Book Nook: The Weight of Small Things

I really do hate admitting that I didn't enjoy a book.

I often find myself in the book section of Target reading over some of the new releases or "interesting reads."  Which is exactly where I found this time-sucker... With that being said, Sherri Wood Emmons' THE WEIGHT OF SMALL THINGS was painful to get through.

 

I WANTED to like this book and I TRIED to like this book, but I just couldn't bring myself to get into it.  I had to force myself to get through the book just so I could finish it and move on to another one.  Harsh? Nah... I found this book utterly predictable, boring, cliched, and all the other words that you could use to describe a poorly written book.  

I was intrigued by the main character, Corrie, suffering from not being able to get pregnant.  I was wary when I read something about an old fling coming back into the picture, but bought the book used on Amazon anyway.  And thank goodness I bought it used and not full price!

To sum up the book in as few words as possible:

Corrie is married to "perfect" Mark and they can't get pregnant.

Corrie's best friend, Bryn, finds out she's pregnant by her loser boyfriend, Paul.

Corrie is still hung-up on her college boyfriend, Daniel.

Daniel left Corrie long-ago, and Corrie then found out she was pregnant.

Corrie had an abortion without telling Daniel.

Daniel comes back into the picture after a class reunion.

Corrie flies out to LA to "interview him for an alumni magazine article."

Corrie and Daniel sleep together.

Corrie finds out she's pregnant and isn't sure if it is Daniel's or Mark's.

Corrie tells Mark and he divorces her.

Bryn leaves Paul and moves in with friend, Bob, who is going through a divorce.

Corrie finds out she's is having Daniel's baby.

Bryn and Bob begin dating.

(Asleep yet?!)

Corrie's sister is in an accident and Daniel supports her through it.

 There is a tornado and Corrie goes into early labor.

Daniel flies back out to be with Corrie.

Corrie has the baby early, but it's fine.

Bryn then has her baby.

Bryn and Bob get married.

Mark misses Corrie.

Daniel promises to be with Corrie and their baby.

Corrie chooses Daniel.

Yea, been there, done that, right?!  The whole story was predictable and totally done before.  Not a single character was likeable, not even Bob's kids from his previous marriage.  I know - ouch!  I realize how terribly harsh I'm sounding, but I really think this book was a hugeeeee waste of time.

Dear Martha Beck...

I realize it has been an EXTREMELY long time since I have posted on my blog.  I hope to justify whatever reasons I have for it in another post, but I felt very compelled to write this particular post as soon as possible.

Since I haven't updated my reading list in what seems like a decade, you wouldn't know that I have steamrolled through numerous books since July and am now reading EXPECTING ADAM by Martha Beck.  You can read more about the book by clicking HERE.

Martha Beck (according to the back of the book) is "a writer, life coach, and columnist for O, the Oprah Magazine."  She also has 3 Harvard degrees, a handful of best-seller books, and 3 children.  While she currently lives in Arizona, Beck is originally from Provo, Utah.  Upon her mentioning this in the book, I felt immediately bonded to her under the assumption she was Mormon (like me) and shared the same values that I have as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  As I read on, I realized my naive assumption couldn't have been further from the truth...

You see, Martha grew up in Provo and was a member of the LDS church.  Somewhere along the line, however, Martha left the church... and decided to write a book about it (ah, freedom of speech at its finest!); apparently, that heart-warming best-seller is called LEAVING THE SAINTS: HOW I LOST THE MORMONS AND FOUND MY FAITH.  (Side Note: If only I had paid closer attention to the back page of the book where this tid-bit was advertised before buying Expecting Adam, I would have saved myself a lot of grief and money.)  Now, I have not read more than a blurb about Beck's book LEAVING THE SAINTS, nor do I intend to.  She makes it very clear she desires no continued affiliation with the church or the people of Utah by referring to both as a "bubble" of "religious fanatics"  quite often.  And, so, after I finish this book, I don't desire to have any continued affiliation with her either.

However, what compelled me to write this post so abruptly is not the irony of Ms. Beck calling herself a "life coach" when she willingly abandoned the tools/ability the LDS church provides to actually UNDERSTAND and FULFILL the meaning of life as intended by our Heavenly Father... but instead, my desire to write this post stems from a happening in one of the chapters.  In chapter 11 of this book, Beck and her toddler daughter are saved from their apartment stairwell when a downstairs refrigerator catches fire.  During their decent from the 10th floor, a pregnant Beck is overwhelmed from smoke inhalation and no longer has the strength to continue on.  Miraculously, she feels the strong grip of a firefighter who leads her to safety into a nearby parking lot.  Afterwards, Beck searches for the man who saved her, but cannot find him among the many firefighters that were called to the scene that day.  The following day, Beck sees a classmate's copy of the Boston Herald that displays Beck and her daughter front and center, emerging from the smoke-filled building.  Oddly enough, they are alone.  The man that Beck felt and testified of helping her out of the building at that exact moment is not there - he never existed!

