First Grave on the Right

by Darynda Jones
Scott County Library audiobook 8 CDs
read by Lorelei King
genre: paranormal mystery fiction

This was fun, but won't become a series I go back to. What I liked: the humor and mystery, as well as the fact that I listened to the first two discs with my sister Louise who *loved* the main character and the author's style.

What I didn't like: the cavalier attitude toward Heaven and Hell, God and Satan . . . that was not apparent at first and yet I couldn't get past it.

"Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and full-time grim reaper. Meaning, she sees dead people. Really. And it's her job to convince them to 'go into the light.'"

There were many funny lines and parts in the story. (I loved when she called her Uncle Bob "UB" / "Eubie" . . . ) And I was very curious about the "whodunnit" aspects of the story. But I thought her having sex with an incorporeal being was a bit too odd . . . especially when I found out the connections.

I made a cheat sheet about her encounters with "The Big Bad" as I was reading - the day of her birth, when she was four years old and abducted, when she was five years old with the Johnson girl, in high school when a guy tried to run her down with his dad's SUV, in college when a guy attacked her. When she met with Reyes' sister, it was nice to have a little clarity.

As Bright As Heaven

by Susan Meissner
Carver County Library hardcover 387 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

Generalities - well-written, fascinating look at the era (1918-1925), great characters, chapters told from POV of the mom and each of the daughters. Don't remember if any were told by male characters.

Pauline, her husband Thomas, and their three daughters Evelyn (15), Maggie (12), and Willa (6) move to Philadelphia when baby Henry dies at six months old. Thomas goes from working in the tobacco barns for his dad to working as an undertaker with his uncle Fred. The impact of the war and the Spanish influenza affect this family deeply. Death is a main character in this book!

Page 70 - ". . . I think that grief is such a strange guest, making its home in a person like it's a new thing that no one has ever experienced before. It is different for every person." So true! This just struck me. Grief is a strange guest that makes itself at home.

Page 116 - "I am suddenly overcome by my inability to understand why some will survive the flu and some won't. Why some babies live and some don't. Why some people pass away in a warm bed full of years while others have their breath snatched from them before they've earned so much as one gray hair." The essential unfairness of this is something I've struggled with. I trust God completely, but would love to ask Him why things are this way.

Page 180 - Without putting a spoiler here, I'll just say that I was sobbing after reading this page . . .

Page 211 - This was almost too much! "Evie was already home and she was sad. Her favorite teacher, Mr. Galway, is dead. And a boy she liked named Gilbert." Enough with the dying! This started to make me think of Laurie Halse Anderson's Fever 1793 . . . what a wonderful way to study history - through fiction! Even depressing aspects of history . . .

Page 225 - "That's how it is. Something breaks, you fix it as best you can. There's always a way to make something better, even if it means sweeping up the broken pieces and starting all over. That's how we keep moving, keep breathing, keep opening our eyes every morning, even when the only thing we know for sure is that we're still alive." Although this is a somewhat bleak place to be, it rings true. Looking for the positives, looking ahead - that's important.

Page 379 - "When something good happens, and even when something bad happens, you want to share it with the person who holds your heart." This is so true! I'm so grateful that I can share with Louie - the good, the bad, the everyday. This is one of the things that was hard about losing my mom; some of the things I wanted to share with her (about teaching, life, etc.) I couldn't anymore.

Overall, I enjoyed the book but was disappointed that Meissner's writing seems to be getting more secular and less faith-focused. She's an excellent writer, but I want to read Christian fiction that challenges and / or grows my faith. This was just a good book set in an interesting era with interesting characters.

You Need a Budget: The Proven System for Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle, Getting Out of Debt, and Living the Life You Want

by Jesse Mecham
Hennepin County Library hardcover 200 pages
genre: non-fiction, financial literacy

I read through page 45 before it was due back at the library. Now I'm #31 on the waiting list, so here are some thoughts before they fade:

- this is similar to Dave Ramsey's stuff, but without a Christian perspective and with some small differences.
- the author's style is appealing and accessible
- that said, I thought about buying a copy of this book from Amazon to share with some people . . . except they don't have children and there are lots of references to child care expenses, saving for a child's college education, etc. That might be off-putting for the folks I'm thinking of . . .
- I am curious enough and engaged enough by his writing style to finish the book when I get it again.

I wrote the above in early April 2018, below on 6.11.18:

 His four rules are:
1. Give Every Dollar a Job
2. Embrace Your True Expenses
3. Roll With the Punches
4. Age Your Money

I won't explain them here - just read the book! This is more a reminder for me.

Page 53 - "Question everything. Once a year (I like to do this in January), question every one of your expenses. . . . Every single item should be on the table. Following the tactic of asking why six or seven times as it relates to any one of your line items will help you peel back the layers of that priority and really see it for what it is." This is tough for me because Louie and I have different priorities and perspectives. It's good for us to talk about it, though!

Pages 106-7 - ways to "sprint" to get where you need to be with budgeting: pick up freelance work or do odd jobs, sell your stuff, get intense about not spending, outsource your stuff. I'm not good about these things, but then we aren't in a really tough place right now, either.

Page 121 - "Navigating Yours, Mine, and Ours" - I thought about scanning or copying this entire section. Or just asking Louie to read it. This is a bit different from how we currently plan our budget. "It's too easy to assume that your priorities are the same as mine. Or that our priorities are always more important than mine. These quiet assumptions are what make budgeting as a couple stressful when it absolutely doesn't have to be. The key to keeping your priorities clear, and your budget stress-free, is communicating."

The chapter on "Budgeting as a Couple" is another one I wanted to copy from . . . "Technicalities aside, joint accounts also keep you from worrying about who earned what money. You've committed to being partners for life. It doesn't matter who earned what. It's one shared pool of money that is funding your shared life together. Embrace that and support one another on the journey." (pg. 125) 

I also really liked the chapter on "When You Feel Like Quitting." Good stuff here. I may still want to buy a copy of this book!

Pages 199-200 have lots of other resources:
www.youneedabudget.com/classes
www.youtube.com/YouNeedABudget
www.youneedabudget.com/blog
etc. . . .

Glass Sword

by Victoria Aveyard
Scott County Library audiobook 12 CDs
read by
genre: YA dystopian

Ugh! This has taken me forever to get through! Louie and I started it on a car trip, but didn't enjoy it as much as the first book. Then we listened to some more on another car trip. Then I fell asleep and got the CDs from the library again to re-listen. Why wasn't I getting into this story? Why didn't I care about Mare and Cal? Who was this nasty Colonel dude?

Here are some notes to my "re-listen":
- Gisa's broken hand is Mare's "fault" . . . how? Why does she think everything is about her? Gisa made her own choices and the silver guards were cruel.
- so much of this is overwrought, filled with self-recriminations, teen angst . . . how much is the text and how much is the narrator? Would I like this story better in print?
- Bree, Tramy, Shade, Mare, and Gisa . . . the Barrows are quite the family.
- She is so condescending to Kilorn! "Fish Boy" and thinking she has to protect him all the time
- She's a bit bloodthirsty about wanting to exact revenge on Maven by killing him with her own hands . . . then she's still somewhat lovelorn toward him and the closeness they shared. Yuk on both.
- she agonizes over stupid stuff, then kills mercilessly (the silvers in the control tower at the prison)
- I actually appreciate that I know the ending of the story already (I was awake for that part) because there are little snippets that make sense in light of how the ending goes.
- I'm pretty sure Louie and I totally skipped disc 8 by accident! I kept asking him "Who is John?" and he didn't know . . . but there was a large chunk of the story that we didn't get. It makes a bit more sense when you hear it all.
- Her lack of logic in cause / effect reasoning and if / then statements . . . this was crazy-making!
- This isn't a spoiler alert, but rather an idea that the text suggested . . . We infer that Shade and Farley were both in love and physically intimate, but there's a part toward the end that made me think, "Is Farley pregnant with Shade's child?!" I may have to read the next book to find out!

Viva Jacquelina!

by L.A. Meyer
Scott County Library hardcover 360 pages
genre: YA historical adventure
(Bloody Jack #10)

I enjoyed this one a bit more than the last few . . . but they're all quick little adventures that are very readable. In this book, Jacky is again sent as a spy. This time she ends up in Spain with the very unpleasant General Wellesley. Richard is near and dear until he is injured in battle. Jacky ends up in Madrid at Goya's studio (where she works, models, learns, flirts, etc.). The author brings in fine art and the Inquisition as well as the French and Spanish fighting forces and politics. Jaime, meanwhile, is recuperating at Charlie Chen's in the Far East. Oh, and there's also a little bullriding at the running of the bulls . . .

My notes said "more innuendo, flirting, etc. / Spain / Goya / gypsies"

Unsung Lullabies: Understanding and Coping with Infertility

by Janet Jaffe, Ph.D.; Martha Ourieff Diamond, Ph.D.; and David J. Diamond, Ph.D.
Great River Regional Library via Scott County Library, paperback 261 pages
genre: non-fiction, infertility

I read this on behalf of someone I care about very much. She suggested it to help me understand what she was going through. Although I can't "relate" to infertility (pregnant one month after my wedding at age 20 . . . three healthy children by the time I was 25), I completely understand personal pain and struggle. I'm glad I read it (and am already thinking that anyone struggling with infertility would already by horrified by my personal comment about pregnancies that happened quickly and easily . . . ). I'm going to leave that as part of my post, though, because it's true. I personally did not struggle with this issue at all.

Chapter 3 - The Losses of Infertility - this chapter really helped me to understand a little bit of how huge, painful, and challenging this issue can be. It affects so many aspects of a person's life! Identity, marriage, communication, emotions, finance . . . I marked a sentence on page 58 that really stood out. "Perhaps it's because our partner is a constant reminder of our loss, but it is ironic that the very person we need the most at this time turns out to be the person that we get angry and frustrated with, and can't stand to look at anymore." This dynamic is completely understandable, yet makes me so sad!

