This week I went to my first book club meeting, which I absolutely loved. I’ve wanted to join a book club for some time, and it finally worked out. It was just so nice to sit and chat with other ladies who love books as much as I do. In other words, it was a safe place for my inner book nerd to come out.
This month’s book was Jane Eyre, the classic by Charlotte Bronte. Somehow I never had to read this in school. I didn’t know anything about the book, so it was a surprise – a good one – for me. (Bonus: Jane Eyre is free on the Kindle.) The book is a little long, but the story itself was interesting and I found the ending very satisfying.
Though it’s not for my book club, the next book I’m going to read is The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. A friend loaned it to me a few months ago, and I figure I better read it and return it before my friend adds me on her “do not lend” list.
What are you reading?
I ended up folding the placement a few times to make the fabric thicker and to give it more support.
Then I just used a simple stitch by hand on the side and on the bottom. (And no, I did not take step-by-step pictures because I had no idea that I would actually succeed in making it.)
Now, ta-da, here is the final product:
The stitching definitely looks amateur-ish, but I finally have my Kindle cover. I might end up putting a decorative button or ribbon on the top, but we’ll see. I think I may have used up my year’s (or decade's) supply of craftiness already.
1) I think my favorite book that I read last year was “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls. I was hooked from the very first line: “I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster.”
The story is about the author’s unusual childhood, where her family lived a rather unstable, nomadic lifestyle. I had to keep looking at the front cover of the book to see the word, “memoir,” to remind myself that it’s actually a true story. I could not put the book down, and I couldn’t stop rooting for the young girl in the story, who is now the best-selling author today.
2) Of the humorous variety, I loved “When You Look Like Your Passport Photo, It’s Time to Go Home” by Erma Bombeck. If her name sounds vaguely familiar, you might have read her column in your newspaper decades ago, before she passed away. Even though this book was written in 1991, the anecdotes and witty observations about travel are just as funny and true today. I laughed out loud at many points. The more I read her books, the more surprised I am that you don’t hear more about her because she has such a gift for turning ordinary life events into hilarious stories.
3) I already devoted a whole 
4) “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows gets the award for the longest name (I had to look it up because I can never remember the full title), but it’s really a delightful read. It’s written as a series of letters, and I could definitely relate to the book-loving characters. The story takes place right after WWII, and the history woven in was really fascinating, too.
5) Finally, I’m cheating a little because I technically didn’t read this last year, but I never wrote about “Outliers” by Malcom Gladwell. This is a non-fiction book that looks at the scientific side (or the “how”) behind success, and it uses real-life examples of everyone from Bill Gates to the Beatles.
I swear that this book changed my thinking, and I wish I could have read it years ago. The bottom line of the book (or at least for me) was that rarely are people “born” with a talent, but most successful people have devoted 10,000 hours or more to their craft. It puts in perspective that we should not give up so easily if a new skill or task is difficult at first.
What are your favorites of 2010?
The book is about a young girl growing up in Germany during WWII. In some ways, she reminded me a little of Anne Frank, although instead of being a Jewish girl who is in hiding, she is a German girl whose family is hiding a Jewish man. The book contrasts some incredibly tragic circumstances with moments of kindness.
I knew when I first started reading it that my dad would enjoy this book. Luckily, I’m taking a trip this weekend to see family, and I’ll be able to give it to him in person.
[A note to military readers: You can actually get this book for free (and yes, to keep) through 
In fact, I have my copy ready to read on the plane. I’m normally not interested in mysteries, but I’ve heard so much about this book that I’m willing to give it a shot. 
- Watching: I watched the movie My Life in Ruins with the actress from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I knew it probably wasn’t going to be as funny as My Big Fat Greek Wedding (and I was right), but it was still a light, fun movie. I did fall asleep during the last part of it, but that’s only because I seem to have narcolepsy whenever I watch a movie. Eventually, I did watch the ending, which was cute.
2) Recently, I read The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. I don’t usually like romance novels, but Nicholas Sparks books are always the exception. This one wasn’t my favorite of his, but it was still pretty good. It took me a little longer to get into it, but I still ended up being hooked by the end. And, in typical Nicholas Sparks fashion, the ending made me a little teary-eyed. 
3) I’m proud to say that I’m now reading a book written by…my dad! This past year when I’d ask him on the phone what he was doing, he’d say, “Oh, I’m writing my book,” as casually as someone would say “Oh, I’m having a cup of coffee.” He finished it not too long ago, and he surprised me with a print-out of it as a Christmas gift. And I know I may be biased, but it is really good! It’s very suspenseful, and I often have to have remind myself that the author is not Tom Clancy, but my dad! 
What good books have you read recently?
