Brag Alert: My Brilliant Hubby

My hubby is nearly halfway through school. He's getting his MBA, going to school and working full time at his job for a tech company. A lot of people do this; in fact, my husband is in the Professional MBA Program at Colorado State University - a program designed for students who work standard 8-5, Monday through Friday weeks. So, the fact that he's in school and continuing to provide for our family isn't necessarily what makes him so wonderful, although it definitely adds to his wonderfulness.

What makes my hubby so brilliant and wonderful is that he's carrying a near-4.0 while doing all of this. And even though work, classes, studying and homework pretty much run our schedule these days, he still does whatever he can to make sure he gets quality time with the kids and me. Most importantly, he doesn't complain about being tired, or stressed, or burnt out. He knows that furthering his education means the opportunity to do more in the world, and to continue to provide for us. It's making him a better person, even if he doesn't know it yet.

Book Review: Waking Up in the Land of Glitter

**This book review is purely my opinion of the book after having read it. I would love to start some discussions about other readers opinions. Thanks.**

This is a review of Waking Up in the Land of Glitter, by Kathy Cano-Murillo. Copyright © 2010; fiction. List price: $13.99. ISBN 978-04465-09-24-4.

Synopsis:

Star’s family-owned restaurant is known for its food and promotion of local artists. Having been raised somewhat unconventionally by her hippie parents, Star is a free spirit, flitting from one idea to the next, and lacking in follow-through. One fateful night, Star’s inability to settle down sparks a chain of events that turn her life upside down. In addition to several ultimatums delivered by her father, Star is required to chair a committee charged with creating a centerpiece for an upcoming nationally-renowned and highly attended craft show call the Craft Olympics…then, duplicate the centerpiece for each table. The committee consists of Star, her best friend and crafting addict Ofie, teen handbag designer Benecio, and local television celebrity Crafty Chloe. Therapy and self-discovery comes unexpectedly to each member through the centerpiece committee.

Analysis:

The beginning of the novel is a little tough to follow and somewhat confusing, but once more of the details are revealed, it makes sense. The characters are funny and tragic, and full of life – from Star’s hippie parents and their eccentricities, to Ofie’s husband and daughter’s unconditional love for Ofie. The shenanigans the characters get into make the reader both laugh and cringe. We feel sorry for Ofie, and guilty, because we’ve all had that moment where we realize we haven’t been a good friend to a good friend. We want to shake Star, and tell her it’s time to become a mature adult, and we cheer when she finally “gets” herself. We mentally cover our eyes at Chloe’s Janus act, and brace ourselves for the impact from her inevitable crash and burn – and grin when she picks herself back up.

Throughout the novel, the strength, dreams, fears, insecurities and skills of each character emerge; the characters learn that each has a place in the three-sided friendship. Together, the group accomplishes more than any of them thought they could, and more than each might accomplish on her own. I liked the underlying thread of the story – that friends need to lean on one another, and to love each other for who each one is as an individual and for what she brings to the group as a whole.

This novel is a fun, fast read; anyone who has any experience with making crafts will appreciate the journey that Star, Chloe and Ofie make, and the bumps they encounter along the way. I appreciated being included in a culture that is completely different from my own, yet shares some similarities. Most of all, I loved that glitter was sprinkled throughout the entire book.

Starbucks Gift Card Holder/Album

I got the idea for this from a class that was held at Capture Scrapbooking + Paper Crafting, a store in Fort Collins. Made from the cup sleeves that keep you from burning your hand on a cup of coffee, it's a cute way to give a gift card and thank someone at the same time. This was a teacher gift at the end of the school year.

Book Review: Men and Dogs

**This book review is purely my opinion of the book after having read it. I would love to start some discussions about other readers opinions. Thanks.**

This is a review of Men and Dogs, by Katie Crouch. Copyright © 2010; fiction. List price: $23.99. ISBN 978-0-316-00213-4.

Synopsis:


Hannah’s life has been defined by a childhood event – when she was eleven, her father disappeared. While the rest of her family and friends accepted that her father was dead, Hannah has refused to believe her father was not alive and well somewhere. As a teen, then as an adult, Hannah has avoided dealing with the loss of her father; instead, she acts out, pushing people away and subconsciously sabotaging her relationships. All the while, even twenty years after his disappearance, Hannah remains vigilant, sure she’ll see her father, alive and well, around the next corner. When her husband forces her to return to her family home, Hannah’s contentious relationships with her mother, stepfather, and brother are repeatedly tested by Hannah’s determination to solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance.


Analysis:


After reading this book twice, I’m still not sure how I feel about it. While I liked the overall story and characters, I felt that both needed more polish. The story did not seem as well-developed as it could have been. The characters were not explored as thoroughly as I would have liked, and the conclusion seemed a little watered down to me. Still, it was a good read.


