Being with Henry

by Martha Brooks
PRMS discard, hardcover 216 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

Laker Wyatt (cool name) is kicked out by his stepfather and mother. He lives homeless for a while, then is taken in by octogenarian Henry, who has recently become a widower. There were parts of this story I liked a lot, but overall it wasn't a strong story. It's heading to a Better World Books donation bin.

Christmas Stories - Children's books with Christ-centered message (various titles)

My pastor asked me to read a children's book for church this Sunday. (Last year, I read Patricia Polacco's Christmas Tapestry, though I summarized some parts so it didn't last over a half hour!) I got the first four books below at the Hennepin County Library but wasn't super excited by any of them. Then I visited the Savage branch of the Scott County Library yesterday and found the last two. Here are my thoughts.

Birthday Party for Jesus by Susan Jones, illustrated by Lee Holland
A bunch of woodland animals are planning a birthday party for Jesus and Little Bunny wonders what he should bring. Toys? Candy? Games? Then he sees that the other animals have wrapped gifts with tags like peace, faith, mercy, kindness, etc. Aha! Now he knows what to bring for Jesus' birthday. Cute art, simple story, great for a younger (preschool) audience.

The Friendly Beasts: An Old English Christmas Carol illustrated by Anna Vojtech
I didn't listen to the CD included (narration and songs by Rebecca St. James), but this is a lovely little story from the animals' points of view. It is simple, with rhyming text and lovely illustrations.

Who Built the Stable? by Ashley Bryan
Gorgeous, vibrant illustrations make this my favorite visually. The simple text rhymes and is very kid-friendly. My favorite two-page spread: "Was Jesus born in Italy, Russia, Spain, Japan? / No! He was born in Bethlehem, a rich and verdant land." (Not that kiddos will know what "verdant" means . . . but I like it!)

Grace at Christmas by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu
This one didn't have a super-strong message, but I liked it all the same. Grace likes Christmas with just her, her mother, and her Nana. But this year, some stranded travelers will join them. Grace doesn't want to share her home and traditions with them, but she learns to open her heart and show compassion. It's a beautiful story, but the acting-out of the nativity scene (and the sharing message) weren't explicit enough for what I wanted to share.

Mortimer's Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
I liked this one, but even the thought of cute little storybook mice make me think of the actual rodents . . . which I do NOT like (or their poops, which they leave everywhere). Mortimer wants a cozier place to stay than his hole in the wall. He finds it, but has to lug and tug some "statues" out of the way first. Every evening, he removes them and curls up in the hay (in the manger) and each day someone puts them back. Then he hears the dad share the Bible story of Jesus' birth. Mortimer is sad, but realizes that the manger is for Jesus, not him. But joy! Someone has put out a gingerbread house - perfect for Mortimer!

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski, illustrated by P.J. Lynch
This is the one I'm reading this year! Toomey has been nicknamed "Gloomy" by the town's children. He's always grumpy, taciturn, stooped . . . even though he's an amazing wood carver. His past unfolds as he works on a project . . . it's so beautiful! I can read it with good pacing in under 18 minutes, but I have to work on reading it without crying. Perfect!

It's Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired, and Get Going!

by Chelsea Clinton
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 CDs
read by the author
genre: non-fiction, activism

I only listened to two of the CDs. I think I would enjoy the print version better, though Clinton's voice is pleasant. The non-Clinton voice that said the section headings seemed disconcerting and robotic . . . and at times, Clinton's voice took on an almost hypnotic quality.

That said, the content is good. I found the story about her grandma Dorothy (Hilary's mom) fascinating! What a heritage. Clinton is at her best when she talks about her own childhood and experiences.

Her target audience is children and youth. At times, she addresses kids directly or explains complex topics (like GDP) very well. At other times, she doesn't seem to be aware of children's limited grasp of serious topics. She addresses poverty and its causes, homelessness, etc. Perhaps I'm just not in a receptive mood for this info right now. In one section alone, I jotted notes on Read to Feed, Heifer International, Barefoot College, KIVA, three water charities, and Care . . . so perhaps my decision to not finish the book was simply that I felt overwhelmed by the options for helping.

I hope that kids listen and are inspired to help others and make a positive difference in the world. As an adult, I find that having a few causes (or only one!) that you're passionate about makes it easier to focus time, attention, and money in a way that can make a difference. Kudos to Clinton for working to inspire kids to make a difference. I also like that she introduces a topic, explains the different perspectives, and encourages her readers / listeners to make up their own minds about it. What an incredible young woman!

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas

by David Rosenfelt
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 CDs
read by Grover Gardner
genre: realistic murder mystery

Andy Carpenter, Tillman, Caffey, Big Tiny, "Pups" and others made this an interesting story about a dying woman, a murder trial, and big money. I was a bit confused about the senator from South Dakota and the blackmailing, but it all came together.

I'm not a huge fan of courtroom dramas, but there was enough other stuff to make it work. Carpenter is a defense attorney who is working for Martha Boyer, aka "Pups" in a triple murder trial. It's fun to see him follow hunches and unravel what's really going on. I liked the Jewish elderly people who helped him with some computer hacking. I also liked gang leader Big Tiny . . . though he's a thug in his own right.

I enjoyed it, but won't seek out other books by this author. There are so many other things I like so much more.

Compelled by Love: How to Change the World Through the Simple Power of Love in Action

by Heidi Baker with Shara Pradhan
loaned by Kelly Harvey (via New Day Church), paperback, 151 pages
genre: non-fiction Christian missions

This book blew me away! I have put it in my Amazon cart, because I'd love to own it and read it again. Baker came from a life of privilege, but fell in love with Jesus and has worked as a missionary in several countries. Mozambique is her "home" and favorite place in the world. She is inspired by Mother Teresa and writes about the Beatitudes in this book. Chapters are "Blessed are the Poor in Spirit," "Blessed are Those who Mourn," etc.

page 34:  "I did not yet realize that the Sermon on the Mount is God's formula for revival. The Beatitudes are His recipe for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on the earth as it is in heaven."  God is so good! He gives us what we need in His Word.

page 35: "Some of you may think ministry is a grand adventure. Ministry, however, is simply about loving the person in front of you." Sometimes we make things more complex than they need to be.

page 88: "These children are my delight as they hunger for more of Jesus. They are my mentors, and they have helped to teach me not to be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion. Sometimes we make things too complicated when we really need to remember that the kingdom belongs to the children!" I love the stories she includes about children who are transformed by God's love. Those individual children have incredible personal testimonies.

page 114 - I had to include the entire page here because so much of it resonated with me. "In trials and tribulations, our enemy will use every possible device to try to get us to focus on the problem." Yep, that's been an issue for me lately. Listening to Satan is *not* a good idea.

page 147: "Ministers should be the most joyful, in-love people on the planet. It is not a competition in misery." This would make for an interesting discussion at a pastors' meeting, yes?

MIssissippi Jack

a Bloody Jack adventure
by L.A. Meyer
Hennepin County Library hardcover 611 pages
genre: YA historical adventure fiction

I'm enjoying these books a bit too much . . . though this one had a couple of places where I had to put it down and walk away. (The ambush on the river when Jacky was bathing . . . )

I marked page 202. Jaimy is frustrated with the American wilderness (in the early 1800s) and writes to Jacky "I have been massaging my swollen jaw and amusing myself by thinking up variations on USA. How about Ubiquitous Swine devoted to Anarchy? No? Then how's this: Unwashed Savages of Abysmal ignorance? I find myself longing for a civilized drawing room in London." It just made me laugh.

Jacky's raucous behavior doesn't overshadow her kind heart. She's a fun protagonist and this adventure is filled with many colorful characters as she travels west, then south on the rivers, in pursuit of Jaimy and safety. (More and more people want to kill her as her adventures go along.)

Riverboat, show boat, Mike Fink, Indians (even Tecumseh!), slavers, . . . this book was crammed full of characters and action.

Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia

by Jenny Torres Sanchez
Hennepin County Library paperback 270 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

This was a little too dark for me. Frenchie had a spontaneous night of fun with a guy she had liked from afar for four years. The next morning, she learns that he is dead. He overdosed and left a suicide note (of sorts). But she doesn't tell anyone about their conversations or experiences . . . not her parents, her best friends, a counselor. She just tortures herself and becomes more and more miserable and purposeless.

I only marked one point in the book. On page 104, she texts Colin to say "I'm not okay." This admission (and his amazing ability to be sensitive, patient, and watchful of her) help her to work toward understanding and healing.

This book wasn't a favorite for me, but I can definitely picture teenagers for whom this story would resonate powerfully. It's serious and deals with real-world issues.

As a literature person, I like that the author's main character has a thing for Emily Dickinson.

The Stone Heart

The Nameless City, book 2
by Faith Erin Hicks
Hennepin County Library hardcover 243 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, adventure

Oh my! This was so good! I would love to own the Nameless City books. These are "Yes!" purchases for a middle school or high school collection. I love Hicks' work! She's so talented.

Rat and Kaidu continue to be great kids who get into things over their heads. The Dao are split between those who want to fight and hold power versus those who see a need to change and work with others. The saddest part to me was the attack on the monks and the library! Mura is an interesting character. Enzi and Mura will have much to account for in the next book. . .

Because of the Sun

by Jenny Torres Sanchez
Hennepin County Library hardcover 258 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

This was on one of my reading lists, so I ordered it even though I'm not working with teens or libraries right now. It had great reviews.

Dani has a tumultuous life with her mother, so when her mother is mauled to death by a bear, Dani's grief has some unusual aspects to it.

The story was a bit too stream-of-consciousness for me. Some of Dani's mental noise - especially the spectre of the bear - was hard to visualize.

I liked her friendship with Paolo. I like learning his back story. I didn't like when the book shifted to the past and Shelley's story, but it pulled things together well.

Lots of swearing and teen attitude. Nice resolution to the story. I think this would appeal to teens who like reading serious books.

Family Album

by Penelope Lively
Hennepin County Library audiobook 7 CDs
read by Josephine Bailey
genre: realistic fiction

This felt less like a novel and more like vignettes on family life. Dad Charles is distant and scholarly. Mom Alison is almost overbearing in her motherly love. Ingrid is a bit of an enigma at first, but becomes more than just an au pair as the story goes along. The children - this is mostly their story.

