All About Alice....

My 9th grade English class has decided to read Alice in Wonderland in preparation for the new release movie by Tim Burton.  While I will be experimenting with literature circles for this read (that is, students will be placed in small groups and as a group they will decide how much to read per week, what projects to complete for an assessment grade, how to study vocabulary, etc) --- I need to have a good handle on the work before we begin to study it on February 26th.  I am sad to say that my educational background did not require me to read this classic before now.

As is true to my nature, I like to try to read as much about a book and its author as I can before teaching it AND without going overboard.  To aid this enrichment process I chose Alice I Have Been and The Other Alice to read alongside the famed fairy tale.  I will briefly review of three works in this post.

The Other Alice by Christina Bjork and Inga-Karin Eriksson is a short (less than 100 pages) non-fiction book about the real Alice in Wonderland - Alice Liddell.  The series of short chapters briefly describe the relationship between the Dean Liddell's family and the math don at Oxford, Charles Dodgson, otherwise known as Lewis Carroll.  The book is geared toward the Young Adult market, so there are lots of pictures, photographs, and useful background information about the culture of Oxford, England during the Victorian Era.  The somewhat controversial subject matter between Charles Dodgson and Alice remains pure in this book, and that is appropriate for my classroom.  In my opinion, this book gave just the right amount of background information to help me appreciate the classic story.


Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll -- Penguin edition.  I absolutely LOVE the Penguin classic editions.  I find the long introductions very educational and helpful to the analysis of the story, and the detailed footnotes for each chapter also add value and enrichment.  I was somewhat skeptical about reading this story; it is, after all, fantasy fiction and I often have a difficult time relating to books that are not grounded in reality.  This book, however, I thoroughly enjoyed.  Perhaps it is my recent foray into the Harry Potter books that have made my mind more susceptible to this genre - or perhaps it is because the novella is only a 100 pages long and geared toward a younger audience, but for whatever reason, I found the read quite enjoyable.  I particularly liked Carroll's use of puns and word games throughout the entire book; ;and his sense of "logic" in this nonsense world was quite humorous.  It kept my intellect challenged while the dream sequence challenged my imagination.  I think the class will enjoy this work as well.


Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin was a pure joy to read --- with or without the original classic tie-in.  In this historical fiction novel, Alice is now over 80 years old and looking back on her life.  Since she was only ten when the famous (infamous?) boat ride occurred that culminated in the tale of "her" story - our narrator is somewhat unreliable.  In fact, she does not really clear up the mystery of what happened between herself and Mr. Dodgson that caused her mother such grave concern - until the very end of the book.  Without giving away any of the suspense, I must say that I was thrilled with the way in which Ms. Benjamin told the entire story - and in particular, with the way in which she tied up all the loose ends.  This book is an absolute must-read, in my humble opinion, for anyone; no prior knowledge needed.

I am now very much looking forward to seeing the movie with my class.  It is my understanding that the movie picks up when Alice is now 17 years old and has no recollection of her original visit to Wonderland.  She is rather disillusioned with life in Victorian England and when she spies the White Rabbit, she decides to follow him.  What ensues is a reuniting with her original Wonderland creatures and another fairy tale adventure.

I think it might be a fun assignment if my students write their own "sequel" to the book before we see the movie.  How do they envision the return of Alice to this fantastical world when she is on the cusp of adulthood?  Then, after we see the movie, they can compare and contrast their ideas to those of Tim Burton.  I think it may spark some fun class discussions, and give students a different way to connect with the text.

What about you?  Do you plan to see the movie when it is released March 5?  Do you have any preconceived notions of how the sequel should be told?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Review: The Swan Thieves

The Swan Thieves

by Elizabeth Kostova

published by Little Brown and Company

copyright 2010

rating: 4.5 out of 5

Some book reviews are easier to write than others. Have you ever experienced that? I read some books that I absolutely love and I can hardly wait to share that love with you. Other books I read and for one reason or another they don't quite resonate with me, and I find that I can quickly summarize those reading experiences and move on. But sometimes I finish a book and it is as though my brain cannot focus on one clear direction for a review. I know that I liked the book and I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience - but why? And how can I properly relate my experience to something that my readers can understand and properly decide if this is a book that they will also enjoy? I feel such a sense of responsibility to accurately write a review, that it paralyzes me. Such is the case with The Swan Thieves.

I have not yet read - although it has languished on my bookshelf for months - The Historian - so I cannot compare this to the author's debut novel. I did read several book reviews for The Swan Thieves before I received my library copy, and with each review I somehow knew that this would be a book for me. How could it not? I enjoy dabbling in armchair psychology - and the main character is this book is himself a successful psychiatrist. I have a deep desire to learn more about art appreciation and have chosen to focus my initial studies on Impressionism -- the strong sub-plot subject matter in the novel. I enjoy a good mystery that keeps me guessing until the end. I gravitate towards novels that focus on character relationships rather than adventurous plots. I marvel at an author's ability to write from various points of view in a controlled, believable manner --- each voice distinct and providing insightful perspective to the overall plot. I seek to read novels that require me to think as I read - and ultimately teach me something new - about a subject matter, about human nature, or about life. The Swan Thieves hits a home-run on all these points and it is a book that I continue to ponder even a week after I finished reading it.

My favorite part of the book, believe it or not, are the opening paragraphs - not yet the beginning of the book, but a few short paragraphs written prior to chapter one. It introduces to the setting of the story and begins this way:

Outside the village there is a fire ring, blackening the thawing snow. Next to the fire ring is a basket that has sat there for months and is beginning to weather to the color of ash. (page 3)

The paragraph goes on to describe old benches, the smell of the air, the darkness coming down, the time of year and the date, 1895, the slate roofs, the well-worn lanes, and the doors to the houses.

The second paragraph introduces a character:

Only one person is astir in all this desolation - a woman in heavy travelling clothes walking down a lane toward the last huddle of dwellings...The woman in the lane carries herself with dignity, and she isn't wearing the shabby apron and wooden sabots of the village. Her cloak and long skirts stand out against the violet snow. Her hood is edged with fur that hides all but the white curve of her cheek. The hem of her dress has a geometric border of pale blue.....She draws herself together, close, protective, hurrying. Is she leaving the village or hastening toward one of the houses in the last row?

Even the one person watching doesn't know the answer, nor does he care. He has worked most of the afternoon, stroking in the walls of the lanes, positioning the stark trees, measuring the road, waiting for the ten minutes of winter sunset. The woman is an intruder, but he puts her in, too, quickly.....

