This is just a lovely book. A friend's sister who lives in Maine loaned it to my friend. After she talked about it, I had to buy a copy and I'm so glad I did.
Quick plot summary: An woman artist lives alone on a Maine island she inherited from her great uncle. She has no other family, except a half sister she hasn't seen in years. She likes her solitude and the space to create her art. But creatures that are broken in some way start "invading" the island. First a dog washes ashore and while she is initially resistant to the idea of any company, she develops a fondness for the dog, whom she names Driftwood. Just after she's getting settled with that, her sister calls and asks if a teenager from her church who's being beaten by his father can come stay on the island for a bit. Otherwise he'll run away on his own, as he already has done before.
The characters are interesting, some likable and some not so much. The descriptions of the island itself and the ocean are breathtaking and will make you want to visit, if not live on an island. Highly highly recommended.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Friday, February 04, 2011
February Books
Want to read:
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope
by William Kamkwamba and Bryan MealerHalf Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel
by Jeannette WallsRead this month:
Little Bee: A Novel
by Chris Cleave
Friday, January 21, 2011
Do you finish all the books you start?
“If you’re not giving up on at least five books every year, you’re not beginning enough of them." So writes Steve Leveen in this blog post about how electronic books can make you a better reader. I used to have feel like I had to finish a book. These days I find myself less willing to waste my time on something that really doesn't have my attention or isn't giving me any pleasure. This is easier with library books, of course. At least you didn't waste any money! But even books I've bought, I'm willing to put away unread. If I find I'm just not in the right mood at that time, I'll put the book on the bookshelf and try it again later. If I'm pretty confident I'll never read it again I donate it to the library. It's likely someone will enjoy it even if it wasn't my cup of tea!
Leveen suggests a 50 page rule. You should be getting something out of a book after 50 pages! If not, put it away. He points out that it's even easier with eBooks that you can sample before buying. Plus you don't have the physical clutter to put up with.
The only recent exceptions to my recent willingness to put down books I'm not enjoying have been several books that a book group voted to read. I slogged through them unhappily and was then doubly disappointed when half the book club members had not even started them!
Leveen suggests a 50 page rule. You should be getting something out of a book after 50 pages! If not, put it away. He points out that it's even easier with eBooks that you can sample before buying. Plus you don't have the physical clutter to put up with.
The only recent exceptions to my recent willingness to put down books I'm not enjoying have been several books that a book group voted to read. I slogged through them unhappily and was then doubly disappointed when half the book club members had not even started them!
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Monday, December 13, 2010
House Rules by Jodi Picoult
This was a lovely and heart-wrenching story about a single mom raising two boys. The eldest was diagnosed with Asperger's at age 3 or so, which is when the dad left. Both are teenagers now and the eldest boy, 18, is fascinated by crime scene technology and solving crimes, sometimes showing up at local crime scenes and offering unsolicited observations and conclusions (often correct!).
The younger son tries to find his own path, frequently staying away from home after school and trying to make friends who don't know his brother. The mom is struggling to make ends meet with a flexible but low-paying job writing an advice column from home so she can make things work for the family.
When the elder boy's social skills tutor, a girl from the nearby college, goes missing and is found dead a few day's later, the boy becomes a suspect and is arrested and tried for murder, with the green attorney trying claim not guilty by reason of Asperger's. The mom has struggled for years to get her son accepted, mainstreamed at school and able to function well and struggles with the idea of using his diagnosis as an excuse.
It's a good read with believable characters you'll care about. It's also an eye opener about Asperger's and what it's like to live with someone who has been diagnosed.
The younger son tries to find his own path, frequently staying away from home after school and trying to make friends who don't know his brother. The mom is struggling to make ends meet with a flexible but low-paying job writing an advice column from home so she can make things work for the family.
When the elder boy's social skills tutor, a girl from the nearby college, goes missing and is found dead a few day's later, the boy becomes a suspect and is arrested and tried for murder, with the green attorney trying claim not guilty by reason of Asperger's. The mom has struggled for years to get her son accepted, mainstreamed at school and able to function well and struggles with the idea of using his diagnosis as an excuse.
It's a good read with believable characters you'll care about. It's also an eye opener about Asperger's and what it's like to live with someone who has been diagnosed.
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