I have to admit that I love suspense, psychological horror, and murder mystery novels. My first favorite "adult" author was John Saul, whom I discovered when I was 12 years old. I say "adult" author because my readings prior to his novels were youngadult or children's novels, including VC Andrews Flowers in the Attic series. I loved novels that would pull me in on the first page. As an adult, I still enjoy John Saul novels. My favorite authors are John Sandford (of Minnesota!), James Patterson (whose movies can't even touch his novels!), Patricia Cornwell, Sandra Brown, and a sampling of others.
Last year a friend turned me on to Beverly Barton. I was leary at first because my friend loves romance novels; I do not. I was pleasantly surprised. The romance wasn't over-done; it wasn't mushy and filled with hyperbole. It was realistic albeit predictable, but the romance wasn't the focus of the storyline, which is what got me hooked into a great suspense novel.
Beverly Barton's novel Silent Killer didn't disappoint. Someone, believe to be chosen by God to enact His will, is violently murdering men of God because they have committed sins. There are many churches of different faiths in this small Alabama town, and everyone knows everyone, typical of small towns. Also typical of small towns, people have secrets... and secrets have a way of getting out. Murder, rape, "bastard" children, and evil deeds are woven throughout the novel with deep friendships, kindred spirits, and great loves. There were a couple of unexpected twists, although to a seasoned suspense reader, I was correct in my guess of the murderer, but the reason behind it was a twist.
What I did not like were the unanswered questions and loose ends left at the end of the book. The author, aware of this, write a letter to the reader stating that the loose ends will be answered in her next novel, Dead by Midnight. Ummm, thanks...?
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
book review: The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan
The book club selection for June was The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan. I wasn't familiar with Amy Tan's work (she authored The Joy Luck Club), so I didn't have preconceived thoughts about this book.
The book is about a mother/daughter relationship and takes place in the past (mother's childhood and young adulthood in China) and the present (in the US). I have to be honest. I had the hardest time getting through "part one" of this book. The relationship between the mother LuLing and daughter Ruth is not a warm one. Ruth also doesn't have a good realtionship with her live-in boyfriend and his two daughters. The first part of the book is quite depressing, which only means that Amy's talent lies in character development.
LuLing refuses to learn English, although she knows a little, which means that Ruth has been translating for her mother since Ruth was able to speak. This mirrors LuLing's relationship with her own mother, which we learn about in "part two." LuLing was afraid of forgetting the past so she wrote it down for her daughter... all in Chinese. The stack of pages were forgotten for years, lying in the bottom of Ruth's desk drawer.
"Part two" was a much quicker read for me because it was the translation of LuLing's writings. It was about LuLing's childhood in China, her youth and young adulthood in an orphanage, and her life in Peking before coming to the United States. During "part two" both the reader and Ruther gained insight into LuLing. And that's where the real beauty lies. Once you get through the rough stuff of part one, you are rewarded with the remainder of the book.
The book is about a mother/daughter relationship and takes place in the past (mother's childhood and young adulthood in China) and the present (in the US). I have to be honest. I had the hardest time getting through "part one" of this book. The relationship between the mother LuLing and daughter Ruth is not a warm one. Ruth also doesn't have a good realtionship with her live-in boyfriend and his two daughters. The first part of the book is quite depressing, which only means that Amy's talent lies in character development.
LuLing refuses to learn English, although she knows a little, which means that Ruth has been translating for her mother since Ruth was able to speak. This mirrors LuLing's relationship with her own mother, which we learn about in "part two." LuLing was afraid of forgetting the past so she wrote it down for her daughter... all in Chinese. The stack of pages were forgotten for years, lying in the bottom of Ruth's desk drawer.
"Part two" was a much quicker read for me because it was the translation of LuLing's writings. It was about LuLing's childhood in China, her youth and young adulthood in an orphanage, and her life in Peking before coming to the United States. During "part two" both the reader and Ruther gained insight into LuLing. And that's where the real beauty lies. Once you get through the rough stuff of part one, you are rewarded with the remainder of the book.
