Love, Fiercely - Book Review

I was excited to read Love, Fiercely : A Gilded Age Romance by Jean Zimmerman for several reasons. First, The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton is one of my favorite books. I was entertained by the novel The American Heiress, to which Love, Fiercely is compared. I've long been simultaneously fascinated and repulsed by the excess of this era at the end of the nineteenth century. I enjoy narrative histories and biographies, so needless to say I looked forward to reading this book.

Love, Fiercely is the history of Newton Stokes and Edith Minturn, both born into extreme wealth in New York City. Eventually they would marry, travel the world, influence art and society, and play their hand at philanthropy.

Full of information and details about everything in the era, Love, Fiercely excels as a history of the excess of the very wealthy and privileged class. Each home and summer "cottage" is described in detail, including having a Tudor manor house built in 1597 in England dismantled and shipped across the ocean and rebuilt in Connecticut. The author gives full histories of the art of the time period and especially the portraits of Edith and the famous statue for which she posed. Their service to society and Newton's career are discussed at great length.

What Love, Fiercely is lacking is the feeling of passion between Edith and Newton. Described as "the greatest love story never told" in the prologue I was anxious to read of their romance. However, the characters still remain flat and lifeless. The author shows only brief glimpses into their relationship and spends most of the time with describing the world they inhabit.

There were many interesting details about the era but ultimately, I found the book dull and disappointing.

** I received a complimentary copy of Love, Fiercely in exchange for an honest review. **

Eversave Review and Give-away of $15 Save Rewards

We all like to save money. Right? I love an amazing deal and there are so many resources on the Internet to help us find them. Eversave is one of the great ways to save a buck or two or three. Eversave is organized locally so they give you the deals that are available in your local area.

Once you've subscribed to Eversave you get updates about the weekly deals--50-90% off the regular price. This week in the Salt Lake City, Utah area they have a great deal for 69% off a photography package from Decadent Photography. Last week's deal was 50% off a thorough house cleaning from MaidPro (I so need that).

Eversave is offering $15 Save Rewards to one of my lucky readers. The winner can use the Save Rewards towards any future "Saves" from Eversave.

To enter simply leave a comment on this post. You can earn extra entries by sharing the link for the give-away on Facebook and Twitter. Leave an additional comment for each thing you do.

The contest will be open to entries until Thursday, November 17th at 11:59 pm MST. The winner will be chosen randomly from the comments and will be announced on Friday, November 18th. Open to residents of the US only.

Don't miss out on another opportunity to save money. Check out the "Saves" at Eversave.

GUBS Game - Review and Give-away

We are big fans of Gamewright games. Over the last few years we have collected quite a few of their card games, including Sleeping Queens, Frog Juice and Zeus of the Loose. We especially love Rory's Story Cubes. You can read an earlier review of a few of Gamewright games **here**. 

Gamewright card games are fun for a variety of ages.The games win all kinds of awards and are unique and creative while teaching kids. They make fantastic stocking stuffers for Christmas. They even have a selection of party games for adults. We are fans of Who Would Win and Joe Name It. Their small size make them very portable and we took them along on our vacation last summer.

Utah Dad, Neal and I were excited to try out one of the newest games from Gamewright. It's a card game called GUBS (a fascinating little creature). It's a game of wit and luck. Keeping with the style of Gamewright games, the illustrations are colorful and fanciful. Really, this game is just so creative. Each player is trying to build the largest colony of Gubs. There are barricades and traps and hazards and events that happen along the way. Our initial assessment was that the rules were pretty involved and we worried that we might not have the attention span to "get it". It is definitely a game for older children (10+) and adults, but we caught on quickly and have enjoyed playing it.

We've been playing GUBS every evening since we got it (even though I consistently get beat by Utah Dad). We just played it again and I lost 2 out of 3 games. I obviously need to work on my strategy. I had to redeem myself by beating him soundly at Frog Juice. It really is a lot of fun.

And it's about to get even more fun for one of my very lucky readers.

Gamewright has generously offered one copy of GUBS as a give-away on my blog.

