books

What I’m Reading — Volume I

September 12, 2017 by Lisa Leave a Comment

I’m a voracious reader. Picture the person walking through the house with her nose in a book and tripping over the dust bunnies = me my entire life. I read everywhere. When I was a teenager, my body played the cruel trick of suddenly developing motion sickness. Thanks to the genius that is audio books, I no longer have to miss out on tall tales and decadent literary dramas.

Now that I have confessed that I am a walking disaster waiting to happen, I thought I would start sharing what I am reading. I have so many people asking me “Have you read anything good lately?” My answer is always yes, yes, I have.

What I’m Reading

I read “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho two weeks ago and it was so good I am reading it again. The is the story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd, who is told to seek his treasure at the foot of the Egyptian pyramids. His pursuit of his own Personal Legend isn’t straightforward, and he finds out that the lessons learned along the way are just as important as the destination. I still can’t believe I had never read this book. I discussed it with my good friend Thien-Kim who told me “I think that book finds you when you need it the most.” She is right and I shall forever be haunted by Cohelo’s words.

“…whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth.”

Credit Niels Akerman

Roxane Gay’s “Hunger” has left me sobbing on the sofa several times. Her memoir is complicated and difficult — while I want to binge read it in one sitting, I find that I am slowing down and luxuriating in order to fully experience the depth and profundity of her words. I’m pretty sure I feel that way because she has shoved a mirror in front of my face and is forcing me to look at my image. I have been stripped bare and there is nothing but skeletal remains and I’m finally seeing who I am for the first time in my life.

“I am nowhere near as brave as people believe me to be. As a writer, armed with words, I can do anything, but when I have to take my body out into the world, courage fails me.”
― Roxane Gay, Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body

I have loved reading pioneer stories since I was a little girl when I was first introduced to the Little House series. I was sent a copy of Anne Hamre’s “Passages“, a fictionalized family saga of Hamre’s Grandparents, that takes readers across continents and into the joys and sorrows of young migrants in the 20th century. She easily transports readers across three continents — Europe, Australia, and North America chronicling not just the disparate climates and lifestyles encountered in such far-flung places and the long passages between them, but the lives that are changed by these travels.

I love the historical accuracy of this book. Hamre is a trained historian and was able to bring in rich detail about each period of the book creating a vivid sense of time and place for the reader.

What I’m Listening To:

I am a little slower when it comes to audio books. I have a deep pile teetering precariously in my Audible account, but only listen when I’m cooking, cleaning and driving, so I only have an hour or so per day to tune in.

Right now, I’m listening to the first book in a favorite series that I read in full every year. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Narrated by Jim Dale, I am working my way through all of the audio series — even though I’m on the third listening of this particular book.

“Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter ‘H’.”

Original Mary Grand Pre’ cover of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

I’m going to go ahead and hang my Potter flag. I’m in Ravenclaw in case you’re wondering. My little brother loved these books. LOVED. He’s 16 years younger than I am, so when he started reading the Harry Potter books they were all he talked about for years. Harry Potter this and Harry Potter that. I refused to read them, even though I’m a huge fan of kid and young adult lit because he exhausted me. One day, I was at my local warehouse club and they had a copy of the first book with a torn cover and it was marked down to $3.00. I thought “I’m going to see what the fuss is all about.” I read it in one sitting. The next day I bought book two and read it in one sitting. Days 3 and 4 are the same story and then I was the person chomping the bits for the next story to come out — which wouldn’t happen for at least 6 months.

My copies are now dog-eared and ragged. J.K. Rowling is a master and winds a spell with words just as easily as Dumbledore does with his wand.

What are you reading?

Disclosure: Some links are affiliate links. There is no cost to you, but it does on occasion allow me to add a new book to my library. More details here.

My 2017 Reading Challenge

January 2, 2017 by Lisa 2 Comments

It’s a new year and time to set a new reading challenge. I attempted to read 100 books in 2016, but only made it through 55. There were a few extras I forgot to add to my Goodreads list, but I’m not taking the time to go back through the stacks I have read to add them to a list. Instead, I’m starting fresh here to announce my 2017 Reading Challenge.

