Running for My LIfe: My Journey in the Game of Football and Beyond

by Warrick Dunn and Don Yaeger

with foreward by Tony Dungy

Hennepin County Library hardcover 272 pages with color photos

Published: 2008

Genre: non-fiction, biography

 

I don't remember where I heard about this book. I'm not a football fan so "Warrick Dunn" didn't mean anything to me. I think I read a reference to his philanthropic work and was curious.  The personal aspects of the book were more interesting to me than the football stuff (no surprise). It was interesting but not captivating. I'm glad I read it, but it's not one I would highly recommend to others.

Dunn's mother was murdered when he was 18 years old. She was a single mother with six children, a police officer who worked side jobs as security. She and a store manager were ambushed and shot when they were making a bank deposit. The manager survived. The robbers didn't get the money. It's a tragic, tragic story.

This was a huge defining moment in Dunn's life. His success in football (to me) is overpowered by his success at setting up a charitable foundation that helps single moms attain home ownership. I looked him up online after reading this, but there isn't much information about him after his football career ended.

Page 35 - "... there were many people locally who believed I should have stayed home and signed with LSU, too. I was criticized by those who said I owed the community for the help and appreciation it showed following my mom's murder. Mom gave her life to our community; wasn't that enough?"

Wow. People are entitled to their opinions, but to insinuate that an 18 year old should make his college decision based on what others think he "should" do? To imply that because the community helped him and his siblings after their mother's horrific murder that he somehow "owes" them? What is wrong with people?!?!?!

Page 49 - Ugh. This was the only page I marked, but I found so many typos that I felt like crying. Why is proofreading a lost art? Why are books published with so many errors? Here's the gem on this page:

"The last house we lived in with my mother was on in the corner of Bradley Street and Addison Street in East Baton Rouge."

I read "on in the corner" about five times, assuming I had misread it before I realized it actually said that. And there were more . . . but I refused to spend any more time on typos. Grrr!

Page 68 - "But Charlie respected people. I kept thinking, Wow, you can still be a superstar and a class act, too? You didn't have to be an A-hole. That taught me a valuable lesson."

I think sometimes we forget the impact we can have on people when we live out a good example. I'm so glad his coach suggested they room together and that Charlie (a senior) was willing to be a mentor to young Warrick.

Page 183 - "And she knew right away what she would be doing with her old furniture. In the spirit of Homes for the Holidays, 'I gave it away. I knew a family that was in need and I gave all of our stuff to them.' She was determined to share the blessings."

Throughout the latter half of the book, personal stories of the families that were blessed by Dunn's foundation are featured. This part came in chapter 12 and was "Sonja's Story." These were honestly my favorite parts of the entire book.

Page 211 - "I think it is essential that we teach children early on that there is a responsible way to handle money, and that is to take care of paying bills, making ends meet, and saving for the future rather than spending every check as soon as it comes - or even going into debt - for luxury items."

Amen! I love that he joked about having the oldest car of all NFL players, but it's easy for young athletes to splurge when they have the money for expensive cars. Dunn grew up with good lessons. 

Page 228 - "It was something I had been terrified of doing for so long, but once I realized not only that I could do it but that I was going it, it was incredibly freeing."

He's referring to when he was able to talk publicly about seeking help and getting therapy to deal with the trauma in his past. It makes me think of the Scripture about truth setting you free. I'm so glad that he was able to get help for his hurt and his burdens. I'm glad he knows the Lord.

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

by Dan Gemeinhart

Scott County Library paperback 341 pages

Published: 2019

Genre: YA realistic fiction

One of this year's Maud Hart Lovelace nominees, this book was delightful and the main character an absolute sweetheart.

Coyote and her dad (but don't call him that!) Rodeo have traveled the United States for the past five years since Coyote's mom and two sisters were killed in a car accident. Rodeo wants to look forward and forget the past, but their wandering lifestyle means Coyote doesn't have friends or a place to call home other than their converted school bus "Yager." (So named because it was a Voyager bus and some letters were removed. . . )

From the back cover:

"Coyote hasn't been home in all that time. But when she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished - the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box - she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington State . . . without him realizing it."

"Along the way, they'll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there's Gladys . . . "

I really enjoyed this story, but was sad for Coyote and how long it took for her to get her dad to realize what she needed.

page 123 - "I am not a mess. I am not a joke. I am not fragile. I am not broken."

This scene between Coyote and Salvador (and their conversation the next morning) was absolutely heart-wrenching.

page 160 - "Sometimes trusting someone is about the scariest thing you can do. But you know what? It's a lot less scary than being all alone."

When she confides in Lester and Salvador about her true goal, their support and encouragement are transformative for Coyote.

Page 179 - "Salvador sat with Ivan in his lap and scratched his head, and Ivan leaned into it and started purring and I saw Salvador's shoulders relax just a tad. Cat therapy works."

This made me think of all the cat lovers in my life!

Page 246 - "I loved that man, watching him talking for me by the side of the road. And I knew he loved me, too. Because that's what love is. Caring about what the other person cares about because you care about them. And want them to be happy. Right?"

When Lester is trying to help Coyote by getting the parts for the bus (its brakes went out!) so that she can get to the park before the demolition starts, it's such a sweet scene.

Page 316-7 - oh my! Gladys made me laugh out loud! That goat was a great bit of comic relief. 

This book was sweet and I only have two more MHL nominees to read before I "pick" my favorite. (Only kids get to actually vote.)

The Wintringham Mystery

 by Anthony Berkeley

Libby audiobook 8 hours

Read by Mike Grady

Published: 2021 (1926 originally?)

Genre: Mystery

There were things that I enjoyed about this book and things that bugged me. It was similar in style to an Agatha Christie, but not as clever or rewarding. Stephen Munro "a demobbed army officer, reconciles himself to taking a job as a footman to make ends meet."

 

Lady Susan was such a piece of work. Most of the time, I didn't like her at all. Other times, I found her very capricious and entertaining.

 

There were lots of clues and lots of suspicious characters. I'm glad I listened to it, but it's not one that makes me want to seek out more titles by this author.

Lower Your Blood Pressure

subtitled: A 21 Day DASH Diet Meal Plan to Decrease Blood Pressure Naturally 

by Jennifer Koslo, PhD, RD, CSSD

Scott County Library paperback 160 pages

Published: 2017

Genre: Non-fiction, cookbook, health

I feel kind of bad that I've had this from the library for a few months . . . and really only spent time in the first 31 pages. When it came right down to it, I wasn't really interested in trying the recipes and making new foods. Now if someone else were shopping, cooking, and cleaning up, I'd be all over this! (Except maybe the Tofu Scramble . . . )

The introductory info was really good. I tagged the part on medications used to treat hypertension. It bugs me that I don't really understand the medicines I'm on very well. ACE Inhibitors (like lisinopril) "help the body produce less angiotensin, which helps the blood vessels relax and open up, which in turn lowers blood pressure." Possible side effects include "skin rash, loss of taste, and dry hacking cough." 

Combined alpha- and beta- blockers (like carvedilol) "may be prescribed for outpatient high-blood-pressure use if the patient is at risk for heart failure." "Possible side effects include a drop in blood pressure upon standing." These are the two I take now. I don't want to take medicine, but I also don't want to have any more strokes.

Here are some of the DASH diet tips:

• Make sure you have plenty of color on your plate (50% of each meal's plate should be vegetables and fruit)
• Go for whole grain
• Dine on dairy (low fat yogurt, string cheese, low fat milk)
  
• Eat more plant-based meals (Consider having a meatless meal each week.)
• Cook without salt and don't add salt to your foods at the table. (Start using the herbs and spices hiding in the back of your pantry.)
• Buy fewer prepared and processed foods.

Page 17 "Set Realistic Goals" - "TO keep motivation high, be certain to set realistic goals for yourself as you transition to the DASH diet. Reward, don't punish, and focus on each positive change you make rather than on the occasional slip-up. There are bound to be challenges along the way, so focus on the big picture and not the minutia - slow and steady wins the race. It takes time to learn new eating habits that will last the rest of your life."

Game Changer

Scott County Library hardcover 286 pages

Published: 2018

Genre: YA realistic fiction

I have mixed feelings about this book and really appreciated the author's note at the end.

I liked the different perspectives - Teddy's coma thoughts, what different people who visited him in the hospital said, the school social worker's interviews with students, the kids' text messages, etc.

But I didn't love the football aspect of it so much. It almost seemed like an anti-football (due to violence) theme from the get-go. I understand the dangers involved with the hitting and concussions, but I'm always a bit wary of books for teens that come across as preachy on a topic. Perhaps it's my own skewed perception. (I'm NOT a football fan . . . I can't actually put my finger on what bugged me about this.)

It's a quick read. Some of the characters are engaging. I liked his little sister Janey the best! I liked her feistiness. I also really liked the male nurse Ricky.

I put a post-it on page 90, but it's just because that's where Will (football captain) mentioned the Hit Parade during the Rookie Rumble and I was treating it like a bit of a detective novel . . . what actually happened?

Weird to put this at the END of my review, but it's a book about a high school freshman who collapses after an August football practice and is in a coma. Everyone wants him to get better and some people want to know exactly what happened.

