Monday ~ and still studying Genesis

Books read last week

• Say When ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2003, fiction, 9/10
• Until the Real Thing Comes Along ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1999, fiction, 9/10
• Range of Motion ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1995, fiction, 7/10
• Talk Before Sleep ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1994, fiction, 9/10

Books currently reading

• What on Earth Have I Done? ~ by Robert Fulghum, 2007, essays
• Original Sinners: Why Genesis Still Matters ~ by John R. Coats, 2009, religion
• In the Beginning: A New Interpretation of Genesis ~ by Karen Armstrong, 1996, religion
• Genesis: A New Translation of the Classic Bible Stories ~ by Stephen Mitchell, 1996, religion 
• The Five Books of Miriam: A Woman's Commentary on the Torah ~ by Ellen Frankel, 1996, religion
• Genesis: Soap Opera with a Twist ~ by Bonnie Setliffe Jacobs, 1992, religion

Books waiting in the wings

• Joy School ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1997, fiction
• USA ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1999, history

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  It's "where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list."

You may be a bookaholic ... (#7)

... if the first thing you look for in a new house is built-in bookshelves.

To see all my bookaholic posts, click here:  You may be a bookaholic

Beginnings ~ of a writer

Home Safe ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2009, fiction, 8/10 (a very good book)

"One Saturday when she was nine years old, Helen Ames went into the basement, sat at the card table her mother used for folding laundry, and began writing.  She wrote about the flimsy heads of dandelions gone to seed, about the voices of her parents drifting from their bedroom at night, about the nest of coins she once found in a field of grass; then, finally, about the drowning death of one of her fourth-grade classmates in a pond thick with algae.  She had witnessed the attempted resuscitation, and certain images would not leave her:  the boy's striped shirt, his waterlogged pants, the yellow-green gunk in his hair, the Davy Crockett watch on his wrist still ticking.  From her vantage point, Helen could see the second hand going round and round, measuring something different, now, than the hours of a boy's life."

According to the next page, nothing helped "until the day she took a tablet and pencil into the basement and moved the event out of her and onto paper" (p. 4).  Helen becomes a writer -- and later teaches a writing class where she wants to tell one of the students that "moving her experience out of herself and into the open" (p. 223) is helpful.  And the same idea appears a third time, about another student:

"She had put into words a truth she needed to move outside of herself, in what she believed was a secretive way" (p. 233).

So the opening shares one of the book's themes with the reader, that putting words on paper helps a writer get past whatever is bugging her.  I liked even more the main character's feeling that she had to share things.  Here's why:

"For her, the taste of the ice cream, the red of the sunset, the humor in he movie must be shared to be" (p. 189).

I'll close this book-beginnings-turned-book-review by quoting my favorite line:

...books educate and inspire ... they soothe souls -- "like comfort food without the calories" (p. 229).

If you want to play along, this meme is hosted by Katy at A Few More Pages.  Share the first sentence or two of the book you are reading.  (Sometimes it takes several sentences to get the full thought.)  Then, share your impressions of that beginning.  Click this link to see what others say about the books they are reading this week.

Bookstore booty ~ some nonfiction

Bait and Switch by Barbara Ehrenreich (2005) highlights the people who’ve done everything right — gotten college degrees, developed marketable skills, and built up impressive résumés — yet have become repeatedly vulnerable to financial disaster, and not simply due to the vagaries of the business cycle. Today’s ultra-lean corporations take pride in shedding their “surplus” employees — plunging them, for months or years at a stretch, into the twilight zone of white-collar unemployment, where job searching becomes a full-time job in itself. As Ehrenreich discovers, there are few social supports for these newly disposable workers — and little security even for those who have jobs.

In What on Earth Have I Done? (2007), Robert Fulghum writes about traveling the world — from Seattle to the Moab Desert to Crete — looking for a few fellow travelers interested in thinking along with him as he delights in the unexpected:  trick-or-treating with your grandchildren dressed like a large rabbit, pots of daffodils blooming in mid-November, a view of the earth from outer space, the mysterious night sounds of the desert, every man's trip to a department store to buy socks, the raucous all-night long feast that is Easter in Greece, the trials and tribulations of plumbing problems, and the friendship one can strike up with someone who doesn't share the same language.

