Catching up!

I hope my readers are being patient! I am so far behind on my blog entries, but I plan to catch up this week.I have been so busy and have so much to talk about. In fact, I hadn't realized that my last post was May 8. Good grief! Today is the 27th already.You will all hear from me soon. I have several book reviews to post, as well as news from Memorial Day and a new project I'm working on.

Is it spring yet?

I'm beginning to wonder!
Although the weather reports are good and the thermometer claims it's warm, we have been innundated with cold winds that makes it seem almost chilly.
That's hasn't stopped progress on getting the yard ready for summer. We've been planting flowers, trimming and weeding beds, adding some new sod in places and generally cleaning up after winter.
Of course, there's still work to be done, but it's beginning to look nice.
I call our yard my "little oasis." On both sides, there is no lawn, just weeds. They aren't taken care of at all. In fact, our yard is the only one on our side of the block that is tended to. It's not picture perfect by any means, as I like the more natural look, but it does stand out when you drive up.
Hopefully, the wind will die down this afternoon so I can finish planting my petunias and pansies.

Goldeneyes

This is the first book by Delia Latham I've read and I was definitely pleasantly surprised.
It is a great read!
Juliana discovers her parents "bought" her as an infant. The news rocks her world -- to say the least -- and she is determined to find out the truth about who she is. She does love her parents and has been truly loved in return, but she can't leave the questions unanswered.
What she finds not only astounds her family, it also ultimately strengthens their faith.
Latham is a wonderful writer. The dialogue between these characters is so down-to-earth and believable that you feel you are actually listening to them talk. Right from the beginning, you feel as if you know them personally. She has a rare gift!
I hope I have the opportunity to read other books by this author.

Family Tree

What happens when a Caucasian couple gives birth to a black baby? Imagine the possible thoughts that would run through their minds!
This book by Barbara Delinsky explores that exact scenario.
Dana and Hugh have what many would consider a "perfect" marriage. Although they come from two different worlds, their love is one that many dream of someday finding. Yet, when their first child is born, their marriage is threatened as little Lizzie is obviously black. They realize that somewhere in their ancestry, there must be some African American blood.
The obvious choice would be Dana. She never knew her father, yet her mother died when Dana was just a child, so she is unable to ask her about it. She was raised by her grandmother, who also knows nothing about Dana's father. All they know is what little her mother told them ... he was a one-night stand while she was in college.
In the meantime, Hugh's family (rich, snobbish, self-assured and very white) begins flinging accusations. They remind him that he was warned against marrying this woman, especially in light of the fact that he knew nothing of her background or heritage. They also drop not-so-subtle hints that she may have had an affair.
Hugh begins to question his own feelings about this beautiful little girl. One part of him loves her because he knows deep down that she is his daughter. On the other hand, he demands DNA testing to prove -- to his family, he says -- that Lizzie is indeed their child. Dana is indignant, but agrees. After all, she has nothing to hide.
When the tests prove Lizzie is truly the child of Hugh and Dana, they begin a quest to discover who Dana's father is.
What they find will truly astound them!
This is a great book and one of Delinsky's best that I've read so far. She's a wonderful author and her books are always hard to put down.

Blessings

Anna Quindlen has really outdone herself with this book. I always enjoy reading her stories and "Blessings" is such a fascinating tale that I could hardly put it down.
In this story, a young (and unmarried, I'm assuming) couple leaves a newborn baby in a box by the garage door at the Blessings estate. The caretaker finds the tiny girl and decides to keep her. He goes to great lengths to not let anyone know so they won't take her away from him.
Eventually, of course, the mistress of the house, who is very elderly, finds out and she becomes part of his plot. She seems to enjoy the intrigue of keeping the secret. However, she does understand there are practicalities that need to be considered and she goes about trying to help him with such things as immunizations, etc. She even has her lawyer looking into how to come up with a birth certificate.
Both of them end up falling madly in love with this adorable baby. They watch her grow and learn about the world around her. And because Quindlen is so good as descriptive writing, the reader will also fall for this child.
I should stop telling about this great book. Otherwise, I'll start giving away what happens and I'd rather you read the book for yourself. Be sure to look for it next time you're browsing the bookshelves. You'll be glad you did.

A Thousand Country Roads

Robert James Waller is a natural-born storyteller and I just love reading his books. "The Bridges of Madison County" was the first of his novels that I read years ago after watching the movie by the same name. The epilogue is just as beautifully written.
"A Thousand Country Roads" takes the reader on a romantic journey of the main character of "Bridges." Waller said many readers had asked to know what happened to Robert Kincaid after he left Madison County. In this book, Kincaid is on his way to revisit the place where he met the love of his life and we get to meet some very special people along his path.
The book not only tells us what took place after "Bridges," it also introduces us to the events that shaped Kincaid's life.
And, of course, Waller does this with his usual style and grace. He's a superb writer and one of the best around.
If you have the opportunity to read this book, you should definitely take the time to do so. It's wonderful!

The Spectator Bird

Wallace Stegner has such a grand command of language that his novels are always a pleasure to read. One of the masters of contemporary literature, Stegner should be required reading for high school and college studies.
This isn’t the first book I’ve read by Stegner and it definitely won’t be the last. The story revolves around an elderly couple remembering a time in their lives when they came very close to parting.
The couple (Joe and Ruth) had traveled to Denmark and stayed at the home of a countess who was displaced from her family. Joe had kept a diary of their time abroad and when, twenty years later, they receive a postcard from the woman, it prompts him to dig out the old journals. Ruth asks him to read them to her and they spend several evenings reliving the past.
Old feelings are brought to the surface, including Ruth’s jealousy as she watched her husband become enchanted with the countess. Her suspicions eventually come to light and she is finally able to voice her fears.
It’s a wonderful story of enduring love, devotion and honesty. It’s also a tale of lasting relationships and the type of marriage many people dream of having.
Stegner wrote a sequel to “The Spectator Bird.” I haven’t read “All the Little Live Things,” but the description makes the story sound as if it actually takes place just prior to their trip to Denmark. Perhaps it explains more of the reasons why they took the trip to begin with. I’ve added it to the list of books I plan to read.
I give very few books a 5 on my ratings list, but “The Spectator Bird” is deserving of high marks. It truly is one of the best books I’ve read.