The Mighty Miss Malone

by Christopher Paul Curtis

Libby audiobook 8 hours

Read by Bahni Turpin

Published: 2012

Genre: YA historical fiction

I love this author! This is another book by him that both entertained and educated me. Deza is a very bright twelve-year-old at the center of this story set in the Great Depression. Her older brother Jimmy and her parents all have their own challenges, but young Deza has dreams of higher education and writing. After a horrible boating accident on Lake Michigan, all their lives are changed dramatically. 

I don't want to include any spoilers, but I loved how the story unfolded and how it turned out. As I listened, I thought about writing a letter to Christopher Paul Curtis. He is an amazing author. This is a powerful book. (Yes, I cried.)

Maybe a Mermaid

by Josephine Cameron 

Libby audiobook 6 hours

Read by Karissa Vacker

Published:2020

Genre: YA realistic fiction 

Anthoni Gillis is eleven years old and learning the ins and outs of MLM scheme "Beauty and the Bee" from her ambitious mother. Going to the Showboat Resort on Thunder Lake should be her golden opportunity to make a "True Blue" friend, but things don't work out as her plan entails.

I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I even cried at one part! It's very juvenile in some regards (geared to upper elementary or young middle schoolers), but it actually has some really neat themes and scenes.

I LOVED:

- the characters! Especially Charlotte.

- the unexpected twist that made me cry

- the details - butterfly clip, DJ's rocks, the photographs in frames, Josh's floaties, . . .

- the friendships

I didn't love:

- the whole MultiLevel Marketing scheme crap

- how Anthoni was moved around so much and her mom just wanted her to work on having a positive attitude

- the closet scene at the Quinn's house . . . 

 

The reader did a great job. I actually re-listened to a few chapters because I was on the road and didn't have a different audiobook ready. I look forward to reading more of Cameron's work!

Clutter Busting: Letting Go of What's Holding You Back

by Brooks Palmer

personal copy paperback 215 pages

Published: 2009

Genre: Non-fiction, self-help

 

Back story: I saw this in the gift shop at Abbott Northwestern on one of my trips to visit Louise in October. I was intrigued, so I snapped a pic of the cover and requested it from the library. For the first few chapters, my basic response was, "what a bunch of New Age psychobabble crap!" But it's a pretty quick little read and there were lots of specific story examples, so I kept reading. Pretty soon, I was putting post-it notes all over it. Then I decided to bite the bullet and buy my own copy so I could share it. (Though the people I'd like to share it with may not be interested . . .)

 

Title page quotation: "With all the things you have in your life, are you any more happy than your dog?" -Ramesh Balsekar

 

Chapter 3 "Clutter Keeps Us Living in the Past" is the first one that really made me stop. At the end of each chapter, he has an "exercise" for the reader to try. This chapter's exercise is about imagining your own death and seeing complete strangers come into your home and sort through all your belongings. "Listen to their reactions to your stuff. See what is left behind after they leave. See the garbage men come and take and toss the leftovers. See new people move in and distribute their clutter." He writes about our attachment to our stuff and trying to discern what is really important and worth saving versus what is just clutter.

Page 83 (Chapter 4 - Clutter Represents Fear of Change) - ". . . guilt does not work. It is simply self-cruelty. It prevents change. The person gets to keep whipping herself with bad feelings."

In this section, he's talking about a woman who's had an exercise bike for five years and not used it. It's hard to get at and piled with other stuff. "She was keeping the bike to make her feel guilty as a way to get her to exercise." I understand this! Intentions and actions . . . don't always match. The guilt piece can be extremely powerful, but is not productive!

Page 90 (Ch. 5 - Clutter Is an Addiction) "People defend their clutter, sometimes even when they see that it no longer serves them. This happens because they are looking at the thing and not at the feeling behind the thing."

This chapter really started getting my attention. I've already been trying to declutter my home. I recognize that people are more important than things. I still have too much stuff and sometimes it really gets in the way of what's important!

Page 94 - when he talks about the woman who is picking up free roadside stuff . . . it made me think of watching Hoarders. I think for some people, collecting stuff definitely is like being addicted to drugs. They get a "high" off of getting stuff. I don't struggle with this one!

Page 107 (Ch. 6 - Clearing Clutter to Make Room for Clarity) - "It's good to get used to open space. Layering adds confusion. Space brings peace and ease."

I'm no "Marie Kondo" or "Clean Sweep" person, but I do value having open space to work on projects, relax, bake, etc. I like having less stuff, though I still have too much!

Page 115 (still ch. 6) - This made me think of someone dear to me. "As you take a closer look you being to feel that there's a string tied to everything you own, the other end of which is triple-knotted around your heart. Subconsciously, you are pulled in many directions by the things you own. You become overwhelmed and lose your clarity. This is one of the main reasons why so many people are agitated and stressed." To me, this is a heart-breaking way to live.

Page 148 - (Ch. 7 - Inner Clutter Creates Outer Clutter) - "This is the definition of clutter: things that exist in your outer life to distract you from the inner things that you're avoiding. If you avoid something, it grows." I like this part a lot. Sometimes we make things worse than they are by worrying and avoiding. 

Page 149 - "When your home and world are in disarray, you can't relax. It takes more energy to be in chaos because you have to keep track of all the junk. Eventually exhaustion sets in. When you honestly look at clutter and ask if it's necessary in your life, buried emotions come to the surface."

I ended up enjoying this book more than I expected. I'm not sure how to share it (or with whom) . . .

 

The Nature of Small Birds

by Susie Finkbeiner

Scott County Library paperback 356 pages

Published: 2021

Genre: Christian historical fiction

 

This is our January book club title. I hope I remember it well enough to discuss it in three and a half weeks! It took me a little while to get into the groove of 2013 Bruce / 1975 Linda / 1988 Sonny . . . but Finkbeiner did her usual fantastic job introducing and developing the characters. The story wasn't what I expected based on the blurb . . . but I enjoyed the story. (I was way more impressed with her other books I've read, but this was quite good as well.)

Page 114 - "I look at my feet, trying to think of how to say exactly what's on my mind. When I was a younger man I might have just blurted it out. But now I'm older and know the weight of words. I measure them a minute or two before opening my mouth."

I wish I could develop this skill! Waiting, thinking, choosing the right words. Here, Bruce is responding to his adult daughter's interest in trying to locate her birth mother in Viet Nam.

Page 114 - "Turns out that small birds are going to fly whether we like it or not. It's no different for our kids."

The bird references were plentiful throughout the book. It was beautiful. But it's interesting to me that some parents don't want their children to "leave the nest" and struggle with that growth. I guess I'm weird in that I was super happy for my kids to grow up and move on with their lives. There are times I've missed having them here, but I love that they have their own homes and lives.

Page 178 - "I didn't tell her that the only reason I ever heard of that poem or of Robert Frost was because I'd watched The Outsiders at least a dozen times with Amelia. Even just thinking of Johnny telling Ponyboy to stay gold made my eyes sting."

When Sonny says she memorized 'Nothing Gold Can Stay,' it made me think of the long-term sub job I had in spring 2020. The seventh graders were reading S.E. Hinton's book. A bit of culture shock for some of them - the 1950s vibe, but also the violence and extreme cliques.

Page 182 - "Mixed in with the good and bad is a whole lot of stuff that was just normal, everyday living."

Bruce is pondering the blessings and challenges of life. I could actually post the entire page! There's some good stuff here, including his observation that Linda's "always on the lookout for the goodness of God." That's the kind of person I want to be! Always on the lookout. I know God's goodness is all around. I need to look for it and at it.

Page 202 - "But, when they forgive and that burden is lifted - whew - it's what I imagine heaven to feel like."

Bruce again . . . referring to how it feels when one apologizes to a child and asks for forgiveness. For me, it's a reminder of how powerful a force forgiveness is. We all screw up. Recognizing and apologizing takes some humility.

Page 242 - I intended to take a photo and post it here, but I just want to get this blog entry done and move on with my day . . . the sentence literally says "Dad came in, tackle box in one hand and a bag of quickly melting ie in the other." I know that I often have typos in my blog entries . . . and when I see them, I fix them. But a published book should have had proofreaders! How do errors like "ie" for "ice" make it through the publication process??? Isn't anyone in charge of quality control? Okay. I'm done ranting. This just always surprises me when I see this type of error.

Page 249 - "For as much attention that new love gets in the movies and such, it can't hold a candle to love that's had time to age, to mature. A slow burn is always better than a flash in the pan as far as I'm concerned."

The love between Bruce and Linda was so sweet! Movies do generally focus on that exciting, romantic, flirting stage of new love . . .

Page 264 - "When Holly was first born, I held her every moment I could. My mother warned me that I'd spoil the girl if I didn't put her down every once in a while, but I wouldn't hear of it. While I knew it was possible to ruin a child with too much sugar or too many toys or never saying no to anything, I knew there was no such thing as giving too much love."

I agree with Bruce wholeheartedly! Love is so different than things or permissiveness. Hugs and attention are valuable.

Page 268 - "If all I've done with this one life is be a son, husband, brother, dad, grandpa to these remarkable people, that's good enough for me."