.....He needs her as she is, needs her moving away from him into the snowy tunnel of his canvas, needs the straight form of her back and heavy skirts with their elegant border, her arm cradling the wrapped object. She is a real woman and she is in a hurry, but now she is also fixed forever. Now she is frozen in haste. She is a real woman and now she is a painting. (pages 3 and 4).

OH MY --- that just gives me chills. Not only is Ms. Kostova's writing so descriptive, eloquent, and exact --- but I feel as though I am inside the mind of an artist - seeing the world the way an artist sees it, and not in my very dull, pragmatic way. And that, bottom line, is why I enjoyed this book so much. I feel it is just as much an education in art history (which I have none) as it is an absorbing tale of intrigue and romance.

The only difficulty I had with this novel was sometimes I found myself confused when the author would flashback to the 1800s. This portion of the story was told in epistolary form, and at times I felt that the letters were somewhat intrusive to the primary story line. I had to quickly adjust to a new set of characters and circumstances, and my ole brain isn't quite as sharp as it used to be. This is only a minor detail, however, and did not adversely my overall love for the novel.

I have so many examples of wonderful writing style and beautiful artistic descriptions, but at the risk of boring the reader, I will just say that I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to read such a beautiful story written in such an extraordinary way.

Let me close by showing an interview of the author at BEA 2009. I received an email from Borders the day the book was released, and this video clip was embedded in that email. Enjoy!

Review: The Children's Book

The Children's Book

by A. S. Byatt

published by Alfred A. Knopf

copyright 2009

rating: 4 out 5

As I was reading this 675 page novel, I was reminded of the advice that Jane Austen gave her niece about writing: "3 or 4 families in a country village is the very thing to work on" (letter written September 9, 1814). I believe that is what this author has done so remarkably well.

The novel mainly focuses on three families, and their inter-connectedness over the course of several years: from the middle of the Victorian Era (1895), until the end of World War I (1919). Each family has several members, however, and I found it quite helpful to have a cheat-sheet handy to remind myself of all the various characters.

I was immediately captivated on the opening page - when we see two teenage boys inside the Victoria and Albert museum, watching a young street urchin sketching the contents of a glass case - one of the museums great treasures. One of the boys is the son of Major Prosper Cain, Special Keeper of the Precious Metals collection, and the other boy is the son of Olive Wellwood, a successful authoress of fantasy stories. It is the Cain and Wellwood families, as well as the Fludd family, who take in the artistic street urchin, that make up the characters in this epic novel.

Oftentimes I find the effort to read books with so many various characters exhausting - and typically quit half way through. There was something about these characters, however, that interested me. I could relate to them in such a way that I really cared what happened; it was worth the effort. I wanted to know how Philip, the Dickensian street orphan fared in life; I loved listening to the inner thoughts of authoress Olive Wellwood as she saw every life event as inspiration for her next fairy tale novel; I felt deeply for Tom Wellwood as he was bullied at school and decided that retreat from the world is better than hurtful status quo; I cheered for Dorothy Wellwood as she pursued the life of becoming a female doctor rather than a typical wife of the gentry; I hoped for Geraint Fludd as he fled his life for poverty in the hopes of working up the ranks in the banking industry to wed the girl of his dreams, Florence Cain; I remained curious as to the fate of Julian Cain, as he vacillated between the gay and straight lifestyle; and I respected the character of Prosper Cain as he strived to raise his two children alone, and still have the compassion to take in a third child, Imogene Fludd, who was neglected and hurting in her home environment and needed the nurturing friendship of a father figure.

I almost do not feel qualified to write a review for this book. I do not read close enough, nor write well enough, nor summarize fully enough to do this book justice. I have tried several times to give a brief overview - but it is nearly impossible. When I start to summarize the focus of one family, it inevitably leads to several other plot lines that deserve mention. When I try to focus on one of the major themes of the book, I am quickly reminded of a dozen more that are just as central to the story. When I try to connect with the writing on one level, I am immediately pulled in a different direction that demands my attention. So in short, I have decided to remain silent - so as not to detract from the eloquence of this author - and instead, allow her words to speak for themselves.

Such as Olive contemplating an extramarital affair, even though her husband had done so multiple times:

What did Methley want her to feel? She thought about the relation between readers and writers. A writer made an incantation, calling the reader into the magic circle of the world of the book. With subtle words, a writer enticed a reader to feel his or her skin prickle, his or her lips open, his or her blood race. But a writer did this on condition that the reader was alone with printed paper and painted cover. What were you meant to feel - what was she meant to feel - when the originals of the evanescent paper persons were only too solidly present in flesh and bone and prosaic clothing? A gingery tweed jacket, a faded cotton skirt with lupins on it, and an elastic waist that clumped oddly? (page 206)

Or the two young female Wellwood cousins, contemplating which direction they should follow in life:

They were troubled, as intelligent girls at that time were troubled, by the question of whether their need for knowledge and work in the world would in some sense denature them. Women worked, they knew, as milliners and typewriters, housekeepers and skivvies. They worked because they had no means, or were not pretty or rich enough to attract a man. The spectre of imaginary nuns haunted them. If Griselda did manage to be admitted to Newnham College, in Cambridge, would it be like entering a nunnery, an all-female community, mutually supporting intellectual desire and ambition which the world at large still saw as unnatural, and frequently a threatening? Griselda's quiet love for Toby reassured her on this front also - she had ordinary womanly feelings, she was not a freak, or withdrawn contemplative. She just wanted to be able to think. (page 358)

Or Prosper Cain's dilemma as he faces his own daughter whom he feels he barely knows, and the young Imogen Fludd, whom he took is as a daughter but has chosen to marry as a second wife:

Prosper Cain stood and faced his daughter, who had not sat down. Her face was full of energy and her eyes glittered. She had been, since she was born, the creature he loved most in the world, and he was partly angry that he had noticed no change in her, no softening or excitement that might suggest she was in love. He felt full of energy. He was a military man, faced with a difficult situation, out of which he must extricate everyone with no losses. He looked from his daughter to his beloved, who was looking at the tablecloth. He loved Imogen. He wanted Imogen. That was a source of power. He loved Florence, he would find what was best for her, which might or might not be Geraint Fludd, and because he loved her, he would find a way to open a path for her. It came to him, as he stood there, that he must marry Imogen very soon, as Imogen's position was anomalous. This delighted him. He raised his glass to Florence, and included Geraint in the gesture. (page 501)

Or finally, there is the constant discussion of the women's right to vote and their place in this new society:

".....Do you think getting the Vote would help?"

