February reads

After getting off to a great start in January, I slowed down for a bit in February on my reading list. I was able to get in a third book, but with a week of sickness that took over our nap schedules and drained my evening energy, I didn't manage to get in any more. But hey, that's okay. I'm still really enjoying my picked-back-up hobby, and I've finished three more great books.


The Lucky One - Nicholas Sparks (this was not on my reading list)


Unlike my mother and sister, I had never read any of Nicholas Spark's books. I had seen some of the books-turned-great-movies, but had never picked up one of his novels. Then one day, while attending the movies with Karalee, I saw a preview for The Lucky One. The movie was coming out later in the spring, and by looking at the preview, it looked to be a pretty good one. I decided I wanted to read the book first, so after finding out that my mom had already bought it, I borrowed it and finished it in less than a week. At first, it was predictable and more surface-reading that poetic. I had just finished two great books that had more of an artistic and rhythmical tone to the reading, so this seemed very commercial. Does that make sense? Then I got engaged in the middle of the book, the characters came alive, and I was hooked. I got behind, once again, on laundry, dusting, ironing - you name it. It ended up being a very, very good read, and now I can't wait to see the movie.

Bringing Up Boys - James Dobson

I'll have to be honest, after reading three great novels (The Paris Wife, The Help and The Lucky One) is was difficult to make myself read this one in my free time. It wasn't a novel, of course, so it didn't have that lose-yourself-in-a-great-story appeal. I complained to my book-reading friend, and she suggested reading another book at the same time, but warned me that I might never finish it. I didn't want that. A close friend had suggested this book to me back when Heath and I found out that Cash was a boy (February of 2008). I had bought it, but never read it.
I decided to struggle through it, learn from it, and try to enjoy it. And I did. I learned so much for Dr. Dobson, while at the same time I did enjoy it. He's a very honest writer, not politically correct at all. Instead he's correct by what is Biblical, and I appreciated every word of it. From the stick-beating-gene to the harsh, but true realization that boys will pull away from their mothers and the constant combat that Heath and I are going to have against this world while raising our boys -- I read and reread chapters hoping to absorb and apply it all. This book also stirred up a few things in my heart. My boys are so precious to me, and my biggest prayer is that they will come to know God and live their lives to glorify Him. This book set it all out on the table, discipline, heart issues, school, media, the public, and more. What a huge challenge Heath and I have in front of us! I mentioned reading this book to Heath, and he has agreed making his way through the book one chapter at a time, too. I highly recommend this book to any parent or grandparent of these creatures we call boys. :)

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford

This novel was from my favorite genre, historical fiction. Bouncing back and forth from 1986 to the 1940s, it told the story of a Chinese-American boy that fell in love with a Japanese-American girl during the time where the Chinese were at war with the Japanese and the Americans were also at war with Japan right after Pearl Harbor. Most Japanese-Americans were forced in to camps for "their" protection, treated unfairly, and humiliated. This story tells of these two young Americans trying to find their identity, survive and love regardless of what his parents and their peers thought.
It was a great read. I think there were some errors in it as far as dates go, but they were easy to overlook. Happy endings are always good, too. The best part about this book is that the hotel in the book is real and can be visited. The items that were found in the basement of the hotel are also real and are displayed for the public, too. As Seattle is a place on my list to visit (we haven't seen the Mariners play yet), I'm definitely going to make my way down to Chinatown to visit the Panama Hotel and see these awesome artifacts in the Tea Room. :)

So those are the books I read in February. I'm reading another book now that's not on my reading list,  Choosing to See. Yes, I'm thoroughly enjoying this hobby!