Month: December 2019

What’s Ashley Reading?: Elevation

Elevation by Stephen King

First line: Scott Carey knocked on the door of the Ellis condo unit, and Bob Ellis (everyone in Highland Acres still called him Doctor Bob, although he was five years retired) let him in.

Summary: One day Scott Carey noticed that he was losing weight but that his body was not changing. Each day brought on another weight loss. Even when he was holding something the weight was the same or less each day. There is no explanation for this strange occurrence. He has no interest in being a science experiment.

And this is not the only troubling part of Scott’s life. He has a small feud with his neighbors. They keep letting their dogs use his yard as a bathroom. While Scott tries to mend fences he learns that sometimes it takes more than just a kind word or an apology.

My Thoughts: This is such a sweet little book. The story is creative and uplifting. It is unlike most of King’s other works. It shows that he has a range of talents in writing. I sped through it in just a few hours. At the end I had to sit and reflect on the story for a bit to completely appreciate the story. I was not sure how it was going to end. I was a little shocked, saddened and happy with the ending. It was not what I was expecting at all.

I loved how the relationships changed in the story. How the characters evolved as the tale progressed even changing their prejudices. This is a wonderful read for anyone who likes a good story. If you need a quick book to finish off your reading goal for 2019 this should be it!

FYI: No ghosts, horror or mad dogs.

Random Reading Thoughts: I didn’t meet my 2019 reading goal

How many of you track your annual reading? Do you keep a reading journal or do you track on a digital site like Goodreads? I use Goodreads to track my reading, and I love to set a yearly goal to see if I can reach it. This year my goal was to read 60 books. That’s a little more than a book a week, and a goal I have hit before.

Cover of Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening
Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” which is a beautiful picture book.

But this year, it just didn’t happen. When I first realized I wasn’t going to hit my goal I was pretty dejected. But the more I think about it, the more I realize it’s OK. I still read 50 books this year — and there are still two weeks for me to finish another book or two. And then I started thinking about why I didn’t hit my goal and realized that it was (mostly) other good things that kept me busy.

I started quilting a few years ago, and I did more sewing this year than I have done in a while. I relish the time I get to spend at my sewing machine creating things. I often listen to an audiobook while I sew, but sometimes I just enjoy the whirring sound of the needle moving along through the fabric. This took away from my regular reading time this year. As did some other things.

Cover of Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
The first book I read in 2019 was “Bel Canto,” by Ann Patchett. It’s one of my favorite books and was a reread for me.

And I’m happy with the books I read. I read some I loved and some that were just pretty good. I added some new titles to my list of favorites and I revisited some old friends. According to Goodreads’ “My Year in Books,” I have read 17,752 pages in those 50 books as of Dec. 18. The shortest was 32 pages, a picture book of Robert Frost’s “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening.” The longest? “11/22/63” by Stephen King, which was incredible on audio.

So what’s your goal for 2020? A number of books read? Reading one more book than you read last year? Focusing on a certain genre? Reading for a challenge? Tell us in the comments if you set a reading goal and what it is. I’m still trying to decide what my reading in 2020 is going to look like.

What’s Ashley Reading?: Holidays on Ice

Holidays On Ice by David Sedaris

First line: I was in a coffee shop looking through the want ads when I read, “Macy’s Herald Square, the largest store in the world, has big opportunities for out-going, fun-loving people of all shapes and sizes who want more than just a holiday job!  Working as an elf in Macy’s Santaland means being at the center of the excitement…”

Summary: In his holiday collection of essays, David Sedaris covers topics from his time as an elf in Santaland at Macy’s, holiday traditions in other countries and his family’s traditions.

My Thoughts: I am not one who looks for holiday books to read at Christmas time.  But this book is the exception.  Ever since I was introduced to this collection I was hooked.  I listen to it every year.  I love to hear about his time in Santaland. It is my favorite part. But I do enjoy when he questions people on his travels about their local traditions. I wish I would have thought about this while traveling abroad.

It is best enjoyed as an audiobook.  David reads it himself which adds an extra bit of wonderfulness to the stories.  No one can deliver the lines like he can.  I laugh every time I hear it.  I was so happy to find that it is available on Hoopla, so I can listen to it whenever I want!  If you are looking for something funny for your annual holiday read than this is my recommendation.

FYI: If you are easily offended then this may not be the book for you but we do have lots of other Christmas titles available on our displays!

What’s Ashley Reading?: I Found You

I Found You by Lisa Jewell

First line: Alice Lake lives in a house by the sea.