"It would remove one of the endless humiliating differences between women and men. It might make it possible - in some new world - for the sexes to talk to each other, like people. At the moment the agitation is just making the women more womanish and the men more grumpy and masculine. Of course we ought to be able to vote. But I don't know that having the Vote will affect the things that frighten me." Griselda paused. "Whereas, if I wrote a really good book, that might. Or if you invented a new surgical procedure, or discovered a new drug." (page 526)

While I believe Ms. Byatt has followed Jane Austen's advice well --- for she has indeed focused the book on 3 or 4 families from the Kent countryside -- she has also infused her writing with such complex themes as political differences, sexual orientation and experimentation, women's rights, love and infidelity. Her boundaries extend far beyond the small English village - and her characters are greatly affected by life in the world at large. The book made me ponder what it must have been like to live at the time - when so much of the lifestyle I take for granted had to be fought for - and I have learned to appreciate what I have.

One note to readers of this blog -- while I loved her detailed descriptions and marveled at her way with words, I know there are several who have read the book and found the language to be cumbersome: too many characters and descriptions which takes away from the enjoyment of the story. While that was not my experience, you know yourself as a reader - and would know if this would hinder your reading experience.

Review: The Housekeeper and the Professor

The Housekeeper and the Professor

by Yoko Ogawa

Published by Picador

copyright 2009 (first published 2003)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

If you are looking for a warm, touching novel that focuses on relationships and caring attitudes toward your fellow human beings, then look no further. This is all of that and more.

If you are unfamiliar with the storyline, here is the description from the front book flap:

He is a brilliant math professor with a peculiar problem - ever since a traumatic head injury, he has lived with only eighty minutes of short-term memory.

She is an astute Housekeeper, with a ten-year-old son, who is hired to care for him.

And every morning, as the Professor and the Housekeeper are introduced to each other anew, a strange and beautiful relationship blossoms between them. Though he cannot hold memories for long (his brain is like a tape that begins to erase itself every eighty minutes), the Professor's mind is still alive with elegant equations from the past. And the numbers, in all of their articulate order, reveal a sheltering and poetic world to both the Housekeeper and her young son. The Professor is capable of discovering connections between the simplest of quantities - like the Housekeeper's shoe size - and the universe at large, drawing their lives ever closer and more profoundly together even as his memory slips away.

I was first attracted to this book when I read a short review in the May/June 2009 edition of Bookmarks Magazine. The critical summary says it all:

The success of Ogawa's "deceptively elegant novel" (New York Times Book Review) was a surprise, considering its lack of action, romance, melodrama, and even character names (none of which are ever mentioned). However, there is enough suspense and sly humor to keep readers enchanted by this slow-paced, delicate novel - even those with bad memories of high school math class. Ogawa makes a crucial choice not to minimize the impact of the professor's brain injuries; she portrays his limitations and daily difficulties realistically, but also with warmth and affection. Critics praised Stephen Snyder's seamless translation and compared Ogawa's graceful prose to that of Japanese writers Kenzaburo Oe and Haruki Murakami. This touching story of a devoted friendship may captivate Western readers as well. (page 35)

Such descriptors as "deceptively elegant" - "delicate novel" - and "warmth and affection" are accurate when discussing this short, poetic, novel.

I had a connection with the novel before I started reading it when I discovered that the translator, Stephen Snyder, teaches Japanese literature at Middlebury College - the same institution where I am taking courses in English literature through the Bread Loaf school of English. It is such a small world!

While I do not think I can add anything to the well-written review in Booksmarks, I will instead choose to share a few passages from the book. The problem is that I marked so many eloquent paragraphs, that I don't know how to select ones that would adequately represent the author's beautiful writing style.

As I thumb through the book I realize that I could quote pages 61-63 in their entirety and I would never tire of reading them. The subject matter is prime numbers -- can you believe it -- and yet the passion that the Professor has for these numbers, the love that the Housekeeper and her son have for the Professor as he discusses the numbers, is so poetic that I really don't realize that I am in the midst of a math class. Like any good teacher, the Professor knows that his passion for the subject must be genuine - which it is:

But the truth was, we were almost never bored when he spoke of mathematics. Though he often returned to the topic of prime numbers - the proof that there were an infinite number of them, or a code that had been devised based on primes, or the most enormous known examples, or twin primes, or the Mersenne primes - the slightest change in the shape of his argument could make you see something you had never understood before. Even a difference in the weather or in his tone of voice seemed to cast these numbers in a different light (page 62)

But a good teacher must also make the subject matter applicable to his students - give them a reason to learn the material. Which, in this case, the Professor relates the subject of prime numbers to the game of baseball, the young boy's favorite sport:

"Let's try finding the prime numbers up to 100," the Professor said one day when Root had finished his homework. He took his pencil and began making a list.......

......"So, what do you see?" He tended to begin with this sort of general question.

"They're scattered all over the place." Root usually answered first. "And 2 is the only one that's even." For some reason, he always noticed the odd man out.

"You're right. Two is the only even prime. It's the leadoff batter for the infinite team of prime numbers after it."

"That must be awfully lonely," said Root.

"Don't worry," said the Professor. "If it gets lonely, it has lots of company with the other even numbers."

"But some of them come in pairs, like 17 and 19, and 41 and 43," I said, not wanting to be shown up by Root.

"A very astute observation," said the Professor. "Those are known as 'twin primes.'" (pages 62 and 63)

Amazing, isn't it? How this author can take such a mundane, seemingly boring dialog, and turn it into a beautiful lesson of sharing and love. This very simple conversation had a profound impact on all their lives. Later, when the housekeeper is working for another client, she discovers that prime numbers are all around her. And every time she sees a number that she believes might be prime, she is reminded of the sweet, kind, intelligent Professor:

I thought of the Professor whenever I saw a prime number - which, as it turned out, was almost everywhere I looked: price tags at the supermarket, house numbers above doors, on bus schedules or the expiration date on a package of ham, Root's score on a test. On the face of it, these numbers faithfully played their official roles, but in secret they were primes and I knew that was what gave them their true meaning.

......One day while I was cleaning in the kitchen in the tax consultant's house, I found a serial number engraved on the back of the refrigerator door: 2311. It looked intriguing, so I took out my notepad, moved aside the detergent and rags, and set to work.....

