Shana no mama

Book # 91 If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother, by Julia Sweeney

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 15:16:00 -0400

This was funny and cute. It is a collection of essays and it read so smoothly that I didn’t even realize they were compiled until the end, when it got choppier. Sweeney has an adopted daughter from China and a husband that came in just that order. I guess it is an example of “do what you love and the rest will follow.” Amusing, light, but somewhat inspirational as well. And yes, I admit the title did grab me!

Working on a set of these in an attempt to use up scraps.

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 09:39:11 -0400

Working on a set of these in an attempt to use up scraps.

Book # 90 My Promised Land, by Ari Shavit

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 09:57:18 -0400

I was excited to receive an ARC of this book, but a little daunted at the fact that I had to read it. Usually, I skim over introductions, but this one grabbed me right away and got me hooked. Kudos to the author for that.
If you’re old enough to remember the words of Walter Cronkite saying, “And, YOU were there!” then I can tell you that this truly is living history. It’s like being in the middle of a movie because the author paints such a good picture of the events he chooses to tell the history of Israel. It comes alive, and really isn’t that what you want when you start to tackle a long history book?
I also appreciate the author’s perspective. As a Jew, I’ve had more than a niggling doubt about Israel. I feel the author tackled it nicely—blending history with the here and now—both realities.
And you’ll never eat a Jaffa orange again without thinking about this book! I highly recommend this to both Jews and historians.

Book # 89 Reconstructing Amelia, by Kimberly McCreight

Sun, 26 May 2013 09:37:36 -0400

This is one of these books where “stunning debut” is an apt description. The author did a great job of creating mystery amidst high school girl culture, and the angst of a mother who has lost her daughter. The format was also varied and fit the theme. It’s a long book with a lot going on, but it was hard to put down. There are some unpolished edges and some unresolved loose ends as the book winds down, but they don’t detract from the book that much. I’d definitely read—and look forward to—another book by this author.

Book # 88 The Interestings, by Meg Wolitzer

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:49:10 -0400

This book starts out during the summer of 1974 with six teenagers at an artsy summer camp. It’s that time of life when you both know you are more special than anyone else, but simultaneously doubt yourself. Wolitzer does a great job in creating characters that are very human and not quite 100% loveable because their failings are right out there to see. In other words, they could be anyone you know. It’s a very long book, and I wondered if it might not be too long. The ending piddled out a bit. But it is an engaging read and if you were a teenager in the summer of 1974 then you’re going to like this book. It will stay with you.

Book # 87 A Tale for the Time Being, by Ruth Ozeki

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:34:08 -0400

So, Ruth Ozeki just expanded my world. It took me an unusually long time to get through this book. I loved the format, but it almost requires a commitment on the part of the reader. I committed, and then I got more and more drawn into it. There’s no reason for me not to love this book because first of all it is about Japan, and second of all, it is extraordinarily well written. It’s meant to be savored, but it also has a pretty strong hook to it with the mystery of Nao, the writer of the diary that Ruth has found washed up on the beach. (Also, intriguing to me, was the question of how much of this is really the author. Disclaimer here: I knew her when we were both 20 years old and spending a year abroad in Kyoto.)

This book might be challenging for someone who doesn’t know anything about Japan, and it has a heck of a lot of charming footnotes (with good reason and not just for the sake of adding something). Will the use of Japanese words be a hindrance for some? If I were to read the same book but the place was Peru rather than Japan, could I have stuck with it? I think so. There is a lot packed into this book. It could have been a few books. I think this is what is meant when a book is described as a tour de force. Bravo, Ruth! Highly recommended if you want to read something significant and life-expanding this year.

Sunday Morning Quilting Because I needed some small place mats...

Sun, 12 May 2013 10:33:00 -0400

Sunday Morning Quilting

Because I needed some small place mats for my narrow table, and I wanted to play with different ways to quilt. I still like straight line quilting the best, but it is time consuming. But these are cheerful and summer-oriented— and perfect for my kitchen table. I hope they inspire me to cook something!

Book # 86 Strong in the Rain, by Lucy Birmingham and David McNeill

Sun, 12 May 2013 08:43:00 -0400

I highly recommend this book if you want to know more about the tsunami and earthquake in Japan. Of the books I’ve read on this topic, this one stands out. It is well written, gripping, authoritative, and humane. It is sobering, but not without hope. This is one of very few books that I would go back and read again because there is a lot to absorb and think about.

Book # 85 Best Kept Secret, by Jeffrey Archer

Sun, 05 May 2013 11:45:53 -0400

This is a quick read as most of his books are. This is also the third in a series and a saga. I found this one to be a bit light, but his series are addictive and can be counted on to be absorbing. If you like a saga that takes you through British history then you should start with the first one and get involved. This one is probably the least complex of the bunch, but the story keeps going and going…. now I just have to wait for the next one.

Book # 84 The Mothers, by Jennifer Gilmore

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 11:48:05 -0400

This book is well written and if you’re interested in adoption it is a very good read. That said, the main character is a little whiny and self-absorbed, but isn’t that what you’d expect from a woman living in Brooklyn who had a Jewish upbringing and is a college professor, and married an Italian man she met on a trip to Italy? It is hard to like her, though easier to feel for her. Her agony rings through as true, and you have to sympathize—if not with her, for her situation. The ending is weak, and expected, and kind of like the author herself was fed up with her character and wanted to simply put an end to the book.

