it being reviewed by Elizabeth at 5 Minutes for Books, I immediately added it to my library list and was lucky enough to get it very quickly!

At its center are Anthony and Rachel Brinkley and how they cope with the changes that come as their youngest son follows in his two older brothers’ footsteps by getting married and starting his own life separate from theirs. Although the road is a bit bumpy, in the end the growth in each character brings them to a stronger and truer place in their lives.

The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure

I must admit that I, like Wendy, fell in love with Laura Ingalls and her adventures as a young girl. I have read the entire series of Little House books more times than I can count, as well as many related books. Although I am aware that they are not autobiographical, but were rather written to give future generations a sense of what it was like then, I have never pursued that line of thought very far. I simply enjoy being taken away to another time and place.

It was with a bit of trepidation, therefore, that I began reading this account of Ms. McClure’s own exploration of the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family. In a few cases, my feelings were justified; for example, I had not liked Rose Wilder much before this, and I like her even less now. In terms of the book itself, however, I found it to be extremely enjoyable and fascinating. I greatly appreciated the writing style as much as the content and laughed out loud at least a dozen times during the course of the book. I would definitely recommend this book to any and all Little House book fans.

You can see all the books I’ve finished so far this year on the bookshelf on my Books page or read all of my mini reviews by clicking on the 2011 Reads tag. I am also joining in on the Spring Reading Thing hosted by Callapidder Days, and you can see my list of what I plan to read this spring at my SRT11 post.

The Damascus Way by T. Davis Bunn & Janette Oke
This is the third in their Acts of Faith series. I enjoyed this one just as much as the first two, especially once I realized that the title was referring to the conversion of Saul and was looking forward to seeing how the story would lead us to that point. This is a wonderful book that ties in people that Jesus met and spoke to with fictional characters and circumstances in an exciting and encouraging way. Definitely a strong finish to the series!

A Scattered Life by Karen McQuestion
This is a contemporary novel that I wasn’t sure at first whether I would finish. There were several books over the last couple of months that I couldn’t quite get into, but I decided to give this one a fair chance and was very happy that I did so. I was especially surprised to find out that it was originally self-published and is now an Amazon Encore title.

The book takes places over the course of a year and focuses on three women, Skyla, her mother-in-law and her new best friend. I loved how the story shifted between the perspectives of the different women and gives you a richer picture of their personalities and relationships that you would get with one central character.

Room by Emma Donoghue
Room is a book that I have to admit I avoided for quite a while simply because I read so many rave reviews for it and have a tendency to run the other way when that happens. I don’t know why I do that, and I am glad that I finally took the plunge and checked this one out. I think I was afraid there would be a lot of graphic violence or gratuitous descriptions, but it wasn’t like that at all.

This was actually a brilliantly written, thought-provoking story of Jack, a five year old whose mother was abducted as a young woman and held captive in one room without every going outside for the last seven years. Perhaps the best thing I can say about it, other than how it kept me on the edge of my chair to see what would happen next, is that I am determined to read more by this author as a result.

The Treasured One (The Dreamers, Book 2) by David & Leigh Eddings
As with the first book in the series, I found this one to be a bit plodding at times, although I was interested enough to read the entire thing. The story jumped around a lot, as we hear the events (both recaps of the first book and what is happening in the present) from a variety of different characters’ perspectives. I haven’t decided if I’m going to read books 3 & 4 yet. I am sort of interested to find out more about Ara, so I may yet pick them up.

The Child with Autism at Home and in the Community by Kathy Labosh and LaNita Miller
This little book is a wonderfully handy compilation of tips covering a wide variety of issues that can crop up when you have a child with an autism spectrum disorder. It is organized by topic, and the tips are listed in bullet form, making this an extremely easy book to use as a quick reference when you are faced with a particular situation (read full review here).

You can see all the books I’ve finished so far this year on the bookshelf on my Books page or read all of my mini reviews by clicking on the 2011 Reads tag. I am also joining in on the Spring Reading Thing hosted by Callapidder Days, and you can see my list of what I plan to read this spring at my SRT11 post.

A day late, but here I am! Since my last WOYN post, I have finished 10 more books, bringing my total for the year to 35.

I have broken down the list of what I read over the last month by which post included my (brief) comments on them so that you can easily check them out if you are so inclined. Just click on the links that say “mini review post” if you’d like to read any of them.