Finding Myself - The Journey, 2
July 6, 2010
All-or-Nothing Thinking
All-or-nothing thinking, also called black-or-white thinking is something ACA have in common. I have it BIG TIME. I never realized I was a black-or-white thinker until I discovered ACA. It was like the sky opened up and everything became clear--again. Perfectionism and control go hand-in-hand with all-or-nothing thinking. Our options melt away and we become fixated and all-or-nothing thinking takes over our thinking process. We are good or bad, right or wrong, all wonderful or all horrible.
With all-or-nothing thinking we don't stop to think about our actions; we push forward with a sense of fear. We react. All-or-nothing thinking happens internally (thoughts) AND externally (verbally). For me, the majority of my all-or-nothing thinking happens inside of my head. It's the nagging voice that constantly tells me, "you're not good enough." It doesn't matter what "it" is, I'm not good enough. When I receive constructive criticism at work, my thoughts go straight to "I suck; I should be fired." All-or-nothing thinking is absolute. Through ACA I learned that this type of thinking is common in unhealthy homes where opinions or thoughts were attacked by the family with sweeping statements. Knowing this helps, but it doesn't stop the all-or-nothing thinking. It doesn't stop the hypercritical thinking of oneself. It's hard to ask for help.
This all-or-nothing thinking has come up twice for me in the last couple of weeks, in significant ways. The first was when I received notice of a position opening in another organization of which I am familiar and very much respect. It was a position I knew I could do well in, and it paid much more than I'm currently making at my full time job. However, after having been working for the same organization for 15+ years, completing that application was purely terrifying. Why? Because in my head, once I submitted the application, that meant I got the job, had to leave all of my friends, learn new skills, be the new person, make new friends, and basically start my life over. That's an example of all-or-nothing thinking. Application = job. Coupled with this way of thinking, is that of the four jobs I've held in my life, I *did* receive the job after completing the application. Notwithstanding with black-or-white thinking, there is no middle. And if I do not consciously think about things, the all-or-nothing thinking takes over, paralyzing me with fear. Application does not equal job. It might not even equal an interview. And from there alone, the all-or-nothing thinking becomes more difficult to control becuase WHY haven't they called? Why aren't I getting an interview? Why...? I know why... because I am not good enough... it all boils down to that one sentence. The bane of my existence. I am not good enough.
Logically I realize this isn't true. But logic and my feelings do not go hand-in-hand in my world. I know that this way of thinking is dysfunctional. I know I should be a thoughtful actor in my life, as opposed to a reactor. However, the voice in my head, that Negative Nelly is always there, whispering, "you're not good enough, Keri"... "something is wrong with you." I've been told that I'm too critical of myself, but what does that mean? Many ACA live in our heads--a lot, and have since children. The all-or-nothing thoughts are so familiar to us that they seem like facts.
The second all-or-nothing moment came last week during a meeting with my supervisor when I was already at a heightened stress level. Since it's still an "ongoing issue" I will refrain from discussing at this time. But you know what? This time it will have a very different outcome than what he is expecting.
All-or-Nothing Thinking
All-or-nothing thinking, also called black-or-white thinking is something ACA have in common. I have it BIG TIME. I never realized I was a black-or-white thinker until I discovered ACA. It was like the sky opened up and everything became clear--again. Perfectionism and control go hand-in-hand with all-or-nothing thinking. Our options melt away and we become fixated and all-or-nothing thinking takes over our thinking process. We are good or bad, right or wrong, all wonderful or all horrible.
