Update on Suggested Reading 2015

Almost a month ago I published a list of books that I would like to read this year. To track my progress I thought I would update the list monthly, or so. Here is where I am at now.

In alphabetical order:

After Her: A Novel by Joyce Maynard

Bark: Stories by Lorrie Moore

Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen

Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth

Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life by Justine Picardie

Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro

Five Star Billionaire by Tash Aw

Freud's Mistress by Karen Mack

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg - read, it's ok

Hole in the Sky: A Memoir by William Kittridge

Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

In Paradise: A Novel by Peter Matthiessen

Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty by Diane Keaton

My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni

Nine Inches: Stories by Tom Perrotta

Reconstructing Amelia: A Novel by Kimberly McCreight

Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen - read, enjoyed reading it

Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart

Swim Back to Me by Ann Packer - read, it's ok

The Art Forger: A Novel by B. A. Shapiro - reading 

The Circle by Dave Eggers

The Giver by Lois Lowry - read, excellent book

The Glass Room by Simon Mawer - read, interesting and engaging 

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker - reading, an interesting though difficult read.

The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewel

The Imperfectionists: A Novel by Tom Rachman

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

The Invention of Wings: A Novel by Sue Monk Kidd

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

The Madam's Daughter by Joanne Orion Miller

The Platform Sutra: The Zen Teachings of Hui-Neng by Red Pine

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

The Silent Wife: A Novel by A.S.A. Harrison - read, easy read and not too involved

The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World's Greatest Piece of Cheese by Michael Paterniti

The Undying Lamp of Zen, the Testament of Zen Master Torei

This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett

Tinkers by Paul Harding

Flower Garden

"Garden in a shopping cart

Doesn't it look great?

Garden on the checkout stand

I can hardly wait."

And so go on the book about the Flower Garden by Eve Bunting. I had forgotten all about the book Jannah-Rae had picked out as a prize from Howard County Library last summer. She took part in the summer reading program, and after finishing ten books, picked out one she could keep. The book looked simple enough, and colorful. So I confirmed her choice. But only when we got home and read it together were we able to appreciate its simplicity and richness, its rhythm and magic.

A little girl goes shopping with her dad for a "flower garden." She picks out pansies and tulips, daffodils and geranium, potting soil and daisies. She looks on anxiously as they pay for their purchase: raisins and bread, oranges and cereal. They head out. She holds on to the box with the garden supplies and takes the bus. They arrive at their building and mount the stairs to their apartment; there isn't an elevator. They set to work. Finally, the surprise is ready.

"Happy, happy birthday, Mom!

A garden box - for you!"

Cake and ice cream are set on the table. Candles are lit. It is the mother's birthday. While away the girl and her dad had set up the surprise: a loving gift for a loving parent. There are no frills, no decorations, no elaborate schemes. The celebration, and the present, are simple yet thoughtful, all that a mother really needs. 

The book is not complicated. There are no underlying plots, or complex characters. The text, when put together, barely fills a page and yet it is memorable. The colorful illustrations, the musical lyrics, the realistic topic, makes it a wonderful addition to our library. It is so humane in its story line and so realistic in its scenes that I imagine myself there in the book every time I read. I find myself wondering about the girl and her family, wanting to walk down their street and visit their house. I imagine seeing the little girl's face, listening to her voice, feeling her excitement. I imagine my own family holding a similar celebration. To say I love this book is an understatement. I am so glad Jannah-Rae brought this book home. 

You can buy a copy of this book here, or check it out from your local library

Suggested Reading 2015

I am always looking for a good book to read. When on hand, I find myself immersed in reading until the book is done. But to find a good book is something I am not good at. While I ask friends and acquaintances for recommendation, I fall behind acquiring the books from the library because I forget or get tied up in doing other things. This year, though, I decided to keep a rolling list of recommended books in a central place. That way I can have easy access to it and reference it when I need a change from cooking or writing or going to bed early.

This is what I have put together. I am not sure how many of these I will read, or if they are all to my liking, but at least they are there. I will eliminate those I later decide are not in my interest category and add more recommendations that I may enjoy. I will track my progress throughout the year, not for accomplishment purposes but for fun. I plan to check these out of the library and maybe purchase a few that I decide are worth keeping.


In alphabetical order:

After Her: A Novel by Joyce Maynard

Bark: Stories by Lorrie Moore

Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen

Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth

Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life by Justine Picardie

Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro

Five Star Billionaire by Tash Aw

Freud's Mistress by Karen Mack

Hole in the Sky: A Memoir by William Kittridge

Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

In Paradise: A Novel by Peter Matthiessen

Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty by Diane Keaton

Nine Inches: Stories by Tom Perrotta

No More Words: A Journal of My Mother, Anne Morrow Lindbergh by Reeve Lindbergh

Reconstructing Amelia: A Novel by Kimberly McCreight

Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen - read, enjoyed reading it

Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart

Swim Back to Me by Ann Packer - read, it's ok

The Art Forger: A Novel by B. A. Shapiro 

The Circle by Dave Eggers

The Glass Room by Simon Mawer - read, interesting and engaging 

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker - reading, an interesting though difficult read.

