Drew Gilpin Faust, This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War. A fascinating, well-researched glimpse into the attitudes toward and beliefs about death in that era and how the war changed them ... and how they changed war.
Kathryn Kenny, Trixie Belden and the Mystery of the Vanishing Victim. In this case, Trixie actually stumbles on a mystery, as opposed to thrusting herself into it, as she often does. This is #33, and I think the series goes to #39, although the highest numbers are the hardest to find.
Elmer Kelton, The Time It Never Rained. A gripping story about a small Texas town in the middle of an extended drought, and about the difficulty of sticking to your principles and making it on your own. Emotional and thought-provoking and well worth reading.
Merrilee Steiner, Pirate Moon (Swept Away #7). This is the only book in this series - about an '80s teen who discovers a way to travel back in time, and the adventures she and her friends share - that I'd never read before, and I admit, it wasn't quite as good as many of the others. The girl's problems were fairly minor, weren't really resolved by her time travel, and she didn't form anywhere near the ties with the people of the past that the other girls in the series have done. Still, it was an entertaining read, and it's good to have the whole set at last (20-something years later!).
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
5 things ...
5 things I enjoy about having more than one kid!
We're spending an interesting weekend with two kids off in Florida with the grandparents and one home alone with us. He's getting way into it, and I confess I'm enjoying it a lot, spending all sorts of quiet quality time with our oldest child. (Not to mention the peace and quiet!) But before getting too carried away, there are a few things I do miss...
1. I miss the way the kids interact with one another. Their little conversations are always interesting, and I know if this solo-kid thing went on too much longer Greyson and I would be bored interacting with only each other so much.
2. I appreciate the differences in decision-making. Many rules are more strict because we have more than one child (things like diet and bedtime), and I think those stricter rules are better in the everyday.
3. I'm happy with the freedom provided by lack of activities. We keep the activities down because I simply can't get three kids to multiple activities and still maintain a good family dynamic. If we really did only have one, I know the pressure and the sheer ability to get to multiple places would have me committing him to a lot more activities than he would really need or enjoy.
4. More snuggles! With only the one kid in the house, I have to keep the snuggles down to a minimum to avoid burning him out on them. With three, there's always someone I haven't hugged recently.
5. Color. I can't really describe it, but along with the peace and quiet, this having only one kid around thing seems very pastel. With the other two, it's more colorful, making the transition to quiet moments of downtime bigger.
While I'm very glad we did this, and did it this way, with the big kid at home, I look forward to having my younger two home safe and sound as well ... even if it means things are a lot louder around here!
We're spending an interesting weekend with two kids off in Florida with the grandparents and one home alone with us. He's getting way into it, and I confess I'm enjoying it a lot, spending all sorts of quiet quality time with our oldest child. (Not to mention the peace and quiet!) But before getting too carried away, there are a few things I do miss...
1. I miss the way the kids interact with one another. Their little conversations are always interesting, and I know if this solo-kid thing went on too much longer Greyson and I would be bored interacting with only each other so much.
2. I appreciate the differences in decision-making. Many rules are more strict because we have more than one child (things like diet and bedtime), and I think those stricter rules are better in the everyday.
3. I'm happy with the freedom provided by lack of activities. We keep the activities down because I simply can't get three kids to multiple activities and still maintain a good family dynamic. If we really did only have one, I know the pressure and the sheer ability to get to multiple places would have me committing him to a lot more activities than he would really need or enjoy.
4. More snuggles! With only the one kid in the house, I have to keep the snuggles down to a minimum to avoid burning him out on them. With three, there's always someone I haven't hugged recently.
5. Color. I can't really describe it, but along with the peace and quiet, this having only one kid around thing seems very pastel. With the other two, it's more colorful, making the transition to quiet moments of downtime bigger.
While I'm very glad we did this, and did it this way, with the big kid at home, I look forward to having my younger two home safe and sound as well ... even if it means things are a lot louder around here!
Monday, January 09, 2012
5 things that make me happy today
Trying to make this a regular thing - a 5 things list every Monday. Always a good time to remember what makes me happy!
1. iPod! I love having my own particular eclectic mix of music providing the background to my day.
2. watching M*A*S*H with the kids. All three of them are enjoying the show, and it brings up a lot of interesting topics of conversation.
3. 11 review average! It's thrilling to know so many people are reading and enjoying something I've written - and just as thrilling that I'm also pleased with what I'm accomplishing with it.
4. Coffee. Seriously, is it Monday without coffee?
5. a handy husband. Thanks for fixing the dishwasher, honey!
1. iPod! I love having my own particular eclectic mix of music providing the background to my day.
2. watching M*A*S*H with the kids. All three of them are enjoying the show, and it brings up a lot of interesting topics of conversation.
3. 11 review average! It's thrilling to know so many people are reading and enjoying something I've written - and just as thrilling that I'm also pleased with what I'm accomplishing with it.
4. Coffee. Seriously, is it Monday without coffee?
5. a handy husband. Thanks for fixing the dishwasher, honey!
Thursday, January 05, 2012
book reviews
In theory, I hope to add more to the blog than book reviews this year, but I wouldn't expect that to happen anytime soon. I still have a few too many writing projects on my list to have the time to come up with blog posts that would interest me, much less anyone else!
Meanwhile, there are always books. After the big New Year's Day sort this year, I am down to 99 books on the to-be-read stack for the first time ... maybe ever. Very excited about this development!
Fred Frankel, Good Friends Are Hard to Find. This was recommended by the counselor at the kids' school for parents whose kids struggle socially. I found the book had some good ideas, but the overall tone was a bit condescending. In addition, it was written in 1996 and the age shows. Worth reading the once, but I'm not going to be referring back to it.
Simon Green, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Truthfully, the novelization is as enjoyable as the movie. Neither one is high art, but they're both entertaining and fast-paced. The novel is detailed and well-characterized and really fleshes the movie out nicely. This was a favorite read in the '80s and I had lost the book somewhere along the way - but my excellent husband found it for me again, and it will be staying!
Oscar Wilde, The Poems of ... Wilde's an interesting poet and the literary criticism of other poets bundled into the volume wasn't a bad read. He certainly took it all very seriously, and it was nice to see that side of him.
Alex Butterworth and Ray Laurence, Pompeii: The Living City. Tracing the last several decades of Pompeii's existence, this book is a richly detailed and complex look at the overall Roman world Pompeii lived in and the city's unique place in it.
Meanwhile, there are always books. After the big New Year's Day sort this year, I am down to 99 books on the to-be-read stack for the first time ... maybe ever. Very excited about this development!
Fred Frankel, Good Friends Are Hard to Find. This was recommended by the counselor at the kids' school for parents whose kids struggle socially. I found the book had some good ideas, but the overall tone was a bit condescending. In addition, it was written in 1996 and the age shows. Worth reading the once, but I'm not going to be referring back to it.
Simon Green, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Truthfully, the novelization is as enjoyable as the movie. Neither one is high art, but they're both entertaining and fast-paced. The novel is detailed and well-characterized and really fleshes the movie out nicely. This was a favorite read in the '80s and I had lost the book somewhere along the way - but my excellent husband found it for me again, and it will be staying!
Oscar Wilde, The Poems of ... Wilde's an interesting poet and the literary criticism of other poets bundled into the volume wasn't a bad read. He certainly took it all very seriously, and it was nice to see that side of him.
Alex Butterworth and Ray Laurence, Pompeii: The Living City. Tracing the last several decades of Pompeii's existence, this book is a richly detailed and complex look at the overall Roman world Pompeii lived in and the city's unique place in it.
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