My Name Is Memory

Meet your amazing summer read for 2010. If you haven't got it yet, run out and buy My Name Is Memory because this one is going to plow through the charts to the top. My Name Is Memory has all the elements, including buzz that will make it a chart-topper and a people-pleaser. The big scramble for film rights and the fact that this author, Ann Brashares, who also wrote the Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants series, has been able to generate bidding wars for her work, got my interest and admiration right away. When this one landed on my desk here at brainfood I didn't know quite what to expect, but I was truly excited to start this read. Would it be a young adult book? Was it a vampire tale ala Twilight? Was it for adults? Where exactly was it going to lead? My Name is Memory is a sexy epic love story that will keep you guessing and turning pages. At times it reminded me a bit of The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, the story every bit as gripping. My Name Is Memory is driven by the two star-crossed lovers: Daniel and Sophia. Daniel is a charming, brooding, tortured teenager when we meet him at the high school prom and Sophia's current incarnation is Lucy Broward, also a teenager. Daniel is an outsider of sorts dropped into the high school after many years of searching for his true love, Sophia, a woman he tells us he searches through time for, and has been seeking ever since he killed her. We meet Lucy heading to her prom, hoping to run into Daniel there and having rejected an offer or two escorts that would be appropriate and yet not memorable. We are told that Lucy's sister Dana has suffered mental illness and is no longer with the family, details to be unveiled as the plot moves along. Lucy is the child her parents pin their hopes on, a good girl, and yet her mother notes disappointment: "She'd had two lovely fair-haired daughters and not one eager boy in a tuxedo to show for it. To look like Lucy had been enough in her day." Daniel and Sophia are time travellers, reincarnated time and again. But Daniel also possesses the gift of memory, carrying his with him through his many past lives. It is a bitter gift that haunts him, especially when it comes to Sophia. Sophia's spirit also travels through time, reincarnated often, but she doesn't carry memory with her, so she is at times unable to recognize Daniel in his many shapes, forms and ages. There are moments she clearly has deja vu but doesn't know why or how or what the mysterious pull to this apparent stranger is. Also as they parachute through various eras, they are sometimes incompatible in age, with him occasionally a child and her fully grown, he is often able to recognize and watch from afar, a voyeur to her relationships and many lives, unable to affect them because of the many factors keeping them apart. My Name is Memory is a great read, clearly plot-driven with strong characters. The research is meticulous and the many insights into various eras and lifestyles make this story truly educational, unique, and fast-paced. I will not spoil the ending as readers should pick this one up for themselves. Suffice it to say though, that if I had one small criticism of the novel, which is an adult fiction story with a strong romance and history plot, it would be that the ending lacked a huge emotional tug or twist. It isn't a huge thing, because the book is great and the movie should be too. But for me as a reader, beginnings and endings are incredibly important. The quick punchy start gets you to buy the book and commit to reading, but it's the ending that, when executed with just the right combination of style and emotion, makes a book resonate, or burrow beneath your skin to stay. My Name Is Memory was a great read, and yet as a writer I envisioned two or three alternative endings that I think might have kicked it up a notch and been more artistic. As it ends now, the author clearly leaves a strategic opening for a sequel, both in print, and on the big screen. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. It is immensely enjoyable and entertaining as it is, even if it failed to move me to tears or take my breath away.

My Name Is Memory, Ann Brashares, Riverhead Books, Penguin Group Canada, $32.50, New York 2010. Thriftymommas rating $$$$ out of $$$$$

Disclosure: Thriftymommasbrainfood is not paid for her opinions and they are all my own. However in order to review books I often receive a free copy from the publisher. Also as a result of being an Amazon affiliate I may receive a small commission from purchases.

A Dozen Different Ways to Keep Kids Reading All Summer

TwitterMoms came up with this idea as part of an I Can Read books campaign running with Harper Collins and since I've been mulling this topic over for some time I thought I would post today some of my tips for summer reading.

1. TEACHER: Think like a teacher. On sunny days at your child's school they take the lesson outside to vary it up a bit and make magic memories. Pick a topic that is summery or sunny, or even the opposite of that, and read outdoors underneath a tree. When it is superhot we make fake snow and read a winter book set in the Arctic.