Page 75 deals with some of the "grandparent" generation and their relationships with adult children struggling with infertility. "Even when I try to be supportive, she rebuffs me, like I'm not good enough for her." So often, these miscommunications and challenges grow instead of resolving. I'm thinking hard about my own communication and my need to be a better listener.

I tagged a point of view on page 108 that resonates strongly with me! "Rather than thinking of infertility as if you entire self is flawed (both physically and emotionally), you need to view it as a part of your physical body that is not working correctly. If Fran had a broken arm or needed to wear glasses, would she still worry that her husband would no longer love her? Of course not, but because the effects of infertility are so pervasive, it is difficult to keep perspective so we question the very essence of who we are."

Communication! Page 146 had a great analogy ' "Consider your three-year-old nephew throwing a tantrum - he's communicating, but it's hard to figure out how to soothe his frustration while he's screaming. When your husband withdraws into silence, he is communicating, but you must guess what he is trying to say - is he angry? Sad? Tired? Depressed? Just quiet?" Communication is so important, but it doesn't always come naturally!

The second paragraph on page 159 . . . is one I want someone else to read and think about. . .

Page 189 has great advice for *any* issue that you aren't comfortable talking about! "And always know that if a question arises that you aren't willing to discuss, you can simply respond, 'That's off limits' or 'I don't want to talk about that.'" I've used that tactic! I like to be completely honest, but if someone asks me something I don't want to share, I just say so! It's very liberating to maintain complete honesty while not sharing that which you prefer not to share.

I loved the way the authors laid out different options on page 212. As part of a couple's "reproductive story," they ask questions to help them figure out what to do next. Here's one example: "Is having a biological child the most important? If so, then you might be willing to relinquish your wish to conceive 'naturally' and use IUIs or IVF, if it would mean that the baby carried your and your partner's genetic selves."

The authors are all doctors, but they are also all human beings who have personally struggled with infertility. They use a lot of patient stories and examples. This is a well-written book.

The Woman at the Well

by Dale Evans Rogers
Hennepin County Library hardcover 191 pages
(copyright 1970!)
genre: autobiography, Christian witness

I don't remember why I requested this book . . . a conversation with someone or a reference in something else I read. I vaguely knew who Dale Evans and Roy Rogers were, but am always curious to learn more. Born in 1912, Frances Octavia Smith eloped at age 14 and got divorced when she was just 16 (and her firstborn was six months old)!

She condenses much of her early life into the first few chapters so that she can focus on her life as a Christian. At times, I loved this book. At other times, I cringed. (Like when she referred to her daughter Robin as a "Mongoloid" . . . even if that's the terminology of the time, I actually had to search it online to ascertain that it referred to Down Syndrome.)

She was an entertainer all her life, and this paragraph on page 48 really caught my eye!

"I worked harder than hard, and things seemed to be OK until I turned down the invitation of a top executive . . . I never meant to insult him, but he took it as a personal affront . . . I had too much pride in accomplishment to buy my way. I did not want to become obligated to anyone, in any way, to further my career. I had promised myself that I would never get trapped in such an involvement. I have always been infuriated with men who used their high position to acquire the scalps of hapless and heedless women. This was one area where I stuck to my guns, and I have never regretted it."

Good for her! What a tough cookie!

I also loved this on page 84: "I am Baptist, Episcopalian, Methodist, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterian! I don't think of the Church as a building or as a denomination; it is a body of believers in Christ - in His birth and Person and ministry, in His Atonement, His Resurrection, His Coming Again to receive us unto Himself. Denominations are fellowships. The Church is His body, and it has many members - not all of which function in exactly the same way. Who is to say that one denomination (or function) is 100 percent right and another 100 percent wrong? God is the judge of all that."

I am so glad that God judges and knows our hearts!

Page 113 horrified me . . . I understand that some people lack the idea of boundaries and compassion with celebrities . . . but to have a carload of fans and autograph seekers show up at her dad's FUNERAL to ask for autographs!?!? That is just horrifying.

That said, I love that she included some photos. They really added to the book. It would have been nice to see even more! (Thanks to Google, I got to see more pictures.)

Page 136-146 was a bit too much for me. I liked an early statement: "It was God who made the races, not man. And nowhere do we hear God saying that He prefers any one race to another." She talks about pride (as in thinking you're better than someone with a different skin color) as a sin and a stench in God's nostrils.

But then she basically says that she's against "intermarriage" of people of different races. As she's going on and on about race and animals and interbreeding, it just gets messy and unpleasant. "Basically I am opposed to such intermarriage, because I know that it seldom works, and that it can have a terrible effect upon the children of such a marriage. And basically I believe that each race has its own beauty and its particular value in God's creation. Would we like our pretty bouquets of many-colored flowers, if they were all red roses, or all yellow, or all white roses?"

She does explain that love is the key component for dealing with differences and conflict, but this chapter went on way too long and was too jarring (especially considering her pride in having adopted two children who were clearly of different ancestry . . . who according to her, should only be allowed to marry men of similar skin color to them?)

There were many places throughout the book where I silently cheered her for sharing her faith and trust in Jesus so boldly! (She died in 2001 at age 88.) There were many great lessons in her life story about relying on the Lord and boldly sharing his love.

 "I have also learned that Satan loves nothing better than a chance to split every Christian fellowship on the face of the earth; he loves to divide and conquer, and we should think twice before helping him do that."

Amen! Unity, love, and faith. The threads of her story are strongly woven.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963

by Christopher Paul Curtis
Scott County Library audiobook 4 CDs
read by Levar Burton
genre: YA historical fiction

I'm kind of shocked that I don't have an entry for this book already in my blog. I just checked and I started blogging about books in 2007. That means I read this well over a decade ago!

I didn't realize until I started typing this entry that the vocal work was by Levar Burton. I love him! He did an excellent job, of course.

I was struck by the first part of the story not being quite as funny as I had remembered it. (Kenny's brother Byron scraping the ice off the car was as I remembered, though.) I felt much more sadness this time around, especially the last part in Birmingham.

The TruTone record player in the car - this blows me away! What a weird concept - to have a record player in a car!

*** SPOILERS AHEAD! STOP READING HERE IF YOU'VE NOT READ THE BOOK.

The humor mixed with the seriousness really shifted for me when Kenny went into the pond and the "Wool Pooh" (whirlpool) got him. I wasn't surprised that Byron came to the rescue, but I had forgotten many of the details of the scene (and the fact that they didn't tell anyone what happened).

The bombing scene and Kenny's subsequent withdrawl were so sad! Hiding behind the couch, not interacting with anyone, . . . made the scene when Byron got him into the bathroom to look in the mirror all the more poignant. "How's it fair?" Indeed, there was nothing fair for the children who died in Sunday school that morning.

Christopher Paul Curtis is an amazing author and this is one of my favorite middle school historical fiction books. It is funny, sad, and realistic.

Lady Jayne Disappears

by Joanna Davidson Politano
Hennepin County Library paperback 395 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

I read our monthly book club title two weeks before discussion! I can't believe I've been unfinished the last two months.

The first third of this book seemed a bit too trite and formulaic to me. This is a debut novel, so I didn't get too hung up on it. But then it actually caught my curiosity and had a few surprises in store. I'm eager to read her next book, which will be out this summer.

Aurelie Harcourt is a sweet twenty-something who has lived her entire life in debtor's prison with her father. She loves the Lord and is a kind person who ministers to others. When her father dies, she goes to live with her father's wealthy family.

Some questions I had as I read (which were mostly resolved):
Why didn't her father use the royalties from his writing to get them out of debtor's prison?
How could he raise a child for two decades in a prison?!? (And why?)
What is the deal with Lady Jayne and why won't anyone talk about her?
Does Glenna know about her husband's past?

There were more, but I don't remember them all. I liked the mysteries woven into the story. I started suspecting things around every corner. Many twists that I anticipated didn't happen! Finding out the truth about Kendrick surprised me.

Page 76 - "It's always a choice, Aura Rose. Happiness is always a choice." Her father's wise words came back to me. I love right before this, when she recalled Scripture that helped strengthen her!

Page 120 - ". . . he would set about righting the lies she believed about herself and her worth. How great was God to use husbands so often in that task." I often praise God for letting me experience overwhelming love via Louie! It's wonderful to think that the Lord loves me even more than my spouse does! I am so blessed.

Page 322 - "Standing in place, I bowed my head and wordlessly connected my soul to God. I remained in this posture, submissive and trusting, breathing slowly. Peace did not come. Instead, I felt an energy firing through my chest, compelling me to move, to act. Go. Go find her." I think Aurelie is one of the absolute best faith-filled heroines in the stories we've ever read! And her cousin Juliette . . . a great counterpoint.

Page 348 - I liked the carriage scene between Aunt Eudora and Aurelie. It was beautiful.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

by Cheryl Strayed
Scott County Library audiobook 11CDs
read by Bernadette Dunne
genre: memoir

I only knew about this story because of the movie with Reese Witherspoon. I'm still undecided about my reaction to it . . . Here are some of my car jottings:

• not believing in God, not wanting mercy, etc. pretty adamant
• losing mom . . . cancer and logic, mother love
• her theology is so messed up!
• grief / after mom's death, dreams of killing her . . . morbid
• Ugh! Sleeping around as a "healing process"?!?!
• lifestyle choices . . . sex, heroin, etc.
• Ugh! "Abortion - no question." How does she live with herself?
• unleaded gas instead of white gas in a cook stove!
• I like Albert - "50-something Christian from Georgia - Eagle Scout"
• PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) / Sierra Nevada . . . I'm curious to learn more!
• "Monster" - her huge, heavy backpack
• horse Lady / Eddie agreeing to put her down / Cheryl finding her emaciated and shivering on Christmas Eve. This scene was so horrible! I'm not a huge horse lover, but this was hard to listen to!
• She is a very talented writer! I love how she wove her back story into the trail experience. It was very natural and not "flashback" seeming.
• REI boots, Snapple . . . I wonder if she got any attention or appreciation from them after this book was published!
• I loved the llama, the old woman, and Kyle! What a delightful scene.
• It was published in 2012, but she walked the trail in the 1990s. I was shocked at how little she paid for things, even twenty some years ago.

