Purely Coincidental Memoir

I just finished reading Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern. (It’s a book of stories and quotes about a guy’s dad.) It’s taken me awhile to get to this one even though my husband bought it and laughed his way through it last August. I suppose I didn’t think it was going to be as charming as it was. And that could be due to several different factors. One being I was pregnant. A little side note on that… when pregnant I tend to find America’s Funniest Videos side splitingly funny which says an awful lot for just how disturbed my sense of humour is while under the influence of an influx of maternal hormones. However, I did not find my husband reading this book amusing what-so-ever. I did not share his mirth at the funny little quotes he shared with me. In fact, I found most of the parental ‘wisdom’ nuggets he shared with me to be mildly horrifying due to their straight-up bluntness. Again, note that I was under the influence of hormones that tend to tinker with one’s judgment when it comes to all things amusing.

Two, we were in Florida and it was August. And it was scorching-freaking-hot. And we were tramping through the paved paradise of everything Disney every day for five or six days. That can put a damper on anyone’s sense of humour.

Three, I was trying to nap.

Four, my husband was frequently shaking the hotel bed by trying to contain his very frequent mirth. (In a way, I think this was karmic payback for all those times I laughed out loud (and thus disturbing him) when I read A.J. Jacobs’ The Know-It-All in bed.

Anyway, I finally read Sh*t My Dad Says. And it was amusing. And kind of sweet actually. Despite the blunt and somewhat harsh advice and quotes from Sam Halpern, you can tell this father loves his son an awful lot–and even before you get to the last chapter where Justin talks about that fact.

But that’s all me just babbling on, what I actually wanted to blog about is this little disclaimer at the back of the ebook: “Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.”

Did I mention that this book is nonfiction and based on this guy’s dad and actually quotes him and shares REAL LIFE stories about growing up? Yeah. So, I’m not really sure how that disclaimer works seeing as this is a memoir of sorts… but I found it… interesting. I guess nonfiction isn’t what it used to be. Or maybe they just want to cover their butts in case this turns into A Million Little Pieces (a memoir that turned out to be a whole lot of fiction). Or maybe, just maybe Halpern’s father is purely coincidental or what he’s done and said is purely coincidental. (Not just plain ol’ “coincidental,” doncha know.)

And now look at me… I’m no longer making sense either. Coincidental, too. Purely.

Hello.

Book Round Up

I’ve been neglecting my Goodreads account lately. That and sharing books I’ve read with my blog readers. So, when a friend asked me if I’d read anything good lately (she just got an ereader), I said, “You betcha.”

And then I had to try and recall something I’d read in the past few months.

Fortunately, that wasn’t a problem. Briefly, here are a few…

Room by Emma Donoghue. Room is about a girl who is kidnapped and has a baby while in captivity (the kidnapper is the father) and when her child turns five, they manage to escape. It wasn’t nearly as disturbing as I thought it would be–which is kind of a relief, actually. I don’t like it when books mess with my mind in a huge way. The first half of the book deals with their imprisonment, the second half with… well, I won’t spoil it by telling you what they deal with.

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The Immortals by J.T. Ellison. This one also had mind messing potential, but thankfully didn’t leave any scars. It is about some teens involved in dark magic and murder. Fast and entertaining while the main character tries to track down the murders. Uses several point of views which works well for the story.

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Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. I really enjoyed this one–more than I thought I would. It follows two families–an American family that adopts a baby from India who was given up because the family was too poor to raise her. It also follows that Indian family. I was worried it would be slow and work to read, but I couldn’t stop reading it! It also shows you a bit about Indian culture and the way things aren’t as balanced as you may think.

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The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald. This was an intriguing book as Grunwald set her story of a man unable to commit to relationships in a university practice house during the 1940s. These practice houses existed (my grandmother-in-law attended one as part of her home economics education) and were intended to teach students the latest in home economics. Babies (supplied by an orphanage) included. My grandmother-in-law said there was a waiting list for babies who had been in the practice house as they didn’t play strange. Go figure, having how many mothers. Anyway, this story follows one baby who stays in the practice house instead of being adopted out and his own journeys into making lasting bonds with the women who come and go in his life.

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Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. This was pretty good, as I do love Walls’s voice. However, I did like her memoir about her own life better–The Glass Castle. Half Broke Horses was about her grandma (who was a pretty amazing woman and character), which was cool, but at times I wanted to reach in the book and smack the grandma.