2. MAGAZINES: Subscribe to magazines so kids can peruse at their leisure. My eldest daughter got a gift subscription to Chickadee magazine many years ago from my mother-in-law. After my mother-in-law passed away I kept the subscription going because Payrton loves it so much. What a great gift and a great legacy. Now we have Chirp for my youngest daughter, now 6, and Chickadee and even a French magazine to keep them learning en francais.

3. READ ALOUD: Don't underestiamte the power of oral storytelling. Pick a big fun book you always meant to read together and schedule it for the summer. Delve into Chronicles of Narnia or Anne of Green Gables. We started The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe together about three weeks ago and I've read about five pages a night each night. We are almost done now and I have no idea what will be next. (which brings me to next tip.)

4. BE A DRAMA MAMA: Act a bit to bring it alive. Something about summer and the drama camps my kids do makes me want to try on different accents. So for three weeks I've been faking a British accent and the kids love it. I'm reading The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, so it only makes sense.

5. THEMES: Pick a theme and bring it alive. Maybe science books, and do some experiments too to help illustrate the theme, or a craft. I have experiments over here at http://www.thriftymommastips.blogspot.com/ There are a few cool books that give you hints on how to do this. One of them was reviewed by me here many months ago. It was called the Parent-Child Book Club,by Melissa Stoller and Marci Winkler.

6. LIBRARY: Take them to the library for their fun summer programs. Walk or ride bikes, or haul the wagon behind you. Most library programs are free and they often will do a summer story time. Some do summer reading contests.

7.  BOOK STORE: Visit your local Chapters/Indigo or Smithbooks and have them pick one new book.

8. MOVIES AND THEATRE: Movies can be complementary to books, and so can theatre. Check out what's coming soon at local theatre and if your kids like to watch performances as mine do then read the book and get tickets for the play. We have seen a few interesting theatrical shows. Recently my children saw Velveteen Rabbit. It didn't make them want to read less, but more.

9. READING NOOKS: Book corners in the house. Books in the van or car. Books that travel. My kids never go anywhere without books. When they are handy, then during a quiet moment they are easy to choose. Also stash them in every room of the house. I mean - every room. Audiobooks also count.

10. PHONICS OVER FROSTED FLAKES: I will use tools like the I Can Read books a lot this summer for my youngest who needs to build confidence before entering grade one. I will use them in the morning and read with her at breakfast. I do this on purpose because my active girl loses interest later on in the day and is sharpest in the morning. Also if she senses that I am trying to get her to work then game over. So we will be reading over the Corn Flakes.

11. FIND FESTIVALS: Summer is a great time to get outside and look for local writer's festivals and story-telling festivals, even children's festivals. Almost always there is reading going on there. Having someone else do the reading while you sit beside your child in the park and absorb another wonderful season...what could be better?

12. COOKING: Cook and bake together. Have them read the recipes. This is a great math and reading activity. Not to mention Yummy!

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get an "I Can Read!" book. For more information on how you can participate, click here: http://www.twittermoms.com/forum/topics/share-tips-for-getting-kids-to?

My Mailbag

This is my new Thursday mailbag. Check out all the amazing reads I have received this week alone. New Nora Roberts. Wow! And this wonderful story from a mother with a child who has Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Jennifer Poss Taylor. Sadly my Kobo goes back this weekend. I was just using a loader for review purposes and I have loved the thing. It is in fact one of the easiest, most fun, tech devices I have been given. Look for my review on thriftymommastips. The price is right on this adorable little purse sized ebook reader, so perhaps someone will take the hint and buy me one for my next birthday. That would be better than swell. Anyways, I just wanted to show you my mailbag. Look for these reviews coming soon.