In The Great Awakening (2008), Jim Wallis takes a look at what it will take to solve the issues of extreme and needless poverty, global warming,environmental degradation, terrorism and the endless cycle of violence, racism, human trafficking, health care and education, and other pressing problems.  He shows us that a revival is happening as people of faith and moral conviction seek common ground for change.  He reminds us that religious faith was a driving force behind national reforms such as the abolition of slavery and the civil rights movement.  "Great awakenings" happen periodically at crucial times to propel us toward the common good. The time is ripe for another transformation.

Library Loot ~ and one library patron's choices

A library patron is someone who patronizes, or uses, a library.  When I check out books, the librarian tucks the list of books and due dates inside one of the books.  I keep finding these lists, left forgotten inside books I later check out.  When I checked out Until the Real Thing Comes Along, I discovered that its previous reader had checked out fifteen (15) books last August.  From her list (yes, I'm pretty sure the patron was a "she"), I could tell she is a mother and likes Elizabeth Berg's novels.  Here are the books she took home that day:

Home Safe ~ by Elizabeth Berg
Until the Real Thing Comes Along ~ by Elizabeth Berg
Durable Goods ~ by Elizabeth Berg

and a dozen (12) children's books, including

Toot and Puddle
Little Rabbit's New Baby
Arthur's Back to School
Arthur's Christmas Cookies

I'm guessing that patron has a couple of children, one barely in school and one preschooler.  And because of those three novels by Elizabeth Berg that she got for herself, I'd invite her to join Sheila's Berg Fest, if I knew who she was.  Here's my library loot I have not yet reported:


Welcome to the USA ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1999, children's NF

An overview of the United States of America that includes information on geography, history, government, lifestyle, language, customs, and current issues.

Until the Real Thing Comes Along ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1999, fiction

Patty Murphy is facing that pivotal point in a woman's life when her biological clock ticks as insistently as a beating heart. Will she find Mr. Right and start a family? But Patty is in love--with a man who is not only attractive and financially sound, but sensitive and warmhearted. There's just one small problem: He is also gay.

The Art of Mending ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2004, fiction

It begins with the sudden revelation of astonishing secrets—secrets that have shaped the personalities and fates of three siblings, and now threaten to tear them apart.  Unearthed truths force one seemingly ordinary family to reexamine their disparate lives and to ask themselves: Is it too late to mend the hurts of the past?

Library Loot is a weekly meme co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.  Marg has the Mister Linky this week, if you'd like to share a list of the loot you brought home.

Open House ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2000

I'm always interested in how a book gets its title, but some of Elizabeth Berg's novels are still mysteries in that respect, even after I've read them.  I look at the list of titles and can't remember what some of the books are about.  However, I have a vivid image relating to an open house, based on this:

"Back in the bedroom, I stand by the window, arms crossed, looking out.  No one is on the street.  No one is ever on the street.  Everyone stays inside.  I wonder what they're all doing, if anyone is acting as lost as I am.  What would happen if you could lift the roof -- make for a real open house -- and look inside?  What would you see?  Surely some of the behavior would be no odder than mine" (pp. 195-196).

Can't you see it?  No people are in the photo I found to illustrate this idea, but it gives me ideas about the people who live there.  I do like the way Berg writes, like this, for example:

"I save his confidence in me as though his words were silver dollars, knotted in a silk scarf and kept hidden in a dresser drawer" (p. 99).

And I learn things from this author.  This one also makes me laugh.

"Stress hormones get released when you cry, that's why it works.  It's amazing how smart the body is.  Though maybe we could do without loving.  I think it's overrated, and I think it's too hard.  You should only love your children; that is necessary, because otherwise you might kill them.  But to love a man?  It's overrated, and it's too hard and I will never, ever do it again" (p. 14).

It does make you want to keep reading, doesn't it?  Open House ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2000, fiction, 7/10 (a good book).

It's Monday! ~ my reading lists

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, who says it's "where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list."