2017 Reading Challenge

I read everyday. We subscribe to four newspapers, countless magazines, and I spend a lot of time haunting the bookstore shelves. Yet, I feel like I didn’t read enough in the last year. I know I didn’t read enough. And, quite frankly, it bugs me more than it should. So, I’ve set another lofty goal and am going to try and hit the number 100 this year. That’s a little less than two books per week, and I’m hoping that my love of all things Harlequin help me to boost that number over the finish line.

For many of y’all, that’s a staggering number and I don’t want anyone to feel pressure to attempt that number. But, I used to read one book a day and I’m a freakishly fast reader. Except for when I read whoppers like Moby Dick and War and Peace — those took a few days. Even the last few Harry Potter books were devoured in about 6 hours — and those books were beastly in length.

It’s not as easy to read like I want to while working, writing, and keeping some semblance of a normal family life. But read I shall. Won’t you join me?

Favorite Books of 2016

Some of my favorite books of 2016 ran the gamut from teen lit to nonfiction to heavy literary fiction. They made me laugh. They made me cry. Many made me question my life choices. They all made me happy knowing I had read them, even if some of them were very difficult to get through.

What were some of my favorite books of 2016?

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy was in my top 5. It’s a teen read, but I connected with the lead, Dumplin’ so much. It was like reading about a teen-age Lisa, except with smarter friends, cute boys and much more confidence than I ever possessed. Did I mention her love of Dolly Parton? I wish I had had this book when I was a teenager.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. I’ve been a fan of hers for many years, and she’s one of those people who’s an attendee at my fantasy dinner party. It is a stunning book of electric honesty and passion. She explores the experience of grieving and gives us a portrait of her marriage, and life, in good times and bad. Didion took my breath away.

The sophomore offering from Anton DiSclafani The After Party and another book in my top 5. It’s the story of 1950’s socialites in Houston and so well done from a historical perspective, I could smell the filterless cigarettes and taste the cocktails. The only problem is I wish there had been more, especially with the ending, but you’ll have to read it to find out why I feel that way.

The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller is fresh on my mind. I wanted to lick the pages of the book as she described the desserts baked inside its pages. Livvy is living and working in Boston until she accidentally torches the posh club where she works with an errant baked Alaska. One thing leads to another, and she soon finds herself making desserts at the quaint Sugar Maple B&B, whose crotchety owner, Margaret, is set on reclaiming the blue ribbon at the annual apple pie contest.

Do you have a reading challenge for 2017? Leave a comment below and let me know what your goals are!

Find my challenge on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/6835243. If you want to connect there, send me a friend request as I’m always seeking new bookshelves to explore.

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links.

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris — Review

August 9, 2016 by Lisa Leave a Comment

Trigger alert: This blog post contains a book review where domestic abuse is discussed

Disclosure: This is an advertisement for SheSpeaks/St. Martins Press

My reading goal this year is to read 100 news books. I’ve read 36 so far, but I’m behind by 25 books and have a lot of catching up to do. As part of that goal, I recently read the book Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris. It’s an intense, well-written psychological thriller about the lives of the perfect couple, Jack and Grace. He’s an attorney who represents battered women, Grace is a former buyer for Harrods who now paints in the perfect home she didn’t see until they arrived home from her honeymoon, where she hosts charming, perfect dinner parties, while caring for her younger sister, Millie.

I have to be in the right mood to read this type of book, and usually save them for a rainy weekend where I can drink pot after pot of hot tea while curled up under a blanket and let my heart race as I try to get to the end as quickly as possible. This one I read in small chunks. While I will do my best to not give away any spoilers, I will try and give you a heads up as to why it’s a must read, even as I found myself loathsome to finish, but couldn’t leave it sitting unread.

“The Perfect Marriage Or The Perfect Lie”

When you start reading, you’re charmed by Jack and how he met Grace by dancing with Millie. It’s one of many flashbacks in the book that share with you his charming, sensitive romantic side as he woos Grace. But you’re also instantly introduced to his need for control, and ever-present perfectionism, in the opening pages. This foreshadowing strongly resonated with me and put me on edge as soon as I started reading.

The abuse in the book is — nauseating, to say the least. Jack is, in a word, evil to his core. The mental and behavioral abuse reminded me of abuse I’ve seen family members and good friends experience, as well as clients from my days as a paralegal. (Believe me, the ironic juxtaposition of Jack representing abuse victims, while himself being an abuser is not lost.)

