TBR Challenge: So Far, So Good

I'm right on schedule and feeling really good about my reading so far this year. Not only have I finished 3 of my TBR books, but I'm also plugging away on several "professional development" books and making a slight dent in my ever-growing magazine pile, as well.

As for the 2008 TBR Challenge, my third TBR book was We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg. This was a good coming-of-age story about a southern girl whose mother, Paige Dunn, was paralyzed from the neck down after contracting polio while pregnant. Fourteen-year-old Diana Dunn learns about life, love and sacrifice in 1964 in Tupelo, Mississippi. In the midst of racial tensions and social unrest, as well as her mother's sickness and their never-ending financial distress, Diana tries to enjoy her summer, while Peacie, Paige's caretaker and assistant in raising Diana, worries about her husband's involvement in Civil Rights marches.

Elizabeth Berg is one of those authors that doesn't always stand out in my mind as a favorite, yet I haven't read a book of hers yet that I haven't liked. While I felt like the ending of We Are All Welcome Here was a bit contrived, I really enjoyed watching Diana grow up and grow out of her resentment and selfishness. If you like books like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Secret Life of Bees, I think you'll enjoy this one.