Standup Guy by STUART WOODS

 

I am a little new to Stuart Woods but my Dad's bookshelf  holds just about all of his books. So when I saw this paperback at my Rite Aid store I bought it for him because I knew he didn't have this one. But before I gave it to him, I decided to read it. Why? Because I had just finished whatever I was reading and needed something to read in bed before I turned the light out.

 

I was not disappointed.

 

The action kept up but it was also not so detailed that I thought I had to figure out the Da Vinci Code before I fell asleep or before a heavy book fell on top of my eyes and startled me back into wakefulness. But that would be a fantasy because I never fall asleep holding a book. That's just not me. And anyway how much harm could a paperback do?

 

So if you like Stuart then you will have someone that could keep the light on for you as you read a Stone Barrington novel. I know once I find a character that I like then it's a good thing.

 



SKETCHES of OLD WARRENTON North Carolina

 

I bought this book in Warrenton, N.C. at a wonderful bookstore on the main street. I was on a "day trip" with my parents and my niece. Since my parents were getting older and could not make the effort for huge trips, we had come up with a plan to take little "day trips" from our home town. It couldn't be more than 45 minutes away.

 

So we drove to Warrenton and walked around on the main street and went into some shops. But mostly we drove around in order to see all the wonderful, old homes. We let our imaginations run wild as to what life had been like and who lived there and we enjoyed fabricating our own history. I took pictures and when they were developed I made copies for my parents and put them in book for them. I included the "diary" I took that day which described our adventure.

When we left Warrenton my father said we should drive home through Wake Forest. Why? Because it would be more rustic and we could then have tea at this nice, little tea shop that mom had been to previously. In that shop were hats which were fun to try on and I bought one for my niece. She looks good in hats.

 

So this book brought me back to that day in my life and I was able to read about its true history. Believe it or not I found a reference to one of my ancestors between its pages. A Blount, of course. He had moved there from Washington in order to "give his children a better education". Warrenton, in its heyday, was known for its schools for boys and girls. Not only did they board there but also the town's children could attend as day students. There was also a horse racing track built outside of town and there was also a health spa down the road. So Warrenton was a hopping place way back when and it is fascinating to read, in this book, about the houses, the people and the institutions. Included were some old pictures of the houses, etc.

 

I really enjoyed the tour. But you would enjoy visiting that town too, I think.

The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn

 

I take pictures of all the book covers for this blog but I have to admit that I returned this book back into the library drop off bin before I realized I had not done that...so this picture is a copy from the web. My apologies.

 

 

A friend of mine asked me if I had read this book and I said "No" so I went to the library and had to put my name on the waiting list. About three weeks later I got a notice that it was in and that I could pick it up. It was coming up on a weekend. A rainy weekend. So what did I do? I picked it up and started reading it and I could not put it down.

 

The author tells facts in a parable style narrative that really caught my imagination. But the facts woven through it remained clear, look uppable on the web and fascinating. (Is 'uppable' a word or did I just make it up? Either way I like it.)

 

Do you want to know more about 911 and what it means historically, biblically, spiritually, politically? Then dive in. You won't get the grass mowed or the leaves raked and you may have to call out for pizza ... you may even have to record Outlander. Why? Because you will want to know what is happening next and what everything means, how things tie in with each other, what does it mean for you and the world you live in?

 

So don't pick this book up off the Barnes and Noble shelf or from the library counter if you have a huge honey-do list because you won't get anything scratched off and your honey will get mad and then you will be sleeping on the couch which will be ok because then you will be able to stay up all night and get to the end at which point you will be wishing it kept going.

WALDEN by Henry David Thoreau

One of the things I wanted to do this Summer was to read some classics. I picked this one up at Barnes & Noble. Then I began reading it, putting it down when a more compelling book found its way into my hands, picked it up again and and so forth all summer. I finally decided to finish it today come hell or high Walden water.

I can see why it may have fascinated people of that era when it was published because it was outside the norm of what people were striving to do which was get out of the woods! To live in a more comfortable and sophisticated world where one could enjoy prosperity and lots of food at the table. To be in society and surround one's self with others of the same feathers.

Yet here was Thoreau who longed to be in solitude and was the happiest there where gossip was something he could do without or walk into town for  it if the need arose in him to suffer its appeal. But only for a short span as if to drink at a well of superficial knowledge then turn around and go back to one's own mind where questions and answers are forever battling within and the Universe is pondered continually. Simplicity was its own reward.

My goal in reading this particular classic was to have in hand an orange marker and highlight things that would tell me of the man who wrote the lines within. What was is character? Who was he inside? What made him tick? What fascinated him and why did he go to the woods?

I did find that I may have understood him more fully and I did find out about all the animals he came to know and the kind of visitors that he liked most who would come to his cabin to exchange minds.

Some books you read again, like A Prayer For Owen Meany, but I wouldn't read this one again. Perhaps a nap would be more satisfying.

The Story of EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wroblewski

A friend handed me this book and I could not put it down. The author weaves a detailed story about a young boy, his dog and the life he lives in his unspoken world with his mother, father and uncle. This family is from a long line of dog breeders and they raise and train what they call Sawtelle Dogs. This novel takes you into the mind of Edgar and what it is like to live on this farm outside a small town during times when things were simpler but tragedy finds your door anyway.

If you are born with no voice are you heard?

I have to admit that the ending was far from satisfying. It basically stops in on itself and leaves you nowhere. It's the only thing I would change.

But I liked how the author described things in such detail and I learned from it. You could see the opened windows in the house which caught the warm summer breezes blowing the curtains out like a skirt. Feel the sweltering heat in the upper room of the barn where the dogs were kenneled. See the sun rising early in the morning when chores began and coffee was then sipped. Hear the night noises as you lay in a small bed upstairs thinking and trying to make sense of life.

So even though the ending left me hanging as over a cavern with invisible steps to take over it, caught in mid stride, it was still a great read and I think you will enjoy it. You can make up whatever ends soothes you.

Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand

 

Way to go, Elin! Another great read.

 

Folks you can't go wrong with an Elin Hilderbrand book because she always catches the subtle and not so subtle nuances that make for family functioning or non-functioning. So you are always wondering what is going to happen next.

 

In this book it is about the wedding of the youngest daughter in a family that has felt the loss of the mother who was the glue which held everything together. But can she hold this family together through this wedding even though she is no longer alive? Can the notebook she left behind replace her and get the job done?

 

You will have to pick this book up and see for yourself. I picked it up at my Rite Aid Store as I was getting a milk for my Dad. It was looming on the shelf I walked by to get to the refrigerated case and the book called my name.

 

Thanks for shouting, Elin!!

 

Read you soon.

JACKDAWS by KEN FOLLETT

This book came off of my Father's book shelf. He had at least two of them. We are honing down his doubles in his collection of his favorite authors. Plus the shelves are now more organized by author and hardback, etc.

So I brought this home with me and put it on my pile of "books to read next" and finally got to it.

I will admit that this one started off really slow and I was wondering if I needed to put it back down and start in on another book in my pile that may be more alluring and exciting right off the bat. But I plowed through the pages until the pace picked up. Then about 3/4's of the way through I think I realized that I may have read it already!

Anyway, this story is about the Jackdaws, a group of women who helped to plan and execute the destruction of a certain facility that ended up helping to turn the tide of the war. I won't go into any details because that is up to you to find out as you read. I will say and encourage you to hang in there so that you can get to the meat of the story.

That's it for this one but the book I am reading now will prove to be more interesting, different ... I have never read this author but I think I may like to learn more about her.

But you'll have to wait until I finish reading her book and then I'll tell you a bit about it.

Read on!