Paul - ne'er do well, lazy, unmotivated . . . being Alison's favorite was detrimental, I think. She keeps blaming others for Paul's poor choices

Gina - married to Phillip, TV journalist, strong-willed, I liked her best.

Sondra - 38, living in Rome, fashion, devoted to remaining childless, runs a boutique, getting into real estate and renovations

Katie - married to ???, Boston or San Francisco, the "nice" one, hung out with Roger a lot

Roger - married to Susan (Chinese descent), lives in Toronto, pediatrician

Claire - based in Paris, dancer on tour, getting ready to retire at 30 . . .

Allersmead - the house itself is a character in this story. How fitting that the last part is the house's perspective . . .

The stories bop around from the present to moments in time from the past. Corinna (Charles' sister) is a piece of work. I wonder if she and Martin are included primarily to help us get to know Charles a little better.

Charles is oblivious! When he's researching his book on teen male rituals, he seems unaware that Paul is a teen male getting angry with his dad.

I enjoyed this book and thinking about families, communication, relationships, etc. The Cellar Game wasn't as sinister as I expected when it was first mentioned.

No Laughter Here

By Rita Williams-Garcia

PRMS hardcover 131 pages

Genre: YA realistic

I found this in my email from Feb. 24, 2017 . . . and I'm just now blogging it on Dec. 5! Ah well. Life gets busy.

Akilah (“intelligence”) and Victoria (named for the British queen) are best friends. Victoria and her family have gone to Nigeria for the summer and Akilah hasn’t had a letter for weeks. She is eagerly awaiting her friend’s return. But when Victoria comes back, she doesn’t talk, smile, or act like herself anymore.

This is the summer between fourth and fifth grade . . . but I hope some of my readers connect with it. As Akilah realizes the truth about what happened to Victoria in Nigeria, she vows to keep it a secret.

Powerful, painful, amazing book.

Picturing Prince

by Steve Parke
foreward by Sheila E.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 233 pages plus index
genre: non-fiction, photos and stories

I read a review of this book and was curious. I liked Prince a lot as a teenager and I loved the "hometown hero" aspect of his fame. Parke did a wonderful job of telling stories about his experiences working with Prince over 13 years. The photos were an interesting mix of moods - the ones taken at the arboretum were my favorites. I enjoyed this, but am once again sad that such a talented person died young. It doesn't matter now, but I think he'd be horrified at what is happening with his estate and music. Having a will would have made a difference . . . to people on this side of eternity. And perhaps to his legacy.

Brides of Eden: A True Story Reimagined

by Linda Crew
PRMS discard, hardcover, 210 pages plus afterword
genre: YA historical fiction

This book intrigued me. I weeded it from the school collection because it had *never* been checked out, had an unappealing cover, and was about a cult from the early 1900s. I didn't ditch it because I wanted to read it.

It was distressing that so much of what these "Holy Rollers" said and did at the beginning of the story truly is Scriptural and not really bizarre at all. As it went on and Joshua put himself forward as the Messiah and made his own proclamations, though, their "church" was clearly not what God intended for His followers. Sigh. It was very interesting to read, especially knowing that it was based on real events and real people. I wonder if I could get another Christian to read and discuss it. Cults are creepy and lives are damaged when lies are believed and one's own sanity is in doubt.

In the Belly of the Bloodhound

by L.A. Meyer
Scott County Library hardcover 515 pages
genre: YA historical fiction, adventure

Okay. I'm hooked on this series. Bloody Jack #4 and I am eager to read the next one! In this story, the girls go for a day trip but are kidnapped by slavers. Jacky is her usual amazing self at problem-solving and making things happen. I especially like the dynamic between her and Clarissa. There was an interesting twist on Constance. Initially, I thought she would be the stereotypical hyper-religious, judgmental foil. But the author really did some interesting things with this story. I love when Katy confides in Jacky about her background. This was a very good story (but I definitely recommend that you read these books in order!) Hughie's part in this story was very well-done.

Mark Twain's Book for Bad Boys and Girls

text by Mark Twain
edited by R. Kent Rasmussen
gift to me, hardcover 173
genre: stories, sayings, humor

I don't remember who gave this to me or why, but it's been on my shelf of books for a long time. At times, I enjoyed reading it. Twain is funny, sarcastic, smart, observant . . . or was, rather. At times, it made me sad. As amazing a writer as he was, he's dead now. From the way he writes about religion, God, faith, etc. it doesn't seem that he believed in God or salvation. How sad for him.

The section of the book on "Divine Providence" and especially the story "The Drownings of Lem Hackett and Dutchy" seem to prove his point that it doesn't matter how you live your life - whether you are good or bad, you'll die. So you may as well have fun being bad. Ugh.

Many of the stories were from his autobiography, which I've not read. The excerpts from Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were familiar. There were also many stories from shorter pieces and those were new to me, too. He had a very sardonic wit!

All She Left Behind

by Jane Kirkpatrick
Carver County Library paperback 319 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction
* There are spoilers below! Stop after the page 141 note if you don't want the plot revealed.*

The discussion at book club last night was very interesting, but we didn't talk in depth about the book itself as much as the themes it raised: alcoholism, marriage, divorce, parenting, etc. I have a lot of post-its, but overall this was not a book that I really enjoyed deeply. I'm pretty sure it's my own attitude; Kirkpatrick is a lovely writer. She has clearly done an extensive amount of research, basing her book on actual people.

page 20 - "Justice and mercy both are required of us" - Jennie says to her husband as they're talking about people who end up in prison. Charles shoots her down, of course, and it's ironic in light of what his future holds.

page 27 - "Jennie didn't believe in coincidences, but rather accepted that a larger hand turns the world and humans were small parts within it." That made me think of the phrase "God-incidences" to observe how God can provide opportunities for us that seem happenstance but are actually very purposeful.

page 73 - "Charles has promised to help me with the love apples we've planted. Tomatoes, I believe they call them now." I've heard that expression "love apples" before, but this is one of those times that reading something in a novel made me search out more info. I love that!

page 78 - "'That Danish philosopher Kierkegaard said he'd give up wealth and power for the "passionate sense of the potential, for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possibilities."'" I should read more Kierkegaard (and/or talk with smarter people than myself) to dig into the meaning of this. We talked about it a little last night, but got off-track.

page 83 - When Jennie brings to mind "Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season, we shall reap, if we do not lose heart," it almost seems out of place. Her husband is behaving erratically, has taken their child, and has stayed out all night. I get the encouragement to not lose heart, but how was she doing good? Feeding her son's hedgehog?

page 133 - "'I myself, do not do well with sick people. I so admire those who do.' . . . 'Meeting the needs of another is a gift not everyone has.' Jennie blushed but inhaled her words." When Henrietta (Elizabeth's and Josiah's daughter-in-law) made these observations, I love how she expressed them. I also love how this encouragement blessed Jennie. Encouragement is so important!

page 139 - "In that moment she knew that she would do whatever it took to stay alive, to be there for her son." Finally! I was glad Jennie fought back against the abusive addict Charles! I just wish she had been more transparent with her son instead of "protecting" him from the truth of how horrible his dad was. (Though again, we had a great conversation about this last night. Sometimes putting the child's well-being first means couching the truth in age-appropriate language.)

page 141 - "She couldn't tell him that his father had come back for money to feed his addiction. It wouldn't matter. Douglas' broken heart filtered the memory." Yeah. Kids get hurt no matter which way this falls out.

page 147 - "To ask to love and grieve at the same moment can only be accomplished with the strength of God's cradling." Her observations about the end of life and new life (Elizabeth's impending death and Baby Winifred) remind Jennie of her daughter who died at birth. God makes all the difference in the world!

Page 169 - Yuk. My post-it says "26 and 63? Just no." Again, we had a great discussion about this last night. I get that age gaps of this kind weren't that abnormal. I get that Josiah was an amazing man. But I still think a man marrying a woman almost young enough to be his GRANDdaughter is gross! (Though I appreciate the author's notes at the end and the fact that he ended up marrying a third time after Jennie died.)

page 177 - "Then we'll decide if it's worth the risk." "Every step forward is." . . . "My father once told me, a carriage is safest in the livery stable, but a carriage isn't built for that sedentary place. It's built to roll upon the roads to unknown places." "And on to unknown trails, making new ones." I love this conversation between Jennie and Josiah. It's so true - what is safest isn't always what's best, or even what's intended. I think of that with our faith. It's "safest" to keep it to ourselves and just carry the knowledge of salvation in our hearts . . . but that is not at all what God intends for us to do with the awesome gift!

page 223 - "She even expressed a word of thanks to Charles who had left her and again forgave him, forgiveness being a journey rather than a destination." There were so many times I really liked Jennie's attitude. This is one of them. As much pain as he inflicted on her, she was able to move on and reflect in a healthy way.

I love her friend Ariyah! I appreciate Jennie's kindness to the madam when they saw her in the milliner's shop. I like her brother George who built a distillery for her oils for her (and encouraged her). I like chapter 33 (starting on page 256) and all the conversation about guilt and forgiveness. Ariyah is helping Jennie after Nora's death. "Nicholas Rowe, the English writer. He said that guilt was 'the avenging fiend that follows us behind with whips and stings.' You've whipped yourself enough about Charles and Douglas and now dear little Nora. It's time you looked through a new lens." So much good stuff in this chapter! But I'm mostly glad for our discussion last night. What a great group of women!

Dreaming With God: Co-laboring with God for Cultural Transformation

by Bill Johnson
Loaned by Kelly Harvey, paperback 181 pages
genre: non-fiction, Christianity

This book challenged me in a good way. Whenever I read a book like this, it leads me back to Scripture (always a good thing). I am so glad that Kelly wanted me to read this; I hope she and I get time to talk about it!

Page 30 - "There is no question that spending time with God changes our desires. We always become like the one we worship." I love that! I love drawing near to God and caring more about laying up treasures in Heaven and not as much about the material things the world values.

Page 38 - "It's difficult to build something substantial on a negative." Johnson writes about how being convicted of one's sinfulness is only part of revival. We also need to be aware of God's holiness and how our identity changes when we accept that.

Page 48 - "There is a misconception that often exists in the artistic community; creativity must come from pain." Oh my! I vividly remember a fellow theater student at the U dismissing me as any kind of artist or performer - I just didn't have enough pain and trauma in my life. I was so discouraged by this idea that you had to be miserable to create! Praise God - He designed us to be creative!

