Bluebird Books

Ok, there's been a bunch of books I've listened to on audible since my last post... 1.   Rules of Civility This was ah-ma-zing.  I loved it.  I don't know how you couldn't love it.  But one of my real life friends only gave it two stars on goodreads and I don't know how to feel about that. Rules of Civility tells the story of Katey and Tinker and Eve, three friends who meet randomly on a New Year's Eve night in NYC in the late 1930's. Towles seems to be channeling F. Scott Fitzgerald.  But maybe "channeling" is unfair, he's writing about the same time period, with skill, and a strong voice, but I wouldn't say they are interchangeable.  And maybe that's why some people don't like him.  Maybe  because he isn't Fitzgerald 2. this lady has got it made, or does she... I read another book that was set during this era at the beginning of the year.  That book became grating.  The way that other author was trying so hard t

So...I plowed through The Woman in Cabin 10 super quick.  It wasn't high Literature, but for what it was, a fun summer mystery in the vein of And Then There Were None , it was great.   spooky cover Lo is a reporter who is planning to write a story on this fancy new luxury cruiser that only has 10 cabins and is super posh.  She struggles to make it to the ship, and when she does, a chance encounter messes with her head and seems to make her the target of someone looking to shut her up.  It was fast paced and fun.  The mystery kept me going up until the last pages.   I had two issues with this book, though:  1.  The Title...it was easily confused with The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl .  and, 2.  The unreliable narrator is getting old for me.  I just don't know if I can deal with another drunk girl second guessing her every thought and move.  Maybe it's relatable, maybe it's popular with our current culture, but I miss the Miss Marples, the Sherlock Holmeses,

My kids went back to school last week.  This is remarkable for us because my baby got on the bus too.  For 12 years I've welcomed back to school time with a little one in tow.  My routines stayed (mostly) the same year round.  This year, my world has turned on it's ear.  It started in the summer.  "What are you going to do?" is maybe the worst question you can ask someone who is sending all of their kids to school for the first time.  First of all, they may not know how to respond exactly.   I went through a period of awkward responses:  When my kids get on the bus?  Cry...or not.  Maybe do a little dance.  With all the extra kid-free time?  Get a job?  Get another degree?  Do my laundry?  Sit in a room and stare at a wall?  No, really, I'm asking you, because I don't know.   I fielded the questions as best as I could and found myself unprepared for the first day.  One friend suggested I just let it be.  Feel what I feel and do whatever I find myself doi

we get *VERY* excited about the library Oh, hello there.  I've been a little busy lately with guests and hanging out with my four best friends who love to talk at me all.day.long.   I'm gearing up for back to school (hallelujer) and back to blogging and reading regularly.  It'll be my first time with all four kids in school and I'm excited about the possibilities.   But that's getting ahead of myself.   Summer can be a tricky time for reading.  There's  a lot of laundry and dishes, no reliable schedule, and kids talking (did I mention kids talking yet?  because they do...they talk all day).  There have been weeks that have passed this summer without a single page read and I try to be understanding of that.  clothes that were washed, dried, folded, unfolded, washed, dried, folded...on and on, forever and ever, amen. Summer can also be an excellent time for reading.  Sitting poolside (if no friends are there, of course), lazy afternoons, and s

Ok, so today I'm talking about Love That Boy , which I just finished.  But, because I wasn't a huge fan of the book, I'm also going to talk about Book of the Month Club .   The book details the real-life experience of a father and son going to visit various presidential libraries, locations, and even a few presidents themselves.  Tyler, the son, has asperger's and his father is slowly coming to accept that fact and how this diagnosis will change their lives.    I wanted to love this book.  I'm a big fan of parenting books and I thought this one would come off much less heavy handed on the didactic advice.  While that was true, it still didn't live up to my hopes.  The story and research didn't weave as seamlessly as I would have hoped and some of the author's connections seemed a bit of a reach.   That being said, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with a child who is being diagnosed with asperger's or adhd.  Though I can

I snagged Before the Fall from my book of the month subscription a couple of months ago.  This is one of those books that generates a lot of buzz.  It seemed to be everywhere: on the blogs I read, featured in Barnes and Noble's window, and on my favorite podcast .   I was not disappointed.   rocking, reading, drinking coffee, and sunshine: #winning This book begins with a plane crash.  A private plane, on a short trip, with important passengers.  The majority of the book is spent uncovering the mysteries generated by the plane crash and learning about the people who were on it.  If you like novels where a pivotal event changes everything, this book is for you.   Because of the title, I was searching for Biblical allusions.  Instead of references to Adam and Eve, I found myself remembering War and Peace (which I just finished this spring).  Not only does much of the description seem reminiscent of Tolstoy's work, but there is even a direct reference to him.  Howeve

Hello there! I'm so glad you stopped by.   My name is Noelle and I love to read.  I have always been a reader, since I was a child.  Growing up, my mom owned a little bookstore in our tiny town in New York state.  Each morning she would pack me up after my brothers and sister got on the bus and we would head to the store.  As a baby I've been surrounded by books, and it has made me a bit obsessive. The smell of a bookstore puts my mind at ease, even now.  When I'm stressed, my preferred form of therapy is book shopping.   <------Also Therapy------> I surprised even my parents with how much I loved to read.  For fun, I would pick up books like Little Women or Gone with the Wind and devour them.  Whenever my parents introduced me to new people my name became, "Noelle, the reader."   As an adult my love of reading has not wavered.  I graduated with an English degree with a focus on Literature (with a capital "L," of cour