A Year by the Sea

A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A Year by the Sea chronicles Joan Anderson's life after she chooses to take a break from her marriage. Her children grown and on their own, her husband was offered a job in a new location. She chooses to move to their beach house instead of following him, reflecting on her feelings of repression and lack of appreciation on the years of marriage and motherhood. She takes time to find herself, her inner courage, and comes out the other side more confident and content.

Anyone who has been in a long-term marriage will be able to appreciate this book. Although her journey is different from mine (a beach house, really, Joan?), I could relate to her feelings and the experiences she gave herself during this year alone. It made me celebrate my relationship with my husband a little more and reminded me that regardless of our strong partnership, that I should always take time for myself.



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Summer Book Club: Reading University

Logo designed by Maddie

We are starting our annual summer book club this week.  The kids and I have had a summer book club every summer since 2010.  We choose a new genre each week and everyone selects a book within that genre to read and discuss. This year we have added a twist: Reading University.  Each week we will share out our books and our reviews in the selected subject, and by the time school starts again we will have earned our degrees.  I'll be updating the blog as we go.  Hope you find some good new reading suggestions from our choices!

Miss Buncle Married

Miss Buncle Married by D.E. Stevenson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Miss Buncle Married, the follow up to Miss Buncle's Book, continues on with her life as a newly married woman. Smart and clever, we follow Barbara and her husband to a new home in a new village, where Barbara inserts herself with the locals and changes lives in her trademark way.

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The Cuckoo's Calling

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wish I hadn't known this was written by JK Rowling prior to reading it. It's impossible for me to know if it colored my opinion of the book. But it's out there, and was part of the reason it was moved to the top of my long "to read" list, so I guess it's of no consequence now.

The good: I liked Cormoran Strike. He met my expectation of a struggling, down-on-his-luck PI. I also enjoyed Robin, his accidental assistant. I am looking forward to seeing their partnership develop in future books and found I cared about both characters by the end. The plot, while a traditional mystery format, was tightly woven and took intricate turns. Well done.

The bad: I hated Cormoran's ex-girlfriend. I'm not sure the Rowling wanted or expected that response, but I would be happy if she never came up in another novel. This may be caused by the lack of true backstory around their relationship and perspective on why they both seemed so done at the time of the mystery, but she adds nothing to Cormoran's character for me. He can be a wounded soldier with a past without wasting time on her.

Overall, a good start to the series. I will read the next one when it comes out.

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Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book. Actually, I wanted to love this book. But I didn't. I am all for more women in leadership. I love my job and feel businesses need to continue to cultivate diversity in all areas, including diversity of thought. I am a wife, and mother, and have been in leadership my entire career, so I thought this book would be amazing and inspirational. I hoped it would be one I could recommend to my peers. Unfortunately...

This book showed me that I think, and often act, like the men Sheryl Sandberg has worked with throughout her career. Rarely did any of her stories or perspectives resonate with me. I would read her anecdote, pause, and think, "Huh. Do most women in business feel that way? I have never had that thought." Or, "I can't believe that was her reaction. I would have lost respect for her in that moment." If most women have similar thoughts, feelings, and reactions, it's no surprise that they struggle to achieve high levels of leadership success.

On the flip side, it did help me gain perspective on how some of my female peers might feel in the workplace. I can possibly use this to encourage differently, or help other women leaders work through some of their career stallers and provide an alternate point of view.

Overall, too much hype and a let-down for me. Men, if you read this book, do not assume every woman feels, thinks, or acts this way. Please and thank you.

TL:DR--I might be a man. Or Sheryl Sandberg is a big baby.

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Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun

Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun by Wess Roberts
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Fast read, but no new info on leadership here.

1) Beyond a list of leadership qualities that you can adapt for any industry and argue they will lead to success, we are given bon mots like "you've got to want to lead" and "pick your enemies wisely".
2) Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Be sure you conduct yourself accordingly, because you are always being watched.
3) Take responsibility, be decisive, delegate, negotiate, be resilient, and reward and recognize great performance. Learn from your failures, and move on.

I have just saved you an hour of reading time. Go forth and lead.

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Miss Buncle's Book

Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was surprised how much I liked this book. Set in a quaint English village, this gem from the 1930s has stood the test of time. Miss Buncle needs money and decides the only solution is to write a book, under a pseudonym, of course, about her life and her neighbors. Funny and charming with interesting characters; this is a quick, enjoyable read.

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Mariana

Mariana by Susanna Kearsley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoy Susanna Kearsley's books, and this one was no exception. This is one of her earlier novels, and you can definitely see how Kearsley's writing has matured over the years in comparison to her later books The Rose Garden and The Winter Sea. Mariana is an interesting take on reincarnation and memory. However, a few things kept it from falling into my 4 star category. More character development was needed, both in the past and present. The ending felt rushed after so much build up--an epilogue or additional chapter might have tied up loose ends. I suspected the twist, but really wish more time had been spent fleshing out how the threads tied together. Overall enjoyable--a solid 3 stars.



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The Shadowy Horses

The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I loved the archaeological and historical tie-ins, but I didn't love this book as much as The Winter Sea and The Rose Garden. If you haven't read Susanna Kearsley before, you can start here, but you might be a bit disappointed if you have read some of her other novels first. Don't get me wrong, it's not a terrible book. I did feel the relationships were underdeveloped and she barely scratched the surface of what she could have tied in historically. Overall an enjoyable read.

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Dick Francis's Refusal

Dick Francis's Refusal by Felix Francis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was hesitant when I heard it was a new Sid Halley book, but I liked it. Sid has lost his edge a little, but having kids will do that to you. Enjoyable addition to the series and the ending made me hope for more to come.

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