The Yellow Envelope, by Kim Dinan

The yellow envelope
Image belongs to Sourcebooks.

In May 2012, Kim Dinan and her husband sold all their stuff, quit their jobs, and headed out to travel the world. The Yellow Envelope is their story.

On the surface, Kim Dinan had it all:  a good marriage to a husband she loved, a good job that paid well, the home she’d dreamed about filled with friends and activities that she enjoyed. But inside, she wondered:  is this all there is? Kim concluded that no matter how great her life looked, she would never be truly happy if she didn’t reach for her dreams.

So, she and her husband, Brian, sold their house, quit their jobs, and set off to travel the world. Before they left, they were given a gift: a yellow envelope containing a check and instructions to give the money away as they saw fit. Through Central America, Nepal, India, and beyond, Kim and Brian encountered the world in all its splendor and squalor, overcoming obstacles to their dreams, their travels, and their marriage, as they learned the truth behind their quest for happiness—and how to give.

The Yellow Envelope is about a woman reaching for her dreams, and finding happiness along the way. The travel stories are inspiring, but not as inspiring as the way Kim goes after what she knows will make her truly happy, even in the face of overwhelming opposition. The message behind the actual yellow envelope is also life-changing and worth embracing. I recommend reading this if you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, want to travel, or simply need a change.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley.)

What I Read in March

I read 10 books in March, bringing my total for the year up to 33, about 1/3 of my goal of 100 books for the year.

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Traveling with Ghosts, by Shannon Leone Fowler. (Read to review.) This was sad, but a good read. Definitely made me want to travel.

the bone witch

The Bone Witch, by Rin Chupeco. (Read to review.) Nice fantasy read, and I’d be interesting in seeing more of the series.

if not for you

If Not for You, by Debbie Macomber. (Read to review.) I do love this author’s books, and this book is part of a linked standalone series I like. A pleasant, quick read.

YONC

Year of No Clutter, by Eve. O Schaub. (Read to review.) A funny book dealing with a not-so-funny subject. The author’s voice is fantastic.

the rules do not apply

The Rules do not Apply, by Ariel Levy. (Read to review.) I found this one just “meh,” as the author seemed to criticize everyone around her, and ignore her own shortcomings.

the orphan's tale

The Orphan’s Tale, by Pam Jenoff. (Read to review.) A dark read, but a good one, dealing with the Holocaust and circus life.

A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah. (Cultural book.) This is a memoir about a boy soldier’s life in Sierra Leone. Not for the faint-of-heart.

quests of kings

Quests of the Kings, by Robert Evert. (Read to review.) Another “meh” book. I found the main character to be a major pain, but to act like everyone else was the pain. Also pretty distant.

The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton. (Classic book.) I enjoyed this, but I know by now that Wharton’s characters don’t ever get happily-ever-afters. Not that there should be one in an affair.

Not a Fan, by Kyle Idleman. (Spiritual book.) I love Idleman’s voice. He says hard things, but his voice makes it so much easier to hear.

Walking to Listen, by Andrew Forsthoefel

Walking to Listen
Image belongs to Bloomsbury USA.

 

After he graduated from college, Andrew Forsthoefel decided to walk across America, really listening to what the people he met had to say. Walking to Listen is the tale of that journey.

Andrew Forsthoefel went out the door of his home in Pennsylvania with a backpack and a sign that read “Walking to Listen.” He’d just graduated college and was ready to start his adult life…but he didn’t know how. So, he decided to walk across America, wrestling with the hard questions he asked himself every day. Everyone he met would be his guide.

From winter in Appalachia to Death Valley in August, Andrew experienced the true breadth of American geography, but it was the people he met that truly inspired him. He met kindness and fear, diversity and prejudice as people told him their stories. He faced loneliness and fear, but love and hope carried him through his amazing journey.

Walking to Listen is the story of one man on an incredible journey, but it is more than that. The people he meets, the encounters he has are truly inspiring and bring hope for the future amidst the darkness permeating our culture. This book…sure, it’s narrative nonfiction about a journey, but it is so much more than that. The people Andrew met gave me so much hope, and made me want to reach for more. Not only does this book showcase the true diversity of this nation, but it gives a face to the human experience. I highly recommend reading this.

(Galley provided by Bloomsbury USA via NetGalley.)

Quests of Kings, by Robert Evert

quests of kings
Image belongs to Diversion Books.

Robert Evert is a professor. His latest novel, Quests of the Kings, is a young adult fantasy.