Books read last week

• We Are All Welcome Here ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2008, fiction, 7/10
• The Art of Mending ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2004, fiction, 9/10
• Never Change ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2001, fiction, 9/10
• The Story of the "W" Road ~ by Kay Baker Gaston, 1980, history, 8/10
• The Night Bookmobile ~ by Audrey Niffenegger, 2010, graphic novel, 9/10
• Children Make Terrible Pets ~ by Peter Brown, 2010, children's, 10/10
• I Still Dream About You ~ by Fannie Flagg, 2010, fiction, 9/10
• Open House ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2000, fiction, 7/10

Books currently reading

• Say When ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2003, fiction
• Original Sinners: Why Genesis Still Matters ~ by John R. Coats, 2009, religion
• Genesis: A New Translation of the Classic Bible Stories ~ by Stephen Mitchell, 1996, religion 
• In the Beginning: A New Interpretation of Genesis ~ by Karen Armstrong, 1996, religion

Books waiting in the wings

• The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears ~ by Dinaw Mengestu, 2007, fiction
• Talk Before Sleep ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1994, fiction
• Range of Motion ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1995, fiction
• Joy School ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1997, fiction
• USA ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1999, history

You may be a bookaholic ... (#6)

... if your grandchildren call you the Book Grandma.

Library Loot ~ three fun books

Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler’s Wife and Her Fearful Symmetry, wrote and illustrated this graphic novel.  The Night Bookmobile (2010) tells the story of a wistful woman who one night encounters a mysterious disappearing library on wheels that contains every book she has ever read.  Seeing her history and most intimate self in this library, she embarks on a search for the bookmobile.  Her search turns into an obsession, as she longs to be reunited with her own collection and memories.  I read it the day I got it, and it was beautiful.

Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown (2010) was short enough to read in one sitting-- it is, after all, a children's book -- so consider this my review of the book.  Think of everything a parent has said to a young child who wants a pet.  Lucy Bear finds a child and brings him home.  Mom says, "Lucille Beatrice Bear!  Don't you know that children make terrible pets?"  Mom gave in, saying he was Lucy's responsibility. But her little pet was "impossible to potty train."  (Don't you love this illustration of a frowning child standing in a litter box?)  One day her pet disappears.  When Lucy finds him, she sees that he has another family, and that's the place where he belongs.  It's a great story!  Rated:  10 of 10.


I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg, 2010

When I posted a teaser on Friday, I included this sentence from the synopsis:

"Maggie has heartbreaking secrets in her past, but through a strange turn of events, she soon discovers, quite by accident, that everybody, it seems—dead or alive—has at least one little secret."

Library Loot is a weekly meme co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.  Claire has the Mister Linky this week, if you'd like to share a list of the loot you brought home.

Beginning with "that girl"

I Still Dream About You ~ by Fannie Flagg, 2010

"It's funny what a person will remember so many years later; what sticks in your mind and what doesn't.  Whenever he thought back to the year he had worked at the Western Union office, he remembered that little girl."

This definitely makes me want to know the who-what-when-where-why of that little girl.  I got this from the library today (I'll do Library Loot tomorrow, maybe), so this is actually as far as I've read this evening.  That quote is from 1955, but the first chapter starts in 2008.  That makes me wonder whether Maggie (from the synopsis I read) was that little girl.  Maggie Fortenberry is "a still beautiful former Miss Alabama."  The best sentence from the synopsis, though, is this one:

"Maggie has heartbreaking secrets in her past, but through a strange turn of events, she soon discovers, quite by accident, that everybody, it seems—dead or alive—has at least one little secret."

If you want to play along, this meme is hosted by Katy at A Few More Pages.  Share the first sentence or two of the book you are reading.  (Sometimes it takes several sentences to get the full thought.)  Then, share your impressions of that beginning.  Click this link to see what others say about the books they are reading this week.

Y-chromosome teaser

This teaser is from page 82 of The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg, 2004.

"If there is one thing I can't stand, it's being in dire need of talking to a girlfriend and having her husband answer the phone and say she's not there.  Then you have two problems:  the person you so much need to connect with is not available, and you have to rearrange your emotions to converse with a man.  There is not a thing in the world wrong with Maggie's husband.  Doug is affable and generous and a good cook to boot.  But he is of the Y-chromosome school of emotional receptivity."

