The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

This was a very unique book.  I found it on a "must read" list somewhere.  In the early 1900's Japanese women were lured to America by pictures and promises of Japanese men that were already living in America.  This is the story of why they made the decision to come to America.  The trip to America.  What they found when they arrived.  Their hopes, their dreams.  How it all ended when the decision was made that Japanese Americans could not be trusted.
I have read several books about the same subject.  This book read like poetry.  It was told from the view of many people. It is a compilation of many stories.  It does not personalize individuals.  By using the collective "we" to tell the story we feel a connection to the group, not an individual.  There are individuals that are talked about throughout the book.  The story is about Picture Brides and the Japanese Americans.  After I read a few pages I was not sure I was going to be able to enjoy story.  I felt like I was reading the introduction to a story.  When I got used to the style of writing I became completely absorbed in the story.

The trip over to America is hard on the women but they have hope.  They are coming over with promises of lives of leisure.  Coming to marry handsome, wealthy men.  When they arrived they learned that most of them were brought over to be pickers, farm hands.  Some were brought for kitchen help.  The men were not the handsome men they saw in the pictures.  Most of them were older or not the same man at all.  Sadly, they could not go back to Japan.  It would have brought shame to their families.  The women made the best of their situations.

This story is not for everyone.  If you enjoy light reads, more of a story, you might not enjoy this book.  If you are interested in uniquely written books, different subjects, you will like, The Buddha in the Attic.  I can easily give this book a 5. 

On a added note I read this on my Kindle.  What I missed was looking at the beautiful cover.  I reread pages a few times.  It does not feel the same to reread pages on the Kindle.  I don't know why, it just doesn't.  That said, I do like my Kindle.  Right now when I am spending time at home, I can jump on Amazon and find something to read.  I am having a hard time picking my next book.  I am so distracted by life, it is hard to concentrate.  I want to be totally swept away by a story.  I want to forget where I am and what is going on.  That usually means sappy, light, love stories.  I need to check my shelves.  I know there are many books I have not read.  Hopefully, something jumps out at me.  Feel free to post some light reads for me. 

Bring On The Snow

Today while the wind howled and the snow started coming down and blowing everywhere, I was able to sit in my chair with a book in my hands. I got up early, called my boss and said, no work for me, put stew in the crock pot and picked up a book. Another great book!

This book was on my list of must reads. Not sure where I heard about it. I am going to have to start writing down who told me about books. This story was so moving. It was too real. Will have me second guessing myself every time I forget something.

Still Alice, by Lisa Genova, is about Alice Howland a psychology professor at Harvard. She is an expert in Linguistics with a successful husband and three grown children. She starts to notice she is becoming forgetful and disoriented. She is a runner and gets lost in Harvard Square. A place that is like a second home to her. Alice is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. The story is told through Alice. We see how her relationships with her husband and children change. It is tragic and heart wrenching to read what Alice is feeling and dealing with after her diagnosis.

Alice was an intelligent, proud woman. She was respected in her field. She immediately researches what she can expect from the disease. The knowledge both helps her understand what she can do to help herself as much as possible and makes her more aware of the terrible fate she faces.

I knew someone that suffered from Alzheimer's disease. As tragic as it is for their family, it seems so much better when they no longer realize what they are losing. They are happy in their moment or with the memories they retain. Lisa Genova portrays this as if she herself has experienced Alzheimer's.

The back of the book calls it beautiful and terrifying with a vivid depiction of life with early-onset Alzheimer's. It is a must read. You will feel so much compassion. Even if you never know someone that suffers from this disease, I think the book will give an understanding that you will keep with you.

I rate this book a 5.

First Book of 2011

I finished my first book of 2011 (excluding audios). It is, The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. What an amazing story. I do not even know how to describe it. I feel like I have been on an amazing trip. There is so much to this story. I am not sure I even understand all the places we were taken on this journey. How they all come together. WOW! I wish I would have read this in a Novel class. I would have liked to discuss every chapter. I feel like a book club could dedicate a month or two of meeting several times a week to this book. What a way to start my reading year.
I cannot do this book justice trying to describe it. I will write a few things from the back of the book. When high school teacher Caelum Quirk and his wife, Maureen, a school nurse, move to Littleton, Colorado, they both get jobs at Columbine High School. In April 1999, while Caelum is away, Maureen finds herself in the library at Columbine, cowering in a cabinet and expecting to be killed. She survives but is unable to recover from the trauma.
That is one part of the book I found so interesting and unique. Lamb wrote about the fact that not everyone can overcome tragedies in their lives. One of the best lines from the back of the books is: "they discover that the effects of chaos are not easily put right, and further tragedy ensues."
Lamb spends quite a bit of time exploring Quirk's past. This is the part I did not always understand. There was a point I felt like I was reading two stories. Finally, I felt like it all came together for me.
This is a long book. It is not always easy to read. But when I finished, I felt touched. I feel like this story is going to stay with me for awhile. You have to be a reader to understand this. Sometimes a book get inside my head and heart. I feel like I want to bask in the story I read. I can only say again, read it, read it. I might have to read Lamb's other books now.
I rate this book a 5. It will be tough to beat this year.