Japanese alphabet (hiragana) quilt for my grandson for his very...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 10:00:00 -0400

Japanese alphabet (hiragana) quilt for my grandson for his very first Boy’s Day. It has a very retro-Showa feel to it. You can find the pattern for this at: http://www.etsy.com/listing/49838159/pattern-japanese-alphabet-quilt?ref=shop_home_active.

Book # 83 Airtight, by David Rosenfelt

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:39:08 -0400

I read it. I liked it. It did not disappoint. What else is there to say? He’s a wonderful writer in this genre and if you need some distraction with a good tale, this is it. Either you like thrillers or you don’t. Ending is predictable, but getting there wasn’t.

Book # 82 The Secret of the Nightingale Palace, by Dana Sachs

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 10:04:00 -0400

I’ll read anything Japan-related, and this book promised a Jewish grandmother as well as a road trip, so I figured I’d like it. And I did. It was a little odd in parts and it took me awhile to engage fully. I think in some ways the author tried to stuff too much into one book. You’ve got a grandmother and her granddaughter driving from New York City to San Franciso on a mysterious mission. Grandmother is haughty and granddaughter is mourning a husband who died of leukemia. The parts of the book on her husband and his diagnosis are painful—not in the usual way, but because it was all very ugly. The story goes back and forth between the present and the 1940’s when grandma was living in San Francisco and was involved with Japanese-Americans there.

Not everybody’s cup of tea, but an interesting read.

Book # 81 Facing the Wave: A Journey in the Wake of the Tsunami, by Gretel Ehrlich

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:16:00 -0400

What an exquisite book! This is the rare book that I will read over and over because there is so much content, and so much to absorb. You could read it for the information, the writing, the philosophy, etc.

When I first picked it up I was a little afraid, and had some thoughts about whether “Disaster Lit” was a genre I really wanted to engage with. But, as a dedicated Japanophile, I always read anything about Japan, and though there have been some accounts of the tsunami, they have mostly been hastily and sloppily written. Ehrlich’s book is the antidote to that. The writer both knows Japan and how to write. I had not read her books, and I’m not much of a nature reader, but this is simply lovely. It also includes a lot of information that I had not heard, or had not thought about in the wake of the tsunami. Highly recommended.

Book # 80 Scratchgravel Road, by Tricia Fields

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 17:35:55 -0400

I liked it. This is a mystery set in a small town in Texas. It has all the ingredients—a cool main character, a troubled teen, environmental issues, and border drama. Definitely an author to follow and a series to follow.

Book # 79 Strawberry Yellow, by Naomi Hirahata

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 11:03:00 -0400

This is an engaging read. I’ve read the other Mas Arai mysteries, and I think this one is the best of them all. I see the author continuing to improve, and biting off new challenges. Mas is a great character and you can’t help but get pulled into his life and wonder what is next for him.

It was also very interesting to get a glimpse of strawberry history in California and a look at the food industry. Lots of Japanese in this book, used authentically as an Issei would use it. A quick and enjoyable read.

Book # 78 Russ & Daughters: Reflections and Recipes from the House that Herring Built, by Mark Russ Federman

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:44:20 -0400

If you’re Jewish, do yourself a favor and read this. If you’re a New Yorker, read it. If you need something warmhearted and written in an honest voice, read this. And if you like smoked herring, don’t miss it.

A sweet memoir of a shop on the Lower East Side. It reads well and Federman’s life choices are telling and relevant to today’s world. Disclosure: I’m Jewish, but I don’t really like Jewish cooking, but I loved this book!

Another quilt for my grandson who needs infant stimulation...

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:10:45 -0400

Another quilt for my grandson who needs infant stimulation (black and white) and something to spit up on. This will do!!

Book # 77 The Gods of Heavenly Punishment, by Jennifer Cody Epstein

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 20:15:00 -0400

This is the type of book that I get really excited about and love to read. But I’m also pretty critical of a book on Japan. First of all, my copy (from the library) had repeated passages—as if the editor had changed certain passages and then forgotten to do some deleting. I hope future editions get this fixed, because it is confusing. Secondly, my favorite gripe about authors who use Japanese and do it poorly. Epstein doesn’t have very many blatant mistakes, but they are there and they detract from the reading experience if you understand Japanese. This is strange since she credits a translator in her acknowledgments. How could these mistakes have happened?

All that aside, it is a story with intertwining characters which takes place during WW2 and after. The story line works well, and it is clear she did some amount of research. There are some great descriptions. But it really just hit the surface. For example, one of her characters was learning karate in Tokyo, before it would have been known and/or popular. But I am probably one of the few people who will read this book and nitpick away at it. However, it does bring home what they say about knowing what you write and writing what you know. As a historical novel, most people will enjoy this very much.

Book # 76 Touch & Go, by Lisa Gardner

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 07:08:51 -0400

This was just what the doctor ordered for me, because I’ve been so busy at work that I hardly have time to read. Gardner can be counted on to deliver, and she nailed it with this one. Tight writing, great plot, and a nice set of characters including the return of Tessa (if you’ve read her previous books, you’ll know.) If you want to be immersed in a book but be a little challenged by the plot this is the perfect read.