You may be a bookaholic ... (#5)

... if the first thing you pack for a trip is a good book.

Bookstore Booty ~ five more books

I support independent bookstores, so once again, these books all came from an independent bookstore.

The Five Books of Miriam: A Woman's Commentary on the Torah ~ by Ellen Frankel, 1996, religion.

"Weaving together Jewish lore, the voices of Jewish foremothers, Yiddish fable, midrash and stories of her own imagining, Ellen Frankel has created in this book a breathtakingly vivid exploration into what the Torah means to women. Here are Miriam, Esther, Dinah, Lilith and many other women of the Torah in dialogue with Jewish daughters, mothers and grandmothers, past and present. Together these voices examine and debate every aspect of a Jewish woman's life — work, sex, marriage, her connection to God and her place in the Jewish community and in the world."

The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts ~ by Richard Peck, 2004, YA fiction (Indiana)

"If your teacher has to die, August isn't a bad time of year for it," says Russell Culver, fifteen, who's raring to light out for the endless skies of the Dakotas to join a team of harvesters working the new 1904 all-steel threshing machines. School's only standing in the way of his Dakota dreams. Maybe now with his teacher in the ground, Hominy Ridge School will shut down for good.

Steal Away Home ~ by Lois Ruby, 1994, YA historical fiction (Kansas)

"When twelve-year-old Dana Shannon starts to strip away wallpaper in her family's old house, she's unprepared for the surprise that awaits her. A hidden room — containing a human skeleton! How did such a thing get there? And why was the tiny room sealed up? With the help of a diary found in the room, Dana learns her house was once a station on the Underground Railroad. The young woman whose remains Dana discovered was Lizbet Charles, a conductor and former slave. As the scene shifts between Dana's world and 1856, the story of the families that lived in the house unfolds. But as pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, one haunting question remains — why did Lizbet Charles die?"

Missing May ~ by Cynthia Rylant, 1992, YA fiction (West Virginia)

"When May dies suddenly while gardening, Summer assumes she'll never see her beloved aunt again. But then Summer's Uncle Ob claims that May is on her way back--she has sent a sign from the spirit world.Summer isn't sure she believes in the spirit world, but her quirky classmate Cletus Underwood--who befriends Ob during his time of mourning--does. So at Cletus' suggestion, Ob and Summer (with Cletus in tow) set off in search of Miriam B. Young, Small Medium at Large, whom they hope will explain May's departure and confirm her possible return."

California Blue ~ by David Klass, 1994, A fiction (California)

"Teenager John Rodgers and his dying father find themselves on opposite sides of an environmental battlefield. At issue is a new species of blue butterflies that John discovers on a jog through land owned by the lumber mill that employs his father and most of his town. An ALA Recommended Book for Reluctant Readers and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year."

It's Valentine's (Mon)day! And I'm reading!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, who says it's "where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list."

Books read last week

• The Summer Book ~ by Tove Jansson, 1974, fiction (Finland), 7/10
• The Year of Pleasures ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2005, fiction (Illinois), 9.5/10
• The Last Time I Saw You ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2010, fiction, 7/10
• The Handmaid and the Carpenter ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2006, fiction, 8/10
• Home Safe ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2009, fiction, 8/10
• What We Keep ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1998, fiction, 8/10

Books currently reading

• We Are All Welcome Here ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2008, fiction
• Original Sinners: Why Genesis Still Matters ~ by John R. Coats, 2009, religion
• Genesis: A New Translation of the Classic Bible Stories ~ by Stephen Mitchell, 1996, religion
• In the Beginning: A New Interpretation of Genesis ~ by Karen Armstrong, 1996, religion

Books waiting in the wings

• Talk Before Sleep ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1994, fiction
• Range of Motion ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1995, fiction
• Joy School ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1997, fiction
• Open House ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2000, fiction
• Never Change ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2001, fiction
• Say When ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 2003, fiction

The Art of Racing in the Rain ~ by Garth Stein, 2008

I was reading the end of this book and started sobbing.  That was so unexpected and so unlike me, that Kiki flipped over and turned to stare (she had had her back snug up against me, as in the recent photo I posted).    Even while crying, I knew I wanted this picture.  Poor Kiki.  I never sob, never!  A tear or two, maybe, but no sobbing.  This time, I couldn't help myself, though I knew it was coming.