Bruce has a great observation. Sometimes people assess their life's worth by money or social achievements. History certainly "remembers" those who did BIG things. But maybe it's enough to be the person God created you to be. Loving those in your circle - that matters.

Page 274-5 - These pages were powerful. Dana's husband Chris had suffered in the Vietnam war. Bruce's brother Dale was killed in Vietnam, affecting the entire family. Bruce and Linda adopting Minh from Vietnam wasn't easy for everyone to handle. The conversation between Chris and Linda brought tears to my eyes. I love this scene so much!

Page 279 - "She considered the ratty thing before shrugging and flinging it in the direction of the garbage can. When she noticed Mindy and my shocked faces, she put her hands on her hips. 'Well, she wasn't my auntie,' she said. Coldhearted. She was so awesome."

 

Hahaha! Mrs. Olds was such a fantastic character! When Sonny and Mindy were helping her at an historic house the summer of 1988, they talk about people who donate old junk. This scene is great!

Page 323 - "It's the nature of small birds to sing their little hearts out. And it's the nature of God to hear them."

I love this! It was also delightful to have just been at the cabin, seeing all the little birds at the bird feeders. And Louie sharing the memory of this: Paul Harvey Christmas Birds.

 

 The ending of the book felt a bit abrupt, but it worked. Again, I was anticipating something a bit different based on the blurb I had read. I look forward to talking about this with book club!

The Line Tender

by Kate Allen

Scott County Library hardcover 371 pages

Published: 2019

Genre: YA realistic fiction . . . a little historical

 

This is one of the Maud Hart Lovelace award nominees for 2021-22. I enjoyed it, but it definitely demanded more of my attention than some of the other titles. 

 

Lucy lost her shark-studying mom at age 7. She and her dad are both fascinated with the ocean and the marine life they encounter. Lucy spends a lot of time with her best friend Fred, who loves biology and is a bit of a nerd.

These main characters are 13 years old for most of the story, though there are flashbacks to her earlier childhood. (Somewhere I wrote down a mini timeline . . . the year her mom died when Lucy was seven, her current age, the year . . . this book is set in the near past.)

Pages 84-85. Lucy and Fred are doing some research but they're also kind of flirting. It was a really weird juxtaposition of two very relatable tween / teen issues. "My mom had always used anatomical names for private parts, but for some reason, seeing vagina in print while lying on the floor with Fred seemed indecent." . . . "His face was so close, I could smell his sunscreen."

Page 223 - I loved that Lucy sent postcards to Fred. It was sweet and heart-rending. The one on this page surprised me. Lucy's caption said, "Bad photography can ruin a couple of good loons." and it actually had the title "Photo of Loons on the Saco River. Photo credit: Laurie Bowman." So of course I wondered if this postcard really exists and how did this photographer feel about this . . . but I couldn't find it by googling and I can't imagine Kate Allen would throw someone under the bus. Weird.

Page 299 - Mr. Patterson was such a cool character. I love how he explained the meaning of the mermaid necklace to Lucy. I also loved how he looked out for her. And went on the road trip to Maine. 

Page 348 - When Lucy's dad tells her she'd make a good line tender, she quips, 

"'Cause I avoid the water?" I asked, not even joking.

"No. The line tender sees everything. Reads the divers' signals, the terrain, the equipment. Uses all the resources to stay connected to the other end of the line."

This was a book about loss, friendship, belonging, and it was beautiful. This is the author's first title. I hope she writes more!

The Capture of Cerberus / The Incident of the Dog's Ball

by Agatha Christie

Libby audiobook 1 hour

read by David Suchet

Published: 2011

Genre: murder mystery short stories

I had these on hold for a few months, not realizing that they were two short stories. Just now, reading the info about them on Libby, I find that they were among Christie's unpublished papers . . . the stories both feature Hercule Poirot. Suchet's voice work is superb. The stories are classic Christie but I preferred The Incident of the Dog's Ball. There's still a long waiting list, so I'm going to return it! What an amazing task someone had, archiving her papers and discovering new (though also old) stories.

The Delany Sisters' Book of Everyday Wisdom

by Sarah and A. Elizabeth Delany with Amy Hill Hearth

personal copy hardcover 133 pages

Published: 1994

Genre: Non-fiction advice, memoir

I've long loved Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years. When I saw this book of wisdom by the sisters, I grabbed it! What amazing women. They've since gone to Eternity, but I'm so thankful that their stories (at least some of them) have been preserved for posterity.

Page 19: "Bessie: I'll tell you what I cherish most from the past: our family traditions, all those little rituals that bind you together. Folks today tend to be so busy and independent that they abandon the daily habits, like eating meals together, that keep you close. They think they can watch the TV during dinner or grab a quick bite and rush off. They think it doesn't matter. Well, they are wrong!"

Bessie goes on to talk about the value of the family supper meal and everyone together, talking and just enjoying one another. Yes! Research has actually shown that families who share regular meals have statistically positive outcomes. I'm so glad that I grew up in a household that valued shared meals and that Louie and I provided them for our children.

Page 62-63:

   

I love this wisdom! It fits nicely with Financial Peace University teaching . . . and it makes a lot of sense. Number 4 is especially good . . . live within your means.

 

 

Page 70: "We don't see folks as black or white. This race mess is just plain foolishness! And the fighting that goes on between religions is crazy, too. Papa used to get very upset when he'd hear anti-Semitic remarks. He wouldn't stand for it. He'd say, 'The Jews are God's Chosen People. Who are you, who couldn't make a flea, to disrespect God by criticizing the Jews?' The world is full of nice folks, whatever their color or religion. As Mama used to say, your job is to find them."

 

Bessie's and Sadie's parents were wise people. They raised ten children to also be wise. Wonderful!

 

Page 80:

 

 

A Word to Young People. This is kind of funny - neither of the sisters got married or had children . . . but this is still great advice.

 

Pages 110-111: 

 

 

These women doing yoga amaze me! I love that they work at eating healthy and exercising . . . smart ladies.  

Page 123: Sadie: "That's a big problem with some older folks - they have such low expectations of themselves. When they get to a certain age, they just give up. That's a shame! If there's anything I've learned in all these years, it's that life is too good to waste a day. It's up to you to make it sweet."

Such sweet advice! It comes on the heels of a story about Sadie in the hospital with a broken hip, trying to give her roommate (in her 70s) a pep talk about not giving up. She notes that she was in better shape than most of these younger roommates even though she was much older.

Page 133: Sadie: "But you know, we aren't ready to give up yet, unless the Lord makes up His mind that it's finally time to call us. In the meantime, like all human beings, we want to keep on living. As Bessie says, 'Heaven is my home but, honey, I ain't homesick!'"

One of the things I love about that is how conflicted I sometimes feel when another Christian talks about Heaven and wanting to go to their heavenly home so much. I love having the hope of eternity, but I have Bessie's sentiment - "Heaven is my home but, honey, I ain't homesick!" I love life. 

This book is so wonderful. It's a gift for one of my daughters-in-law.

A Birthday Party for Jesus

by Susan Jones

Illustrated by Lee Holland

Hennepin County Library children's book

Published: 2017

 

Sweet little children's book about gifts for Jesus.  This is one title in a set of four . . . I haven't read them all, but I really liked this one and used it at church in 2021.

The Paris Key

by Juliet Blackwell

Libby audiobook 10 hours

read by Xe Sands

Published: 2015

Genre: realistic fiction

 

Positives: Blackwell writes stories that draw you in. 

The switching from Genevieve in modern day times, when she was 14, and her mother Angela's storyline in 1983 was not confusing. 

There were many interesting characters and I especially liked the changes in Genevieve's cousin Catherine.

I loved the locksmithing part of the story and the abundant metaphors it provided.

I loved the foodie aspect of Paris . . . shopping every day to enjoy fresh baguettes and in-season fruits and vegetables.

 

Drawbacks: I think I would have enjoyed reading this in print more than listening to the audiobook, even though Sands did a lovely job. There are places I would have made notes and blogged about.

I also disliked the broken marriages . . . which made Dave's and Pascal's story all the better!

I couldn't stand that Genevieve's husband called her Jeannie because it was "too hard" to pronounce her name correctly! What?!

 

Blackwell is a talented author. I liked Letters From Paris a bit better, but found it amusing that both stories featured an American woman from the South relocating to Paris to work and learn secrets . . .

Blended

by Sharon M. Draper

Scott County Library hardcover 308 pages

Published: 2018

Genre: YA realistic fiction

 

This is one of the 2021-22 Maud Hart Lovelace nominees. Draper is a fantastic author and this was another good read. From the cover blurb: "Eleven-year-old Isabella - whose father is black and mother is white - is used to these kinds of comments, but it doesn't mean she likes them. And now that her parents are divorced (and getting along WORSE than ever), Isabella feels like a push-me-pull-me toy. Being split between Mom and Dad is more than switching houses, switching nicknames, switching backpacks: it's switching identities. If you're only seen as half of this and half of that, how can you ever feel whole?" 

The comments being referenced here are about her looks, of course. How unusual and "exotic" and "what" is she . . . but the aspects of the story that felt really true to life beyond her racial identity dealt with being the child of divorce and her identity as a human being. 