Are you so excited? Here's the deal :

1. You must be a follower of Utah Mom's Life Blog.
2. You must leave a comment on this post. (If you already own a Gamewright game, tell me which one. This is not required to win).
3. You can receive up to 3 extra entries by doing the following and then leaving additional comments about what you did:
   **  "Like" Gamewright on Facebook.
   **  Post and link to this giveaway on Facebook.
   **  Link to this giveaway on Twitter.

(I would include those cute little buttons to make it easier for you to put in on Facebook and Twitter but I haven't figured out how to make it work on my blog yet.)

The contest will be open to entries until Thursday, November 10th at 11:59 pm MST. The winner will be announced in the morning on Friday, November 11th. This contest is open to US residents only.

**I received a complimentary copy of GUBS in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond - Book Review

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare has been on my to-read list since I was a child. I don't know why I haven't read it before. As we were thinking about what book we should choose to read for our neighborhood book club, I was reminded of this novel. It is October, after all, and what would be better than a book about [supposed] witches?

Apparently, it was a good book club choice because more than the usual number of women have actually read the book this month. I, for one, am looking forward to discussing the book with them when we meet next week and will keep my review here short and sweet.

I liked it. A lot. It is just the kind of book I hope to encourage my children to read and love.

All Our Worldly Goods - Book Review

I am completely fascinated with the story of author Irene Nemirovsky. A Jewess, born in Russia at the turn of the twentieth century, Irene's family fled from Russia and resettled in France. Falling in love with France, Irene converted to Catholicism and considered it her home. She became a famous author, writing powerful and successful novels. All of this would not be enough to save her from the Nazis. During World War II, she was arrested and sent to Auschwitz, where she died.

I fell for her writing when I read Suite Francaise several years ago. Written during the war and published posthumously by her daughters, Suite Francaise describes life for the French during World War II. She is a talented writer with a gift for creating absolutely honest and believable characters. It's almost as if she is simply telling the reader about the neighbors she watches out her kitchen window. Yet, rather than just the voyeuristic reporter, she also understands and conveys their truly human desires, flaws and strengths.

I was anxious to read another novel by Irene Nemirovsky and was delighted to have the privilege to read and review All Our Worldly Goods. Published in French, the novel has been translated into English and is now being published in the United States.

As with Suite Francaise, in All Our Worldly Goods Nemirovsky again writes an elegant and beautiful book. Pierre and Agnes fall in love with each other in spite of the marriages their parents have carefully arranged for them. Breaking tradition and risking falling out of favor with family, they decide to marry each other. In brief snippets, Nemirovsky tells a family saga and how their brash and yet passionate decision will affect the generations. Her story and plot are so carefully planned that it rings absolutely true.

The love between Pierre and Agnes will survive two wars. Nemirovsky is at her greatest when describing the emotions of the French as they must evacuate their cities, yet again, as they are defeated by the Germans in the early years of World War II. Since she personally lived through this experience, she is in the unique position as observer and reporter. As I read the novel, my heart ached for the discouraged people who couldn't believe that they would see two great wars in one lifetime. Who simply didn't believe they could go on.Yet, in all the pain and depression of the war, Nemirovsky shows in her novels that life continues--people  are born and die. They love and they live.

Tragically, Nemirovsky was killed. We should be thankful that her powerful and beautiful work lives on.

**I received a complimentary copy of All Our Worldly Goods by Ireme Nemirovsky in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

The Buddah in the Attic - Book Review

I discovered this spare, little novel in my mailbox the other afternoon. I started reading it while I sat on my front steps watching my children ride their bikes and scooters down the sidewalks (I'm loving this warm, fall weather).

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka is compulsively readable. I really couldn't put it down, in spite of its unique and daring writing style. Otsuka doesn't just tell the story of one Japanese woman arriving on a boat to America as a mail-order bride. She simultaneously tells the stories of all the Japanese women arriving in America in the decades leading up to World War II. It is an interesting and mostly effective technique.

Most novels focus on a single or small group of characters. The reader comes to know and usually empathize with the characters. Novels are a powerful way to change perspective and thought processes. Perhaps they influence the reader to be more understanding of a certain group of people. They touch our hearts and open our minds--think beloved recent novels like The Help or A Thousand Splendid Suns. I don't believe someone can read a novel like this and not question their own perceptions and ideas at least a little.