With all-or-nothing thinking we don't stop to think about our actions; we push forward with a sense of fear. We react. All-or-nothing thinking happens internally (thoughts) AND externally (verbally). For me, the majority of my all-or-nothing thinking happens inside of my head. It's the nagging voice that constantly tells me, "you're not good enough." It doesn't matter what "it" is, I'm not good enough. When I receive constructive criticism at work, my thoughts go straight to "I suck; I should be fired." All-or-nothing thinking is absolute. Through ACA I learned that this type of thinking is common in unhealthy homes where opinions or thoughts were attacked by the family with sweeping statements. Knowing this helps, but it doesn't stop the all-or-nothing thinking. It doesn't stop the hypercritical thinking of oneself. It's hard to ask for help.
This all-or-nothing thinking has come up twice for me in the last couple of weeks, in significant ways. The first was when I received notice of a position opening in another organization of which I am familiar and very much respect. It was a position I knew I could do well in, and it paid much more than I'm currently making at my full time job. However, after having been working for the same organization for 15+ years, completing that application was purely terrifying. Why? Because in my head, once I submitted the application, that meant I got the job, had to leave all of my friends, learn new skills, be the new person, make new friends, and basically start my life over. That's an example of all-or-nothing thinking. Application = job. Coupled with this way of thinking, is that of the four jobs I've held in my life, I *did* receive the job after completing the application. Notwithstanding with black-or-white thinking, there is no middle. And if I do not consciously think about things, the all-or-nothing thinking takes over, paralyzing me with fear. Application does not equal job. It might not even equal an interview. And from there alone, the all-or-nothing thinking becomes more difficult to control becuase WHY haven't they called? Why aren't I getting an interview? Why...? I know why... because I am not good enough... it all boils down to that one sentence. The bane of my existence. I am not good enough.
Logically I realize this isn't true. But logic and my feelings do not go hand-in-hand in my world. I know that this way of thinking is dysfunctional. I know I should be a thoughtful actor in my life, as opposed to a reactor. However, the voice in my head, that Negative Nelly is always there, whispering, "you're not good enough, Keri"... "something is wrong with you." I've been told that I'm too critical of myself, but what does that mean? Many ACA live in our heads--a lot, and have since children. The all-or-nothing thoughts are so familiar to us that they seem like facts.
The second all-or-nothing moment came last week during a meeting with my supervisor when I was already at a heightened stress level. Since it's still an "ongoing issue" I will refrain from discussing at this time. But you know what? This time it will have a very different outcome than what he is expecting.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Book review: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
I have to admit that when I heard that the fourth book selection for book club was The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, I was less than thrilled. The book was written from a dog's viewpoint, and the dog's owner was a race car driver. I am not a fan of dogs and I have little to no interest in race cars. Plus, it was known before-hand that the dog would die.
We decided on another book selection for the month. Unfortunately (or fortunately!) that book was difficult to obtain online or in libraries because it was an older publication, therefore, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein was selected.
I was able to grab a copy at Target and start reading right away. I was pleasantly surprised. I felt sorry for the dog. I empathized with him. I AGREED with him.
I. Liked. The. Dog.
I liked Enzo the dog. And I related to the owner. Viewing the world through the eyes of a dog kind of makes one appreciate being human. Enzo believed that when a GOOD dog dies, he becomes human in his next life. That was his goal. To become human. To have a tongue made for articulating his words, thumbs to grasp things...
His insight into the world was dead-on; it was amazing. And the art of racing TOTALLY correlates to "the art of" life. Who knew?! For example, "The visble becomes inevitable." How true is that? Set a goal, focus on the "prize", and it will happen. Or, "No race has ever been won in the first corner; many races have been lost there."
Perhaps I think the book is wonderful because I went into the book thinking I wouldn't like it... or perhaps it really is a good book. I laughed, I cried, I got angry, I felt anxious at times, I cheered, laughed some more, and cried again. Enzo's owner goes through difficult times, and Enzo is there with him every step of the way.
I highly recommend The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.
We decided on another book selection for the month. Unfortunately (or fortunately!) that book was difficult to obtain online or in libraries because it was an older publication, therefore, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein was selected.
I was able to grab a copy at Target and start reading right away. I was pleasantly surprised. I felt sorry for the dog. I empathized with him. I AGREED with him.
