Going through the bookshelves

A few current reads and reviews.

Mercy by Jodi Picoult
Those of you who know me, know that I'm a HUGE Jodi fan. I convince everyone I speak to about books to read her. I'm usually a fairly slow reader but I find myself not being able to put down her books and living fully each moment and turned page. I had the same expectations for Mercy. I was disappointed. Looking at the story line from a non-Jodi perspective, it's a good book. But it's totally not Jodi-esq. It's a story of a woman who is confronted with analyzing her own marriage and what's important in life when a distant cousin of her husband and police chef arrives in town announcing that he has killed is own wife out of mercy. An interesting book but doesn't have the same gripping power as Plain Truth or My Sister's Keeper.

Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl McPhee
After such a tragic story line of Mercy, I thought I should lighten it up a little and give in to my knitting heart and make an effort to reinstate my knitting mojo. The Yarn Harlot did the trick. I know that I'm late in reading this must have for all knitters. So sue me. Here McPhee gives the short and humorous enlightenings of her experiences with knitting. It was a nice, light-hearted summer read. Especially when it's too hot to actually knit.

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Sticking with the knitting fiction idea, I took a lead from a secret swap partner and read The Friday Night Knitting Club. I must admit that I was a bit hesitant because the previous knitting related fiction that I've read were total disappointments. Obviously written by someone in love with knitting and yarn and who yearned to share their love through the written word, but who obviously took their creative writing class at a community college and probably missed a few sessions. But I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed this knitting novel. The story line follows a single woman as she develops a yarn store in NYC and lets down her guard to develop close relationships with the ladies that gather there on Friday nights. It's a touching story of friendship, internal conflicts, and personal strength.

Drunk, Divorced & Covered in Cat Hair by Laurie Perry
I ventured over to B&N the other night and stumbled upon a small knitting group. It was encouraging for me to get out and meet new people. They were lovely ladies and I intend to go back again to sit a spell and knit. But when it was time for the group to expire, I wasn't quite ready to go home. This was my first venture out to meet new people since Honey left and I wasn't my happy bubbly self and felt really lonely as the night threatened to come to an end. Of course being in a bookstore led me to dreaming about all the wonderful books out there that I've been wanting to read. But the loneliness was kicking in and I felt that keeping my mind on anything written might just take more energy than I had at the moment. That is until I stumbled upon Crazy Aunt Purl. The title jumped out at me screaming for me to dive into the pages of what really seemed to be my life, minus all the cats. Each page had me wondering, "How in the world did Laurie get into my mind and read my thoughts and feelings so well?" And "How wonderful is it that she's able to put a hilarious spin to all of it!" Grant it I already knew how to knit prior to Honey leaving but this is a fantastically wonderfully written book for all knitters going through crap in their life.

For a sneak peak of other books patiently waiting on the bookshelf to take their place on the bedstand, see the GoodReads icon on the side bar. To see a listing of wish list books, click on the Amazon Wish List link on the side bar.