Why shedding Christmas is so hard and JoJo Moyes

I hate taking down the Christmas tree, putting away the decorations. I hate that the village goes back in the storage space under the stairs. I hate the nativity scene going back in its storage container, looping the lights just right so that they are easy to put out next year. I loathe taking the wreaths off the door and the windows. Everything looks so barren and empty, so cold.

In an attempt to stave of the emptiness of a Christmas-less house, I decorate for other seasons, other holidays. I really wish that in January you could leave up the 'winter' decorations: the pinecones, the snowmen, the snowflakes. They aren't really Christmas-y, ya know? But no, we have to say bye-bye to them all. So, in my house, we decorate for the next holiday. And that would be Valentine's Day. And I HATE Valentine's Day.

Why do I hate Valentine's Day? I guess because it's so friggin' cheesy. I mean, red, pink, glitter, sparkles, roses, chocolate . . I mean, all these things I love one at a time. But on Valentine's Day they all collide. It's just so FORCED. Women are supposed to make men buy them things, to get crazy frisky, and find 'romance' because it is the middle of February. It's pretty much a holiday picked by retailers because they were between seasons.

Don't get me wrong, I like romance. But I don't like 'contrived' romance. I like laughing with my husband and finding secret moments, having inside jokes and knowing when one of us needs a hug. Movies? I would rather watch a rom-com than a straight up 'romance.' Books? I stay away from a book classified as a 'romance,' but I will read chick-lit. I love a book that isn't about romance, but I love it when romance happens in a book.

I don't force the hubs to buy me flowers or jewelry. If he wants to buy me flowers, I tell him to wait a week (they raise the prices on Valentine's Day). He cooks, so I would rather have a great dinner. We go out usually the week after or so, when not everyone in the world is trying to get to the same restaurant (we only have one really nice one in our town), or maybe we go out for a drink. If he wants to buy me an Amazon or a Starbucks card he can, but he does that every once and awhile any way.

Despite all that, I will sprinkle my house with hearts like an elementary school teacher (because I have elementary-age daughters) and make heart-shaped pancakes (because I am raising my kids in the age of Pinterest). But I tell my family I love them everyday, and we show our love in a million different ways. We don't save it for Valentines' Day.

And now, let me talk about JoJo Moyes.

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Well, after you read my above rant, you will find this funny. I have fallen in love with JoJo Moyes' books. And then I learn that "Moyes' novel Foreign Fruit won the Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) Romantic Novel of the Year in 2004." But, as you see, that would be ROMANTIC books, not necessarily romance books. I would classify the two books I read as good chick-lit.

I first read The Girl You Left Behind and wasn't sure if I loved it. I listened to it, and one of the readers had a French accent which threw me off. But guess what? I read so many books in the last year, and I remember this one so clearly. My mind keeps going back to this book and the wonderful nuances, the stories, the 'romance' of the story.

This is book is actually two stories from two different woman living nearly a century apart. In 1916, Sophie Lefevre's artist husband, Edward, has left her in her small French village while he goes to fight on the front in World War I. The village is invaded by Germans, and the inn that Sophie and her sister run becomes the food and entertainment center for the soldiers. The Kommendant becomes obsessed with the Edward's painting of Sophie which hangs at the inn, and Sophie is determined to do whatever she must to save her family, her village, and especially her husband.

The book switches to Liv Halston, a living in modern-day London, hanging onto her life by a thread after her successful architect husband dies suddenly. His gift to her on their honeymoon was Sophie's portrait, and, through a chance encounter, the painting is discovered to be on the list of art stolen by Germans. Liv battles to keep the painting, sure that losing it will mean losing her husband again, and all the good memories along with it.

Moyes tells two wonderful tales. Sophie's story is historical fiction, told with such richness that I can see her inn, Le Coq Rouge, and I can picture the painting, done is a Matisse style. I can picture Sophie, and Edward and the whole town. Liv's story is told with emotion, and the pictures Moyes paints are more visceral, more emotional. We can feel everything Liv feels; her hurt, her love, her need. Moyes does an incredible job on both fronts. The modern story gets slightly bogged down, but it is worth it all just to read a book that invokes such strong emotions.

After The Girl You Left Behind I read Moyes' novella Honeymoon in Paris. This is short read is the stories of Sophie and Edward's earlier romance, and Liv's let down of a honeymoon, ending with the purchase of the painting.