I. Liked. The. Dog.
I liked Enzo the dog. And I related to the owner. Viewing the world through the eyes of a dog kind of makes one appreciate being human. Enzo believed that when a GOOD dog dies, he becomes human in his next life. That was his goal. To become human. To have a tongue made for articulating his words, thumbs to grasp things...
His insight into the world was dead-on; it was amazing. And the art of racing TOTALLY correlates to "the art of" life. Who knew?! For example, "The visble becomes inevitable." How true is that? Set a goal, focus on the "prize", and it will happen. Or, "No race has ever been won in the first corner; many races have been lost there."
Perhaps I think the book is wonderful because I went into the book thinking I wouldn't like it... or perhaps it really is a good book. I laughed, I cried, I got angry, I felt anxious at times, I cheered, laughed some more, and cried again. Enzo's owner goes through difficult times, and Enzo is there with him every step of the way.
I highly recommend The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.
Book review: Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon
Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon
Wow. This book was wild. When I was about 3/4 of the way through, I called a friend/book club member and asked, "Is this book like Pulp Fiction [the movie]?!" Yes, yes it is. Describing this book is like describing Pulp Fiction. It's something that can't really be done. The book starts at the end, but not... There's a "twist" in the book that some people didn't see coming, while others did.
The book is essentially three separate stories that link up in the final pages, but not in the way that you *think* they will... I was again immediately hooked because the book opens with a college dropout named Ryan, one of three main characters, in the passenger seat of a car with his severed hand sitting next to him in a cooler.
The other main character is Miles, a lonely man in his 30's working for a magic shop, who, in his "spare time", travels around the United States, and the world in search of his paranoid schizophrenic identical twin brother, Hayden, who vanished 10 years ago.
Lucy, the final main character, just finished high school and runs away with her history teacher, George, in pursuit of a new life, with the promises of millions of dollars he claims to have access to.
None of the main characters know one another, but at the end of the book, you find out that they are all connected. The book is like reading three separate stories, all beginning at different spots, and in the end, Pulp-Fiction-style, they all come together, and you think, "oooohhhhh!" and say, "I have to read this again!!"
The characters in the book are unhappy. Unhappy with life, themselves, the world... I don't know what else to say about the book without giving away anything. If you like Pulp Fiction, you'll like this book!
Wow. This book was wild. When I was about 3/4 of the way through, I called a friend/book club member and asked, "Is this book like Pulp Fiction [the movie]?!" Yes, yes it is. Describing this book is like describing Pulp Fiction. It's something that can't really be done. The book starts at the end, but not... There's a "twist" in the book that some people didn't see coming, while others did.
The book is essentially three separate stories that link up in the final pages, but not in the way that you *think* they will... I was again immediately hooked because the book opens with a college dropout named Ryan, one of three main characters, in the passenger seat of a car with his severed hand sitting next to him in a cooler.
The other main character is Miles, a lonely man in his 30's working for a magic shop, who, in his "spare time", travels around the United States, and the world in search of his paranoid schizophrenic identical twin brother, Hayden, who vanished 10 years ago.
Lucy, the final main character, just finished high school and runs away with her history teacher, George, in pursuit of a new life, with the promises of millions of dollars he claims to have access to.
None of the main characters know one another, but at the end of the book, you find out that they are all connected. The book is like reading three separate stories, all beginning at different spots, and in the end, Pulp-Fiction-style, they all come together, and you think, "oooohhhhh!" and say, "I have to read this again!!"
The characters in the book are unhappy. Unhappy with life, themselves, the world... I don't know what else to say about the book without giving away anything. If you like Pulp Fiction, you'll like this book!
Book review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I haven't done a "book report" since 4th or 5th grade. And I haven't written about a book since my college days, but one has to start again some time, right? ;) However, my book report will be unconventional in nature in that it's more about what I thought about the book as opposed to a summary of the book itself.
