Author Archives: Michelle

The Sunday Salon [5.19.13]

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The Sunday Salon.com

This was not my best blogging week. But it wasn’t my best anything week really. Life just seems to busy these days. I’m hoping it settles down soon. Although I’ve not had time to read more than a few pages in print this week, I did finish Kate Atkinson’s Life after Life on audio yesterday. I think I need to discuss this with someone. Takers?

I am busy getting ready for my little baby to turn ONE next weekend, but I am still in disbelief that it has actually been a year since he was born.

But then again, he is walking every where these days…

…which has led to much more baby-proofing.

We even had to start putting shoes on our Florida baby (remember when it took us months to even put him in pants?).

But we do get a few moments of calm. Every once in awhile.

And now I am off to paint some more honey pots. Have a wonderful Sunday, readers.

The Absolutist [Audiobook Review]

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Title: The Absolutist
Author: John Boyne
Narrator: Michael Maloney
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 320
Audio: 8.6 hours
Year: 2012
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Source: Library
Book Rating: 4/5
Audio Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Tristan Sadler survived The Great War. In 1919, he visits the sister of one of his fellow soldiers who was not as “lucky,” and recounts their haunting story. When Tristan, then just a boy, meets Will at training camp, he finds much more than a friend. But when they head to France to fight, they find there are greater forces than the enemy to challenge them.

My Thoughts:

I seem to be reading a lot of WWI-era books lately. Am I alone or is this an actual trend in publishing? Is WWI suddenly “popular?” Despite the plethora of WWI books, I continue to learn things with each one. And The Absolutist is no exception (hint: I learned what an “absolutist” is).

This is a story of friendship, pushed to its limits. My heart broke a little at the conclusion of this one, and I am still thinking about it weeks later. It’s a novel that makes you examine your own moral compass a little more closely.

The Absolutist weaves its tale in a non-linear fashion, and even though you know the outcome, the journey there is captivating.

PS: I didn’t realize that Other Press published the print edition of this book until I began writing this review, but now it all makes sense. Other Press has yet to let me down.

Audiobook Thoughts:

Michael Maloney has an intimate, earnest voice that works well for Tristan and his intimate, earnest story.

The Sunday Salon [5.12.13]

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Today is my very first Mother’s Day (unless you count being 9 months pregnant last year). Being a mom is the best and most difficult and most amazing and most exhausting job I’ve ever had. Happy Mother’s Day to all of you moms out there. I don’t want to get too mushy here – I’ll save that for E’s birthday later this month.

Today is also my five year Florida anniversary (or, my Florida-versary). Five years ago, my dad and I drove from Michigan to Florida with an Aerostar full of my things (Ben was already living here for a year). Some days I look I look at the sunshine, blue sky, and palm trees and and wonder, “how did I end up here?” Life is interesting.

Finally, I have a trial starting tomorrow so you all know the drill by now. I’ll be putting the blog in maintenance mode and protecting my twitter and instagram accounts for a few days. The things I do for googling jurors. Hopefully I’ll be back to my public ways by Wednesday.

The Tao of Pooh [Audiobook Review]

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Title: The Tao of Pooh
Author: Benjamin Hoff
Narrator: Simon Vance
Genre: Philosophy/Religion
Pages: 176
Audio: 2.8 hours
Year: 2012 (Original: 1983)
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Source: Library
Book Rating: 3/5
Audio Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Taoism, as embodied by Winnie the Pooh. Yep, that’s pretty much it.

My Thoughts:

Well I have had Winnie the Pooh on my brain, with Evan’s first birthday party coming up and the fact that we read Winnie the Pooh and The House on Pooh Corner as a family in the fall. So when The Tao of Pooh came up on my Armchair Audies list, it felt right.

I’d started this once before but, embarrassingly, didn’t finish the relatively tiny book. Enter, Simon Vance. I could probably listen to him read the phone book. Now, I’m not saying that the Tao of Pooh is boring. Except when it is. I really just liked the Pooh parts. The actual philosophical/religious parts I could take or leave. Just give me that cuddly old bear instead.

Audiobook Thoughts:

Like always, Vance does an excellent job. His voices for those beloved characters are spot on. This is an enjoyable listen.

TSS: April 2013 Recap

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The Sunday Salon.com

It’s May 5. Probably about time to wrap up April.

Reader

In April, I read:

  1. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg (audio) 4 stars
  2. The Absolutist by John Boyne (audio) 4 stars
  3. The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout (ebook) 2.5 stars
  4. The Elite by Kiera Cass (audio) 4 stars
  5. Drama: An Actor’s Education by John Lithgow (audio) 3 stars
  6. Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauen Graham (ebook) 4 stars
  7. Hand Me Down by Melanie Thorne (audio) 4 stars

Not a bad month, but once again the majority of my books are audio. I’ve GOT to find some time to sit down with a print book. Maybe on my new patio furniture?

I also reviewed Parlor Games; The Art Forger; The Pluto Files; Being There; The Life You’ve Imagined; and Scarlet and shared the latest on my TBR;

Dancer/Runner

I’m on hold for the moment. I’ve been having some pain in my left foot and the doctor told me I’m on injured status for awhile. So far it isn’t making me feel better, so I may just go back to running anyway. I’m sad to miss the Mother’s Day race I was going to run. The doctor also told me to buy new shoes – that part I like!

I did, however, post about my FitBit this month. I’m still trying to walk as much as possible.

Mom

Well, Evan is 11 months old and plans for his first birthday are well under way. I have no idea how this happened. He’s walking and talking (well, he says cat – or “tat”) and become a kid instead of a baby.

