Rejection letters are never fun . . . unless they are written to someone else! This rejection collection includes letters by and to famous and not-so-famous people, ranging from the amusing to the disturbing. While many names have been redacted to protect the innocent, the Postscript section at the end of the book sheds light on some of the recipients, including background on the letters and how the people moved on after the rejection.
This is the eighth book in the Meg Langslow series, all of which have birds in the titles and in the stories. It all started with Peacocks. The books do not have to be read in order. Some have more laughs than others. This one is laugh out loud funny. You get exposed to Meg’s ever-growing extended family. A body is found in her home while she and her fiancé are planning their wedding. To add to the mix, a zoo-load of animals is being dumped off at their home. Just sit back and enjoy.
Just when I thought I had heard of most of the twists and turns related to the Holocaust, another facet is discovered. This novel, based on a true situation, tells the story of four young women who go to Israel after World War II. They were placed by the British in Atlit, an internment camp for “illegal” immigrants. We learn about life at the camp, the different paths which brought the women to Atlit, and their life afterwards. It is a richly told story by the author of The Red Tent.
Chris Crutcher often writes about dysfunction, and he does so well with it because he writes what he knows. He didn’t have a terrible childhood per se, but he had major anger-management issues, an alcoholic mother, and a hard-working father who tried to keep up appearances no matter what — not to mention a trickster of an older brother who got Chris into a whole lot more trouble than he would have managed on his own. As an adult, Crutcher worked as a child and family therapist, and he did his best to help other people work past their anger to fix the messes they’d made of their lives. I liked hearing how the young Chris was already fond of speaking his mind and speaking out against injustice, and I really appreciated learning about some of the real-life people he had worked with who affected him so much that he incorporated their stories in his novels.
This autobiography was often hilarious, but sometimes brought me to tears. Between the candid writing style and the fact that Crutcher narrated the audiobook himself, I sometimes felt like he was sitting in the passenger seat and telling me his stories in person. The only thing I didn’t like was that it was over so quickly! Still, I can appreciate the fact that this book will be an easier sell to reluctant readers for this very reason. If you’ve read any of Crutcher’s books, you’ll surely recognize the people who’ve inspired him. And if you haven’t yet read his books, this autobiography will surely entice you!
Zoe Beth Buckman has got more than her fair share of troubles. Ever since her dad died, her mom has been a wreck. Her parents were always drinkers, but now it is clear to Zoe that her mom is an alcoholic who is going to drink herself to death if she doesn’t change her ways. Zoe’s grandmother insists that she needs to stay and take care of her ailing mother, but Zoe is sick and tired of it all — sick of the secrets and tired of being more of a mom than a daughter. After things at school start to be affected by her home life, Zoe decides that she needs to get out on her own. She finds a room for rent on Lorelei Street, but she isn’t quite sure how she will be able to make ends meet. All she knows is that she needs to get out before she is sucked any further into the vortex of her mother’s misery, and she is willing to do almost anything to make it work.
It is 1933, and the post of U.S. Ambassador to Germany remains empty as the President battles with the Great Depression. Quiet, scholarly Chicago history professor William E. Dodd’s name is suggested as a candidate to the President, and he and his family find themselves in Berlin as Adolf Hitler is gaining popularity. Dodd’s determination to maintain communication between his embassy and the Nazis is challenged daily by the Anti-Semitism of German leaders and pressures from American Jewish groups. While he walks a diplomatic tightrope, his beautiful and effervescent daughter engages in a lively social life, becoming close to Nazis and Socialists alike, complicating the picture. This is an incredible and readable account of the years before the outbreak of World War II in Europe.
In Victorian times, plants and flowers held symbolic meaning: you might give your love interest a bouquet of tulips (declaration of love), your enemy one of tansy (I declare war against you). In Diffenbaugh’s novel, eighteen-year-old Victoria, alone and homeless, has just aged out of the foster care system. Victoria’s knowledge of the sentiments conveyed by flowers proves to be her salvation and leads to employment with a florist. Gruff, defensive Victoria cautiously begins to bloom in her new life, until a life-altering event derails her delicate progress. In alternating chapters, Diffenbaugh weaves Victoria’s past and present until the two meet in a tender conclusion.
Chloe Parker is thirty-nine, divorced, owner of a failing letterpress business, and a total Jane Austen fan. Desperate for cash to save her business and insure a good future for her daughter, Abigail, she applies and is accepted for a position on what she thinks is a total immersion documentary about Jane Austen’s England. Imagine her suprise when she discovers that it is actually a period reality show, an 1812 version of The Bachelor. This is outrageous! This is ridiculous! This is still $100,ooo on the line. And so, Chloe decides to give it her best shot to win the heart of Mr. Sebastian Wrightman, a total hunk. She’ll just ignore the tender feelings she begins to have for his cousin, Henry, who is also on the show in a secondary position. In the process, she has to cope with nineteenth century hygiene or lack thereof, unpalatable food, and all the strict rules of society at that time. Light and amusing, as well as informative about Victorian England. Enjoy.