Natalie is a 16-year-old peasant girl who works every job she can find to support her mother and her siblings, but options are limited for girls in her society. Natalie is determined to make a better life for her family, and dreams of the exciting life of an adventurer. But Natalie runs afoul of Brago, one of the most famous adventurers, and finds her life in danger.

While on the run, Natalie seeks help from Sir Edris and his squire, the only ones powerful enough to go up against Brago. She joins the kings’ quest for a golden harp, and starts to feel safe with her new friends. But Brago isn’t about to let Natalie—or those she loves—off that easily.

Quests of Kings had potential. A brave young woman, working to support her family in a culture that places little value on women in general:  there’s a lot of potential there. Except Natalie comes across as being needlessly defiant, thoughtless, manipulative, and a liar. There’s a lot of action in the book, but it’s mainly due to Natalie’s thoughtlessness. When people put their lives in danger for her, she just takes advantage of them and treats them however she wants. She is not a likeable protagonist, being almost as cruel as Brago—albeit just out of carelessness and thoughtlessness than sheer evil.

(Galley provided by Diversion books via NetGalley.)

The Rules Do Not Apply, by Ariel Levy

the rules do not apply
Image belongs to Random House.

Ariel Levy is a staff writer for the New Yorker. Her newest novel is The Rules Do Not Apply.

Ariel Levy grew up watching her mother come alive for a man besides her husband, and then watching that relationship stall out after her parents’ marriage ended. It was only after the end of these two relationships that her mother—eventually—found herself. Ariel decides she will love whomever she wants—and proceeds to do that, disregarding the fact that the other woman is already in a relationship when they meet.

A few years later, Ariel is pregnant, married, and secure in her own life when she heads to Mongolia to cover a story. When she returns, she is none of those things. Reeling from her loss, she discovers her partner’s alcoholism, which is too much for her to deal with. So, Ariel must decide—once again—what she wants, so she can go after it.

The writing in The Rules Do Not Apply is solid and evocative, but the author seems to be keenly analytical of other people’s flaws…and not her own. She went through a horrifying experience, one no woman should ever have to experience, and dealing with that grief is the most honest part of this book. The rest of the novel seems more about blame and veiled criticism of others, along with some scathingly accurate cultural analysis.

(Novel provided by Random House via NetGalley.)

The Orphan’s Tale, by Pam Jenoff

the orphan's tale
Image belongs to harlequin/Mira.

Pam Jenoff is a lawyer and former government employee who now teaches law school. She is an award-winning author, and her newest novel is The Orphan’s Tale.

Noa’s family kicked her out when she became pregnant by a Nazi soldier. She was forced to give up her baby, and took a job cleaning a rail station. When a boxcar full of Jewish infants headed for a concentration camp stops at the station, Noa finds herself stealing one of the babies and escaping into the snowy night.

A German circus takes Noa in, and she’s forced to learn the trapeze to earn her keep and so she can blend in. Her presence puts the entire circus at risk, and she butts heads with the lead aerialist, Astrid, who must train her. Soon, she and Astrid forge a strong bond, as the threat to the circus looms larger, and the two women must overcome the secrets between them if they—and the rest of the circus—are to survive.

I was supposed to read this last month, and somehow skipped over it. I’m so glad I figured that out and read this! It’s a dark book, set in one of the bleakest periods of human history. World War II-era Germany was a terrifying place to be Jewish, and this danger snakes through every page of this book. The tragedies faced by both Noa and Astrid are harrowing, at best, and the way they fight to overcome them and reach for a brighter future is both inspiring and sad. This is a great read, but not for someone looking for a book that’s light or happy—despite being set in a circus.

(Galley provided by Harlequin/Mira.)

When Not Writing is the Answer

My goal for this month was to finish up the first draft of The Fall. The story is completely outlined–using my favorite, a phase outline–everything is fresh in my mind, I still like the story…but for the past few weeks, forcing myself to sit down and write has been kind of like pulling teeth.

Today, I figured out why:  the story that’s outlined, that I’ve been writing, is no longer the story I want to tell.

Don’t get me wrong, I still want to tell this story. But the story is no longer about what I thought it was about. So, I have all these little glimpses and glimmers of the other story in my head, but I don’t have my trail mapped out. I’m close to finishing the current draft, but there’s really no point, since I no longer want to tell the story.

So, I’m going to stop writing this story. Give myself a break for the rest of the month to deal with the huge, looming reports due at work. Continue outlining the Witches rewrite, but stop all of my other writing efforts as I focus on the job and school for a couple of weeks.

And bump The Fall to a bit later on my list of writing projects.

Year of No Clutter, by Eve Schaub

YONC
Image belongs to Sourcebooks.

