Summer Reads

I am not sure what else I will 

read this summer,

but I feel confident in saying,

THIS one is my 

favorite of the summer.  

This is a multi generational family saga,

ranging from the 1930s to present time.

The author moves from time period

to time period often and with

great effect.

The story is about secrets,

American privilege, entitlement 

and prejudice.

I love the author's elegant writing style.

The themes of privilege and prejudice

struck a cord with me in light of

our own current political atmosphere

right now.

Have you given much thought about 

racial prejudice in other cultures?

This book struck a strong note

of how prevalent it is elsewhere,

namely in South Korea.

This book follows 

four generations of 

a Korean family living in Japan

after Korea was annexed by Japan

in the latter half of the 20th Century.

The theme of the family's

 constant and never-ending 

situation as despised "outsiders"

also caused me to 

consider the situation of many

people in America today.

This book is  the epitome of  a

summer, beach read.

Not a lot of substance,

kind of like watching a movie

on the Hallmark Channel.

(Remember when Hallmark movies

were thought provoking, well done,

REAL movies???  I digress....)

This is a story about divorce, its effects,

a tragic teenage accident and growth.

So so.

I do not purposely search out and read 

"Christian" fiction,

and that theme seemed a little forced to me.

This was an interesting

story about second chances.

It deals with some ugly

people and situations.

The main character

is complex,

but I found the story

a little predictable.

I just finished this one yesterday,

just in time before seeing the movie

when it's released next week.

This is a dog story, what's not to like?

It is told from the perspective of

and in the voice of Enzo, 

whose owner has more hardships

to deal with than anyone should ever have.

That being said,

Enzo is such a wonderful 

representation of all dogs,

the story is good.

His perception of life

is so right and true, 

you cannot help but love this dog.

Make sure you have some hankies handy.

You will need them.

How do I choose what to read?

I am an audio "reader"

so the first criteria is that 

a book be available in that form

from my library.

After that, I keep an eye out 

for recommendations from

friends on social media

and on most Sundays

I go through the paper's list

of new releases.

If it sounds interesting,

I add it to my queue.

What are you reading this summer?

I'm always open for suggestions!

Rick's "Lane Cake"

We have our second cake in the

2019 Summer Bake Off:  The Lane Cake

Here's the proud baker, my brother Rick,

who makes his home in Germany,
with his wife Terry.

Although he insists it's "still a Lane,"

he used "real butter cream between the layers."

(Does that qualify as a Lane,

which is a vanilla butter cake

with a fruit rich custard filling?

Asking for a friend.)

He DOES get extra points for creativity

because he did not use a recipe,

but rather "looked at a whole lot of

recipes and built my own."

Rick is a devotee of

The Great British Bake Off

and used Mary Berry's

boiled icing.

Rick's assessment of his cake,

"Really good. Really rich.

Between the frosting

and the butter cream between the layers,

we are talking two cups of butter."

How could it not be good???

from Google Images

I have just finished an excellent book,

LOST ROSES

by Martha Hall Kelly.

About one third into this book

it kept reminding me of

LILAC GIRLS,"

which I read last year.

So I checked the author and yes, 

she wrote that one too.

It deals with a real historical figure, Eliza Ferriday,

the mother of Caroline Ferriday from LILAC GIRLS.

Although considered a prequel

to the earlier novel,

both books stand very well on their own.

This week in the garden
I cut back the iris.
They were magnificent this year
and I hated to see them end.

This is how they looked a few weeks ago.

It's June!
It's summer!
Hope you're enjoying it!

From My Book Shelf

Just finished this very interesting book.

The premise explores the 

different paths life could take

if we were able to keep repeating

it (life) until we "got it right."

Books are for Stacking!

 I have a metal and wicker tea cart that has been

waiting for me to create some sort of

interesting display since I moved the large plant

that usually sits there,

outside for the summer.

I have several pretty pots of violets

to put on it,

but kept thinking I needed to find

some sort of risers to get some different heights.

Before Buttermilk Cottage I had lots of

bookcases, overflowing with books.

Sadly, that's not the case here.

My library has been edited to only

those books I cannot bear to part with,

even though they have been read, 

often several times.

Those books are stashed in a basket

on top of a wardrobe.

I have decided to put them to work!

Since space is a factor,

I have started using as much white as possible

for decor accessories.
It seems to add less "chatter."

Why not make some white paper covers for my books?



In just a couple of minutes

I had a whole stack of

white books.

Perfect for displaying the violets

on my tea cart!

This creates a much more interesting display

than just placing the violets all on one level!

And, I love the idea of using what I already have.

Linking this week with

The Dedicated House

Rain on a Tin Roof

Cozy Little House

Savvy Southern Style

No Minimalist Here

Between Naps on the Porch

It's Only Tuesday...

...and What a Week We've Had!



We had rain Sunday afternoon and evening.

A LOT of rain.

