Weavings: June 2010

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

A-Z Wednesday

A-Z Wednesday is hosted by Vicky of Reading at the Beach. To join, look here.

This weeks letter is: U

Under the Lilacs: From the Original Publisher

Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott

Book Description:
This is a story of two runaways--Ben Brown and his dog, Sancho--who have escaped from a hard life in the circus to search for Ben's lost father. Tired and hungry, the pair are taking in by young Bab and Betty Moss and their mother, as well as the Mosses' neighbors, Miss Celia and her brother, Thorny. Thanks to their kindness, Ben soon finds a job, a family, and a chance to go to school. But can life with Miss Celia and his other new friends ever compare to the excitement of the circus? And will Ben stay out of mischief long enough to find out?

My thoughts:
Here is another book I read when I was a teenager, so I don't really remember it. I did buy the book for the collection, so I must have liked it.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should be Reading.

A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer

He had enough responsibility looking after Cordelia and widows like Louisa James. He didn't want to be bothered with an opinionated, stubborn piece of baggage like Miss Hannah Richards, even if she did fit in his arm like a pistol in a custom-made holster. p.41

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Book Review: Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

Book Description:

Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt is in trouble. For years, she has been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille-the tiara-toting, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town-a woman trapped in her long-ago moment of glory as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. But when Camille is hit by a truck and killed, CeeCee is left to fend for herself. To the rescue comes her previously unknown great-aunt, Tootie Caldwell.

In her vintage Packard convertible, Tootie whisks CeeCee away to Savannah's perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity, a world that seems to be run entirely by women. From the exotic Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in her backyard bathtub and uses garden slugs as her secret weapons, to Tootie's all-knowing housekeeper, Oletta Jones, to Violene Hobbs, who entertains a local police officer in her canary-yellow peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.

Laugh-out-loud funny and deeply touching, Beth Hoffman's sparkling debut is, as Kristin Hannah says, "packed full of Southern charm, strong women, wacky humor, and good old-fashioned heart." It is a novel that explores the indomitable strengths of female friendship and gives us the story of a young girl who loses one mother and finds many others.

My thoughts:
I think I have loved every book set in Savannah, Georgia and Saving CeeCee Honeycutt: A Novel by Beth Hoffman was another confirmation. I loved how the story focused on friendships being formed, trust being built, and ultimately how a young girl, who had such a sad beginning to life, finds a family.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

A-Z Wednesday

A-Z Wednesday is hosted by Vicky of Reading at the Beach. To join, look here.

This weeks letter is: ?T

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Book Description:

Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president.

This brilliant multiple biography and New York Times bestseller is centered on Lincoln's mastery of men and how it shaped the most significant presidency in the nation's history.

My thoughts:
I listened to the audio book a couple of years ago and found this book so very interesting. I learned so much from this book and you really get to see a different side of Abraham Lincoln than what is usually portrayed. This is not a quick read at over 750 pages, but if you really enjoy history I don't think Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln will disappoint.