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ARLENE'S CORNER

What a perfect start to September! I spent Sunday and Monday in Nantucket.  Those of you who know me may be wondering, how did she do that?  Not literally, of course, well even that depends on your definition of literally.  The answer, I curled up for two delicious days with “The Beach House” by Jane Green.  The perfect book for a perfect weekend escape.  Not too heavy and definitely not too light.  Wonderful characters, a good story and a very surprise ending. I love what books are able to do for us. 

Fall definitely holds the most special of places in my heart.  Back to School. Crayons.  Leaves. Indian Summer. Apples.  A bonfire?  What great memories and what great times lie ahead. The Lynes children are all back to their respective schools and our household is beginning to run on the schedule that we know best for now. 

The clutter clearing continues.  The process has begun to slow down, as much is gone, thus making it easier to see what still needs to go. It is also easier to make decisions for what we are keeping, or what our options are.  It just keeps getting better each month. I once again used one of the tips from “It’s All Too Much” by Peter Walsh just this morning. Peter talks of family heirlooms being in the basement, not taken care of.  What will he hear?  “I can’t get rid of that, it’s too sentimental!”  Peter’s response, If it’s that important to you, then why the **** is it in basement in this condition?  Well, I too had something like that.  My husband and I discussed it over coffee this morning and it is on its way out.  The best part, it feels so good!  I am still on track for the November goal, will keep you posted as I move along. 

And yes, I’m still reading, it’s my sanity!  “Bikeman”, by Thomas F. Flynn is an epic poem of his experience the morning of 9/11.  This is brilliant!  I loved the writing style, I could not put it down, it’s that good! “My Stroke of Insight” by Jill BolteTaylor, you may have heard the interviews on NPR or even Oprah.  This is the story of a neuroanalyst who has a stroke and then recovers to write her story to share with us.  You will garner medical information, as well as take a look into your life and how you are living it.  This was one fascinating read!  “A Mindful Woman” by Sue Patton Thoele is my continuing read.  Not since “Simple Abundance” has a book made me examine my life and help bring more balance to my everyday. “In Hovering Flight” .  Savvy. 

 

Arlene Recommends...


Click here to order this book

Book will arrive early September

"Jerk California" by Jonathan Friesen

As a parent of a child with Tourettes Syndrome, I was thrilled to hear that this book was being published. I set out reading to meet the main character, Sam, and how he dealt with his tourettes. What I found, was a well written book about a teenage boy who is in search of finding who he truly is, while dealing with tics and outbursts. I was given the gift of reading a book and realizing, that my child is just that, a child, a teenager with all the same angst and questions, who also has to cope with daily interferences of his Tourettes. I highly recommend this book for any teenager with Tourettes or not, as it is a great story. For those with Tourettes, it's even better to know you are not alone and truly are like everyone else.

Learn more about Tourettes by visiting the
Tourettes Syndrome Association.
 

click here to view the video trailer for the book


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Land of a Hundred Wonders - Lesley Kagen
ISBN #978-0451224095

The summer Gibby McGraw catches her big break, the cicadas are humming, and it’s so warm even the frogs are sweating. Brain damaged after a tragic car accident that took both her parents, Gibby is now NQR (Not Quite Right), a real challenge for a fledgling newspaper reporter. Especially when she stumbles upon the dead body of the next governor of Kentucky, Buster Malloy.

Armed with her trusty blue spiral note-book, Gibby figures that solving the murder might be her best chance to prove to everyone that she can become Quite Right again. But she gets more than she bargained for when she uncovers a world of corruption, racism, and family secrets in small town Cray Ridge. Lucky for her, she’s also about to discover that some things are far more important than all the brains in the world, and that miracles occur in the most unexpected moments.

 


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Hell Hole - Chris Grabenstein
ISBN #978-0312382308

Hell Hole is the fourth book in the mystery series featuring former hardened military PD and current Sea Haven, NJ police officer John Ceepak and his partner, wise-cracking Danny Boyle. In Hell Hole, Ceepak is confronted with his most personal case yet when he must investigate the alleged suicide of a military corporal who recently returned from  Iraq. 

When it turns out that this "locked stall" rest stop suicide is anything but an open-and-shut case, Ceepak and Boyle realize that the corporal might have been privvy to information that opens up a much larger conspiracy that strikes at the heart of our involvement in the Middle East, and puts them on the wrong side of some very unpleasant people...


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