 

Page 39: "It took him a few clicks before he finally said, 'The world looks at Black people differently. It's not fair, but it's true.'" 

Isabella and her dad are talking about their clothing and people's perceptions. The whole conversation is so personal and beautiful, though painful too.

 

Pages 79-83: "By the time they're finished, I feel like throwing up. I don't see Imani anywhere."

The whole thread of questioning after Isabella's friend Imani had a noose hung in her locker infuriated me! How could any adult working with kids talk to a clearly scared eleven-year-old as though they're interrogating a hardened criminal?!

Page 117: "Class time goes by so quickly: I'm still reading stuff when the bell rings."

I love it when this happens to students! They get so engaged in what they're learning that they lose track of time. In this case, Isabella is reading poems by Langston Hughes. I love how Draper effortlessly added in so many great educational lessons. I hadn't read Hughes' poem Cross before, and both that and Isabella's (Draper's) response poem Criss Cross . . . really good stuff!

Page 146: "Mr. Kazilly gave us a poem by some guy named Joyce Kilmer. What mother names her son Joyce?"

The poem is Trees and it was lovely to read it again, especially the last line: "Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree." Isabella's comment about Kilmer's first name is just classic kid observation!

 

Page 189: "Monogamy means 'being married to only one person at a time.' Makes sense to me. Misogamy means 'hatred of marriage.' I guess that's how my parents felt before they split up."

Isabella's language arts vocab words fit into the story so well and help to move the story along. Love this! Never having heard the word "misogamy" before, it made me think of a misogynist. I love words (even when they represent ugly ideas).

 

Page 220: "Darren rushed home from a date. He didn't try to explain stuff away like Mom and Dad did. When he walked into my room, I erupted into a full ugly-face cry. He sat close, handed me tissues, and didn't say a single word. Didn't even check his phone once."

Darren is Isabella's soon-to-be step-brother. He is a teenage boy, but he is such a good older brother / friend to Isabella. He is one of my favorite characters in the book. When Isabella's mom and dad have a major scene at the weekly "handoff," she absolutely goes off, running away from both of her parents and out into the stormy evening.

Page 271: (you must read this book . . . )

This page shocked me. And upset me. Part of the reason it upset me is that it was so easily believable. I cried. Draper wrote this so well.

This book is amazing. It deals with racial profiling, marriage and divorce, adolescence, relationships, finding personal strengths (Isabella is an amazing piano player), and so much more. It is a well-told story and worth reading!

Boy Bites Bug

by Rebecca Petruck

Scott County Library hardcover 250 pages

Published: 2018

Genre: YA realistic fiction

One of the Maud Hart Lovelace nominees for this year. Set in Minnesota. Touches on middle school boy friendships, racism, wrestling, and entomophagy (insect eating). This felt more like an elementary school book to me . . . 

I liked the relationship between main character Will and his sister Hollie. That dynamic was most interesting to me. Will's attempts to maintain his friendship with Darryl and defend newcomer Eloy were realistic, but strained.

It Wasn't Me

by Dana Alison Levy

Scott County Library paperback 320 pages

Published: 2018

Genre: YA realistic fiction

 

This is one of the 2021-22 Maud Hart Lovelace nominees and I decided to read them all so I can talk with middle school students about them.

 

Theo is a photographer who prefers to avoid the spotlight. When he agrees to hang a show of his photos and they're vandalized, five students seen in the vicinity are detained. Molly is an overachiever, Erik an athlete, Jax the "screwup," Andre the "nerd," and Alice the horror-movie "weirdo." Their teacher Ms. Lewiston believes in the power of Circle Justice and has them participate over a week of vacation.

 

I immediately thought about Touching Spirit Bear with the circle justice . . . . 

 

Mostly about stereotypes and how people perceive one another, the book felt quite predictable in some regards and delightful in others. It's no surprise that the author gives some credit to The Breakfast Club.

Page 110-111: I'm not going to replicate the text here, but when Jax is explaining why he likes hiphop and he defines "misogynist," the ensuing conversation (Molly's outrage, Eric's confusion) is well-written.

Page 115: "Flummoxed was a vocab word last month, meaning totally taken by surprise or caught off guard."  When Andre says that his band's YouTube channel has over 50,000 subscribers, Theo's use of a vocab word hits perfectly. Again, clever work by this author.

Page 125: "She says: 'Sorry my dad is so impatient.' I nod. 'Sorry my mom gave him the finger.' She shrugs. Together we walk into the school for day three."

This interaction between Alice and Theo just made me laugh. Parents. What can you do? Theo's mom had paused in the drop-off to make sure he was okay. Alice's dad beeped once, then leaned on the horn. "As I glance back, I see my mom waving wildly out the window before driving off." Then there's a description of Alice's horror makeup for the day, which includes a third eye on her forehead. Then the interaction above.

Page 126: ". . . Jax and Erik have their heads bent over an issue of Sportsballs and Sweaty Things (possibly not the actual title) . . . 

Again, laugh out loud line. This sounds like something one of my sons might have said as a teen.

Page 147: "(Also, I will note here that the motion of a cat gakking up a hairball, when set to dubstep, is oddly compelling.)"

It will be fun to talk with kids about this book and see what they enjoy most.

Page 242: ". . . all the good anger drains out of me so fast I'm dizzy."

When Theo loses it and yells at everyone and pours out all his frustrations, he drains himself emotionally. It's what he needed to do, yet he was very hurtful to others. It's a relatable scene, and his ability to apologize and make things right again . . . is well-written.

House Arrest

by K.A. Holt

Libby audiobook 4 hours

read by Alex Kydd

Published: 2019

Genre: YA realistic fiction

 

"Timothy is on probation. It's a strange word - something that happens to other kids, to delinquents, not to kids like him. And yet, he is under house arrest for the next year. He must check in weekly with a probation officer and a therapist, and keep a journal for an entire year. And mostly, he has to stay out of trouble. But when he must take drastic measures to help his struggling family, staying out of trouble proves more difficult than Timothy ever thought it would be."

Oh. My. Word.

I love this book! It made me laugh and it made me cry. This would be a great title to recommend to kiddos who enjoy Sonnenblick's Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie. Timothy is a fantastic and relatable protagonist. When he is caught stealing a wallet to pay for his baby brother's really expensive medicine, he has to journal about his thoughts and feelings.

Those thoughts and feelings are held in fairly tightly at first (hello, 12 year old boy) but then he rages at the injustices in his life - mostly on behalf of his baby brother and his hard-working mother. What an incredible kid! 

His probation officer (James) and his therapist (Ms. Bainbridge) are also wonderful characters. This was a delightful, quick story.

<Above posted on 12.8.21. I relistened to it on 11.29.22 because I remembered enjoying it so much and I wanted an audiobook. Such a good story!>

Oh! There was a funny line when he called puking "shouting groceries." That tickled my funny bone.

Murder on Cape Cod

by Maddie Day

Libby audiobook 8 hours

read by: ???

Published: 2019

Genre: Murder mystery (part of the Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery)

Louie and I listened to this one together, which was fun!

Handyman Jake has been stabbed and two members of the book club are implicated . . . but Mac sets out to figure out who the real killer is.

Good old-fashioned sleuthing. Lots of characters and clues. A funny parrot (African gray?). It was interesting as more details came to light. Mac finally got some help with her bike shop. Tourists galore.

Letters From Paris

by Juliet Blackwell

Libby audiobook 

Read by: Xe Sands

Published: 2016

Genre: Mystery, some history

Wow! Top 3s:

LOVED:

1. beautiful language, evocative - I could picture myself in Paris!

2. my curiosity was piqued on so many levels about so many different things

3. connections made between the characters and the eras in history (The author wove the story strands very effectively.)

Didn't Love:

1. audiobook format - sometimes the reader's gorgeous voice got too quiet and I missed words. It can be hard to focus on driving safely AND wanting to actually hear the story. There are only so many times you can safely hit the "back 15 seconds" button while listening. I didn't like missing parts of the story, nor cranking the volume up then needing to turn it back down.

2. The very predictable path of Claire's and Armond's (?) relationship.

3. That it's over! What a good book. Sorry no real review here - Google it for a description.

The Wish Book Christmas: a novella

by Lynn Austin

Carver County Library hardcover 273 pages

Published: 2021

Genre: Christian fiction

 

We're discussing this in book club tonight. It was pleasant, but not very impactful (to me). I was on page 29 before I remembered that it's a kind of sequel to Austin's book If I Were You, which we read last year.  Oh yes! Eve was the servant girl who impersonated Audrey, the rich girl, when WWII ended. 

Page 45 - "I'm afraid my words are coming out all wrong, and I'm giving the impression that I'm judging the Barretts and condemning the way they live. If so, please forgive me. That's not at all what I intended. It's just that I want to make my own choices, and this is what I've chosen to do."

Audrey shouldn't have to justify why she wants a loan to go back to school. And sometimes wealth can just make people live so differently than regular people who don't have the proverbial silver spoon. The fact that she's experienced a change in circumstances and is trying to do what she believes is right - go Audrey!

Page 55 - "If only Eve could fully forgive herself and forget ohw she had hurt the people who meant the most to her."

