Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Patty Pick for April 27 is "Flight Patterns" by Karen White

"Flight Patterns" by Karen White twists and turns from war-torn France during World War II to modern-day Apalachicola, Florida. We learn to love and root for Georgia, Maisey, Birdie, and Becky as they work their way through life and family turmoil. Georgia has left her hometown and ended up on New Orleans. She is a successful antique estimator and happy in her job, but she is cut off from her family and trying very hard to keep anything or anyone she loves at arm's length so she doesn't get hurt again.  

Then one day in walks James Graf into her office and her life, and things will never be the same. He becomes the impetus Georgia needs to return home to try to uncover the origin of the Limoges china set that his grandmother had her whole life. Recovering from the death of his wife, James is amazed by the life that Georgia lives, unconnected from the world and her family. As the search leads them back to Apalachicola to find the tea cup
covered in a delicate honeybee pattern that Georgia saw in her mother's closet many years ago, Georgia stumbles on more and more unanswered questions about her mother's past and the history of the special china set.

Georgia's grandfather is a beekeeper. He suffers a stroke when shown the teacup from James' family collection. Is this a coincidence or did the teacup pattern trigger his strong reaction? Birdie, mother to Georgia and Maisey, has not spoken in years and has spent time in and out of mental hospitals. Will she have the clues they need to figure out this mystery of the china? 

But there is still a reason that Georgia left her home and family a decade ago and has never returned. Maisey blames Georgia for the death of her first child. Neither sister has made an effort to repair their relationship. Becky, Maisey's second child, is thrilled her aunt is finally around and works hard to get her to stay, while also trying to repair the estrangement of her parents. Becky and Birdie share a special relationship of helping each other through the fear of the long night time. Becky claims that Birdie speaks to her even though no one else has heard Birdie speak in years. Birdie starts to remember the reason she put the curtain up to protect herself. Can she give them the 
clues they need to put the pieces together?  

This Southern family is too stubborn to heal itself, history will finally reveal a way to get them back to a future together if they can let themselves take the chance. A line in the book from James' sister Caroline tells us, "There are no limits to starting over. That's why the sun rises every day. Unless you're running in circles, and then the outcome never changes." So don't run in circles. Good advice for anyone. But do run to the store to get this book and enjoy it with a hot biscuit and some honey! 

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Triangle Reads Interview In Full!

A big thank you to Teresa Leonard with the NewsandObserver, http://nando.com/trianglereads, for asking me to participate in her column on with my recommendations and influences in reading! Please read this Sunday, March 12th, for my answers! Let Teresa know what you thought. She is always looking for people to include in her column. Excited to be included, so let me hear from you!

So excited to have been included in this column by Teresa Leonard of the News&Observer! Let Teresa know that you saw my column and tag or copy me, too. This column offers excellent suggestions for good reads!

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Patty Pick for April 6, 2017 is "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi

There are a few books that touch something deep within you when you are lucky enough to read them. This is one of those books. I thought I was handling it pretty well. This book is really about living and learning how to live your life with meaning. It is not a book about dying, even though the author was doing just that when he wrote this book. In fact, he did not quite finish it and the ending which his wife wrote to finish the book, sent my tear ducts into overdrive.  

Dr. Paul Kalanithi is a young neurosurgeon all ready making a name for himself. Coming from a family of doctors, he is uncertain that the field of medicine is where he wants to be. But he soons discovers his place in the world and he knows he wants to make a difference in people's lives. Some lives that other people give up on. He is all most finished with his residency and he and his wife will soon be choosing their next medical jobs. That's when, after ignoring the symptoms he knows so well, he is diagnosed with Stage IV Lung cancer. 

To say that this is devastating is stating the obvious, but his oncologist gives him hope. He did manage to live longer than expected and even have a daughter with his wife before he passed away. But this book, his book, will make a difference in more lives than he could ever have touched with his very talented hands. 

I laughed, I cried, and even though I knew the outcome, I even hoped along with him. He had an amazing talent to tell a story and to make you want to find a way to be a better person. His book will not preach at you, but you will want to take up his unassuming banner and try to make yourself and the world a better place. Isn't that all we can hope for? Don't take my word for it. This is one book you need to read each and every word because they are all so beautifully written.