The Winemaker's Wife by Kristin Harmel

I learn about books in many different places. I am subscribed to author's and publisher's newsletters, I follow several authors on social media and each week I also check in on What Are You Reading Wednesday with a local library. Through these different modes, I often hear about books that pique my interest. That was the case with the book that I just finished reading, The Winemaker's Wife by Kristin Harmel. I read a little blurb about it and put a hold on it through the library.

As with a few books that I have read recently, there were two timelines and a few points of view used to tell the story. The first timeline was in the Champagne region of France during World War II and during modern time in New York and France. One thing that I like about the combination of then and now timelines is that it allows the reader to learn both the details of the story from a time long ago but also gain perspective on how things resolve with the perspective of the current timeline. The characters are well developed and generally, likeable. I found myself feeling bad for them during struggles, outraged by their behavior at other times and genuinely vested in their story and their outcome. Another element that I enjoyed about this book were the unexpected twists. I did start to wonder about the one twist about half way through the story but the other twist caught me by complete surprise (can't tell you what they were, that would ruin it).

About the book:

The Winemaker's Wife

The author of the “engrossing” (People) international bestseller The Room on Rue Amélie returns with a moving story set amid the champagne vineyards of France during the darkest days of World War II, perfect for fans of Heather Morris’s The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Champagne, 1940: Inès has just married Michel, the owner of storied champagne house Maison Chauveau, when the Germans invade. As the danger mounts, Michel turns his back on his marriage to begin hiding munitions for the Résistance. Inès fears they’ll be exposed, but for Céline, the French-Jewish wife of Chauveau’s chef de cave, the risk is even greater—rumors abound of Jews being shipped east to an unspeakable fate.

When Céline recklessly follows her heart in one desperate bid for happiness, and Inès makes a dangerous mistake with a Nazi collaborator, they risk the lives of those they love—and the vineyard that ties them together.

New York, 2019: Recently divorced, Liv Kent is at rock bottom when her feisty, eccentric French grandmother shows up unannounced, insisting on a trip to France. But the older woman has an ulterior motive—and a tragic, decades-old story to share. When past and present finally collide, Liv finds herself on a road to salvation that leads right to the caves of the Maison Chauveau.

About Kristin Harmel:

Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling, USA Todaybestselling, and #1 international bestselling author of The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Book of Lost Names, The Winemaker’s Wife, and a dozen other novels that have been translated into more than 30 languages and are sold all over the world.

Kristin has been writing professionally since the age of 16, when she began her career as a sportswriter, covering Major League Baseball and NHL hockey for a local magazine in Tampa Bay, Florida in the late 1990s. In addition to a long magazine writing career, primarily writing and reporting for PEOPLE magazine (as well as articles published in American Baby, Men’s Health, Woman’s Day, Travel + Leisure, Ladies’ Home Journal, and more), Kristin was also a frequent contributor to the national television morning show The Daily Buzz.

Kristin was born just outside Boston, Massachusetts and spent her childhood there, as well as in Worthington, Ohio, and St. Petersburg, Florida. After graduating with a degree in journalism (with a minor in Spanish) from the University of Florida, she spent time living in Paris and Los Angeles and now lives in Orlando, with her husband and young son. She is also the co-founder and co-host of the popular weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction.

I really enjoyed this book by Kristin Harmel and would recommend it to friends (and actually already have). I plan to add her name on my author's to read list and will pick up some of her older books and watch for her new release planned for early next summer. I just started following her on social media and hope to check out the podcast that she does with three author friends. I checked upcoming events and see that I missed seeing her locally in the spring but will be on the watch for another local visit.

What have you been reading lately?

Cozy Winter Days and Nights

A complimentary Puffy Blanket was provided to enable this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. 

December 1st: A little early in the season for my liking but here in NEO, it is a blustery and snowy day. The kids are glad to be home on their first official snow day of the school year. It means a day filled with cuddling up to read and to watch movies and television. This means that everyone will grab for their favorite blanket as they look to stay cozy while the snow blows around outside.

