Coming Up For Air

You are forty‑eight. You’re an artist preparing for your very first gallery showing, an exhibit pointedly titled Forty Eight for Forty Eight. And who’s responsible for pulling this whole thing together? Your mother. Yes, that mother — the one with whom your relationship is, shall we say, complicated at best. This is where the book opens and how we first meet Ellie, our main character.

A little side note: on the very first page, the author mentions the language of flowers when she explains that Ellie’s mother, Lily, carries a name meaning innocence, purity, and beauty. If you haven’t read my post on the Language of Flowers, you might want to check it out. It’s astonishing how many books weave in floral symbolism, and how completely unaware I was of these meanings until I read that book.

The morning after the exhibit, Ellie gets a phone call from her father telling her that her mother is dead. She can’t take it in. She had just seen her mother — how could this be real? In the days that follow, her father asks her to pack up her mother’s things because he can’t bear to face it himself. While sorting through drawers, Ellie discovers her mother’s journal tucked away behind a lock. Inside, she meets a version of her mother she never knew — a woman shattered by a lost love, who locked her own soul away along with every want and desire she once had. As Ellie reads, she begins to understand something chilling: her mother had spent Ellie’s entire life training her to do the very same thing.

She begins to drift back to memories of her first true love — the very same man she had, coincidentally (or perhaps not), crossed paths with again at her exhibit. As those feelings resurface, she takes a long, unflinching look at her marriage and realizes she’s standing at a crossroads. Does she keep walking the path she’s been on for years, or does she dare to choose a new one?

I really enjoyed this book and its journey toward self‑realization. It turned out to be so much more layered than I expected. The story moves fluidly between the present day and the turbulent 1960s, weaving in themes of desegregation, identity, and the quiet ways we inherit our parents’ unfinished stories. It’s the perfect summer read.

No Coincidences: How One Book Shifted My Perspective

The Celestine Prophecy 

In February of 2012, a friend and I were talking about spirituality, and she mentioned a book she felt I needed to read. She lent me her copy, but at the time I already had two books I needed to finish first. She told me there was no rush, so it sat on my bookshelf for about three weeks. When I finally picked it up, my world seemed to tilt. At first, I wondered what on earth was happening, but then I realized I was experiencing the First Insight — and that my delay in reading the book had been purposeful.

I’ll briefly share the First Insight with you, but only briefly, because you really must read the book to understand the remaining eight.

Before I get to the Insights, I want to give you a quick overview of the story. The main character meets an old acquaintance during a two‑hour layover. She tells him about an ancient manuscript discovered in the rainforests of Peru. Its contents reveal nine insights into life itself. The insights are sequential — you need to read and reflect on them in order to truly understand them and move forward on your own spiritual path. Those who represent organized religion fear the manuscript’s message and try to destroy it. The author takes you on a vivid adventure, but in my opinion, the journey to understand the Insights doesn’t interfere with any religious belief. Instead, it opens your mind to possibility.

Now, about that First Insight — my favorite, and the one that has helped me navigate the last several months. It deals with coincidences, or rather, the idea that there are no coincidences. Life unfolds as a sequence of events. Something happens, or someone reappears in your life after years of silence, and suddenly things begin to shift. You might question whether it’s all random, but deep down you sense it isn’t. My mantra has always been that things happen for a reason and a purpose. People move in and out of your life for a reason and a purpose. To me, that is the essence of the First Insight: nothing is accidental.

What I love most about the book is that it makes you think. It’s written like a parable — a story designed to illuminate deeper truths. If you decide to read it, I would genuinely love to hear your thoughts.

My questions are these:

Do you believe in spirituality, and did this book make you reflect on your own perceptions? Or did you read it and feel nothing at all? I’d love to know.

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

Either by choice or necessity you leave your homeland to start a new life in a new country. You don’t speak the language and you don’t understand the culture. So begins the story of Kim and her mother as they journey from China to the United States. They were comfortable in China until Kim’s father died and her mother became ill. Kim’s Mom has a sister living in the United States who sends them money and eventually brings them to the United States, but at a huge price. They are now indebted to her.

Kim is in elementary school, her Mom was a music teacher. They live in a roach infested apartment with no heat in New York. Because they barely speak English and they owe Kim’s aunt money they are forced to work long hours at her Aunt's garment factory.

Kim is smart, tough and determined to do what it takes to make life better for her and her family.

For anyone who has lived overseas, the most difficult thing is the language barrier and the isolation you feel.

The author certainly portrays the hardships that the characters must face. As with other books this book deals with life's choices and the sacrifices a person must make to survive and thrive. Since this is the book for my book club this month, I look forward to discussing it with my book club buddies.

