A Good American by Alex George

If you haven't guessed it's another book review. I have got some great reads lately. 
This is defiantly one of them. A Good American by Alex George is a family story.
It starts like most family stories start with two people falling in love. But their love is forbidden by Jette's mother. So after Jette finds herself pregnant and her mother furious she talks Frederick to move from Germany to America.  

The story is told in the voice of James their grandson. He goes through the struggles of their journey to America and where they go once they get here.  The tale of life as an immigrant, which lets face it somewhere down our family tree is our tale.  There are many struggles and several learning curves. New language, new custom's, trying to find work. 

He tells the families story all way through him as an adult. There are several twist and turns. I laughed and I cried. It made me want to learn more about my family that first made the journey to this land of freedom. How brave and scared they must have been. 
After moving just to a different state I know how much worry I had. I can't begin to imagine what they went to. It's not like today where you could get online and do research. And travel was long and hard by boat. 

I was given this book and compensation for my review, but as always the opinion is my own.
Check out more about this book here....
http://www.blogher.com/good-american?from=bhspinner

Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner

I was so excited when I got this book. I read more crime and mystery novels then anything, so I thought this one was going to be right up my alley. Boy was I not disappointed. I read this book in two days. It is not War & Peace, but not a small book either. It was just that good.

The story is about a family who is abducted from their home. Their home has top of the security and there was nothing of value taken except the people. This family of 3 has their own set of problems before the abduction. Affairs, drug use and lack of communication to name a few.

The book guides you through all they have to go through to stay alive and what the investigators are trying to figure out to save them. There are a few twist and turns which literally made my mouth drop open. But I won't spoil those for you.

I have never read Lisa Gardner before but I am adding her to my list now. If your interested to learn more check out this page, https://www.blogher.com/bookclub/now-reading-touch-go

I was given this book and compensation for my review, but as always the opinions are my own.

Ignorance is bliss....I guess

I got a private message on Face book the other day and have been stewing over it ever since. They are not a close friend just one of those I knew you kinda once people. (no names)
But the question that was sent to me was this... "I read your blog posts today. How can you say your depressed and ready to commit suicide one post and the brag about you taking in a child that's not yours in another?"

Well first off I don't think I have ever bragged about Ron and I taking in a child. We have taken in several through the years. I may brag about the child itself and their accomplishments, just like I do my other children. When a child enters your heart it doesn't matter if its by birth, marriage or unforeseen circumstance you just love them.  Or at least that is what Ron and I do.

We learned this from our parents. Both of our parents took extra kids into their homes. We never planned it out. When we were talking of marriage and child rearing. It never came up as an endeavor to take on.
The children we have taken in have not been in the foster system per say, but rather friends of our children or ones we heard about that needed a place to stay or a change of scenery.

Now for the second part of my rant. Depression is NOT something you choose to have or not have. It is not something I can say ok I am over this and be happy again. It is a chemical balance issue. Ask any doctor and they will tell you the truth. I am no longer ashamed to say I take meds to stabilize my chemicals. If for no other fact then it makes my life better. With out the anti-depressants I am on a roller coaster ride that I can't get off of. It makes it hard on me and my family. Yes I still have moments even on the meds. But they are more controlled and happen less often.

The other bee in my bonnet is I did not just make this up. This is not in my head. Not something I am doing to get attention or drugs. I don't like taking 19+ pills every day. I do it to stay alive and semi functional. I did not choose to have depression just like I didn't have a say in if I got Lupus. It is what it is. You either let it control you, or you do the best you can to control it. When my little boy wants to know what each and every med is as I fill my pill box (other wise I forget thanks to the disease and meds), I tell him this one keeps mommy happy, this one keeps me living etc.

Maybe I got too upset by the question. It just hurts that in 2013 people are still so uneducated.

Here I go again by Jen Lancaster and update

So I haven't blogged in a while. I kind of lost my drive for blogging for a while. As you all know I went through a very dark moment for a bit. I am blessed to say that the light is peaking through. I am still working with doctors and adjusting meds, but we are getting there.

I have had a couple of you ask about the ordeal with Elijah. I really don't have much to report at the moment except it has been turned over to the prosecutor. The detective on the case is waiting for an update to let us know. It has been a trying experience in and of its self. But we and most importantly Elijah is doing well. He brings it up now and again, we let him talk it out and then we all move on.

Now on to the fun stuff!!!

This book takes you back to high school. Ok I can hear some of you grumbling already. But it's not like that. Ever wonder what happened to the Prom Queen, the Jock, the one you thought had it all? This book is a super funny look inside the not so perfect life of "THAT" girl all grown up.

The ups and downs and mistakes she made. She realizes the pain she causes other people and gets an odd chance to go back to try to fix things. But fails to realize that every time she changes something that it has a ripple effect. The book had me hooked I finished in two days, giggling for most of it.

It does have a good story base and reflects on how bullying can hurt someone and change their life forever.
http://www.blogher.com/bookclub/now-reading-here-i-go-again

I received this book as part of the Blogher book club and am compensated for my review. But as always my opinion is my own.