The Art of Racing in the Rain ~ by Garth Stein, 2008, fiction

Kiki posted the beginning of this book a week ago.  Since it gives you a clue to what happens near the end of the book, I'll repeat it here.  The dog on the cover is Enzo, and he's dying.

"Gestures are all that I have; sometimes they must be grand in nature.  And while I occationally step over the line and into the world of the melodramatic, it is what I must do in order to communicate clearly and effectively.  In order to make my point understood without question.  I have no words I can rely on because, much to my dismay, my tongue was designed long and flat and loose, and therefore, is a horribly ineffective tool for pushing food around my mouth while chewing, and an even less effective tool for making clever and complicated polysyllabic sounds that can be linked together to form sentences.  And that's why I'm here now waiting for Denny to come home -- he should be here soon -- lying on the cool tiles of the kitchen floor in a puddle of my own urine."

When she read that, Kiki said, "Uh-oh!  That doesn't sound good at all."  Let me quickly add that you do want to read this one.  First, because it is ultimately a feel-good story.  But also because Enzo is a great dog, who happens to be a darned good philosopher.  Here's an example of Enzo's thinking (from pages 19-20):

I'll give you a theory:  Man's closest relative is not the chimpanzee, as the TV people believe, but is, in fact, the dog.

Witness my logic:

Case-in-Point #1: The Dew Claw

It is my opinion that the so-called dew claw, which is often snipped off a dog's foreleg at an early age, is actually evidence of a preemergent thumb.  Further, I believe that men have systematically bred the thumb out of certain lines of dog through an elaborate process called "selective breeding," simply in order to prevent dogs from evolving into dexterous, and therefore "dangerous," mammals.

I also believe that man's continued domestication (if you care to use that silly euphemism) of dogs is motivated by fear:  fear that dogs, left to evolve on their own, would, in fact, develop thumbs and smaller tongues, and therefore would be superior to men, who are slow and cumbersome, standing erect as they do.  This is why dogs must live under the constant supervision of people, and are immediately put to death when found living on their own. ...

Case-in-Point #2:  The Werewolf

The full moon rises.  The fog clings to the lowest branches of the spruce trees.  The man steps out of the darkest corner of the forest and finds himself transformed into...

A monkey?

I think not.

I love Enzo!  Rated 10 of 10.  (This is one of the two books I've recently rated 10 of 10, my highest praise, rarely used.  The other is If I Stay, a YA novel by Gayle Forman, 2009, which I haven't reviewed yet.)

Caturday ~ a question for you

I like to watch birds, like in these pictures of me from last summer.  You can read what Bonnie wrote about my interest in birds, here and here.  I guess all cats are fascinated by birds.  So, there's a picture of a bird on the book Bonnie has been reading. See?

What I want to know is whether this book has lots of birds in it.  I like to read about animals and birds, you know.  So tell me, if you've read this book, are there lots of birds in this story?

Kiki Cat, signing off

Cloudy book beginning

What We Keep ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1998

"Outside the airplane window the clouds are thick and rippled, unbroken as acres of land.  They are suffused with peach-colored, early morning sun, gilded at the edges.  Across the aisle, a man is taking a picture of them.  Even the pilot couldn't keep still -- 'Folks,' he just said, 'we've got quite a sunrise out there.  Might want to have a look.'  I like it when pilots make such comments.  It lets me know they're awake."

"In medias res," I learned in school, means to start by jumping right into the middle of the story. A century or so ago, novels began with long descriptions, and that's sort of what this feels like -- except that the reader jumps right into the middle of a flight from somewhere to somewhere and now it's early morning with the sun just rising. That makes me curious about the narrator. Where is she going?  (The book is about two sisters and their mother, so I'm pretty sure the narrator is "she.")

If you want to play along, this meme is hosted by Katy at A Few More Pages.  Share the first sentence or two of the book you are reading.  (Sometimes it takes several sentences to get the full thought.)  Then, share your impressions of that beginning.  Click this link to see what others say about the books they are reading this week.