The Imperfectionists: A Novel by Tom Rachman

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

The Invention of Wings: A Novel by Sue Monk Kidd

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

The Madam's Daughter by Joanne Orion Miller

The Platform Sutra: The Zen Teachings of Hui-Neng by Red Pine

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

The Silent Wife: A Novel by A.S.A. Harrison - read, easy read and not too involved

The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World's Greatest Piece of Cheese by Michael Paterniti - read

The Undying Lamp of Zen, the Testament of Zen Master Torei

This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett

Tinkers by Paul Harding

Lemonade in Winter

There are a few children's books that bring a smile to my face and call on to me to add them to our (limited) library. With so many books out there, and so little room in here, I much prefer to check them out of the library to check them out. But some times some of these books are too good to return. So I decide to buy them. 

My most recent purchase after a successful six week run on someone else's dime is Lemonade in Winter: A Book about Two Kids Counting Money. The subtitle sums up why I loved this book! 

$ - Two kids: an older sister and a younger brother. 

$$- Counting money: dipping into their piggy bank to fund their business. 

Yet I loved this book, and the characters, for more than just that. It is a book about entrepreneurship, persistence, creativity, and rebound. And of course, math.  

While it was a cold snowy day, and in spite of their parents' discouragement, Pauline and John-John set up a lemonade stand with the quarters they had saved. On an empty street, they then find ways to market their cold drinks on a cold day to the few cold customers. Once they sell out of the three versions of their product, they count their sale; and this is where I completely saw myself in Pauline, and Jeff in John-John. To find out why, you are going to have to read the book!  

We borrowed the book on CD and the narrator caught our attention with her voice, and the catchy refrain. She even had Yousef singing along with the kids. I couldn't listen to it often enough in the car and even used it to stay awake one evening on our drive back from Arlington.

You can buy the book here, or check it out from your local library! 

Read about other children's books I love here.

If Mom had Three Arms

Creaky Old House

The Hello, Goodbye Window 

Just Josie

A reading start to 2013

I love to read. Unfortunately, I do not always have a good stack of books on hand to go through, and when I do, I seldom find enough time to read more than one a month or every other month. This year, however, brought both time and material for my enjoyment. Being on bed rest meant I could indulge more in flipping through the pages of a good novel, and recommendations from friends led me to wonderful books that provided me with education, enlightenment and entertainment.

Here is what I read in January and a favorite quote from each book.

 The Rent Collector

"The most difficult battles in life are those we fight within." ~ Chinese proverb

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry 

"It surprised him that he was remembering all this. Maybe it was the walking. Maybe you saw even more than the land when got out of the car and used your feet."

Angry Housewives Eating Bonbons

"Life is like a bowl of spaghetti, it's still good even when it's all tangled up."









Letters for Emily

"Follow your dreams, make your best choices, and peace will come as you realise that you are on the best path for yourself. Your journey is unique. What is nourishment to others, may in fact be poison to you. Have dreams, but be content with your journey."

Reminders

 

I could not resist sharing this photo.

JR a couple of weeks before she turned 2 listening to a story

at the Central Library while attending the

annual Winter Open House.

It came as an unexpected gift on a cloudy day

and brought back sweet memories.

 

I still remember the book she was listening to,

Bear Snores On,

 and remember loving it and being pleasantly surprised

when she later received a copy in the mail from

a relative in MN for her birthday.

 

It is easy to forget the small things in life,

the fleeting moments,

so I am always grateful for the reminders.

 

Only two arms? Maybe you need some more!

“If Mom had three arms, she could put on a show. If Mom had four arms, she could make cars stop and go… But Mom has only two arms and that’s perfectly fine, 'cause when my mom hugs me... I know they’re both mine.”

Do you ever feel like you are having one of those days when you wished you had more than two arms? Maybe both your children want you to hold them at the same time, or maybe you want to unload the groceries in just one trip, or maybe you want to answer that call you’ve been waiting for all day right as you start cleaning up that chicken.  If you ever had a need for three or more arms, then you must read “If Mom had Three Arms.”

While a children’s book, I’ve actually gifted the book to mother friends of mine rather than their kids. Some days we just need some humor to make the day go by, and this book will certainly turn a rough patch in the day into a manageable one. Think of all the things you can do with multiple arms. Certainly the kid in this book saw many ways his mother could benefit from that luxury, if for nothing else except carrying his backpack.