I asked a friend if she had read the book. No, but she *loved* the movie! I may need to see it . . . 

The Outsiders

by S.E. Hinton
personal copy, paperback 156 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

I knew I was "teaching" this for seventh grade language arts and wanted to be prepared. I hadn't read this in about (or over?) thirty years! It was a much quicker read than I remembered. And for some reason, I thought that either Ponyboy or Sodapop died in the story . . . so clearly I needed to re-read it to actually remember the story correctly.

It wasn't as well-written as I remembered it to be, but I went online to check the veracity of a tag on my copy: "a revealing novel about teenagers - by a teenager." I knew that Susan Hinton published as "S.E." because of her gender and publishers' belief that boys wouldn't write a book by a girl. But I didn't know that she was only 15 when she wrote it and 17 when it was published! That's amazing!

Even though it was written several decades ago, the story still seems to resonate for teenagers. Interesting.

The Mark of the Golden Dragon

by L.A. Meyer
Scott County Library hardcover 378 pages
genre: YA historical adventure fiction

Another Jacky Faber book. This one was a bit more enjoyable than the last few. She is trying to clear her name and Jaime's name. He thinks she is dead and goes off the rails, becoming the Black Highwayman and getting revenge on the two men who he thinks responsible for Jacky's "death." She makes more amazing alliances and deals. I think it's good that this book was shorter and more focused.

Until We Find Home

by Cathy Gohlke
Hennepin County Library hardcover 3 or 4 hundred pages
genre: Historical Christian fiction

This was a book club book that I didn't finish before discussion. Set in World War II, Claire is a super romantic (and pretty immature) American living in Paris. Part of the underground resistance, she helps five Jewish children escape. But when her "love" doesn't show up, she crosses to England with the children. Ending up at her aunt's home in the lakes country, there is intrigue, danger, romance, etc.

I liked the literary threads (neighbor Mrs. Heelis, aka Beatrix Potter; the Secret Garden; C. S. Lewis; etc.) I also liked little Gaston - he was a firecracker!

But the story was pretty lightweight. I didn't even mind the discussion and its inevitable "spoilers" because I just didn't care that much. It was fine but not a re-read or "must" recommend book.

Obama: An Intimate Portrait

by Pete Souza
Hennepin County Library hardcover 346 pages
genre: photojournalism, presidential history

I almost bought this at Costco for $30 but waited on the list at the library for over two months instead! I love Souza's work and the way he captured many of the moments and moods in President Obama's White House. This is a lovely book and it made me appreciate Obama's personality and leadership even more than I did before looking at it. I think he is a kind, thoughtful, intelligent, caring human being with a fun sense of humor.

Souza took millions of photographs over the eight years of the Obama WH! (Literally, millions.) I don't know how he decided on these, but it's a wonderful book.

Playing for Pizza

by John Grisham
Scott County Library audiobook 6 CDs
read by Christopher Evan Welch
genre: realistic fiction

A friend recommended this to me. I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped, but haven't read a lot of Grisham and may need to see if this is typical for him.

Rick Dockery is a much-maligned NFL quarterback who has had one concussion too many. At the story's outset, he is thoroughly dislikable! Arrogant, selfish, brash womanizer . . . pretty typical portrayal of a handsome pro athlete. Even when he ends up in Italy to play for Parma's football team (American football, not soccer), he is a jerk.

But over the course of the story, Rick changes. It is gradual and it is pleasant, but I found myself cheering for him.

Even more than the human characters, the town of Parma, the food, the Italians beckoned. I wanted to book a trip! That reminded me of seeing "Under the Tuscan Sun." Hated the movie, but wanted to travel there!

Enjoyable story. The ending fell flat for me, but it was minor. Rick's story arc and the Parma football season were the important parts.

Witness in Philadelphia

by Florence Mars, with the assistance of Lynn Eden
Hennepin County Library hardcover, 281 pages
genre: non-fiction history, Civil Rights

I had a piece of paper with three titles on it - Mississippi Burning (a DVD), Murder in Mississippi (an account of the court case), and this one which is a personal eyewitness to the events of 1964.

I was intrigued by the thought of a white woman in Mississippi sharing her perspective of the murder in 1964 of three civil rights workers (James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner). A previous book I had read about the three young men dealt with the horrific murder, cover-up, and publicity (noting that had two of the men not been white, no one would know about it).

Sigh. This was interesting but also depressing. First, it is definitely a product of its time and place. Published in 1977 in Louisiana, it certainly retains some of the tone of that era and place. The preface has two quotes on it:
"Outsiders who come in here and try to stir up trouble should be dealt with in a manner they won't forget." (Neshoba Democrat, April 9, 1964)
"To understand Neshoba County, you have to live here a hundred years." (common saying)

Though Florence Mars is sympathetic to the "Negroes" who are treated so horribly in her home community and she also is persecuted by the KKK for her outspokenness, she still seems quite sympathetic to the majority of the white residents of Neshoba county and the culture shock they experienced in the 1960s. The sentiment that white people had "treated them" (African Americans) so well and it just wasn't appreciated . . . well, please! I just can't stomach it.

The other aspect of the book that truly distressed me is that the men of the KKK identify themselves as Christians! What?!?!?! What Scriptures are they reading? How does brutalizing people, denigrating them, and murdering them fit with what Jesus taught?!?! Ugh!

Since I've never been a great student of history, I think it's important to read a lot of perspectives. In that sense, this was a worthwhile book with lots for me to think about. (And I am so very grateful for all the people who have fought for equal rights in the past and continue to strive for justice today!)

Page 170 - When the police were beating Bud and his wife Beatrice was praying for his life to be spared . . . I got chills. I love that her faith and prayer were answered! (Though I wish they'd never been in a life-or-death situation just for being black and driving down a road . . . )

Page 205 - Pastor Clay was one of my favorite people in this book! His sermons and stances made a difference. "Whatever else the cross means - above everything it is God's way of saying to us, 'You can break my bones, you can drain my blood, you can crush my body, but you cannot stop me from being what I am: the Heavenly Father who loves you and cares for you.'"



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A Trick of the Light

by Louise Penny
Scott County Library audiobook 9 CDs
read by Ralph Cosham
genre: murder mystery

This is another Inspector Gamache / Three Pines mystery. There are things I love about this series and things that bug me. I honestly liked the very first one I "read" the best of all so far! (Book 5 - Bury Your Dead).

This one had an interesting theme of marriage and couples (and separations). Enid and Jean-Guy are separated. Jean-Guy is in love with Annie (Gamache) and finds out that she and her husband David are going to separate. Armand and Rene-Marie. Peter and Clara Morrow. The husband and wife artist team who were snarky at Clara's show. Inspector Brunelle and her husband Jerome.


There's also the ongoing use of poetry throughout her books. Ruth's poems, but also ones that Gamache's dad recited to him and that he recited to his own children.

I laughed at someone being referred to as an "emotional vampire" even though I don't remember which character this was about. The dead woman, probably. Lilian.

I also laughed at Beauvoir lying about his identification as an art critic for Le Monde while at the vernissage with all the snooty art world people! Funny! (I intuited what a "vernissage" was from context clues, but had to look it up just now to learn how to spell it! Blogger says it's wrong . . . I'm pretty sure it's just French. )

Ugh! I did not like the references to Clara's painting of the Virgin Mary / Ruth as "an angry old woman, forgotten, bitter . . . " Scripture clearly indicates that Jesus asked John to take care of his mother. The "irreligious" aspect of her books bothers me, as does some of the overly dramatic writing and responses of characters we know (to the point where their thoughts or words seem out of character!) Yet I continue to read her books!

Serenity Prayer / AA / Courage to Change . . . Not sure why I made note of this. It was interesting, if a bit skewed in tone (to the negative, I thought).

I liked the conversation that Beauvoir and Gamache had in the car, but was surprised by the end of the book at how much more talking they still need to do to work through some issues! I guess I'll have to keep reading the series.

Chiaroscuro, schadenfreude . . . dude! This almost made me feel illiterate! Good thing I love words so much!

"Do people change?" This was a key question in the case and in this story. I didn't love how she handled the answer, but that's me reading my perspective into the story again!

Ugh again. Psychology. Jean Guy watching the video on mega-repeat. Thinking that Gamache "left him to die." Taking more painkillers than he should and lying about it. Time to order the next book in the series.

Shadows (book two of the Ashes Trilogy)

by Ilsa J. Bick
Scott County Library paperback 518 pages
genre: YA dystopian fiction

Ugh! I "had" to read this book to see where the story arc goes / what happens to the characters. We still don't know what happened to Ellie (though there's a hint at the very end!), but we get to follow Alex's and Tom's paths. We also follow Chris, Nathan, Lena, and a LOT of other characters . . . to the point of confusion. I'd come to a new chapter and scan ahead to see which person's story we were following. And yet . . . I'll go get book three so I can get to the trilogy's resolution.