In The Buddha in the Attic, Otsuka uses a very different style. She never focuses on a single woman. She doesn't give them names. They are like many of us see them--an immigrant group, indistinguishable from one another. Yet, at the same time, she tells their individual stories in America and then their common fate as the country rounds them up and sends them to internment camps during the war. 

Spend an afternoon with The Buddha in the Attic. Let your heart be touched and your mind be opened.


**I received a complimentary copy of The Buddha in the Attic in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.

The Shadow of the Wind - Book Review

I took a little unplanned hiatus from the blog (and pretty much everything else) last week. I got a cold that mutated into a sinus infection. Lovely. Really lovely. Anyway, thanks to dear Utah Dad, I spent Thursday and Friday in bed. I was too sick to read. Seriously! Hard to believe, I know. The really sad thing was that I was right in the middle of a very exciting and mysterious book.

My former co-worker and friend recommended The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and I ordered it immediately. Then it sat on my shelf. You already know this story. But, remember I declared September "Read What You Want Month" just for this book.

The Shadow of the Wind is a dark, richly layered mystery that speaks right to the heart of the book lover. Daniel's father, the owner of a Barcelona book store, takes him one night to a mystical and secret place known as the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Allowed to choose any book as his own to protect and keep, Daniel chooses The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. Entranced by his new book, Daniel sets out to find other works by Carax only to discover that the books are being destroyed. The copy Daniel has may be the last Carax book that exists. As Daniel uncovers the mystery surrounded the author Julian Carax, he puts himself and his friends in danger but also reveals the direction of his own life.

Provocative and dangerous, Zafon writes a fascinating and glorious mystery. Daniel is surrounded by unique and perplexing characters--broken, brutal and haunted. Using just enough foreshadowing of peril and threat to keep the reader absolutely intrigued, the writer is taken deep into the shadows of a city struggling to return to it's pre-war grandeur. The city of Barcelona makes a fabulous Gothic setting and very nearly becomes a character in it's own right.

Zafon is a brilliant story teller. I can't wait to read his other novels.

The Lantern - Book Review

As soon as I read a review that compared The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson to Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, I knew I would have to read The Lantern. I love the psychological thriller Rebecca and looked forward to A newer work with a similar style. The comparison between the two novels is definitely deserved and Lawrenson even pays tribute to Du Maurier by having the main character and narrator of her novel read Rebecca.

While the similarities between the two novels are obvious and numerous, I wanted to enjoy The Lantern for it's own story and tried to divorce my thoughts from the plot in Rebecca. Not only was it possible, Lawrenson succeeded in writing a story that was fresh, riveting and eerie.

The unnamed narrator and the older man she has recently fallen in love with, though she has only known him for a short time, move together to a charming but dilapidated hamlet in France. Not only does she begin to wonder about this man and his former wife, whom he will not talk about, she suspects that the home is haunted by ghosts. Alternately, a second narrator, Benedicte Lincel, the former owner of Les Genevriers, tells of her own haunting experiences.

I love a good ghost story and The Lantern delivers. Lawrenson is adept at building the suspense and moving along the plot at a steady though slower pace, also reminiscent of Rebecca. Lawrenson also paints a lovely picture of the landscape and describes the distinct smells.There are some books that you can very nearly taste. The Lantern is a book with it's own scent. Invoking the senses, the reader easily becomes immersed in the luscious language and the suspicious thoughts of the main character.

I enjoyed the experience of reading The Lantern so much that I was disappointed that it came to an end. It's the type of book that remains on my nightstand for weeks after I've finished it and I'm reluctant to place on the shelf.

I received a copy of The Lantern in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.

Among the Wonderful - Book Review

In 1842, Phineas T. Barnum purchased the Scudder Natural History Museum in New York City with plans to make it into a showcase of the world's wonders. Filling the building with treasures and curiosities in order to fascinate and marvel the general population becomes his passion.

Ana Swift, the world's only giantess, moves into the apartments on the 5th floor of the museum as one of Barnum's employees. Her job is simply to walk among the visiting crowds each day in the museum.