 

The Blue Bottle Club by Penelope J Stokes

It is Christmas 1929. Up in the attic of this beautiful mansion, four girls write down what their future will be and vow to be friends forever. They put their notes into a blue bottle and hide it in the rafters of the attic where they hope that no one will find it except them. They are excited about the future and what life holds for them. They are on top of the world and then an event happens that changes their lives.

Sixty years later the beautiful mansion, now in disrepair is demolished. In the rubble one of the men who participated in the demolition finds this bottle surprisingly intact. He gives it to the reporter who is covering this event and she makes it her mission to find out what happened to these four women. It is the story she has been waiting for.

I really enjoyed the book. It kind of made me compare what I had planned for myself vs what actually happened in my life. Needless to say I have had many diversions from my original plan. I have two questions. Did you have best friends who you thought would be in your life forever and are they still part of your life? Did you have a plan for your life and so far are you on target? Please comment!

Then Again

 

Then Again By Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton to me has always represented a strong female. A bit eccentric, a bit quirky, a bit insecure but she definitely has a strong presence. This book definitely confirms that. She writes the book as if she is sitting on your couch having a conversation with you. Her book starts with her talking about how important and influential her mother was to her. I think I can safely say that mothers are extremely influential in their children’s life. I think more so with females but I could be wrong. How they influence their children can be good, bad or good and bad. So what she says right in the beginning is that the memoir she has written is not just hers, but hers and her Mom’s. She uses her Mom’s journals (her Mom was a very prolific journal writer) and intertwines them with own story and insights.

In addition to talking about family she talks about other people who she was influenced by namely Woody Allen, Warren Beatty and Al Pacino. There are certainly others as well. While this is not the best writing in the world, the book certainly reflects the essence of Diane Keaton and I found her story to be very interesting.

Fifty Shades of Grey

Just giving a shout out to you all to see if you have already read this book. A lot of people have been asking me about it. I have it on my list but have not read it. Please leave me a comment by clicking right below where it says comment. A box will appear and you write your comments in the box. Really looking forward to hearing from you.

Bond Girl by Erin Duffy

This book literally showed up at my doorstep and I don’t mean that I ordered it online. I am very lucky. Every so often I get to preview a book sent to me by a publisher and this was one of those books. The book is about a women working in what is still considered a man’s world—investing. I know this really doesn’t fit into the romance, thriller or mystery category but it isn’t heavy reading but it is pretty fast paced. So I think I am going to say this can qualify as a beach read.

Alex Duffy is not one of the girls she is one of the guys. We meet Alex after she has joined the firm of Cromwell Pierce. She is assigned to the bond department and when she shows up for her first day she is assigned a chair and that is about all. No desk, No phone no nothing. And it’s not just any chair it is a folding chair labeled Girlie. I think you get the picture. Her chair has no permanent place nor does she. She is at the bottom of the barrel, so either she works her tail off and to make it up the food chain or she fails. Luckily she is feisty and ambitious. Two traits I highly admire and aspire to when I grow up.

The guys put her through the paces but I definitely found myself cheering for her. Kind of like I am woman hear me roar.

Along the way she breaks some rules like the one that says DON’T GET INVOLVED WITH A CO-WORKER which can lead to words that Donald Trump likes to use YOU’RE FIRED. I’m not saying that does happen but it might. I will let you read the book to find out about Alex’s journey in this jungle.

As always let me know what you think

A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnay

Tatiana de Rosnay is the author of Sarah’s Key. I am sure many of you have already read Sarah’s Key. A Secret Kept is another novel by her and I found it very engaging. It’s all about complex family relationships and what family doesn’t have complex relationships. Antoine decides to take his sister Mélanie to Noirmoutier Island to celebrate her birthday. This is vacation place they visited when they were children and Antoine had good memories or does he?. Whether good or bad, returning to the island stirs up these memories. The family stopped coming thirty years ago when their young mother died. On the way home from the island they are in a car accident and things started spinning out of control.

Noirmoutier Island is a really interesting place. It is off the west coast of France. The island can only be reached one of two ways; by bridge or via the Passage du Gois, a road that at high tide is entirely submerged. by water. Every May there is a race against the rising tide called the Great Gois Run. Apparently people have lost cars to the rising water or worse been forced to hold onto poles built along the passage waiting for the water to recede or to be rescued. They can literally be hanging onto the poles for dear life for hours.
I almost feel like the island is a character. It is emotionally shut off and so are many of the characters in the book.Going back to this island makes forces Antoine to confront the past and also to confront his troubled relationships with his children, ex-wife and father.

While the book is very dark with death being discussed frequently, I found it very intriguing. De Rosnay is a good writer that guides you through the character’s lives so that you get a good idea of who they are, what they are going through and how they ultimately end up coping. I would like to hear your thoughts about Noirmotier Island and what significance it had in the book.