Blankets have always been a big deal for us. I think it started when I was a kid. I had that special afghan that Grandma made me and I remember using it in the family room as we hung out watching tv, curling up under it while I read and sleeping tucked in beneath it at night. When I got my first apartment, having a cozy bed with fluffy and cozy blankets was a must. It was part of my vision for my new place. When we became homeowners and went on vacation, a blanket was the souvenier of choice on more than a couple of trips. Last year, I had the opportunity to learn to make a chunky knit blanket and then came home and helped my daughter make another one for herself.

Blankets are a great add for themed gifts too. A popcorn bucket, some candy and a pack of popcorn, a couple of DVDs, a cozy blanket and socks for watching movies is one example of a basket that I have put together for friends. One year, I did a Christmas themed basket for friends that just bought a new house. I filled it with a Christmas print blanket, a new home ornament, some candy canes and hot chocolate and two mugs. Another theme where a blanket is a great addition is a Picnic theme basket. Of course, here we need to do an indoor picnic at the holidays. Start with a blanket, include a bottle of wine, a couple of glasses, a corkscrew and some crackers and a charcuterie board.

This year, we have a new family favorite blanket - the luxurious faux fur Puffy Blanket

My daughter was quick to adopt this blanket when it arrived right before Thanksgiving. She describes it as big, cozy and warm. It is the perfect size for using on a bed or covering up while watching your favorite show or reading your favorite book. When I asked what she liked best, the two different sides with different textures to keep you warm. She often debates which side should be on the inside - my answer, whichever one feels best to you.

This blanket is warm, with a cozy texture and available in multiple sizes, making it a perfect gift option for those that long to be cozy. It makes a great housewarming basket gift or a straight up gift to someone that loves blankets like we do.

A complimentary Puffy Blanket was provided to enable this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.

Staying Active - Mind & Body

This experience really is unlike any other. I think I have heard the word unprecedented at least 1000 times in the past week.

Here in Ohio, I think we are at the point where it might be easier to keep a list of things that are open. I get it, whether you refer to it as sheltering in place, isolation, social distancing, or some other phrase, the goal is to keep people apart to mitigate or at least slow the spread.

With schools closed, our library closed, and the gyms closed, keeping the mind and body active is a new challenge, an unfamiliar challenge. It is funny how dependent you become on the outside world for things to engage your mind and keep you moving.

Our schools are treating this week as a series of calamity days, because fortunately, we hadn't yet taken any snow days this year. This is to allow the teachers to put together plans for distance learning and to find ways to remedy for students that don't have access to a computer and/or the internet at home. Even with that, both the kids start their day with some reading. My daughter because she likes it and my son because he has a book that they are reading in school that he figures he can at least pick away at. Then, my son does the homework from his math syllabus that his teachers gave him a while back. I'm leveraging LinkedIn Learning to learn some new things and to enhance my resume. I should be reading...but just haven't been motivated to read a book, maybe too much time reading on the computer. In anticipation of the closure of school, I also picked up a puzzle and we are spending some time working on that.

My daughter is also interested in baking and cooking, right up until when she isn't. She is great at starting but soon I find that I 'can just finish' it. We have had cupcakes and muffins so far. I am sure we will do more baking and cooking. It helps pass the time, is a good life skill, and is entertaining. My daughter also was supposed to be in home ec starting this week. I offered to bring out my sewing machine and teach her but she is willing to wait on that one.

We are trying to get outside each day for some physical activity too. Fortunately, we have had some decent weather and we can get out before or after the rain on days where it has rained. I have been walking. My husband has been running. My son is getting together with one friend to throw and hit. My daughter is using the swing set with a neighbor. Our one principal also sent out a challenge that includes planks, crunches, push ups and squats, another way to stay active. Working out at home, alone, is hard. Sure there are apps and streaming and I even have equipment and videos I could use, but the challenge is the motivation...what's the hurry, I can do it later, I have no where to be and nothing specific to do.