This was a shot I snagged from FB of

our downtown area,

within walking distance of

Buttermilk Cottage.

Is it any wonder we had water in our basement?

LOTS of water.

Water was gushing in from under the outside door.

Sorry no pictures of all that,

for some reason, blogging wasn't

foremost in my head!

Our first response was to shift everything standing

in water to a dry area of the basement.

We set up card tables to get boxes off the floor.

I must tell you the basement was a mess before this,

but with everything shifted you can see what

a clean up we had in front of us.

We've been saying for months that we need to

tackle the basement and get it organized,

so this was certainly the motivation we needed to

jump start us.

All day yesterday was devoted to the job.

The first order of business was to get the

basement dried out.

We were able to sweep a fair amount

of the water to the sump pump.

We discovered that old newspapers are

wonderfully absorbent for mopping up!

We've had fans blowing nonstop since yesterday.

I just checked it and the basement is getting dry.

Sadly, the most damage was to Kate's books

which I was keeping for her.

A few had to be thrown away.

My dining room table has become a

"drying-out" station for some.

Happily, many were untouched

and only need to be repacked...

...in plastic bins this time!

I heard a wonderful segment on NPR last week about

being "mindful," or finding the upside of bad situations.

This is mine--

a totally organized corner for my things.

By the way...

more rain predicted for today.

From my Book Shelf - IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS

IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS

by Erik Larson

is a non-fiction that reads like a thriller.

One of the author's aim in writing the book was

to give a sense of what daily life was like

in Berlin just after Hitler's assumption of power.

In 1933, William Dodd, a history professor at

the University of Chicago,

was interested in a government position

which would give him time for writing.

President Roosevelt was having a difficult time filling

the position of ambassardor to Germany.

Others were hesitant to take the position because

Hitler was somewhat of an unknown entity,

the "Jewish question" in Germany was just rearing its head,

and most powers in the U.S. were more concerned with

Germany's debt than current politics.

So, although not Roosevelt's first choice,

Dodd became the unlikely statesman.

Viewing the job as a big adventure,

Dodd goes to Berlin with his wife and

two grown children in tow.

The book is Dodd and daughter, Martha's story.

Martha, an aspiring writer, but better

suited as a party girl, was soon caught up in 

Berlin's social scene.

Early on she is quite enamored with the Nazis.

However, as more and more laws are passed

restricting the freedoms of Jews,

the true stituation slowly becomes evident.

I have always questioned in my mind,

"How did normal German people let this happen?"

Although I wholeheartedly recommend this book,

it really didn't fullly answer the question for me.

Somewhat in the same vein, (except Paris rather than Berlin)

I want to mention SARA'S KEY by Tatiana de Rosnay.

I read this book a couple of years ago, but I just saw

a movie trailer for it this past weekend.

I didn't even know it was being made into a movie.

This is such an engrossing story that I still think about it.

It is NOT an easy, light or "beach read,"

but well worth the effort.

And finally, (my mind is really working in circles tonight),

if you're one of the two or three people who haven't yet

read THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett, (a first novel!!!)

GO GET IT!!!

It's a wonderful read, and

the movie is just about to come out for it too.

From My Book Shelf -

Animal fables

Humor

Short stories

Satiric

Dark

Insightful

Adult

Small book

Good weekend read.

Have a good one!



From My Book Shelf

It seems like ages since I've blogged--

written a post or read any.

Sometimes, life just gets in the way!

I have done a little reading though.

WEST OF HERE by Jonathan Evison is a good read.

However, I don't feel as though I did the book justice.

I read it while my mother was visiting,

so there were too many times when I put the book

down for long periods. 

Then when I got back to it,

I couldn't always remember who was who.

There ARE a lot of characters in this book.

It's actually two stories intermixed.

One is the story of Washington state and

the Pacific Coast during the 1890s and how

it came to be explored and developed by early settlers.

Intermixed with that is a present day story of

those settler's ancestors.

This book explores our connections to our past.

I'd like to think I'll someday reread this book

and really explore everything there,

but considering all the books on my

"To Read" list,

it's probably not going to happen.

THE TIGER'S WIFE by Tea Obreht has gotten

outstanding reviews and awards.

It's a debut novel and the author was only

twenty five when she wrote it.

Quite an accomplishment.

Obreht's family left the former

Republic of Yugoslavia during

the 1990's Balkan War.

This is not light reading.

However, it is beautifully written.

It moves back and forth from realism to

Balkan mythology and  folklore.

It's the story of Natalia, a young doctor

who learns of her beloved grandfather's death 

while she is on a trip "over the border"

to treat orphans of the war.

While Natalia tries to explore the

circumstances of her grandfather's death,

she remembers stories he has told her

and the book becomes very surreal.

I'm glad I read this book, but

I'm also glad I'm finished with it.

