REVIEW: Alone by Lisa Gardner

Alone by Lisa Gardner


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I liked this book, especially after I read her afterword. I think it is neat that she named many characters after real-life friends and family.


Her plot was enjoyable with a variety of twists and turns. Some of these were more believable than others. The characters were well-developed, and I liked the way she drew out their background in small chunks here and there in believable ways. There were no long periods of introspection that seemed contrived or long chunks of "info dump" that can be either boring or distracting - or both.


All in all, I really enjoyed this and I will likely read her follow up books on D.D. Warren in the future.


View all my reviews

REVIEW: 365 Thank Yous by John Kralik

I really enjoyed this book. and I highly recommend reading it. It's not perfect by any means, but it has an authentic voice and a good message. The book is written in first person, and is a true-story based on the author's life over the span of approximately one year. It is nearing Christmas, and the author is enduring one of the worst periods of his life - financially, personally, and socially. He has lost sight of any good in his life, including his own children.

On a hike at the start of the new year, he hears a voice that basically tells him until he starts being grateful for what he has, he will have nothing else good in his life. Upon returning home, he chooses to write thank you notes to show his gratitude. It's very simplistic, and he gives a rational reason as well - using up old stationary. A few dramatic results take place - one thank you note to his own leads to that son repaying a loan (one our author had long-ago given up receiving). However, these are not the focus of the book. Even the author says he doesn't believe they are a direct result, but he does use these events to continue his mission. He also slowly begins to appreciate the things around him.

Somewhere through the middle of the book, his life is slowly improving. Some of the things make you wonder if they were really that dismal all along or was he just seeing them through the eyes of a depressed person? Suffering depression myself, I know that when I am feeling low my surrounding always seem more drab and unpleasant. I think it was that way with his apartment. When he first described it, I pictured a dour apartment in the "bad" part of town with water stains, torn carpet and all but caving in. Later, this same apartment seems to transform into a rather pleasant place to live, complete with flowers and favorable neighbors like his daughter's schoolteachers. Like most things, I think the actual truth falls somewhere in the middle. I believe it is the same with his law practice, divorce and financial matters.

Overall, this book reminds us of the importance of the simple things. A handwritten thank you note is something that appears less frequently in our society, which is so based on current technology. Emails replace handwritten letters, and text messages replace phone calls, reminding society that time is at a premium and in the rush people can forget all the things they are grateful for. The reminder of the simple art of writing a thank you note, something my mother instilled in me at a young age, is a blessing in and of itself.  In writing the thank you note, which takes time and effort, gratitude naturally flows. This book is a kind and gentle reminder of that.

For me, I plan to do my own variation of his plan. I already have an "attitude of gratitude" about most things, and most days, in my life. However, I have fallen behind on that simple thank you note. Often a phone call or email replaces the thank you note. I know that I could do better in setting aside the time and effort required. That will be one of my personal New Year's Resolutions, and one that would make my mother proud.

 **I received an advanced reading copy of this book from Librarything.com as part of their Early Reviewers program. Please see my  disclosure policy for further information.**

REVIEW: An Amish Christmas: A Novel - by Cynthia Keller**

The beginning of this book is gives us a family like many of our own: self-absorbed teenagers, their younger brother, and parents that have a solid but distant marriage. Like many couples, as they built a career and family their own relationship slowly withered away to where both are not entirely happy. Instead, they focus on achieving the perfection of "the American Dream" - the often sought but rarely achieved nexus in today's society. The husband is so desperate to provide the Dream for his family, he resorts to risking their entire savings (stealthily without his wife's knowledge) - which he ultimately loses. He can't face telling his wife right away, so he compounds his mistake by lying to her outright. The fact he destroys his teens' social status angers them, and the youngest child become more anxious than usual with all the drama unfolding around him.

With no job, home or income, the family packs up to move in with the wife's parents. It's right before Christmas, and they head north from North Carolina through Pennsylvania Dutch country. On the way, they -literally- run into an Amish farmer. With his Amish grace and acceptance, he invites the family to stay at his home until their car is repaired. Thrust into an unusual situation, each family member is confronted by the simplicity of the Amish - which makes them question their own life. Not every member arrives to peace in the same way or at the same time, but each one discovers that sometimes simple is best. And that a happy family and productive life is the real American Dream - not all the material things that replace love, hope and loyalty of family and friends.

The end of the book ends on a positive note, but I would not exactly call is "happily ever after". In this book, you know that the family will survive intact and they will ultimately succeed and be happy. However, you are also aware there will be bumps along the way. The book does not tidily push aside resentment or suddenly establish trust between two partners, all because of one "a-ha" moment. Instead, the characters clearly state that this is only a start and they will do their best from that point forward. I liked that honest assessment at the end.