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Love the One You’re With by Emily Giffin. A chick lit novel that had me waffling back and forth on what I thought the main character was going to do… go back to her husband? Get back together with the ex-boyfriend who still stirs her heart? There were times when I wanted to shove the character one way and other times that I wanted to smack some sense into her and drag her back the other way.

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People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. A novel that moves back in time, following the story of a religious text from it’s daring wartime rescues back to its creation. While it may sound technical and dry, its a great story that is an intriguing mystery and is tied together by a current day protagonist who is not only dealing with her own issues, but also with solving the mystery and history of this book while restoring it.

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How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely. A humourous novel about a guy who decides he’s going to become a famous novelist to ‘get back’ at his ex-girlfriend who is getting married. He decides he can add in all the great elements of the nation’s greatest best-selling novels to make his The Big One. That means road trip, exotic locations, war, love stories, and philosophical moments. The novel (not the one he writes) follows his progress, downfall, success, downfall, and ultimate… share it… or spoil it? Nah… I couldn’t spoil it for you.

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P.S. Full disclosure: If you purchase one of these books using the links I’ve provided, I get a couple of cents. Does that make me an enterprising sell-out? (However, I haven’t ever ‘sold’ anything from my blog, so maybe it doesn’t–or just makes me an ineffective one. Har, har.)

Novels Remembering World War II

By coincidence, I happened to read two great novels in the past few weeks that both use World War II as their setting. One in England and the USA, the other in Germany. One narrated by a female reporter, the other by Death, himself. Both stellar.

First I read The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. This is the story set in England and the East coast of the USA. (With a short trip through Germany and France.) The story follows Frankie, a female American reporter, who broadcasts news from England to those in the US. When a friend is killed during a typical, nightly bombing of London, she takes up her friend’s quest to show the world what is happening to the Jewish people. (This was before the world knew what was really happening with the Jewish people in Germany and German occupied territories.) Off to Germany she goes with a portable recorder to record voices, not knowing what she will do with them, just knowing that it is important to record them.

Meanwhile, back on the East coast of the US, a small town is going about their everyday lives, wondering/disbelieving/believing that the war will reach their shores. And in the midst is a rule-honouring Postmistress who does something ‘wrong.’ But truly, this story is not about her and her minor misdeed. In fact, the prologue gives readers an unfair expectation of the book and what the story will hold. That aside (don’t bother reading the prologue if you like), the book is a fantastic story of war, love, family, community, and identity. If you liked The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, you will likely enjoy The Postmistress.

The second book was The Book Thief by Markus Zusuk. While classified as YA (young adult), this is a thick book that also appeals to adults. While narrated by Death (who has a very distinct and wonderful voice as well as way of seeing things), it truly follows the story of a poor, young, foster girl, dubbed ‘the book thief’ by Death due to her love of reading and her unlawful ways of getting reading material to satiate her love of the written word. While a member of the mandated Hitler Youth in Nazi Germany, this girl has another secret other than her ill-gotten books, and that is the Jew hidden in her basement.

A wonderful story about coming of age, secrets, war, friendships, and making due with little. If you liked the quirks of The Giver, you will probably enjoy The Book Thief.

Today, pick up one of these books and remember those who died and fought (and are fighting) for what we have today–and part what we have is the freedom and safety to write and read about life, war, society, governments, and more.

We are a privileged lot and I am forever grateful and thankful for what we have.

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Book Review: Return the Heart

Book Review for: Return the Heart
By: TK Richardson

You may recall TK Richardson (Website & Blog) from our author swap some time back. Well, guess what? She’s been busy writing and publishing her first book, Return the Heart. And you know what? It’s fabulous. This is a gal who has invested in her skill and it shows.

Lilly, the heroine, is well-developed, as is the rest of her ‘gang’ of new friends that have special, top secret talents. You know what motivates them, what their internal conflicts are, and all that high-tech writerly mumbo-jumbo. In other words, you totally get why each character acts the way they do and totally understand (and empathize) with the push-pull they feel at any given moment.

So, what’s up with Lilly anyway? Well, Lilly can read hearts. That is, she can look at someone (or a photo of someone) and read their feelings, histories, desires, and most telling, their secrets–good and bad. Her friends have similar, but unrelated talents, and together they mesh to create a powerful group that is wanted by agencies (both good and bad) around the world. But I’ve already told you enough. TK slowly doles out information in a way that intrigues the reader and causes them to want more and I don’t want to spoil that for you.

Watch for more from TK, and more in the series. (After reading the last chapter I emailed her and asked, so you totally led up to a sequel–is there one? The answer is yes. Yay!)