Once I proved that 2,311 was prime, I put the notepad back in my pocket and went back to my cleaning, though now with a new affection for this refrigerator, which had a prime serial number. It suddenly seemed so noble, divisible by only one and itself." (pages 112-113)

The Housekeeper was profoundly impacted by the Professor's passion and respect for numbers, and I am sure that every reader of this delightful little book will be equally transformed.

Review: The Christmas Dog

The Christmas Dog

by Melody Carlson

Revell - a division of Baker Publishing Group

copyright 2009

rating: 3 out of 5

Shortly after Thanksgiving I saw several reviews of this book around the blogosphere: Julie of Booking Mama, Amy of My Friend Amy, Lesa of Lesa's Book Critiques, and Deborah of Books, Movies and Chinese Food. Not only did I decide to read this read holiday book because I implicitly trust the opinions of these experienced bloggers, but how could I possibly resist that "cute little doggie in the window" on the front cover. I ordered the book from my local library, and surprisingly I was able to read it prior to Christmas day.

If I were to sum this book up in one word it would be - Sweet. I realize that is not a high-level literary term, but this is really a sweet book and no other description will do.

The summary from the back cover reads:

Christmas miracles can come from unlikely sources.

Betty Kowalski isn't looking forward to the holidays. She just can't seem to find Christmas in her heart. Maybe it's because her husband is gone. Maybe it's because she's missing her children. Or maybe it has something to do with her obnoxious new neighbor, who seems to be tearing his house apart and rearranging it on the lawn.

But when a mangy dog appears at her doorstep, the stage is set for Betty to learn what Christmas is really all about.

Betty is definitely experiencing the holiday blues, and even contemplates selling the house she has lived in for decades to move closer to her daughter. While Betty tries to be the polite Christian neighbor and show kindness to those who are most difficult to love, she just doesn't seem to be getting through and is about ready to give up.

The unexpected surprise for Betty is not only the arrival of the mangy mutt - Ralph, but also her granddaughter Avery who has run away from home at the age of 23 and in search of acceptance. The story is the development of relationships in Betty's life: her relationship with Avery; her relationship with Jack, the back door neighbor; Jack's relationship with Avery; and everyone's relationship with Ralph.

Now, I am not only a sucker for any story that centers around our canine relations, but I also have a dog named Ralf whom I know could charm the socks off any Christmas scrooge. I must admit that at times I thought this story was more than a little predictable, but I think that is allowable for a holiday read. And while I tend to steer away from Christian fiction because of its tendency to be sappy and preachy, I did not find this message to be too pedantic for my taste.

There are two passages that I think adequately summarizes the message - and flavor - of this book:

Pastor Gordon leaned over the pulpit and paused, looking across the congregation as if he were about to disclose a great secret. "God's ways are higher than our ways, my friends." He held up a fist and raised his voice. "And God's love can come unexpectedly. It can rock your life and rattle your heart! Just like the world wasn't ready to receive God's love in the form of a child that was hurled from heaven to earth, we're not always ready to receive God's love. And we're not prepared to accept that it comes in a variety of ways. Often when we least expect it, God's love can show up in the form of something or someone we aren't happy to see - something or someone we want to push way or even run from. And, let me tell you, God's love can make us downright uncomfortable at times. Just like that newborn baby wailing in the night made some people in Bethlehem uncomfortable. and yet they needed him - desperately. And we need him. Desperately. Embrace God's love, my friends. Receive it. And then share it." (page 150)

and then.....

"....as Betty followed him, she couldn't help but wonder how a little stray dog like that had wandered into their lives, or how he had attached himself to not just one person in need, but two. Make that three. And she considered how this little dog had brought them all together. Really, in some ways, it seemed nothing short of a miracle." (page 170)

I think if we are receptive to God's ways, he can always provide miracles in the most unexpected places --- but I personally would not be at all surprised to find that miracle living in the body of a friendly canine companion.

I have never read any of Melody Carlson's works before, but I understand that her book, The Christmas Bus, is definitely worth a read. I think I will check that one out next holiday season.

Review: Crossing Washington Square

Crossing Washington Square

by Joanne Rendell

New American Library

copyright 2009

Rating: 3 out of 5

Summary from the back of the book:

Professor Diana Monroe is a highly respected scholar of Sylvia Plath. Serious and aloof, she steadfastly keeps her mind on track. Professor Rachel Grey is young and impulsive, with a penchant for teaching popular women's stories like Bridget Jones's Diary and The Devil Wears Prada, and for wearing her heart on her sleeve.

The two conflicting personalities meet head to heart when Carson McEvoy, a handsome and brilliant professor visiting from Harvard, sets his eyes on both women and creates even more tension between them. Now Diana and Rachel are slated to accompany an undergraduate trip to London, where an almost life-threatening experience with a student celebrity will force them to change their minds and heal their hearts....together.

My review:

I read two glowing reviews of this book within one week's time: S. Krishna gave it 4.5 stars out of 5 and stated that "it is a book not to be missed" (this coming from someone who reads approximately 500 books a year!!) and Bonnie from Redlady's Reading Room said that it "truly exemplifies women's fiction." I immediately put the book on my TBR list.

When I read the summary in the bookstore a few days later, I knew that this would be a book for me. I used to live two blocks from Washington Square and would take my daughter on daily walks through the park. If I could live my life over again - knowing what I know now - I think I would like to pursue the academic lifestyle. The main characters were living the life that I find attractive and their personality differences would make for a interesting story line. I have taken two groups of students to London in the past, and I was anxious to read about the characters' adventures in my most favorite city "across the pond." I immediately placed a hold on the book at my local library and waited patiently for about 6 weeks until it became available. I rushed home and immediately began reading. I wanted to be transported into another time and place, but alas, the book just didn't grab me the way I had hoped.

Now, I do not believe this failure to meet my expectations is the fault of Joanne Rendell's writing ability. Actually, I found her writing quite fluid, her character descriptions (especially internal monologue) fully developed, and her ability to weave a multi-faceted tale engaging. I think the failure lies in my expectations. I think Bonnie was right in saying that this book "exemplifies women's fiction" and I am obviously not the target audience for women's fiction. I think I was looking for more academic discussions of the "classics" vs "pop fiction" and perhaps more conflict within the academic arena; what this book delivers is more personal relationships -- not just between these two female characters, but within each of their personal lives as well. I know that many, many of you enjoy these kinds of novels - and I am sure that this will suit your needs to a T. For me, however, I found that I would skim through these parts, hoping to come across more literary conversations in which I could stop and savor the morsels intellectual discussions.

