Secret Garden

Again!

(It probably seems that all I've done lately is to read book after book after book. I have been reading a lot, but also I've just finished several at the same time).

Diana and I read it this time. When Caitlin was in first grade, she had a 20 min/day reading paper we had to fill out. It was always overwhelming, until I figured out she would listen to something I wanted to read. I read it with her, and once again with Diana. I did the majority of the reading, but a few times she insisted reading it herself (until she was tired).

Along with Charlotte's Web, this is one of my all time favorite stories. I like finishing it in spring . . . . when the outside world awakes from its winter slumber. So much symbolism here and a really great story. If you haven't read it recently, I HIGHLY recommend it. We own the movie as well so will probably be watching it in the next 48 hours or so as a celebration that we finished.

Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

I tried to check this out in January. (No e-audiobook option . . . only CD's, which was not appealing).  There were 15 or 16 holds already but since our library had multiple copies, I only had to wait until mid-March to get it.

I like money management and have lots of room in my life for improving it. This is an inspiring read if you want to make changes in yours--he has a proven plan for how. He's successful in what he does with a large, dedicated group of fans. I haven't listened to his radio program ever, but some enjoy it.

What I like about his ideas are that he gives manageable steps. They may not be "easy" but are helpful. The first is to establish an emergency fund of $1000, then get out of debt. I appreciate his idea of paying off the smallest debt first--that appeals to me. Other steps follow, more emergency fund 3-6 months worth, investing for retirement, funding college, paying off the house, and giving. Perhaps the most interesting idea was that your income is your most valuable asset. Hadn't heard that before, but I like it. Still chewing on it but I see truth in it. I appreciate it's value in my children's lives (walking the dog, babysitting for others).

Have you read this? Used his ideas? I'd love to know any success stories you have with them.

I recommend this book to everyone and am considering it for the non-fiction book of the summer. Because it's so popular at my library, I would even consider buying a copy of it in the future . . . . but not for awhile.

Seabiscuit

In a quest to only read and listen to uplifting things, I have generally avoided adult fiction. (Sadly).

I enjoy biography or autobiographies, because they often offer inspiring stories with minimal trash. Nathan and I enjoy reading a book together from time to time. We were thrilled to realize this would be simpler, faster, etc. if we listened to an audio book together. I can't remember if he picked this one or if I did, but Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand was our first. (Neither of us have seen the 2003 movie).

We loved it!

(Of course, there was that section on the prostitution house right near the racetrack that we skipped and the the whole topic of gambling, and the occasional expletive that I want to warn you about).

The unique partnership of  Charles Howard, Owner,  Red Pollard, Rider; Tom Smith, Trainer; and Seabiscuit, horse; was inspiring. Each needed the others, and each was very successful. Mostly they trained to win a race called the Santa Anita Handicap, whose purse was $100,000, an incredible amount of money in the 1930's. (Wikipedia told me that now the purse is $750,000). I won't tell you if they won, but I will tell you they overcame many hurdles in their time together.

The reader had a great voice and it was very well written. Lots of background information went into the telling of this delightful story.

Going into this book I knew very little about horse racing. It was interesting to observe it through reading about it. I was shocked by the poor conditions the jockeys endured, and their low payment. I was impressed by how many miles Seabiscuit traveled, and had a particular fondness for his trainer, Tom Smith for the kind and gentle way he worked with the horse. Charles Howard, the owner, truly loved Seabiscuit. 

Charlotte's Web

Loved this audiobook.
The edition I had was read by the author, E. B. White. There are a couple of classic books whose quality and universality I would like to approximate, and this is one. There was an Afterword as well that said this book has sold over 8 million copies and gave some history about the story. One night on his family farm, E. B. White attempted to nurse a sick pig back to health, lamenting that it was going to die anyway. That was a key event in choosing a pig to be one of the main characters. It took him 2-3 years to write this story.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Very interesting read (or listen to).
A few years ago he spoke at a math conference, but I didn't go to his presentation. Have been interested in his work mainly because of his success.
I liked listening to the examples he used to illustrate his theories: from Canadian hockey to Bill Gates, the Beatles to Korean pilots, Jewish lawyers in NYC and the successful KIPP schools. I liked his main ideas: talent isn't enough, it is coupled with opportunity and 10, 000 hours of hard work. It made me ask what my opportunities are and what my future holds. He is Canadian and dislikes the American ideal of the self made man--more of a believer in community and what you bring to the table because of your background. Reading this on paper would be interesting, I would like to see his references. He seems to be very knowledgeable & is a great writer.

I liked his idea of giving opportunities to more people--specifically the KIPP schools. What a life changer they are for the students who are able to attend them.

I disliked the profanity in this book. Not very prevalent, but after listening to Clayton Christensen's book, a let down. I want to listen to my audiobooks in an environment I would be comfortable if my children walked into and that was not the case--I never was able to identify when an expletive was coming. I moved his other books a little further down my wishlist . . . to the maybe's.    

How Will You Measure Your Life?

A better contender for the Summer Reading project for my children than the last one I mentioned.