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Book Review: The Secret Life of Bees

And finally, one more for book review week. It’s a book I’ve put off for awhile, but found I really quite enjoyed it! (I’d probably even watch the movie. Oh, heck. Who am I kidding? I would totally watch it.)

Book Review for: The Secret Life of Bees
By Sue Monk Kidd

I liked the twists and turns as well as the never-really-knowing-the-answer to certain things in the character’s life. She doesn’t know, so neither do we.

The main character (I love her moxi) breaks her housekeeper out of jail (yes, you read right) and runs away. But wait, there’s more. Her housekeeper is Black and it is during the civil rights upheaval. And she’s White. And just a kid. And she pulls it off. And that’s just the beginning.

She has one destination in mind when she runs away, and no real plan. But somehow things work out like her ‘trip’ was preordained. Not only does she find a home, but she finds some of the answers she’s always been seeking.

I think the reason I steered away from this book for so long was the bee part. Being raised a beekeeper, I often find that books about bees or beekeepers are often incorrect. This one had one thing that wasn’t quite right, but otherwise, she did a fantastic job of working bees and their world into this novel. Without the bees the book just wouldn’t have been quite as sweet.

P.S. Thanks to my mother-in-law for handing this book down to me some time ago. Thanks! I enjoyed it immensely. And, er, sorry about the spaghetti I spilled on page 106 and 107. I gather you were giving the book to me, but if you want it back, I’ll buy you a new copy. Sorry about that. (Who let me become a keeper of books–aka librarian–anyway?)

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Book Review: Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

We’ve got a lovely bit of a British story (written by a Canadian) next up in Book Review Week…

Book Review For: Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
By Alan Bradley

There is something about an 11-year-old heroine who is charmingly British that caused me to fall in love with this book.

Flavia, an 11-year-old with a frightening passion for chemistry and all things poison-related, stumbles upon a dying man in her family’s cucumber patch. Instead of fainting or running off screaming, she gets involved in solving the mystery not only of whom this odd stranger was, but also who killed him.

Flavia is a bit of a loner gal with no mother and a father who has his head in postage stamps. (Wow, can we say geek? That’s even geekier than me!) She has two older sisters, but they take turns ganging up on each other in most unusual and inventive ways. I dare say those bloody British kids are bloomin’ brilliant. When her father is arrested for the murder of the man left in the cucumber patch, Flavia gives her sisters reprieve from her tortures and jumps on her bike to track down clues faster than the billies can say “Steady on.”

There are more promised in this series and dare say this ol’ gal will read them.

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Book Review: The Girls

Here we go… book three in book review week.

Book Review For: The Girls
By: Lori Larsens

The Girls are conjoined twins, Ruby and Rose, who grow up in Southern Ontario. The book is written from their perspective–they each take turns writing chapters about their history and what is going on in their lives right now. I’m not going to tell you too much about this one as it will totally spoil the book for you as it has some unique twists, turns, and elements that are a nice surprise for the unsuspecting reader.

The author must have done a fair amount of research as well as immersed herself in what the everyday difficulties must be for two such characters. While the odd spot dragged a bit, it is more than made up for in the way she conquers the mundane and how she gives unique voice for these two characters.

Love? Children? Work? Family? Strangers? Transportation? Education? It’s all shown and conquered by Larsens. (I’m totally not doing this book justice, however if I tell you more I will spoil it all!)

Book Review: Mary Schaffer

And now for a quick-read biography of an American female explorer for Independence Day and book review week...

Book Review For: Mary Schaffer: An Adventurous Woman’s Exploit’s in the Canadian Rockies
By Jill Foran

Take one well-off woman who can barely walk up a hill in the late 1800s and early 1900s and take her out to the Canadian Rockies. Introduce her to a man in love with botany and the great outdoors. Teach her to ride a horse. Let her imagination go wild and allow her to become the woman she was meant to be and soon you’ll have her hiring guides with other adventurous widows and exploring the Canadian Rockies.

Mary was an amazing woman pushing the boundaries of exploration for not only men, but most definitely for women in a time when most women wouldn’t venture further from their fine-boned china than a step or two. And here’s Mary treking through mountain passes, building rafts and exploring fabled lakes–and sleeping in a tent. On the ground. In snow, heat, bugs, etc.

The more Mary followed her dream, the more she didn’t fit into her ‘home’ in Philadelphia’s high society. Over a hundred years later, I can kind of relate… (Even though I don’t own any fine-boned china.)