Two week recap

I started July off with a bang of reading and high hopes of lots of blogging to go together.  Alas I've been sideswiped with this awful back problem, which contradicts how I usually feel (young and healthy compared to old and restricted to certain activiites).  You know like, "Oh, Eunice I don't think I can do that anymore...you know, my back...!!  I worked with a chiropractic friend for two weeks with only limited improvement and I now have an appointment on Wed. for acupuncturist.  I've never tried acupuncture and am fairly excited about this and pray it will help. 

In the meantime I have to get caught up on the amount of books I've read compared to the amount of blog posts.  My solution is to write a snippet about each one here for you today.  I have a ice pack at my back so I can sit up and type. 

Here are the books I finished during our Michigan trip:

Maggie's Door by Patricia Reilly Giff:  This is the companion to Nory Ryan's Song, which describes Nory's life in Ireland during the potato famine.  Maggie's Door describes her journey from her small, empty village to the bustling, crowded docks where she will take a boat to Brooklyn, NY-her older sister's door-safe from the poverty and starvation of Ireland.  I love this author and enjoyed this sequel  and plan to read Water Street as well.  Perfect historical fiction for elementary audience.  5/5 stars

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs:  Cute cover made me buy it awhile ago and it was a cute story but the dialogue was over-the-top for me.  Phoebe's lives in Los Angeles, has two best friends, loves to run and misses her dad, who died 6 years ago.  Her mom comes home from a vacation with a new fiance, Damian, from Greece and her mom plans on moving there and expects Phoebe to go with her.  Phoebe hates it, then loves it because of hot guy, Griffin and well, she does love running along the beach.  Think The Lightning Thief for older Valley Girls. Yes, I plan on reading the sequel, Goddess Boot Camp.  3/5 stars  **reading from my own shelves challenge**

Serena by Ron Rash:  This book will make my top ten list for the year.  This is the brutal tale of Serena and George Pemberton who build a timber empire by falling trees thoughout the Appalachian Mts in 1929.  Serena, new to the mountains, is a force to be reckoned with and she scared me.   Weaved into their story is a young woman who worked at the timber camp and is the mother of George's illegitimate son.  This truly is a page turner and I plan to read more of Rash's books because his writing fully captured my attention.  5/5 stars

Stay tuned tomorrow for the next batch of books-my laying in bed with an ice pack reads!!