Page 49 - "Yet many believers have simply tried to make the good news more intellectually appealing. This must stop! The natural mind cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God (see 1 Cor. 2:14). The wisdom of God is foolishness to men. It's time to be willing to appear foolish again, that we might provide the world with a message of power that delivers, transforms, and heals. This is true wisdom. It alone satisfies the cry of the human heart."

Page 56 - "Not understanding is OK. Restricting our spiritual life to what we understand is not. It is immaturity at best." I'm so glad that God is patient with me as I struggle to understand and to trust Him completely!

Page 63 - The section on Mary's mystery was so interesting to read as a mom . . . "Her pondering gave place for the roots to be established and the word to grow until the promise became manifest. God's Word grows in the heart of the believer." Maybe "ponder" should  be my word next year . . .

Page 71 - "Few things are more devastating to pastors than when people leave the church. It feels like a personal rejection (and often times it really is). Those in ministry are certainly not immune to these feelings. Pastors are a unique breed - there are times when people who hate us leave the church and we still feel bad." This is food for thought for me . . . the rest of the paragraph is quite good. Seeking God's will makes all the difference in the world!

Page 89 - "There is no such thing as secular employment for the believer. Once we are born again, everything about us is redeemed for Kingdom purposes. It is all spiritual. It is either a legitimate Kingdom expression, or we shouldn't be involved at all." I love this! What a wonderful perspective!

Page 90 - Covert and overt ministry . . . covert ministry "works within the systems of this world to bring about change by reestablishing the proper norms of thought, beliefs, disciplines, and relational boundaries. In other words, we work to change the culture. This requires more time, as the goal is not a specific healing or conversion. The goal is the transformation of society itself by invading the systems of the city in order to serve." This is the heart of the book, in a way. It's a challenging idea.

Chapter 6 - The Practical Side of Things - this is my favorite chapter. "If it matters to you, it matters to Him." "It is because of my passion for Jesus that I love the Church the way I do. My love for God is my love for life. They cannot be separated." "When we live with genuine passion for God, it creates a passion for other things." The three specific stories within the chapter really captivate me. God is so good!

Page 146 - In the chapter on "Celebrating the Living Word," I finally put a post-it note with a question. "Why do these ideas challenge me so much?" Some of his writing about truth - "All Truth is not created equal" and Bible interpretation and the Holy Spirit not following rules . . . I wasn't completely sure I agreed with him or even understood him! I probably ought to re-read the chapter and grapple with it, but I want to return the book to Kelly and move on.

Page 149 - I struggled with this, too. "We prophesied the best we knew how. When the day of delivery came, the baby was in fact born dead. There was great mourning; first because of their heartbreak and loss, and second, because we didn't actually hear from God and missed it with all of our prophetic pronouncements. We met as a church family to review the tragedy and our mistakes." Sometimes I think I simply lack faith. Other times, I realize that God performs miracles but that *I* cannot make them happen on my desire or prayer. This is something I need to pray about more.

Page 151 - "Christianity was never to be known by its disciplines. It's to be known by its passion; and those without passion are in far more danger than they know. Demons are attracted to religiously sanitized environments where there is no power." I'm so glad that my God inspires passion!

Page 157 - "We have been given this amazing tool to fulfill our stewardship role: 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue . . . ' (Prov. 18:21 NASB)." Yes! This is one of the reasons I wanted to move on from this book. Lois lent me one on words. God is working on me in this area!

Page 158 - "One of the essential tools necessary to redefine the nature of the world around us is the gift of encouragement." Praise God! That's one of my favorite things to do!

Page 166 - "We have the honor of living at a time when our lives make a dramatic difference in the outcome of world events. We were born for this hour. Our assignment is to live as though nothing were impossible." This is a wonderful way to look at things, instead of bemoaning all that is happening that is discouraging.

Page 176 - "Is there anyone hungry enough for what He has shown us in the Scriptures that we will pull into our day something that is reserved for another? Is there anyone willing to lay themselves down to bring more of God's promises across another great divide? Or how about the promise that says everyone will know the Lord?" This is a "get off your butt and do what God is calling you to do" message.

Page 177 - "It's a New Day" I love this and thought of Kelly instantly: "Brand-new believers are not waiting for the mature to tell them that something is possible. They've read the Book, and they know it's legal. This tattooed generation with their body piercings and little fear of death has locked into the possibility of significance. They have seen what prior generations have called impossible, and will settle for nothing less." This sounds like a call to stop being an old fogey and join the young'uns who are moving forward for God . . .

Page 179 - "We are in a race. It's a race between what is and what could be. We are uniquely positioned with the richest inheritance of all time." I want to re-read Hebrews . . . I'm so grateful to God for inspiration, creativity, Truth, mercy, love, and grace.

Under the Jolly Roger

Jacky Faber - book 3
by L.A. Meyer
Hennepin County Library paperback 518 pages
genre: YA historical adventure

I'm really enjoying these books. Jacky is sassy and impulsive (at all of fifteen years old), but essentially a clever, kind person. She kind of reminds me of Tom Sawyer and his fence-painting scheme . . . This book mostly takes place along the coast of France, in London, and in Ireland.

I actually put a post-in note in this time. Here's the passage from page 343:

"I've found that a good deal of the pleasure in eating oysters is in watching the disgust on the faces of people who do not enjoy them, as you hoist them up and slide them down your neck."

I have no desire to eat oysters, but this made me laugh. It kind of sounds like something I might do; eat oysters primarily to gross out someone else!

I need to read some of the other books on my ledge, but I will order the next book in the series. Jacky Faber is an engaging heroine!

The Hangman

by Louise Penny
Scott County Library paperback 87 pages
genre: mystery, quick read

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. It's not really a novella . . . but a bit more like an "I can read" book for adults . . . Part of Canada's "Good Reads" series.

The story takes place between The Brutal Telling and Bury Your Dead without really mentioning them. A man is found hanged - suicide or murder? Of course it's murder! Gamache and Beauvoir sort things out quickly.

I'm glad I read it, and hope that this program gets more adults reading. Not a problem for me . . . I'll move on to the next book now!

Understanding the Fundamentals of Music (The Great Courses)

Professor Robert Greenberg
(San Francisco Performances)
Hennepin County Library audiobook 16 discs
genre: non-fiction, music

I liked this less than his classical music course, but it was educational. I was very interested for the first seven discs, then started zoning out when he got to "intervalic profiles," "chromatic collections," "pitch gravity," and the "circle of fifths." He made a comment about assuming that people would listen to the lectures multiple times to really gain an understanding . . . nah.

I loved the early stuff, like the instrument families and timbre. I jotted down the basic tempos - presto (very fast), allegro (fast), andante (moderate), adagio (moderately slow), lento (slow), and largo (very slow). I really am not very good with my knowledge of some of this, so I hope I spelled those all correctly. I made sure my car was parked when I wrote those down!

When he was going on and on about Pythagoras and explaining tones, I just wrote "TMI." It really was a "too much information" course for someone like me. I'm not that passionate about music. I just like it.

Sometimes he's clever and fun. Other times, he's snarky and arrogant. I love these Great Courses and will gladly listen to more!

Arthritis

subtitled "Your comprehensive guide to pain management, medication, diet, exercise, surgery, and physical therapies"
by ten people within the Dorling-Kindersley company
Hennepin County Library hardcover 213 pages with glossary, index, etc.
genre: non-fiction health

This book is beautiful to look at and has helpful information. As is true of all D-K books I've ever seen, the photographs, illustrations, etc. really help communicate the information well. With the Q and A sections, Myth or Truth?, inset diagrams and photographs, reading the main text can become disjointed.

Since I found the Stokes and Helewa book so incredibly helpful, I mostly skimmed this book looking at the "cool stuff" (since this also has to go back to the library). The sections on Maintaining Your Mobility and Protecting Your Joints are probably worth copying, but I'll focus on the other book for now and return to this blog entry (and this book) if I feel the need for more ideas!

Arthritis: How to Stay Active and Relieve Your Pain

by Barbara Stokes and Antoine Helewa
Hennepin County Library paperback 406 pages plus resources and index
genre: non-fiction health

Oh my! I wish I had started with this arthritis book instead of spending time on that first one. Speaking of time, as I renewed this book the *second* time, I thought about just buying my own personal copy off Amazon. I probably should have! But I will blog it, photocopy some pages, and return it today.

This book was helpful, well-organized, and easy to understand. I made a list of some questions to discuss with my doctor and I made a list of things I can do to make a positive difference in mitigating the impact of arthritis pain in my life. (My left knee has been challenging lately . . . )

I want to photocopy pages 65-68 with the look at osteoarthritis. I am so grateful that I am as healthy as I am, but would like to be proactive. When my knee pain is really bad, it's hard to do the things I enjoy.

Pages 71-74 on fibromyalgia are pages I wanted to share with my friend Kim. They are probably not "news" to her, but it helped me understand what she is dealing with so much better.

Pages 220-228 are the range of motion exercises that I want to start doing! The directions and drawings are very clear and helpful.Pages 230-233 have the stretches that I want to start doing.
Pages 247-256 have the strengthening exercises. That's a lot of copying! I almost wish I'd just ordered my own personal copy of the book . . .

My personal list of "What I can do" items is from various places in the book. I'm excited to focus on what I CAN do instead of bemoaning my pain and challenges. My personal list:

• have a positive attitude
• focus on what I CAN do
• rest
• ice
• NSAIDs (Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) - Ibuprofen
• practice positive self-talk (page 167)
• relax / breathe / yoga
• walk, swim, bicycle (gradually increase distance and duration)
• consider alternative ways to do things
• get good sleep at night!
• work with an OT or a PT
• change position often
• get shoes that fit well (good support)
• take frequent breaks (stand up, stretch, relax)
• maintain good posture

This is a wonderful book! The parts that weren't as relevant to me personally, I felt comfortable skim-reading and didn't feel that I had missed out. This is what I was envisioning when I started looking for "Arthritis for Dummies" . . . and it is even better than I expected! (Anyone who wants to buy me a gift . . . )

The Foxman

by Gary Paulsen
audiobook 3 discs
performed by Johnny Heller
genre: YA realistic fiction

Overall, this was a wonderful story of a teenage boy growing up. Some of the language choices were odd - not exactly outdated, but weird. I can't remember the phrase Paulsen used for lip balm . . . it wasn't Chapstick, but close. An odd term I'd never heard before.