The Household Guide To Dying

The Household Guide to Dying is the story of a young 40-year-old mother dying and setting her house in order. It is a slow burn kind of novel with a devastating and beautiful end. It is imaginative and humourous in its use of character, and yet the plot could not be more steeped in realistic situation. There is little in life more predictable than death. Everyone eventually finds the same end. Delia is a very popular advice columnist dishing out cheeky and somewhat cynical replies to readers who seem to enjoy the abuse. She is a mother of two daughters and a son. It is revealed through the book, that her son was tragically killed when hit by a car. She is married to the wonderful Archie, a great standup kind of guy who really understands her, and she also makes a living writing The Household Guide to ... series of books. We are told that she is dying of cancer and Delia approaches the factual approach of her own death with pragmatics and lists. She thinks in terms of what she must set about completing for her children and her husband before she can submit. Her last months have been spent trying to brief her husband on the daily operations of the household, a place she has run with a loving precision. Delia makes clear that her marriage, while loving can often also be weighed down by routine. Buried deep in the details of managing all the needs and wants of the various personalities in her family, it has become sometimes hard for Delia to see the bigger picture, the passion that has bound them all together. "If this marriage were to have unravelled it would have been over something as trivial and tangible as a misplaced sock or a forgotten school lunchbox." Her failing health and imminent death brings a new perspective. Urgency. Fresh eyes. A fierce need to leave something unique and lasting behind. For a brief period at the start of the novel Delia leaves her family to venture back to a city known as Amethyst, a small sleepy town filled with carny types and circus performers. It is an odd turn of plot and leaves the reader pondering why the road trip until, bit by bit, slowly it is revealed that she has some loose ends from her life there with Sonny. The details of Sonny's death are let loose in small increments as Delia gets closer to the end of her own life, more poignant because they are so simply revealed. I have had quite a run of excellent reads here at thriftymommasbrainfood recently. Lucky for me. I wasn't expecting a book entitled The Household Guide To Dying to keep this streak alive and yet it has more than done that. Debra Adelaide has created a truly humourous, bittersweet and lovely tale. It is a surprisingly fantastic read. It is compelling and well written and charming with eccentric moments. Not a summer beach read, but the book you read before your vacation or right after you get back. The Guide is ideally suited for book club discussions. It is a story that will leave you feeling happy to be alive, and if a book can be said to make you take stock of your life and wish to hold those you love a bit closer to cherish them, then this is that kind of book. Adelaide has worked as an editor, book reviewer and researcher and is now a senior lecturer in creative writing at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia. She has three children. This novel was nminated for the Orange Prize for fiction.

The Household Guide To Dying, by Debra Adelaide, Penguin Group Canada, $18.00 paperback edition, 2010.
Thriftymommastips rating is $$$$ out of $$$$$.

Picture Perfect: A Giveaway

Hey all, this one is a giveaway too, so don't forget to read to the end to enter. Picture Perfect is one of my fave author, Jodi Picoult's, earlier books. As I am steadily working my way through every novel she has ever written I felt the need to read and review this one recently. It isn't the grabbiest or most topical of all Picoult's books, but the slight parallels to a certain A-List Hollywood celebrity couple made it relevant and interesting to me.
At the start of this novel is a mystery. A half-dead woman is found in a cemetery. Her head is wounded. She is discovered by a grave and has no inkling how she got there or why she is there, nor does she know her name. A conflicted native American police officer takes her in and tried to help her find the truth. He calls her Jane and along the way, as he helps her to find out about her history, he naturally falls for her romantically. Cassie Barrett is a world-renowned anthropologist when she meets the legendary Alex Rivers. (Think Brad Pitt with a mean-spirited side.) She has been hired by the movie he is working on to give technical advice. He sweeps her off her feet and she is easily charmed, but it is not long before his temper flares and she tries to make excuses. Soon a pattern of abuse is evident to have followed Rivers from his past and extended well into his future. It is a pattern Cassie believes she can cure. As in many Picoult novels a subtheme echoes and crosses through the main plot of the novel. The native American police officer Will pops in and out of the book weaving strong themes of nature and healing and aboriginal folklore. He is, in many ways Cassie's saviour and a very strong character. Picture Perfect is the story of a couple who to the world and the media appear to be golden and yet, in reality, they are deeply flawed personalities that feed each other's weaknesses. They are simply combustible together. This is a compelling story and it is, as usual really well written. Picoult is the author of many other novels, including The Tenth Circle, House Rules, Faith, Mercy and My Sister's Keeper.