Guillaudeu is the aging taxidermist who has spent his career in Scudder's museum and balks at the transformation of the museum under the new ownership.

Stacy Carlson's new novel Among the Wonderful  is the story of Barnum's museum, the curiosities and the people who work and live inside it's walls. With gracious and fine writing, Carlson opens up and displays Barnum's spiraling and mysterious museum with it's hidden galleries and human treasures. While the people who inhabit it are what the world called "freaks" and Barnum called "wonders", a hirsute woman, Siamese twins, albinos, natives, dwarfs, and giants, Carlson writes of them with a profound human touch, turning the reader from the voyeuristic tourist to the sympathetic and accepting soul.

The characters are richly developed and vastly different from the stereotypes that inhabit most stories about carnivals, fairs and circuses. Ana, the giantess, is so lovingly portrayed in all her heartache, hope and pain that she will be a literary character I will not soon forget. Guillaudeau, too, is a timeless character dealing with the very universal human emotions of aging, loss and dealing with change. His own metamorphosis is interesting to watch even as he bemoans the vast and sweeping changes in the museum.

With skill and style, Carlson takes a foot note of history and works it into a lovely and sweeping novel. Carlson excells as a story teller but proves herself, even more, as a compassionate and thoughtful observer of the human condition.

I received a complimentary copy of Among the Wonderful through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.

Scabs and Guts Board Game - Review

Yesterday was our last official day of summer vacation. Neal and his cousin spent the day bingeing on Mario, which will go in the closet for the next nine months.

I received a package in the mail that contained a new board game. I called the boys to ask if they wanted to play. I got a half-hearted, dulled-by-video-games response. Then, I told them the name of the game : Scabs and Guts. They came running.

Scabs and Guts : The Meducational Board Game is easy to learn and quick to set up. The game teaches children about the body. Players answer questions in three categories to advance around the board. The categories are first, Scrapes and Scabs, the questions cover topics on hygiene, infections and wounds of the external body, second, Blood and Guts, which has questions about the blood stream and internal organs and third, Blubber or Buff, questions focus on positive healthy choices.

The questions are all about interesting facts about the human body, inside and out. We had fun learning things that we've really never even thought about. There were plenty of mentions of boogers, farting and other bodily functions to keep the ten year old boys giggling.

Younger kids will enjoy it too. In fact, Thomas won the game--possibly because of the unusual amount of time he spends looking at his book about the human body or because he is exceptionally good at guessing.

There's lots to learn and plenty of fun to be enjoyed playing Scabs and Guts Board Game.

I received a complimentary copy of Scabs and Guts through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my honest review. No additional compensation has been received.

The Nashville Tribute Band Concert

I really tried hard to convince Utah Dad to join me at The Nashville Tribute Band concert. I even promised that we'd go out for steaks before the concert. I was ultimately unsuccessful (even though I quoted the recent article in the Deseret News that talks about how there are more declarations of faith and family in country music). Oh well.

So, I invited my good friend Kerri to join me at the concert. We arrived plenty early and found our seats. This was the first event I have attended at the Sandy Amphitheater and I was very impressed by the venue.

Opening for The Nashville Tribute Band was a young and up and coming new group of siblings called Dyer Highway. We were impressed by their talent even though they are just teenagers.

I haven't known about The Nashville Tribute Band for long. I just recently received a copy of their latest album The Work : A Nashville Tribute to the Missionaries. I've enjoyed the songs on the CD, but I'll tell you what, they put on a great show. I have become a true fan (much to the chagrin of Utah Dad who cringes the second he hears twang. I've been forcing him to listen to the music ever since the concert. Some day I'll get him to embrace the Kentucky blood flowing in his veins).

The Nashville Tribute Band is a group of LDS artists and song writers working successfully in Nashville who started a band to produce music for their faith. The Work is the third album, following the very popular albums Joseph : A Nashville Tribute to the Prophet and Trek : A Nashville Tribute to the Pioneers.

Kerri and I had a great time at the concert. Even as we huddled under blankets during the down pour and thunder storm. The nice thing about Utah summer storms is that they pass quickly. The concert continued in spite of the fact that the audience was drenched. The rain did nothing to soak the enthusiasm of the audience.