The north woods setting, the uncle and aunt who take him in when his alcoholic parents become abusive, the elusive and mysterious Foxman all add up to a wonderful coming-of-age story for Carl.

The ending was so sad, but fitting. Heller's vocal work is fine for the story.


(Above posted 11.02.2017. Below added 04.14.2020.)

We actually own this audiobook, so while the libraries were closed due to Covid-19, I grabbed it to re-listen in the car.

Carl is actually the cousin that the protagonist goes to live with. I can't remember the protagonist's name and now I'm wondering if Paulsen ever gave him one! He is the one who is drawn to the Foxman and who grows so much over the course of the story. (Though his cousin Carl gets his teenage girlfriend pregnant and will most definitely have some growing up going on!)

When he gets snow blindness and panics, I love the observation he makes about how easy it is to be level-headed when you're in the comfort of your own home and how hard it can be to think clearly when you're panicking.

Also, he let the books burn with the cabin?!?!? Why???

In the author's notes at the end of the story, I was again struck by Paulsen's reference to praying to luck or "whatever" is out there. After I read one of his other books where he basically said he had done too many bad things to be forgiven by God, I wrote him a letter explaining that ALL have sinned and fall short of God's glory. God loves all His creation, Mr. Paulsen. Just ask Him. (I never sent the letter . . . )

There was a lot of autobiographical info in the book. The author interview was very interesting.

How to Stay Fit as You Age

Dr. Kimberlee Bethany Bonura
Hennepin County Library
3 DVDs w/18 half hour lessons

Lesson 1 - Aging with Optimism - a Holistic Approach

Good content and examples (e.g. her grandmother, herself). This one mostly in her office / studio stage set. Photos, diagrams, etc. added to the content. Would almost, but not quite work as an audiobook. (She demonstrates one exercise that was new to me - and yet easy and effective.) I liked that she showed the exercise and encouraged the audience to try it with her. Very applicable!

Didn't like the New Age / humanistic feel to it.

Will possibly get this one again. Don't want to watch it all now (nine hours total!).

Curse of the Blue Tattoo

Jacky Faber / Bloody Jack #2
by L.A. Meyer
Hennepin County Library paperback 488 pages
genre - YA historical fiction / adventure

Overall, I really enjoyed it.
Didn't like that the Reverend Mather was so evil, but it worked for the story. Very creepy!
Also didn't love the voodoo / gris-gris charm from Mam'selle . . . but I love that she came to Jacky's rescue twice and Jacky rescued her.
Hard to put it down! I wanted to see what would happen.
Loved that she could successfully move in different spheres - with sailors, servants, ladies, musicians, jockeys . . .
Loved her friendships with Amy and with the serving girls.
Clarisse, Gully, and the Constable (and even Randall) added to the bad guy challenges for Jacky.
Now she's off on a new adventure, never having received any of Jaimy's letters. (Thank heavens that Davy got one of hers to him!)

The Brutal Telling

by Louise Penny
Hennepin County Library audiobook 11 discs
read by Ralph Cosham
genre: murder mystery

This one was medium-good . . . but I already knew parts of it because of having read the titles out of order. And at times, the mystery seemed overdramatized. I'm not sure if it's the reader's inflection or Penny's writing. Perhaps I need to take a break from the Inspector Gamache stories for a bit.

Hermit in cabin, storytelling, Olivier (38 years old) listening . . . army / chaos / fury / fear.

(Who buys horses not knowing how to take care of them?!?! Stupid.)

I learned a new word! "Abattoir" means slaughterhouse.

Patrick and Michelle are the real names of Old and The Wife. Mundens . . .

WOO not WOE . . . but I know where this will go two books further in the series. Shouldn't read these out of order!

Father and son theme - Vincent and Mark, Old and Charlie, Olivier's dad and Olivier, Gamache is like a dad to Beauvoir.

Spider web - not.

Story of boy and mountain, and villagers fleeing, the carvings . . .

OWSVI (on the boat carving) and MRKBVYDDO (people on shore). I wanted to figure this out! But I didn't, so I'm glad Gamache finally did.

Charlotte / The Brutal Telling - artist (and her father) Emily Carr.

Betrayal, treasure, lots of thematic repetition. I enjoyed it, but wish I'd read the books in sequence.

Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility

by Hillary Manton Lodge
Hennepin County Library paperback 308 pages
genre: Christian romance

This clever little retelling of Austen's Sense and Sensibility had lots of fun surprises in store! When I first saw the title, I couldn't figure out why she misspelled the famous author's name. But it's Austin (in Texas) not Austen (Jane).

The protagonist, Jane Woodward, has an older sister Celia and younger sister Margot. Their mother has died and their father has had a major financial and career crisis.

Page 63 - "I'm not saying we should go back. We can't afford it. I just . . . I don't like it. I don't like limbo." Jane to Celia - and I can so relate! I struggle with the unknown. I like to have a plan and a to-do list. I'm learning to trust God and not try to figure everything out.

Page 90 - There are recipes at the end of the chapters. Most of them are things I know I would never make, though I'm sure I'd love to eat them! (Most of the scones . . . ) But the fancy coleslaw recipe intrigues me. I don't usually like to mix sweet and spicy (pineapple and jalapeno), but I think I might really enjoy this one. I won't blog it here, but it's worth checking out!

Page 106 - Each chapter also has a quotation at the start. Many of them relate to tea. I tagged this one to send to my friend Mary. She is my favorite tea-drinker in the world! "If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you." - William Ewart Gladstone

Page 182 - Unbelievable! What a snake. I see why Katie said, "There's a good old-fashioned villain in the story." Yep. Poor Jane!

Page 238 - I knew beyond a shadow of doubt what would happen for the rest of the book. My thinking about Austen's Sense and Sensibility was completely "on" here. Why did it take me so long? I think because Jane is clearly the protagonist in this story and I like her a lot. In S and S, Elinor is my favorite and I kind of despise Marianne, the middle daughter.

Page 281 - When Celia asks Jane if she's happy, I love her response! "I like this. I'm good at it. It's not what I would have chosen at nineteen. It's good to have dreams. But sometimes dreams change, or take different forms, or you go down a path and realize that while it's not the beach, you really like the forest."

I enjoyed this book and look forward to discussing it at book club in two weeks!

Dig If You Will the Picture: Funk, Sex, God & Genius in the Music of Prince

by Ben Greenman
Hennepin County Library hardcover 261 pages
genre: non-fiction musicography

This book was so much more about Prince's music than about the person. Greenman was extremely thorough in covering Prince's career and albums.

I was never a die-hard fan, but I enjoyed his music (mostly Purple Rain and 1999) as a teen. I also really liked that he was a Minnesotan and lived here even after becoming a superstar. I think he was a fascinating human being (the little I know about him).

I wish the author had included pictures besides the interesting collage cover. I've requested the new book from Prince's photographer, so that will fill the visual information lack.

Before We Were Yours

by Lisa Wingate
Jennifer's copy, hardcover 298 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

I was on the Hennepin County waiting list for over two months! I finally canceled my request after Jenn lent me her copy. I was also on the waiting lists in Dakota and Scott Counties . . . popular book!

I was super confused by the prologue, but the book club told me to just wait until the end. Good advice!

I made lots of notes that I'll put at the end of this blog entry. If you don't want spoilers, stop at the line!

Page 8 - When Avery is referring to her Grandma Judy's dementia and need for nursing home care. "We're just like other families. Every available avenue is paved with guilt, lined with pain, and pockmarked with shame. We're embarrassed for Grandma Judy. We're afraid for her. We're heartsick about where this cruel descent into dementia might end." Yep. Caregiving for the elderly is not for the faint of heart.

Page 95 - Avery looking through her grandmother's day books - "I leaf through more pages, wondering, remembering, thinking about this watershed year. Life can turn on a dime. The appointment book reinforces my new awareness of this. We plan our days, but we don't control them."

Page 185 - Miss Tann is an evil liar. That is all. I'm horrified by the existence of people like this. (Though fictional, she's based on a real human being who truly did evil things to children and families.)

Page 260 - Avery comments on her childhood, when decency was more common. "'We live in an entertainment-driven world,' Trent says soberly. 'Everything's fair game.'" And it only gets worse . . .

Page 307 - I tagged this page, but I'm not sure why. I may have cried for Rill and the overwhelming sadness of her reality. I almost want to scan, save, and re-read pages 307-311. The heart of this story, imo.

Page 314 - "If there was one thing I'd learned from watching Briny and Queenie, it was that love doesn't put food on the table. It doesn't keep a family safe." That's a hard lesson for a child to learn. Yet later on the page, the Seviers welcome them home. Love this!

Page 315 - "I think of my grandmother, of her empty house, of her room in the nursing home, of her inability to recognize me most days. Tears well up in my eyes. The music of old age is difficult to hear when it's playing for someone you love."

The book clubbers were right - this is an amazing book!

********************Spoilers***************************
Avery Stafford 30 y.o. lawyer / dad Senator Wells Stafford / fiance' Elliot

May Crandall (elderly woman in nursing home) mom Queenie (Polish, prayers, crucifix) and Briny (dad, river boat) is 12 y.o. Rill!
Camellia (10 y.o. / dark hair / feisty / molested, then killed at children's home)
Lark (6 y.o. / renamed Bonnie / adopted by Hollywood people)
Fern (4 y.o. / adopted by Seviers / wet the bed / timid)
Gabion (2 y.o. / adopted at party)

Trent Turner (realtor, died, papers) - Senior, Junior, III (love interest for Avery)
"Stevie" and "Shelley" - sibs in home who attached to May/Rill
page 298 - Hootsie!!!

Baby is one of Queenie's twin babies! Grandma Judy. But what happened to the other baby?

The Hate U Give

by Angie Thomas
Hennepin County Library hardcover 444 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

I was on the waiting list for this for three months! First-time novelist Thomas has definitely hit a nerve with this powerful book. It didn't resonate as strongly as All American Boys (Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely) but it is a worthwhile read.

I was a little uncomfortable with some of the language - lots of F-bombs and other swearing (though I loved that Maverick put a dollar in the swear jar every time his youngest son commented on it). But the language was definitely realistic for teenagers, especially ones living in a "ghetto" beset with poverty, drugs, gangs, etc.