Sometimes forgiving ourselves is the absolute hardest thing to do . . . that said, this theme got old fast. She was so busy punishing herself that she didn't seem to consider the collateral damage she was doing to Tom, Harry, etc.

Page 101 - (Audrey) "When I lost Robert, I wanted to die. I don't ever want to feel that much pain again." (Eve): "Then you'll have to stop living, because life is going to bring pain. It's a certainty."

Seriously, human relationships provide plenty of joy, but pain is part of life, too.

Page 151 - This whole conversation between Audrey and Tom. Duh. Eve loves him but refuses to accept his love . . . gag. (Yet she's trying to set up Audrey with the Harrison guy.)

Page 229 - Okay, I got a little teary by the end. When the two women went to the store and bought the airplanes and all the Scriptural lessons were learned, my hard heart softened.

"It would have brought him joy. Audreys' father had just shown his love for her by giving her an extravagant gift. And it reminded Audrey that her heavenly Father had shown His extravagant love by giving Jesus to the world at Christmas."

I liked the neighbor lady with the dog, the kids getting to practice being "smart kings," and the goodness of Tom and his parents.

The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus, bk 5)

by Rick Riordan

Libby audiobook 14 hours

read by Nick Chamian

Published: 2014

Genre: YA fantasy

A continuation of the story. Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Frank, and Hazel are in Athens. Nico travels with Reyna to return the Athena Parthenos to Camp Halfblood before the Romans and Greeks get into war (and before Gaea arises). I forgot where Jason and Piper were . . . it was good, but I was often mentally focused on other things as the story unwound.

I'm not sure I even have a favorite part, though Nico deciding to stay at Camp Half Blood at the end was nice.

Inkling

by Kenneth Oppel

Scott County library paperback 256 pages

published: 2018

genre: YA fantasy

Oppel always surprises me as an author . . . in good ways. What started out as a middle school book about an inkspot coming to life turned into a very beautiful book about grief, family, and love. For young readers, the mystery / adventure and splashy illustration style will probably be the big draw. 

 

Ethan's dad is an artist with a creative block. Ethan is working on a graphic novel group project at school and wants his dad's help. Sarah, Ethan's little sister is a sweet special needs child. When Inkling (the ink blot) comes to "life," things get really interesting.

Page 105 - "Mom would never have forgotten the cake. Ethan was startled by how much he missed her all of a sudden. She'd always run the parties. ... Without Mom, the house still felt emptier, every room of it. Some mornings when Ethan woke up, he had that same terrible feeling he's had right after she died. It made him want to curl himself up into a ball. Like if he made himself small enough, it wouldn't hurt so much."

Page 139-140 - "It was such a relief for Ethan to finally tell his father. A secret was a heavy thing to carry around for so long, and day by day it only got heavier. He realized that this was the most he and his dad had talked about anything in a long time."

Page 202 - "Watching from his jar, Inkling didn't like what he saw. This creature couldn't have been more different from him. Sure, Inkling liked superhero comics and the occasional explosion, but this was too much. And he felt angry - not at the splotch, but at Vika and Mr. Worthington. They should be feeding this new creature all sorts of things, beautiful books and magnificent artwork. It should have a healthy, mixed diet, like the one Inkling was lucky enough to get from Ethan."

I loved this notion of "feeding" the ink blot with good literature. Throughout the book, Ethan notices that Inkling's communication reflects what he's been "feeding" upon - The Old Man and the Sea, The BFG, etc. 

Reading this reminds me of how surprised I was when I read Silverwing. How could I care so much about bats?!

Olive, Mabel, & Me: Life and Adventures with Two Very Good Dogs

 by Andrew Cotter

Hennepin County Library hardcover 205 pages (with photos)

Published: 2020

Genre: non-fiction, dogs

This was so good! Besides reading it right after Blum's very sad dog book, Cotter is a talented writer. I loved this book! (Enough to consider buying copies to give as gifts to other dog lovers.) 

Page 5 - "Dogs, by contrast, offer constant and easy love. You don't have to work too hard to get their unfettered adoration and no stroking, tickling, or patting will go unappreciated."

Page 17 - ". . . just make use of the parks or settle for walks down the pavement. It's a poor substitute for beaches or fields or mountains, but dogs don't think about what they might be missing or worry about what they don't have. They simply enjoy what's on offer . . . "

Page 23 - He makes me laugh throughout this book! He has a noble-sounding quote theoretically from 1782 followed by "(On the Origins of Dogs by Andrew Cotter - don't look, I think it's out of print.)" He's got a delightful sense of humor.

Page 31 - "We had also been reliably informed that dogs - or certainly Labradors - are desperate to please their owners, and that this can be used very effectively in training. But with my experience of Labs now, I believe there is a more obvious hierarchy in their heads of what is most important: 

1. Food

2. Food

3. Food

4. Also food

5. Human approval"

 

Page 43 - Writing about trying to get Olive to wear expensive dog boots for a winter mountain climb:

Before my own investigations, I had even bought boots for Olive - proper outdoor boots, meant for dogs working on ice - that cost more than most human shoes. There were just a couple of problems with this, the first major stumbling block being that dogs don't like wearing boots.

I had obtained a set from a good-quality dog outdoor-wear supplier, and they did fit her paws well. But the process of getting them on took approximately seventeen hours. During this time she stared at me with eyes that contained an impressive mixture of sadness for her own situation and contempt for me. Then, when cajoled to move, she did so with the utmost reluctance, stepping gingerly about before beginning a quite complex dressage routine with a high-stepping gait, as if trying to shake them off. Eventually, she decided that the best thing to do would be to settle down and chew them into submission.

 

Page 77 -  "This ancestry is clearly why Olive and Mabel will rarely pass anything bigger than a puddle without wishing to dive in." 

Made me think of Keiko wanting to jump in the pond! And Titus' love of "splash."

Page 122 - "Still, some people do not like dogs and I completely understand that - it certainly doesn't make them bad people. If you want a nice relaxing drink and then a yapping or perhaps slightly grubby creature appears beside you, it can sully the experience. I feel this way about many children."

Page 193 - He includes an excerpt from Rudyard Kipling's "The Power of the Dog" and I made note of it to read in full. (Read here.)

Woodrow on the Bench

by Jenna Blum

Libby eBook

Published: 2021

Genre: non-fiction, dog

Wow. She's a good writer. I was sobbing in the car as I read it. I told Louie, "it's about an old dog and the owner doesn't want to have to put him down because he still likes walks and treats." He said, "Just like Pepper." Blum is a really talented writer. I've already checked out another book of hers.

This! I hadn't heard of this before: www.journeyspet.com Quality of Life Scale Calculator! Jumping or mobility, ouch or  pain, uncertainty and understanding, respiration or breathing, neatness or hygiene, eating and drinking, you, social ability . . . there's a scoring system. A higher score is better ("80 is a happy, healthy pet!") "A score of 8 is a pet that is suffering. A low score on any of the measures may be a reason to consider euthanasia." I definitely think it's helpful to have a scale.

Page 51 - "Much of August passed this way: Woodrow napped in the water like a hippo, I worked with my feet on his back. Sometimes I set my iPad down and watched Woodrow sleep and thought about those swims when he was younger, how he'd leaped for hours from a rocky cliff into a Minnesota quarry or picked up the lawn sprinkler and chased Jim and me around the yard with it. I thought about my mom's life, too, or rather the end of it, how she went from shopping excursions to sitting in the parking lot at the beach because she was too weak to get out of the car, from sunning on her front walkway with her coffee and the Palm Beach Post to watching TV in the bedroom to finally just her bed. Her existence had dwindled like that small white square on old TVs, shrinking until it winked out altogether. Woodrow might wallow, but he would never swim again."

 

Her grief and sadness over losing her mom (I think) made her more determined not to say goodbye to her dog. That aging, slowing down, diminishing world . . . is very sobering. I want my life to matter. I want to live big while I can. I miss my mom.

Page 116 - "I sighed inwardly. Privately, I found the concept of self-care - like the advice to 'Live your best life!' - somewhat tyrannical. A nice concept, but often difficult to execute. What was wrong with living one's most mediocre life and being content with it?"

This made me laugh! "Living one's most mediocre life" is an encouraging concept when you feel low energy.

The Old Fox Deceiv'd

 By Martha Grimes

"A Richard Jury Mystery"

Libby audiobook

Read by Steve West

Published: 2013

Genre: murder mystery

 

This was good, but also one I'd rather have had in print! There were a lot of characters and clues. I liked Inspector Jury, but disliked Harkins(?). I had to go back and re-listen to the opening scene . . . which person was killed? So many interesting details! The artist, the barkeep, Bertie, . . . of course, Julian seemed the most likely killer so it couldn't possibly be him. But who? I loved how the story unraveled, slowly and with increasing tension. A second murder . . . on the moor. Great British story! I'll read more of hers, but will get them in print form! (The reader was excellent, but there were simply too many characters and details to wrap my brain around.)

Bruno, Chief of Police

by Martin Walker

Libby audiobook 8 hours

read by Robert Ian MacKenzie

Published: 2008

Genre: Detective, murder mystery

This was interesting. Set in rural France, it was unlike other murder mysteries I've read. The themes of racial violence and history actually paired incredibly well with the book club book I just finished. 

