BoTM Reading Room Suggestions

Digging to America by Anne Tyler.Review from Publishers Weekly: Tyler (Breathing Lessons) encompasses the collision of cultures without losing her sharp focus on the daily dramas of modern family life in her 17th novel. When Bitsy and Brad Donaldson and Sami and Ziba Yazdan both adopt Korean infant girls, their chance encounter at the Baltimore airport the day their daughters arrive marks the start of a long, intense if sometimes awkward friendship. Sami's mother, Maryam Yazdan, who carefully preserves her exotic "outsiderness" despite having emigrated from Iran almost 40 years earlier, is frequently perplexed by her son and daughter-in-law's ongoing relationship with the loud, opinionated, unapologetically American Donaldsons. When Bitsy's recently widowed father, Dave, endearingly falls in love with Maryam, she must come to terms with what it means to be part of a culture and a country. Stretching from the babies' arrival in 1997 until 2004, the novel is punctuated by each year's Arrival Party, a tradition manufactured and comically upheld by Bitsy; the annual festivities gradually reveal the families' evolving connections. Though the novel's perspective shifts among characters, Maryam is at the narrative and emotional heart of the touching, humorous story, as she reluctantly realizes that there may be a place in her heart for new friends, new loves and her new country after all. Not necessarily FOCUSED on adoption and is obviously FICTION but it was just suggested to me by a friend and I thought I'd suggest it over here as well. :)

Have we picked a book for July yet? Tomorrow is July 1st and as I'll be gone the last full week of July, I'd like to get it purchased and mostly read so I can participate in coversation! :)

Jenna, I've been busy with the current project, as you know...I had hoped to 'vote' on a book, but it looks like maybe, we missed the boat for July. If you can make a suggestion, we can just run with that :)

Okay, Brandy, how about this one:A Wealth of Family: An Adopted Son's International Quest for Heritage, Reunion, and Enrichment

by Thomas BrooksBook Description: Compelling True Story Shows How to Cross Cultural Barriers ח This inspiring adoption and reunion saga delivers timely and provocative viewpoints on multicultural families and powerful insights on how to triumph over racism and poverty. Brooks grew up as the only child of a struggling single mother in inner-city Pittsburgh. He was battling racial stereotypes at school and searching for a place among his peers. Then he was told at age eleven that he was adopted. He did not know it at the time, but Brooks had actually been born to a white biological mother who descended from Lithuanian Jews and a black Kenyan foreign student father. Years after that stunning revelation, Brooks escaped the ghetto and traveled to search for his heritage. He found his biological mother in London with his previously unknown British siblings. He then located his biological father and extended family in Nairobi. His international search and the resulting reunions have profoundly affected three families in the United States, England, and Kenya. I think this sounds INSANELY interesting!

Do we have a book for August yet?

Sorry guys, I have been so busy with the upgrade, I haven't had a chance to think about books. How about we pick up in September, hopefully I'll be done by then (and I might even have someone else here helping me out, since I never seem to have time to do anything)

Brandy, That sounds like a great idea! Sept it is then. In the mean time I am starting a book by Dave Pelezer called The Privilege of Youth. I have not read this one but have read all his other ones. B is saying she wants to read it when I am done. She also wants to read his other books. It's been a long long time snice I read the other ones so before she does, I will reread them so we can discuss them together. I like the up grades so far too! :cheer:

Hi, might I suggest "Hungarian Rhapsody", a book about a couple who adopted six kids from Hungary, including some with special needs. It was a pretty incredible read.ISBN: 1425957137

dvdpro;I can't find a book by that name or by that ISBN.

Hi... Hmmm. I found it at Barnes & Noble on the Brand New table and it is on their Web site It says it was published in October 2006 so maybe some sites don't have it yet?

Its not really an reading book, so I would not suggest it for the book of the month, but I though it was pretty cool. It is called My Family, My Journey By Zoe Francesca and it is a keepsake album that contains sections to record all the joyful milestones and cherished family moments that mark a new baby's life, pages to chart the adopted child's unique journey, as well as a sturdy pocket in which to store important documents and memorabilia. You can get it on the following website: [url]http://www.spunkysprout.com/myfamyjo.html[/url]

Hello all,I'm an adoptive father of 4 kids from Russia, and I recently published an adoption-themed book. It's fiction, not a memoir, so I'm not sure if that's something the group typically reads.Currently it's available on Kindle Sobornost: Austin WimberlyIt will be out on Nook and Kobo soon.It's not in hard copy at this time, so that may be a non-starter.In any event, I thought I'd put this in the queue.Other adoption themed fiction I've enjoyed are The Kite Runner, Oliver Twist, and the short story by Leo Tolstoy called "What Men Live By." You can get the short story for free online. Well worth a read.

I don't know if you are still doing the book club, but I wanted to let you know about a book I wrote to help others who are facing miscarriage & infertility and considering adoption. It's called "From Pain to Parenthood: A Journey Through Miscarriage to Adoption." ISBN-13: 978-1481986656

I'd be interested in reading Beggars and Choosers or Wake Up, Little Suzie with others. Anyone else?

I have just published our adoption story on amazon A Little Girl's Dream- a Letter to my Daughter: Our Adoption story.It would be great if you read it and let me know how you liked it.ASIN: B0785S5HL8