At this moment, I smiled in my mind because I was thinking, "Finally.  Now she will recognize the protection and influence of angels and of the Spirit in her life.  She can't possibly continue to deny it now!"  I read on to the beginning of the 12th chapter and begun to see excerpts like "paranormal assistance," "the 'Something' that helped me down the staircase," and "supernatural beings and protectors."  If Matt had not been quietly researching .22 revolvers next to me in bed, I would have threw the book across the room and utterly LOST it.  Instead I politely discussed it with him and continued to read.  

In the opening paragraphs of chapter 12, Beck doesn't abandon her "anti-Mormon" writing style and continues to project her misunderstood ideas and values (the same ideas and values, I assume, she teaches to the idiotic saps that PAY for her "life coach" experience) onto the reader.  Below are a few of my favorite quotes by dear Martha Beck"

"How many times a day does some poor hapless human REALLY NEED a good supernatural protector and fail to get one?  People are tortured and killed and raped and pillaged on a daily basis, and if there are angels in the vicinity, they apparently just sit around watching - wringing their ectoplasmic little hands, perhaps, but letting nature take its course."

NOTE:  I can only imagine what happened in Beck's early life that lead her to be so cynical and hopeless in her faith and in her faith of angels, but I hope she is able to find peace.

Oh, and here is my favorite excerpt... pay special attention to the bolded statements:

"A great deal of human energy, including mine, has been spent trying to figure out why some people get help from angels and some get lobotomized by flying debris from freak wheat-threshing accidents.  Religious people always seem to have simple formulas to explain this.  If you're very, very good, say the formulas, you can avoid the gods' disfavor and court their assistance.  If you sacrifice a goat, you will be blessed.  If it's the wrong goat - say, one with a gimpy foot - you will be smitten with a pox.  If you join the right church, you will live long and prosper; if you leave it, you are consigned to eternal misery.  Believe me, you don't grow up in Utah without hearing a great deal of this sort of reasoning.  But none of the causal connections I have heard preached by any religion fits the facts as I see them.  All I can say for sure is that whatever supernatural beings are operating around us, they are working from a priority list that is different than mine."

All I can say to that, Martha Beck, is THANK GOODNESS they are working from a priority list different from yours!  I'm sure you must be exhausted from pondering the meaning of life and divine intervention with your 3 Harvard degrees in sociology of gender, but, honey... what you're trying to answer for the world here isn't part of your job description.  There is someone else WAY more equipped to answering our questions and He WILL answer them... to those who are willing and able to accept and listen to Him.  Let me make it easy for you: Study the scriptures - the Bible, the Book of Mormon, etc.  Pray in faith.  Go back to the church which you abandoned and simply LISTEN.  Ignorance isn't bliss.  You will receive answers; I can PROMISE you that.  How do I know this so surely?  Because I was there before, right in your shoes.  I doubted and scoffed at the idea that these so-called "supernatural beings" existed and that there was a Heavenly Father that loved me and knew me.  But, surprisingly enough, I didn't need a mortal life coach to see the plan which these "paranormal beings" have for me, I needed to truly know and love them all in return: Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - the greatest "life coaches" of all.  The blessings that have been given to me and brought to my attention since accepting their existence and their love and the LDS church are absolutely astonishing, and I hope and pray that my loved ones who have not yet accepted all of these things will one day be able to also.  And I also pray that Martha Beck will be able to accept these truths and love again.

Needless to say, this book is and will be difficult to continue to trudge through now with Beck the "all-knowing" life coach spewing her opinions on how religion (or lack thereof) SHOULD be, but I am dedicated to reading the remaining knowledge that she does have on other subjects, such as pregnancy, child birth, and raising a disabled kid.

Book Nook: Mockingjay

I have finished the Hunger Games trilogy!  It has taken me a few days since finishing it (almost a week, actually) to write this post, but I blame that on the fact that I am still trying to recover from my "book hangover."  I've coined the term "book hangover" as the feeling of not wanting to start another book after finishing a really good one.  Plus, I've just been busy...

 Mockingjay was took a bit of time to get used to.  Since the last book (Catching Fire) ended with Katniss waking up to Gale telling her District 12 was no more, I was biting at the bit to read the next book.  But the first two books followed a relatively similar pattern: the Hunger Games is announced, there is a reaping, Katniss and Peeta get ready for the games, and then the Games begin.  However, now that the Games are over and District 13 is planning a rebellion, the story becomes more high risk.  It also didn't help that Peeta was captured by the Capitol and was being tortured for information about the Districts' rebellion on top of everything else...

