EBN A Book You've Been Meaning to Read: Christy by Catherine Marshall

A book you've been meaning to read. This was a hard selection. Not because I couldn't think of any books I wanted to read, rather I had too many. I am one of those people that never seems to make a dent in my "to read" pile no matter how much I actually read. There just always seems to be a ton of books I think I might like. There also seems to be a ton of books that other people seem to think I might like. So the pile will only continue to grow until the visual image of my "have read" list will look something like that library in Disney's The Beauty and the Beast; or at least that's the goal. Don't shame me for not getting there yet. I'm only thirty and I have 4 small kids.

This week's book has been on my "to read" list for a very long time. It is one of my mother's all time favorite books, and she has been telling me I would love it since I was in high school. She's usually right. I found this book at a thrift store for .75 cents while attending my one of my first semesters at college. I started reading it but then became a little overwhelmed by all the required reading I had to do that semester and just didn't have time. Fast forward a decade or so and here I am; digging through my boxes of books (my husband seems to think finishing basement bedrooms and bathrooms take priority over built in shelving for all my books) looking for something I haven't read but want to. Let me say, my mother was right...again.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were approachable and very relate-able. The steady and beautiful change that comes over the main character was powerful but slow and oh so realistic. In the words of Anne of Green Gables, she and I were "kindred spirits".

Every now and then I come across one of these books where the main theme or message is so in line with my own personal philosophy that I wonder if the author happens to be Mormon too. It almost never is the case and this was no exception. But just because I'm a Mormon and the author comes from a more traditional Christian background doesn't mean that we don't share a faith. The message she shared in this book about God's love for his children and the absolute necessity for all of us to embody and share that love is what I would classify as a true and everlasting principle. Regardless of which dogma you adhere to, unconditional, unfailing love can be the most powerful and unifying force in this world if we will just let it guide our view of those around us. Our feelings for others change, and often they change too as we interact with them. The shift in the character of Bird's-Eye is not just the crazy fantasy of a fictitious book; it can be real. Our love affects others far more than we recognize.

I genuinely loved this book. If I were rating it I would give it a 9 out of 10 (very high praise for me).

EBN A Book Chosen Because of its Title: Moo by Sharon Creech

Well here we go, another week, another book. I probably shouldn't feel as proud as I do about making it a second week on this particular challenge (I still have 48 to go) but I do. I'm actually very proud of myself. I have made it two weeks into my New Year's resolutions and am still going strong. If I make it to February, I'll be surprised. Wish me luck.

The book for this entry is Moo by Sharon Creech. I was intending to use this for the YA category but I decided to save that for a different novel. Who knows, I might get lucky and see John Green publish his next book before the end of this challenge (if only). A "book chosen because of its title" fits this one so well, I felt it must be so. I, of course, found it in the children's library while I was waiting the eternity it takes for my son to choose a new Magic Tee House book to check out. I had read a couple of Creech's books before and enjoyed them, though I haven't read any since taking YA lit in college. Mostly I just really liked the title. I have heard a large variety of "moo"s in my life and each one communicated something different. I was curious what this one was saying.

First off, let me say, I love rural country, realistic fiction stories. They almost always have a great sense of down to earth humor that I love. They also often have some ignorant city type who gets thrown into all that humor. I always seem to feel like that's me. I have never lived on a farm or kept any livestock but I have spent half of my life around family who does. I feel I can sympathize with characters who get thrown into a world where they are expected to work hard at something they don't know anything about, but in the end find they love it and all the simple pleasures that come from that type of gritty labor. Creech manages to convey that transformation in a classic but beautiful way in Moo.

My favorite part was the fair. I come from a place were the county fair is a really big deal. It is always very well attended, despite the minuscule population size of the county. Every year we made sure to go. We would go check out the vender's booths, the home goods displays, try to get tickets to the demo derby or at least the rodeo. I even got to participate in the little buckaroo once (I caught the chicken!). And, of course, there is the livestock auction. Even now that I no longer even live in the state, I still try to see something of the fair when we go visit my parents in the summer. My mother is in charge of all the 4-H activities in her county (except livestock) because of her job as the county's university extension agent. Being a member seem to have come as an expectation in life rather than a choice, but I loved it all the same. I stuck with just the Family and Consumer Science (FACS) activities, but my brother got to raise a pig for the fair and my cousins covered all areas of the livestock show. Between them and my mom, I got a pretty fair exposure to the singing call of the auctioneer (a really talent I tell you) and almost insane task of keeping both your animal and your white 4-H shirt clean before you go in front of the judges. Reading that little section in the book brought all those memories rushing back. They were all happy and I could't help but smile.