Willa has it pretty good. Her mom got remarried, but her step-dad [Jack] is a genuinely nice guy who loves her as if she is his own daughter. She even gets along really well with her step-sisters and their mom. Unfortunately, Willa’s happy little life is about to fall apart. When her mom’s best friend calls from Texas, freaking out about a guy named Budge, a missing twin, and an Amber Alert, Willa starts to realize that there is a lot she doesn’t know about the life she left behind. As it turns out, Budge is her birth father’s nickname. The twin is one of Budge’s daughters from his second marriage. And the Amber Alert was put in place because Budge’s wife and two other daughters were found murdered… Stabbed to death. If that wasn’t freaky enough, Budge and his daughter were potentially sighted at a gas station along a highway that leads to the town where Willa and her mom now live. How do you even begin to process that information?!?
In a world where the Human Sterility Virus (HSV) causes nearly everyone to become sterile after the age of 18, teenage pregnancy becomes both necessary AND trendy. It’s pretty disturbing to think of a world in which teenage girls are basically pimped out as incubators, but McCafferty manages to keep the tone light and funny overall. I especially enjoyed the “FunBumps” (complete with moving “babies” inside) and the t-shirts for tweens that proclaimed they were “Born to Breed.” Some people have accused this book of glorifying teenage pregnancy, but I think they got it completely wrong. If anything, this book derides our culture’s current obsession with teen pregnancy. Shows like 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom, while reportedly intending to show the harsh reality of teen pregnancy, have actually resulted in the glamorization of teen pregnancy. Need proof? How about news stories about pregnancy pacts, girls trying to get pregnant to get on the show, and the surge in popularity of the names “Maci” and “Bentley” (the names of a featured teen mom and her son).
Beyond the insanity of HSV and teen pregnancy for hire, there is another level of complexity with twin sisters (Melody and Harmony) who were separated at birth and reunited as teens. Harmony was raised in Goodside, a highly religious, gated community in Pennsylvania, where she was raised with the singular goal of being a good wife and mother. Melody grew up in a “normal” community in New Jersey, where she was given every advantage toward the end of attending the best college and bringing in a large amount of money as a surrogate. I cannot even begin to describe how awkward it is when Harmony comes to town to try and “save” Melody from her life of sin, but I can assure you that the questions raised by this book will stick with you long after you put it down.
Geraldine Brooks is known for her compelling historical novels, and Caleb’s Crossing does not disappoint. The story of Caleb, the first Native American Indian Harvard graduate, is narrated by young Bethia Mayfield, daughter of the local minister who begin’s Caleb’s education. Bethia, constrained by the puritanical times of the 1600s, forms a forbidden friendship with young Caleb, learning about the life of his tribe and their surroundings on beautiful Martha’s Vineyard. Their friendship takes her to Cambridge, where she is indentured as a housekeeper and where she can observe the changes in her friend. This is a beautiful and absorbing story!
A lighthearted mystery based upon the real theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in 1911. You’ll find yourself rooting for ringleader Marquis Eduardo de Valfierno and his likable band of forgers and thieves as they plot their greatest, most daring caper ever.
As World War II waned, Americans and Japanese battled for the Philippines, with villages and families caught in the crossfire. In this compelling novel, the author tells of the Karangalan family, who huddle in their basement with their neighbors, emerging only when hunger and thirst force them into a world where the smallest misstep leads to capture by Japanese patrols who torture captives for information. As the interminable hours pass, they share with each other the tales and myths of their country, granting them solace and courage. Told through the voices of 13-year-old Alejandro, his spirited older sister Isabelle, and Domingo, a war-weary guerilla leader, the novel is a beautifully crafted story of strength and endurance in the face of unspeakable horror.
Many parents claim that boys are easier to raise because society is not nearly as judgemental about boys as it is about girls. Based on my experience of having a son before a daughter, I definitely agree. As soon as my husband and I found out we were having a daughter, people started plying us with pink clothing, miniature tea sets, and babydolls. It was as if none of my son’s clothes or toys could possibly suffice because they weren’t girlie enough. When describing my baby boy, people often used the words “smart” and “strong.” When describing my daughter, the words “pretty” and “beautiful” were most common. And, according to Peggy Orenstein, the focus on physical attractiveness is likely to stick around for the duration of her childhood and adolescence. From the Disney Princesses to toddlers in beauty pageants, and from toy stores to schools, Orenstein’s research revealed many problems related to the girlie girl culture — some of which were even a shock to her. Although there are no hard and fast solutions to the many problems this book addresses, I still consider it a MUST READ for anyone who plans to raise and/or work with girls!
After being dumped by her fiance, Madelyn Phillips goes to Scotland, a place she has always dreamed of visiting. There she meets and falls in love with Patrick MacLeod . . . who just happens to have come through a time gate from medieval Scotland to the present. Just as their relationship is deepening, unfinished business for both of them threatens to tear them apart. This is one of a number of books by Lynn Kurland dealing with two time-traveling families, the Macleods and the De Piagets. Lovely romances. Kurland also writes a fantasy series.