I'm not sure why so many authors feel a need to express their perspective on Christianity when that is not a theme of the book at all. On page 506, the absolutely crazy Finn says, "Every man breaks, eventually . . . even Jesus cracked at the end. But that wasn't because of what was being done to him. His pressure was doubt and came from within, but he always had a choice." As Finn is trying to find Peter's breaking point and torturing him, he makes a parallel with Jesus on the cross and says that doubt is what Jesus struggled with and made him "crack"? Really?!  Everyone is entitled to their own interpretation of Scripture, but why even make a statement like this? Okay, probably just my pet peeve because I love Jesus and I believe in God's Word.

The other insane thing about my reading this series is that it is not just dark (hello - dystopian fiction) but downright gory and gruesome. The "Changed" are teenagers and young adults who have become cannibalistic zombie-like monsters . . . except now they're "evolving" into attackers who use weapons and strategy. The gross factor in this book was sky-high. It's worse than some of the zombie books I've read. So that made it especially strange when the author included this gem about Cindi on page 516 after Tom talks about the nightmare of what he experienced in combat: "She tried to imagine what that was like, to watch a little girl just blow apart. Her mother had never let her watch movies or play computer games like that. What made people think that killing, even when it was pretend, was something you should do for fun?" Is this author trying to be funny? Or add some kind of moral lesson in an extremely violent, bloody story?


And yet . . . I will read book three to find out what happens to the main characters. (I am curious about Ellie and I am a compulsive reader!)

Salt: A World History

by Mark Kurlansky
Hennepin County Library paperback 452 pages plus bibliography and index
genre: non-fiction, history

I don't remember where I saw the reviews for this book, but it sounded fantastic. I'm on page 130 and not sure I can force myself to keep reading it. Parts of it are interesting, but it seems too academic and dry. I loved The Disappearing Spoon about the periodic table! I expected something like that - interesting and informative.

As much as I love eating salt, my favorite part of this book is on the back blurb. "Salt - the only rock we eat - has made a glittering, often surprising contribution to the history of humankind."

The photographs, maps, recipes, and illustrations add to the text, but I think I'll return it to the library without finishing it.

Part One: A Discourse on Salt, Cadavers, and Pungent Sauces
Part Two: The Glow of Herring and the Scent of Conquest
Part Three: Sodium's Perfect Marriage

Some of the chapter titles (twenty-six in all) are very clever, but the text is just not compelling enough for me to want to invest more time in this book.

Murder in Mesopotamia

by Agatha Christie
Scott County Library audiobook 2 CDs
a BBC 4 full-cast dramatization
genre: murder mystery fiction

This was delightful! I was taken aback at first that it was all dialog and sound effects with virtually no narration at all . . . except a very little diary-like communication from the nurse. Having read plenty of other Christie books, I can tell there is a LOT of abridged content (which of course makes me want to read the original book). Especially since a lot of what Poirot reveals in the clincher scene is stuff we've not even had a hint about!

"Just as Amy Leatheran is about to return to England, she is hired by the celebrated archaeologist Dr. Leidner to work as nurse and companion for his wife - who is subject to fits of nervous terrors. As they travel to an ancient site deep in the Iraqi desert, Amy finds herself in a situation much stranger than she could ever have imagined. . . " I guessed the wrong killer (of course) but loved how the story and cast of characters played out the tale.

I loved the tiny twist at the end! When Nurse Leatheran and Monsieur Poirot are saying goodbye, he says he's going to get some rest and travel on a sleeper car on the Orient Express.

The Masterpiece

by Francine Rivers
Dakota County Library audiobook 13 CDs
read by Susan Bennett
genre: Christian realistic fiction, relationships

Oh my! I had this title on hold in numerous library systems - print, large print, audio . . . and finally got it from Dakota County. I almost wish I'd gone ahead and bought it off Amazon! I didn't finish it before we had our book club discussion (and warned everyone that I'd leave if they needed to talk about the ending). It was so good!

Roman Velasco is an artist with a deep back story. Grace Moore is his new assistant with a back story of her own. Right from the get-go, readers know the two will end up together. But it's how they get there that makes this a gripping story! Rivers uses flashbacks effectively, taking us into the main characters' childhoods, teen years, and young adulthood to help move the story forward.

I don't want to include any spoilers here. It's just such a good book!

Francine Rivers interviewed a graffiti artist who became a Christian. Cool stuff! (And the source of her cover image: http://www.camer1.com/)

And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

a novella
by Fredrick Backman
Scott County Library audiobook 1 CD
read by David Morse

For some reason, this little work was less accessible for me than the other Backman titles I've read recently. Morse's vocal work was good. The story was touching - I cried. Here's the blurb from the back cover:

"Grandpa and Noah are sitting on a bench in a square that keeps getting smaller every day. The square is strange but also familiar, full of teh sweet scent of the hyacinths that Grandma loved to grow in her garden. As they wait together, they tell jokes and discuss their shared love of mathematics."

There is a lot happening in this very short work. The relationship between the elderly man and his grandson is just the start. There area also the man and his son as a boy, his son as an adult, and the man and his wife when they were young. Memories, experiences, and aging . . . learning to say goodbye.

I should just bite the bullet and buy all of Backman's books. They're that amazing.

Crooked House

by Agatha Christie
Scott County Library audiobook 5 CDs
read by Hugh Fraser
genre: detective murder mystery fiction

I haven't read an Agatha Christie book in a while and I enjoyed this one. I won't give any spoilers, but I love the way the author makes it possible for *any* of the characters to be the murderer while also making it seem that each one would not have done so. There were lots of clues along with red herrings. Delightful! I was not surprised at the ending, but I enjoyed the circuitous route of getting there.

Charles Hayward - our hero
his dad - a commissioner at Scotland Yard
Sophia Leonides - Charles' fiancee'
Aristide Leonides - Sophia's grandfather and the charismatic patriarch of the clan, newly murdered
Brenda Leonides - Aristide's much younger wife
Roger Leonides - Aristide's nervous son who isn't very good at business
Clemency - Roger's austere wife who wants to get him away from the family
Philip - Aristide's other son - an intellectual, a bit of a recluse
Magda - Philip's wife, actress, dramatic
Eustace - Philip and Magda's son (Sophia is oldest), teenage, sullen
Josephine - Philip and Magda's youngest daughter - 12 years old, snoops, bratty
Edith de Havilland - Aristide's sister-in-law from his first marriage; came to help care for the children
Nanny - hired help? an actual grandma? elderly lady who cooks and looks after the kids
Inspector - I forgot his name
Lawrence Brown - the tutor engaged for Eustace and Josephine, a conscientious objector during WWII, nervous, in love with Brenda (and she with him)

The Crooked House - the house is itself a character of sorts. It sets the scene and adds to the intrigue.

Falling into Place: A Memoir of Overcoming

by Hattie Kauffman
my copy, paperback 236 pages
genre: Christian memoir

I didn't have access to post-it notes as I read this (or was simply too lazy to go get them) . . . but I own it and can re-read it to make note of the things that really impacted me. I met Ms. Kauffman at the Scotts' church a few years ago. She was so interesting to listen to and I purchased her book, which she signed for me.

Much of the book is about the breakup of her second marriage, interspersed with stories of her childhood. One thing that really struck me was the impact her aunt Teddy had on her - teaching her Scripture, bringing her to church, etc. Teddy could not have known how sowing seeds into Hattie's life would bear fruit so many years later.

This book was hard to read at times (her husband wanting a divorce and her struggle with her blossoming faith / in a news anchor career that generally eschews Christianity . . . ) but her writing style is very inviting. She did a great job of making connections between what she is going through as an adult and what she experienced as a child. One of seven children of an American Indian woman and a white man (both parents were alcoholics), Hattie knew poverty, hunger, and insecurity. Yet her story of overcoming is just that.

 

<I wrote the above on 3.17.2018. Below on 1.4.2023.>

I've decided to donate this book to the Recovery Church as well. Again, I have so many books and want to decrease my possessions this year. I hope someone who needs to read her story picks this up.

A Man Called Ove

by Henrik Backman
Scott County Library audiobook 8 CDs
read by George Newbern
genre: realistic fiction

Oh. My. Word.
Backman is amazing! I had heard of this book when it became popular a few years ago, but only got this audiobook after reading his title My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry (also amazing!).

As I started listening to it, I thought "what a jerk!" I had to stop the CD a bunch of times because I am a very character-driven reader and I did *not* like the character of Ove. (It's pronounced "Ooh-vah," not "Ove" like "stove" . . . ) The back of the case says, "He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him 'the bitter neighbor from hell.'"

Here are some of my first quick jottings:
- people like Ove really exist . . . pointless! Fussy.
- How do you want to spend your life?
- Oo-vah
- Backing with a trailer - ugh! I can't back up with a trailer. That doesn't make me an idiot! (My note actually says "Backing w/a trailer" . . . I try to focus on driving when I'm driving!)
- 1/4 ton guy . . . "testing bacon for a living" . . . both funny AND mean

Then as I listened more and stopped the CD less, I made note of Parvana - "the pregnant one" and Patrick - "the lanky one."

I loved getting to know Ove and Sonja. I started to worry that the book would ultimately be too dark and depressing and sad . . . but there were so many places where I laughed out loud! As I got to "know" and appreciate this cranky old man and his story, I grew to really care about him.

"The blond weed" and her dog Prince . . . and Ove's idea for revenge on the dog's attack on the cat . . . I was loving this story.

Ove is only 59?!?!? I thought he was much older! (I had quickly guessed about Sonja before it was revealed in the story.)

The author's use of repetition is brilliant.

So funny!

I don't think this is a spoiler, but my last note (which connects to the opening scene in the book) is "I'm relieved that Jimmy is at the Apple store with Ove and Ove is buying an iPad for his 7-year-old neighbor girl."