The introductory chapter sets up the disappearance of Buzz, Hannah’s father. This chapter, written in a sort of stream-of-consciousness style, paints a picture of a close father-daughter relationship and hero worship from the memories and impressions of an eleven year old girl. The style of writing helps move the story at memory’s pace, the bits and pieces coming at the reader quickly and sometimes half-formed.


Hannah is an interesting character, although I personally didn’t care too much for her. If she were a real person, I doubt we’d be close friends – I would find her personality too exasperating, and would likely expend too much energy on the friendship with someone so self-indulgent. However, seeing her through third-party eyes, it’s obvious that she has unresolved issues that stem from her losing her father while at a critical period in her life. Her “daddy issues” have affected her relationships with men throughout her life, and she’s finally gone too far. Her husband is forcing her to deal with the problem, although it’s too late to repair their relationship.


Her relationships with her mother, Daisy, and stepfather, DeWitt, are what one would expect in this situation – having been a “daddy’s girl”, and having held onto the conviction that her father decided to leave because of her mother, Hannah doesn’t have much patience for Daisy. She views her stepfather more as a limitless platinum credit card than as a father figure. I liked how she modified her opinions of her parents as the story moved forward; this, more than anything, helped illustrate Hannah's growth. I really liked Daisy - I thought she was a hoot!


This brings us to Palmer, Hannah’s older brother. I found him an intriguing character, and actually preferred the portions of the book that were devoted to Palmer. His personality, quirks and flaws add depth to the story; although he and Hannah don’t interact a lot in the story, the influence they’ve had on each other’s lives is a solid undercurrent in the plot. I found myself wishing the author had spent more time on Palmer – he could be the main character in a story as well. At the end of the book, I felt a little cheated with Palmer’s “resolution”. It felt somewhat trite, and left me feeling that the story hadn’t stayed true to the character that the author had been building throughout the book.


All in all, I felt that the book was good, albeit rushed. I felt there was more that could have been explored, but that the author was holding back. I like the author’s humor and the raw emotion she brings to life in the characters. I would recommend this book; it would make a great beach or travel read.

Spring in the Rockies

Today is the last day of winter. Tomorrow is the Spring Equinox, which marks the first day of spring. In true form, Colorado has decided to send winter out with fanfare...and a mild snowstorm.

If you live in Colorado, you know that the weather here is forever changing. We like to keep the tourists guessing. Visiting anytime between March and May? Pack shorts and pants; you'll probably wear both. Visiting in the fall? Same deal. We really don't put our seasonal wardrobes away; we just move them to different sections of our closets.


Having lived in Colorado my (nearly) entire life, one would think I would be used to the mercurial nature of...well, nature, and for the most part, I am. This winter has been pretty atypical, with snow almost every week, and temps staying below 50* pretty much the entire winter. I'm ready for warmer weather, and for the snow to go away. Even the kids are sick of it - they told me a couple of weeks ago that they're ready for spring.


After the 68* day we had on Wednesday, 30* and snow yesterday (Friday) was almost cruel. Today is sunny, but still only around 35*. Hopefully, today marks the true end of winter and the beginning of spring...although, if I know Colorado, we could very well have a blizzard before April finally arrives. It's happened before. We just shrug, pull on our boots and get on with our day. We Coloradoans know that the weather will be different tomorrow.

Book Review: Worst Case

**This book review is purely my opinion of the book after having read it. I would love to start some discussions about other readers opinions. Thanks.**



This is a review of Worst Case, by James Patterson. Copyright © 2010; fiction. List price: $27.99. ISBN 978-0-31-603622-1.

Synopsis:


Michael Bennett, a detective with the NYPD, has a problem: children of New York’s wealthiest and most influential people are being kidnapped, but the kidnapper isn’t demanding a ransom in exchange for their safe return. Instead, the kidnapper has created his own version of “20 Questions,” and the penalty for wrong answers is death. One of the FBI’s top Abduction Specialists, Emily Parker, joins Bennett’s team, and together, they race against the clock, trying to find the victims before the kidnapper delivers the final grade. But kidnapping and murdering children isn’t all this criminal has planned; before Bennett and Parker can take him down, they will have to stop him from carrying out the final phase in his plan: bringing devastation and chaos to the entire city of New York.


Analysis:


I think most readers of suspense fiction acknowledge James Patterson as one of the best in the business. His novels are some of the best page-turners on the bookshelf; just when you’ve convinced yourself that you’ve reached a stopping point, and to finally put the book down, something happens in the book that keeps your attention. Before you know it, you’ve read three-quarters of the book, and haven’t gotten anything else in your life done for hours. The intentionally short chapters, the action, the tantalizing suspense, and the characters all seem designed to keep the reader hooked and involved in the story. How many times have you said, “Just one more chapter, and I’ll put it down,” only to find yourself unable to do so…three chapters later? This alone makes Patterson at the top of the suspense fiction game.


