books

I never reviewed the last book I finished, Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro. It is a collection of short stories. I think the last time I read any short stories was in high school. So it was good to read some again. It was nice because each story is about 30 pages. So you can finish a story in one sitting and that always feels good. It also makes you move through the book faster. Each story was really intriguing. But after finishing each one, I was usually curious for more of the story. The author kind of leaves you hanging after each one. Most of the stories involve relationships of some sort and how each character reacts to situations in their lives. The last and title story (also my favorite) is based on true facts and follows a 19th century Russian, female mathematician/writer. Overall I liked the book. Definitely not one of my favorites. But the read was interesting and kept me entertained.

I am currently reading All Over But the Shoutin' for book club. It is a memoir and so far, pretty good. And next on the list is Half Broke Horses (also for book club). Which I have on hold at the library. But there are 18 people in front of me. All I have to say is they better read fast.

And we ended up buying Born to Run. Last week it's time came to go back to the library and because E's been so busy with school, he didn't get very far in it. We couldn't renew it with the library because it's on hold, and it took us 3 months to get it the first time. But E really really likes it. So we bought it and he's reading it and then I get to read it after E's done!

E will probably mark this post as boring. Wont you E?

OPEN

I really enjoyed this book minus the language. There was some bad language, which I just tried to skim over when I could. But other than that the book was great and really interesting.

I grew up watching Agassi because my dad watched Agassi. I always enjoyed those Saturday mornings. That's where my love for tennis and Agassi began. I don't know what drew me to him and I still don't know. But I've always liked him. He turned pro in 1986, the year after I was born. But some of his best years of tennis were played in the late 90's and again in the early 00's. I never tired of watching him and I distinctly remember when he retired after the US Open in September 2006. E and I watched his last match and I have to admit I shed a tear as he walked off the court for the last time. Needless to say, when OPEN was published I was excited to read it.

I really like Agassi but didn't know much about him besides his great tennis abilities. The title of the book is perfect because it's just that, open and honest about his life and who he is. It begins with the end as a prologue and then goes back to the beginning when he first started playing tennis at the age of 5 under the direction of his father. He talks about his family life/father a lot in the beginning of the book and he also describes the pressures of being a tennis prodigy. Then the majority of the book recaps his matches/tournaments and the ups and downs of his career and personal life. The book ends shortly after he retires.

This is one of the better autobiographies I've read. His childhood is a little depressing but the overall tone of the book is positive. I really enjoyed reading about Agassi's matches and how each one affected him and changed him. But it's not just about the matches, it's about the life lessons he learns through it all. The story is laced with his conflicts and struggles; with his failures and his success. And his thoughts about it all. In a nutshell it is Agassi sharing what he's learned: that what's important and brings happiness is family and helping others.

His journey is really neat to read about and what I liked most was that it helped me respect Agassi as a person, not just a tennis player.

Just one awesomely cool fact: Andre Agassi and Steffi Graff {his wife} are the only 2 singles players that have ever achieved the Career Golden Slam.

the help

i finished the help on our drive home from lake havasu. it was good but i think i would have enjoyed it more if i hadn't read it right after a prayer for owen meany.

owen meany was so detailed and thorough and i think i was still in the mind set of reading a book like that when i read the help. it made me realize how much i really did like a prayer for owen meany. the help was more light and fluffy compared to it. even though the help dealt with a serious and complex subject, i didn't really feel the seriousness in the writing. it was a little unrealistic for me at times.

the idea for this book is clever and i felt that the author took a decent amount of time setting things up in the story and developing the characters, which i enjoyed. but near the end she rushed the rest of the story and tried to tie things up without exploring them more. but that being said, i can kind of see why she didn't keep going, i mean the story had to end and it probably would have just dragged on if she didn't end it succinctly.

i would still recommend the book and i did like it. just not as much as i hoped. i have heard a lot of good things about the help and i can see why. the author did a good job creating these characters and giving them life. i just wish the story had a little more weight to it.


p.s. i am about 100 pages into open and it is fascinating.

p.p.s. it is pouring rain here today, kind of random since we've had the nicest weather lately. E and i are doing yoga this afternoon and a run this evening {if the rain clears up}. our swim yesterday was amazing. i forgot how much i enjoy swimming laps or maybe it was just because i was doing it with E.

a paryer for owen meany

I finished it! Oh man this book took forever to read but I really liked it. It's hard to review books sometimes because I don't know how to without giving away pertinent information. I don't want to spoil it for others who may want to read it.