I was in tears by the end, but they were good. I would (and probably will) buy my own copy of this book!

The reader's vocal work was spot-on.

 

<Above posted March 11, 2018. Below added August 18, 2026.>

 

Since I posted, I read the book in print, watched the movie with Tom Hanks (which I initially rejected - A Man Called Otto, indeed!), and have now re-listened to the audiobook (on Libby, not CDs). The narrator / reader is the same. George Newbern does an admirable job capturing the nuances of all the characters! I love this story so very much. I recommended it to Nick (who doesn't read as much in summer due to all the projects requiring time and attention) and am going to see if I own a physical copy on my shelf. 

 

My one dislike of this book is when characters use Jesus' name as a swear word. That hurts my ears and my heart.  

Ashes

by Ilsa J. Bick
Scott County Library paperback 465 pages
book one of the Ashes trilogy
genre: YA dystopian fiction

Ugh! I started reading this while subbing. It looked somewhat interesting and the kids had silent reading time (ten minutes for each of four sections of language arts), so I got to page 100 and was hooked. Two weeks later, I grabbed it for silent reading in a sixth grade classroom. Again, multiple sections later, I was on page 160. I decided to just get it from the county library and finish it. And now that I have . . . I will get book two, because the story has NOT resolved.

Alex (a girl) has lost both her parents and is struggling with a brain tumor that is killing her. Deciding to forego further treatment, she heads out on a camping trip intending to kill herself. Instead, she meets up with a grandpa and his sullen young granddaughter, Ellie. A cataclysmic event ***SPOILER ALERT***
instantly kills grandpa (and most other humans between young adults and mature adults). Of the  young people left alive, some change . . . into cannibals. Like zombies, but they haven't died yet. The elderly have also survived, but survival is getting harder. Alex and Ellie have many encounters with danger and near-death. Tom is a super important character . . .

I was disappointed with the author's choice to have Rule be such a cult-like place and to introduce a love-triangle dilemma for Alex, but hey! I need to read book two to see where it goes.

The Wake of the Lorelei Lee

by L.A. Meyer
Scott County Library hardcover 554 pages
genre: YA historical adventure fiction

I'm developing a love/hate relationship with these books.

Love:
strong female protagonist who is resourceful, clever, kind, and basically "good"
fun adventures
a mix of humor and seriousness in with the rollicking adventures
typically doesn't take itself too seriously

Hate:
disdain of Christianity, except where convenient to honor someone's death (if they're valued in life)
the stories are starting to feel a bit repetitive and predictable, while the lengths of the books are getting longer
I'm hooked and will continue to spend time reading these . . .

In this story, Jacky is convicted of her crimes (based on the lies of Bliffel and Flashby) and sent to the Hulks (I was so excited at this part on page 82! Just like the opening scene of Dickens' Great Expectations!) and then on to Australia with other women who've been convicted of crimes ranging from theft to prostitution. Jaimy has also been arrested and is being sent to Australia, but on a different ship. Oh, and Jacky is taken by Chinese pirates and becomes the female lead pirate's "pet." This was the part of the book that just got to be a bit much for me. Also, this one ends as a bit of a cliff-hanger. Grrr.

It's Okay to Laugh (Crying Is Cool Too): A Memoir

by Nora McInerny Purmort
Hennepin County Library hardcover 274 pages
genre: memoir, loss

This will be a quick entry. Purmort is a very talented writer who has dealt with a lot of loss in her young life. Although I enjoyed some of her cleverness, humor, and insights, I didn't enjoy this book. One passage particularly illustrates this to me:

"I will sometimes hate-read blogs written by people I despise, just to make my blood boil. You probably don't hate-read anything because you have a sparkling mind that has not been pecked to death by the incessant information assault that is the Internet." (page 7)

I love her use of language - "the incessant information assault that is the Internet" - but I cannot see her attitude of reading something to make her more angry than she already is. Philosophically, I am so different from her.

Yet I tagged page 14 because it made me laugh out loud when she described the hospital and its amenities . . . She is very clever! And I tagged page 21 because of her sadness at wanting to preserve everything about her husband before he dies . . . "like I want to just stick a little USB drive into his arm and download everything about him. I want every memory, every feeling, every thought from baby Aaron and child Aaron and punky teenage Aaron, who pierced his ears multiple times. Grown-up Aaron hugs me close to his skinny chest until the fire alarm lets us know we've burned our dinner to the pan."

Page 47 - She talks about trying to meditate by using an app - "It's worth it, though, to have a little bit of time dedicated to quieting the dozen or so monkeys in my brain, wearing their fezzes and vests, clanging away with tiny cymbals." Sometimes one's own thoughts can be so distracting!

Page 52 - "His happiness was innate, but mine is not. Mine is a choice that I make, a garden that I tend to every single day." I think it's interesting to observe that some people seem naturally joyful and positive and others of us have to make a conscious choice to work at it. I struggle with her profanity and anger, but recognize parts of me in some of her attitudes.

Page 52 - "shout out to Google for giving me a PhD in Everything" another thing that made me smile. She has a way with words!

Page 149 - I don't know what struck me more here - the fact that she didn't feel as though they could call any of their friends because of the depth of their pain or simple compassion for all that she was dealing with . . . "I'm filled with secret sorrows. Across the city, my father is dying in the intensive care unit of another hospital." Her husband is dying from cancer. She has just miscarried another baby. I cannot even fathom how the convergence of all these major life events. Whether I like or agree with her tone and attitude, I can recognize her strength in getting through this time in her life.

Page 161-163 - Oh my! All the well-meaning advice (often conflicting) that people give about parenting! What a rush to read this and remember how it felt to be on the receiving end of it. (Though I think this part might qualify as funny and sad simultaneously!)

Page 208 - I don't want to dwell on this, but how can she recognize the futility of trying to get people (including internet trolls) to like you . . . while also being concerned about people liking her? She is still growing up. I hope she figures herself out. It makes me sad that she grew up in Catholic church and school, but has no personal faith in God. Getting through her life's traumas and raising her son on her own strength . . . I'd rather lean on Jesus.

(Added almost two days later:)
I didn't mean that to sound trite. I was going to write a quick entry so I could return the book to the library and ended up going on and on. It made me sad to have this funny, talented writer who endured such pain and sorrow . . . have no connection to faithfulness in God. How do people deal with the big life and death issues without confidence in God's love and provision for eternity? Her cavalier attitude toward morals, parenting, etc. (and gratuitous swearing) were off-putting. There were many, many positive aspects to this book, but I was glad to finish it and was left feeling sad for her.

The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American in Britain

by Bill Bryson
Hennepin County Library audiobook 11 discs
read by Nathan Osgood
genre: humor, travelogue, history

I may need to read Notes From a Small Island. I'm not familiar with Bryson or his other works.


Aging stuff - funny! Hair growing from nose and ears / humor in stroke warnings . . . .

"If you are too stupid to spell disappointed, even approximately correctly, you are not allowed to take part in public discourse at any level." His sharp response to someone's TripAdvisor review that included a word "d-i-s-s-a-p-o-i-n-t-t-e-d" in describing a restaurant that Bryson himself appreciates a good deal.

Some of his wit is very funny, but at times he sounds like a cranky old guy who is a bit too picky. ("dissapointted" is clearly misspelled, but it is approximately correct . . . )

Marks and Spencer's / food hall / "You're an idiot." / H&M / clothes / I can't read all my notes, but "funny guy, but also kind of a jerk" is clear.

John Lennon stories / famous people sitings / I like this part.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and spiritualism . . . interesting stuff. I'd forgotten how prevalent this was at that time.

The internet has "no brains and no feelings - just like an I.T. person." Wow. Harsh.

The Greenway - pros and cons / compare to Denver sprawl. Interesting. I'm curious to learn more.

Gilbert White - never heard of him! The Natural History inspired Darwin.

LOTS of literary references! I feel pretty ignorant.

Silbury Hill - I had to Google it . . . again, interesting things I've never heard of before!

Barrows! Made me think of barrow wights and LOTR.

Lots of history! Tresko / marathon / exclusive / cystic fibrosis / his humanity finally shows! / no longer a thing

Penzance / Admiral Benbow - How funny! I recognized the Admiral Benbow from the Bloody Jack stories. And Ann and I just went to see the Pirates of Penzance last week!

Too negative at times / F-bombs . . . really?!

Parts of this are downright boring.

Who is Jeremy Clarkson and why does Bill Bryson hate him so much? (I Googled him, so now I know he's one of the Top Gear guys . . . but I guess I don't really care why BB hates him. It was interesting to find that most people think this book isn't as good as Notes from a Small Island . . . and that he's too "crotchety" in this one.)

Names of people, places, movies, stores, etc. I've never heard of . . . and stories that go nowhere. Did anyone edit this? Or did he just chuck in everything he thought of?

Dodo story - makes me want to learn more . . . did a museum director really put the last known specimen of one in a bonfire? And there are no physical remains of dodos anywhere?

F-bombs . . . a bit disappointing from someone who takes such pride in his excellent use of the English language

taxes . . . this part was funny! Like him putting a tax on people who text while walking

The Sound of Rain

by Sarah Loudin Thomas
Hennepin County Library paperback 326 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

Judd Markley, coal miner, and Larkin Heyward, daughter of a lumber baron, are clearly destined to be together. They are lovely characters in a pleasant book. I liked it, yet wasn't deeply moved by it and found it quite predictable.

Page 61 - I liked the character of Lill and thought her perspective added a lot to Larkin. Dying of cancer, she commented, "Seems like I was always rushing after something and now I can't think what it was." Ugh! I've spent too much of my life rushing around after nothing important.