I found this book to be very uplifting and an easy read. It gave me new hope, and I found it perfect for Christmas. At a time when our economy has so many families downsizing and not able to afford the excesses of past Christmases, this is a comforting book to read. For my library, it is definitely a keeper.

**I received an advanced reading copy of this book from Librarything.com as part of their Early Reviewers program. Please see my  disclosure policy for further information.**

My Chaotic Life - or, Please Let Good Health Be Around the Corner

Wow - I kept telling myself  "Tomorrow I will blog!" and update the site. Then another round of chaos would begin, and before I knew it I was falling into bed practically sleepwalking my way there. And another day would slip by without a new post.

School started off with lots of enthusiasm and promises of straight A's - which lasted until the first major test. That brought all my little angels back to Earth (and reality). At that point the real studying (and accompanying heartache after the carefree days of summer) started in earnest. So, schoolwork took up a good bit of time.

Then in September I finally saw the doctor about my ongoing fatigue and lower back pain. After a thorough exam and blood tests, we discovered that I was low in Vitamin D. Very low. So low that I am now on mega-doses of a supplement and I am being checked again next month. I was down to "12", and most people my age and gender should be at "80". I am very fair-skinned, and skin cancer runs in the family, so getting more sun (without sunscreen) is not an option considering the deficit I currently have. So, better living through chemistry it is. I am slowly feeling better, but I was told it would take a year to be "normal" again. I found it not only causes the fatigue but also "bone pain" which was creating the issue with my lower back.

I got that behind me, then my stepdaughter got kidney stones on the same day my mother had a CT scan to investigate a suspicious growth. The kidney stone was passed, but my mother failed the CT scan: diagnosis stomach cancer, Stage 2 to Stage 3. We are keeping a positive frame of mind, as the surgeon has said that he will still operate to remove the tumor after her chemotherapy whether or not it has reduced in size. She is an excellent candidate for surgery, as she is a strong and positive 78 year old lady. Trust me, I hope to have half of her energy at that age!

She starts chemotherapy tomorrow, so all good thoughts and prayers are appreciated.  I will be staying with her on and off, so my posts will likely be sporadic. At least until after Thanksgiving. Don't give up on me, as I will continue posting reviews, thoughts, and musings just not daily. Once she is cured (after all, removing all of the tumor with no other cancer present is considered cured), I will be back to regular programming.

My CSA Adventure

Things are going well with the CSA I posted about recently. I have picked up my box for a couple of weeks now, and I am very pleased with the value for the money. All the vegetables are organically grown on a local farm that is considered a "slow grower". Currently, I am paying $390 for the remainder of the growing season - which means one box and one bag a week up to the week prior to Thanksgiving. That's not too bad, considering I get a wide variety that will continue to change as the seasons change.

So far, I get one box of tomatoes a week. This contains a pint container of heirloom Roma tomatoes - a beautiful yellow. It also contains a variety of other heirloom tomatoes - purple, red, even yellow zebra. The wide range of colors and types also means a wide range of flavors - some more sweet, some more tart. Some are good for sandwiches, and some make a mean tomato sauce. With these, I usually get around 10-14 tomatoes: 3 or 4 large ones (sandwich size perfect) with the rest medium-sized. 

I have gotten a bag of okra a week, with enough to serve a family of four (smaller than my family, but perfect for my family since several members seem to think okra means a sure death by taste). I also get some beautiful squash - a few crookneck and some zucchini. One week I got a pint jar of honey. This week's surprise was a small bag of garlic - about 8 heads.

I get more eggplant than I know what to do with, so if you have any good eggplant recipes please share. I have a good recipe for eggplant parmigiana, which I love. And since I am Southern, I have mastered frying them. I am trying to eat healthier, so I tried roasting them this past week but I wasn't entirely pleased. Please share any roasting tips you may have as well. This past week I received 4 regular purple eggplant, 3 Japanese eggplant and a pint container of Thai eggplant. I had never tried the Thai eggplant, and I totally messed up making it, so I hope I get another shot at that this week.

That is all just the CSA box, which also includes other things depending on the week. This past week I also got a huge bundle of fresh basil. Between that and the tomatoes, I made a killer tomato sauce we are using the remainder of this week. I am actually getting enough that I could be canning tomato sauce by the end of the season. That is very exciting considering the cost investment. It will be paying off past Thanksgiving. 

I am actually purchasing my CSA through the USLG market that I linked to in my last post. The market also has several other items that are delicious. The black bean hummus we tried was addictive, and I have now tracked down a good recipe that mimics the flavor. Their secret is to add a tiny bit of coriander. Other things I have tried include a chocolate pecan pie (not nearly as good as it sounds), chocolate milk from a local dairy (fantastic and hormone free), goat's milk (also quite good), goat cheese (you can make all sorts of delights with it), and more. I am very pleased so far with most everything I have tried.

I'll post more as I work my way through their market and menus.