Berg Fest

 

Sheila of Book Journey has invited us to join her in a Berg Fest between February 10 - March 11, 2011.  I've already started.  Here are Sheila's rules:

• Read (or listen to) a book by Elizabeth Berg.
• Link your reviews to her Mister Linky, so others can read them.
• Each review counts towards a drawing on March 11th, where one Participant will win a Berg book of choice, as long as it is available on Amazon (three reviews mean three entries).

I read several books by Elizabeth Berg long before I had a book blog, so I plan to re-read as many as possible in order to write reviews.  Sheila says old reviews of books by Elizabeth Berg count, so I already have two links on the list of Berg's books.  (I wonder how many I can complete in a month.)

BOOK LIST

1992, Family Traditions. nonfiction
1993, Durable Goods, fiction
1994, Talk Before Sleep, fiction
1995, Range of Motion, fiction
1996, The Pull of the Moon, fiction, 8/10
1997, Joy School, fiction
1998, What We Keep, fiction
1999, Until the Real Thing Comes Along, fiction
2000, Open House, fiction
2000, Escaping into the Open, nonfiction
2001, Never Change, fiction
2002, True to Form, fiction, 7/10
2003, Say When, fiction
2004, The Art of Mending, fiction
2005, The Year of Pleasures, fiction, 9.5/10
2006, The Handmaid and the Carpenter, fiction, 8/10
2006, We Are All Welcome Here, fiction
2007, Dream When You're Feeling Blue, fiction, 6/10
2008, The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted, stories
2009, Home Safe, fiction, 8/10
2010, The Last Time I Saw You, fiction, 7/10

Library Loot ~ all by the same author

Joy School ~ by Elizabeth Berg

Synopsis:  "Katie has relocated to Missouri with her distant, occasionally abusive father, and she feels very much alone.  Her much-loved mother is dead, her new school is unaccepting of her, and her only friends fall far short of being ideal companions. When she accidentally falls through the ice while skating, she meets Jimmy. He is handsome, far older than she, and married, but she is entranced. As their relationship unfolds, so too does Katie's awareness of the pain and intensity first love can bring."

Home Safe ~ by Elizabeth Berg

Synopsis:  "Helen is shocked to discover that her mild-mannered and loyal husband had been leading a double life. The Ames's had saved money for a happy retirement, planned in minute detail, but that money has disappeared in several big withdrawals — spent by Helen's husband before he died. What could he possibly have been doing? And what is Helen to do now? Why does Helen's 27-year-old daughter Tessa object to her mother's applying for a job?"

The Handmaid and the Carpenter ~ by Elizabeth Berg

Synopsis:  This novel is based on the biblical Christmas story.  Berg imagines Mary and Joseph falling in love, their struggles, their faith in each other, and the birth of their son Jesus."

What We Keep ~ by Elizabeth Berg

Synopsis:  "A reunion between two sisters and their mother reveals secrets and complexities in the lives of the women in a family. Ginny Young is on a plane, going to visit the mother she hasn't seen or spoken to for thirty-five years. She thinks back to the summer of 1958, when she was twelve years old and a series of dramatic events divided her family, separating her and her sister from their mother, seemingly forever. Moving back and forth in time between the girl she once was and the woman she's become, Ginny confronts painful choices in a woman's life — even as surprising secrets are revealed about the family she thought she understood."

Talk Before Sleep ~ by Elizabeth Berg

"They met at a party.  It was hate at first sight.  Ruth was far too beautiful, too flamboyant.  Not at all Ann's kind of person.  Until a chance encounter in the bathroom led to an alliance of souls.  Soon they were sharing hankies during the late showing of 'Sophie's Choice,' wolfing down sundaes sodden with whipped cream, telling truths of marriage, mortality, and love, secure in a kind of intimacy no man could ever know.  Only best friends understand devil's food cake for breakfast when nothing else will do.  After years of shared secrets, guilty pleasures, family life and divorce, they face a crisis that redefines the meaning of friendship and unconditional love."

Library Loot is a weekly meme co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.  Marg has the Mister Linky this week, if you'd like to share a list of the loot you brought home.