700 Sundays by Billy Crystal

I love to watch Crystal in movies and on TV and reading him is just as good.  While I am reading I can hear him and see his face and it is just like he is having a conversation with you.  I learned a lot about this man and am amazed at his background and the family history that he has.  He did loose his father at a young age, but some of the connections that were made truly lead him on the path he has been on.  I was not sure what to expect and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It only took me a day to read, so make sure you take some time to get this book.  You won't regret it. (NOOK)

Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr

I was needing an easy read and her books are great.  There is some romance and mystery and a little tension to mix things up.  This book was about a woman who shows up in town with her child and you know that things are not going well with the whole situation.  You see characters grow and interpersonal relationships take on a life of their own.  Carr does a great job just taking you along for the ride.  I am always looking for her books and can't wait to see what she can show us next.  She is just one of those authors that is easy to read and love.

If You Ask Me by Betty White

What a fun, short book.  She touched on many things that have happened to her during her life.  Some of the TV shows, people she has done things with, and of course the animals.  At times this all felt a little disjointed, but her humor and the way she looks at life is refreshing.  This was a great way to get to know a little more about her and get some good laughs in at the same time. (NOOK)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

What a great book!!  I know many people who have read it and loved it and was so glad to finally get my hands on it.  The story is about the maids to the white people in Mississippi.  You know that it is fiction, but also know that much of what is said is not far from the truth.  A woman in the story wants to tell maids stories, in their own words.  At first the maids were very reluctant, but then there tunes changed, in part because of some of the things that were happening.  Stockett wove this novel just beautifully.  I had a hard time putting it down.  I was pulled in and felt for all of the characters.  I laughed out loud and shook my head, not only at funny things but at how things were done and perceived.  I grew up in the north in a very white state.  It is so far outside my realm of comprehension of some of the things that have occurred in the south.  Living in North Carolina opened my eyes a bit, but this was fascinating and frustrating for me at the same time.  I can't say enough about this book.  I do know that a movie has been made, but I am not sure I want to see it.  I like what I have in my mind and am not sure I want to see someone elses interpretation. (NOOK)

Cape Cod by Henry David Thoreau

I seem to be drawn, at times, to books about the sea and nature.  I was able to get this on my NOOK and it took me a while to get through it.  He and a friend walked Cape Cod all the way to Provincetown.  He talks about the winds and the sand and how unforgiving it can be.  There were many ship wrecks in this area and I found it fascinating how the people living there survived off these wrecks.  They would gather the lumber, sails and even salvage plants and fruit trees.  You had to be a certain type of person to survive on the Cape back in the 1800's.  He gave a lot of history about the area and how things came to be.  It was interesting, but I am really not a good history person.  What grabbed me the most was his descriptions.  He was able to make things so vivid I could feel myself walking along the beach or through the towns or the beach grass.  The colors were vibrant and fresh.  He gave a really good picture of how things were back then and I am very thankful that he did.

Faux Finished by Peg Marberg

This was an interesting little mystery.  Part way through I figured out that this was part of a series and was not the first book, but I did not feel like I had lost a lot when it came to the characters.  It was kind of slow moving and was not very exciting.  The character development was good but I never had any feelings towards any of them.  In some books you really become invested in a character or a cause and that never happened for me.  I guess what I am saying is that this helped pass the time but I will not be searching for this author to be passing any more time.

To build a fire by Jack London

Terry had read this when he was a kid and it really stuck with him.  I was able to find it and we read it together. This was a short story about a man and his dog in the Yukon who were trying to get to camp.  He had underestimated how cold it really was.  He was doing fine until he went through some ice and got wet up to his knees and had to start a fire.  He had a great fire but built it in the wrong place.  Needless to say he could not get a fire going again.  London pulled you in with his descriptions, images and emotions and you could feel the cold just seeping into your own bones.  I found this in PDF form on line and I highly recommend that you find this a read it.  It will not take you more that 45 minutes, but it will stay with you a long time.  (NOOK)