The rest of our time is downtime - movies, shows, internet, video games, and such.

How are you staying active?

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to be at the bookstore by myself. I love the bookstore, always have. The store had sent an e-mail with a coupon for 15% off any book, which I saw as an open invitation to visit. I resisted the urge to buy a beverage from the coffee and went to browse through the fiction section, looking for some of my favorites, but was surprised to not find much selection. They had books by my authors (mostly), but it seemed that in many cases, I had read all of the books by those authors that they had on hand. I was a little bummed by this realization. Now, I know that they will order in any book that is available in their vast catalog, but it isn't the same. I realize that with so many new books being released all the time, that you just can't keep a copy of every book - it would be an unwise decision from a financial perspective, but I was disappointed just the same (I'm not required to be logical in my disappointments).

On a plus side, this seeming lack of selection, resulted in me finding a new author. After not finding what I was looking for, I went and started to browse the tables and the stacks of books located there - more eye catching than browsing the shelves and only seeing the spines of the books. As I wandered, I came across the book - Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. The summary of the book on the back hooked me in and I selected it as the book I would use my coupon for...it helped that it was also on the bargain table. I also learned that it had been made into a movie. Now that I have read the book, I really want to see the movie too.

The main character in the book is Rachel White and is set the summer that she turns 30 and her lifelong friend Darcy is planning an end of summer wedding. Darcy and Rachel grew up together on a cul-de-sac in Indiana and now, both live in NYC. Darcy has always been the pretty one, the lucky one, the one that always seemed to get her way. Rachel went to law school with Darcy's fiance and was the one to introduce them. The irony is that she introduced them because she didn't think that he could possibly have been interested in her. When they were out for her thirtieth birthday and Darcy left early after drinking too much, she learns that Dex is attracted to her. As the summer progresses, their relationship continues and Rachel begins to struggle with deciding what is right and wrong and choosing between her heart and her conscience.

The author does a great job developing the characters. Not only did I have an image of what each of them looked like and their mannerisms, but I felt like I could really relate to them. I found myself frustrated with Darcy's seemingly charmed life and rooting for things to end happily for Rachel. And, when the book ended, I found myself wanting to know what happens next. It appears that Something Blue picks up where this one ends, only based on the synopsis it appears that the main character is Darcy - I just hope that it also includes more about Rachel and what happens to her. I think that I will have to pick that one up (once I conquer my current stack of five books that I have to read!).

I recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a good book to read. I look forward to reading more of Emily Giffin's books in the future. So, although I was disappointed that the bookstore didn't have any books I haven't read by my usual authors, it all worked out, because I now have one more author that I enjoy reading and that many more books to fill my days with.

No compensation was received for this post. I bought my own book and enjoyed it.

Reading Kingdom

When my daughter started preschool this year, she filled out a survey about her likes/dislikes and what she was looking forward to and what she wanted to learn. Normally parents would fill out this survey, but because her brother was filling one out for his class, she wanted to do hers too, so I had to write all of her answers on the dry erase board so she could fill it out. In response to the question, what do you hope to learn about this year, her answer was reading. Being that she is in preschool and many of her friends are still learning their letters, the teachers have been working with her some on reading, but they have to focus on the larger class needs. So, what they are doing is while her classmates spend time each day learning to first recognize and then learn their first and last name, their address and their phone numbers, she has been working her way through some site words and associated books that focus on those site words and picture cues for the other words.

She really does want to learn and I think that her brother (who claims not to like to read) is her strongest influence. Frankly, she wants to do everything that he does. He has a daily reading goal for school, so he spends 15 minutes reading most nights once he climbs into bed. So, of course, when she goes to bed, most nights she also asks if she can read in bed. It really is rather sweet to peak in on. There she is 5 years old, 'reading' her chapter books and making up the cutest stories as she turns through the pages of nothing but words. I can't wait until she can read them.