Two Books from My Bookshelf

I like Fannie Flagg's books. She's a Southern author and that's never more evident than her newest book, I STILL DREAM ABOUT YOU. It's set in Birmingham, Alabama. I grew up in Alabama, graduated from the University of Montevallo, a half hour's drive from Birmingham, and remember watching Fannie Flagg as the "morning show" girl on the local Birmingham television channel. So, this book brought back a lot of memories. As with other Fannie Flagg books, this one has an assortment of quirky characters, from Maggie, a former Miss Alabama who is suicidal.(YES, it IS a funny book) to the deceased Hazel Whisenknott, a Birmingham real estate magnate, who also happens to be a midget.

It's a fun read.

If you haven't already read this
novel, at least, watch the movie.
Fannie Flagg did the screenplay for it
from her novel.




THE WEIRD SISTERS is a debut novel
by Eleanor Brown.
It's the story of three sisters,
who in their life journeys of leaving home,
and returning home,
find their places in life.
The novel is narrated by a combined, single voice
of the three sisters, which gives it
an interesting perspective.
I liked this book because all the
characters grow and change
during the course of the book.




Don't forget about my
Give Away!
You must "like" my Facebook tab
on my sidebar and leave me a
message that you did so.
The winner will be announced
May 13th, my one year
anniversary of blogging!

Way To Go Kate!

Nine months, (two weeks and three days) ago

I put my newly graduated daughter Kate

on a plane to NYC.

You can read about it here.

Since she was a young girl, Kate has dreamed of

living in NYC.

It was the extreme opposite of her life and

growing up in a small town in Tennessee.

So, after graduating, Magna Cum Laude, no doubt,

from the University of Tennessee

with a degree in Communications,

Kate set off to create her life.

Kate has had a love of books and reading

all her life.

Now where did that come from???

(Could it be that her Dad and I started reading

to her when we sat and gave her formula?)

Kate's big dream has been to work in publishing.

So, after nine month, two weeks and three days,

numberous interships,

three moves (she's finally out of Jersey and sharing an

apartment with three others in Manhatten),

ups and downs, doubts, dramas and worries...

you're looking at NYC's newest editorial assistant!!!

Excuse my totally daughter-absorbed post today,

but it's been a bumpy ride for me too.

I'm taking a few moments to preen!

So proud of you Kate!

Forsythia

"...In the yard I saw squirrels at frolic and that burst of yellow

the forsythia bush delivers faithfully to us each spring.

Gifts from God,

these sights and sounds,

this placid here and now..."

from THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED

by Wally Lamb

````

Is it just me, or are the forsythia more

ourstanding than usual this year?

By the way, this is an outstanding novel.

(Google Images)

Something New to Start the Week!

I love it when you come to visit me,

here at Buttermilk Cottage.

But today, I'm going to send you

right over to a new blog!

Many of you are familiar with Fifi Flowers,

and her wonderfully chic artwork.

Today she's starting a new blog

"dedicated to the love of reading."

If you have any interest at all in reading,

I urge you to scoot over and visit

Fifi's new blog, "Reading is Fashionable."

Catching Up on My Reading List

I've just finished, in fairly quick succession

three books from my continuing and

ever growing reading list.

By far, my favorite of the three was

MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND

by Helen Simonson.

Although it's a little slow at the start,

many of the characters seem a bit stock,

and Major Pettigrew, the lead character,

is insufferable in the beginning,

it develops into a very sweet love story.

Equally important, the Major redeems himself by

evolving into the kind of caring individual

who is worthy of the happy ending!

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE

by Stieg Larsson is the second in his

very popular trilogy.

You MUST read

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

before you attempt this one.

Otherwise, you'll miss too much character

development of the main players.

That being said, I didn't know what the

hell was going on in much of this book.

I am not usually a thriller/suspense reader,

give me a domestic drama any day.

So, although I am out of my comfort zone

with these books, that doesn't mean

I don't want to know what all the buzz is about!

I found that if I didn't let myself get too

overwhelmed with a lot of detail,

the first two books are were

exciting reads.

I will take the same tact when I tackle the

third and last one,

THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS NEST.

UNBROKEN is the true story of a gifted athlete,
runner Louis Zamerini.
He ran in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but his
athletic career was cut short by the outbreak of WWII.
He becomes a gunner in a B-24 and
is shot down over the Pacific.
I found this book very difficult to get through.
Although the survival story is extremely inspiring,
Zamerini's harrowing experiences of survival in a raft
which floats for 2000 miles before he is "rescued" and
then his experiences in various Japanese prison camps
is extremely grim.
His re entry into civilian life at the end
of the war is not smooth.
After what he has suffered,
how could it be?
However, he does eventually find redemption,
after hearing a young Billy Graham preach.
After all the degradation, misery and hardship
Zamperini suffered, I felt the ending was a little flat.
Granted, this is true life, not a novel,
but I wanted the ending to be more
uplifting and heartfelt than it seemed.