Page 114 - "He remembered a time when he was nine or ten years old. Dad had taken the whole family to a tent revival and even now he could remember that young preacher. Tall and thin as a rail, he'd towered over the makeshift pulpit. He'd leaned into the crowd, talking about eternal life and . . . how had he put it, 'the quickening of the Holy Spirit'? Judd had heard plenty of hellfire and brimstone, but that was the first - and maybe the only - time he'd heard that God loved him and wanted to lead him through life. Judd remembered wanting that, too." Then his dad's insistence that he sit down and wait until he was older . . . quashed his conviction. So sad. I hope I haven't discouraged anyone in their faith!

Page 176 - Ben's comment - "Improving people's lives. Giving them a raft to hold on to when they're adrift in a sea of pain." The language here just really struck me. (This was in answer to Judd's question, "What do you see as success?")

Page 205 - I love when Larkin realizes how wonderful indoor plumbing is! I feel that way when we leave the Boundary Waters! Flushing toilets, hot water to wash your hands, showers! What incredible blessings!

Page 206 - "Larkin hadn't paid much attention in the past, but Granny had told her how she always put a candle in her window on Christmas Eve to welcome Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. Larkin laughed, because of course they weren't really coming, but Granny had stilled her with a touch and said, 'Oh, but they are coming.' She tapped her chest. 'And there's always room in my heart.'" I love the grannies in this story!

Page 229 - I like Ben's observation that Larkin's sunny attitude was very helpful to the poor of Kentucky who were independent and didn't "need" her there. "There are a dozen sad stories I know of and probably twice that many I don't. Just having you around for a distraction helps more than you realize."

Page 247 - Title reference! "Larkin's laughter was like the sound of rain on a tin roof at the end of a long, hot day. Judd felt soothed, comforted . . . alive."

Page 322 - It was almost corny how this all worked out. Predictable, yet . . . I enjoyed the story.

Page 325 - For a minute, I thought the author was throwing a major curveball! Nope.

Still, it was an enjoyable book set in 1954. From West Virginia and the coal mines to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, it was a nice story.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

by Fredrik Backman
loaned to me by Mary V, paperback, 370 pages
genre: unbelievably beautiful fiction

I haven't yet read Backman's first book - A Man Called Ove - but I recently got it on audiobook from the library. This book was loaned to me quite a while ago by my dear friend Mary. I loved it! It is so unusual . . . and intriguing. I already want to read it again. Almost-eight-year-old Elsa has an incredibly strong relationship with her granny (mom's mom). Grandma dies and leaves Elsa with a "quest" and a heritage of fairy tales to help her deal with the world.

The characters and events are captivating. It was originally written in Swedish and translated into English by Henning Koch. I haven't read enough Swedish literature to know if this is typical or truly unique. Even the blurb at the end for his book Britt-Marie Was Here made me want to read that one, too, even though I could hardly tolerate her character in this book.

I only marked one page, which is not enough to point out all the thoughts, phrases, scenes, etc. that caught my attention. On page 325, I marked "And if she hadn't changed her mind it's possible that the day wouldn't have ended up as loathsome and terrible as it will soon become. Because when terrible things happen one always thinks, 'If I only hadn't . . . ' " Ugh! Immediately my mind flew back to May 25, 2013 and the cabin. It is horrific to think "What if?" when there's no way to go back, change events, or get a different outcome. Looking ahead and moving on is what's needed.



I decided it was selfish of me to keep Mary's book, especially when I'm trying to de-clutter my home! So I re-read the book when we were up at my sister-in-law's cabin last weekend. I loved it all over again!

Page 15 - "That's what Granny calls lies: 'other versions of the truth.'" This is one of those funny / not funny things . . . when we have a president who has "alternative facts," it hits a little too close to home. For Elsa and her Granny, though, it's a great in-joke.

Page 25 - "'Elvir, though? Are they planning to send him to Mordor to destroy the ring, or what?' (This was soon after Granny had watched all of the Lord of the Rings films with Elsa, because Elsa's mum had expressly told Elsa she wasn't allowed to watch them.)?" This reminded me of my mom . . . doing things specifically because she wasn't supposed to! (Though she was usually respectful of my parenting rules.)

Page 45 - "Having a grandmother is like having an army. This is a grandchild's ultimate privilege: knowing that someone is on your side, always, whatever the details. Even when you are wrong. Especially then, in fact." I look forward to being a grandma someday! I hope to love my grandchildren extravagantly!

Page 48-9 made me laugh! "Elsa learned all about LPs and CDs that afternoon. That was when she worked out why old people seem to have so much free time, because in the olden days until Spotify came along they must have used up almost all their time just changing the track."

Page 53 also made me laugh. When Granny laid in the snow for hours as a snowman so she could scare Britt-Marie . . .

Page 196 - I love when Granny goes on her crusade against the free newspaper folks. Oh my! "Never mess with someone who has more spare time than you do." I love Granny!

Page 198 - "It's easier to get people talking about things they dislike than things they like, Elsa has noticed." She's a very wise little girl!

Page 208 - "There are no 'only' nightmares -- they're living creatures, dark little clouds of insecurity and anguish that come sneaking between the houses when everyone is asleep, trying all the doors and windows to find some place to slip inside and start causing a commotion." I'm so very glad I don't have nightmares, but I remember as a child waking so afraid. I love the language Backman uses to communicate the terror.

Page 228 - Land-of-Almost-Awake Miamas (I love), Miploris (I mourn), Mirevas (I dream), Miaudacas (I dare), Mimovas (I dance), Mibatalos (I fight).

I cried at the end of chapter 29 when the boy cuddles with the woman in the black skirt . . .

Oh my! This is such a lovely book! But now I can return it to Mary and she can share it with another reader!

The Secret Garden

by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Hennepin County Library audiobook 7 CDs
read by Finola Hughes
genre: children's fiction

I haven't read this book in a really, really long time. I had forgotten *why* Mary Lennox was so horrible before the garden transformed her. She was a child in India with parents who didn't want to deal with her. The servants gave her whatever she wanted so that she didn't fuss and cause trouble for them with "Mem-sahib." Consequently, she was a lonely, imperious brat. I love her initial interactions with plain-spoken Martha when she gets to Mistlethwaite Manor!

Hughes did a wonderful job with the voices, but Colin is too realistically whiny and bossy. Yuk! Thank heavens for Dickon and the garden to help with the transformation of these two horrible children! In fact, Susan Sowerby's entire family are the brightest part of the characters who populate this book.

The kids are fully invested in "the magic" of the garden. Susan Sowerby refers to "The Good Big Thing," "Joy Maker," and the fact that the kids were singing the Doxology when she came into the garden. Interesting way to look at creation and healing.

One of the problems with an audiobook as opposed to a print book is trying to capture quotations. "Where you tend a rose, my love, a thistle may not grow." This is what I wrote down. I was pretty close - it's lad, not love, and cannot instead of may not. That's according to SparkNotes . . . ugh. Now I have to find a print copy and look at it more carefully. Also according to SparkNotes, this is part of the Christian Scientology aspect of the book. What?!? Sometimes I just want to enjoy a story as a story.

One other aspect that I had forgotten or gotten wrong after not having read or seen this in ages is the ending. I knew that Archibald Craven found the children in the garden and that there was a happy-ever-after, but I thought that his initial reaction was extreme anger. Perhaps there's a movie version that he yells at the kids? Anyhow, I am glad I revisited this story after so many years. (Though I shouldn't have checked SparkNotes for the spelling of character names . . . sometimes ignorance is bliss.)

 

<I wrote the above on 2.7.2018 and am adding below on 8.1.2022.> 

I really, really liked how Mary didn't put up with Colin's crap. When he was pitching a fit and she screamed at him . . . that was just right. It bugged me again that the "magic" and the beauty of nature were the predominant reasons the children gave for the changes in their health. 

This audiobook was on Libby and read by Alison Larkin. Her vocal work was excellent. I got this to listen to at work, since I knew I didn't have to give it my full attention. I enjoyed listening again.

Face to Face with God: The Ultimate Quest to Experience His Presence

by Bill Johnson
Loaned by Kelly from NewDay paperback 220 pages
genre: non-fiction Christian faith

Again, I struggled with reading this . . . am I too weak in my faith? Is it simply not the "right book at the right time" for me? There are lots of pages that I put post-its on, but I don't feel as though I really know how to better draw near to God and experience His presence. (What a contrast with the Experiencing God book!) Johnson's faith and depth of knowledge of God's Word is strong, though, and I want to be stronger in my own faith.

Page 37 - "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD" (Proverbs 18:22) "The implications of this promise go far beyond simply getting married. Many have done that without any increase of God's favor. This promise is given to those who correctly steward the blessing of marriage." I think this caught my eye because I love marriage and I am concerned for loved ones who need this Scriptural wisdom . . .

Page 55 - After relating the story of the woman who poured expensive perfume on Jesus' feet . . . "What others thought to be excessive and extreme, God considered reasonable. The only true worship is extreme worship, and only extreme worship brings extreme results - transformation." I love this idea of extreme worship! I don't spend nearly enough of my time (even my devotions / prayer time) simply worshiping God. Perhaps that's part of the reason my faith is weaker than I'd like.

Page 61 - "Relationships are built on trust, communication, common interests, honesty, and time together. It is no different with knowing God. And it is from that place of knowing God that we find our greatest purpose in life." This is so true, and so vital for me to practice!

Page 98 - I think I tagged this because I wanted to find a way to better understand / search Scripture. He basically says that Elizabeth stayed home for five months when she got pregnant with John . . . so that she could protect herself from people's negative comments. How could he know this? Or is he surmising it? Do I care enough to dig deeper?

Page 145 - I loved the entire section on saints! Reading about other believers' lives and work really impacts me. The section on Charles Finney is one that I specifically tagged . . . I love reading about people's personal experiences with the Lord and how transformative those experiences are!