Overall, I enjoyed the book... not as much as the first one though.  I got a little confused towards the end with the information about the Capitol's protective "pods."  I had trouble picturing where the rebels were within the Capitol at times, but other than that the ending was really action packed and kept me reading.  I didn't like how Finnick died in the sewer (in my opinion, he should have lived!) and I also didn't like how Gale moved to District 2 and then there was no further mention of him.  Ever.  But I was glad to see Katniss and Peeta end up together, despite having a less than ideal reunion in the middle of the book.

I'm not exactly sure what I'll be reading next.  Like I said before, I'm suffering from a massive book hangover, so it is going to take some time for me to find another book or series that I can get into.

Book Nook: Catching Fire

Two down, one to go!

 I can see why people obsess about these books - I can't put them down!  After reading the first book, I was into the series, but wasn't sure how I felt about it entirely.  Now, after reading the second, I am tapping my foot waiting by the door for the UPS guy to arrive with my copy of the 3rd (I got a notification saying it was supposed to be delivered today, but nothing so far... COME ONNNNNN!).

While I was waiting at the airport to pick Matt up on Tuesday night, I was reading my copy of Catching Fire, when a lady sat down beside me and started to talk my ear off about how much she loved the second book and the "second one is the best."  Usually I'd be into the conversation, but seeing as I was reading a really good book I didn't want anything to do with it.  I wasn't rude to her, just kept slipping back to reading when she would pause to take a breath...  Thankfully her luggage arrived at baggage claim just then and she left me shortly after to peacefully continue reading my book.

Its a fast read, and I can't exactly say if it was "the best one" yet, but I enjoyed the book a lot.  This was actually the book that Kate read a chapter from that got me hooked on wanting to read the series.  Once again, I knew how the book ended before I began reading it (thanks, Kate...), but was still able to get into the book.  Thankfully, (spoiler alert!) Peeta doesn't exactly die at the end of this like I originally thought, but Collins leaves it up to the next book to explain what is going to happen to him and the people of the now destroyed District 12... which may be why I am so darn impatient for it to arrive already!

Also, I'm not 100% positive on who I'd rather see Katniss end up with: Peeta or Gale.  I think the majority of me is pulling for Peeta... Hmmm...

Book Nook: The Hunger Games

It may seem strange that I am posting another "Book Nook," but you wouldn't believe how much reading I have been doing lately!  I've knocked off Plain Truth and now The Hunger Games in one week!

I was skeptical to read The Hunger Games after all the ridiculous hype the movie caused.  I actually resented it a bit because I was so sick of hearing about it!  I gave in and decided to read the book after Kate read me a portion of the second book for a school project.  All it took was an 11-year old's summary of the book/series and I was hooked!  Despite knowing the outcome of this book (thanks, Kate...), I still wanted to read it and will eventually see the movie.  I stopped in at Target tonight and picked up a copy of the second book to begin next.  I thought about breaking them up by reading other books in between, but I realize that wouldn't make much sense and would bother me to no end!

I'd take the time here to try to explain the book briefly, but there is so much detail and reasoning for certain parts of the books that it would take longer than I'm sure anyone would be willing to read.  

While it isn't "Lauren's Top 20 Favorite Books" list worthy, I liked the story - it was creative and interesting - and look forward to what the author does with the next two books.

Book Nook: Plain Truth

Ladies and gentlemen... I have found a book that I LOVED and could NOT put down!

Presenting Jodi Picoult's Plain Truth!

I cannot wait to read this book again, despite knowing the outcome!

Jodi Picoult's Plain Truth tells the story of Amish girl Katie Fisher who has gotten pregnant and given birth out of wedlock.  When the baby is found dead in the family barn, lawyer Ellie Hathaway defends and befriends Katie by staying on the Amish farm with her to build her defense and find out what really happened the night Katie gave birth.

  I love Jodi Picoult's books, especially The Pact and Nineteen Minutes.  Her style of writing is captivating - I struggle to put each book down at night!  Plain Truth was no exception!  Obviously, as a writer, Picoult was not trained in legal matters or Amish culture, but as I was reading this book, it was clear to me that Picoult did her research on both topics very well.  I'm no professional on legal stuff, but I do know a good amount about the Amish - after all I do live in Amish country AND I took a class at Penn State... one could call me a pro at all things Amish ;)

Speaking of Penn State: the book mentions Penn State/State College several times since it is where Katie's excommunicated brother goes to college (and also where Katie got pregnant during a visit to her brother... but that's all I'm saying!).

I HIGHLY recommend this book!