Main character Starr Carter is a fantastic protagonist - smart, conflicted, hopeful, . . . She goes to school at Williamson, a mostly white private school. "Williamson Starr is approachable. No stank-eyes, side-eyes, none of that. Williamson Starr is nonconfrontational. Basically, Williamson Starr doesn't give anyone a reason to call her ghetto. I can't stand myself for doing it, but I do it anyway." This is so sad! But it completely makes sense. This reminds me of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and the challenges of living in two worlds, culturally.

Pages 167-171 are worth re-reading. Starr and her dad are talking about THUG LIFE (The Hate U Give Little Infants F*** Everybody), racism, society, drugs, . . . I learned a lot! I've never listened to Tupac Shakur's music. I don't like rap music. I always thought "thug life" was glorifying drugs and violence. I had no idea it was about systemic poverty and racism. This was a big eye-opener for me.

Page 226 made me laugh when Maverick made a crack about his mother-in-law . . . "'I'll be waking up in Jesus's face, trying to figure out what happened!' 'Like you going to heaven,' Daddy mumbles." This is one of those things that won't be funny at all on my blog, but worked well in the book! Because it deals with such incredibly serious issues and emotions, this levity was appreciated!

Page 252 - "That's the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us. What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments when you shouldn't be?" I love the way Maya and Starr work through some of their frustrations with racism, friends, and silence together.

Page 320 - "He kneels in front of me and sits the Glock beside my feet. He lifts my chin. 'Point one of the Ten-Point Program. Say it.' My brothers and I learned to recite the Black Panthers' Ten-Point Program the same way other kids learn the Pledge of Allegiance." This (and the earlier part about what black parents tell their children about responding to the police - do what they tell you to do, keep your hands visible, don't make any sudden moves, only speak when they speak to you . . . ) makes me incredibly sad. Louie and I *never* had these conversations with our children. White people who deny white privilege simply have not had to deal with the issues that come with racism in our country. I know too many black people who have had these types of conversations with their children out of necessity. This saddens me.

The author's acknowledgements at the end of the book were so sweet and worth reading! I love that she starts with "I first have to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I'm not worthy of all that you have done for me." I also love the notes about her parents, and especially her mother. "To my biggest champion, Mom/Ma/Momma/Julia Thomas: You are the ultimate light in the darkness; a true "Starr." I'm blessed that you're my mom and hope to be half the woman you are."

The main character, Starr, has parents who are her anchors; Ms. Thomas has brought them vividly to life. This is a powerful and worthwhile book. The ending brought me to tears. "Once upon a time there was a hazel-eyed boy with dimples. I called him Khalil. The world called him a thug. He lived, but not nearly long enough, and for the rest of my life I'll remember how he died." She goes on to list other characters in the book, then a list of real people who have been killed by the police. The list ends with Philando (shot in Minnesota) and then "It's even about that little boy in 1955 who nobody recognized at first - Emmett. The messed-up part? There are so many more." She offers hope, too, in this intense closing of the novel. "They're not forgetting. I think that's the most important part. Khalil, I'll never forget. I'll never give up. I'll never be quiet. I promise."

The Memory of You

by Catherine West
Hennepin County Library paperback 333 pages
genre: Christian fiction, romance

This was an enjoyable, lightweight read. I liked the main characters - Natalie Mitchell and Tanner Collins. I'm not sure why I marked so many pages . . . it wasn't anything really significant. But I want to remove my post-its and get it to another reader before Monday's book club. So:

Page 52 - Laura's faith had an impact on Natalie. "She'd gone to church with the family, out of politeness really, but wondered at the things she'd seen and heard. Wondered at the authenticity of the relationship they talked about having with God."

Page 104 - I like Hal's deep faith and the impact this has on Tanner. "'Not this again,' Tanner groaned, leaned back in his chair, and slung one arm across his eyes. 'Are you seriously going to sit there and tell me that Natalie Mitchell owns half of Maoilios because God told you and Grace to give it to her?'"

I found the theme of failure (and others' perceptions vs. one's own perception) interesting. On page 118, Natalie identifies herself as a failure (confirmed by her father, in her view). On page 124, Jeffrey (Natalie's uncle) identifies himself as a failure.

Page 131 - I like the paragraph, but will just include some of Natalie's questions. "Who was she to ask anything of a God she barely knew? And why would He answer her prayers? . . . Pondering over words like faith. Grace. Mercy."

Page 154 - Ugh! It makes me sad to think how many people in real life have this attitude! "Tanner refused to feel guilty. He went to church. For all intents and purposes, he was an upstanding Christian who could amen along with the best of them." It reminds me of the saying "going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car."

Page 166-7 - What?!?! How did this sudden change come about? We don't see Tanner have a major moment, yet he's evangelizing to Natalie? This just doesn't seem at all realistic.

Page 171 - This is more in line with what we know of the character. ". . . he found himself praying. Not the heartfelt prayers he used to say, but a general God, if you're still listening to me after all this, I could really use some help. He was getting close to the bottom of the barrel and didn't have a clue how to scrape his way out."

Page 243 - I love this page! Natalie is in the chapel at the hospital . . . "What do You want from me?" This is the question we should all be asking God! Later on the page, her other question is equally relevant. "How can I accept what You want to give me?" This is the best part of the book!

Page 284 - We finally know Natalie's deep, dark secret. The truth shall set you free, indeed.

Page 310 - We finally learn why the winery is called Maoilios (though we still don't know how to pronounce it . . . ) "It's an old Scottish Gaelic name. It means 'Servant of Jesus.'"

Page 316-7 - This also seemed a bit unrealistic. Natalie's parents make an extremely drastic change in their attitudes, communication, etc. . . . . I completely believe that God can dramatically change people's lives, but I don't think it happens quickly or easily for folks who do not have a crisis or repent. The ending of the book (the last 15 pages or so) just seemed too pat to me. Still, a very readable book with interesting characters.

I really liked the interactions and frustrations with Tanner parenting his niece and nephew.

United as One

I Am Number Four series - final one!
by Pittacus Lore (pseudonym)
personal copy, hardcover, 449 pages
genre: YA SciFi

It certainly took me long enough to get to this book! I'm glad the series is finally concluded. I've enjoyed them and will probably re-read them at some point. Not sure if I'll buy the rest of the collected novellas / short story collections I don't have yet . . .

Not really much to blog about. If you've not read the series, I highly recommend book one - I Am Number Four. If you don't enjoy it, stop there. If you do enjoy it, know that you won't have to wait for each "next book" to come out! They're all published.

I penciled in "Six" or "Four" at the chapters, even though the fonts are different. I am not a huge fan of changing narrators without some textual indication (other than the font). It's my own copy, so I can write in my own book!

Falling Over Sideways

by Jordan Sonnenblick
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 CDs
read by Miriam Volle
genre: YA realistic fiction

Initially, I wasn't excited about this book. That may have been the reader's voice. "Too tween-y, angsty, stereotypical, drama . . ." was the note I jotted about it. "Vocal work - she sounds too young."

The main character is Claire, a girl starting 8th grade and living in the shadow of her "perfect" older brother Matthew. The story is an interesting mix of humor and seriousness, which I suppose makes it just like Sonnenblick's other books. It seems so weird to have a humorous book about a girl dealing with her father's sudden stroke. It was eerie how realistic the scenarios were, making me wonder about the author's research and experiences.

Claire's shift from anger to depression was also quite believable. "I had never been much of a crier until eighth grade." Her end of the school year thoughts and emotions also rang very true. The ending brought tears to my eyes. Another Sonnenblick success!

Arthritis: Drug-free Alternatives to Prevent and Reverse Arthritis

What Doctors Don't Tell You series
Lynne McTaggart, editor
Hennepin County Library paperback 195 pages plus extensive reference notes and index
genre: non-fiction DIY healthcare

I had been on the waiting list for several months for the only copy of "Arthritis for Dummies" that I could find . . . and then realized that it was lost. So I looked for other books on arthritis and thought this one sounded great. The first half of the book put me off, but I plowed through. The second half was actually worthwhile and interesting. I have two more arthritis books on hold at the library, so it will be interesting to make some comparisons (though I'll probably skim-read them . . . this was *not* fun reading).

Page 45 - Steroids. The writer(s) are basically talking about what's typically done and what that's so bad (ibuprofen, surgery, shots . . .). I tagged this page because of one sentence: "Steroids have even been used as a replacement for baby's gripe water." That came after the long sentence "Most doctors work on the assumption that steroids are safe if taken over a short period of time, . . ." I think my take-away was "What the heck is gripe water?!" But I'm not even curious enough to look it up. The next paragraph goes into all the ways that steroids can destroy your health and your life. Having seen what they did to my mom after her temporal arteritis diagnosis, I don't need a lot of convincing. I just didn't like that the first half of the book was so alarmist about how arthritis is typically treated.

Page 53 - Safer surgery was a very interesting section. I hope to not need knee replacement surgery (certainly not in my 50s!), but it may well have to happen someday. Notes:

• Use the cementless variety of ball-and-socket replacement if your bones are strong
• insist on a hospital and a surgeon with a long and successful track record in performing this particular operation
• Opt for tried-and-tested materials. (Exeter, Lubinus, and Charmley have the best record . . . )

Page 76 - Omega-3 vs Omega-6 and how much of each in relation to the other. Some of this escaped my brain. I don't really understand the differences and the significance of what they do in the body. I checked my fish oil pills and they are the Omega-3 kind. I only take them because we have them and I know it's supposed to be helpful. I think I originally bought them for Pepper for her hip dysplasia. She hated them.

Page 80-1 The section on "Free Radicals and 'Earthing'" - I was ready to be done with the book when I read this part. "Crackpot!" was my honest opinion. Then I went back to the start of the section and read "One interesting hypothesis for the rise of unchecked inflammation . . . " Ah. At least they called it an "interesting hypothesis" because I'm pretty sure that if I walk around barefoot or in leather soled shoes on earth, my arthritis isn't going to go away.

Page 99 - Foods to Avoid . . . and it's pretty much what my friend Jenifer said about doing a 30-day cleanse. No alcohol, carbonated beverages, artificial additives, sweets, dairy, breads, cereals (except oatmeal), crackers, pasta, flour, etc. Yeah. I guess I'll take pain over a lean meat and veggie diet.

Page 110 - Again with the omega fats. Ugh! I'll just try to eat more fish. Except I think my tilapia isn't the right kind. And salmon is expensive.

Page 142 - Glucosamine and Chondroitin - Yep! I'll get some when I go to Costco. This is what we gave Pepper and it definitely seemed to help her. It sounds as though these can actually help the joint and the synovial fluid. It's worth a try, even though I'm not a fan of supplements.