And, to finish off my Moyes' obsession, I read Me Before You. This is a totally different book, the story of Louisa Clark, a steady girl with a striking sense-of-style, a steady boyfriend, and no real purpose in life. When the cafe where she works closes, she is forced to take a job as a companion to a quadriplegic man with a past including business success and extreme sports. Louisa refuses to let him retreat from the world, and, in the end, she gets more from him then she gives. Moyes' ability to let us see what her characters are seeing and to feel what her characters are feeling really shines.  Beautiful, beautiful book.

These books are my ideas of what a 'romance' novel should be. Real emotion brought to us by beautiful words. I recommend all three of these books.

An over-scheduled month and history, intrigue and romance in Juliet

Oh May. You should be the month during which I enjoy sunshine without crazy heat, walk my dog while the flowers bloom and leisurely watch my girls participate in soccer, lacrosse, track or softball (preferably not all four). But you have teased me with beautiful days but made everyday of my calendar marked with activities and appointments. May, you are a life sucker.

First off, there is lacrosse, which is fine. Seems awesome, because the husband is coaching, which means teaching a bunch of 3rd and 4th grade girls how to run with big sticks without poking anyone--including themselves--in the eye. But this means I don't have to run older girl to practice (yeah!!). Of course, it means I'm the team secretary, but that's okay. I can handle that one.

Also for the older girl is her fourth grade celebration. It's the end of their elementary school career-- there is no graduation (thank you for that, I think tons of graduations are silly)--but we do a fun 'good-bye to all the easiness of elementary school-get ready for the real world aka MIDDLE SCHOOL' celebration. It's fun, and I will cry, and I have volunteered to help. I'm with a bunch of awesome women and it is worth it. It will be fun!

And there are end of the year field trips, team building for middle school (with all the other kids who will also be going to middle school), field days, carnivals . . . all the end of the year stuff.

But none of that is really quite overwhelming me. What is overwhelming me is younger daughter's medical stuff. In March we got blood tests back that came back positive for Celiac disease and thyroid issues. Let's just say that now week in May (and probably some in June) includes some doctor appointment, blood test or procedure. And everyone means entertaining an eight year old with Down syndrome for a couple of hours. Plus, every time a gastroenterology (the Celiac doc) gets postponed it means we have to buy just a little more gluten. We can't cut it out of our lives until after an endoscopy, and that can't happen until the stars are aligned just right and we hear angels singing. Or so it seems.

Okay, done whining. On to my book of the day--Juliet, by Anne Fortier.


                                                             

“Everything we say is a story. But nothing we say is just a story.”

 This novel takes a  new look at the tale of Romeo and Juliet, the story most of know from Shakespeare.  Shakespeare set  Romeo and Juliet in Verona, but Fortier stages her tale in 1340 Siena, Italy. I'm not sure of the history and truth, but she does tell some wonderful renditions of the story that predate Shakespeare.

This novel starts with the death of a woman in America, Aunt Rose. She has been raising her twins nieces, Julie and Janice Jordan since early childhood, when they were orphaned after the death of their mother in Italy. Aunt Rose's death brings an estate for the seemingly greedy Janice and a mystery to solve for Julie--a mystery her mother began to unravel, a mystery that dates back to the 12th century. Julie is very disappointed--she had been racking up credit card bills in the hopes that Aunt Rose's estate would be split between her and Janice.

So Julie flies off to Siena in order to find the 'treasure', where she learns her family history and discovers a number of unknown relatives. Julie learns that she was born Guilietta Tolemi, the original Juliet, and she and Romeo must reunite to end a family curse. And there is also the mysterious treasure that Juliet must find in order to save herself, her Romeo and her sister, not to mention extended family, monks and all of Siena.

Fortier blends past and present, describing Siena in breathless language and beautiful detail. The book combines intrigue, history and romance and is a wonderfully fun read. The ending is pretty predictable, but in a good way. They only  part of this story that didn't quite set me over the top is Julie. She's a little whiney and seems to take no responsibility for her predicaments. She does mature in the vision of her sister, who becomes more of a sister and less of a torment, but she seems to fall apart all the time. When the mystery is solved it is almost despite Julie being involved. Life seems to happen to her, instead of her taking hold and jumping in.

That said, it is a book I read twice. It is worth the time investment--fun and funny, romantic, adventurous and intriguing. It made me sigh and smile, bite my nails and laugh out loud. I would highly recommend this book, especially as a fun summer romp. GET ON IT!!!