I recently joined a book club. OK, by "recently" I really mean four months ago. We just chose book number five: The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan. I searched through Borders book store in a variety of sections, but eventually had to go to the information desk to ask where I might find her novels. They were in literature. Interesting. I also found it interesting that the first book we read in book club, The Help by Kathryn Stockett was also in literature.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (2009)
I started reading the book online in a "preview" and was immediately hooked. I went to my library and asked about the book and was informed I would be number 333 on the list to receive it, should I want to add my name to the waiting list. Wow! No thanks. We ordered it online for $10.
I realized only a few years ago that I thoroughly enjoy historical fiction. I discovered it by accident, but I won't go into that now. The Help is set in Mississippi in the early 1960's when discrimination and segregation was in its height; "coloreds" had to use different bathrooms, different drinking fountains, different grocery stores, different libraries; and women (maids) had to dress in polyester maid uniforms. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his first speech within the storyline.
I'd like to think that one of the main characters, Skeeter, a 22 year old college-educated white woman, would have been me... had I lived in Mississippi in the early 1960's, but I think although I would have felt the same way about things, I wouldn't have been as bold about it as she was. She was born ahead of her time. Women didn't get college degrees and start careers -- they met a fine man, married, and had babies. Not Skeeter. She wanted to be a writer. And because she was close to her maid when she grew up (from a child through college), she appreciated "colored" people and what they had to offer. She was disgusted with the way others treated their maids.
I think because of her close friendship with her maid, she was more open, broad-minded and unbiased. She saw black people as people. And *that* was a rare quality to have in the early '60's. She wanted to expose the world to what life was really like for the black women. She wanted the world to see the women who cared for and raised white people's children, cooked their meals, cleaned their homes, all while being verbally and sometimes physically abused by their employers, or, at the very least, being talked about as if they aren't in the room, knowing they can do anything about it.
The Help raises questions:
How much of a person's character is shaped by the times in which they live?
Is racism inherent or taught?
The Help painted a picture of what it was like to be black in the early '60's in Mississippi. And also what it was like to be female in the early '60's. It's a definite page-turner, and you find yourself cheering for the maids and Skeeter until the very end. I laughed. I cried. I didn't want the book to end. And that's what a great book is all about...
Have you read The Help? Tell me what you thought.
I recently joined a book club. OK, by "recently" I really mean four months ago. We just chose book number five: The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan. I searched through Borders book store in a variety of sections, but eventually had to go to the information desk to ask where I might find her novels. They were in literature. Interesting. I also found it interesting that the first book we read in book club, The Help by Kathryn Stockett was also in literature.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (2009)
I started reading the book online in a "preview" and was immediately hooked. I went to my library and asked about the book and was informed I would be number 333 on the list to receive it, should I want to add my name to the waiting list. Wow! No thanks. We ordered it online for $10.
I realized only a few years ago that I thoroughly enjoy historical fiction. I discovered it by accident, but I won't go into that now. The Help is set in Mississippi in the early 1960's when discrimination and segregation was in its height; "coloreds" had to use different bathrooms, different drinking fountains, different grocery stores, different libraries; and women (maids) had to dress in polyester maid uniforms. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his first speech within the storyline.
I'd like to think that one of the main characters, Skeeter, a 22 year old college-educated white woman, would have been me... had I lived in Mississippi in the early 1960's, but I think although I would have felt the same way about things, I wouldn't have been as bold about it as she was. She was born ahead of her time. Women didn't get college degrees and start careers -- they met a fine man, married, and had babies. Not Skeeter. She wanted to be a writer. And because she was close to her maid when she grew up (from a child through college), she appreciated "colored" people and what they had to offer. She was disgusted with the way others treated their maids.
I think because of her close friendship with her maid, she was more open, broad-minded and unbiased. She saw black people as people. And *that* was a rare quality to have in the early '60's. She wanted to expose the world to what life was really like for the black women. She wanted the world to see the women who cared for and raised white people's children, cooked their meals, cleaned their homes, all while being verbally and sometimes physically abused by their employers, or, at the very least, being talked about as if they aren't in the room, knowing they can do anything about it.