 

Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon

When I first received this book to preview, the title really threw me off. I thought it sounded like one more book about ”sister wives”. I think you all know what I am talking about, that reality show with one man “married” to four women. If that concept works for you, than great. It doesn’t work for me. The book turned out to be completely different than I originally thought.

One day Alice opens her email to find in her inbox an invitation to participate in an online survey about “Marriage in the 21^st Century. First a little background on Alice. She is a woman married for almost twenty years with two children one in middle school, one in high school. She is a Drama Teacher. Her marriage has become mundane with very little face to face time with her husband. Her husband appears to be going through some type of crisis. She can sense something is not quite right but he’s not talking. Her children are your ordinary kids going through the usual stuff you expect kids to go through at that age.

That is why she finds this survey so intriguing and signs on to do it. She becomes Wife 22 and her case worker is Researcher 101. The survey consists of lots of questions and she answers many of them pretty extensively. For her it is like talking to a therapist but better because she can say whatever without feeling limited. After all she’s not actually sitting on a couch talking to a “real” person and watching their facial expressions. Oh no she just says whatever she feels like saying and the longer she participates the deeper she goes. It’s like spilling to you best bud with absolutely no filters, no repercussions. That is the interesting and scary concept in this book. The internet has provided a place that is not touchy feely and where people can get away with so much.

The book is certainly interesting. One thing I don’t like about it is Alice’s answers to the questions are written but the questions are not written forcing the reader to guess the question. The concept of the book is still interesting. This book is being released tomorrow May 29, 2012.

Stefanie Plum Numbers Series by Janet EvanovichI have recently discovered the Stefanie Plum series written by Janet Evanovich. For all you movie goers her book One For the Money is now out on DVD. I confess I have not seen it yet but will probably rent it from Redbox. I have never been a Books-on-CD fan until one of my colleagues got me hooked. I started with Smokin’ Seventeen and worked backwards (and forwards)

Stefanie Plum works as a Bail Bond agent. She’s the one who tracks down all the guys and yes gals that skip on their court appearance. She works for……. wait for it,…. Cousin Vinnie who is a real character and a low life. She’s kind of like Dog the Bounty Hunter but not quite. Here is the real problem. She is not very good at what she does and is always getting herself into trouble. Lucky for her she has a hunky on again off again boyfriend who happens to work for the Trenton Police Department. And if that is not enough she has an interesting and sometimes sexual relationship with an ex-marine now turned Bounty hunter(he calls himself a security expert and really he is) who happens to be VERY GOOD at his job. This Bounty Hunter known as Ranger is there to watch her back as she muddles to capture her target.

In Smokin’ Seventeen Cousin Vinnie has gotten himself into a heap of trouble or should I say more trouble than usual. Bodies seem to be showing up on the construction site of his bond office. (In a previous book his bond office was blown up and he is trying to rebuild). No one is sure of who the killer is or why bodies are being left on Vinnie’s property but Stefanie seems to be a target. And that is all I am going to say about this novel.

As I said in my opening paragraph I listened to this book on a CD while I was driving to NJ. The drive went much quicker. The person who reads the Plum Novels has gotten better and better as she has moved through the series. I especially like the voices she does for Connie and Lula. When you read the dialog between the characters it is definitely not quite as humorous as when you listen to it. I actually find myself laughing.

Aside from hearing the dialog, listening to the books helps me develop pictures in my head of what the characters look like so I am constantly trying to find the right actors and actresses to play the role. That is why I am afraid to see the movie. I am not quite sure Katherine Heigel fits the bill. I can really see someone like Lisa Kudrow from her days of Friends being a more suitable choice.

So if you are planning to drive somewhere this summer consider popping this in the CD player in your car. If you have young kids consider moving it to your ipad, or any other electronic device and listening with earphones. You can also listen to it on the beach and because you do not have to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes while you listen, you will have a nice even tan.

Here is my question to you. Who would you cast as Morelli, Ranger and Stefanie? I can’t wait to hear your answers. If you saw the movie and you thought the casting was good I’d like to hear that as well.

Death Comes To Pemberly by P.D.James

If you are a Jane Austin fan than this book is right up your alley. The book starts right about where Pride and Prejudice left off. The author gives a great recap of all the comings and goings of the Bennett family of Longborn. As you know, if you read Pride and Prejudice, wild child Lydia married Mr. Wickham the dashing, drunken cad. The lovely eldest Jane married the loveable Mr. Bingley. My favorite character Elizabeth Bennett married the very brooding but handsome and oh so well off Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy had to work very hard to overcome his ingrained prejudice to marry his beloved Elizabeth and he is not over it. Throughout the entire book you can see poor Mr. Darcy struggling between his prejudice of Elizabeth's family (namely Wickham and Lydia) and his deep love for his wife Elizabeth. In his mind he has sacrificed a great deal to be with her.