2011 Reads – Books 26-30 (mini review post)
Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
Washington’s Lady (Ladies of History Series #3) by Nancy Moser
Phoenix and Ashes (Elemental Masters, Book 3) by Mercedes Lackey
The Fire Rose (The Elemental Masters Fairy Tales) by Mercedes Lackey
Changelings (The Twins of Petaybee, Book 1) by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

2011 Reads – Books 31-35 (mini review post)
Delightfully Different by DS Walker – NOTE: You can read my full review and also enter to win a copy of the book here. (Giveaway open until April 28th at 5:00 pm EST.)
Lydia’s Charm by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Just Jane (Ladies of History Series #2) by Nancy Moser
Deep Down True: A Novel by Juliette Fay
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards

“What’s On the Nightstand” to be read:
Room by Emma Donoghue
A Scattered Life by Karen McQuestion
The Damascus Way (Acts of Faith Series, Book 3) by T. Davis Bunn & Janette Oke
The Promises She Keeps by Erin Healy
The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships: Decoding Social Mysteries Through the Unique Perspectives of Autism by Dr. Temple Grandin and Sean Barron
Lost at School: Why Our Kids with Behavioral Challenges are Falling Through the Cracks and How We Can Help Them by Ross W. Greene

Yes, I know these last two have been on my nightstand for several months now. I really DO want to read them! I just keep getting sidetracked by IEP meetings and miscellaneous stuff like that.

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

You can see all the books I’ve finished so far this year on the bookshelf on my Books page or read all of my mini reviews by clicking on the 2011 Reads tag. I am also joining in on the Spring Reading Thing hosted by Callapidder Days, and you can see my list of what I plan to read this spring at my SRT11 post.

Title: Delightfully Different: A Novel
Author: D. S. Walker
Length: 156 pages
Genre: Fiction
Publisher/Date: iUniverse.com, 2010
Source: Review copy courtesy of the author

Delightfully Different by D. S. Walker is just that, a delightful look into a world that is somewhat different from what most people know as typical. As it is described on the author’s website:

Delightfully Different shares a poignant glimpse into the life and mind of a girl with Asperger’s Syndrome who demonstrates through her compelling experiences that every life has a purpose and that being unique is what makes each of us special.

Although this novel is listed on Amazon as being for appropriate for a reading age of 9-12, I think it will appeal to a much broader audience. It is as much the story of the mother who is trying to figure out how to understand and help her daughter as it is the story of the young girl who sees the world in her own unique way.

The book also delves into the complexities that arise when two people from different family backgrounds and cultures marry. Along the way, we encounter some of the fascinating aspects of life in Hawaii, including a competitive private school system that seems to rival that of New York!

There were several things I really appreciated about this book. One is how the story goes back and forth between Mia (the daughter) telling of her experiences growing up and Francesca (the mother) recalling what she thought and felt about what was happening. Another is how they each reflect on certain things that they later learned were specifically related to the way Mia’s sensory processing difference and Asperger’s Syndrome affect her perception of the world.

The topic of bullying is also addressed in this novel, and I found it to be from a very positive viewpoint. The mother is strong in her response to what is happening at her daughter’s school and the school does respond with increasing seriousness as she continues to advocate for the situation.

One other strength of this book is its contribution to the topic of Asperger’s in girls. There is a lot of attention given to how this disorder appears in boys, but not as much on how it can present differently with a girl. This novel is a solid contribution to the effort to raise awareness and understanding of this less-understood area.

All in all, Delightfully Different is a wonderful book that I highly recommend. In fact, I like it so much that I am actually giving away one copy of this book to one of you! I was honored to receive a review copy from the author, which is now in my permanent collection, and I will be purchasing a brand new copy for the winner of this giveaway.

How to Win
To enter to win a copy of Delightfully Different by D. S. Walker, all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post before 5:00 PM EST on Thursday, April 28, 2011. The winner will be contacted within 24 hours at the email used to leave your comment and will have 72 hours to respond with their mailing address, or another winner will be chosen.

This post is also part of the Best of the Best monthly blog carnival at Help! S-O-S for Parents, which during the month of April is focusing on book reviews, many with giveaways. The carnival will be published on April 15th, and each giveaway will run for at least one week to give you time to visit them and enter to win!

Continuing with the tradition started earlier in the month, I am posting mini reviews of the last 5 books I have finished this year. I realize they are very heavy in the fantasy area; this is mainly because I haven’t read much of this in the last several years and am indulging myself in some of what I missed.

Anyway, this brings my total for the year to 15:

The Wizard of London (Elemental Masters, Book 4) by Mercedes Lackey
I skipped book 3 in this series since it was not available at my local library, so hopefully that wasn’t a mistake. I have to admit that didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as the first two. I also didn’t recognize which fairy tale it was drawing from, although I’m sure that just shows my unfamiliarity with many of them. It is still worth the read if you are a fan of the series.

The Fairy Godmother (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms) by Mercedes Lackey
After reading several of the Elemental Masters books, which draw on fairy tales in a more subtle way, I greatly enjoyed reading the first installment in this more lighthearted series about a world where “Tradition” is a force to be reckoned with at your own peril.