Debuting songs from their new album and filling in with beloved crowd favorites, The Nashville Tribute Band entertained the crowd. Special guests joined them to make the concert even more memorable. Hearing Michael McLean play a medley of songs from his Celebrating the Light album and seeing The Jets made Kerri and I reminisce about our younger years. And if you don't happen to know who The Jets are it probably means you are much younger than I am. Billy Dean (who is not LDS, I don't want to start any of "those rumors", but a good friend of the members of The Nashville Tribute Band) joined the party after his own concert in town and delighted the audience with several numbers.

Kerri and I had a fabulous time. The entire concert was entertaining and even inspiring. I'm pretty sure I wiped away tears and not just raindrops when two little sisters sang the emotionally moving song about the pioneers: "Somewhere There's a Mountain". I imagine that Kerri, who will send her son on a mission next year, was affected  by the powerful tribute to LDS missionaries who serve all over the world to share a message of Jesus Christ.

The following pictures from the concert were taken by Russ Dixon.

I am going to have to go out buy the other two albums or download the songs because I fell in love with several songs. The Nashville Tribute Band has just started their tour. They're headed to Idaho and Oregon but will be back in Utah for shows in September. Check out their website for dates.

I received free tickets to the concert in exchange for my honest review. No compensation was received.

Ellis Island - Book Review

It was the title of the book that initially caught my attention. Ellis Island and the stories of the immigrants that came through it's doors hoping for a better life has always intrigued me. Each one of the millions of immigrants has his or her own story and author Kate Kerrigan tells the tale of just one Irish girl and her motivation for leaving her home country to come to the United States of America.

Ellis Island a novel by Kate Kerrigan is the story of Ellie Hogan, a smart and determined young woman who sets of to America after her beloved husband is injured as a soldier in the Irish Republican Army. Since John is unable to walk and in need of an expensive surgery, Ellie emigrates to America to work as a maid for a rich socialite. She sends nearly every penny home to her family in Ireland.

Devoted to her family, Ellie also becomes enamored with her new life and comforts in New York City. She further educates herself, finds a new job and is on the verge of living the American Dream. To complicate matters, a wealthy young man falls for Ellie and offers her every luxury she could ever imagine. Where does Ellie belong? In her new comfortable life in America or in Ireland with the ones she loves?

Ellie is a likable yet very real character. She is smart and not easily swindled. She stands up for herself yet walks the line of propriety standard for the period. She has personal integrity and yet she is also human and vulnerable to temptation. Kate Kerrigan has created a very empathetic and believable character. I found myself moved by Ellie's plight and rooting for her throughout the novel.

The plot is well paced and structured. Kerrigan's descriptions of the both rural Ireland and New York City in the 1920's paint a detailed picture of the period. She equally well describes the poverty and the glamour while staying true to Ellie's character and the story.

Well written, Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan is one to add to your to-read list if you enjoy period dramas and character-driven novels.

I requested and received a copy of Ellis Island from the publishers in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation has been received.

All Different Kinds of Free - Book Review

Last fall I read and reviewed the surprisingly well written Am I Not a Man? The Dred Scott Story by Mark Shurtleff. In history class we learn of the importance and influence the Supreme Court decision on Dred Scott's case had on the United States of America and Lincoln. Eventually the country would resort to war.

Years earlier, in the 1830's, a free black woman living in Pennsylvania with her free husband and free children was kidnapped by a bounty hunter, taken to Maryland and sold into slavery. Margaret Morgan's life would never be the same. She would taste and know all the bitterness and evil associated with slavery.

All Different Kinds of Free, a novel by Jessica McCann tells Margaret Morgan's story for the first time. Who was this woman who dared to stand up for her own rights and take her case to court?

The case Prigg vs. Pennsylvania would go to the Supreme Court. It's decision flamed the fire of hostility between the free and slave states. The case gets barely a mention in history and I had never even heard of Margaret Morgan before. In this novel, McCann brings the courageous Margaret Morgan and her personal misery to life. In doing so, McCann tells the passionate and desperate story of every slave and the dream for freedom.