I liked the descriptions of food and wine. I liked Bruno's somewhat unethical approach to life and policing . . . but it totally fit the small town vibe. I don't know that I liked it enough to read other books in the series (at least right now), but it was significantly better than the pseudo-mystery romance garbage that I got on my previous two tries of mystery audiobooks!

I should probably stick with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie for a while. . .

The Curator's Daughter

by Melanie Dobson

Libby ebook & Scott County Library paperback 399 pages

Published: 2021

Genre: Christian historical fiction

I didn't finish reading this before book club discussion, but it was definitely worth finishing! This book travels between 1999 Idaho, WWII France and Germany, and modern day Washington DC. The main story travels between Sarah / Ember, Hanna, and Lilli . . . but they are very intertwined. The male characters have a lot of connections, too. I almost made a character map! The main themes are racial purity, archaeology, secret-keeping, and second chances.

Chapter 2 - "She had to keep her eyes on preserving the past, not trying to control the future." (Hanna)

Chapter 2 - "The female curse of tears, a swift current of them, threatened to flood across the banks, and she blinked back the surge before it ruined her." (Hanna)

Chapter 3 - "Parents often brought their kids to remember alongside them, and that, to Ember, was the greatest tribute of all. These children would learn, she prayed, and not repeat the horror, this knowledge defeating any hatred in their hearts." (Ember at the Holocaust Museum)

Chapter 4 - "Perhaps she wouldn't have been afraid of this lion if she'd realized it was offering her life." (Hanna getting a drink of water from the scary lion fountain. Made me think of C.S. Lewis' Aslan!)

Chapter 21 - "'. . . the more we can work together to expose and end this cycle of hatred.'  'I'm afraid it will never end, Ember. Not if people continue to turn their backs on the love of God for all of His creation.' . . . . 'Words will never penetrate a hardened heart,' she said. ' The persecution won't end until people are willing to humble themselves and love their neighbors.'" (Conversation between Ember and Mrs. Kiehl - aka Lilli.)

 

Chapter 36 - "'Hitler knew the power of art and entertainment.'" (Dr. Graf explaining the collection of stolen art to Ember.)

Chapter 38 - "If, by a miracle, Elsie was still alive, she prayed that her daughter had chosen to love instead of hate. That she had stood up against evil." (Ember)

Chapter 42 - "Courage like that, Ember thought, could change the world." (Ember)

Chapter 45 - "There were good and bad members of every people group." (Lilly)

Chapter 46 - "And she prayed for Elsie, if she was still alive, that she would know the true love of a father and it would wash away any hatred from her heart, capturing her soul." (Ember)

Chapter 46 - "Love, overwhelming, swallowed her as she sank back into the leaves, the center stump steady beneath her hands. Beloved." (Ember in the labyrinth.)

Chapter 49 - "The Nazi officers ultimately hung themselves with their own pride." (Nuremberg trials - video footage)

Chapter 49 - "How could anyone do these things to another person? Nothing could justify this evil." (Nuremberg trials - video footage)

Chapter 53 - "But in her weariness, in the depths of exhaustion and despair, God stepped into her sorrow. No matter what happened tonight, she was in His care." (Hanna)

Chapter 53 - "As she looked up at him, an unexpected peace settled in the cool air like snowflakes on her meadow back home." (Hanna)

Chapter 54 - "Ember's dissertation had been focused on the past, but her gaze was on the future now. On the importance, the simplicity, of looking someone of a different nationality, a different background, in the eye. Talking with instead of at them, hearing their story. Replacing an identity of hatred with one steeped in God's love." (Ember)

Author's Note - "History is circling back around one more time, and I can't ignore the revival of hatred around our world. Nor do I want to forget the hope of God's redemption and love for all. That a spirit of fear does not come from Him (2 Timothy 1:7)."

Typically, I write my thoughts on each of my "notes" from the text. But right now, I don't want to. My main takeaway is to love God and love others. I want to seek to understand and listen, especially when it's easier to argue or ignore.

One niggling irritation - would Ember's advisor actually let her work on a thesis when she doesn't even know the focus of it? She's "looking for" a heroic German who made a difference during WWII. What did she spend her time on researching and writing before she stumbled on Mrs. Kiehl's story?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was super curious about the cave with the potential "Holy Grail" from the start of the book. This one was well-written and thought-provoking.

Santa 365

by Spencer Quinn

Libby e- short story

I didn't enjoy this little story as well as some of the others. An ex-con talks Bernie into his "Santa 365" service. A crabby elf shows up and Bernie and Chet try to get to the bottom of what's going on. They find money that they return to an extortionist's victims.

The Unadoptables

 by Hana Tooke

Libby audiobook 9 hours

read by: Fiona Hardingham

Published: 2020

Genre: YA historical fiction, mystery

What an unusual book! Five children are left at the Little Tulip Orphanage in Amsterdam in the 1880s under strange circumstances (one in a tin toolbox, one in a coal bucket, one in a picnic hamper, one in a wheat sack, and one in a coffin-shaped basket). The matron in charge of the orphanage (Elinora Gassbeek) is cruel and tells the children as they are turning 12 that they are "unadoptable." When she tries to sell them as laborers to a merciless shipper, Milou, Lotta, Egg, Fenna, and Sem decide to strike out on their own.

There are lots of dark themes, but Tooke is such an effective storyteller that I was drawn in and really enjoyed the story. The puppet show and the climax of the story - wow. It definitely makes me want to read more by this author. The vocal work was also fantastic.

Off The Road: A Modern-Day Walk Down the Pilgrim's Route into Spain

by Jack Hitt

Hennepin County Library hardcover 255 pages

Published: 1994

Genre: Non-fiction, memoir, history

 

I got this after reading and enjoying The Promised Land by Elizabeth Musser and watching the movie  The Way. They made me curious about the Camino de Santiago and this book seemed to be highly recommended. It was pretty disappointing.

Right from the get-go, he disparages and discounts religion. I read the entire book, hoping that there would be a moment when he had some revelation about life and God. He seems too self-absorbed to be open to faith.

Page 46 - "Despite its literalness, the idea of the pilgrim's journey is a metaphor bonanza. Everything that happens on the road seems to translate itself instantaneously from what it is to what it means. I get lost! Yellow arrows! Fleeing dogs! Metaphor? Friend, I'm slogging through it."

 

He definitely has great command of language. (He is a professional writer.) My favorite parts were when he was writing about his own experiences rather than the sections were he has researched some of the history of the road, the churches, etc.

 

Page 83 - "On foot, a pilgrim finds that his mind can get so blurred by the stroke-inducing sunshine that in his reverie he almost believes that he can control these coincidences. Wish hard enough, and that horse will gallop right up. On several occasions I have eaten all the food in my pack, opened it, and found that my stash has reappeared. Empty bottles of water have filled themselves. Money has appeared when I had none. On precisely those occasions when I was out of hard currency and hungry, strangers have offered me meals without prompting. I could go on."

So . . . the sunshine tricks you into believing that you can control coincidences? You can have a firm belief in coincidence but not in Almighty God? It's kind of sad, actually.

Page 115 - "Most are unoccupied, unused, and unwanted." (This is in reference to the churches along the way.)

Sometimes he states his opinions as though they were immutable facts. He is clearly antagonistic toward organized religion, but he also has no time for God or for other pilgrims who believe in God. 

Page 154 - "All of us participate in these groupings in some way or another. And in these maneuverings and jostlings, one can feel a kind of low-grade panic. We are trying to assert an approach to the road or an interpretation of it that is in some sense bigger than ourselves. The old vocabulary of the road - that language of suffering, penance, grace, mystery - are terms most of us find uncomfortable in our conversations. There are those who make a show of old-fashioned piety. . . . They are, in short, annoying: they walk the road with an untroubled confidence in what they are doing. The rest of us are anxious."

This guy just rubbed me the wrong way. He is clearly superior to other pilgrims in his own mind, yet acknowledges that he doesn't know why he's making the pilgrimage.

Page 176-7 - I'm not going to quote all of this part, but he's agonizing over his purpose. "While I become less and less confident about being here, the others grow increasingly assured of their enterprise." Yet he is so critical of people whose walk is due to their faith in God. "These few would have no problem describing my free lunch as a miracle. They are an intense lot. One of them saw a statue move. They avoid the rest of us, as we do them."

Pages 190-191 - He makes a list of distinctions between groups on the walk:

all others v. cars

walkers v. bicyclists

mountain bikers v. racing bikers

short-distance walkers v. long-distance walkers

imposing suffering v. accepting suffering

not spending money v. spending money

tradition v. improvisation

past v. present

walking alone v. walking in a group

Catholic absolutism v. non-Catholic relativism

knowledge v. doubt

certainty v. ambiguity

solemnity v. hilarity

Page 248 - When he reaches the portico in Santiago, it almost seems as though he has a breakthrough. He is overwhelmed and goes down on his knees. But then he turns it into a kind of film script and his self-awareness lacks true introspection.

Page 253 - When he talks about the awkwardness of running into people he just spent weeks with, I wonder what this experience would be like for me. "We are strangers again and have little to say." Perhaps if their conversations had been deeper and more personal, there would have been a stronger connection. I don't think I'll ever tackle a walk like this! (But if I did, it would be to seek after God's direction.)