The main character in this book is a girl who almost but doesn’t quite fit the bill as a Cinderella, and instead of marrying a handsome prince is given the opportunity to become a Godmother (since not all of them are true fairies anymore). It was a lot of fun to experience the unfolding of the story and see how Elena finds her own path amidst the strength of Tradition.

Autism & Alleluias by Kathleen Deyer Bolduc
This book is a truly heartfelt series of vignettes written by a woman who has an adult son with autism and intellectual disabilities. She reminds me of a psalmist as she openly shares some of the low points of her journey along with the revelations of God’s provision and faithfulness through it all.

It is a testimony to how God will meet us where we are, no matter how many times we end up there, just as we do for our children. I appreciate her willingness to share the lessons she has learned and understanding she has gained while walking this road ahead of me.

Murder at Mansfield Park: A Novel by Lynn Shepherd
I wasn’t at all sure what to expect when I picked up this book on a whim at the library. I have read many Jane Austen inspired novels, but can’t comment on this one in that vein since I am not actually that familiar with Mansfield Park and didn’t really care for the original that much.

Overall, I did like this book. The introduction of a murder mystery with a London detective thrown into the mix was very intriguing, and the plot twists and turns were engaging.

One Good Knight (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms) by Mercedes Lackey
Very fun to read, this is the second in the series about the 500 Kingdoms where fairy tales are a force to be reckoned with. I loved how the story weaves in and around the traditional paths as Andie and George find their way to a happy ending.

I am really enjoying all the little touches Lackey adds to the world she has created in these books.

You can see all the books I’ve finished so far this year on the bookshelf on my Books page or read all of my mini reviews by clicking on the 2011 Reads tag.

After having finished only five books as of January 25, I have read five more just in the week or so since then. I have decided to attempt to write a few comments about each book that I read this year and realized that the post would get pretty long if I stick to posting the list once a month. So I am going to post these “mini” reviews whenever I finish another five books (or so, depending on when I get around to it!).

Without further ado, here are my most recent reads of 2011:

The Gift of Love edited by Lori Foster
I picked this up from the new books shelf at the library because I had decided to read some short stories this year and the description on the back of the book sounded like this would be an interesting look at different types of love with family relationships.

It turned out to be more like the equivalent of eight mini romance novels that had nothing to do with the grandiose promises made by the description. The only story I liked was “The Wolf Watcher’s Diet” by Paige Cuccaro; perhaps somewhat coincidentally, it was the only one without an explicit sex scene. Other than taking a few moments to read that charming tale, I would give this book a pass.

Under a Maui Moon by Robin Jones Gunn
I have always enjoyed reading Robin Jones Gunn; she writes fun inspirational chick lit which is great for a light read. Sometimes I have wished her characters would be a bit more developed, and in this story I was pleasantly surprised by more depth that I remembered from her other books.

I’m not sure if it’s because there are fewer main characters than in some of her series or because the subject matter is so near to her heart, but I was very impressed and encouraged by this story about a couple who hits a snag in their marital communication and has to decide whether their marriage can be revived, or even saved.

Intrigues: Book Two of the Collegium Chronicles by Mercedes Lackey
I loved this book almost as much as the first one in the series and am seriously considering going back and re-reading the older books to brush up on my Valdemaran history.

The Serpent’s Shadow (Elemental Masters, Book 1) by Mercedes Lackey
This story, set in early 20th century London, is a fascinating mix of magic, medical practices, women’s rights and figuring out who to trust along the way. I found it utterly enchanting and suspenseful.

The Gates of Sleep (Elemental Masters, Book 2) by Mercedes Lackey
Where the first book in the series takes place in the city, this one is set in the countryside, which was interesting. I also enjoyed the mild allusions to Sleeping Beauty. I hadn’t actually realized that these books were connected to classic fairy tales before I started this one and was struck by the christening scene, but looking back I can see the Snow White imagery in the first book. Very cleverly done.

You can see all the books I’ve finished so far this year on the bookshelf on my Books page or read all of my mini reviews by clicking on the 2011 Reads tag.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists!

My Teaser

Time of My Life: A Novel by Allison Winn Scotch

But I got there sooner this time, I tell myself now. And even though the doctor’s words echoed in the same manner as they did before and even though the sum of his prognosis was the same, I got there sooner. And maybe, just maybe, that would be enough to rewrite the future.

I have to admit this is the first time I have actually done this randomly instead of picking a quote that I really liked from the book. I am almost done with this one and like it very much. It’s an interesting take on the “what if” scenario of waking up in the past and having the chance to relive a portion of your life. What choices would you make differently, and would they actually change anything in the end?

Check out Should Be Reading for more Teaser Tuesdays!