McCann writes well. She is especially effective of drawing out the emotion and the feeling of absolute helplessness and hopelessness in the reader. Yet Margaret Morgan refuses to give in to this feeling. Her strength of character is refreshing and admirable. The story is captivating and enthralling and enlightening. It was a dark period in the nation's history and McCann writes to remind us.

All Different Kinds of Free is a powerful, well written novel that tells the story of a truly remarkable woman.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. No additional compensation was received.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Book Review

Several years ago my brother-in-law suggested that I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. I added it to my to-read list which is approximately 400 books long at present. It wasn't until the last few weeks when I fell in love with Lisa See's books Shanghai Sisters and Dreams of Joy, that I knew I would have to read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan very, very soon. My friend, who has also recently become a fan of Lisa See, and I conspired together to read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan for our neighborhood book club. That would give me an excuse to buy it and bump it up on my to-read-immediately list.

Lily and Snow Flower are just small girls living in nineteenth century China when they are bound together as laotongs or "old sames" by an influential Match Maker. Contractually, they will be closer than best friends for their entire lives. They begin the process of having their feet bound on the same day. Their relationship and love for each other continues to grow as they prepare their dowries together and look forward to marriage. Even following their marriages, the two women will be closer to each other than to anyone else. They love each other intensely, until a misunderstanding drives a bitter and heartbreaking wedge between them.

I already knew Lisa See was a fabulous writer and so I wasn't surprised how fully developed the characters are in the this novel. I likewise was not surprised by the powerful emotions evoked while reading this story. Lisa See is gifted at making the reader care and care deeply. I believe even the most cynical person could not resist becoming emotionally involved in this story.

While I read the sections about the feet binding process, I cringed as I read of the young girl's agony and I imagined my own daughters' perfect feet. How could a mother do this? And yet not do it knowing the consequences? I practically ran to the computer to Google "Foot Binding" and found websites that documented the stories of women who had the feet bound when they were children. You can read more and see pictures of the results of this tradition here and here and many other places on the web.

While the Chinese historical and cultural aspects of this novel are absolutely fascinating, there are many other powerful and still pertinent aspects of human nature within the story that beg to be discussed, such as Mother Love, friendship, loyalty and betrayal.

Originally published in 2005 and intensely popular, I'm sure that Snow Flower and the Secret Fan has already been read by many book clubs. I'm definitely looking forward to discussing it with mine. A movie based on the book is releasing in select theaters very soon, so I'm sure we will see another surge of popularity for this novel. It really is fantastic. Get it. Read it. Soon.

Bright's Passage - Book Review

Henry Bright has survived World War I with the special help of an angel that he takes home with him after the war. The angel tells Bright what to do and Bright obeys. Now, Bright is the father of a newborn son. His dear wife is dead and his revengeful father-in-law is chasing him through the woods of West Virginia. But the angel has a plan.

Song-writer turned novelist, Josh Ritter writes a captivating and beautiful story with unique characters and a touch of the super-natural in his first novel Bright's Passage. I imagine that as a song-writer, Ritter has honed his skills with lyrics. Writing a song, one is limited by length and must choose the perfect few words to create all the emotion and meaning of a song. With these skills, Ritter has created a story that is succinct and yet not diminutive. In fact, his use of the language is stirring and lovely.

Often humorous, Bright's Passage is also mysterious. Ritter gives the reader just enough information to keep the reader turning the pages in suspense and anxiety. He builds the palpable tension through brief yet effective scenes of the past and the dogged pursuit and flight of Henry Bright and his tiny son. However, the ending feels incomplete and some of the questions and mysteries are left unanswered.

Bright's Passage is also a novel that has left me a bit perplexed and it is completely possible that my views and opinions of the novel will change as I have more time to reflect on the characters, plot and themes. The novel is short enough that I may have to read it again.

One thing remains, Josh Ritter has a way with words and this compelling novel is a standard to his extreme talent.

I received a free copy of Bright's Passage through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my honest opinion. No additional compensation has been received.