Page 156 - In the story about Smith Wigglesworth (what a name!), I loved this sentence: "Remember that this remarkable experience happened to a most unlikely vessel, and let it encourage you to qualify to receive more of God's Spirit because of your unrestrained hunger for Him." I should make it a sign / reminder for my desk!

Page 157 - "Wigglesworth's ministry was based on four principles: First, read the Word of God. Second, consume the Word of God until it consumes you. Third, believe the Word of God. Fourth, act on the Word of God."

Page 165 - A section on Heidi Baker! Since I had just read her book about Love, I found this very interesting. One fact in particular caught my eye. "Whereas it took them seventeen years to plant four churches before Heidi's encounter with God's face, they have planted over six thousand churches in the eight years since." Powerful!

Page 171-2 - "Much of the present Christian culture has unintentionally fostered ways of life and thought patterns that allow for people to be heavily burdened and discouraged as the norm. That habit often takes us into the stronghold of unbelief. In this mode we are much better at applauding tears over laughter, poverty over wealth, and the endurance of affliction over receiving quick answers and getting breakthroughs." This section is one that I should re-read . . . and discuss with other believers.

Page 188 - "I have heard teaching on the subject of giving to the poor and needy that emphasizes our stewardship instead of compassion. It basically means that you don't want to give to someone who will not use what was given properly." Ooh! I am sometimes guilty of this . . . and I do *not* want to be judgmental or self-righteous! This is where seeking God and spending time with Him helps me to make right decisions with a right attitude! I need You, Jesus!

God's Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine

by Victoria Sweet
Hennepin County Library audiobook 11 discs
read by the author
genre: non-fiction

This was interesting and definitely kept my attention. Dr. S worked at Laguna Honda Hospital in San Francisco for twenty-ish years. (http://lagunahonda.org/) She also was fascinated by Hildegard, a twelfth century nun, and wrote a book called Slow Medicine after writing her master's thesis and her PhD paper about this topic. I'm just going to jot a few notes / reactions to the book below.

Why did pre-modern medicine and Hildegard of Bingen appeal to her so much?!?! I just don't get it.

My lack of compassion concerns me . . . when it comes to people making horrible life choices and killing themselves with drugs, alcohol, etc. . . . I wonder why so many medical professionals, tests, procedures, etc. are spent on them. Ethically, I realize it's not productive to say someone like me should get to determine who gets health care and who doesn't. Our entire health care system (and societal ills) are so complex. I guess it's good that people like Dr. Sweet do all that they can for all patients.

The parts on money, "efficiencies," and bureaucracy . . . ugh. I realize that this is how the world works, but spending more on administration and PR seems counterproductive to saving money!

I couldn't believe she kept referring to a patient's "retarded" daughter . . . not so much the non-PC term as the fact that a medical doctor would use a "no-no" word at all!

The specific patient examples were the most interesting part of the book to me.

Interesting to consider dementia as a polynomial equation with several variables.

Anima / soul / animation - interesting way to look at it.

Too much focus and repetition on the four humours, four symbolically (seasons, elements, etc.). Enough!

Her pilgrimage . . . sounds interesting. But without a spiritual goal, I wonder about her purpose. She shares what she learns in the walk across France and Spain. I like that she and her friend did the trip in three or four different stretches.

She references Scripture and faith, but isn't a believer . . . she has an interesting perspective.

Interesting look at medicine, philosophy, economics, etc. My attitudes and beliefs don't align with the author's, but I learned a lot and thought about my perspective. This was a very worthwhile book to "read."

The title is taken from the French term for charity hospitals - L'Hotel Dieu - God's Hotel.

Perennials

by Julie Cantrell
Scott County Library paperback 338 pages
genre: Christian fiction, relationships

My perspective on this book may change after our discussion tonight. Right now, I'm ambivalent. I almost want to go back to see what I wrote about the author's book The Feathered Bone . . . in my memory, I liked it pretty well. This one, not so much. Lovey / Eva is 45 and living in Arizona. She's pretty New Age, in my opinion. When her parents all but beg her to come home to Mississippi for a few weeks, she makes it happen regardless of the negative implications for her at work.

Dedication - "For my children, and for all children, and for the child in all of us - May you always know the truth: you are loved." I thought this was a wonderful dedication page!

Page 81 - "I needed my family to stand up for me, help me heal. Instead, Bitsy attacked, Chief stayed silent, and Mother told me never to speak of it again." I can't understand a loving family reacting this way to a family member's emotional agony. It just doesn't make sense.

Page 90 - "Half of me wants to hug my father and assure him I wouldn't change a thing. But the wounded half wants to tell him how badly I needed him to stand up for me. How much his silence has hurt me." Tell him!!! One of my biggest frustrations with these books is that people don't talk honestly with one another!

Page 99 - "It's hard to think of my parents aging. Someday holding Mother's hand as she takes her last breath, or waking to the call that my father is no longer with us. My eyes water at the thought, and I push it away. Far away. I can't imagine how hard it is for them to watch their friends fade, one by one." Ugh! This has been too much on my mind lately! I want to live life fully, ready to head to Heaven whenever God calls me! I'm glad I don't have close friends dying yet . . .

Page 155 - I love this conversation that Lovey and Fisher have! "You want me to be honest?" Yes! Thank you, Fisher, for having an honest conversation! Thank you for providing another perspective on Bitsy and Lovey growing up!

Page 183 - Mary Evelyn's birthday tea . . . a group of 16 year olds having an etiquette lesson . . . it's partly very appealing and partly horrifying!

Page 208 - I'm curious about the author's personal beliefs. Christianity is included in the book, but it certainly isn't a main theme. When Lovey does yoga with her mom and dad and ends with "Namaste. The light in me sees the light in you," it just seems counter-intuitive to call this Christian fiction.

Page 213 - Finally! I don't want to add a spoiler here, so I'll just say that one of the things hinted at is stated outright. It wasn't a shocker because I was waiting for it.

Page 231 - "I keep quiet, capturing every subtle gesture and sound Mother makes, determined not to forget a thing." Take photos and videos! Write stories down! I treasure the artifacts of my life with my mother . . . and I cannot get new photos, videos, or memories any more.

Page 278 - I like her timeline. I kept thinking, "What has she done with her life between ages 18 and 45?!" I wish the timeline had been included earlier, but most of the story focuses on her current life and flashbacks to childhood.

Page 286 - I love the conversation that she and Chief have the night of the party. They should have had the conversation a few decades earlier, but . . .

Not sure what page . . . . there was a twist I *didn't* anticipate! Again, don't want to put spoilers here.

Page 310 - "Our body's death is not the tragedy, girls. It's when we waste our time in life feeling dead on the inside. That's the real reason to grieve." Their mom shares this gem of wisdom with Bitsy and Lovey, but it feels like too little, too late. And I still don't get why Bitsy turned into such a nasty human being.

Page 323 - "It's a heavy role, shuttling a soul into the next world, and I feel there's no right way to manage this." Too true . . . sitting with someone on their death bed is a heavy role. I hope to make it easier for my kids by assuring them of my salvation through Jesus Christ. Death is not scary to me (at least, my own death) because of God's Word.

Sting-Ray Afternoons

by Steve Rushin
Hennepin County Library hardcover 319 pages
genre: non-fiction memoir

I really enjoyed reading this book! I'm not sure how much I would have enjoyed it had I not also grown up in Bloomington, MN at the same time as Steve Rushin. Recognizing the landmarks and remembering my own experiences enriched the reading. Steve is a fantastic writer, though, and I'm sure much of the humor and coming-of-age would translate to any city and state in the 1970s.

I don't remember much about Steve (we both graduated from Bloomington Kennedy after having been at Lincoln), but I distinctly remember his brother Tom! Older than us by a year, Tom was cruel and nasty (in my teenage eyes) when I encountered him at Lincoln. Reading this book makes me wish I'd known Steve! I saw him as just a "jock" and didn't realize he loved to read, play with words, and write.

page 28 - I had never heard 3M referred to as "Mickey Mouse Mining" before! The nicknames for Normandale - "Harvard on the Hill" and others - I was familiar with, but the 3M nickname was new to me. (His dad worked for 3M.)

page 33 - In 1970, "Dr. James T. Grace, Jr., has confidently asserted that cancer will be a memory by 1979. 'I predict that we can enter the decade of the '80s without the specter of cancer hanging over our people,' Grace says, a statement that everyone can suddenly affirm with the brand-new sentence starter: 'If they can put a man on the moon, surely they can [fill in the blank with your wildest dream].'" This is so true! The optimism about the future was so powerful at that time! (I was a little kid, too, so what did I know?) But the thought that cancer would still be such a major killer more than forty years later? Unthinkable!

page 44 - Oh! This made me laugh out loud! "Tom's Brillo-pad hair likewise won't lend itself to any form of basement taming. By the time Tom is seven, Bernie the Barber, scissors snipping in one hand, will survey his head from every angle and finally grab a handful of hair in exasperation: 'Your hair,' he will announce, 'belongs on a dog's butt.' The statement is no less cruel - and possibly a great deal more cruel - for being true." (At this point, it was just the humorous way he set up the scene about haircuts that made me laugh, not the unkindness toward his brother. Steve really is a talented writer!)

page 47 - "And so, in three of its 1956 models, Chrysler offered the Highway Hi-Fi, an in-car record player that could play specially manufactured 7-inch discs at 16 2/3 rpm . . . " What?! Playing records in a car?! There were so many places where I was amazing at how Steve incorporated his love of reading and information into his personal memoir.

page 60 - The Romper Room part instantly reminded me of how much I believed that she could see the kids watching her on tv! I wanted so much for her to say my name! Again, Rushin includes some very interesting history about the show that I didn't know about before reading this.