Life Is Taking Up My Reading Time

This group and event kept me from reading last night and today. Real life can be so exhausting. Reading takes less energy. Reading also allows me to nap during the day.

I finished my 80th book of the year yesterday. It is a little story called, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. CeeCee is a 12 yr. old girl that lives and cares for her tiara-wearing, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of the town. Tragedy strikes and CeeCee goes to live with her Aunt Tootie in Savannah. After living a life where she was neglected and took care of her Mother, CeeCee's new life is filled with caring women in an affluent community. In her new life, CeeCee has a housekeeper that not only cares about her but is her friend. There is an eccentric neighbor she spends time with and a neighbor that is not very nice. This is a time for CeeCee to heal. For CeeCee to learn what being loved and cared for is like. It is a sweet story of friendship, women bonding and through these women a little girl learns to forgive and love her mother. If it were a movie, it would be a Independent Film. I am rating this book a 5. Normally, a book has to be deep, moving to get a 5 from me. This book deserves it because it manages to stay simple, true, without being sappy. This is a strange word to use but I am going to call it a LOVELY story.

This week-end has been very busy. Last night I was one of the organizers of a great evening. A Wine/Beer Tasting. The food was delicious, the ambiance was beautiful, great people, a fantastic time was had by all. To top it off, my organization made some great money. We made a very positive IMPACT. Yeah Us!!!

After the event, I went to dinner with family. We followed that up with a night cap at the local pub. Spent some quality time with one of our favorite bloggers, Munchkin. We had some nice one on one time. For the Munchkin fans out there I am going to give you some insight into our Mini Blogger. She has many layers. One of the reasons I enjoy talking with her. We have some commonalities in our past. If she were an orphan, I would ask her to let me adopt her. She would turn me down because no sane person wants to join my family. But, I would try. Tru Stories always wanted a sister. Munchkin could be her "little" sister. (Funny the way I used little.) I'm not going to lie, I wrote this part about Munchkin because you people love some Munchkin talk. Writing for the masses. I am no better than Danielle Steele.

Today I spent more time with family. Moral is, have not picked up a book yet today. Now it is time for me to read. Why? Because people, the count is..... 20!!!

Waiting For Superman, The End

I finally finished Waiting For Superman last night. It was a great book. I am anxious to see the documentary. If you have Netflix, you can probably rent it there. I think this story can open minds of what else is out there. Education does not have to be the conventional schools that we have always had. Charter schools are alternatives to what we have grown used to. Many things do not work in our school systems. I would list tenure as the first thing that needs to go. Tenure does not even make sense. I do not have tenure in my job. In order to keep jobs we should be expected to perform at high levels. That is how it works in the real world.
I think students should wear uniforms. I think expectations should be high. I think teachers should teach up. Teach like every student will one day be an engineer or a scientist. Maybe then they will become an engineer. People with professional jobs should teach classes in the schools. Nurses could explain things that are used in their profession. Put professionals in the classroom. Let students visualize where schooling can take them. Our schools lack creativity. Great teachers inspire. But, how many great teachers are out there. I think a couple of teachers might read this blog. Do you feel stifled? Do you feel like you could do so much more if more options were out there? What changes would you like to see in the schools?
Anyone out there read or watched Waiting For Superman?

I Finally Finished a Book

At this point you are probably expecting a review of Grapes of Wrath. Sorry, not going to happen. I cannot attend my book club meeting on Wednesday. I cannot make myself read the book right now. I have a huge stack of books that look more interesting to me than, Grapes of Wrath.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet was recommended to me by my friend and sister-in-law. She is a big reader too. I loved this book. The author is Jamie Ford and this is her debut novel. I would never have guessed that. This book flowed so well. The jumps between Henry's youth and present time felt seamless.
This is the first paragraph of the back cover:
In 1986, Henry Lee joins a crowd outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has discovered the belongings of Japanese families who were sent to internment camps during World War II. As the owner displays and unfurls a Japanese parasol, Henry, a Chinese American, remembers a young Japanese American girl from his childhood in the 1940's - Keiko Okabe, with whom he forged a bond of friendship and innocent love that transcended the prejudices of their Old World ancestors.
Has that convinced you to the read? It is also about Henry's conflict with his father. The conflict between old world and new world. It gives a glimpse of the damage caused by war. Not war on the battlefield. How war can breed hate. Prejudices handed down from generations.
This book describes the internment of Japanese in the United States in the 1940's. Americans born in our country were put in camps because of their Japanese heritage.
This book is an example of a piece of fiction that is able to teach history through a story. The author is able to describe the devastation of the neighborhood so that I could see it.
The story is about love lost, life taking other turns, finding love in unexpected places. I was able to get caught up in the story and still remember that was a period in our history that really took place. The book made me think.
I consider the story meloncholy. Henry and Keiko meet as children. They have happy times together despite their differences. I finished the book last night. As I write this, I can think of new aspects of the book that teach acceptance. Henry and Keiko find a friend in an African American jazz player. At the same time the story shows prejudice, it also shows the acceptance. I hope you find time to read this book. It is a fairly quick read. I know you will enjoy it. I gave it my highest rating of a 5.