Loved it. He's brilliant. I liked his ideas of disruptive innovation, (lots more to read on this), and I can't wait to get my next audio book written by him.

You can read lots of summaries on this but basically it's an expanded version of the final course lecture he gave his students in his business classes. Very inspiring, clean (NO SWEAR WORDS), and gave me lots to think about.

Book it

With my Spanish tutoring dollars, I bought an ipod. I still don't know how to use it very well and regularly ask my kids advice on how to do what I want to do . . . there's a learning curve.

I wanted it primarily to listen to audio books while I move around the house. My sister Laura has done this for years and was influential in my decision. (It's particularly nice when I am washing dishes, but I've found it to be useful in many settings around the home & around town). I finished my second one this morning:

Do you listen to audiobooks? Have any recommendations?

Nathan & I are listening to Seabiscuit, and I've also listened to Shannon Hale's Palace of Stone.

About Katie Couric's book, I loved it. I recommend it. As you would expect, there are some swear words, but the majority is clean. It is successful people (most are well-known), sharing advice that was usually pivotal to them. They are grouped by main idea, so it's easy to understand. I love Katie Couric and really enjoyed listening to this book. It was inspiring in many ways. It may be the summer reading book at our home . . . the one I pay my children to read, unless I find one I like better. One of the things I liked is that she had people in many fields--art, drama, education, medicine, entertainment, etc. Well done.

Gray Matter

It's not often I make a book recommendation . . . . this one is a great read.
Just make sure you have some free time, because you will NOT want to put it down for long.

What would you do if your neurosurgeon offered to pray with you? (those readers who have one). This is the story of a doctor who prays with almost every patient he takes to surgery. It describes his journey of faith & details how & when he began praying with them.
What I liked best was his description of the agony he felt when complications arose. He is an endovascular neurosurgeon and does all his work in the brain by entering the femoral artery. AMAZING!!!!! If I needed brain surgery, I would want him involved.

The Secret Garden

"Where you tend a rose, my lad, 

A thistle cannot grow."

by Francis Hodgson Burnett
illustrated by Graham Rust, in memory of his mother


In 10 words or less:  My favorite fiction book ever written? Read in winter.

What I liked: Timeless, classic story of the power of love and friendship. It is about hope and the renewal of spirit and life.

What I disliked: Nothing!

Themes: Parenthood, friendship, God, life & death, renewal, hope, progress, the power of thoughts

Reading Level: According to the "Accelerated Reader Program", it is a 6th grade reading level.

Favorite Character: Susan Sowerby.
With 12 children, who include Dickon and Martha, Mrs. Sowerby is the voice to whom everyone listens. My favorite line of hers: (Martha visits home on her day out and her mom, after hearing more about Mary, decides to buy her the "sensiblist toy a child can have."
" . . . I've got four places to put every penny, but I'm just going to take tuppence out of it to buy that child a skippin' rope," Susan Sowerby explained to Martha as she used Martha's wages to purchase a skipping rope for Mary (p. 56).
I have at least four places for each penny that passes my hands, too.
I'd like to be like Susan Sowerby--she's got the answers to solve all the problems in the story, and everyone in the fictional community loves her. Is it possible to earn her status without the 12 children?

My experiences with this story:
-Attended the live musical at Maine South High School--excellent production 
-Thanksgiving 2007, road trip to Wyoming from Chicago. Listened to the book on tape from the library. The woman who "read" the book had such a great, soothing voice.
--January 2010 Re-read this book while nursing Edwin.
-One of my grandmothers was from England, where the story takes place, and the other grandmother had a green thumb, so reading this book reminds me of both of them, too. 

My Gardens:
One of my earliest memories is of planting a garden in the spring. In Wyoming that means May or June. My Grandma Parks had a green house and would bring us plants she had started from seeds. Both she and Grandpa came every Memorial day to help us plant. I remember kneeling with my grandma in the dirt in my front yard, digging holes for planting flowers. Later, I tended flower beds at my high school where I worked on the lawn crew. Nathan and I had a plot in a community garden in Skokie for two years, and we have planted tomatoes in pots other summers. We look forward to having a "bit of earth" ourselves.


Dickon's secret to success in making plants grow: 
'All a chap's got to do to make 'em thrive, Mother,' he would say, 'is to be friends with 'em for sure. They're just like th' "creatures." If they're thirsty give 'em a drink, and if they're hungry, give 'em a bit o' food. They want to live same as we do' (p. 186).


FYI:
Bryn read this book for her school's reading program in three days. It was worth 14 points (which is a lot--most of her other books are worth 5-6), and she wanted to speak in Yorkshire to me when she was done. I've offered Andrew a job to it to Caitlin.
This is the first time I've read it with illustrations. I like them. When I went to search for a cover photo, I found out that he is not the only illustrator of this book, there are at least 445 editions of it.

A parting thought about gardening: p.176
"Oh! the things which happened in that garden! If you have never had a garden, you cannot understand, and if you have had a garden, you will know that it would take a whole book to describe all that came to pass there."