I managed to highlight quite a few pages, however, that I would definitely like to read and re-read. Most focused on Diane's character, the classic literature professor. She and I are simply two peas in a pod, as evidenced by this passage:

....Diane raised her head from her hands and felt the sadness beginning to subside. She looked around her book-lined office. These books, these thousands of books, all of which she had read, protected her now, and it felt good to be cocooned by them. She twirled a little in her seat and ran her finger over the books on the closest shelf. They felt cool under her touch and, as her fingertips traced their embossed, familiar titles - Ariel, The Bell Jar, The Colossus and Other Poems - she smiled. This was a good way to live, she thought, safe amongst her books. (page 27)

Another passage that summarized Diane's initial thoughts of "romance" literature, I am afraid, echo my uninformed opinion as well. Perhaps some day I will learn to open my mind and appreciate it as Diane does towards the end of the book:

Up until now, romance novels for Diana were merely soft porn for desperate housewives. Moreover, such books were poorly written, littered with adverbs, and recycled trite stories about heroines swooning over devilishly handsome men. Portrayals of women within their pages were problematic, and the books themselves were bad for women readers - at least according to the Diana of old.

But now, as she found herself looking down at the book in front of her, Diana realized she'd been hasty in these assumptions. ....

The more Diana thought about this, the more she realized that Love Everlasting's plucky heroine was the perfect antidote to such tragic women in literature, as well as to those tragic female writers like Sylvia Plath or Virginia Woolf whom Diana always revered so much. No wonder women across the world loved romance novels and bought them by the droves. In these books they read stories about strong women, good women, smart women who weren't relegated to the sidelines of the story or killed off at the novel's end. (page 255)

On another note, I also think that my overall opinion of the novel was somewhat jaded (is that the right word?) by the addition of the celebrity student plot line. The fact that these girls were twins - from Hollywood - attending "Manhattan U" was just too similar to the Olsen Twins attending NYU a few years back. I could not shake the image of Mary Kate and Ashley from my mind each time these characters entered the scene. Again, I would have preferred more intellectual depth of character between the two professors, but I know that is my own personal quirk.

All in all this book was not a bad read, and I know for some of you, this would be a GREAT read. But for someone who is not a fan of romance or apparently "women's fiction", this book was a little too much fluff for my personal taste.

Review: The Christmas Cookie Club

The Christmas Cookie Club

by Ann Pearlman

Atria Publishing

2009

Rating: 3 out of 5

The cover of the book attracted me each and every time I entered the book store (which is quite often, I must say). I restrained myself from purchasing the book until I read several favorable reviews and then I decided to obtain a copy from my local library. I love the premise of the book: each year a group of 12 friends gather together for the annual Christmas Cookie exchange. They bake 13 dozen cookies --- one dozen for each participant plus a dozen to give away to charity --- and they use this girls' night out as a chance to catch up on one another's lives. The frame of a cookie exchange works great to set up the different character stories, and the addition of 12 new cookie recipes is certainly a bonus. Somehow, however, I just didn't enjoy the novel as much as I wanted to. I wanted to LOVE it and make the re-reading of this story as much a part of my holiday tradition as making my own Christmas cookies, but I found that I could not relate to many of the characters on that kind of an intimate level.

Now don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book and it is a good chick lit read if you are looking for something light to get you into the holiday spirit. I think Ann Pearlman has a relaxed writing style that allows the reader to easily pick up the story where she left off without missing a beat. Each of the chapters focuses on a different attendee and the author does a nice job of characterizing them with enough depth and personality. My biggest problem was that I could not relate to the several sexual affairs of the different women. I tend to be a one man - one woman kinda gal, and the somewhat explicit descriptions were a bit too much for my prudish taste.

Putting that aside, however, I must say that I loved the structure of the novel. In fact, I am rather inspired to make my first writing attempt a frame narrative. I think it is a lovely way to develop characters while not having to worry too much about plot intricacies. I also liked the way the author began each chapter with a cookie recipe and ended each chapter with a short essay on common baking ingredients, such as flour, sugar, salt, chocolate, etc. It worked very well and appealed to both my right and left brain needs.

This novel also inspired me to begin a cookie exchange at my school. I have emailed all the teachers telling them of the date (December 16) and making sure that they know this is an optional event. Once I know how many teachers will attend (so far I have a total of 8), I will attempt to organize the participants to ensure that we have a variety of cookies and not 5 different chocolate chip recipes. The teachers will bring one dozen of their recipe for each participant PLUS an extra dozen to be given to the staff at the church where we meet as a special thank you for allowing us to use their building this year. If this goes well, perhaps this will be the start of a new tradition for our faculty and staff.

While I found this book to be only average as a pleasurable reading experience, I would say that it was way above average as an inspirational message to get out of my comfort zone and take that first step ---whether it be the beginning of a new writing endeavor, or chairing a special holiday event at my school.

Review: A Dog Named Christmas

A Dog Named Christmas

by Greg Kincaid

Random House

2008

rating: 4.5/5

As most of you know by now, I am sucker for a good dog story. So when I saw the picture of the black lab on the cover of this book, I knew that I would some day have to read it. My fellow students also know my affinity for dogs, and last week a very kind and anonymous student gave me a copy of the book. What a glorious early Christmas gift. I came home and immediately read this short, yet poignant story from cover to cover.

As an added bonus, the author, Greg Kincaid, was going to be at my local library giving a brief talk and autograph session this past Monday. I managed to rearrange my schedule so that I could attend. What a special evening. I will attempt to give a quick summary of his presentation along with a glowing book review.

First of all, the author graduated from the same high school that my daughter currently attends. I had no idea that he was "local" I knew the story took place on a farm in Kansas, but who knew the farm was so close my "city" --- yes, it cracks me up but the residents here consider Olathe (pronounced O -laa - thuh) the city, with a population of around 125,000. He is a lawyer by day, and a writer at night (and he claims that he has no intention of giving up his day job). The story has evolved over several years, beginning when he married his second wife. They had a blended family and he wanted a story to which all the kids could relate. His own children loved stories about the old family farm, and his wife's children loved dog stories. Greg Kincaid does a lot of legal representation of children with disabilities, so Todd was a logical character choice. This blending of story lines to appeal to the masses worked well not only for Kincaid's immediate family, but for all of us as well.

While the story was enjoyed and appreciated by its first listeners, the original ending of the book allowed the father to be "victorious" that is, at the end of the holiday season the dog was returned to the animal shelter. His own children complained so bitterly at this ending that he revised it for the next year's storytelling session.