The Help raises questions:
How much of a person's character is shaped by the times in which they live?
Is racism inherent or taught?
The Help painted a picture of what it was like to be black in the early '60's in Mississippi. And also what it was like to be female in the early '60's. It's a definite page-turner, and you find yourself cheering for the maids and Skeeter until the very end. I laughed. I cried. I didn't want the book to end. And that's what a great book is all about...
Have you read The Help? Tell me what you thought.
Book review: Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
I have to admit that the cover of the book caught my eye, and not because of the two young children running in the foreground, but because it looked like Italy or France.
I opened the book at the rack and couldn't put it down. It opened in Paris, July 1942. "The girl was the first to hear the loud pounding on the door. Her room was closest to the entrance of the apartment. At first, dazed with sleep, she thought it was her father, coming up rom his hiding place in the cellar. He'd forgotten his keys, and was impatient because nopbody had heard his first, timid knock. But then came the voices, strong and brutal in the silence of the night. Nothing to do with her father. "Police! Open up! Now!"
From that moment on, I was hooked. Sarah and her parents were taken from their home in the middle of the night by the French police during the Vel' d' Hiv' round-up in WWII. Desperate to protect her younger brother, Sarah locks him in a bedroom cupboard (their secret hiding place) and promises to come back for him as soon as they are released.
The book bounces from Sarah's story to that of present-day Julia, an American journalist living in Paris, who is investigating the round-up. During her research, she realizes her husband's family has a link to Sarah...
It's amazing how the two stories intertwine! I could NOT put down this book! Because of my interest in WWII, I found myself looking forward to Sarah's story more than that of Julia's. However, in Julia's story, one found out more about Sarah as well. Toward the middle of the book I wanted more of BOTH stories.
Before this book, I'd never heard of Vel' d' Hiv'. The French didn't speak of it until 1995 when newly appointed "President Jacques Chirac officially acknowledged France's complicity in the murder and deportation of the Jews of Europe." (2001 Kamis, Toni L., The Complete Jewish Guide to France)
Sarah's Key is historical fiction at its best. Plausible. Realistic. I laughed. I cried. This book is incredible!!
I have to admit that the cover of the book caught my eye, and not because of the two young children running in the foreground, but because it looked like Italy or France.
I opened the book at the rack and couldn't put it down. It opened in Paris, July 1942. "The girl was the first to hear the loud pounding on the door. Her room was closest to the entrance of the apartment. At first, dazed with sleep, she thought it was her father, coming up rom his hiding place in the cellar. He'd forgotten his keys, and was impatient because nopbody had heard his first, timid knock. But then came the voices, strong and brutal in the silence of the night. Nothing to do with her father. "Police! Open up! Now!"
From that moment on, I was hooked. Sarah and her parents were taken from their home in the middle of the night by the French police during the Vel' d' Hiv' round-up in WWII. Desperate to protect her younger brother, Sarah locks him in a bedroom cupboard (their secret hiding place) and promises to come back for him as soon as they are released.
The book bounces from Sarah's story to that of present-day Julia, an American journalist living in Paris, who is investigating the round-up. During her research, she realizes her husband's family has a link to Sarah...
It's amazing how the two stories intertwine! I could NOT put down this book! Because of my interest in WWII, I found myself looking forward to Sarah's story more than that of Julia's. However, in Julia's story, one found out more about Sarah as well. Toward the middle of the book I wanted more of BOTH stories.
Before this book, I'd never heard of Vel' d' Hiv'. The French didn't speak of it until 1995 when newly appointed "President Jacques Chirac officially acknowledged France's complicity in the murder and deportation of the Jews of Europe." (2001 Kamis, Toni L., The Complete Jewish Guide to France)
Sarah's Key is historical fiction at its best. Plausible. Realistic. I laughed. I cried. This book is incredible!!
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