This month, I shared photos of Evan at the zoo and on Easter; a video of some of Evan’s very first steps; and before and after photos on our one-year home anniversary.

Scarlet [Audiobook Review]

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Note: This review assumes you’ve read Cinder, Book One in the Lunar Chronicles. If you haven’t, I strongly urge you to do so as it is fabulous.

Title: Scarlet | Lunar Chronicles #2
Author: Marissa Meyer
Narrator: Rebecca Soler
Genre: Dystopian
Pages: 464
Audio: 11.4 hours
Year: 2013
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Source: Personal Collection
Book Rating: 4.5/5
Audio Rating: 4.5/5

Summary:

The second installment of the Lunar Chronicles, while continuing Cinder’s story, introduces us to Scarlet, a French teenager living with her grandmother on the family farm.  When her grandmother disappears, a mysterious man named Wolf enters her life.

Cinder, stuck in prison but not for long, teams up with Captain Thorne, an actual criminal in possession of a space ship. She must search for the truth while remaining a fugitive from the Commonwealth and Queen Levana.

The two young women are both searching for answers and their paths are destined to cross.

My Thoughts:

At first, it was a little awkward to have Scarlet’s storylie thrown in the mix.  It takes awhile for the two stories to merge, but they do eventually. And while my heart was with Cinder, I grew to like Scarlet along the way.

Scarlet has new characters and old characters, as well as the return of one of my favorites. It felt like a middle of the series book at times, but that’s what it is so I can forgive that. We learn a little more of the backstory and I am only more intrigued.

I waited anxiously for this one and I will wait anxiously for Book Three. Cyborgs and Lunar people remains a surprisingly fascinating story.

Audiobook Thoughts:

Soler continues to excel in her narration of this series. She picks up the new characters without missing a beat and really brings the story to life.

Someday, Someday Maybe [Book Review]

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Title: Someday, Someday Maybe
Author: Lauren Graham
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Pages: 352
Year: 2013
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Source: Review copy from publisher
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Frances Banks has given herself a deadline: three years to make it as an actress in New York or she’s moving home to marry her college sweetheart and be a teacher. There are only six months left and all she’s done is one commercial. She just needs a break. And an agent. But just when things are looking up, they inevitably come crashing back down.

My Thoughts:

As many of you know, I ADORE Gilmore Girls. So when I heard that Lauren Graham had a book coming out, I was instantly interested. And a little skeptical. I love Lauren Graham, the actress, but I didn’t know Lauren Graham, the writer.

Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. After a slow start, I grew to love Franny and found myself invested in her story, cheering at her successes and sighing at her failures.

I found it somewhat predictable, like her choosing the wrong-for-her man while the right-for-her one waits in the wings. And some of her decisions frustrated me to no end. But Franny is finding herself so I guess that is par for the course (she even makes these same criticisms of a romantic comedy in the book…meta).

But overall, this was a fun, enjoyable read. Fellow Gilmore Girls fans, go right ahead and pick this one up.

The Sunday Salon: Home Edition [4.28.13]

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Yesterday, we celebrated our one year anniversary in our house. To celebrate, I thought I’d show some of the big changes we’ve made in the last year. I know I’ve shared some of these before, so I’ll be brief. I just thought this might be a fun Sunday post today.

Nursery

I talked about the nursery previously, so if you want to see more pictures, you can go here. But the after picture is what it actually looks like today, after we’ve been using it for 11 months.

Before

After

Guest Room

I did a whole post on this, too, and this one angle doesn’t show off all of the room’s cool features (like the teal wall and the color-coded bookshelves). But it does show some of the big changes.

Before

After

Lanai

The before and after shots are from opposite ends of the lanai, but I think that angle works best to see everything now. We just made these changes this week, and I am thrilled to finally be able to sit out there.

Before

After

Living room

Big changes here were the rug and the couches. We also swapped out the coffee table for this ottoman while we have an unsteady baby. It feels a lot cozier.

Before

After

One room that is conspicuously absent from this post is our own bedroom. I am hoping that by this time next year, I’ll have something to show you there.

We have done a lot more around the house to make it our own and I don’t have time to show you every picture frame we added or doorknob we swapped out. But after a year in our house, I love it even more that I did when we bought it. We’ve really made it out own and it makes me happy to look around.

The Life You’ve Imagined [Book Review]

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Title: The Life You’ve Imagined
Author: Kristina Riggle
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Pages: 352
Year: 2010
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Source: Personal Collection
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary:

Anna and Cami are both returning to their small Michigan town of Haven. Anna, recovering from the death of a friend, returns to Maeve a loving mother with a secret. Cami, a gambling addict, is forced to live with her mean alcoholic father again. Their old friend, Amy, never left, but went through a big transformation herself. In one summer, all of their lives change.

My Thoughts:

The Life You’ve Imagined is told from the alternating viewpoints of the four women: Anna, Cami, Amy, and Maeve. Each character has her own struggles, and although they relate to each other a little, the book could almost be four novellas with a common conclusion.

While I expected a story of friendship, what I found was more a story of individual awakening and reinvention. And as sometimes happens with multiple viewpoints, I had a favorite. While I could relate to others, I really loved Cami and I would have gladly read a book of her own.

Personally, I loved the Michigan setting. I can picture the fictional town on Lake Michigan clearly, and for me there is magic in a Michigan summer. This connection is what drew me to Kristina Riggle on twitter in the first place, and I now know I should have read her long ago.