Spiritual Journey

I read this book two summers ago. My daughter saw Elizabeth Gilbert on Oprah and knew we had to read this book. I do not know how many times I have bought this book. I buy it and give it away. The odd thing is, most people I tell to read this book do not like it. I rate this book a 5. Even with the fear of failure looming, I think I will pick this as my next book club book.
My daughter and I consider this book life changing. It is a spiritual journey. After reading Eat, Pray, Love, my daughter organized a group of women to walk almost 11 miles to the next town. Why? To say we did it.
The author's journey took her to Italy, India, and Indonesia. She did not work. I have heard people criticize the book because most women do not have the advantage of being able to not work and explore life. Elizabeth Gilbert was able to fund her trip by getting the advance to write this book. I am fine with that. This is a beautiful story. The writer uses beautiful words. It is poetic. There are more than a few moments when I could completely connect with what she was saying. At one point she talks about laying on the bathroom floor, I have been on the bathroom floor. I know that feeling.
There are many lines in the book that I love. One stands out in my mind. She says she does not recognize the woman she has become. We get married, we have kids, we have a house. Next thing we know, life is leading us. We are lost in piles of laundry. Hard to remember who we are and what we want. To me this book is a woman's journey to find herself. To experience life and find herself.
This book was made into a movie. I was very excited to hear that Julia Roberts bought the rights to this book. The movie is going to be released this summer. Julia Roberts is one of my favorites. I think she can do this book justice. I hope I am not setting myself up for a huge disappointment. If this book is on your list of must reads, make it the next book you pick up. I plan to read it at least one more time before I see the movie.
I hope you are one of the people that this book touches. My daughter was. I was. I hope you are too.
Happy Birthday to the Old Lady at The Farm.

The Summerhouse

In my previous blogs, I have mentioned I judge a book by the cover. There is one word that can appear in the title to make me look closer, summer. One day when I run out of things to write about, I will count how many books I own with the name summer included in the title. I love this book, The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux. It was published in 2002, that must be the year I bought it. The copy I have now is my third copy. Not because I gave it away, I let people borrow it and did not get it back. One person admitted to losing it. I hear many of my friends having an, "I get it" moment. Right, this is why I am not eager to lend my books. Not everyone understands my love for books. Normally, if I let someone borrow a book, I start with a book I do not love. If you return it in a timely fashion, that raises your credit score for the next borrow. I might as well get it all out in the open. Yes, I track the books I lend in my book journal. There is nothing odd about that. So Flag Girl when I say you can borrow a book, that means I trust you like almost family. That is a huge compliment.
On with the review. When I first read this book I did not keep a book journal or rate the books. I can easily give this book a 5. I hear the gasps out there. Right, it is just a paperback. Not even quality paper. The lowest of the low, mass printed paperback. That said, I love this story. It is so interesting. It starts with three women getting their drivers licenses renewed on their 21st birthdays. While they wait their turn in a busy New York DMV, they get to know each other. On their 40th birthday one of the women locate the other two and bring them together in a Maine Summerhouse to celebrate together. At this point it all sounds lame. This is where the book takes an unexpected turn. The women go to see a fortune teller. She offers them the opportunity to go back in their lives and relive any 3 weeks they choose. To make it more interesting they relive that time armed with the knowledge since gained. Think about that! Return to your life changing moments. Now you have the opportunity to go back to one of those moments, armed with your life experiences and have a do over!!! When the experience is over they have three choices: return to their current life, continue with the life created after the do over with memory in tact, or continue with the life after the do over with no memory of the change.
Now you know how this book received my elusive rating of 5. I like to think about the concept of a do over. Seems so easy. You go back in time, fix a mistake, done, fixed. Here is where it gets interesting. You accept your new life, your right hand disappears. For whatever reason, the change put you in the time and place for a freak accident. One change in the events that went together to create your life story and the outcome is up in the air.
Buy the book, save it for a nice warm Saturday. Get out the lounge chair. Sit back and enjoy a light read. Go wild, pour yourself a glass of wine. You will not need major concentration to read this one.
When you finish the book, think about a time in your life you want to return to. How would you change it if you were given the chance? If you change it, what will you gain? More importantly, what will you lose? This book will stick with you. There will be a time you cry, "DO OVER." Then you will remember this book and maybe find some blessings to count.