Think - Book Review

My father-in-law has a simple note pinned to the door that leads to his garage. It reads : THINK.
The simple word is meant to help him remember the things he needs to take with him when he leaves the house to run errands. One final reminder to check to make sure he didn't forget the checks he needs to deposit at the bank or the the books he means to return to the library.

Lisa Bloom's recently published book Think : Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in A Dumbed-Down World is a reminder for women to use our brains. Quite simply, to think.

You probably already know Lisa Bloom. I didn't. I don't watch television and so I haven't seen her as a legal analyst on shows like The Early Show and Dr. Phil's or on CNN. I just got acquainted with her in this book. Ms. Bloom and I are on opposite sides of the political spectrum. We don't see eye-to-eye on many issues. However, on a few very important things we absolutely agree.

We both agree that women are smart. Women have amazing brains and are capable of doing most everything. Unfortunately, so many of us fail to use our brains to think. As Bloom points out in her book, too many women become overly enmeshed and concerned with pop culture. We know everything about the personal lives of celebrities, yet ignore the crises and horrors taking place around the world. We are too focused and spend too much time and money on our appearance, even risking our lives and health for dangerous procedures and the perfect tan. And many women think it is actually better to be "hot" than "smart". One third of the population won't read a single book after graduating from high school. SAY IT ISN'T SO!

As Bloom writes in her hard-hitting, honest style, it's hard not to be defensive. Really. Even so, her arguments ring true and even though I think I use my brain quite a bit, I know there are always ways I can use it more. Obviously.

In spite of our political differences, by the time I got to the section about books (hello! read more good books, people), I felt like Lisa Bloom and I were old friends chatting about our favorites. She and I also have similar parenting styles or at least a style I am attempting to apply in my home. Bloom even mentions my personal favorite parenting expert Wendy Mogel. (Read my review of her fabulous book The Blessing of a Skinned Knee.)

Lisa Bloom is funny. She points out the obvious with a wicked wit. I chuckled out loud several times and then read whole sections aloud for Utah Dad's enjoyment and enlightenment.

Bloom's advice is brilliant and simple and frankly rather straight forward if you think about it. Following her suggestions and using your brain more will help you be happier, smarter and will even help the world be a better place. You have a brain. Use it.

By the way, check out Lisa's website : Think.tv for more ideas on ways to use your brain; for easy recipes and fabulous books.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions here are my own. No additional compensation was received.

Dreams of Joy - Book Review

As soon as I finished reading Shanghai Girls by Lisa See last week I was anxious to start reading the sequel Dreams of Joy. The ending of the first novel would have been frustrating if I didn't already know that there was a second book. And fortunately, it was already waiting on my night stand.

I've been hearing the buzz about Lisa See's novels (especially Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which I hope to read very soon) for years but these are the first of her novels that I have had the privilege to read. I have definitely become a fan.

Dreams of Joy picks up right where Shanghai Girls ends. Joy, deeply upset by the family secrets and a new believer in The New China, she sets off to China. Pearl, determined to find and save her naive but determined daughter, returns to her homeland.

It's been nearly twenty years since Pearl escaped the Japanese invaders of China and immigrated to the United States of America. Since then, China has undergone vast changes. Now under the leadership of Chairman Mao Tse Dung and a Communist country, it is hardly the home she left. Yet, Pearl only wants Joy to be happy and safe and she'll try her best to assimilate in this new world. Pearl will renew old friendships and find love.

Reading of the rule of Chairman Mao, Communism and the socialistic changes in China, reminded me of the popular dystopian novels. However, this is all too real and painful. Millions suffered and starved under this rule. The important and essential family unit was broken. Pearl and Joy are determined not to have their free spirits broken. Reading of their brave struggles and harrowing trials in China, also made me even more grateful for the freedoms I enjoy in America.

Lisa See's characters are richly developed. Each has his or her own flaws and strengths. While I found myself frustrated with Joy and her decisions, I also admired her determination and personal strength. The plot moves along steadily. The history and details of Communist China are vastly important but are woven into the plot so expertly that they do not detract from the characters and the story. See's style is effortless and readable while maintaining an almost conversational tone between the main characters and the readers.