Page 165 -Chapter 12 is "Lifestyle for Healthy Joints" - finally! I tagged this sentence: ". . . doctors began to appreciate that a person's general mind-set about injury or illness played a crucial role in the amount of pain he or she experienced." Yes! Attitude makes a difference! I'm not sure how much is nature and how much is nurture, but I feel as though I'm hard-wired to be negative. I do *not* like that about myself and have been striving for (and praying for) a more positive attitude. It's a struggle for some of us! Some of the items listed in this chapter were hypnotherapy, biofeedback, Emotional Freedom Technique (sounds like Del's "tapping" thing), manipulation-based techniques (like chiropractic, ultrasound therapy, etc.), massage (I could go for that!), copper, spa therapy, and exercise (swimming is appealing to me).

Page 177 - Building Up Your Knees:

Page 178 - Checking for ligament laxity . . . interesting, but I'll pass. Whether or not I'm more prone to injury, I know I need to make healthy choices for my body.

Clean Up Your Lifestyle:

• drink pure water
• brush your teeth twice a day
• know your chemical sensitivities
• ditch those implants 
• get connected (socially)
• attitude is everything (make yours positive!)

Chapter 13 "At a Glance Tips to Help You Prevent or Deal with Arthritis" basically summarizes the entire book in quick form . . . which would have been great if I'd done a preview of the book before ready it start to finish. Ugh! These are great suggestions and I seriously thought about scanning pages 190-1 to capture the most pertinent advice . . . but I'm incredibly sick of this book and just want to return it to the library now. (Thinking positively - it will be one less item cluttering up my life! Woohoo!)

Paw and Order

by Spencer Quinn
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 CDs

Published: 2014
read by Jim Frangione
genre: murder mystery

Told from the canine point of view, this book was quite amusing! Ann and I listened to it on our eclipse road trip. The murder mystery part, with Bernie and his dog Chet, was fine but not extraordinary. Chet's perspective was wonderful! I want to go through a print version and find the nuggets of wisdom from a dog's-eye perspective. I didn't jot any of them down, but there were some excellent lines!

The humor of how dogs see the world - or rather, smell and hear it, was very engaging. My notes say "Grin. Dog perspective." It was everything from a fascination with toilets to Bernie saying to a "perp" that he would "toss him a bone" - and Chet waiting to catch the bone. It got a little bit too repetitive and irritating, but was mostly fun. Chet referred to "The Nation Within" when he talked about dogs.

This is the seventh book in a series, but it worked as a stand-alone. I may read other books in the series . . . in print, so I can write down the dog wisdom. (Though Frangione's vocal work was excellent.)

 

(Above published 9.6.2017. Below added 3.5.2021.)

 

Now that I've started with book one of the series and gotten back to this title, I wanted to add a few notes. 

 

I think I like the audio versions better than the print version. Not sure why, but kudos to Frangione for his vocal work! My new car doesn't have a CD player, so I listen in my sewing studio.

 

I played the part for Louie where Chet talks about why Halloween is his least favorite holiday. Such a fun part of the story! It's on disc 1, track 14 at about the four minute mark if you're interested.  

I went back to a section that caught my attention so I could transcribe. Bernie Little is talking about the Civil War and his family's history.

". . . Littles fought on both sides. Military family goin' way back - kind of shapes your outlook on life - a curse and a blessing. Suppose we'd been - I don't know - pharmacists, say, or shoemakers."

This struck me because I think we forget sometimes that our life experiences and family perspectives color how we see situations. Teachers, farmers, business people, military . . . this definitely shapes your outlook on life!

Disc 6, Track 13, about 1:00 . . . I made note of this because it also struck me. Bernie asks Chet, "Do you want to know what people want most?" Chet tries to think "lunch" as hard as possible to see if he can persuade Bernie with his mind to get food.

"Right away I started to think about lunch and only lunch, with all the power in my mind."

"They want to know, " Bernie said, "that everything's going to be all right. And the person who most makes them feel that is the one who, for example, gets elected President."

Again, the dog perspective is food. So true! But Bernie's answer really shines a light for me on what some of the trauma of the Trump Presidency was about. If the leader lies, stirs up anger, and otherwise makes you question whether or not things will be all right . . . then we are not getting what we want.

There are still things about these books I don't like that much, but they are clever and fun. I'll keep "reading" them!

A Rule Against Murder

by Louise Penny
Hennepin County Library audiobook 9 CDs
read by Ralph Cosham
genre: murder mystery / warning: Spoiler at the end of the post!

My random car notes:
Pierre Paternode (Maitre D')
Elliot (bratty young waiter)
Manoir (?)
The Finneys - yuk!

• Thomas - mean, nasty 
• Julia Martin
• Spot (Peter) Morrow!
• Marianna (Magilla gorilla) and daughter Bean

Auberge - (it's another word for "inn" . . . ) but I wasn't sure and had to look it up
sugar / ants - that's significant!
Honore' - significance?
nasty family!

My suspect list:
1. Thomas
2. Veronique
3. Elliott
4. Bean
5. Bert Finney? Why?

poetry, patience, . . . positive things Honore' gave his son. Why does Armand have such an issue with Daniel choosing this name for a baby boy?

From the Gamache website: "It is the height of summer, and Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache are celebrating their wedding anniversary at Manoir Bellechasse, an isolated, luxurious inn not far from the village of Three Pines. But they’re not alone. The Finney family—rich, cultured, and respectable—has also arrived for a celebration of their own. The beautiful Manoir Bellechasse might be surrounded by nature, but there is something unnatural looming. As the heat rises and the humidity closes in, some surprising guests turn up at the family reunion, and a terrible summer storm leaves behind a dead body. It is up to Chief Inspector Gamache to unearth secrets long buried and hatreds hidden behind polite smiles."

Spoiler!!!!
I didn't even have Pierre as one of my suspects! Initially, I circled Elliott's name. "He's not on the grounds" from Gamache . . .  Penny loves to mess with her readers' expectations.

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

by Trevor Noah
Hennepin County Library hardcover 285 pages
genre: non-fiction memoir

This was a very interesting book to read, even though I didn't know who Trevor Noah was in modern culture's context! He's a very handsome young man who is clearly popular in America (even though I didn't know about him until reading this book and then googling him.) Trevor's mom is black and his dad is white. As a light-skinned man raised in Apartheid, then post-Apartheid South Africa, he has a very unique perspective on race.

Page 25 - "As far as her white neighbors knew, my mom could have been a spy posing as a prostitute posing as a maid, sent into Hillbrow to inform on whites who were breaking the law. That's how a police state works - everyone thinks everyone else is the police." This gave me chills - so much like Nazi Germany - and it made me very thankful that I don't live in this place of fear.

Page 52 - "There were so many perks to being 'white' in a black family, I can't even front. I was having a great time. My own family basically did what the American justice system does: I was given more lenient treatment than the black kids. Misbehavior that my cousins would have been punished for, I was given a warning and let off. And I was way naughtier than either of my cousins." This is so sad, but I recognize the truth of it. I get frustrated with white people saying white privilege doesn't exist! If you are the one who is privileged, you don't experience the injustice of being treated unfairly!

Page 54 - "I soon learned that the quickest way to bridge the race gap was through language." I loved his stories about using language (English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, etc.) to connect with people. This is so powerful! I should just scan and post a few pages . . . but I'll move on. The "Chameleon" chapter has so many excellent lines and stories about communication and connecting with different groups of people.

Page 56/7 - "But the real world doesn't go away. Racism exists. People are getting hurt, and just because it's not happening to you doesn't mean it's not happening. And at some point, you have to choose. Black or white. Pick a side. You can try to hide from it. You can say, 'Oh, I don't pick sides,' but at some point life will force you to pick a side."

Page 72 - "As modestly as we lived at home, I never felt poor because our lives were so rich with experience." I credit his mother with her amazing attitude and the way she raised him! Fantastic.

Page 73 - "My mother showed me what was possible. The thing that always amazed me about her life was that no one showed her. No one chose her. She did it on her own. She found her way through sheer force of will."

Page 110 - "I walked out of his house that day an inch taller. Seeing him had reaffirmed his choosing of me. He chose to have me in his life. He chose to answer my letter. I was wanted. Being chosen is the greatest gift you can give to another human being." His dad was such an interesting person! I'm really glad that Trevor was able to connect with him. What a difference a caring parent (even from a distance) can make in a person's life.

Page 195 - "There is also this to consider: The name Hitler does not offend a black South African because Hitler is not the worst thing a black South African can imagine. Every country thinks their history is the most important, and that's especially true in the West. But if black South Africans could go back in time and kill one person, Cecil Rhodes would come up before Hitler. If people in the Congo could go back in time and kill one person, Belgium's King Leopold would come way before Hitler. If Native Americans could go back in time and kill one person, it would probably be Christopher Columbus or Andrew Jackson." This paragraph is part of the reason I *need* to read books from different points of view! This really made me think. Every time I think of the most evil person ever, Adolf Hitler is the name that comes to mind. For that name to *not* be seen as horrible, I thought you must be a neo-Nazi and actually admire the man. But for others from a completely different perspective, it simply doesn't hold that meaning or power. I think of the difference between this perspective from a young man who was friends with a boy named Hitler and the fiction book read by my book club a few months ago . . .

Page 209 - "The hood made me realize that crime succeeds because crime does the one thing the government doesn't do: crime cares. Crime is grassroots. Crime looks for the young kids who need support and a lifting hand. Crime offers internship programs and summer jobs and opportunities for advancement. Crime gets involved in the community. Crime doesn't discriminate." Again, this was a perspective that I had not even considered! His experience with crime certainly backs up the points he makes. I think for those of us who have not struggled with poverty, racism, and hopelessness, it's hard to see this point of view. The author is effective in communicating it!

Page 222 - "Because if white people ever saw black people as human, they would see that slavery is unconscionable. We live in a world where we don't see the ramifications of what we do to others, because we don't live with them. It would be a whole lot harder for an investment banker to rip off people with subprime mortgages if he actually had to live with the people he was ripping off. If we could see one another's pain and empathize with one another, it would never be worth it to us to commit the crimes in the first place."

