"Why are you so quiet?" Peter asked,his rocker creaking on the wide floorboards.
"I'm worried about my sister."
"Skye? She's getting the help she needs --- if she'll take it . . . you know it's up to her in the end."
"Not Skye. Caroline."
"Why?"
Clea's eyes filled with tears. "She's so armor-coated. Every since we were little she's been that way. So busy looking out for us, making sure Skye and I were happy and taken care of."
"She's a good sister."
"The best," Clea said.
"So why are you worried about her?"
"I want her to fall in love," Clea said.
"She will when it's time." (p. 154)
Another great book by Luanne Rice, Firefly Beach tells the story of two families: the Renwicks and the Connors. Each family has had its fill of brokenness, dishonesty, and lack of trust. Each family has also experienced loss, abuse, and silence. Now each family is finally going to come to terms with their shared history and their quest for love and acceptance.
Caroline and Joe were pen pals and friends following a tragic event one Christmas Eve when they were young children. When Joe found out about the truth as a teen, he refused to keep in contact with his friend. Now an adult, he is in Connecticut bringing up a treasure that is legendary to Caroline's community. Finally Joe and Caroline meet for the first time. With all the complexities of Caroline's family and the hidden secrets that need to be completely revealed, do Caroline and Joe have a chance at love? Will the two soften their hearts from the past and love in the future? Plenty of events occur to help these two become friends again and lovers in the future.
Firefly Beach is, of course, a love story; but, it is also a story of discovery and family. I loved the setting, the thread of different kinds of recovery that is sewn throughout the story, and the happily-ever-after... maybe ending. I recommend this book to others, especially if you are a fan of Luanne Rice as much as I am.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Sunset In St. Tropez
"Just when you think you have a sure thing in your hand, it all falls apart and you have to start at the beginning. And then when you think your life is over, it starts again and you get another chance. Maybe that's what makes life worth living." (Robert tells Gwen while staying at in St. Tropez)
I love Danielle Steel, so I was very excited to hear one of her books as an audio book. Sunset In St. Tropez has all that Steel usually offers but not as steamy. Three couples who have seemingly perfect lives plan for a joint vacation in the summer. They decide to rent a villa in St. Tropez that comes very well recommended. Then each couples' life encounters a few twists and turns before and during the vacation. The story includes infidelity, death, illness, strong friendships, and new love as well as a "gem" of a villa for the couples' vacation. Yes, the story is rather predictable but it is also heartbreaking, fun, and a pleasant read. I recommend Sunset In St. Tropez if you are looking for a shorter Danielle Steel book to read.
I love Danielle Steel, so I was very excited to hear one of her books as an audio book. Sunset In St. Tropez has all that Steel usually offers but not as steamy. Three couples who have seemingly perfect lives plan for a joint vacation in the summer. They decide to rent a villa in St. Tropez that comes very well recommended. Then each couples' life encounters a few twists and turns before and during the vacation. The story includes infidelity, death, illness, strong friendships, and new love as well as a "gem" of a villa for the couples' vacation. Yes, the story is rather predictable but it is also heartbreaking, fun, and a pleasant read. I recommend Sunset In St. Tropez if you are looking for a shorter Danielle Steel book to read.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
My Stroke Of Luck
"This accident has been a gift to me, " he (Jim MacLaren) said. I (Kirk Douglas) was shocked.
"What do you mean?" I asked quizzically.
"I consider it a stroke of luck."
"What are you saying, a stroke of luck?"
"Yes, I was lucky, it changed me. I didn't like the guy I used to be."
I looked at him in astonishment. ... Why is it that some people get stronger with adversity, while others shrink? (p. 53)
Kirk Douglas is well known for his acting, but his struggles with recovery from a stroke is what inspired this short memoir entitled My Stroke Of Luck. A book of recovery, celebration, and inspiration, Douglas writes of his experiences during recovery to let others know that this life changing experience can and will change one's life, and with healing, support, and perseverance, it could be a stroke of luck that changes one's life for the better.
Sometimes, I feel like a cowboy, slowly riding my horse, Whiskey, into the sunset. As I lope along, I think of my life; after a stroke, I made two films with impaired speech. Now I am waiting for another part to play before the sun sinks below the horizon. You can't stop an actor. Like the Energizer bunny, "he keeps going, and going, and going..." (p. i)
My stroke had led me on a great adventure and changed me into a different person --- a person whom I like.
Happiness is a temporary state. Waves of depression continue to ebb and flow, a relentless tide, no matter how hard I strive to subdue them. I have learned to live with uncertainty, to know that in life, there are no guarantees. I have learned that no matter how much you believe your house to be a safe haven, a fortress against the dangers of living, the hand of fate can pass through to touch you lightly on the shoulder, to smite you or your loved ones, to draw, with a sharp pointed line, on your cheek, from your temple to your chin.
