Aloha! Back from Vacation!

I had a wonderful vacation on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. There were several literary highlights, not the least of which was I had time to read! I had books on my "must read list," some of them for years!
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
This is a story that takes place in modern afghanistan. I learned so much about the Afghani people and their history. While I had trouble putting the book down, it wasn't fun read. The rape scene haunted me and much of the story was sad with little hope. But like many good books I'm still thinking about it.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The story unfolds as a graduating vet student loses his parents to an automobile accident. He's informed that the business and house belong to the bank. His kind hearted father had taken chickens and eggs for payment of his veterinary services. He returns to school but can not bring himself to take the final exams. He hops on a train and discovers he has inadvertently joined the circus. They were looking for someone with his expertise. This is a marvelous glimpse into the small circuses that crisscrossed the country during the Depression, with just enough intrigue and romance to keep the story interesting!
The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
Paul Milliron lives with his widowed father and two brothers on a dry farm in Montana. The boys receive their education in a one-room schoolhouse. They limp along in with cooking and housekeeping. Their father is busy hauling freight for the "Big Ditch," a government irrigation project as well as farming. They send for a housekeeper form out east(Minnesota) after seeing an ad in the newspaper. The housekeeper and her brother land on their doorstep and soon insinuate themselves into the family's everyday life. When the school teacher runs off with a traveling evangelist, the brother steps into the schoolroom. It turns out he is an accomplished scholar and an inspiring educator. There is a mystery surrounding the housekeeper and her brother that brings the story to a satisfying conclusion.

In addition to reading, I obtained a "Hawaii State Library" card. The State Library in downtown Honolulu is an impressive pillared building with a beautiful atrium and sections for each of the library subjects. Their teen room was nicely appointed but empty of teens. The age of the books really tells the story of funding for libraries in Hawaii,sadly lacking! Perhaps you don;t know the potential of a library until you've worked or even visited an outstanding one like ours right here in Waupaca?

My other literary experience was meeting my new author friend, Pat Wood. (See the following post with review of her book, Lottery.) We spent the afternoon together wandering around Chinatown, trying to avoid the pouring rain. (Yes, it does rain in Honolulu! We dined at an outstanding little Chinese restaurant, The Little Village Noodle Shop and enjoyed meeting her husband, Gordon. Pat and talked about books, libraries, book clubs and of course her book,Lottery. She confided that she had a conference call form Hollywood and whispered the plot of her next book to me. Sorry, I'm sworn to secrecy. The paperback version of Lottery is scheduled to be released in June and she hopes to spend some time on the mainland promoting it. She has promised a trip to WAUpaca if she gets to the Midwest. I know you will enjoy meeting Pat Wood as much as I have.