BOOK 5: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk, by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Rating: 4 stars

Cover synopsis: You can stop fighting with your children! This book gives you the know-how you need to be more effective with your children and more supportive of yourself.

We all have those moments as parents where we feel that we have become the worst version of ourselves. And what huge force drove us to the edge? A 2-year-old.

I've felt like I've had an especially short fuse lately, and I decided I needed to regroup. This book came highly recommended, so I gave it a try. And I enjoyed it. I particularly liked that it wasn't so much about how to manipulate your children to do what you want (like so many parenting books out there). This book is all about treating your kids with more RESPECT, and they'll respond to you more favorably. For instance, if your boss at worked talked to you like you talk to your kids, you'd probably rebel too!

I enjoyed the numerous examples, funny cartoons and worksheets that came with this book. I felt like I was taking a hands-on course as I read instead of simply reading about the authors' philosophies. I tried a couple of the techniques and they had good success. But I'm still on the fence about the "no punishment" rule, and I still have no idea what to do about my 4 year old who refuses to go to bed... Sigh.

BOOK 4: Still Alice, by Lisa Genova

Rating: 5 stars

Cover synopsis: Alice Howland is an accomplished woman who slowly loses her thoughts and memories to a harrowing disease -- only to discover that each day brings a new way of living and loving.

Alice is a Harvard professor and a world-renowned linguistics expert. She's married to a brilliant man, also a Harvard professor, and has three grown children. She's a runner and feels like her body is at its physical peak. But her mind begins slipping. She becomes disoriented and increasingly forgetful. She suspects it's menopause, but the diagnosis is even more tragic: Early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

I found this book mesmerizing, perhaps because my grandmother had Alzheimers and lived with my family when I was a teenager. I've witnessed the ravaging effects the disease first hand. But "Still Alice" doesn't look at Alzheimers from the perspective of family members or caregivers. Instead, we see it from Alice's point of view. We see this smart woman trying to come to terms with the fact that she can't leave the house unaccompanied, has to rely on others to remember the simplest things, and ultimately must give up her career.

I finished the book two days ago, but I can't stop thinking about it, or talking about it with anyone who will listen. Truly a fascinating -- and heartbreaking -- read.

BOOK 3: Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis

Rating: 4 stars

Cover synopsis: A crisis strangely linking past and future strands time-traveling historian Kivrin in the 1300s, as her fellows try desperately to rescue her. In a time of superstition and fear, Kivrin finds she has become an unlikely angel of hope during one of history's darkest hours.

Connie Willis is a science fiction writer, but this book is more historical fiction. It's set in the future, (2054, I believe), and historians time travel back to periods in time to learn more about how life really was. Kivrin plans to travel back to 1320, but something goes wrong and she ends up in 1348 -- when the black plague hit England.

Simultaneously, her team back in 2054 is experiencing an unusual outbreak of disease. The parallel is well written. And I found Kivrin's descriptions of life in the 1300s fascinating and suspenseful. As Collin, a character in the story would say, this is "apocalyptic!" My only beef with the book is that the author seems too preoccupied with tiny details (in both time periods) that slow the narrative down. I think she probably could have shaved at least 150 pages of text without hurting the story at all.

This book certainly opened my eyes to the importance of being prepared for disasters. If I had to be quarantined in my house for a month, could I survive? Time to assess my food storage...

BOOK 2: Matched, by Ally Condie

Rating: 4 stars

Cover synopsis: In the Society, officials decide who you love, where you work, when you die. Cassia has always trusted their choices. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows he is the one...until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

This was an interesting dystopian novel. Most of the novels like this I've read focus on the society. And in this book, it certainly plays an important role. But Matched is first a love story. The Society has chosen Cassia's mate for her, but she finds herself falling in love with someone else. Who does she trust? The Society's choice? Or her own heart?

The book has a cliffhanger ending, so I hope there's a second book in the works. I enjoyed the characters, the emphasis the author places on the power of words, reading and writing, and the importance of nature and creativity.

BOOK 1: Cleopatra: A Life, by Stacy Schiff

Rating: 3 stars

Cover synopsis: Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnet and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Above all else, Cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Though her life spanned fewer than 40 years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world.

I didn't know much about Cleopatra before I read this book, except that she was a queen of Egypt. So this was a good history lesson for me. The author is making the case that Cleopatra's story has deviated into the terrirory of myth and legend, and far from the truth.

I'll admit, the book was boring at times -- I felt like I was reading a history book, and I'm not really into history. But I was determined to finish it, and I'm glad I did. I feel like I've gained some knowledge and understanding not only about a pivotal woman, but an important time period in world history. It read mostly as a history of Egypt and the Roman Empire in the 40-30 BCs. There were times the author lost me in her references to other historical figures and facts, but not being a history buff, what could I expect? Overall, an interesting read.

2010 Wrap-Up, and 2011 Goal

Wow, a New Year's resolution I actually kept! I read 100 books in 2010. That's 30,591 pages. Which breaks down to an average of 2,549 pages per month. Or 83 pages per day. Quite a feat for a busy mom of 3 kids!

My friends always ask me how I found the time. Some months were more of a challenge than others. But for the most part, it was easier than I thought it would be. It's amazing how much down time I have in a day, even being as busy as I am. For instance, instead of watching TV after the kids were in bed, I'd read (at least 3 or 4 times a week). I'd bring a book outside or down to the basement to read while watching my kids. Oftentimes, that resulted in me reading the same paragraph several times over due to the interruptions, but still, I made progress! I'd read while eating lunch. And occasionally during nap times. If I left the house without kids for any reason (dentist appointment, etc.) I'd bring a book along. And while my kids are watching Curious George for the 18th time, I'm curled up on the couch with them, reading.

On average, I read 8.3 books per month, or 1 book every 3.65 days. The stats look pretty amazing. But then I look at the list of books I read over the past year -- the adventures I had on the page. The worlds I inhabited, the friends I made -- and that's the truly amazing part.

I had so much fun on this project -- and gained so much momentum -- I can't stop now! I don't think I'll read as many books next year, but I have an ever-growing list of books that are begging to be read and I can't neglect them!

MY GOAL FOR 2011: To read 52 books.
That's one per week. Let the reading begin!