Page 225 - "Once, when I was ten years old, visiting my dad in Yeoville, I needed batteries for one of my toys. My mom had refused to buy me new batteries because, of course, she thought it was a waste of money, so I snuck out to the shops and shoplifted a pack. A security guard busted me on the way out, pulled me into his office, and called my mom. . . . . 'Take him to jail. If he's going to disobey he needs to learn the consequences.' Then she hung up. The guard looked at me, confused. Eventually he let me go on the assumption that I was some wayward orphan, because what mother would send her ten-year-old child to jail?" I love his mom!!! She is an amazing woman!

When I got to the end of the book, I wanted to know more (especially about his mom) and went online. There's a lot about Trevor Noah online! I'm glad I read this book.



I listened to the audiobook (read by Trevor Noah). I forgot how much he swears! Lots of F-bombs and other language. I still really admire his mom - what an amazing woman! I'm still appreciative of his book and getting a window into his experiences in South Africa. I wish the book had been better edited, though. I'm fine with it not being chronological, but at times it is repetitive, contradictory, or just confusing. For example, he talks about Abel not allowing them to keep the dogs. Then a bit later, he talks about Abel kicking the dogs. And he retells about how Abel came into their lives. I think the stories would flow better with good editing. Still, he's an incredible young man with a unique perspective.

The Magician's Elephant

by Kate DiCamillo
Scott County Library audiobook 3 CDs
performed by Juliet Stevenson
genre: children's fiction, fantasy

This short little book was another gem from local author DiCamillo! And Stevenson's vocal work was extraordinary! She really brought the many different characters to life. I liked the repeated theme of dreams and their impact on people's lives and thoughts. I really disliked the repetition of the laments shared by the magician "I only intended lilies!" and Madame LaVaughn "But you don't understand!"

Peter Augustus Duchene - 10 years old, with his cap, not wanting to be a soldier. I felt so sad for this little boy!

Adele - his little sister, raised at the Sisters of Perpetual Light

Sister Marie - the door keeper

Tomas, the beggar, and his dog Iddo - I loved these two!

Leo Matienne and his wife - also wonderful

Countess Quintet - money can get you whatever you want . . .

Vilna Lutz - not a bad character, but ugh! A soldier trying to make a young boy into a soldier. Just no!

Bartok Whynn - In audio, I heard his last name as "Nguyen," but was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to be from a non-European heritage . . . quirky fellow.

Hans Ickmann - Madame LaVaughn's servant. I loved his dreams of the little white dog of his childhood

DiCamillo is incredibly gifted. I'm so glad she wrote this lovely story! Peter is an admirable protagonist.

Caraval

by Stephanie Garber
Hennepin County Library hardcover 402 pages
genre: YA fantasy

Scarlett and Donatella have a cruel father who punishes mercilessly. When they run away to partake in Caraval, a magical adventure, they are fighting for their lives and future.

I enjoyed it as a lightweight fantasy book with lots of questions to keep me reading. It's not surprising that it's being made into a movie - the book is very visual, with its descriptions and colors. Someone at our discussion said they think it will be a more enjoyable movie than book. They may be right!

Lab Girl

by Hope Jahren
Hennepin County Library hardcover 282 pages
genre: non-fiction, biography

This book is amazing, but a somewhat challenging read! I'd love to go hear the author speak. She uses language beautifully and made her love of science so accessible. That said, I'm not sure I would purchase this book for a high school (much less a middle school) collection. I will, however, recommend it to my friend Mary for her daughter-in-law.

Page 22  - I love that as she talks about the financial challenges of being a research scientist, she includes this sentence: "If you're reading this, and you wish to support us, please give me a call. It would be insane of me not to include that sentence." I love how down-to-earth she seems!

Page 24 - "No writer in the world agonizes over words the way a scientist does." I love her examples and her attention to the nuances of words and their meaning!

Page 25 - Bill is such a huge part of her career and identity. I love how their relationship was such a powerful force in both their lives. "We made eye contact and recognized fifteen years of our shared history reflected back in each other's eyes. I nodded my acknowledgment, and as I was still struggling to find the right words to thank him, Bill turned and walked out of my office. He is strong where I am weak, and so together we make one complete person . . . "

Page 29 - "Science has taught me that everything is more complicated than we first assume, and that being able to derive happiness from discovery is a recipe for a beautiful life."

Page 49 - When she worked in the pharmacy as an undergrad and had to deliver meds to the psych ward: "But once inside I found it to be the slowest-moving place on Earth, and I saw that these patients were unique only in that time had stopped inside their wounds, which were seemingly never to heal. The pain was so thick and palpable in the psych ward that a visitor could breathe it like the heavy humidity of summer air, and I soon realized that the challenge would not be to defend myself from patients, but to defend myself against my own increasing indifference toward them."

Page 75 - "That whole summer in Colorado was a data-gathering bust, but it taught me the most important thing I know about science: that experiments are not about getting the world to do what you want it to do." I love that she can take an experience that was not a success and find the lesson in it.

Page 117 - When they take a trip to "Monkey Jungle" with some undergrads, this scene made me laugh! "The fascination between Bill and the monkey was so complete that it was as if the rest of the world didn't exist. . . . Bill finally stated, without redirecting his stare, 'It's like looking in a f****** mirror.' I doubled over into a series of helpless guffaws that eventually progressed into a sort of prayer for relief."

Page 135 - Her description of ". . . The Getting Tree, and it was about an arboreal parent figure that slowly cannibalized its offspring because of its progressive and oblivious greed." As someone who strongly disliked Silverstein's The Giving Tree even though it was lionized in my childhood, I found this section incredibly amusing!

Page 140 - I marked this to share with my daughter-in-law to be, who just graduated from vet school as a DVM. It's a scene where one of their former assistants got an internship at the Miami zoo. This was incredibly funny and somewhat sick . . . but I think Mari might find it amusing.

Page 214 - When she is pregnant and cannot take medication for her manic depression . . . how very frightening! What courage for her to share this. "I beg the doctors and nurses to tell me why, why, why this is happening to me, and they do not answer." I had also marked page 144 (to represent the entire chapter) . . . "Full-blown mania lets you see the other side of death" is how the chapter begins. I didn't really understand what was going on in this chapter. It kind of felt out of left field. Then at the end, she writes "But that particular day of health and healing is still many years distant within my story, so let's go back to 1998 in Atlanta and I'll keep describing how the world spins when mania is as strong and ever-present as gravity." She is an amazing woman and I'm glad she wrote this book!

Page 218 - "Then I catch myself and listlessly wonder again for which of my sins I am being punished. I am sick to death of this wound that will not close; of how my babyish heart mistakes any simple kindness from a woman for a breadcrumb trail leading to the soft love of a mother or the fond approval of a grandmother." This made me once again want to know so much more about the author's childhood and her mother . . . and how old she was when her father died . . . because I can't imagine he was still alive at this point in her life. And her older brothers - did they stay in contact?

Page 226 - ". . . and the smile that she gives me is like a hundred-dollar bill that I can stuff into the pocket of my heart." Jahren is a wonderful author! I love how she uses language!

Page 228 - "I decide that I will not be this child's mother. Instead, I will be his father. It is something I know how to do and something that will come naturally to me." Again, this really made me want to know so much more about her childhood and her mother's treatment of her. And it made me sad.

Page 245 - Her friendship with Bill and her attachment to him were so powerful! I love that aspect of her story. "I wanted to tell Bill that he wasn't alone and that he never would be. I wanted to make him know that he had friends in this world tied to him by something stronger than blood, ties that could never fade or dissolve. That he would never be hungry or cold or motherless while I still drew breath. That he didn't need two hands, or a street address, or clean lungs, or social grace, or a happy disposition to be precious and irreplaceable. That no matter what our future held, my first task would always be to kick a hole in the world and make a space for him where he could safely be his eccentric self." This is such a beautiful paragraph about friendship!

Page 255 - I love books that teach me! "And today, just three monocot species - rice, corn, and wheat - provide the ultimate sustenance for seven billion people." I vaguely remember learning about monocot and dicot at one point in my life . . . but she explained this in a way that made such complete sense!

Page 256 - "That I have been given one chance to be someone's mother. Yes, I am his mother - I can say that now - for only after I released myself from my own expectations of motherhood did I realize that they were something I could fulfill." I loved this! But then, I love being a mother.

Page 267 - She is one of those people who honestly doesn't seem to need sleep. After a full day of work, parenting, and home life, she heads back to work at night?!?!? When does she sleep?! I love that she said the Lord's Prayer and asked the dog to keep an eye on her son. I love that she and her husband seem to be so incredibly well-matched. But going back to work at 10:30 p.m.??? I cannot fathom this!

Page 277 - This entire paragraph! The contradictions in people's expectations for her and attitudes toward her. I'm so glad she wrote this book. What an amazing woman!

I'm so glad I read this book, but I'm not sure how many students - middle school or high school - would enjoy it. One person at Litwits said her eighth grade daughter loved it! That surprised me, but also pleased me. It is a book I will recommend to a dear friend whose daughter-in-law is a geologist. Even though Jahren is a botanist, she does plenty with soil science. This was a worthwhile book to read! I love how she made observations about plants and related them to human lives and experiences. There were times I felt that she anthropomorphized the plants she worked with (especially trees), but that's her prerogative.

American Street

by Ibi Zoboi
Scott County Library hardcover 324 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

The story opens with teenager Fabiola Toussaint being allowed into the United States from Haiti, but her mother being detained. As she travels to Detroit to meet with her aunt and cousins, her primary goal is to get her mother back.

Liked: Fabiola's resilience, especially when she points out that her life in Haiti was as precarious as her cousins' experiences in Detroit.
I also like the character of Kasim and how basically good he was . . . in comparison to Dray.
The language was both beautiful and ugly. Zoboi has a strong voice and this is a memorable book.

Disliked: The swearing and violence! I think this is a bit much for middle schoolers. I also think it would be interesting to hear reviews from black teens who live in Detroit - my perspective is so different as a white woman living in rural Minnesota.

On page 247, there is a scene that really struck me. Fab is comforting her cousin Donna, who has been injured by her boyfriend. "My cousins are hurting. My aunt is hurting. My mother is hurting. And there is no one here to help. How is this the good life, when even the air in this place threatens to wrap its fingers around my throat? In Haiti, with all its problems, there was always a friend or a neighbor to share in the misery. And then, after our troubles were tallied up like those points at the basketball game, we would celebrate being alive."

This is a powerful book for more mature readers.