At first the story was only about a half hour long, approximately 20 pages. When he decided to try to publish the work, he knew that he had to add some details, so he doubled the length. The story was eventually picked up by Capper's magazine. Kincaid later wrote another story and while shopping it around was told that he had a good writing style, but the story was not marketable. He mentioned that he had a "dog story" and interest peaked in the book publishing world. At this point the dog story was 60 pages long, and Random House said they would be interested if he could (yet again) double the length.The book was first published in 2008 with an initial run of about 15,000 copies. It has currently sold between 100,000 - 125,000 copies.

While the book received favorable reviews, some of the more critical notes made mention that the story read like a long Hallmark Card. Well, as it happens, Hallmark's headquarters is located in Kansas City and the author knew several executives there. Using his marketing savvy, he sent a few copies of his book to these friends, mentioned this pervasive criticism, and asked if it might be a good story for a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. After much discussion and transferring of books across the country, the one in charge of these kinds of decisions finally agreed with the critics: this is exactly the kind of story that Hallmark would want to produce.

Originally the movie was to air in 2010, but the popularity of the book within the company pushed production to the 2009 season. The story aired on Sunday, November 29 and 20,000 copies of the DVD were released the following Tuesday. All those DVDs were sold in two days - forcing an immediate release of 20,000 more. As of last night (December 7) all those DVDs had been sold and another 20,000 have been produced. This is a story that resonants with a large audience -- not just dog lovers!

One of the most inspiring notes of the evening is the success that animal shelters across the country are experiencing as a result of this book. Hallmark has partnered with Petfinder.com to initiate a holiday adopt a pet program across the country. Initially Kincaid had hoped that 300-400 shelters would participate in the program; currently more than 2,000 animal shelters have signed up, with the goal of offering 1.5 million pets a good home for the holiday season.

The author was asked if he has plans for a sequel. To the delight of all in the room, he is currently working on a Prequel - the story of George circa 1962 when he first brings Tucker home - which is due to be released in November, 2010. He also wants to write a sequel that tells Todd's story after he is hired by the shelter. But, as he told us last night, "I have the setting -- I have the characters -- I just need a plot." Somehow I think this talented author will not have a problem developing a viable plot that all will want to read.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is in the mood for a feel good Christmas story that has believable, developed characters who truly care about one another and humanity. Unlike most dog stories, this one has a happy ending where the dog lives in the loving company of his newly adopted family.

If you have not yet purchased your own copy of this heart-warming holiday tale, consider entering my give away for an autographed copy. The contest is open through Tuesday, December 14, 2009.

Review: The Archivist

The Archivist

by Martha Cooley

Little, Brown and Company

Copyright 1998

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

I honestly do not remember when I first heard of this title, or if perhaps it was an Amazon suggestion that coordinated with another book (it is currently being bundled with The Elegance of the Hedgehog, which I read last year and greatly admired). At any rate, I was inspired to obtain a copy from the library and read it over the read-athon weekend.

It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel. The multiple layers of stories, the interwoven themes and the literary allusions make for a rather complex storyline. Mathias Lane is a 65 year old widower who is "the archivist" at an unnamed university where he is in charge of, among other things, the T.S. Eliot collection of letters written to Emily Hale. In the first portion of the book Mathias slowly details his early life and what led him to this position. His mother was a religious fanatic who tried to impose her fervent beliefs on her son (he was in fact named Mathias after the apostle who took the place of Judas Iscariot). She had few friends, was discouraged to make friends by his father, and eventually became an overweight, sickly recluse. His father was an unhappy man who worked all day, visited the local bar each night, and came home in a rather foul mood. Given these circumstances it is not surprising that Mathias was a loner and found books to be his soul comfort and escape from this dysfunctional family.

While going to school for library science, Mathias met a woman named Judith. Not only did they share a literary passion (she wrote poetry) but they soon learned that they had a similar upbringing: Mathias was essentially left to fend for himself by his biological parents; Judith was orphaned at the age of one and ultimately raised by her carefree uncle and his wife. For the first time in his life Mathias felt as though someone in real life (rather than books) understood his plight, and the two of them eventually married.

Their marital bliss was short-lived however, when Judith became more and more disheartened with the war in Europe and the news of the concentration camps and treatment of Jews. While not raised in a particularly religious family, Judith was Jewish and she identified with those being persecuted overseas. Over time Judith's outrage over these horrific attacks began to cause her mental anguish. She tried to use her poetry to release this frustration, but it was almost as though it was an addiction: the more she read, the more she had to write, which led her to want to read more. She had trouble sleeping, taking care of herself and relating to others. Eventually Mathias felt the need to have her institutionalized, "only until she got better."

The middle portion of the book is the journal that Judith kept while institutionalized for 5 years. The reader slowly witnesses her decent into a mental breakdown. It is in this portion of the book that we learn Judith's detailed past. Her parents had not died in a car crash, as she had been led to believe all these decades, but rather they had been killed in Russia. Once she learns the truth it is as though it pushes her even further over the edge of insanity. It is hard to imagine how one might react if after decades of being told one story of your life - you find that it is a fabricated lie. Would we be willing to accept the new truth without any repercussions?

While this relationship is the main focus of the book, there is a secondary storyline that takes place in the present day. While presiding over his archival duties, a young graduate student comes to Mathias in the hopes of reading some of the TS Eliot letters. Roberta Spires has an interesting past of her own, which somewhat mirrors that of Judith. Roberta was raised Christian and does not discover until her late teens that she is in fact Jewish. Her parents managed to escape Germany during the war and when they arrived in America they chose to convert to Christianity. Roberta is incensed that she has been kept in the dark about her real ancestry and she hopes to discover answers to her questions of conversion through the Eliot letters.

In the end Mathias hopes to right a wrong that he feels he committed with Judith by helping Roberta discover some answers. In compromising his professional duties does he in fact atone for his personal transgression? I am not sure, and I think this ending leaves me somewhat baffled.

Overall, I liked the book. It held my interest. I could totally relate to Mathias and I thoroughly enjoyed the episodes where he is in the library discussing literary tales and his love of books (in fact, I wish there were even more of these scenes in the novel). I was intrigued by the many layers of the stories and the various character developments. I could understand the sense of betrayal and the need to discover meaning in life when everything you have known has been turned upside down. I am inspired to read TS Eliot's Wasteland and Four Quartets so that I can read in context what was often quoted in this book.