page 191 - Oh! The scene when he goes to the hotel with his friend to get Vikings autographs and after two weeks of wishing to connect with Alan Page . . . he is told that Mr. Page does *not* give autographs so *don't* even ask! I love love love how this turned out! His mom letting him wear his ratty "hillbilly" homemade Page jersey . . . and Alan Page noticing! "So - my chicken chest heaving, and on the brink of hyperventilation - I continue to watch as he pauses at the stairs, turns and looks back at the lobby, evidently having forgotten something at the front desk. But he hasn't forgotten anything. No, Alan Page walks directly toward me, takes the BIC from my trembling hand, and signs his name in one grand flourish in my Mead notebook. He smiles and puts his hand on top of my head, as if palming a grapefruit." I love this! But then, Alan Page is one of my personal heroes, too. But not because of football!

page 216 - The scene where the "Creek Freak" confronts his dad on the Fourth of July! Oh my! This, too, is beautifully written! I'm too lazy to include it (or re-type it) here, but what a great way to honor his dad and paint a vivid, powerful picture!

page 249 - ". . . but my year of reading about California will not go to waste. I am powerless to stop my factual exhibitionism." This made me smile! I love that he read voraciously in preparation for the family trip to California and then regaled his family with what he knew about the places they traveled.

page 257 - When they encountered a bidet in a hotel room . . . "Tom is telling on him now. 'John was trying to drink out of the . . . ' The new French word eludes him, and Tom finally says, 'John was trying to drink out of the butt washer!'" Too funny!

page 286 - Mortality and fear . . . When he worries that his own dad might die young, after a friend's dad of the same age dies of a heart attack. This scene makes me so sad for the young Steve (and so impressed that the adult can write about his young fears and struggles in such a personal and deep way).

page 305 - This was weird. I don't even remember anything about the first day of school at Bloomington Kennedy in the fall of 1982 . . . "A large dead fish will be rotting on the front walk into JFK when we disembark the school bus for our very first day there. Written in fish blood on the concrete: NEWCOMERS DIE." How could I not remember seeing / smelling something like that? Later on that page, "But of course no teacher has seen it yet, and when the first one does - within the hour - the message in fish blood is hosed away, and I'm left to wonder if it was ever there in the first place. Nothing remains but the faint smell of fish." Now I wonder if it really happened.

page 305 - So sad that his mom died so young! Again, he uses words so effectively to memorialize her. "In dying, she allayed my greatest fear - of death. Dying joined shoe tying and coat zipping and bed making on the long list of acts Mom demonstrated for her children, so that we could someday do it for ourselves." This, along with the scene where she substitute teaches at his Catholic school in junior high, are wonderful passages about his mother's impact on his and his siblings' lives.

page 307 - Their last time together (all five siblings) at the house they grew up in . . . I can't believe they emptied the house on their sister's wedding day! Ugh! I'm so glad I didn't grow up with four brothers!

This book is wonderful. I'm glad I read it. I wish I'd known Steve better in high school. He seems like a great guy!

Rapture of the Deep

A Bloody Jack adventure
by L.A. Meyer
Scott County Library hardcover 454 pages
genre: YA historical adventure fiction

I liked the skin diving, Jacky's cleverness with retrieving the treasure, Jemimah and her B'rer Rabbit stories, and the taking of the Spanish ship. I'm kind of addicted to these books, the way Jacky can't stop from getting into things!

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

by Kate DiCamillo
Hennepin County Library audiobook, 4 CDs
read by Tara Sands
genre: children's adventure fiction

Although I love DiCamillo, this title just didn't work for me. The reader, Sands, did a fine job with the vocal work. I think it was just too "young" to appeal . . . I try to think of the reader who would love a book. For this one, a smart, imaginative 8-10 year old seems about right.

My reaction as a "reader" was that Flora is an incredible brat. She ignores her mom, is bossy toward her adult neighbor . . . Though her character is developed more fully as the story goes along. This is clearly for younger readers with short chapters and simple sentences (though DiCamillo adds in some challenging vocabulary for those young readers!).

Ah. Her mom is neglectful and unkind; that's why Flora is such a brat toward her.

William Spiver is just plain irritating.

The "Terrible Things Can Happen to You" and the comic books in general were my favorite part.

Ageproof: Living Longer without Running out of Money or Breaking a Hip

by Jean Chatzky, Michael F. Roizen, MD, and Ted Spiker
Scott County Library hardcover 306 pages
genre: non-fiction, self-help, finances, health

I read about this book in the Costco Connection (June 2017) and requested it from the library. The interrelatedness of health and wealth is actually pretty logical - the two intertwine and connect in so many ways. I renewed this book the maximum number of times and thought briefly about buying my own copy. I have many take-aways, but will try to cull out the main ones here.

Their guidelines for a physical fitness AND a financial fitness self-test took me a while to complete . . . until I finally moved on with the intention of going back and completing them. The physical fitness test included fitness (push-ups, curl-ups, mile walk, and "get-up"), perceived stress test, tape test (waist size less than half your height?), grip test (the one that tripped me up - where to find a hand grip meter?), blood pressure, real age test, and professional tests (the battery of tests you get at your annual physical). They also list a bunch of things to talk with your doctor about at that annual appointment.

Fiscal fitness included income level, household expenses, net worth, emergency savings, retirement accounts, credit score, and mirror test. I have lots of notes on paper . . . I'll need to complete the info and put it in my system so I review it at least once per year. I may put it with our budgeting stuff so that Louie and I have conversations about it.

I made a list of "to-do" items. One of the biggies was to automate as much as possible. We already do this with our finances, but not so much with physical good choices. Making substitutions (e.g. veggies instead of chips, a walk instead of time on FB, . . . ) was another big one. Here are some of the other notes I made:
- move more
- use cash
- be aware of stressors, find a healthy response, and practice it
use deep breathing to help calm and focus

I also made a note about some questions to ask and a book to get from the library.

In the last part of the book, the section on your home really resonated for me! I've been working on de-cluttering for most of the last year. I grew up in a packrat household and it can be hard to let go of the excess stuff I've accumulated. These pages are helpful!

 Amen! The section below on paper . . . I've made a lot of progress in this area, but can definitely improve.

This is a crummy photo, but it perfectly captures the tone of what resonated for me.

This passage actually came before the others I've posted. But I like having it as a final thought. Home as sanctuary. Yes!

There are five other pages I took pictures of, but I'm not inspired to include them here now. This book was a pretty good use of my time. A lot of it (especially about a healthy diet and the importance of exercise) was familiar info to me. I liked the book a lot.

Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift's "Chocolate Pilot"

by Michael O. Tunnell
Hennepin County Library hardcover 104 pages
genre: non-fiction, history

I had never heard of Gail Halvorsen, a pilot who helped with the Berlin supply drops after WWII until Jodi mentioned him to me. This book was wonderful, filled with lots of photographs and sharing the story of this amazing young man! From a casual visit and two sticks of gum, he started a wave of candy donations that blessed the children of Berlin and involved many other pilots, donors, candy companies, etc. The drawings and letters from children are so heartfelt and moving!

Page 67 - "It took me a week to eat that candy bar. I hid it day and night. The chocolate was wonderful, but it wasn't the chocolate that was most important. What it meant was that someone in America cared. That parachute was something more important than candy. It represented hope. Hope that someday we would be free. Without hope the soul dies."

Page 93 - Years later, he helped with similar drops to children in Kosovo. "They had hope because of people in America who . . . knew they were in trouble and promised to stand by them. Hope is still the name of the game."

I love the references to hope. Such a powerful thing it is! This was an amazing true story and I'm glad I read it! Kudos to Halvorsen for sharing his photographs and letters so freely.

My Bonny Light Horseman

by L.A. Meyer
Hennepin County Library paperback 436 pages
genre: YA historical adventure

I love these Bloody Jack books! In this one, she goes from happily running marble and molasses on the East Coast / Caribbean to being prisoner, spy, and messenger. I loved how she shaped up the French farm boys to be a fighting unit.

I added a post-it note on one page. I'm not sure why this resonated so strongly, but it was interesting to see how her hatred for Bonaparte as Britain's enemy turned to respect when she was in the midst of the French army.

"As I look down my ranks, I see that my own is not the only wet eye here. I know that they love him, no question, and I know why. He has raised up worthy soldiers from the ranks and made them generals. He has set up schools for all children, rich or poor, all across his land - I have found that all of my men, well, at least the young ones born after the Revolution, can read and write. He has built roads and visited factories and shaken hands with common workers."

If this is true about Bonaparte, it raises interesting questions about him as a leader. What did he do that was so bad? What did he do that was good? I think most leaders leave a mixed legacy . . .

I cried at the scene in the army medical tent, but don't want to leave spoilers here. This was a delightful book, and I'm ready to get the next one!

Gulliver's Travels: or Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships

by Jonathan Swift
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 CDs
read by Pamela Garelick
genre: adventure, satire, . . .

I confess . . . I only listened to the first section (out of four). The Lilliputians story made me wonder if I've ever read the full book before, or only abridged and comic strip versions. There was so much more detail than I remember! One thing I thought was "How on earth could the Lilliputians get enough food and water for him? And *why* would they bother?!" That question was addressed (at least the "how" part) later in the story. The logistics of his time in Lilliput were too bizarre for me to contemplate.

I jotted a note "what is it that Swift is satirizing?" Some of it was obvious - the machinations of court and the illogical decrees on things like breaking eggs on the small end vs. the big end. But some of it I'd have to do research to figure out what was going on at that time in history to learn how Swift was mocking it. He was such a clever writer! 

I'm not sure why I'm okay with returning it to the library without "reading" the rest of it. It's just not what I want to read right now.