When you feel too weak to carry your burden, look to the actions of other human beings for inspiration. (pp. 163-164)
This is the basis of the book My Stroke Of Luck: inspiration. Kirk Douglas wanted other stroke victims to know that it's not an easy path during recovery, however the actions of others can help make that path a bit easier. This memoir was a short and easy read that I definitely enjoyed.
"What do you mean?" I asked quizzically.
"I consider it a stroke of luck."
"What are you saying, a stroke of luck?"
"Yes, I was lucky, it changed me. I didn't like the guy I used to be."
I looked at him in astonishment. ... Why is it that some people get stronger with adversity, while others shrink? (p. 53)
Kirk Douglas is well known for his acting, but his struggles with recovery from a stroke is what inspired this short memoir entitled My Stroke Of Luck. A book of recovery, celebration, and inspiration, Douglas writes of his experiences during recovery to let others know that this life changing experience can and will change one's life, and with healing, support, and perseverance, it could be a stroke of luck that changes one's life for the better.
Sometimes, I feel like a cowboy, slowly riding my horse, Whiskey, into the sunset. As I lope along, I think of my life; after a stroke, I made two films with impaired speech. Now I am waiting for another part to play before the sun sinks below the horizon. You can't stop an actor. Like the Energizer bunny, "he keeps going, and going, and going..." (p. i)
My stroke had led me on a great adventure and changed me into a different person --- a person whom I like.
Happiness is a temporary state. Waves of depression continue to ebb and flow, a relentless tide, no matter how hard I strive to subdue them. I have learned to live with uncertainty, to know that in life, there are no guarantees. I have learned that no matter how much you believe your house to be a safe haven, a fortress against the dangers of living, the hand of fate can pass through to touch you lightly on the shoulder, to smite you or your loved ones, to draw, with a sharp pointed line, on your cheek, from your temple to your chin.
When you feel too weak to carry your burden, look to the actions of other human beings for inspiration. (pp. 163-164)
This is the basis of the book My Stroke Of Luck: inspiration. Kirk Douglas wanted other stroke victims to know that it's not an easy path during recovery, however the actions of others can help make that path a bit easier. This memoir was a short and easy read that I definitely enjoyed.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Year Of Wonders
... and then he gave a great sigh. "How strange it is, Anna. Yesterday, I have filed in my mind as a good day, notwithstanding it was filled with mortal illness and the grieving of the recently bereft. Yet it is a good day, for the simple fact that no one died upon it. We are brought to a sorry state, that we measure what is good by such a shortened yardstick." (p.195)
Not my usual choice in subject matters to read, Year Of Wonders: A Novel Of The Plague by Geraldine Brooks is an interesting story of a village in England during the period of time when the Great Plague brought devastation to its country. The people of the Derbyshire village of Eyam decide to quarantine themselves from other communities with hopes of minimizing the spread of this horrid illness to others. However, no person is not touched in some way by the effects of this decision.
Based on a true story, Year of Wonders tells this story though its main character Anna. A young adult who loses both family members and friends to the Plague, Anna works hard in her village, along with their pastor Michael and his wife Elinor, to keep the community together and functioning. Balances of love and hate, trust and distrust, science and religion, and fear and bravery are all tested during the year of quarantine. Much is lost, but Anna finds a new direction and strength within herself as she struggles day by day to just survive physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed Year Of Wonders. I am not usually a big fan of historical fiction, but this one definitely grabbed my interest a quarter of the way through the book. I found the struggles interesting, found myself supporting Anna's changes and growth as a character, and found the ending a unique way to conclude an intense storyline. I recommend this book to others who enjoy historical fiction, particularly England in the 1660's when the Great Plague was such a threat.
Not my usual choice in subject matters to read, Year Of Wonders: A Novel Of The Plague by Geraldine Brooks is an interesting story of a village in England during the period of time when the Great Plague brought devastation to its country. The people of the Derbyshire village of Eyam decide to quarantine themselves from other communities with hopes of minimizing the spread of this horrid illness to others. However, no person is not touched in some way by the effects of this decision.
Based on a true story, Year of Wonders tells this story though its main character Anna. A young adult who loses both family members and friends to the Plague, Anna works hard in her village, along with their pastor Michael and his wife Elinor, to keep the community together and functioning. Balances of love and hate, trust and distrust, science and religion, and fear and bravery are all tested during the year of quarantine. Much is lost, but Anna finds a new direction and strength within herself as she struggles day by day to just survive physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed Year Of Wonders. I am not usually a big fan of historical fiction, but this one definitely grabbed my interest a quarter of the way through the book. I found the struggles interesting, found myself supporting Anna's changes and growth as a character, and found the ending a unique way to conclude an intense storyline. I recommend this book to others who enjoy historical fiction, particularly England in the 1660's when the Great Plague was such a threat.
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