But at the end of the day, moms have only two arms and yet they somehow manage to meet most, if not all, the family’s needs with them. And with hugging being one of the most important need, mom’s two arms provide ample room for regular snuggles and cuddles.

 

 

"Just Josie"

"This is Josie. Her full name was Josephine Emily, but everyone just calls her Josie." These are the opening words to one of JR's favorite books:  Just Josie and the Perfect Day. It is also one of my favorites. I picked it up on clearance at the bookstore and have not stopped loving it since then.

JR and I would huddle on the couch, or cuddle in bed, and read it time and again. We have read it so many times, in fact, that JR knows the words to the book herself. It light and humerous, with easy to grasp vocabulary and ideas. From it, kids can walk away learning about taking a "deep breath" and "count(ing) to ten." They will also learn that while a day may not start out the way they had pictured it, it may still have a happy ending. A little patience and a change in perspective can bring on a rainbow.

Josie had her mind set up on the perfect birthday party, but then things start going wrong. She tries to handle the situation as best as a kid can, and in my opion Josie did a good job working through the challenges, but as things worsen she has her meltdown. Rather than get upset with her, though, her mother helps her look out the window to see the beautiful rainbow that had just formed through the rain and the clouds.

Just Josie may be more fitting for a girl reader with all the talk about hair and clothes and shoes, but the lessons it portrays are gender-neutral. The book has since been discontinued but you can purchase it for your Kindle here.

JR's Hello, Goodbye Window

Do you have a Hello, Goodbye Window? If you don't then you certainly need one, or rather two - the book and the actual window.

JR and I discovered the book at our local public library. After holding on to it for as long as we could, we sadly had to one day return it. So sad to have had to part with it, I decided to purchase a copy for my home library. Now it is one of the most read books in our house, and I am consistently glad to have made that addition.

The book is narrated by a young girl who loves to go to her Nanna and Poppy's house. The kitchen window there is no ordinary window–it is the place where life happens. Through the window, the character watch stars, check the weather, wait for visitors, look out the garden and, most importantly, say hello and goodbye. The book is in prose format but very easy to follow. The first-person text is simple, the vocabulary ordinary but rich, and the story paints a perfectly child-centered world.

As for the actual window, well, that one has been in existence for a long time. I just never thought to name it, until one day soon after we started reading the book JR blurted out, "that's the hello, goodbye window!" And, it sure was! It is Jeff's office window in Georgetown where JR announces her arrival. I hold her up, she taps on the glass, and Jeff peers from behind the blinds. When he is not there, we wait while she sulks. But when he is, and he appears before her, she jumps for joy. I had been using that window for years, almost four years to do the same: let him know I am here and peek to see if he is there or not, with company or not, before I tapped my arrival. Then, when JR was old enough to do it herself, the torch was handed down to her delicate hands.

Jeff has since relocated offices but the windows in his new office are just too high for them to play the role of the "hello, goodbye window." Luckily, JR and I have not had the chance to visit him at the company since the move and so JR is not yet aware of the missing "hello, goodbye window." One day, though, she will learn of the change and I hope that she will take the news casually.

Creaky Old House

I love our public library. Growing up, we did not have a library you could just borrow books from. We had one at school, but it was small, limited. When I arrived to the US, new doors opened up to me; the Library doors. I discovered a whole new world out there, where you could walk in, hand over your library card, and take as many books as you like, and walk out.

I did not come to fully appreciate the library though, until JR became interested in books. Of course I wanted to read to her, and read to her often. But we do not have room to keep buying books, and I did not want to keep spending money on all these books, when one day we will surely stop reading them. Enter the Library!

My friend told me she makes a monthly trip, takes a reusable shopping bag, and fills up. I decided to try the same. So, one Saturday, I left JR napping with her Baba and headed out to the Central Library. I felt like a kid in the candy store, except I did not have to limit myself, or pay for anything when I was done. The possibilities were endless. I started with a few, the ones that were on display. On the first trip, I came home with around 2 dozen books. We sifted through them, and ended up with a handful of favorite ones. Now, I brave the shelved books and browse them before I check them out.  Over the months, JR and I have come to have favorites that we renew, or when the renewal period expires, check out again. In the case of a couple that we absolutely loved, even purchased them for our library at home; you will hear about one such book in a future post.

This week's loot brought home a book called Creaky Old House. A family of nine, and a dog, live in the house. One of the boys describes the house, and talks about how a simple repair job turns into a major remodeling project; the door knob on the front door falls off and they fail to fix it. Suddenly, though, and while everyone is busy putting the remodeling ideas and blueprints together, his little sister, Lizzie, fixes the door. The book is filled with rich, new vocabulary, and wonderfully vibrant illustrations. The rhyming text, and I am partial to text that rhymes, flows easily and musically from page to page. It is not a short book, 32 pages, but you could easily skip passages without compromising the story.

You can buy it here, or check it out from your local library!