Room: A Novel

Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Room is a wonderful story, told from the point of view of a 5 year old boy as he is introduced to the "real" world. His first five years were spent in an 11x11 foot room with his mother. His entire existence consisted of the items in the room and what his mother taught him. They did have some books to read, and watched some television. But, he did not realize all of those things he read about - trees, mountains, boys and girls, animals, friends, etc - were actually REAL. The only person he has ever seen besides his mother is Old Nick, and he has only seen him through the slats of Wardrobe where he hides when Old Nick visits.

His mother was abducted and has been held in the room for seven years. When they finally escape their confinement, there is a lot of adjustment for Jack and Ma. Jack tells their story in such a sweet, innocent way. Your heart just about breaks with some of his observations as he learns that Outside is much different than his life in Room.

I listened to this story on CD, and the different characters in the story are actually read by different people, so it is more like listening to a play than just a book. It was so refreshing to hear the voice of Jack, as it sounds just like a five year old.



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Books on CD - Sarah's Key

Recently, I have begun listening to books on CD while alone in the car driving to work, running errands, etc.  Listening to a book being read to me is something that I resisted for a very long time.  I thought that it would be like listening to a lecture, and that my mind would wander and it would be difficult to keep track of the story.  I was so wrong!  Listening to books on CD is a wonderful experience - the stories are enhanced with the voices that the 'reader' is able to give to the different characters.  Even if you only have a few minutes in the car, it is surprising how much of the story you are able to listen to in those small segments.  And if you can find an 'ancient' portable CD player around your house, then you can also listen to the stories while taking a relaxing walk in the evenings.  Check out your local library to see what books they have available on CD.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An incredibly riveting story about a 10 year old Jewish girl who, along with her parents, is arrested in Paris in 1942, detained with thousands of others in a stadium, and eventually sent to a camp outside of Paris. Unfortunately, her 4 year old brother was hiding in a cupboard and was left behind, alone, in the apartment in Paris. Sarah, with the key to the cupboard, is determined to escape from the camp and make her way back to Paris to find her younger brother.

The story is told - 60 years later - from the view of a journalist who is writing a story on the anniversary of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, and discovers that the apartment her in-laws have lived in for 60 years was originally home to this unfortunate family.

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The Pioneer Woman Cooks

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Ranch Wife by Ree Drummond


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This cookbook is such a joy to read - Ree (The Pioneer Woman) shares her personal life, her recommendations for basic kitchen tools, and wonderful step-by-step recipes with beautiful color photos - all along with her delightful sense of humor.

What I really like about her recipes is that they use "real" food - not a bunch of fancy stuff, but real ingredients that you are likely to have on hand and are easy to find in any grocery store. Since following her blog, we've prepared several of her recipes and everything is really good.

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One of our favorites is her Whiskey-Glazed Carrots - they are truly yummy. Even though this recipe isn't in the cookbook, it is available in the Cooking section of The Pioneer Woman blog. This is a picture of our first batch and as you can see, I even bought a cast-iron skillet so that I could prepare the recipes just as Pioneer Woman recommends. Even though I was dreading the cleaning of a frying pan without a 'non-stick' surface, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to clean the skillet. Just run hot water over the pan and wipe with a nylon scrubber - easy, peasy clean-up. Be sure to dry thoroughly to prevent the iron from rusting.

Some of our other recommendations are Buttered Rosemary Rolls, Marlboro Man's Second Favorite Sandwich, and Chicken Spaghetti. Let me know if you have a favorite Pioneer Woman recipe!

Cake Wrecks: The Book

Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong by Jen Yates


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
For some real laugh-out-loud humor, this book is a must. I look forward to Jen's Cake Wrecks blog everyday, and now there are even more great "wrecks" in book form! There are a few "classics" from the blog, but most of the material is new. And, of course, what makes the pictures so entertaining is Jen's witty commentary. This is a book that EVERYONE can enjoy - would make a great gift for that 'hard-to-buy-for' person.

