Friday, November 29, 2013

Patty's Pick 11/29/13 - 'Where'd You Go, Bernadette' by Maria Semple


 
This was one crazy book! Kooky and fun to read! The unique style of writing by Maria Semple was very enjoyable to read. Bee's talented and ingenious parents move the family to Seattle so her Dad, Elgie, can take a job with Microsoft. But as one disaster leads to another, the pressure forces her mother, Bernadette, to run away rather than deal with her life. 
After much searching it is discovered that Bernadette went on the family trip alone to Antarctica. Bernadette disappears from the ship before it's return. Bee is heartbroken but refuses to believe that her mom is not coming back. The ending is as enjoyable as the beginning and the middle of this book. Read it for a hilarious time!








Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving! Patty's Pick Tomorrow

Patty's Pick for today will be up tomorrow due to too much turkey!!
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving with your families!

Friday, November 22, 2013

Patty's Pick for 11/21/13 - 'The Lost Saints of Tennessee' byAmyFranklin-Willis

    


     



















I am still trying to process this book! I wanted to love it from the first page but that's not the kind of book this is. This is not a thriller that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. 'The Lost Saints of Tennessee' is a rich, full story that you will want to live in for a while. Put your feet up and just sink in. It sneaks up on you and wiggles into your heart. 
You want all these characters to get a break, but this is real life and sometimes the joys are in the small steps. This family lives a true life - a life like many families across the South have lived or are living now. The Cooper family are representative of many families in the South during the 1940's and beyond. 
Zeke and his mother, Lillian, are the main characters and get the biggest share of the story. As their family experiences the ups and mostly downs of a hardscrabble life, they keep going. The three older sisters and the twins, Zeke & Carter, grow up and try to find better lives. Sometimes life knocks them down but they keep on going. Zeke fails at keeping his brother safe and his marriage soon falls apart. As his life spirals down, he makes some hard choices and finds himself far from home. The quiet guidance of Georgia and Osborne help Zeke find a path forward. Read this book as soon as you can! 
Also check out the author's website. Very informative and has a good reader's guide for discussion. My book club loved this book, all 15 of us! The discussion was great last night! The Hummingbird cake cupcakes are out of this world! 


Thursday, November 14, 2013

Patty's Pick for 11/14/13 is The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

What a wonderful book -full of interesting problems that you want to solve for these people! Yes, people -because they do not feel like characters. Tom, the brave young man who made it thru a horrific war and feels guilty about not dying. And Isabel, who loses her brother in the same war and falls for Tom quickly. Hannah is the widow, who lost her husband and her young daughter unfairly to the whim of an angry mob furious about the war.
All three lives play out in Australia.
After Tom and Isabel marry, they move to the lonely island of Janus Rock where Tom is the keeper of the light for the lighthouse. On this desolate place, Isabel & Tom lose baby after baby. Just days after their last child is stillborn, Isabel hears a baby's cry from the beach and they discover a boat with a dead man and an infant. What they decide to do is horribly wrong but you can understand after what they have been through. This decision will effect all of their lives and those around them. You need to read this beautifully written book to discover what happens after their choice.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Into 'The Lost Saints of Tennessee'

About half way done with this book and I can't make up my mind if I love  it or not. The small town locations and family drama sound familiar but not sure is I like Ezekiel! I'll just have to finish it and see! Sometimes a book really grows on you when the story is finished!

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Patty Pick for 11/7/13 - "The Longest Ride" by Nicholas Sparks












What a good book! I was not sure how the dual story lines were going to come together, but they did for an explosive and surprising ending. I really like a good ending and if a book does not have one, it can ruin the whole book for me. I don't always want a fairy tale ending but one that seems to be fair to the characters. 

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters in this novel and follow their lives past and present. The separate love stories, one at the end of its life and one just beginning, kept the book interesting until the end. 

Ira and Ruth were closet art collectors who quietly developed a one-of-a-kind collection beginning on their honeymoon. Their lives touched many people, as do a lot of folks, but we do not always get the benefit of knowing. Ruth was a teacher and went over and beyond to reach her students. Good teachers do not always get the recognition and thanks they deserve. 

Sophia and Luke are young but mature for their ages due to their backgrounds and family responsibilities they have. As their lives intersect, love blossoms between them even though they have very different lives and plans. 

You need to read this book and find out how all their lives interact and provide stunning and surprising results.