I want to say I loved this book, but I think what's holding me back from saying it is the fact that it was a little depressing.

The two main characters are John Wheelwright and Owen Meany. It's told from John Wheelwright's perspective and that's what I found depressing sometimes. His character gets more depressing as the story unfolds. I really enjoyed Owen though. But I think that's a huge part of the story, you are supposed to like Owen Meany.

The story is set in New Hampshire and follows these two boys from youth into adulthood. A main theme of the novel is faith/doubt and there is a lot of "religion" in the book. There is definitely some humor in it and a good deal of seriousness. There's also this element of mystery. There are events that are hinted at the entire novel but you don't know the whole story until the very end.

There is some political mumbo-jumbo {as I like to call it} in the second half which I didn't enjoy. It felt as if the author was trying to find a way to express HIS thoughts about certain political events rather than the characters {John Wheelwright} thoughts. I guess the author created the character to have those thoughts though; I just didn't like that aspect of John Wheelwrights character. Sometimes it just felt a little out of place, like random thoughts about the american government and president during the 60's.

The author, John Irving, is a good story teller. I enjoyed the story he had to tell, he wrote it well. Although it was long, it kept me interested and coming back for more. It wasn't an "I can't put this down" type of book, it was a thinking book. One that made me think and ask questions. Since finishing it I can't get it out of my head. To me that's a sign that it was a good book; one that you don't easily forget.

Some good quotes
"If you care about something you have to protect it – If you’re lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it."

"Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you - and summons them to your recall with will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you!"

"Never confuse faith, or belief – of any kind - with something even remotely intellectual."

poisonwood bible

last week i finished the poinsonwood bible by barbara kingsolver. it was long. i had a hard time getting into it but then loved the whole middle section but by the end i was just enjoying it (not loving it).

i think my problem was that the last 150 pages were so vague and jumped around a lot. I loved how detailed the first 400 pages were. i thrived on it. but as it got less detailed, i lost interest. but i can see why it was written that way. if the author kept on giving as much detail as i wanted, the book would have been SO much longer.

some other things i loved were her writing style and that it was set in africa. i loved that each chapter was from someone elses point of view. i despised the father. i wished for more of the mothers story. not so much of the children's. sometimes it felt as though the author was pushing her agenda on the reader. i didn't mind it so much, but at times it felt a little one sided.

the best part about reading is learning. learning something new you didn't know before you picked up the book. learning about a different culture and a different way of looking at things.

a favorite quote:
to live is to be marked. to live is to change, to acquire the words of a story. and that is the only celebration we mortals really know.


I'm 100 pages into a prayer for owen meany by john irving. it is good. i mean real good. i hope it stays this good for the next 400 pages.

arbitrary

the painting is done and i am oh so happy. we painted every single wall and ceiling in the whole house. it looks much better now. no more rose walls in the hall anymore.

we were using my sewing room as the temporary storage room for the tools, paint, rollers, towels, brushes, etc. while we were painting everything. i haven't used my machine in over a month but tonight i'm busting it out again. cause if you haven't heard, the painting is done and now the room can go back to it's original use. i have a million projects in my mind that need to be executed.

i've been obsessed with reading lately. i'm at a pace of approximately one book per week. 2 weeks ago it was the lovely bones. it was decent, i liked it. last week it was the goose girl and i loved it. this week i'm reading water for elephants. i have mixed feelings about it. i can't put it down, but there's definitely parts i don't like about it. the next two in the lineup, the poisonwood bible and a prayer for owen meany. so far i've read 6 books in january. if i keep this up, that will be 72 books in one year, what! do you think i can do it?

my new favorite snack. they are perfect. not too unhealthy and a little sweet.

i like this month. it's a good one. lots of great people born this month. my sis, my nephew, my father in law, 3 childhood friends, mindi (who did this with me) and another niece will be born this month too. some other people born this month: ronald reagan, bob marley, jennifer aniston, abraham lincoln, chris farley, john mcenroe, michael jordan, john travolta, steve irwin, george washington, steven jobs, pierre auguste renoir, johnny cash and john steinbeck.

lost starts tomorrow night and i am excited for the final season to begin so i can finally see how it all ends. hopefully i wont be disappointed because then my time invested watching the series wont be a total waste.

some things i've been eyeing lately
necklace
pattern
headband
dress
fabric
hand towel

oh yeah and infertility is the pits. but i guess it's good to laugh. i love laughing.

inspiration

I just finished the book "Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust" the inspiring autobiography of survivor Immaculee Ilibagiza."