Summary: When Alice notices a man sitting on the beach behind her house in the rain she wonders what he could be doing there but decides not to get involved. Several hours later he is still sitting there. When she takes out a coat to the man she starts to talk to him and learns that he has lost his memory. With no idea who he is or how he ended up on the beach, Alice invites him to stay in her guest house for the night.

Lily Monrose has been married for three weeks. Her husband loves her very much but one night he does not come home. The police look into who he is and where he might have gone. As they search they discover that her husband, Carl Monrose does not exist. Lily is determined to find her husband and get some answers.

My Thoughts: I enjoy everything I have read by Lisa Jewell. Her books have a fun mystery with twists and turns. The story always moves along quickly with intriguing characters and situations. However, I was a little disappointed in this one. I enjoyed the story but it was really predictable. I kept hoping that the ending would have an OMG moment like her newest books have had but it did not. It wrapped up nicely and everyone ended up “happy”.

I did enjoy the characters and the events of the book. I really liked the flashbacks to 1993. It was dark and disturbing. It was the typical Lisa Jewell. Maybe I need to stick to her newer books rather than trying some of her older ones. But if you like a good story than this is one.

FYI: We have an audio version available on Hoopla.

Lit Pairings – My Life in France

My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud’homme

The bestselling story of Julia’s years in France—and the basis for Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams—in her own words.
Although she would later singlehandedly create a new approach to American cuisine with her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her television show The French Chef, Julia Child was not always a master chef. Indeed, when she first arrived in France in 1948 with her husband, Paul, who was to work for the USIS, she spoke no French and knew nothing about the country itself. But as she dove into French culture, buying food at local markets and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu, her life changed forever with her newfound passion for cooking and teaching. Julia’s unforgettable story—struggles with the head of the Cordon Bleu, rejections from publishers to whom she sent her now-famous cookbook, a wonderful, nearly fifty-year long marriage that took the Childs across the globe—unfolds with the spirit so key to Julia’s success as a chef and a writer, brilliantly capturing one of America’s most endearing personalities.

One night a few weeks ago I decided to snuggle up and re-watch “Julie and Julia”, and I realized although I had thoroughly read Julia Child’s cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” I had never read “My Life in Paris”. Luckily I work at a library and we had a copy available. I’ve never been much of a nonfiction reader and thought I’d probably just skim through it but after the first chapter I was hooked! What an amazing life Julia and her husband Paul had! Not only did they have the opportunity to travel and live in several amazing spots, but they were both incredibly intellectual and artistic people.

As you can imagine this book is FILLED with amazing food. Not just Julia’s recipes but also a vivid account of all the amazing meals she and Paul ate during their travels. As in the movie one of Julia’s first meals she has in Paris is Sole Meuniere.I’ve had this dish in a restaurant, and I’ve made it at home and it’s so delicious. I don’t think you can talk about Julia’s recipes without including her Boeuf Bourguignon. I think this dish would be perfect to make during these cold winter months. To end your meal I think you should do what Julia says they do in France and finish with a Cheese Plate.

As Julia would say – Bon Appetit!

What’s Ashley Reading?: Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

First line: On the second day of December in a year when a Georgia peanut farmer was doing business in the White House, one of Colorado’s great resort hotels burned to the ground.

Summary: Danny Torrance was five years old when his life changed. He has spent years trying to hold back the psychic power called “the shining”. Many of those years were spent as a drunk barely surviving as he drifted from place to place until he stops in a small New Hampshire town. He receives a chance by several local men, giving him a new lease on life. As he cleans up his life he finds his purpose in live, working at a hospice, helping the patients pass on earning the nickname Doctor Sleep by the staff.

But when he starts to receive messages from a little girl who also has “the shining” he finds his world once again turned upside down. As he and Abra learn more about this mysterious group of nomads looking for people like them, they have to figure out how to stop them once and for all.

My Thoughts: I love this book! It is completely gripping from the very beginning. We all know the story of the The Shining. It is one of Stephen King’s most famous novels. This is the continuation of that and it does not disappoint. I read this while tightly gripping the pages. With every page things went from bad to worse.

King does an amazing job providing imagery for his readers. I could easily picture the ghostie in the bathroom, Rose the Hat and Teenytown. He can build a story slowly but make it so engrossing that you cannot stop reading.

I enjoyed finding out what happened to Danny after the events in Colorado. I felt for him as he tried to quiet his demons. I loved his interactions with the patients at the hospice. There were several twists that I never saw coming and I literally gasped as I read them. This book will leave you on the edge of your seat and keep you wanting more.

FYI: Now a movie starring Ewan McGregor! I cannot wait to see it.