Eve Schaub is a serial memoirist with two bachelor’s degrees and an MFA. She has written about giving up added sugar—for which her family probably did not thank her—and her newest book, Year of No Clutter, is about her attempt to fight back against a lifetime habit of keeping things.

Eve Schaub is a “clutter-gatherer.” She keeps stuff. Lots of stuff. She’s not a hoarder…but she’s close enough to see the shadows caused by the towering piles of junk. Her guilty secret is the “Hell Room;” 567 square feet of upstairs space overflowing with…stuff. Of course, she keeps it hidden away like the dirty secret it is. Eve is bad with decisions, but she decides she’s finally—finally—going to get rid of all the stuff clogging the Hell Room so her family can actually use the space.

Does she really need to save her fifth-grade report card? No. Who does that? What Eve discovers is that she’s not really keeping stuff—she’s keeping memories. If she gets rids of the things that trigger her memories, will she lose the memories themselves? From the dead mouse to the pile of family photos, Eve must go through it all, learning what’s truly important, and what is just…clutter.

I recognize Eve’s self-description of being a “clutter-gatherer.” (Not to mention her family history of hoarding. I’m looking at you, Dad. Not to mention my grandmother, who kept every plastic butter tub ever.) This is a tendency I’ve fought for years, and for the same reasons:  What if I need that someday? It has sentimental value! I can’t throw it away, it’s perfectly good! So, yes, I sympathize with Eve. Last year, when I moved, I cleaned out a storage building I’d had for years, and got rid of a lot of stuff. Including 33 boxes of books. (Yes, that hurt my heart, too. But they went to Half-Price Books at least, with a shot at a new life.)

I was expecting this book to be dry to be dry and boring (I don’t know why). Instead, I found wry wit and laugh-out-loud humor as the author delves into her memories while coming to terms with the truth about stuff…and her tendency to keep it.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley.)

 

If Not for You, by Debbie Macomber

if not for you
Image belongs to Ballantine Books.

Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times best-selling author, and has written dozens of books in her career. She also loves to knit and help others, including her Knit 1, Bless 2 program. Debbie’s newest book is If Not for You, in the New Beginnings books, a series of stand-alone novels.

Beth Prudhomme loves her parents, but she’s had enough of her loving but domineering mother. So, Beth moves to Portland, near her Aunt Sunshine, a free-spirited artist. Beth gets the job she’s always dreamed of, as a high-school music teacher, and makes new friends, including Nichole and Rocco, who set up a blind date with Sam, a tattooed mechanic. Beth is reserved and proper, Sam is rough around the edges and unconventional:  the opposite of everything Beth’s mother wants for her.

After their awkward blind date, Beth and Sam leave, thinking themselves unscathed, but Beth is in a bad wreck, which Sam witnesses. He stays to comfort her, and finds himself drawn to her hospital room…and to Beth herself. Their attraction surprises them both, and they have many obstacles to overcome. Sam has the secrets of his past, and Beth her tendency to take trying to help a little too far. And then there’s her mother…

I loved A Girl’s Guide to Moving On, a previous book in the New Beginnings series, and some of those characters show up here, which I’ve always loved. The characters in this book really make it so worth reading. Beth is fighting a lifetime of habit and trying to forge a life of her own when calamity strikes. The she must deal with an injury as well as her own faults. And Sam has spent so many years hurting that he can’t imagine not hurting. As the two of them grow—together but separately as well—the reader is privileged to watch their choices change them.

(Galley provided by Ballantine Books.)

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The Bone Witch, by Rin Chupeco

the bone witch
Image belongs to Sourcebooks.

Rin Chupeco writes books that mix fantasy with dark thrillers. The Bone Witch is her newest novel.

The women in Tea’s family are witches, but when teenage Tea raises her brother Fox from the dead—unintentionally—she learns she’s far different from the others. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, both feared and shunned by everyone she knows. Then an older bone witch arrives to take Tea and her brother far away for training.

Becoming an asha—one who wields magic—is the hardest thing she’s ever done, but Tea wants it more than anything. The intricate rituals, the esoteric knowledge, the combat training all prepare Tea for her new role. But training isn’t all that waits for Tea, and dark forces are rising in secret, set to destroy everything she holds dear.

From the book’s website: “Memoirs of a Geisha meets The Name of the Wind…” This is exactly what this book is! And since I loved both of these books, it stands to reason that I’d love this one. Which I did. I started off a bit confused, but gradually I got a grasp on everything. The cultures in this book are rich and intricate, especially the ashas’. There’s action, history, a little bit of romance, and a lot of magic…everything to keep the reader entranced until the very end. I highly recommend this book!

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(Galley provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley.)