Friday Finds: August 8, 2008

TGIF!  It has been a long week here, with plenty of rain to keep us climbing the walls inside the house.  I’d like to say that I’ve been able to spend that time curled in a cozy chair with a good book (or two!), but, there was that wall-climbing going on …  Without further ado, I’ll report that I did find time to open several packages that UPS, USPS and FedEx were kind enough to deliver.  MizB at Should be Reading asks, and here are my Friday Finds:

I received House and Home by Kathleen McCleary.  I’m going to read and review this novel in preparation for an author blog tour coordinated by Lisa at TLC Book Tours; this is the first book/author I’ve promoted with TLC Book Tours and I’m looking forward to working with them – the tour stops at SheIsTooFondOfBooks on September 15!. 

We moved about a year ago and I understand the angst of having strangers assess your house and ultimately make it their home; what makes a house a home?  Read on:  The story of a woman who loves her house so much that she’ll do just about anything to keep it.

Ellen Flanagan has two precious girls to raise, a cozy neighborhood coffee shop to run, terrific friends, and a sexy husband. She adores her house, a yellow Cape Cod filled with quirky antiques, beloved nooks and dents, and a million memories. But now, at forty-four, she’s about to lose it all.

After eighteen roller-coaster years of marriage, Ellen’s husband, Sam–who’s charismatic, spontaneous, and utterly irresponsible–has disappointed her in more ways than she can live with, and they’re getting divorced. Her daughters are miserable about losing their daddy. Worst of all, the house that Ellen loves with all her heart must now be sold.

Ellen’s life is further complicated by a lovely and unexpected relationship with the husband of the shrewish, social-climbing woman who has purchased the house. Add to that the confusion over how she really feels about her almost-ex-husband, and you have the makings of a delicious novel about what matters most in the end . . .

Set in the gorgeous surroundings of Portland, Oregon, Kathleen McCleary’s funny, poignant, curl-up-and-read debut strikes a deep emotional chord and explores the very notion of what makes a house a home.

Cheryl Jarvis’ The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment that Changed Their Lives will be published September 9.  The premise of this non-fiction book is very interesting:

Four years ago, in Ventura, California, Jonell McLain saw a diamond necklace in a local jewelry store display window. The necklace aroused desire first, then a provocative question: Why are personal luxuries so plentiful yet accessible to so few? What if we shared what we desired? Several weeks, dozens of phone calls, and a leap of faith later, Jonell bought the necklace with twelve other women, with the goal of sharing it.

I received my first “graphic” book, The Shiniest Jewel: A Family Love Story by Marian Henley.  This is a memoir written in graphic format, complete with dialogue bubbles and whimsical drawings.  I loved this book and have already posted my review.  The Shiniest Jewel will be released for sale on September 15.  Here’s what the publisher has to say:

At 49, cartoonist Marian Henley hasn’t committed to marrying the man with whom she has been dating for seven years. But as the Big 5-0 looms, she realizes that above all else she wants a child. Her story follows the heartbreaking ups and downs of going through the international adoption process; deciding when it’s time to grow up and maybe even get married; and in the end, it’s the story of a daughter’s relationship with her father, and how becoming a mother finally led her to understand him. THE SHINIEST JEWEL is a touching narrative, accompanied by Marian’s winsome drawings, that beautifully weaves together her realizations about the joy, and sometimes heartbreak, of building a family.

I enjoyed The Shiniest Jewel so much that I’m ready to take on a few more books in the graphic format … any suggestions?