Book Nook: The Time Traveler's Wife

Hooray! Another book down!  I have just finished The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (no, seriously, I JUST read the last word, like 3 minutes ago...).  

This was a random, close-your-eyes-and-point book selection from my book shelf, but I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.  I remember that I bought the book after I saw a preview for the movie.  The plan was to read the book and then see the movie... I have yet to see the movie, but am certainly motivated to now!

To summarize...

 

Henry and Clare met when Clare was 6 and Henry was 40-something.  Henry, time traveling from the future, became a regular fixture in Clare's life growing up.  The two developed a deep friendship, despite the sometimes awkward age gaps.  After not seeing each other for 2 years, the pair meets in Henry's "real time" and begin a relationship that Clare has anticipated since she was a teenager.  The novel tells of the struggle of Henry's unpredictable absences (since he cannot control his time traveling) and their love, marriage, and attempts to conceive a child.  

It took me awhile to get into the book.  I found it confusing at first, especially since the plot jumps all over the place - it is about someone who time travels, after all! - and I still I don't think I quite understood some things...  Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book.  For being Niffenegger's first novel, I found it to be well-written and a beautiful story.  Although frustrating and sad at times, I would certainly recommend this to someone who has the patience to understand and time to read the 536-page novel.

Book Nook: Mars & Venus - Together Forever

I actually finished this book about a week ago, but am just now getting around to reviewing it.  The shame...

I read this book in an obvious attempt to learn more about what I could do to improve the skills necessary to maintaining a healthy, lasting relationship.  I'm certainly not concerned that there were or are any problems in Matt and I's relationship, but thought it would provide some good information and helpful tips.

I guess my main complaint is that the entire book is fairly redundant.  A few good tips/topics are presented, but then unnecessarily exaggerated upon for the duration of the book.  How many examples do women need to comprehend a man's need for and benefit from having his own personal space (a.k.a. "cave time")?!  I could probably summarize what I've learned in a few short phrases for both men and women:

Husbands

listen to your wife when she talks;

don't try to solve her problems - just listen;

don't be offended when your wife complains;

"duck" and "dodge" her complaints;

appreciate what she does;

have "cave time" to feel at ease and "balanced";

let your wife know when you are done with "cave time"

Wives

let your man know you appreciate him and his listening skills;

let your man have his "cave time";

pause and prepare;

warn him if you are about to complain;

maintain female-female friendships to feel "balanced"

I shouldn't make this book out to be as terrible as it sounds.  I'm sure the information in it is or would be valuable to some couples or individuals, but I am unhappy that I wasn't able to get more from the book.  I feel that men could GREATLY benefit from reading this since it gives some accurate insight into how women think, feel, react, and communicate, but didn't feel the same benefit as a woman reader.

(Side Note:  You'll find as I review more and more books that I can be very picky/critical!)

Book Nook: Three Stages of Amazement

Recently, I have rekindled my long, lost love of reading for pleasure!  I had forgotten how utterly enjoyable reading is and how relaxing downing a chapter (or five!) a night can be.  It has been an incredibly long time since I have been able to read for fun so, I may be the only one who encounters this, after a long absence from reading, I find it difficult to focus on the book's story... this book was no exception.

Three Stages of Amazement focuses on the faltering marriage of Lena and Charlie - two forty-somethings with two young children - struggling with economic hardship and the loss of a newborn baby.  The book jumps around to tell things from the point of view from many different characters - Lena and Charlie's son, Lena's hated uncle, Lena's former (and future) lover, etc.  

I'll be honest... 

I didn't like the book.  

I didn't like Edgarian's style of writing and certainly didn't like the negative picture painted of marriage (especially with my own wedding 2 months away!).  I applaud the honesty and rawness of the couples in the book, and I'm sure there are many, MANY couples in the world going through similar problems, but it was a complete downer.  However, I am thankful for the example it showed me.  I realize how important communication and continually loving someone, despite trying times, is.

Currently, the most trying thing I have had to encounter is being without Matt.  It has been extremely difficult being away from him since the beginning of May, and it is particularly discouraging when I realize I still have another month until I see him again.  I think we have done a good job communicating, but I know that I could do much better being patient and making the best of the situation we are in now.  I'm working on being thankful for this absence from each other because I know, when we are back together, this will have strengthened us and made us appreciate the time we do have together that much more. 

Instead of dwelling too much on that, I've thrown myself head first into moving all my belongings from my apartment to the house.  It is really incredible how much crap you accumulate in 3 years!  I think I've made some decent progress, but I'm not too thrilled about moving allllll of my clothes - that will be at least a day's worth of effort!  I also have some other minor projects I want to get done at the house (painting, organizing, etc.), so I have that and my babysitting job to keep my mind occupied...