Powerful and compelling, Dreams of Joy is a novel that surpassed the first. It is a valuable and enlightening piece of literature.

I obtained a copy of Dreams of Joy through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and no additional compensation was received.

Shanghai Girls - Book Review

For the first time in two and half years, I didn't read the book for our monthly book club meetings. It's a book I'm actually looking forward to reading, I just didn't get a chance to read it this month. Ironically, I have a lot less time to read in the summer. The kids are staying up later and we're spending our evenings playing with friends and family. It's all good.

Even though we didn't discuss the assigned book at our book club meeting last night, we did, of course, talk about books. One friend and I shared our mutual love and affection for the book I just finished last week -- Shanghai Girls by Lisa See.

Sisters Pearl and May are "beautiful girls" in 1930's Shanghai, meaning they pose regularly for the popular advertisements depicting beautiful girls using a variety of products. They are from the upper classes and have enjoyed a fun and spoiled life in the "Paris of Asia". But their lives are drastically changed by their father's financial demise and the invasion of China by the Japanese. Eventually, Pearl and May will immigrate to the United States, carefully guarding their secrets.

Shanghai is a fascinating setting. I was enthralled. Pearl and May are devoted and loving sisters, in spite of being very different personalities. Together and separately, they do what they must to survive in frightening and dangerous times. While the threats are different once they arrive in the US, they still live in constant fear. So much of their circumstances is beyond their control, but the sisters' contrasting reactions and beliefs are very interesting.

The plot moves along frantically through the first half of the book. I could hardly put it down. Later, the plot does slow and time begins to move in large segments. I felt the book lost some of it's early momentum at this point, but it is still compelling.

The ending would have upset me if I didn't already know that there is a sequel, Dreams of Joy. I've already started reading it.

Bringing up powerful topics of war, survival, immigration, motherhood, family devotion, and sacrifice, Shanghai Girls is a truly rich novel.

Doc - Book Review

"I'm your huckleberry."

Years ago, I saw Val Kilmer at an airport. That was the only thing--"I'm your huckleberry."--I could think of to say to him. Of course, I thought of it 30 seconds too late and didn't actually say anything.

In the movie Tombstone, Val Kilmer portrays the legendary character of Doc Holliday. It's a performance that I've been unable to forget. What a fascinating character.

In her latest novel, Doc, Mary Doria Russell, strips away the myths and lore surrounding one of Wild West's infamous characters and tells the story of John Henry Holliday, a young, sickly dentist from Georgia, who goes west in search of a cure to the tuberculosis that has already killed his mother.

Tired of life in Texas, J.H. Holliday and his girl Kate, head to Dodge City, Kansas. It's the end of the line for the cattle drives from Texas. Dodge City, full of vice and money and shifty politics, is the perfect place for a card sharp. While in Dodge, Doc sets up his dentist practice and meets the Earp brothers--with whom his name will be permanently linked in the pages of history.

Russell, an anthropologist, may be trying to present a more accurate picture of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp but the characters are only more rich and fully developed and believable in her version. Doc might not have been the gun slinging, cold-blooded, revenge-seeking man as he is generally portrayed (and even possibly became once they move on to Tombstone), but J.H. Holliday is still an intriguing anachronism. How does this highly educated, concert pianist, feeble gentleman fit in the rough and tawdry world that is Dodge City, Kansas? Using wit, skill at cards, unlikely friendships with the Earps and an undeserved reputation, Doc manages quite well.

I've had such a busy and fun week with multiple family get togethers and very late nights, but every chance I got, I slipped away to read this book. Russell is a gifted story teller. While some of the book, especially the beginning, reads more like a historical narrative, Russell does bring the characters to life. She also sets the stage for the inevitable action, by painting a detailed picture of Dodge and giving even the minor characters, such as the Chinese launderer, the Jesuit priest, the proper and beautiful belle of Dodge, and the various prostitutes personality and humanity. Seen through their eyes, Dodge City becomes more than just a Hollywood set of a dusty street of clapboard buildings.

Mary Doria Russell's novel Doc is a stand-out work of historical fiction and gave me a new perspective on this most fascinating character.

I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads.com in exchange for an honest review. No additonal compensation has been received.