And yet......I am somehow left feeling "so what" --- especially with relationship to Roberta's character. Perhaps it is my lack of literary knowledge (particularly with regards to Eliot) that prevents me from relating to her intense need to read his letters to Emily Hale in order to give her insight into her own life. I also surmise that there are many parallels that can be made between TS Eliot's life and those of these fictional characters, but those connections are unfortunately lost on me. This leads me to feel intellectually inadequate, which I am sure also contributes to my ambivalent feelings towards the book.

I admire the author's writing style and ambitious attempt at weaving together so many story lines, character relationships, and important themes. The fact that I was captivated by the story from the beginning to the end - despite my lack of detailed understanding - is a testament to the author's skill and talent.

Review: Gourmet Rhapsody

Gourmet Rhapsody

by Muriel Barbery

translated by Alison Anderson

Europa Editions

copyright 2009

I absolutely adored The Elegance of the Hedgehog, which is one of the first books that I reviewed for this blog. You can imagine my excitement, therefore, when I heard that the author had just released a new book. The fact that my local library had a copy available for this weekend meant that I was destined to read this book for the 24 hour read-athon.

I did not enjoy this book as well as her debut novel, I think primarily because I really do not care for the main character - a pompous food critic who is on his deathbed spending the last hours of his life trying to discover the one food he wishes to taste before he dies - rather than spending quality time with loved ones that he will leave behind. I did, however, thoroughly enjoy the book and absolutely savored her detailed descriptions of taste sensations.

I managed to read the book in one 2.5 hour sitting (it is only about 150 pages) and while I did not care for the characters, I did enjoy the author's writing style. The book is told in several short chapters, from a variety of view points. Every other chapter focuses on our food critic and his quest through the recesses of his memory to find the ultimate taste sensation with which to end his life on earth. The other chapters detail a different point of view of those who will be left behind: his children, his wife, the doctor and others (even the family cat is given a chapter). I found that I would often skim through these chapters - not because they were not well-written, but because they were truly depressing. This man alienated himself from all who should have been important in his life. His own children did not care for him, and his grandchildren do not have fond memories. While our food critic had a refined palate and a talent for writing beautiful culinary prose, he hurt those who loved him the most.

However, if you enjoy gourmet food - and all things associated with epicurean delights - then the chapters that focus on these refined aspects of life are worth the read. Let me share two such examples. The first deals with pastry:

No one was the least bit hungry anymore, but that is precisely what is so good about the moment devoted to pastries: they can only be appreciated to the full extent of their subtlety when they are not eaten to assuage our hunger, when the orgy of their sugary sweetness is not destined to fill some primary need but to coat our palate with all the benevolence of the world. (page 35)

Or there is the delectable description of the tomato:

The raw tomato, devoured in the garden when freshly picked, is a horn of abundance of simple sensations, a radiating rush in one's mouth that brings with it every pleasure. The resistance of the skin -- slightly taut, just enough; the luscious yield of the tissues their seed-filled liqueur oozing to the corners of one's lips and that one wipes away without any fear of staining one's fingers; this plump little globe unleashing a flood of nature inside us: a tomato, an adventure. (page 63)

I am not sure that this story is for everyone, but I do know that it was for me. I truly love Muriel Barbery's detailed writing style - and her diction is impeccable. I would rate this 3.5 out of 5 stars and I am looking forward to her third book, on which she is currently working.

Review: The Anthologist

The Anthologist

by Nicholson Baker

Simon and Schuster

Copyright 2009

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I was first tempted to pick up this book when I read the recent edition of Bookmarks Magazine last week. Their summary read:

literary non-fiction -- this is GREAT

no appreciation for poetry (like art) - but want to

Great lessons --- inspired me to want to read more

Admission

Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Grand Central Publishing
copyright 2009 (449 pages)
rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis from Goodreads.com:
"Admissions. Admission. Aren't there two sides to the word? And two opposing sides...It's what we let in, but it's also what we let out."

For years, 38-year-old Portia Nathan has avoided the past, hiding behind her busy (and sometimes punishing) career as a Princeton University admissions officer and her dependable domestic life. Her reluctance to confront the truth is suddenly overwhelmed by the resurfacing of a life-altering decision, and Portia is faced with an extraordinary test. Just as thousands of the nation's brightest students await her decision regarding their academic admission, so too must Portia decide whether to make her own ultimate admission.

Admission is at once a fascinating look at the complex college admissions process and an emotional examination of what happens when the secrets of the past return and shake a woman's life to its core.

My Review:
Well, first of all, I think I have misrepresented myself in this blog and I need to set the record straight. This week I participated for the first time in the weekly meme, Where are you. I have always enjoyed reading these teasers in the past and I thought I might like to play along. From what I remember (and granted, my memory is not as great as it once was) most bloggers write the meme in the first person, that is, the blogger is telling where the story takes place from the protagonist's point of view. SO.....I decided to do the same. Unfortunately, I had several readers comment as though they thought I am actually a admissions counselor for Princeton University. OH NO NO NO.....and Princeton University would not be thrilled to hear that, I am sure. I am just a lowly English teacher at a small, private school in the Midwest.

However, I absolutely loved reading this book because the protagonist is an admission's counselor for such a prestigious school. I do teach English and I begin each academic year with the writing of the college essay in my British Literature class. I cull essays off the Internet and we analyze why the essay is deemed the "creme de la creme". I try to inform students that those who read the essays will be reading hundreds if not thousands of essays in one semester and in order to grab their attention, they must write something that stands out in the crowd. I was truly moved by the protagonist in this story, Portia Nathan, as she takes her job very, very seriously. She knows that Princeton will only admit 1 out of 8 applicants, and she knows that nearly every applicant is worthy of admittance. She fears that these students will allow an acceptance or rejection letter to determine their self-worth.

There are really several other story lines in this novel that do, sometimes too conveniently, all come together in the end. There is the pregnant teen from the Midwest who comes to stay with Portia's 68 year old mother in New Hampshire so that she can attend school and have her baby without her Mormon family knowing of this indiscretion. There is the strained relationship between Portia and her mother, and we all know the conflict that can arise between tense mother/daughter relationships. And while the story begins with Portia and her significant other, the chairman of Princeton's English department, living together for what has been over 16 years, the relationship soon ends when his mistress becomes pregnant. There is another significant conflict in the story, but I do not want to give away too much. Needless to say, it involves the double meaning of the title, Admission: Portia not only grants admission to students into Princeton University, but she also must admit something from her own past.

