Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks

This book has been sitting on the shelf for a couple of years now and I thought it was time to see what it was all about. Aside from some of his ramblings it was a very enjoyable book. The characters that he meets along the way and some of the adventures that he goes on because of his fridge made me chuckle. He not only got to see the wonderful landscape but was able to enjoy the locals, which many of us in our travels never really experience. He had a good sense of humor about him and all I can say is, be careful when you are drinking about making a bet.

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book Two: Another great adventure for Percy Jackson. He is not sent on a quest, but goes on one and helps out. The situations he gets into and how he and his friends learn to work together to get through are great. In the end he lets go and lets another take the glory and feels all the better for it. It was very enjoyable and I am curious to see what happens next.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

There are many reviews on the front and back of the book. "Powerful... Haunting" "Extraordinary" "Riveting.... Unforgettable" I have to agree with all of these. I found it to be a very hard book to read for the subject matter. The book started in Afghanistan with a young boy and followed his life into adulthood. He lead a very easy life and did not always appreciate it or treat those who took care of him well. You watched him grow and deal with the consequences of his actions. I guess what was hard for me was how real it all felt knowing that it was fiction. Because of the wars going on now and hearing about it in the news for so long it was all the more real to read about. I know of the prejudices and conflicts that have been occurring for years and years and know that it will be going on for so many more. It all goes round and round and it never stops. As much as this was fiction you have to know that deep down things that happened in this book happen every day over there. I am glad I finally read the book and know that I will be thinking about it for a long time.

The Beach House by Jane Green

This was one of those books that you just picked up and fell in to. I always enjoy how an author gives depth to characters and shows the interactions of everyone. There are several families involved in this story that all end up in the same place at the end, Nantucket. They end up in an old seaside home that an old timer has decided to rent rooms to help her financial situation. Nan, the owner of the home, has a wonderful way with all the summer tenants and their families. There are a couple of twists that truly surprised me. I was shocked at how she wound these side stories into the whole novel. I am looking forward to reading more of her books. It really is a good summer read.

a big little life by Dean Koontz

Subtitle: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog -- What a wonderful memoir. I have listened to a couple of Koontz's books and enjoyed them, so I thought this might be a good read. I tells of how he and his wife decided to get a dog, Trixie, and how much it changed their lives. One of the things for him was how his writing changed and he was willing to venture into stories he feels he never could have written before Trixie. It talks of her fun antics and how she was great for everyone. I laughed and cried. It made me want to go out and get a dog. I won't, but someday.

The Fairy Chronicles by J. H. Sweet

Subtitle: Marigold and the Feather of Hope, the Journey Begins -- What a cute book!! I like to read these before I pass them onto my grand-daughter, just to make sure they are good. This is a little story about a nine year old who finds out that she is a fairy. She meets many others and gets to go on an adventure involving the Feather of Hope. It is short and sweet and there are three more books in the series. So, if you have a little girl who likes fairies, I recommend this. I could not help but smile and giggle as I read this.

Elder Rage -or- Take My Father...Please! by Jacqueline Marcell

Subtitle: How To Survive Caring For Aging Parents -- Once I was able to get past all of the movie and TV references it was a very informative book. She went home because her mom needed to go into the hospital and thought she was going to die. When she got to the house she realized how bad things were and knew something needed to be done. Her father would go into terrible rages threatening her and others and getting physical. This book is about her journey in learning how to deal with her father, dealing with the medical professionals (and I use that term loosely), going through many in home caregivers and in the end learning that it is the disease and not really the person that is being the way they are. My grandmother has Alzheimer's and treats many people very kindly and then gets to my dad and it is a different story. She is not violent, but can be very verbal. My dad has made progress over the years dealing with her. I hope that it does not come to this for me, but if it does I hope I can remember this book and how my dad has dealt with the situation and remember that it is the disease and the person doing the crazy and hurtful acts does really love me. -- At the end of this book are several sections on dealing with these situations and organizations that you can contact for help.