I Can't Read Anymore

My entire life, reading has been my refuge.  As an only child I would read my summers away as we camped all over Michigan.

Reading is what I threw myslef into when my ex-husband left, how I got thru my hospital stays, and how I passed the time when I was too scared to step into the world.

Now my medications have been adjusted, helping to keep my bi-polar in check, but I can't read anymore.  I can't read for more than 3 or 4 minutes before I have to jump to something else.

I'm going to talk to my Dr. tomorrow about this tomorrow morning.  I need my reading back.

First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria, Eve Brown-Waite

Publishers Copy:

Eve Brown's dream is to join the Peace Corps…and maybe solve world hunger and win a Nobel Peace Prize along the way. But she secretly fears she isn't tough enough to survive the bug-infested jungle, much less live without toilet paper and decaf cappuccino. Then she falls head-over-little-black-heels in love with John – a dashing Peace Corps recruiter whose do-gooder passions outshine her own. She becomes more determined than ever to get into the Peace Corps – and to win John's heart in the process.


Assigned to Ecuador, she years for warm showers and cold beers (instead of the other way around!). And though she occasionally finds herself overwhelmed by her work reuniting homeless children with their families, she learns to delight in small successes. But a year into her service, a tragedy befalls one of her fellow volunteers, which unearths troubling memories from Eve's past and causes her to return, rather unceremoniously, to the United States. Back home, Eve attempts to settle down with John and get reacquainted with the joys of sushi and supermarkets. But faster than she can say "Pass the malaria pills," John accepts a job with CARE in a remote corner of Africa, and Eve gets a second chance to test her mettle in the Third World.

With uproarious wit and candor, Eve Brown-Waite details the (mis)adventures that ensue. From intestinal parasites and guerrilla warfare to culture clashes and unexpected friendships. FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MALARIA captures the thrills and absurdities of global humanitarian life in a story that any globetrotter - armchair or otherwise - will love.

Review:
This was the best book I've read in a long time.  Brown-Waite is so honest and so relatable.  She doesn't gloss over her failures or make foreign service seem like a cake walk.

What she does do is bring it to a level where you could acutally imagine yourself in her shoes.  The danger of living in Africa are handled with honesty and candor.  Getting used to having staff, communicating with family only rarely and living without a working telephone are the small things compared to her illness and pregnancy struggles.

This is a great book, check it out for yourself.

My Fake Wedding, Mina Ford

Publisher's Copy:

When Katie Simpson discovers her boyfriend boffing "Fishpants Fraser," she vows to eat toenail clippings before getting involved again. Life as "the ginger spinster of Pelham Parish" will be lonely, but bearable as long as she shags lots of strangers and hangs tight with her friends.

Unfortunately, Katie has the unerring ability to hit on the only gay man at the party (not again!). And her pals are somewhat preoccupied. Mover-and-shaker Janice has started scoping funerals for doddering sugar daddies. George, Katie's gorgeous, flamingly gay best friend (yes, she's tried it), is madly in love with an Aussie heartbreaker (struck out there, too) who needs some speedy nuptials to stay in the country. What better opportunity to plan a fake wedding more elaborate than a ten-tier cake?

My Review:

Light & fluffy like good frosting, this is somewhat of a throwaway read - not one that you will remember too much when you finish it, but fun none the less.

A smart little book that ends up with all the pieces falling into place, you'll enjoy Katie's journey with all of her quirky friends. This is pretty close to a perfect beach read, well maybe a watch-the-leaves-fall read, so pick it up.

Clearing The Aisle, Karen Schwartz

Publisher's Copy:

They're getting hitched.

When Rachel Silverstein and her longtime boyfriend Dan Gershon decide to get engaged, they hardly expect that planning a wedding will be more difficult than any life changes they've braved in the five years they've been dating. After all, they already live together. But suddenly everyone from parents to friends to cousins to caterers seems to be losing their minds completely. Surely it can't all be in Rachel's head. Can it?

My Review:

I didn't get it. This book took me nowhere. I kept waiting for it to be worth my time, but it never got there. Don't bother!

Mennonite In A Little Black Dress, Rhoda Janzen

Publisher's Copy:

Not long after Rhoda Janzen turned forty, her world turned upside down. It was bad enough that her husband of fifteen years left her for Bob, a guy he met on Gay.com, but that same week a car accident left her injured. Needing a place to rest and pick up the pieces of her life, Rhoda packed her bags, crossed the country, and returned to her quirky Mennonite family's home, where she was welcomed back with open arms and offbeat advice. (Rhoda's good-natured mother suggested she get over her heartbreak by dating her first cousin—he owned a tractor, see.)

Written with wry humor and huge personality—and tackling faith, love, family, and aging—Mennonite in a Little Black Dress is an immensely moving memoir of healing, certain to touch anyone who has ever had to look homeward in order to move ahead.

My Review:

I had trouble understanding why this woman who moved so far away from the Mennonite faith of her youth, yet put up with an abusive husband, but this memoir is worth the read.

Reading about how Janzen went back to her family, who are big-wigs in the Mennonite faith, after her life fell apart leads her to re-examine the faith she left behind. He results are surprising and I found them really interesting.

I love a good biography with a twist & this one has several. Pick it up!

This is available for Kindle for only $9.99 (I don't have a Kindle, but I figure maybe enough of you out there do!)

Honey, Baby, Sweetheart, Deb Caletti

Publisher's Copy:

Ruby McQueen is a sixteen-year-old high school student with the name, she thinks, of a rodeo cowgirl porn star, or, maybe worse, a Texas beauty queen runner-up. Ruby, ordinarily dubbed the Quiet Girl, finds herself hanging out with gorgeous, rich, thrill-seeking Travis Becker. With Travis, Ruby can be someone she’s never been before: Fearless. Powerful. But Ruby is in over her head, and finds herself risking more and more…



My Review:

As usual, Deb Caletti does not dissapoint her YA readers.  These are characters you can relate to with situations that seem like they could really happen.

All My Patients Have Tales, Jeff Wells, D.V.M

Publisher's Copy:

All My Patients Have Tales is a charming, funny, and engaging collection of stories in the great tradition of James Herriout's All Creatures Great And Small.

Jeff Wells describes the first scary cases he takes on at the start of his career, right after graduating from the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and as he becomes a seasoned and beloved vet, we watch him grow and flourish over the years. Wells works in a "mixed practice," treating farm animals and house pets, with the occasional exotic thrown in.

The many life-altering, life-threatening, uplifting, and hilarious episodes Wells relates feature a turkey attack, a pregnant male cat, porcupine-quill-covered terriers, a heavy-metal Chihuahua with road burn, an ornery pygmy donkey, a giant hog, a constipated cow, and many others.

Each of these cases reveals not only Wells's wisdom and great sense of humor - without which he surely couldn't do his job - but his sensitive and caring approach to both his charges and their owners.

This perfect little gem of a book will appeal to animal lovers, "pet parents," and anyone who has ever toyed with the idea of becoming a vet.

My Review:

This book of animal stories just didn't do it for me.

Even though I'm an animal lover (my schnauzer has his own blog, for Pete's sake) I found most of these stories a little flat & just kind of boring.

My opinion is this one is only for vet-wannabes and those who really like pet stories.