I'll be completely up front and admit that I had a tough time settling on a book to present this month. Not that I haven't been reading. I have. Not that I haven't read some decent books this summer. I have. But somehow I just couldn't stick with a book. Until I decided to totally change gears. And visit my picture book shelf. Well, more like picture book bookcase.
I LOVE YOU LIKE CRAZY CAKES by Rose Lewis (Little Brown & Co, 2000) is the story of a single woman's adoption journey.
The book starts off with:
Once upon a time in China there was a baby girl who lived in a big room with lots of other babies. The girls shared cribs with one another and became great friends. The girls had nannies to take care of them, but each was missing something--a mother.The story continues:
Far away across the ocean was a woman who also had many friends, but she was missing something, too--a baby. That woman was me.Then, the woman talks about writing to China, then traveling to China, then finally meeting her baby.
How did this happen? How did someone make this perfect match a world away? Did the Chinese people have a special window to my soul?I cannot read this book with tearing up. You probably can't either.
The first time I read it to Child #3, he had a visceral response.
I had just returned from Korea and brought back Child #4, who was 5 months old. I opened I LOVE YOU LIKE CRAZY CAKES, explaining to just-turned-five Child #3 how very special adoption was. I got partway through the book, when Child #3 slammed it shut, crossed his little arms and said, "I'll tell you how special adoption is. It means you're not the baby of the family anymore! Take her back to Korea! " And he burst into tears. The next morning, he bounded out of bed, checked the crib to make sure I hadn't made good on his suggestion and said, "I changed my mind. We can keep her. Because she's a cutie patootie." Awwwww....
I should also add that Child #3 was a little miffed that we didn't call the baby MUFFY! But a mother can only let an addiction to Marc Brown's Arthur books go so far...
And while the Korea adoption system is very different from its Chinese counterpart, the agency in Korea did match us up with Child #4. And every day, I look at this petite Asian girl living in a sea of blond-haired, blue-eyed rambunctious older brothers and wonder how a Korean social worker over 6,000 miles away managed to choose the perfect child for our family.
So....swallowing past the lump, please visit the links below. The reviews will be thoughtful and insightful and encourage you to add to your TBR list.
As for me, I'm off to the grocery store to get my flu shot, but will check in regularly today.
YOUNG ADULT BOOK REVIEWSKaye of the Book Review Forum: TWO OLD WOMEN by Velma Wallis
Thao of serene hours: FLASH BURNOUT by L.K. Madigan
Stacy Nyikos: HORNS AND WRINKLES by Joseph Helgerson (middle grade, fantasy)
Jody Feldman: DYING TO MEET YOU by Kate Klise (middle grade) *sounds heavy, but according to our review is "totally cute and wonderful"
Linda McLaughlin: LIPSTICK JIHAD: A MEMOIR OF GROWING UP IRANIAN IN AMERICA AND AMERICAN IN IRAN by Azadeh Moaveni (memoir, can also be classified adult memoir).
ADULT BOOK REVIEWSSarah Laurence: BUT NOT FOR LONG by Michelle Wildgen (literary fiction), review and author interview
Kathy Holmes: THE EVER RUNNING MAN by Marcia Muller (Sharon McCone mystery series)
Scott Parker: THE BLONDE by Duane Swierczynski (adult pulp)
Prairie Rose of Prairie Rose's Garden: THE LOST SYMBOL by Dan Brown (mystery)
Jenn Jilks of My Reflections: BLOOD LURE by Nevada Barr (mystery)
Sarahlynn of Yeah, but Houdini didn't have these hips: a surprise video about books. Very humorous!
Alyssa Goodnight of the Writers' Road Less Traveled: THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE by Alan Bradley (mystery)
AUTOBIOGRAPHY REVIEWSPatti Abbott: TIMEBENDS by Arthur Miller
NONFICTION REVIEWSKeri Mikulski: WHY SHE PLAYS by Christine A. Baker
Note to Reviewers: I think I was pretty organized this month and included everyone with reviews. But if I missed you, leave me a comment and I'll rectify the situation straight away. And award myself one less cookie today!