Her survival story is amazing. But what I found even more amazing was the relationship she developed with God. It's good to remember that sometimes the only way we develop a strong and lasting relationship with God is through trails and hard times. I was so touched with how she was blessed because of her faith and how she recognized those blessings as the hand of God in her life. I was inspired by her forgiveness to the people who killed her family. And I was motivated by her hard work to accomplish the things she wanted out of life. So many times I think, I wish I could do this or that. But with hard work and a relationship with God all things are possible.

It's good for me to remember that through this trial of trying to get pregnant for the past 2 years, I have developed a better relationship with God. There are good things that come from struggling and what's important is that we recognize them and then remember it.

My favorite quote from the book:
"God is the source of all positive energy and prayer is the best way to tap in to His power"

PART ONE

SUNDAY

featuring: the book thief - a walk - cantaloupe - olympics

...A SMALL FACT...

I love to read, especially really late at night

I borrowed the book thief from my mother in law. I started reading it on 8/17 on the flight home from Utah. I finished it on 8/24 at 1:06 am Sunday morning. I devoured it and I loved it. I loved the way it was written. I loved how it was so choppy but at the same time smooth. It seemed to jump around, but it was done so well and it all came together so smoothly. AND the story was so touching, eye opening and real.

...A PAINTED IMAGE...
Eric and Tiff - Sunset - Walking

Eric and I took a walk to the park. It was hot and we talked. We had a great conversation. Some of our best "talks" have happened as we walk together. We sat on a bench and watched some people play soccer. The sky was mustard yellow with a faint touch of teal.

...A DEFINITION...

Cantaloupe: a small widely cultivated muskmelon (Cucumis melo reticulatus) with a heavily netted rind and reddish-orange flesh

I really like this reddish-orange fleshed fruit. What I like even more is that Eric likes this fruit. Yesterday after our walk we cut up an entire cantaloupe and ate the whole thing together. It was juicy and delicious...perfection.

...AN OPINION...

I love the Olympics

Not only do I love the Olympics, I am obsessed with them. I watched hours upon hours of the Olympics. Which was made possible by the DVR, thank you DVR. I experienced a range of emotions: I cheered, I got nervous, I was happy, sometimes disappointed, and I even cried. I am finding it difficult to move on to other TV watching. Nothing is as quite dramatic and inspiring.

Sarah Agnes Prine

I just finished The Star Garden, which is the 3rd and final book about Sarah Agnes Prine. It was so good, just like the previous two. I would recommend these books to almost everyone. I am kind of sad that I am done reading about these characters. After I finished the book last night, I laid in bed and couldn't stop thinking about the characters. In the shower this morning, I kept reflecting on the books and everything that happened in them. I loved Sarah and everything that she was. It made me want to live on a ranch and work hard for everything. I was so emotionally involved in the story, I shed some tears several times throughout the books. I am so happy I read these books, thanks Kathi for suggesting them.

My Latest

Frustration... Not being able to find anything because everything is stored away under the bed, at the top of the closet, stuffed in some random space we found behind the dryer or back in Utah.

Goal... Getting pregnant

Project... This super cute quilt, all I have to do is the binding. I wasn't so sure about it at first, but I love it now, I think it is great!











Discovery... Chicken in a Biscuit crackers. Never had these before until last Sunday in Nursery.

Read...Wicked. I just finished it and I have mixed feelings about it. It was good in some ways and then horrible in other ways.

Library

I must be a nerd, because Eric and I just got library cards and I couldn't be more excited. When the Librarian told us we could check out up to 12 books, I couldn't believe it. I wanted to check out as many as I could, but seeing that I wouldn't be able to read them fast enough before I had to take them back, I limited it to 2.

I have a couple days left until I get to make some new picks and now I can't stop thinking about what books I will get this time. Some books I am looking forward to checking out are: The Book Theif, Friday Night Knitting Club, Atonement, A Thousand Splendid Suns.

These is My Words

I just finished reading this and I loved it and am in love with it. I love it when a book makes you feel different emotions. You feel like you're involved in these people's lives. I picked it up last week and haven't been able to put it down since. One of my favorite quotes...

"Mostly tonight I feel sort of lost and alone, like now I am up on a windy hill and looking toward a new direction where the wind never blew before. I am afriad to leave all that I know, nothing familiar will be nearby to keep me going. I will have to stand on the hill alone."

Breaking Dawn

One Word...Excited

ok, 3... excited, can't wait

Stephenie Meyer

Click on name for more info