Someone who read this before me marked lots of passages lightly with pencil. Not sure what they were looking for or if they found it.

The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus bk 3)

by Rick Riordan

Libby audiobook

read by Joshua Swanson

Published: 2012

Genre: YA fantasy, mythology

Not sure why I'm continuing on with this series, but it's fluffy fun. (Though it does make me think about how an author could write Christian stories that draw young readers in the way Riordan does with mythology. Thank you, C.S. Lewis, for the Chronicles of Narnia.) This one focuses on Annabeth (sort of). My favorite part was in the aquarium in Atlanta and Frank, Leo, and Hazel warning Percy about the treatment of the sea creatures. Knowing me, I'll probably go ahead and finish the series after I get done with some of the other audiobooks I have loaded now.

The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus, bk 2)

by Rick Riordan

Libby audiobook 13.5 hours

read by Joshua Swanson

Published: 2013

Genre: YA fiction, mythology

 

It just occurred to me that I've probably blogged about this book already. Percy is chased by Gorgons, ends up at Camp Jupiter (the Roman counterpart to Camp Halfblood), befriends Frank and Hazel, they go on a dangerous quest, and at the end of the story the Argo II shows up with the people from book 1.

 

It was a more pleasant "listen" than the last book I had, but I definitely need to take time to find good audiobooks that I haven't already read . . . 

Tail of Vengeance (The Iggy Chronicles, vol. 2)

by Spencer Quinn

A Chet & Bernie mystery

Libby e short story

Published: 2014

Genre: short story mystery

Delightful! It didn't have much to do with Iggy, but it did explain the Teitelbaum issue and the Porsches . . . When the girlfriend hires Bernie to figure out if her bf is cheating and he brings back pictures of the man with another woman, that woman is the wife! Then the wife wants to hire Bernie to find out if her husband is cheating . . . it's a quick read and fills a back story that Chet has often referenced in other books. The big party scene at the end is the pinnacle. I love Chet.

<Above posted 10.13.21. Below added 2.1.25.>

I wanted a quick audiobook and this fit. I had forgotten about the Porsches and the wife's revenge. I'm glad Bernie decided to tell her what he knew (after initially rejecting her case). I also thought it was interesting that his ex-wife recommended him to her friend.

The Power of a Half Hour: Take Back Your Life Thirty Minutes at a Time

by Tommy Barnett

Hennepin County Library hardcover 165 pages + 1 page with the 30 principles + 30 pages of Personal Action Plans (1 per) + 7 page study guide

Published: 2013

Genre: Christian, self-help, non-fiction

I should just buy my own copy! This is overdue, but I can't renew it any more. I didn't get through the personal action plans . . . but have too much going on right now.

Chapter 6 is "Make a Regular Connection" and has to do with pursuing a relationship with God. I love this! I need to keep it here:

I actually need to keep it in my heart. Drawing near to the Lord, building that relationship, is the most important part of this book.

In the principle of listening to God (not just talking), I liked this quote:  "I'm a product of my society, so I'm very much a doer, so to break away from that routine and stop it has to be a definite commitment, something I do on purpose."

I get too focused on my to-do lists and my goals. I listen to audiobooks and push myself. But I know it's all pointless if I'm not focused on God and seeking His will.

Chapter 11 is titled "Own a Great Attitude." The half-hour power principle is "shift your outlook to change your destiny." There's a quote from Scott Hamilton that says "the only disability in life is a bad attitude."

I liked his section on thirty-minute meetings. Preparation can help save time so that people aren't sitting in pointless meetings for too long.

Chapter 19 "Sustain Hope" is about the half-hour power principle "Hope results from God's grace and your effort." I marked this part: "Part of my morning prayer regimen is to pray, 'God, please help me to help somebody today. I don't want to waste Your time or the opportunities You have reserved for me. I'm going to try to make my life really count today. Please bless my efforts.' At the end of each day, as part of my final prayer, I ask myself, Now did I help anybody today? If I didn't, I ask God to forgive me and to strengthen and prepare me to do better tomorrow."

Chapter 26 "Serve in a Loving Church" / help make your church relevant. This caught my attention because it's contrary to what I've been reading from Karl Vaters about small churches. Spirit of Life is a small church. Bigger isn't always better.  "I've also been asked if I think there is anything wrong with a small church. I do have a favorite answer for that one: 'No, if it only stays small for a week!' For if you have a New Testament church, you cannot stay small. In the book of Acts, we see how people were added daily to the church (see 2:47). That says to me that in seven days, then, a small church will be getting bigger."

Later in that same chapter, there's a section titled "Be Creative in Finding Needs to Fill." I love the work they do at the Dream Center and in ministering to foster children. I'd love to be doing more of this myself! Blessing others. Reaching out to meet needs.

Chapter 30 "Act!" / "Follow God into His amazing adventure for you." Barnett again writes about the importance of preparation. 

"I have to confess that I get tired of hearing people say that they're not doing anything about a situation because they're 'waiting on the Lord.' Too often that becomes an excuse to do nothing. Yes, it's important to move in God's timing and rhythm, but while you're waiting, you also need to be preparing for action, whatever that action might turn out to be."

I may still buy a copy of this and work through the action plan. I could also see myself leading a Bible study of this book. Food for thought!

Oh! Here is the list of the 30 principles.

A Murder for the Books

by Victoria Gilbert

Libby audiobook 11:12 hours

read by Melissa Bentley

Published: 2017

Genre: read the blog entry! Grr!

I *thought* this was a murder mystery. It was, but that's just a front for a bad romance novel with some ghost story tucked in. I really strongly disliked this story! Why (oh why) did I listen to the entire thing?!?! Because it was the only audiobook I had on my phone and I drove to Abbott Northwest Hospital twice and Forest City, Iowa twice and it was there. (Now I'm more careful to have more options on my phone!)

I initially liked that Amy was a librarian and there were so many book nerd references. But then it was clear that the research skills part was going on and on . . . and it was boring. (Part reference manual?) The romance was forced and dopey. The southern drawls were fine - the reader did a fine job. Amy finding everyone a possible suspect (except the real killer) was irritating. Amy getting her 30-something year old butt kicked by her 60-something year old cousin was just embarrassing. Doesn't this woman know any self-defense skills other than locking the house door?

The Amy / Sylvia and Eleanora / Rose comparison seemed a bit much, as did the connections between the 1920s story, the 1950s story, and the current story. I just did not like this book.

The Letter Keeper

by Charles Martin

Libby eBook 500+ pages

Published: 2021

Genre: Christian adventure fiction

This was an intense sequel to The Water Keeper . . . and it has an ending that makes you wish book three were already published!

Chapter 1: "But in my experience, she could either deal with the trauma now or wait until it festered and the residue spilled out her chest."

He's referring to Chris, a young woman he's just rescued from a predator. I think this resonated with me because I've seen people try to stuff or ignore emotional trauma . . . and that doesn't end well for them. It makes me sad when people try to pretend to be okay and they're not.

Chapter 4: "The first casualty at the altar of betrayal was trust. Which meant I was questioning everything."

This is an interesting line . . . Murphy could be referring to Bones or to Summer. Betrayal is such a strong word, but trust being a casualty makes sense.

Chapter 9: "I am putting something in your hand that, left alone, is harmless. But the moment you put your hand on it, it becomes something that breathes fire and deals both life and death. We're not playing with crayons, and this is not a video game."

Murphy is showing Ellie how to handle guns. She wants to be "tough" like her dad.

Chapter 10: "If that summer taught me anything, it was this: girls need their father. Period."

I wish I'd been able to participate in book club on this one. I'm sure the conversation would have been amazing. Dads are very important. But some single moms have done some absolutely powerful parenting . . . and some dads are destructive.

Chapter 14: "...there is something more valuable than money. Although you will have to dig deep to find it."

Part of Bones' graduation letter to Murphy. The "back story" telling that Murphy did for Ellie was really more about his life than Marie's life. It was interesting, though. I think if you hadn't read The Water Keeper first, this book would be less enjoyable / understandable.

Chapter 15: "I want to tell each of them they are Mona Lisa. Priceless. Beautiful and worth celebrating." / "I'll never understand what happens in a man, or sometimes a woman - although it's mostly men - to cause them to think they have the right to own another human. To force another member of the human race, made in the image of God, to do what they don't want to and wouldn't in ten million years. All for money." / "Darkness can't stand light. And it has no counter for it."

All of these jumped out at me. I think of the phrase "man's inhumanity to man" from a war movie. Sex trafficking depraves and deprives humans of dignity and self-worth. Although Martin is an excellent author, something about this topic just curdles my blood.

Chapter 20: "'If you were your enemy, would you want this to be published?' Her face revealed she'd never had this thought. I continued, 'If I were your enemy, I wouldn't want the world to know this. I'd want to keep it hidden. Want you to keep your mouth shut. Want to make you afraid that no one ever will or could love you after they'd read it. But truth is, I could never make you as afraid of me as I would be of your words. So I vote we hack off your enemy and publish this thing in as many countries as we can.'"

Murphy is trying to encourage Casey, but it was clear that her story's publicity would have a down side . . . and it did.