So, when I learned about the online program, Reading Kingdom, I was curious, would this be a tool that could help my daughter achieve her goal?

The program allows the child to start with mouse and keyboard training, which helps them improve their skills with the mouse and keyboard. If they only need to work on one or the other, they can elect to do keyboard only or mouse only. If your child is already comfortable with both the mouse and keyboard, they can skip this section altogether.

The program starts with a skills assessment, which helps determine the right place to start them in the program. For my son, who is older and already reading, it moved him to the second section. For my daughter, who is just learning to read, it put her into the first section to work on Seeing Sequences and Letter Land. In Seeing Sequences, the focus is on getting them to recognize and repeat sequences. Initially, the sequence (word) they need to match by clicking on the right letters below, stays on the screen. Then, later in the program, they are shown the sequence (word) and then it disappears and they select the letters. Letter Land slowly moves them through the keyboard, helping them to become more familiar and comfortable with the keyboard.

After completing Seeing Sequences and Letter Land, or if those sections are needed based on Skills Assessment, the next sections are increasing levels of Reading and Writing. In this section, it very systematically moves them through the process, introducing them to new words and teaching them the building blocks. With each section, there are more words and the words and stories become more complex.

Assuming your child does about 4-5 sessions per week, it will take several weeks to get through the different levels. I like that it takes the time to allow your child to become fully comfortable with each level, but I can tell you that for an eager child, they sometimes ask why they are still doing this and not the next thing. I told my daughter that the program is making sure that she has had plenty of practice so that she is fully ready for the next level. To encourage her to keep moving through the sessions, I encourage her to do a session of Reading Kingdom before playing other programs on the computer.

She is still in the early section, working on Seeing Sequences and Letter Land (she is 90% and 81% complete respectively), but I can already tell that this program, coupled with what her teachers are helping her learn at school is really getting her moving towards reading. The other night, she read a book to me. It was rather cool. One other day, she came into my room early in the morning and was asking about a box, you know a 'b' - 'o' - 'x'. Which I found to be cute. I look forward to her continued progress in her quest to learn to read.

After having my older son play with the program for a few weeks, I can say that if your child can read, that the program really isn't geared for them. He humored me and worked through a few sessions so that I could look at how the lessons evolved. He reads chapter books, so it seems reasonable that a learn to read program is not for him. I wanted to see, since he is 8 and the recommended range is 4 - 10 years old. If your child is not fully comfortable with reading, it would be a great reinforcement tool, but from my experience a child that reads chapter books is likely beyond the program.

The program sends a weekly update e-mail to the parent updating you on their progress. You can see how they are progressing and how they are doing in each section - Good Performance; Very Good Performance or Excellent Performance. I like that I get an update by e-mail, but that I can also go in at any time to see how they are progressing. As a parent, you also have the option to have them repeat the Skills Assessment. This might be a nice way to go back and confirm their progress as they complete more of the sessions.

"The Reading Kingdom is more than a phonics program. It’s an online reading program for children ages 4 to 10 that teaches six skills needed for reading and writing success. Created by Dr. Marion Blank, one of the world's top experts in literacy, the reading system is beloved by parents and has helped thousands of kids to learn to read."

The Reading Kingdom was created by literacy and education expert Dr. Marion Blank, the Director of the Light on Literacy program at Columbia University. It goes above and beyond the traditional phonics programs you may already know. The program teaches children learning skills using six key skills needed for reading and writing success.

- Most kids can do this online reading program on their own after just a few lessons
- It's fun and children enjoy doing it
- It's created by Dr. Marion Blank, one of the world's top experts in literacy
- It works with any other curriculum a child may be using
- It's the only program to offer customized online reading instruction for each child
- And, it's the only system that teaches all 6 skills needed for reading & writing success!