As you might remember Jane and Elizabeth are thick as thieves, joined at the hip in other words really close. If it was modern times, on any given day you would most likely find the sisters in one of their kitchens drinking tea and catching up. The Bingleys live only a short distance away and are at the Darcy’s Mansion the night before Lady Anne’s Ball, eating dinner.

This is where the story really gets rolling. The Ball originated with Mr. Darcy’s mother Lady Anne and the young couple felt the need to continue having this Ball since this event was greatly anticipated by the aristocracy. After all what else did they have to do to amuse themselves.

So crazy Lydia Bennett nee Wickham shows up at Pemberly wildly out of control nothing new for her, screaming that shots were fired in the woods and poor Wickham is probably dead. Although Darcy loathes the fact that he must get involved, he organizes a search party. Believe me he is pissed. He despises Wickham and can’t stomach Lydia. In fact by mutual agreement Darcy and Elizabeth basically told the Wickhams that they were not welcomed at Pemberly. If they had only listened but Lydia listens to no one. Now Darcy is forced to deal with this situation. He finds Mr. Wickham very much alive in the woods of Pemberly but with him is the body of Captain Denny, Wickham’s BFF and the story goes on from there.

The author does a great job transitioning the characters into her book. This allows us to get to know them a little better so we have a better idea of what makes them tick. She even manages to keep the tone of Pride and Prejudice without getting too stuffy.

The thing I find most interesting about this book is how well the author seems to know the characters and how this book is a natural and believable continuation of Pride and Prejudice. It is rare that an author can write a “sequel” when they did not write the original book. This has been attempted before in the book Scarlet the Sequel to Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with The Wind. That author totally missed the boat. So if you read this book, tell me how you think it stacks up to Pride and Prejudice. Is it a believable sequel?

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Imagine being sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers by your Fiancé, but instead of taking great joy in receiving the flowers you find yourself bereft with anguish. Why because the flowers in the bouquet are telling you that your sweetie is no longer in love with you and you are being dropped like a hot potato. This is like the modern day text that says “while I will always have a special place for you in my heart I cannot marry you” Back in the 19^th century there was something called the language of flowers also known as floriography. It was a Victorian Era means of communication in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken. The problem with the flower dictionaries is that no two are exactly alike. If the person or persons you were communicating with were not on the same page you certainly could get really confused. He loves me or he loves me not. Not good! Fortunately there are a few flowers whose meanings have stayed the same. So when your sweetie gives you red roses, that means love or at least you hope it does right?

In the Language of Flowers the author uses this Victorian language of flowers to help the main character communicate her grief, mistrust and other emotions. The book opens with us being introduced to Victoria who is eighteen years old and being emancipated from the foster care system. She has no one and nowhere to go until she hooks up with this florist and her talent becomes apparent. Not only does she create beautiful arrangements but she helps people by creating bouquets with hidden meanings that help them hook up. One day she is in a flower market buying flowers for the shop when a mysterious vendor sends her flowers and these flowers have a meaning. Luckily Victoria and he used the same flower dictionary. It drives her crazy and she is forced to respond and the story goes from there.

One of the interesting aspects of this book is that the author alternates chapters between the past and present. She takes you back in time to see what happened to Victoria and then fast forwards to the present so you see the effect of the past. I really enjoyed this and was wondering what you think about this style (going back and forth in time). A major them in this book is forgiveness and second chances. Does Victoria deserve this? I also pose this question to you; why can’t Veronica let herself be happy? What prevents anyone from allowing themself to be happy even when it seems they have a lot going for them.

For my book club buddies if you are reading this posting than I’d like you to know that this will be my book club selection. Enjoy

This Book can be found on amazon.com Language of Flowers

Why am I  blogging?
 

I  LOVE to read. Always have. Always will. I have always had several books on my nightstand or on the floor next to my bed in my office. Now that I have an e-reader I always have  books in my bag. I think you get the picture. I am NEVER without a book. Not only do I love to read, I love to discuss books with people. I really love to get other people’s perspective on a book that I have read. They bring so many interesting things to the table based on their personal life experiences. And yes I belong to a book club which I look forward to every month. It is great fun, great people and  I get the opportunity to read something I may not have read otherwise. Some books are good some are not so good, but the discussion is always great. So here is a shout out to my book club ladies. 

Since I read so much, people are always asking me if I have read anything good lately. And it is for this reason that I have decided to start this blog. I thought it would be a good way to share what I have read and to get comments for those of you who will hopefully read this blog. It would sort of be an online book club. If you have read the book hopefully you will post comments. If you haven’t read the book hopefully you will read it and then get back to me.
 
Suz Cee