A Summer Reading List of My Own

Something’s been happening very slowly over the last year or so. Well, some days it feels fast, and other days it seems to have been a long time coming. Regardless, I started noticing it this spring at the playground.

My kids don’t need me.

Oh sure, they need me to drive them there. And the rule has been they always have to be able to see me. But they don’t need me.

MaM hasn’t needed a spotter on the playground since the summer she turned three, but she’s needed an occasional boost up onto the monkey bars. Not any more.

The fox used to be timid about a lot of things, but he’s coming into his own. Mostly he needs to be pushed on the swing, but guess who’s happy to do that most of the time? His sister.

So that leaves me parked on a park bench. Which isn’t a bad place to be. But I’m thinking I’m going to have to stash some books in the car so that while they are playing the day away, I have something to do.

Which leads me to this- what are you reading? What new books/authors do you recommend?

I’ll really read just about anything- so please, offer up some suggestions!

Also, stay tuned- a giveaway for a family pack of tickets to the Indianapolis Indians will post here soon. Til then, go check out Heather’s giveaway at Family Fun in the City for a chance to win and a list of other giveaways happening right now!

A True Confession: She’s Gone Country

I don’t know how it happened.

I don’t think it’s ever happened before.

I’m slightly embarassed and rather disappointed in myself.

I didn’t read a single novel this summer. NOT A SINGLE ONE.

This from the person who used to keep book logs “for fun” in elementary school. Such a sad state of affairs.

When I received an offer to review She’s Gone Country, I jumped at the chance. A book would be delivered to my house, and since it was a review, I would have to read it! Phew. Summer reading guilt dissolved!

Except that summer got in the way, I didn’t really start reading it until this week. And since MaM started school Monday, technically, summer is already over. But the State Fair is still happening, which actually, then, in my book makes it still summer. I digress.

On the surface, the premise of She’s Gone Country sounds a lot like the movie Hope Floats (remember Harry Conick, Jr as a cowboy?), but reading a few chapters in, this book is a whole lot meatier.

The plot revolves around Shey Callen Darcy, Texan by birth, supermodel by day, doting mother of three teen boys by night. Separated from her “suddenly” gay husband, Shey returns to her family’s ranch licking her wounds and contemplating her next move.

The story unfolds nicely, as the boys’ rebel against their mother, Shey’s brothers continue to see her as a younger sister who needs protecting, and Shey’s first love enters the scene.

I won’t go into too many details, because the story moves along with surprises and twists. It’s a good read, and it involves kissing cowboys. It also involves an almost 40 yr old woman on the edge of something familiar, yet new. Of welcoming back her past, but with adult eyes. Of seeing her hometown for it’s good points and bad points, and discovering what it is she can do to help.

Much like I enjoyed Easy on the Eyes last year,
I really enjoyed this story because it’s a mature love story. It’s a story that takes time to involve the children, the work/life balance and extended family, just like real life does.

Disclosure: The Hatchette Group sent me a copy She’s Gone Country to review. The opinions are all mine.

Red in the Flower Bed

Because I’ve posted so much here about books lately, I thought I’d go spout someplace else today. I recently  had the opportunity check out Red in the Flower Bed, An Illustrated Children’s Story about Adoption and ask the author, Andrea Nepa, a few questions. The book tells of a seed that needs a place to grow, and a garden that is happy to have the seed join them. Ms. Nepa is an adoptive parent herself, and she put a lot of thought into constructing this story. Check out my full review at Grown in My Heart

If you are an adoptive parent, do you have a favorite children’s book on the topic? I am working on building our library on the topic…..