Dream More. Finished audio 1-26-17, 3.5/5, memoir, pub.2012

Unabridged audio read by Dolly Parton. 1.5 hours.

Based on the hugely popular commencement speech Dolly Parton gave at the University of Tennessee that became a sensation, Dream More is a deeper and richer exploration of the personal philosophy she has forged over the course of her astonishing career as a singer, songwriter, performer, and philanthropist.

Using her speech as a jumping-off point, Parton explores the four great hopes she urges us to embrace: dream more, learn more, care more, and be more. She culls examples of these values from her own life as illustrations, from growing up poor in the hills of eastern Tennessee to her experiences as the iconic performer she has become today.         from Goodreads

I needed this little bit of light this week.  I don’t know much about Dolly Parton. I saw her in a few movies way back when, remember hearing her sing (I loved Islands in the Stream and 9 to 5 when I was kid), and know her as a big personality in a tiny(ish) body.  This short memoir laying out her philosophy of living was inspirational – but too short. It really did need to be longer.

“Care more and leave the judging to God.”

Dolly wants us all to dream more, learn more, care more, and be more.  And after listening to her tell you about it you’ll want to do just that.  She has so much energy and joy and does so much with what she’s worked so hard for that she has a new fan.  I loved hearing how her Dad told her he was proud of her and she thought it would be something about her great success, but he went on to say that he was proud of her for being known as the Book Lady around town.  Love that.  I didn’t know anything about the charity she founded to get books in the hands of every child from birth to kindergarten and am so impressed and inspired.

I looked into Imagination Library, the non-profit that Dolly and her team have helped replicate all over the world, and saw that there was no library in Cleveland!  How can that be?  Needless to say it’s going on my list of things to look into in the near future.  Is anyone involved in one of these local groups?

Waiting on You. Finished 1-16-17, rating 4.5/5, romance, 457 pages, pub. 2014

Blue Heron series #3  (1-The Best Man) (2-The Perfect Match)

Colleen O’Rourke is in love with love… just not when it comes to herself. Most nights, she can be found behind the bar at the Manningsport, New York, tavern she owns with her twin brother, doling out romantic advice to the lovelorn, mixing martinis and staying more or less happily single. See, ten years ago, Lucas Campbell, her first love, broke her heart… an experience Colleen doesn’t want to have again, thanks. Since then, she’s been happy with a fling here and there, some elite-level flirting and playing matchmaker to her friends.

But a family emergency has brought Lucas back to town, handsome as ever and still the only man who’s ever been able to crack her defenses. Seems like maybe they’ve got some unfinished business waiting for them—but to find out, Colleen has to let her guard down, or risk losing a second chance with the only man she’s ever loved.    from Goodreads

I love this series set in New York wine country.  The small town is charming, the people are eccentric and the dialogue is snappy.  As with the first two books I laughed out loud many times and was brought to tears at least once.  Higgins is so talented. I can’t wait to read everything she’s written.

Colleen, who owns the town bar with her twin brother, was in the first two books, but I was never really interested in her story.  Probably why it took me so long to start this one.  Colleen, it turns out, is a beautiful but somewhat broken 31 year old and I felt for her.  Lucas came to Manningsport broken by the deaths of his parents and he and Colleen found love.  Of course, young love rarely runs smooth and the two part ways.  I loved Colleen’s attempts to set up athletic Paulie with beautiful Bryce and her relationship with her half sister.

There were a few somewhat problematic parts for me on both sides, but in the end that’s what makes this one more real than some other romances.  They both did some unappealing things and in the end that made me cheer for them to find solace in each other all the more.

Here Be Dragons. Finished 1-9-17, 4.5/5 stars, parenting, 204 pages, pub. 2016

Before our three kids, we had been decent people. Interesting even. One of us had taught Shakespeare to gang members while the other flew reconnaissance missions off North Korea. But our own children had proven our biggest challenge. We were passionate and service-driven folks, except we were not demonstrating this to our kids. We spent so much time trying to be good parents that we forgot to be good people.

Something had to change.

Two parents challenge one another to find balance between work and family life. Their stories are both uproarious and poignant as they raise children and strive to leave their mark on the wider world. Filled with tender moments and plenty of laughs, Here Be Dragons recounts the adventures of a family trying to stay afloat, and offers a life raft to the rest of us in choppy waters.    from Goodreads

When Annmarie emailed me about reviewing the book she had written with her husband it was plum luck that I read it.  I confess that I am a book blogger who very rarely opens up requests from people I don’t know.  For some reason I clicked it open and saw that that it was being published on my birthday and that Annmarie and her family live in the Cleveland area so I asked her to send me a copy.  What fun it was to read about Annmarie and Ken’s journey to parenthood and beyond.  I don’t usually use an author’s first name unless I know her but after reading the book I feel like I do and you will too.

Annmarie and Ken met in college and were friends who eventually saw a future together.  Both independent and driven they each sought to make a difference in the world, sometimes that meant they were in the same place on a map, but often it didn’t.  They married and had kids.  Usually this is where the story would become all about raising baby and how life stopped, but that isn’t what happened.  Amidst the trials of being a first-time stay-at-home mommy (been there and Annmarie made me laugh with her spot on observations) Annmarie and Ken still strived for more adventure, more purpose.

Their search for adventure and purpose has led them to live from coast to coast and in Ken’s case continent to continent, again, sometimes together and sometimes not.   More babies came but that didn’t stop them from moving when they felt called to do so.  They spent several years in the village next door (the one I’m always trying to convince Jason we need to move to) before heading to California with three kids and a packed car.

These are two parents trying to teach their kids what it means to be fully engaged by living a fully engaged life themselves. Their giving spirits come through loud and clear. They show the ebb and flow of a marriage with kids and they do it with warmth and humor.

The book is told in alternating voices.  They are both skilled writers so the book is beautifully written.  If you google them you can find links to some of their writing (Annmarie has quite a few pieces I loved on Huffington Post).  They also have a blog.

Ken spends a chapter or so writing about his time with Team Rubicon.  They put veterans to work in disaster areas and it looks like a great program that would do good things with a donation.

I really liked this one and think any parent will too.  They have given me inspiration to do more (and move to Chagrin Falls ;)).