You can learn more, by checking out their website at www.readingkingdom.com. They have information about the program, sample lessons and more. You can also take a more hands on approach by signing up at Reading Kingdom and taking advantage of the free 30-day trial. After that, the program is just $19.99 / month or save money (20%) by subscribing for a full year at $199.99 / year. If you are a teacher, you can also check out a 30-day trial and contact them directly about pricing for using this program in your classroom.

You can also Like Reading Kingdom on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

No compensation was received for this post. A complimentary one year subscription was provided to Reading Kingdom in order that my children and I could experience the program. All opinions expressed are mine or that of my family.

Summer Reading Programs

It is so hard to believe, but my son's school only has three more days until summer break. One of the challenges of summer break is trying to make sure that the kids don't get too far from what they have learned, but also making sure that they are kids and can enjoy their break.

From my experience, reading is a great way to keep your children's minds active in the summer. It doesn't have to be just them reading books, you can make it interesting and more of a learning experience by mixing it up. Read chapter books together with your kids and discuss them. Not only does this allow you time to bond, but it helps your kids develop reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. Have your child read a book and then 'retell' you the story in their own words. This can help to ensure that they are reading and comprehending the story and not just seeing the words. Read books that are set somewhere local and then, take a field trip to the area and see if you can find familiar landmarks from the books.

We have found that reading time is a great 'down' time for kids. An opportunity to have some quiet time, alone time and to spend some time out of the sun. With a library in most communities, a wide array of books is readily accessible to suit any interest and reading level.

As we do every summer, we are planning to take the kids to the library and sign them up for the summer reading program. It is a nice program and rewards them for reading and checking in on their progress. They get little things, like choosing a prize out of a treasure chest, getting stickers and bookmarks and at the end of the summer, a free book. The prizes aren't big, but they are incentive enough for the kids to want to read.

Signing up for reading programs can help to provide added incentive to kids to read. In addition to library reading programs, there are a number of retailers and other groups who also offer summer reading programs with benefits:

Barnes and Noble: Read 8 books and turn in the form to receive one free book from the available list. Turn in completed sheets from now to September 6th.

Borders: Read 10 books and earn a free book (select titles). Turn in form between June 1 - September 5.

Half-Priced Books: Read 600 minutes or more and turn in the completed reading log at Half Price Books to receive $5 Back-to-School Bucks. Turn in the reading log between July 25 – August 7.

Summer Break with Book It: Read 5 books and mail in a form for a chance to win a Summer Break Prize Pack. Sweepstakes begins 6/15/11 and ends 8/15/11.

Scholastic Summer Challenge: Children can log their reading minutes for a chance to be one of three potential winners of a Klutz book prize pack. Log minutes from May 15, 2011 to June 4, 2011.

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.

Time to Read

I love reading, always have.

I want for my kids to love reading.

Books can take you so many wonderful places. They help to foster imagination. They help to strengthen reasoning and comprehension skills. They entertain. They educate.

When they were little (not that they are that big!), I felt that reading to them each day and each night at bedtime was a good way to spend time with them and to plant the seeds for the joy and wonder of books. We started with the basic story books that everyone does. We read Goodnight Moon almost every night. During the day, it was more of a mix with some favorites including the Foot Book, Where Is Baby's Belly Button?, and The ABC Book.

As the kids got older, we continued to read each day but started to introduce them to early chapter books. One that we have read a few times already is the Adventures of Edward Tulane. I think my son was 3 when we read it to him the first time.

Hearing them in their room or watching them "read" a book is one of the most precious things in the world. Realizing that they know the story well enough to know what words are on each page, is really amazing to me. Of course, I find it cute when they would pull out a chapter book and flip through the pages "reading" aloud with their own made up tale.

Even as my son began to read, we would encourage him to read his books on his own, but would continue to read together each night at bedtime. As much for the time together, as for the continuing support of the love for reading. I have enjoyed reading books like the Magic Tree House Series and we are currently on the third book of the 39 Clues series. With my daughter, we have started reading some of the Ramona Books and Cam Jansen mysteries. I'm excited to soon share with her the Little House books and the Anne of Green Gables series.