Picture Perfect is worth $$$$ out of $$$$$. It is published by Berkely, Penguin Group USA, 1995. $15 US and $18 Canadian.

I am giving away one copy of this novel. I will draw for the winner June 24th with random.org. Open to all US and Canada.
To enter:
1. Leave a comment here indicating that you want to enter the giveaway. Tell me if you have read any other Jodi Picoult books and, if so, which was your favourite.
2. Follow me on twitter @inkscrblr.
3. Visit http://www.thriftymommastips.blogspot.com/ and leave a comment.
4. For an extra chance at winning follow me on GoogleFriendConnect.

A Place For Delta

A Place For Delta is an amazing, educational adventure story for youth aged 9 to 12 set against an Alaskan backdrop. This young adult fiction tale is one of the best stories we've read here in a very long time. For a couple of weeks I've been reading this book out loud to my daughters, aged 8 and 6, and they have been captivated from start to finish. And you know that thing where your brain wanders sometimes to adult stuff while reading kids books out loud, well none of that happened to my brain with this story. In fact I might even be a bit smarter from reading it. Delta is a baby polar bear and this is the story of the people who find her and help nurture her, in the process, also helping to solve the crime of who shot the bear cub's mother. It is insightful and educational. It is relevant, at times dealing with topics such as global warming, Alaskan oil drilling and environmental threats to animals such as polar bears. A Place For Delta is well written, and contains just the right amount of suspense to drive the plot forward. The story begins in Georgia many years prior, when a young brother,  Ben, his sister Kate and their mother, Lisi, move to an old farmhouse with many acres of land. We are told Lisi has taken a job at a college nearby and her children are explorers venturing out onto their new property tracking footprints and scat, in search of wildlife. They are pioneering in spirit, both animal and nature-lovers. As young children, Ben and Kate are daring. They have several close calls with bears and snakes. But these are smart savvy kids, without need of rescuers. Fast forward, many years later and the children are grown. Ben has a son named Joseph. Kate is employed at a research station in Alaska when news of an orphaned polar bear comes to light. She is busy with research, but also needing to help hand-feed and socialize a polar bear and she quickly asks her nephew Joseph, 11, to come to Alaska to help raise the bear. What follows is an amazing cultural adventure and a mystery as well. Joseph becomes friends with Ada, a young Eskimo girl, and together the two spy on locals and tourists to uncover the truth. At times, while reading this, I felt it to be the same kind of timeless classic like Charlotte's Web that can be read over and over, treasured and passed down through families. A good book, read together with children, can cement bonds, raises important issues, help encourage character development and nurture creativity. A Place For Delta was a joy to share and I suspect that's how my children felt to when it ended and they asked to read it all over again. I will treasure A Place For Delta, a savvy intelligent book that encourages children to be smart and resourceful while taking ownership of the world around them. This story is wholesome and contains many biology and geography lessons. Walker was a professor of English at the University of New Orleans, and is an advocate for civil rights and wilderness. She makes Alaska fascinating. She is the author of Reading The Environment and Living on Wilderness Time: 200 Days Alone in America's Wild Places. She lives with her husband Jerome in Atlanta and spends summers in Alaska. Richard Walker is a nurse and artist. His illustrations are quite lovely and timeless. The jacket blurb for Delta indicates it is the first of a series of books for children. We will wait anxiously for the second installment in the series.
Melissa Walker, A Place For Delta, illustrated by Richard Walker, $16.95 US, Whale Tale Press
released today June 1, 2010. Thriftymommastips rating $$$$$ out of $$$$$. Loved it. I don't think I've ever given perfect $$$$$'s before. My eldest has told every child at her school about this amazing new book called A Place For Delta and my youngest has asked all of her teachers if they've ever read it. One night she stated: "I would like 100 copies of that book."

Thriftymommastips is not paid to review books, but receives a free copy to read from the publisher.