Christmas in Plains: Memories

I received Christmas in Plains as a gift and it has been on my shelves for a couple years. I finally picked it up this holiday season and read it. It was a very nice collection of stories from President Carter's life - all the way from when he was a little boy to his years in the White House to the nineties.

I had the opportunity to meet President Carter a couple times through my media relations position with Habitat for Humanity in 2003. So for me, it was fun to read this prose knowing exactly the tone and personality that President Carter would have if he read this aloud.

To recap:

Worth Reading? No

Recommend to a Friend? No...not really unless you're a Carter fan

Worth Buying My Own Copy? No - Use your local library

Stars: 3 out of 5

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

I apologize for the short review and relying on the recap from another Web site, but just don't have time lately to write thoughtful and poignant reviews. But since, I want a record of what I read...here we go!

Book Description from "Goodreads"

In the bestselling tradition of Loving Frank and March comes a novel for anyone who loves Little Women.

Millions of readers have fallen in love with Little Women. But how could Louisa May Alcott-who never had a romance-write so convincingly of love and heart-break without experiencing it herself?

Deftly mixing fact and fiction, Kelly O'Connor McNees imagines a love affair that would threaten Louisa's writing career-and inspire the story of Jo and Laurie in Little Women. Stuck in small-town New Hampshire in 1855, Louisa finds herself torn between a love that takes her by surprise and her dream of independence as a writer in Boston. The choice she must make comes with a steep price that she will pay for the rest of her life.

My take:

My first "acting" opportunity as a kid was playing Jo March in a radio play I did in 5th grade. I fell in love with Little Women and enjoy the character of Jo March (based on Louisa's own personality/past) so much. So I really enjoyed this glimpse and "what if" about Louisa May Alcott. It definitely had the feel of "Becoming Jane" to it, but it was a nice, relaxing read. The dialog was great and I loved all the historical details about the era. Blew through it in 4 days...that's good for me!

To recap:

Worth Reading? Yes

Recommend to a Friend? Yes

Worth Buying My Own Copy? No - Use your local library

Stars: 4 out of 5

2011 Books I've Read

Throughout 2011 I'll keep updating this post with the books I've finished. I love having this record of what I read each year.

1. All Clear by Connie Willis -- Completed 1/2/2011

2. The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O. McNees -- Completed 1/5/2011

3. Christmas in Plains: Memories by Jimmy Carter -- Completed 1/10/2011

4. Cherries in Winter -- Completed 2/2011

5. Little House in the Big Woods - Completed 3/11/2011

6. Jane Eyre - Completed 3/27/2011

7. Striking the Match -- Completed 4/24/2011

8. The Miracle of Mercy Land -- Completed 4/27/2011


9. The Gift -- Completed July 2011


10. The Help -- Completed 8/14/2011


11. A Distant Melody -- Completed 9/18/2011

All Clear

Yeah! I finally finished this book!

Okay...honestly...I can say after reading both Blackout and All Clear by Connie Willis, that I did enjoy this story. The were both behemoth books, but they do provide rich detail and dialog that one can't help but feel transported back to WWII London during the Blitz. But, I am awfully exhausted after reading these books and ready to step back into 2011!

If you love WWII historical fiction, suspense and a bit of fantasy (i.e. time travel) you will really enjoy this story. Most reviews I've read also echo what I'm about to say. Both books could have used a strong editing session to trim 100 to 200 pages out of each of them. Obviously some of the detail is needed to weave the story completely together, but there were some sections where you felt like you were reading about despairing characters for 60 to 80 pages.

I also felt that both books were lacking in the romantic storyline. Connections and relationships were formed, but Willis never really took time to explore these fully. I think they would have made the characters feel more "real" and human.

Willis is a meticulous researcher and both of these books are a masterpiece in and of themselves in how she pulled the story together. There was a point three nights ago when I held my head and said "it hurt" because I was thinking so hard about how some of the events/plots were piecing together at the end.

I am looking forward to reading some of her other books, but glad I can move on to some other books that have piled up on my night stand.

To recap:

Worth reading? Yes

Recommend to a Friend? Maybe

Worth Buying My Own Copy? Maybe...especially if you take awhile to read books. I kind of wish I had a copy of "Blackout" to reference as I was reading.

Stars: 4 out of 5