I didn’t realize this book was one in a series about Detective Michael Bennett when I started reading it, but I didn’t feel too left out of the character’s life. Patterson does a great job of catching the reader up throughout the story, providing just enough information about Bennett’s personal and professional life to keep the reader engaged. By the end, I had resolved to read the first two books in the Bennett series, not necessarily to catch up on the details of his life, but because the character is so endearing. The only confusing part about Bennett’s life was near the end of the book – I had assumed that his nanny, Mary Catherine, was a matronly, older woman, but learned she wasn’t. Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but in this case, it made some events and interactions seem a little strange until I figured it out.


I have a problem with male main characters in books – when they’re developed well and really well-written to the point where they seem like real people to me, I tend to develop crushes on them. I know; it’s weird. I have “book crushes” on several main characters across the spectrum; after reading Worst Case, I’m afraid I may have to add Michael Bennett to my “crush” list. But my infatuations with pretend people is a subject for my shrink to tackle; more importantly, it demonstrates that Patterson’s ability to create a character that is believable and real to the reader means that the reader becomes invested in the story. We want Bennett to win, both personally and professionally, and we want him to be a hero. We wish we could use our knowledge of the bad guy’s thoughts and activities to help Bennett – if only there was a way to get that information to him before the bad guy strikes again! We agonize over Bennett’s nearsightedness when it comes to the women in his life, and hope that he gets his love life right. We simultaneously cringe at the chaos that ensues in a house with ten children, and admire Bennett’s management of that chaos.


Our feelings about the villain in this story is, of course, based on anger and outrage, but is also tinged by both pity and a sense of our own helplessness. While we wouldn’t go to the same extremes, we can understand the kidnapper’s desire to improve the world around him. We ourselves have read the statistics about poverty, third-world conditions, the environment, and the excesses of the wealthy, and have felt a furious desire to change things. While it doesn’t excuse or forgive the actions of the kidnapper, it does make us wonder: what would we do if we had nothing to lose? Somehow, Patterson manages to bring a sort of humanity to even the villain in his story.


Overall, this book was a great read, quick and wrought with tension, with a satisfying ending and anticipation for the next in the series. Add it to your beach or poolside reading list.

Book Review: The Yellow House

**This book review is purely my opinion of the book after having read it. I would love to start some discussions about other readers opinions. Thanks.**


This is a review of The Yellow House, by Patricia Falvey. Copyright © 2009; fiction. List price: $21.99. ISBN 978-1-59995-201-7.

Synopsis:


Set in Northern Ireland in the early 1900s, the story of The Yellow House centers around Eileen O’Neill as she grows up during a turbulent time in Ireland’s history. Spanning 20 years, the story picks up during her childhood, as the family falls into poverty and tragedy sets the tone for Eileen’s struggles. Working in a mill, in dangerous conditions, she saves her money and dreams of reuniting her family in the home of her childhood, hoping to bring back happier times.


Along the way, she finds herself torn between two men, and torn by her own will and the will of others. Her family history and the current political landscape shape Eileen’s journey, and secrets and betrayals leave their mark.


Analysis:


There are books that help you to pass the time, that entertain you, and that allow you to escape your ordinary life. Then, there are books that touch your soul. These books seep into your heart and your mind, so that, upon dragging yourself from its depths, you are surprised to find yourself in your own familiar surroundings. The Yellow House is such a book.


Falvey’s gift to the reader is her rich, descriptive language. The setting of this book, Ulster, a province located in northern Ireland, is lavishly painted throughout the book. The characters come to life, vibrant and flawed, clinging to dreams and hopes. Falvey uses historic events to provide a dynamic and turbulent backdrop for the characters’ stories and personalities to unfold. We see the affect of love and loss, of war and fighting, of betrayal and hatred, each in varying forms and degress, on the human spirit. Eileen, in particular, is molded and shaped through the storm of war and prejudice that engulfs her life. From starry-eyed child to wary, and weary, adult, Eileen’s journey is a hard one.


Falvey takes us on that journey, perhaps to show us that Eileen’s tenacity and fire is vital to her survival, and to encourage us to remember that in our own journeys. We love with Eileen, we cry with her as she suffers loss and humiliation. We feel indignation on her behalf over the injustices she bears, and cringe at her fiery temper. We worry as we foresee possible repercussions of her actions and decisions, and we hope that all will right itself in the end. And in the end, we the reader leave this book remembering what it means to hope and to sacrifice. Falvey teaches us that living for a dream can sustain us through the toughest of days, and that a dream gives us a reason to keep fighting.