Review: My Sister's Keeper

Just finished reading: My Sister's Keeper: A Novel By: Jodi Picoult

Yesterday I read a whole book!  And it felt so good.  I couldn't put it down, so I found a way to finish it. 

This book is about two sisters: 13 year old Anna and her 16 year old sister Kate.  Kate was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia when she was 2.  After Kate's Brother Jesse fails to be a match for Kate's donor needs, their parents set about to conceive the perfect donor...and thus Anna is born.  Anna begins being Kate's donor at birth with her cord blood and it continues from there is Kate cycles through remission and relapse. Anna feels invisible as Kate is the beloved daughter who all the attention is lavished upon and Anna is the spare parts warehouse. As Kate's kidney's are failing it is assumed that Anna will donate a kidney to her sister.  This time however, Kate puts her foot down and files for medical emancipation from her parents. This is a decision that will force everyone in the family to be honest about how Kate's health crises have affected them all. 

As a mother, sister and cancer survivor this book touched a lot of emotions for me.  It was really interesting and has given me a lot of things to think about. Although I felt sorry for Anna that she had basically been brought into the world to make her sister well, I initially had a hard time understanding why she wouldn't give her sister her kidney. If my sister needed a kidney, I wouldn't think twice.  I would be at the hospital ready for surgery.  I also had a hard time liking the mother Sara in this book.  Although I can understand how fearful and desperate she felt for her daughter Kate, she neglected the other two children for Kate. But as with all of Jodi Picoult's books that I've read, things are not always what they seem...there are always twists and turns. As I said, I couldn't put this book down and I'd also say it's one of my favorites by her so far. By the end of this book I was sobbing....also not new to me after reading one of this author's books. I would give this book a solid A.

Currently reading: Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons: A Novel By: Lorna Landvik Release date: 2005-03-29

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming review

As part of my goal to read one non-school book per month, I just finished reading The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson.  This is the second book that I've read by this author and I liked them both so much, that I am looking forward to reading another of her books.

This book is about Laurel and her family, mostly her sister Thalia.  Laurel lives in a safe and prestigious neighborhood in Florida with her nerdy husband and her daughter Shelby who is the center of Laurel's life.  When one of Shelby's friends tragically drowns in Laurel's pool, it sets in motion a mission for Laurel to find the truth.  Laurel has always needed her older eccentric sister Thalia to step in and save her.  This time is no different so Laurel brings Thalia to her home to help her.  Laurel and Thalia don't always see eye to eye, but the one thing they have in common is their love of Laurel's daughter Shelby. This is a story about families and the secrets that lie beneath their facades. 

I liked this book a lot.  Thalia was a very interesting character and I'd love to see another story about her.  As diverse a character as she was, I'm sure there could be something else to write about her. I would give this book a B. 

Just finished reading: The Girl Who Stopped Swimming By Joshilyn Jackson

1/7/2008 Progress report

As a result of eating better, logging it and a couple of workouts I have lost 3 pounds. I'll have to be honest and admit that I'm sure that the stress and business involved with my daughter breaking her leg has kept me from overeating.

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Diet Journal

I also got a bank that I lovingly refer to as my cuss cup. The deal is that I have to put in a quarter if a nasty word slips out. I am proud to say that it only has a quarter in it. Guess what? I don't miss the potty language one bit.

In progress...

I am really excited about starting on my list and getting some goals accomplished. Here's where I am with working on some of them:

2.Lose 100 pounds. (0lbs): Started counting calories and logging them on myfitnesspal.

15.Stop cursing completely.: started a cuss cup and putting a quarter in each time one slips out. So far I've had to put in $.50 but am more mindful of what I say. *update: Started over on this after purchasing a cute little bank from Moxie in DeKalb.

34.Work out 5 times per week.: Got back on the exercise bike for 15 minutes today. Plan on working my way up to 30 minutes per day.

The list

1.Grow hair out past my shoulders.
2.Lose 100 pounds. (0lbs)
3.Read 1 book per month. School assigned books don't count. (0)
4.Finish painting the master bathroom.
5.Buy a new car.
6.Obtain and maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
7.Choose and apply for grad school.
8.Take the GRE exam for grad school.
9.Graduate from NIU.
10.Keep a handwritten journal and write in it at least once a week.
11.Go one month without eating out.
12.Learn to bake a yummy fruitcake.
13.Swim in the ocean.
14.Fly somewhere on an airplane without any fears.
15.Stop cursing completely.
16.Attend a church service at the Universalist Unitarian church.
17.Walk the dog every day that weather and health permit.
18.Cook dinner at least 3 nights per week.
19.Paint our bedroom.
20.Organize Abby's room really well.
21.Limit leisure computer time to 1 hour per day on school days.
22.Go out dancing.
23.Volunteer for an organization that I care about.
24.Adopt another dog.
25.Paint or stain our bedroom furniture.
26.Leave the country.
27.Visit Jeri in Arizona.
28.Visit my cousins.
29.Paint Abby's bedroom.
30.Spend the day in Chinatown.
31.Read Barack Obama's books.
32.Paint Evan's bedroom.
33.Go one month without eating meat.
34.Work out 5 times per week.
35.Watch all the movies on our Blockbuster list.
36.Pay cash for everything (except for online purchases).
37.Paint the main floor of the house.
38.Get outlet covers resolved in the kitchen.
39.Go through our books and get rid of any that I don't like.
40.Listen more than I talk.
41.For every negative thing that I say, follow it with something positive.
42.Make a new friend.
43.Learn a new word each week and use it.
44.Start belly dancing again.
45.Get caught up on each child's scrapbook.
46.Overcome fear of pontoon boats and ride one.
47.Take a wine tour of Door County.
48.Paint a picture worthy of hanging up in our house.
49.Write a poem.
50.Start a family game night.
51.Send in a secret to Postsecret
52.Have 2 dates per month with my husband.
53.Learn some Spanish.
54.Go to a Huskies football game.
55.Have a professional family photo taken.
56.Make a good sangria.
57.Grow banana peppers.
58.Try a new wine every month (0)
59.Take the train.
60.Ride a bike.
61.Keep on top of birthdays & anniversaries. Send cards on time.
62.Learn how to make crepes.
63.Spend a whole night at Relay for Life.
64.Camp on the beach.
65.Make a carrot cake.
66.Get a massage.
67.Go see a psychic and get a reading.
68.Visit the Field Museum.
69.Dress up for Halloween.
70.Go on a sleigh ride.
71.Build a snowman.
72.Have a bonfire at least once a month from May-October.
73.Eat at a tapas restaurant.
74.Take a boat ride on Lake Michigan.
75.Get an MP3 player and load it with music that makes me happy.
76.Put pink highlights in my hair.
77.Try 10 new restaurants (0/10)
78.Wish on a star.
79.Buy myself flowers at least once a month.
80.Pet a llama.
81.Teach Gracie to shake her paw.
82.Organize our walk in closet.
83.Drink one of each kind of margarita at Eduardo's.
84.Take an art class just for fun.
85.Make my own body butter.
86.Take a family photo every month.
87.Buy a raincoat and wear it.
88.Have a water balloon fight.
89.Have clear thyroid and lymph node scans every time.
90.Learn to love my scars.
91.Create something with saved cards and letters.
92.Wear a funny hat. Take a picture.
93.Eat at Sonic.
94.Make more entries in our love story journal.
95.Go to the symphony.
96.Go to a concert at Ravinia.
97.Get all A's one semester.
98.Ride on a scooter.
99.Visit both the east and west coast.
100.Visit a Buddhist temple.
101.Pick fruit from an orchard.