A Note of Encouragment

My niece in the PICU at UNC-Chapel Hill

So I have been absent from this blog for a while, and I thought I would share the reason why.  This is my neice Avarey.  She was born on February 10th with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).  It has been a difficult month, but I am happy to report that Avarey is doing well, and she no longer has that pesky breathing tube in.  I hope she will be home by Easter!

Here is a note I wrote her during a particularly difficult week:

Ava-bean,

Hang in there.  We need you.  There are so many things left to experience.  Unfortunately, you have only seen the ugly, painful side of life, but I promise you there are days so beautiful and moments so wonderful that on those days when nothing is going right and you are slumped at the bottom of a pit with Despair, you will take them out and marvel at them, and they will give you the encouragement to get up and climb out.  They will give you hope.  Like the first moment I met you.  Your tiny fists were clenched, and your little eyes were squeezed shut, their lids still damp, and a nurse was taking your blood.  But you weren't crying.  No, you were holding tight to the tenuous thread of life that all of us cling to.  Cling a little longer, Avarey.  There are books you haven't read, and puppies who want to lick your face, and so many things to see and to learn.  Stick around; let me show you.

Love always and forever,

Aunt Kiki

She can't wear any of her cute clothes in the PICU, so
we change her bow daily instead.

"Unbreak My Heart": Top Ten Books the Broke Me Down

Image from The Broke and the Bookish

I would like to preface this blog post with a disclaimer.  I am not a weepy person; sappy, yes, but weepy - no.  My sister, LeighAnn, likes to joke that I have a heart of stone since I do not cry at the slightest provocation as she does.  Honestly, I am very emotional, but I tend to keep those things private which means when a book has me sobbing, I am doing so at home. Alone. Under the covers. With a box of shredded tissues at my side.  It is in the spirit of full disclosure then that I tackle The Broke and the Bookish's latest Top Ten Tuesday: the books that broke my heart.

Young Adult*

1. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
2. Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
3. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
4. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
6. Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares7. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
8. How it Ends by Laura Wiess
9. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
10.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

Adult*

1. Scarlett by Alexandria Ripley
(sequel to Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, which is also a tear-jerker!)
2. The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue
3. Unaccustomed Earth (especially the last trilogy of short stories) by Jhumpa Lahiri
4. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
5. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
6. Lighthousekeeping by Jeannette Winterson
7. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
8. The Pact by Jodi Picoult *Warning: This book is devastating.
9. Falling Man by Don DeLillo
10. The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans


Honorary Mentions*

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen
Postsecret by Frank Warren
Hold Still by Nina Lacour
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

*Surprisingly, I had a very hard time narrowing down this list, so if you are in the mood for a good cry, try any of the above.  There is something for lovers of YA and Adult Lit alike as well as some that won't break you down but will make you think about our common humanity.

Two for the Price of One

One of my favorite bloggers over at write meg! posted her response to a few questions from Musings of a Book Lover today.  Since I have been slack in the blogging area, I decided to forgo the "tagging" rules and take advantage of the Q&A to beef up my own blog.  I also managed to slip in a review of a recent read, so be sure to check out this two for one Monday.

1. Favorite ice cream flavor?
Breyer's makes this decadent Dark Chocolate Velvet that my husband and I could devour in a single sitting.  Therefore, I only purchase it for special occasions, but it is absolutely delicious!

2. What’s in your purse?
Right around Christmas, I decided to try to "simplify" my life by streamlining the things I carried with me in the car, work, and, most importantly, in my purse.  I purchased a wristlet in which I carry my main credit cards and IDs, cash, my iPod, and cell phone.  I can unattach and reattach the wrist band, so I hang my keys off of it when I am walking or in a store.  That's it!  (I keep Chapstick, hand sanitizer, and other essentials in my car, my work bag, and my desk at work, so I am never without!)

3. If you could meet one author, who would it be and why?
I have been fortunate enough to attend readings and meet some of my favorite authors like Sarah Dessen and Maggie Stiefvater, but I would love to meet Nicole Krauss, author of my favorite adult novel The History Of Love and most recently Great House.  She is a literary genius and the master of "the story within a story" plot technique.  She is also married to Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close!

4. If money were no object, what is one thing you would buy yourself right now?
Books...and then bookshelves to store them.  There are so many I want, see here for a sampling, but I am trying to read up everything I already own before adding to my collection. 

5. What do you want to be when you grow up?
A teacher and writer.  I told my mother, who taught kindergarten and first grade for 30 years, that I would NEVER be a teacher, yet some wonderful English teachers in college made me change my mind.  I have been teaching English full-time for almost two years now, and I love every minute of it!  Maybe one day, my goal of being a published author will also be realized.