Wicked The Musical

Wicked is such an incredible show! Samantha and I attended the performance last Wednesday, and just love everything about the show. The songs are wonderful, and the production is simply amazing. If you have an opportunity to see Wicked, I highly recommend that you attend.

The story is based on Gregory Maguire's Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which is a novel he wrote to to parallel L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Wicked, the musical, explains the 'back story' of Elphaba (Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (Good Witch of the South). There are some references to the well-known Wizard of Oz movie, but this is a completely different story. It really makes you think about how perspective and propaganda influence public opinion. It is difficult to explain, and something that you need to experience yourself.


We've seen the show twice now, and love it more the second time than the first. Of course, we've been listening to the soundtrack and loving all the songs.


My frivolous purchase - a pair of emerald colored glasses!



And Samantha really likes her new jacket. :)

Dead Until Dark

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
A fun, light-hearted story about supernaturals. A girl who can read the thoughts of others is thought to be 'disabled'; vampires are somewhat accepted and thought to have a 'virus' which causes them to be allergic to garlic, silver, and sunlight; and then there is also a 'shapeshifter' who can change himself into whatever animal he last saw. Who knows what other supernatural beings will be introduced in later books.



This is the first of a series, and after having the series recommended to me by several friends, I finally got a chance to read the first book. It is a short, quick read - I finished in less than a day because it was so entertaining. :)


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American Wife: A Novel

American Wife: A Novel by Curtis Sittenfeld

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Really enjoyed this story of Alice, a normal girl from the midwest who finds herself as First Lady. She is an only child of a small-town banker, and she is raised by her parents and her paternal grandmother. While in high school she is involved in a tragic automobile accident, and this event has profound effects on her entire life.



After completing college, she works as an elementary school teacher and then a school librarian. Her love of reading is a constant through her life. She is over 30 years old before meeting the man who she falls completely in love with. He is from a very wealthy family, so their life experiences are very different. After an unsuccessful run for the state congress, her husband works in the family business for several years before deciding to run for Governor and then President. Even though this book is about a First Lady, there is very little talk of politics and campaigning. The story is about Alice and her life.



The Author Notes at the back of the book indicate that the author was intrigued by the life of Laura Bush and other first ladies, and chose to write a story which shows that they have lives separate from their presidential husbands.


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Handle With Care

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Typical for Jodi Picoult - a medical/moral dilemma with no clear right or wrong answer. This story focuses on the life of a young girl who was born with OI - a disease which means the patient lacks enough collagen and their bones break extremely easily. Normally, the first broken bones occur in vitro and then bones can possibly break just by sneezing or turning too quickly.

This story focuses on Willow and her family. Her mother decides to sue her OB for "wrongful birth" meaning that if she had known the condition early enough during pregnancy, then a decision could have been made regarding termination. However, the father does not agree with this decision - and the OB just happens to be the mother's best friend. The frequent surgeries and required medical equipment place a tremendous financial strain on the family, and Willow's mother sees a medical malpractice settlement as a way to ensure there will be enough money to treat Willow and ensure as comfortable a life as possible for someone with OI.

The chapters of the book are told from the point of view of different characters, so you gain an understanding and insight into the different emotions of Willow as well as her mother, father, sister, doctor, and lawyer.

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Mistress of the Art of Death

Since I seldom watch TV, I read a lot of books. I love to read, and have been using the Goodreads site to keep track of books that I've read, and recommendations from friends of books that I would like to read. And I just found out that I can link my book reviews from the Goodreads site to my blog. :)

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
An okay story, but I just never found myself really identifying with or caring for any of the characters. I think this is the beginning of a series, but I will not continue reading the series.



The story is set in the 1100's England where there have been some mysterious deaths of children. For some reason, the King of Sicily sends a small group to England to determine the cause of death of the children and who is responsible. Going against all accepted practices of the time, there is a female doctor - and her specialty is to determine cause of death; i.e. a modern day Medical Examiner.



Since it took me an entire week to read the book, that is a sign that I just wasn't excited about reading it. lol


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