The Distance Between Us (Young Readers Edition)

by Reyna Grande
Hennepin County Library hardcover 322 pages
genre: non-fiction memoir

This was amazing! I'm tempted to get a copy of the original version she wrote. This was such a powerful piece of storytelling by a girl from Mexico who just wants her family together. I love how her sister Mago (Magloria) cared for her!

Page 261 - When Reyna has her belated Quincenera due to Mago's efforts and is dancing with her father, turning his face away from the alcohol on his breath: "Always my eyes returned to my sister standing by the door looking proudly at me. And I knew I should have been dancing the waltz with her."

Page 268 - "Was my uncle right? Was it better to be poor but together? Or was it better to try to find a better life, even if it meant breaking up your family?" These are questions that many people probably ask. There are life-changing decisions at stake. I can't imagine choosing abject poverty . . . but I can't really imagine my family being separated, either.

Love, love, love the photographs! Between pages 294 and 295, there are so many lovely pictures! I'm so glad she included these. She was such an adorable little girl!

Page 309 - "I grabbed the book and found a comfortable spot on the couch, where I read The House on Mango Street while Diana graded papers. It's difficult to describe the impact this book had on me. It was absolutely beautiful. Exquisite. I was in awe of the poetic language, the beautiful images, the way the words just flowed together." I love this for two reasons - an educator made a difference in her life and literature opened doors for her.

Dark Energy

by Robison Wells
Hennepin County Library hardcover 276 pages
genre: YA SciFi

This was fairly fluffy, but kept my attention. I liked that it was set in Minnesota (Lakeville, where the spaceship landed, and Minnetonka at a snooty private school). Alice's dad is in charge of NASA's "special projects" team and he relocates from Florida to the crash site, enrolling Aly in the Minnetonka school to be nearby while he works.

The aliens from the ship, the friendships at the school, and her maternal grandmother on the reservation in New Mexico . . . interesting story but not especially memorable. I could easily see a sequel.

Rachel, Brynne, Kurt, Coya, Suski . . . and the Masters. Interesting notes at the end about the Ancestral Puebloans / Anasazi.

page 166 - When Rachel asked about the Anasazi. "They're a tribe that was huge in the Four Corners area from about the seventh century to the fourteenth. It's kind of amazing how we don't know all about them here in America - they were huge." So true! We know so little of our own history.

page 186 - ". . . I pledged that I would learn the art of foos and return to crush him." This made me laugh! The romance between Alice and Kurt was understated and sweet.

Pockets of Joy: Deciding to Be Happy, Choosing to Be Free

by Roxanne Battle
given to me as a gift in May 2015 - from a student, but I don't remember who!
inscribed by the author "For Ms. LaMoore, Psalms 16:11" on 5.15.15
genre: non-fiction memoir

This was lovely. I like her continual references to joy - my word for this year. I like how she was very dignified and private about her divorce . . . though it was clearly devastating. I love the inclusion of photographs! My favorite part - when she had a breakthrough in church and decided to quit her job.

"I didn't know what my future was going to be like, but on the inside I knew that the time had come for me to transition, and God would be with me all of the way. I can't explain it. I just knew it." Praise God! This really resonated for me.

I brought this book with me to the BWCA, thinking I'd read it and share it. I think I'll keep it. (But I wish I remembered which student gave it to me! I think it was an eighth grader, so that person would be ready to start their junior year. Hmmm.

 

<I wrote the above on 8.11.2017. I'm adding the below on 1.4.2023.>

I have decided to donate this book. The Minnesota Quilters meet at the same building where Recovery Church meets. They have a "Little Free Library" shelf and I'm looking through my books to see what might bless someone else. I hope this finds its way into the hands of a person who will be blessed by it!

A Dog's Way Home

by Bruce Cameron
Scott County Library audiobook 9 CDs
read by Ann Marie Lee
genre: realistic fiction

• young man lives with mom, a former military veteran with some chemical dependency issues and depression (and seizures)
• vocal work was good, especially with the dog Bella
• I only got through 3 of the 9 CDs, but had to return it to the library because it was on hold. I liked it, but not well enough to get it back again to finish it.
• I loved the warriors at the VA needing Bella and helping to keep her hidden!
• I liked the dog point of view, especially at the start of the book. It made me think of Titus and sharing the book with Louie.
• it got a little too melodramatic for me - the author's text or the reader's voice??? Not sure. The animal rights activists were a bit too gung-ho (IMO) about saving some feral cats.
• The construction guys' (especially Gunther's) meanness and use of the Lord's name in vain got to be overmuch. They were clearly (and crudely) the black-coat wearing bad guys.

Gen Z @ Work

by David Stillman and Jonah Stillman
Hennepin County Library hardcover 285
genre: non-fiction, generations, future

This was interesting, but I didn't love it. Technically, I'm a "Generation X" child, but I often feel more like a Baby Boomer or even a Traditionalist. I am very proud of my own children, who are wonderful adults and *not* stereotypical Millenials. I'm not sure I see the wonders of Generation Z the way these authors (or my former employers) do.

Page 9 - The father author referring to his teenaged co-author son, "He knows that no generation is better, worse, right, or wrong . . . they are just different." I like this caveat in the intro. I'm not a huge fan of generational generalities, but I know that trends exist. This reminded me to try to keep an open mind.

The seven key traits of Gen-Z: phigital (physical / digital equivalents), hyper-custom, realistic, FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), Weconomists, DIY, and driven. I don't want to elaborate on my thoughts (or their points) here . . . I just wanted to hang on to these seven traits that they explain more fully throughout the book.

Page 14 - "Like many Gen Zers, giving back is just part of my DNA." Hmmm. How much is truly typified by this generation and how much is the way in which Jonah's parents raised him? In teaching, I didn't necessarily see this trait. But then, most middle school kids are much more egocentric than giving-oriented.

Their identifiers:
Traditionalists (born pre-1946) - 75 million (they didn't indicate if the numbers were how many were born or how many are still alive . . . )
Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) 80 million
Generation X (1965-1979) 60 million
Millennials (1980-1994) 82 million
Generation Z (1995-2012) 72 million
(And what will the next generation be called???) Lindsay said she read that the Millennials were through the year 2000. Whatever . . . this is not an exact science.

Page 51 - "This could be one of the reasons that there are more Millennial stay-at-home parents than any other generation." Really? I wonder if they looked at this carefully. I'd guess that the Traditionalists had more stay-at-home moms, even though women were joining the work force more during WWII.

Page 55 - "Birth years are a starting point to help people get their minds wrapped around the different generations." So true! Delavon and I are in different generations according to this book, but we were raised in very similar times and circumstances. This is part of why I am generally not a fan of generation talk.

Page 112 - Ugh! This hyper-custom stuff makes sense, but also makes me crabby. "So if online experiences like Amazon or the colleges we attend can create these personal experiences that really make us feel that they know us, it would be only natural for my generation to expect this level of customization when we hit the workplace." As though the entire world should cater to their wishes and needs! I wonder how the military deals with these kids who expect a custom experience in every aspect of their lives!

Page 114 - "One thing I worry about is being labeled as entitled. I understand how it could be perceived that way . . . " And he goes on to explain that "This is not about a sense of entitlement but it is all about the realities of the world we have grown up in." This is one of the things I had to try really hard to understand from Jonah's point of view . . . and failed. I see it as an attitude of selfishness and entitlement.

Page 125 - Also in the hyper-custom chapter, referring to education, both father and son refer to Gen-Z driven learning. Just having left my career because of this facet of teaching, I was very tuned in and sensitive to this issue. My post-it note comment was "BUT Letting 11-year-olds learn this way means they don't choose to learn if they don't care about the topic." If they are not innately interested in math, history, biology, etc. and they can always learn what they need on YouTube, do we abdicate that role of opening their minds to bodies of knowledge that they may be completely unaware of and allow them to self-select their interests? This is a chilling thought to me.

Page 133 "Sounds exhausting . . . and probably will be, but ask teachers and they will tell you that this level of custom access and frequency is not all bad. It has taught students the value of self-monitoring." Umm . . . are they thinking only of high school and college students? Have they spent time with middle school kids? Have they spent time with kids from dysfunctional homes? Have they spent time with kids who are not adept at self-monitoring or simply don't care? Ugh! Now I just sound like a negative nelly.

Page 135 - The Echo Chamber. "As I have studied this generation and just how hyper-customized their world is, I've come to have some big concerns as a parent and future employer." Yep. Me, too. Since things are skewing toward this demographic, it's affecting the rest of us. The things that show up in my news feed are customized to what I've clicked on in the past. Google is giving me what it things I want. This makes me crazy! I want to read widely! I want opinions from the right and the left. I want to be aware and think for myself. For kids to already be locked in to their youthful opinions is very concerning.

Page 137 - Still on the hyper-custom chapter and the Echo Chamber section (this really set me off . . . is it obvious?). "This will only lead to the other generations naturally labeling them as bad sports, poor negotiators, or just downright spoiled. We will have to look for tangible ways to help Gen Z get out of their own silos."

Page 177 - "Most important, Gen Z will have to know that investing in skill development is not being inefficient." Seriously? "A concern is that if we let Gen Z delegate all tasks that they aren't good at, they could likely plateau. Part of coming of age in the world of work is developing new skills." This makes me glad that I'm not an employer. I'm very curious to see how this plays out in the future.

Page 210 - "Of course, no one likes to be bored, but there is still a difference. Other generations have dealt with it, compared to Gen Z, who grew up believing that boredom is not something you need to ever endure." How will this generation deal with raising children?! Or caring for their elderly parents?! Life isn't always fun and it isn't always about you!

Page 217 - FOMO - "If companies do not have a robust research and development department, Gen Z will be here to start one. The upside is that they embrace what many are calling MVP - minimal viable product. They will keep teams from overthinking things and instead focus on going for it and learning from it." I can actually see the need for sometimes just jumping in versus killing something via committee.

Page 284 - "They (older generations) will need your help in pulling them along. Trust me, they will not be jumping up and odwn over the fact that once again they have to look at everything from office space to communication techniques to recruiting to rewards." Yep. I'm the older generation here. I'm not just trying to be resistant to change. I'm not sure that I agree about the changes at all.

I'm really glad I read this book. It gave me good food for thought. It is well-written and clear. It was very interesting to have both father (Gen X) and son (Gen Z) as authors. Their dialogs were my favorite part of the book. The questions from famous people and the survey results from teens were okay - they were interesting and gave little breaks to the text.