6. What’s another hobby besides reading?
I don't have time for anything else!  hahaha I do like to watch NCIS, The Big Bang Theory, Grey's Anatomy, and Private Practice.  If you like crime dramas, I recommend NCIS.  If you like heart-tugging medical shows, Grey's and Practice Practice are for you, but if you are just looking for a good (and intelligent) laugh, check out The Big Bang Theory.  Hilarious!

7. Favorite recipe?
My husband will be the first to tell you I don't cook much, but my Mama's brown rice is a go-to specialty.  All it takes is one stick of butter, one cup of white Comet rice (it HAS to be Comet), two cans of beef consomme, and half an onion (optional).  Melt the butter on the stove and brown the onion.  Add the rice and coat it in the butter mixture.  In the meantime, open up the two cans of beef consomme and pour them in a casserole dish.  Add the rice, butter, and onion.  Bake covered for 45 mins to an hour (or until the rice has soaked up the juice).  Enjoy!

8. Sweet or sour?
Sweet - but not overpoweringly so.  A piece of dark chocolate at the end of the day is a perfect balance.

9. What is one movie you could watch over and over again?
Could?  How about have?  My husband and I have seen The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen thousands of time.  It is our go-to flick when we can't decide what to watch.  It has a little something for everybody - action and romance and mystery.  Bonus points for literary lovers, the main characters are based on characters from popular 19th century novels like Dracula and The Picture of Dorian Grey.  Literary asides are sprinkled throughout - have fun trying to spot them!

10. Have you ever been to a play?
I love the theater, but I love musicals especially.  The last play I saw was Beauty and the Beast, and before that, I saw a wonderful rendition of Phantom.

11. Why did you start blogging?
When I graduated from graduate school, I missed being able to "talk book."  This gave me an outlet to do so.  An unexpected bonus is that I also created a forum to discuss issues that were bothering me in other parts of my life, like the current turmoil at my alma mater.  Although I may not have as much time to read and post as I would like, I am loving every minute!

If you are in a blogging slump, feel free to pilfer this quick questionnaire for yourself, but be sure to link to your blog in the comments, so I can see your answers!

Review: The Hello Girl by Merline Lovelace

An American woman enlists in the U. S. Army as a telephone operator during WWI. While in France, her quick skill and French fluency earned the notice of her superiors as well as a dashing pilot in The Air Force. She is promoted to the coveted status of "Hello Girl," an elite sect of operators tasked to connect calls from the front lines, but when her lover's plane goes down in enemy territory, Marie makes a decision that changes the course of her life forever, a decision whose aftershocks ripple into the future causing a disturbance in the life of Lt. Annie Dunbar and her estranged husband Brian.

Despite the promise of historical romance and the gorgeous, classically styled cover, Lovelace's novel did not deliver the quality of plot and writing I had hoped for. The novel was interesting at times but fairly atypical and unoriginal. Marie was by far the most interesting and inspiring character, but even her story was downplayed in favor of Annie and Brian's "will they or won't they" relationship. Even Marie's promised act of heroism fell flat.

There was plenty of romance and passion bordering on outlandish. As her last name implies, Lovelace is a fan of over-the-top expressions of intimacy. I was expecting romance but not one that overt. I was also surprised to find I had purchased two novels. The Hello Girl is simply the cover title of the two book set, the second of which is uninspiringly titled Ex Marks the Spot. Normally I delight in two books for the price of one, but I quickly realized I was duped. Ex Marks the Spot may have a different setting, but the characterization and major plot tensions mirror almost exactly those in The Hello Girl. It's only redeeming feature is the bookstore main character Andi, see Annie above, launches. Like The Hello Girl, Ex Marks the Spot is also prone to groan inducing, and not in a good way, "romantic" cliches like "bonged like Big Ben" and "the yeasty smell of their lovemaking."

I was confused. The book's cover and synopsis did not imply the novel(s) was a bodice ripper, but then I saw, buried in the acknowledgements, the Harlequin logo. Yes, I had just read not one but two Harlequin romances. Now I don't mean to sound like a literary snob. I have read Harlequin and other trashy romances before, but I entered into them fully aware of what I was reading and with low expectations the novels did not fail to meet. These books are meant as free time wasters, best consumed on a beach with a margarita or two. Lovelace's novel(s) were masquerading as reputable historical fiction, in my eyes, and while I was entertained, I was not impressed.

Best matched with romance enthusiasts who also have a penchant for military men.