I think that to further reinforce that reading is something that you can do forever and that you can want to read, I think that it is important that we read around them too. When I was younger (i.e. before I had kids) I would read all day long. Anytime I had five minutes to spare, I would sneak in a few pages. Unfortunately, as life has gotten busier and crazier, I haven't made the time to read like I used to. It started to be that if I read, it was at bedtime only (if I could stay awake!). Now, sure my kids see the changing book on my bedside, but they weren't actually seeing me read.

As they are getting older, it is a little easier for me to find time to read for myself. I can now actually read a good amount of my weekend morning newspapers in the morning. When we go on car trips, I can read a book or magazine in the car, while they read, color, or write in the back seat. When it is a nice afternoon and they are playing outside, usually I join them, but sometimes I just grab a book and sit on the porch or deck and read, while I watch them play together or with the neighbors. Now that I longer have to participate in swimming lessons, I get to read for the 45 minutes that the kids are in class. It's not uninterrupted, but I certainly read. Having more time to read feels almost like a luxury to me.

On Sunday, I actually spent 3 hours just reading. The kids watched a movie and played some games and I read. The book was just that good that I wanted to keep reading. Sure, I was interrupted to get breakfast and to start shows and grab some tissues for me, but I read for 3 whole hours! It was wonderful!

You can see what books I have been reading lately on my reading list, which links back to my review of most of the books. I hope to share about Night Road by Kristin Hannah, which I spent the three hours finishing on Sunday, soon.

Want to let your kids earn some free books? Right now, you can go to Scholastic and learn how your child can earn up to 5 free books from Scholastic and Kumon.

Scholastic and Kumon have partnered to encourage the development of reading and math skills and unlock your child's learning potential. Your child can complete MATH and READING activities and earn up to five FREE BOOKS from Scholastic!

We just had my son do the worksheets and sent them off for his free books.

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.

Summer Reading Programs

Every summer as a child, we participated in the summer reading program at the local library. I remember reading lots of books and filling in log sheets. There were prizes for making regular progress and a prize at the end of the summer based on how many books were read. I remember getting coupons for an ice cream cone or french fries from McDonald's, but I don't remember much more about the program. What I do know is that I still have a love of reading that I certainly feel was fed by regular reading as a child.

Reading is a great way to keep your children's minds active in the summer. Read chapter books together with your kids and discuss them. Not only does this allow you time to bond, but it helps develop reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. Read books that are set somewhere local and take a field trip to the area and see if you can find familiar landmarks from the books. Have your child read a book and then 'retell' you the story in their own words.

Reading time is a great 'down' time for kids. An opportunity to have some alone time and spend some time out of the sun. With a library in most communities, a wide array of books is readily accessible to suit any interest and reading level.

Signing up for reading programs can help to provide added incentive to kids to read. My kids are signed up for the library reading program where we live. The program is similar to the programs I did as a child, with prizes for continued progress. In addition to library reading programs, there are a number of retailers who also offer summer reading programs with benefits:

Barnes and Noble

At Barnes and Noble, keep track of your reading on their reading journal. Read 8 books, and share what part you liked best, and receive a free book from a select list. Also, be entered to win an autographed Percy Jackson novel. The program is open to children grades 1 - 6 and is valid from 5/26 - 9/7/09.

Borders

Participate in Borders summer reading challenge and when you read 8 books, chose a select item at 50% off or more, item price is reduced to $4.99. Program is open to kids 12 and under and runs through 8/31/09.

Half Price Books

Half Price Books Feed Your Brain summer reading program offers children, ages 12 and under, a $3 Half Price Books Shopping Card each week that they spend at least 15 minutes reading. Program runs through 7/31/09.

Reading is a frugal way to entertain the kids this summer, with the added benefit of being educational. Check out Frugal Fridays for more frugal ideas.