While the author does an adequate job at developing the main characters and various story lines, I must confess that some of the plot seemed a bit too contrived for me. However, a large part of the book focuses on the admission process and this more than made up for any deficit in other areas. I was totally enthralled with the Boarding school descriptions, the students' anxiety, the parents' audacity, the counselors' politics, and Portia's empathy for them all. There are even a few choice passages from the book that I plan to use in the classroom to help illustrate the importance of the well-written college essay in the admission process. If a behind-the-scenes look at the Ivy Leagues is of any interest to you, then you will thoroughly enjoy this novel.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Harper Collins Publishers
2008 (321 pages)
My rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals.

On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny's wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoë, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoë at his side.

My Review:
I am writing this review about thirty minutes after I finished reading the book and I still have tears in my eyes. While I am a sucker for any narrative with a dog as the protagonist, I truly did not expect to have such an emotional reaction to a book that uses the racing car circuit as an analogy for life. I am ashamed to admit that I have been one of those people who laughed when people talked of the Indy 500 being a "sport". I have even made fun of people who attend the NASCAR races when they come to the Kansas City, Kansas track, but I must confess that this book has instilled in me a greater appreciation for the talent, skill and dedication that it takes to be a champion race car driver. To all the car racing enthusiasts out there, I owe you an apology.

This story is so much more than a "dog" story; it is so much more than an auto racing metaphor. This is a story of life itself: all the love, devotion, illness, unfairness, pettiness, and justice that humanity has to offer. The narrative is told from Enzo's point of view on the eve of his death. Yes, the reader is told in the first chapter that our canine protagonist is going to die. We know how the story will end and yet we are compelled to read further. Garth Stein has totally captured the voice and personality of this lovable pet. Enzo is an intelligent dog, intuitive and accepting of nearly everything except perhaps the fact that he is without opposable thumbs. However Enzo if very optimistic and he is certain that he will come back in another life as a human; he looks forward to the opportunity to grasp and carry things, as well as to speak rather than communicate only through gestures.

While the book is a quick read with simple language, the themes are richly detailed and the characters well-developed. While this story is told through Enzo's eyes, he is a reliable narrator as far as being a devoted, loyal follower of his master. Denny Swift is portrayed well as a dreamer who never loses sight of his career goals, while at the same time remaining true to his wife and daughter. The reader not only falls in love with Enzo, but we also admire and respect Denny's strong character. The "evil twins", that is, Denny's in-laws, are also very well defined, as I found myself truly loathing these characters fairly early on in the book. Even a few of the minor characters are brought to life through Stein's writing.

The plot was appropriately paced and the interspersing of car-racing wisdom was not only uniquely creative, but also added a depth to the storyline that enriched the understanding and entertainment of the book. As I said before, I have never been a car racing enthusiast, and I am not sure that I will become one even after reading this novel, but I fully understand the complexities of the sport after being introduced to such one-liners as:
Your car goes where your eyes go.
No race has ever been won in the first corner; many have been lost there.
There is no dishonor in losing the race; there is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose.

In short I would say that this is a must-read book if you are a dog lover; if you enjoy tales of romance; if you enjoy tales of the American dream; and if you believe that right should always win in the end. Even though I still have tears in my eyes, there is also a pleasant smile on face. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go downstairs and love on my labs.

Twenty Wishes

I had hoped to blog about the books received and authors visited at BEA today, but since my box of books is scheduled to arrive this afternoon (and yes, I am waiting not-so-patiently for its appearance on my front porch even as I write), I thought I would write a review of the book I read to and from the expo.

I am NOT a romance person - not in real life and not in the books that I choose to read. That would explain why I had never read any of Debbie Macomber's books before. However, as I was breezing through Sam's Club the other day (and I simply HAVE to glance at the book section every time I go), the cover of the book caught my eye (yes - I am one of those who often purchases a book on cover art alone). The sweet dog obediently sitting in the overstuffed chair surround by books was more than enough to entice me to pick up the book. The book's description on the backcover was equally engaging:

Anne Marie Roche wants to find happiness again. At 38 her life s not what she d expected--she s childless, a recent widow, alone. She owns a successful bookstore on Seattle s Blossom Street, but despite her accomplishments, there s a feeling of emptiness.

On Valentine s Day, Anne Marie and several other widows get together to celebrate...what? Hope, possibility, the future. They each begin a list of twenty wishes, things they always wanted to do but never did.

Anne Marie s list starts with: Find one good thing about life. It includes learning to knit, doing good for someone else, falling in love again. She begins to act on her wishes and when she volunteers at a local school, an eight-year-old girl named Ellen enters her life. It s a relationship that becomes far more involving than Anne Marie intended. It also becomes far more important than she ever imagined.

As Ellen helps Anne Marie complete her list of twenty wishes, they both learn that wishes can come true--but not necessarily in the way you expect.

Main character is owner of a successful bookstore? Character driven novel? Philosophical without being too deep? I was sold.

While the book was a tad too easy-going and tidy for me (I like a novel that is a bit more edgy), this was certainly a pleasant way to spend the day traveling to NYC with a two hour layover in Philadelphia. The book was a quick read that did not need my undivided attention to follow the plot and understand the character relationships. As far as reading pleasure, I would rate the book a 3 out of 5 -- not because it is not a well-written book for its genre, but because it is really not my preferred reading material.

HOWEVER.....the basic premise of this book -- make a list of 20 wishes (things, activities, events that you truly want to accomplish in life) and see what happens -- has intrigued me all week. While the initial group of women are all widows of varying ages, the book quickly illustrates how this concept can extend beyond any age barriers. Elementary school children make wish lists; octogenarians make wish lists. Some even accompany the list with elaborate scrapbook pages to document the journey. Some wishes are as simple as "learn to knit" while others are more complex, like "visit Paris with someone I love"

While the characters in the book seem to be well on their way to accomplishing/receiving all 20 wishes in just a few short months (and this may not be true in our real-life circumstances), I do believe the key to this concept is to discover the desires of the heart (this is not necessarily easy or quick to do) - write them down - share them with a trusted friend - and have faith. I do believe that if these wishes are true desires of the heart - and there is a willingness to "do whatever it takes" to achieve them (this often requires the willingness to step outside that comfort zone), then with faith, hard-work and perseverance, many of them will ultimately become realities.

I have decided to challenge myself to begin making a list of 20 wishes. I may not get to 20 and I may not accomplish them all. I may choose to re-evaluate the list after a while and create a new list. BUT...I want to discover what I want my future to look like and begin taking those necessary baby steps toward that end. After all, if I don't know where I want to end up, how will I know if I am on the right path?

How about you? Have you ever made a list similar to the twenty wishes described in this book? Is this something that you think you might like to try?