While I have been known to read books with violence in them, I tend to stay away from the topic. In fact, I almost emailed the company who asked me to do the review to tell them I couldn’t do it. I don’t handle the topic well, but I kept wanting to read and find out what happened, and I’m happy I stuck with the book. Karma was abundant, but it was so well written into the story that it didn’t feel trite, and the ending was immensely satisfying.

All in all, I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

What others are saying about “Behind Closed Doors”

“2016’s Answer to Gone Girl.” – Women’s Health

“If you like fast and frantic stories, you’ll love this” – The Sun

“What amazing evil. Makes GONE GIRL seem like a fairy tale” – Jackie Willey, Fiction Addiction

“An intense tale that makes us wish for revenge and payback. Wow!” – Stephanie Crowe, Page & Palette

“A wonderfully horrifying book! Riveting, the most terrifying character ever!” – Susan Wasson, Bookworks

Where to find “Behind Closed Doors”

Purchase your own copy of “Behind Closed Doors” here: smarturl.it/BCDSheSpeaks.

SheSpeaks’ will be hosting a #BehindClosedDoors Twitter Party on August 9 at 2pm ET. Participants will have the chance to win Behind Closed Doors prize packs and chat with the author & other book lovers about summer reading and the book of course! Participants must RSVP to be eligible to win. RSVP here: bit.ly/2aNwFru

Get Connected:

Hashtag: #BehindClosedDoors
Facebook: /StMartinsPress
Twitter: @StMartinsPress
Instagram: @StMartinsPress

What I’m Reading: February 3, 2014

February 3, 2014 by Lisa Leave a Comment

Reading is as essential to my happiness and life as food and water. It’s nourishment for the soul. Over the weekend, I spent quite a bit of time in the bookstore adding to my stack of reads for the coming weeks and months. I’m also a very well-known at the library, because my husband would have serious issues if I brought that many books into the house to take up permanent residence.

This weekend, I added a few classics to my library. Some of the ones I picked up I’ve not read in 25+ years. While others are new to me. Here’s my list in no certain order:

1. “The Optimist’s Daughter” by Eudora Welty. This novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973.

2. “The Collected Stories” of Eudora Welty.

3. “Going All The Way” by Dan Wakefield. Dan was one of the quintessential writers of The Beats, who’s illustrious members also include, among others, Alan Ginsburg and Jack Kerouac.

4. “IQ84” by Haruki Murakami. First published in three volumes, I’ve had friends rave about this book and wanted to tackle it based on its references to Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four”, among others.

5. Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. Again, another great voice from The Beats generation.

6. Bullfinch’s Mythology. While Bullfinch wasn’t the most exciting writer, I love mythology and it’s nice to see the sections pointing out mythological references in works by Shakespeare, Milton, etc.. My son would tell me I’ve hit the height of nerdvana.

While I won’t bore you with the complete list, nor will I promise this will be a regular feature, I will say I’m enjoying reading more lately than I have in a long time. As a writer, I will say it’s essential we read. Reading keeps us on our toes, discovering new language nuances and voices.

I’m also always interested in what my friends are reading. I’ve not found a book club in my local area, so I stick with Goodreads to see what everyone is reading and find new books.

You can also find me on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/Lisa_Frame

What are you reading?

For the love of books

September 9, 2013 by Lisa 1 Comment

Books are a passion of mine. I’ll read pretty much anything, with my specialty being cereal boxes early in the morning. I’ve been reading since I was two and have spent many hours living different lives, happily ensconced in a world others have created. When I’m having a bad day, I take off to my local library or bookstore and immerse myself in the shelves for hours, clearing my head and focusing on nothing but my next discovery.

When I’m traveling, I seek out independent and used bookshops. There are quite a few on my list, physical treasure troves filled with words. The people working in these stores are readers. They love books. When I mention how much I love the smell of their stores, they don’t look at me as if I’ve lost my mind. There is a tactile eroticism in picking up an old book, its pages lovingly worn, dog eared, and if you’re lucky, notes made by the previous reader.

I’m also what’s called a “librocubicularist,” meaning I like to read in bed. I also like to read in the bath, but have dropped too many books, so don’t read there as often. I’ll read anywhere.

What I’m Reading — Volume I