I really enjoyed this book. The fair scenes were only a little part of how it brought me back to my childhood visiting grandparents and cousins and cows.

EBN A Book From a Library Display: Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

Its a new year and you can bet your buckets I have made a list of New Year's resolutions. I always try to keep my resolutions super simple and, hopefully, achievable. This year was no exception. Do 30 minuets of cardio exercise three times a week, do my visiting teaching each month no matter how awkward and shy I feel, and help my soon-to-be-kindergartner improve her literacy. My last goal was to recover some of the literary muscles I had allowed to go to seed in my now almost 7 years as a stay-at-home mom. I had thought about making a goal to write for an hour every day (which I may still attempt to do) but then I saw a friend wearing a sweatshirt from the Extreme Book Nerd Challenge our local library puts on each year. I had wanted to do it last year, but it was already October and I had just had a baby (no way). I asked my friend about it and she was all praises and pride so I decided that would be my mental/professional challenge for the year. Read 50 books from 50 different categories in 50 weeks. To prove we have actually completed the challenge we are supposed to keep a log of the books we have read. I was totally going to just grab a blank composition book and use that, but I couldn't find one and I forgot to pick one up at the store today. So here we are. I'm using my never visited, rarely updated blog as my reading journal. So here we go.

I had registered for the challenge online and briefly glanced at the category list before loading everyone into the car to run errands. We went to the library to pick out books and for me to make my first challenge selection. Unfortunately, Mike was on shift and school had been cancelled because of the subzero temperatures so I had all 4 kids with me and no extra hands. Having made their selections, I herded my band to the third floor where loud children bring a lot more attention. Trying to move fast, I saw a selection of comedy and satire books on display. I vaguely remember that as one of the categories. I grabbed a book with a sort of silly looking cover on it and then herded us all back down stairs and out the doors (stopping to say "hi" to the fishies in the zen garden on the way).


I was really hoping this book was a comedy (life is stressful and I could use a few laughs) but its a satire. I should have known. It was displayed along side a Sherman Alexi novel. I know satires are often considered funny, but they just never are for me (The Princess Bride being the one exception). That's not to say I didn't enjoy the book. I actually liked it quite a bit, especially the ending. The house was the best. Not only was it a good metaphor for the state the family's relationships and Bernadette's personal state of mind, but I found the idea of a house being overrun by blackberry bushes totally crazy. I had a roommate from Portland once who said they were the worst kind of weed imaginable. They don't grow out here in Idaho and I think they taste good in ice cream so couldn't see how anyone wouldn't want them growing in their garden. The most ridiculous part about this story is probably the most realistic. (Respect the blackberry bush.)

I was both irritated and pleased with the portrayal of the religious in this book. Maybe its because I'm deeply religious myself, but it drives me nuts that the only image I ever seem to see of conservative Christians in the media is of hypocritical narcissists who use the name of Jesus to make others feel guilty and themselves feel superior. I promise, people like that are in the minority. The greatest irritation and greatest pleasure in this regard was with the character Audrey Griffin's transformation. She started off as a really uptight, shallow bible thumper, but in then end had a sort of awakening that helped her see the reality of where her actions stood in comparison to Christ's. And she actually went out and did something about it. She did what she could to repent. Most authors like to leave that stereotype 2D. This was a pleasant change.

My favorite part was the relationship Bee had with her mother. I felt like Semple managed to catch the essence of a daughter's love for an imperfect mother so well. The loyalty and patience that character showed was touching. I certainly feel that kind of love and loyalty towards my own mother and pray that my children will find it for me (hopefully sooner rather than later).

The story was good; well paced and decently written. I enjoyed it well enough thought I didn't find it as funny as I had hoped (which is why I am saving that category for a different book). The challenge seems to be off to a fairly decent start.