Chapter 22: "Once pure and unadulterated, the voice of hope is now muted by all the stuff we've crammed on top of it." 

It's hard to hold on to innocence and purity as you get older. Life brings lots of opportunities for disappointment, cynicism, and negativity.

Chapter 22: "The difference between what she heard and what I intended, or even what I thought I said, is evidence that the stuff in the pipe is real. That what we breathe in and what we breathe out can actually alter the words that are spoken so they fit a false narrative. But pain, like fear, is a liar. And it has but one lie: This love is too good to be true, and even if it were true, you don't deserve it."

This made me think of the song, "Fear is a Liar." So true!

Chapter 25: "Was her pain deeper than our love?"

 

When Murphy asks this about Casey, I think he knows the answer is yes. Yes, her pain is deeper.

Chapter 29: "'We can help their bodies, but it's their spirits that will need piecing back together.' He nodded. 'And love, the real kind, the kind that walks into hell and says me-for-you, is the only thing in this universe or any other that does that.'" / "Stripped bare, the human soul has one real desire: to know and be known." / "This is the thirst of the human soul, and only one thing satisfies it: to be accepted in the knowing."

 

I wonder what a non-Christian reader comes away with from reading this book. To me, these sentences point back to God and His redeeming love.

 

Chapter 34: "It's one of their deepest wounds - those they thought they could trust turned out not to be trustworthy."

It's a sucker punch to the gut when children's own parents or guardians traffic or abuse them. I cannot fathom this, though I know it happens.

Chapter 39: "'Will you let us call you Daughter?'"

I bawled. Probably my favorite part of the book. But Gunner (the dog) is still my favorite character. Then Clay.

Now I have to wait for book three to come out. The "reveal" on the bad guy . . . ooh. Really wish I could have been at book club!

Will Sparrow's Road

by Karen Cushman

Scott County Library audiobook 4 CDs

read by Katherine Kellgren

Published:2012

Genre: YA historical fiction

 

I'm really surprised that this was published almost ten years ago and I hadn't heard of it! Cushman is one of my favorite YA historical fiction authors. (The Ballad of Lucy Whipple is my favorite of her books.)

 

Will runs away from the innkeeper who plans to sell him to be a chimney sweep. He proclaims, "I care for no one but myself and nothing but my belly" as he seeks to make his way in the world in the late 1590s. He encounters thieves and charlatans on the road and at Elizabethan fairs. Even as he resolves to trust no one, he puts his trust in others who cheat him.

 

When he connects with Fitz, "the creature," the blind juggler, and the other oddities, something changes for him. This was an enchanting story with memorable characters.

One of my favorite parts was when Samuel and his pig duchess are trying to distract some rowdy boys by asking some riddles. This is a paraphrase, but you'll get the gist of it.

"Rich men wrap it up and put it in their pockets but poor men throw it away. What is it?"

No one could guess the answer (including this reader). The answer? Snot! A perfect riddle for rude boys.

This was an enjoyable story with lessons layered in about people, relationships, trust, honesty, and valuing what's truly important.

The Iggy Chronicles, Volume 1

by Spencer Quinn

Scott County Library short eBook on Libby

Published: 2013

Genre: detective mystery

I'm caught up on reading all the Chet & Bernie mysteries, so I'm working my way through the short eBooks. This one takes place when Mrs. Parsons goes to the hospital. Iggy goes to visit, gets loose, runs on a rampage through patient rooms, then is kidnapped.

Bernie and Chet do some detective work and find missing jewels as well as little Iggy. Ready for volume 2!

Tender Is the Bite

A Chet & Bernie Mystery, #11

by Spencer Quinn

Scott County Library eBook on Libby

Published: 2021

Spencer Quinn is a pen name for Peter Abrahams. From his website's "about the book" section:

Chet and Bernie are contacted by a terribly scared young woman who seems to want their help. Before she can even tell them her name, she flees in panic. But in that brief meeting Chet sniffs out an important secret about her, a secret at the heart of the mystery he and Bernie set out to solve.

It’s a case with no client and no crime and yet great danger, with the duo facing a powerful politician who has a lot to lose. Their only hope lies with a ferret named Griffie who adores Bernie. Is there room for a ferret in the Chet and Bernie relationship? That’s the challenge Chet faces, the biggest of his career. Hanging in the balance are the lives of two mistreated young women and the future of the whole state.

 

Chet is a fabulous dog narrator and there was a line that made me laugh out loud, but I didn't jot it down so now I don't remember it.

Involving politicians was an interesting choice. Bernie is incorruptable. The fact that his two neighbors are supporting opposing candidates is amusing.

I liked that we learned more about Bernie's past and his parting with the police department. Captain Ellis was a particularly nasty character.

Another great story! I liked having it on my phone, but it was too quick a read.

Gingersnap

by Patricia Reilly Giff

Scott County Library audiobook 3 CDs

Published: 2013

Read by: Olivia Campbell

Genre: YA historical fiction

For how short this book is, it sure took me a long time to "read" it. Set during WWII, orphan Jayna has been rescued from foster care by her brother when he turns 18. When he enlists to fight in the Pacific, she temporarily stays with their landlady until she decides to find her grandmother.

A young girl going to Brooklyn alone and asking to stay with a stranger . . . what could go wrong?

But as she always does, Giff surrounds her protagonist with memorable people (including the "ghost" of herself) and Jayna forges ahead as she worries and wonders about Rob's whereabouts.

Besides taking a long time to listen (started in my sewing room, finally put it on a portable player in my car, and finally finished it at my laptop), I didn't pay very close attention. I think my favorite of Giff's books remains Pictures of Hollis Woods. She writes engaging stories and captures the inner struggles of young girls.

Peril at End House

 by Agatha Christie

eBook on Libby, 396 pages

Published: 1932

genre: murder mystery, Hercule Poirot

I like having a book on my phone, just in case. I love Agatha Christie books, though I prefer Miss Marple to Hercule Poirot. In this story, Hercule is retired but gets drawn into a case when he encounters young "Nick" Buckley, a woman who has had numerous close calls. Her cavalier attitude toward her own safety and the constant refrain of Poirot's losing his touch made for an interesting but not necessarily enjoyable story. I didn't figure it out. I didn't love it as much as other Christie mysteries.

Out Of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants

by George W. Bush

Hennepin County Library hardcover 208 pages

Published: 2021

Genre: Non-fiction, immigration

This was an incredible book. The art? Better than anything I could do. The text about the people? Fantastic! Their stories were told powerfully and their impact as Americans is significant. Especially coming on the heels of POTUS 45's awful rhetoric, this book should be read by many people in our country!

Bob Fu's story was especially powerful. Leaving China was dangerous for him. I've added his book, God's Double Agent, to my reading list.

I read about Hamdi Ulukaya in the Costco Connection, so it was fun to read another "article" about Chobani's founder. What a great guy! "Hamdi has vowed to give away the majority of his wealth in support of refugees and launched a coalition of businesses, the Tent Partnership for Refugees, to promote refugee integration."

Ezinne Uzo-Okoro said, "The privileges we are afforded in this country are abundant beyond measure." Many of these immigrants seem more patriotic and thankful than the average American! 

These stories were fascinating and made me appreciate my blessings even more. It was also enlightening to read this while also reading the Dan Rather book on patriotism. Good stuff!

Quicken WillMaker & Trust 2021 (book and software kit)

 I haven't read the entire book, but I really like this! Here are some of my takeaways:

• Letter to Survivors - "When working on your estate plan, you may find that you want to explain certain things to your loved ones. . . . Or maybe you simply want to leave some thoughts about your life."
• Making Your Own Will - "As a way to decide who gets your property, the will has been around in substantially the same form for about 500 years. For the first 450 years, self-help was the rule and lawyer assistance the exception. When this country was founded, and even during the Civil War, it was highly unusual for a person to hire a lawyer to formally set out what should be done with his or her property. However, the legal profession has since convinced many people that writing a will without a lawyer is like doing your own brain surgery." (This actually made me laugh out loud.)
• Joint Wills - This was eye-opening! "In the past, it was common for a married couple who had an agreed-upon scheme for how to distribute all their property to write one document together: a joint will. But time has shown that setup to be crawling with problems." (I remember my mom and dad having a joint will.This software helps you write a will and then create an identical will for the spouse.)
  
• Explain the reasons for leaving your property. I love that the software has all the possibilities and how-tos laid out so clearly.

 

I did a sample will for me but didn't talk it through with Louie. I'm not sure if I'll purchase the book and software or just stick with what I generated. I really want to return this to the library, but I also want our wills done!

A Cat Was Involved

 by Spencer Quinn

eBook via Libby

Short story - A Chet and Bernie

I've finally read the "how we met" story for my two favorite detectives! I loved this little story about the day Chet "flunked" out of K-9 school when he didn't pass the leaping test. It has been referred to in so many of the novels that I'm so glad Quinn wrote it and I read it. I have one big problem with it, though. 

In the novels, it definitely sounds as though Chet experienced life with Bernie when he was still married to Leta. In this short story, the divorce has happened and Leta and Charlie are already gone. It's not a huge deal, but it irked me. I loved hearing how Chet and Bernie connected. Rick Torres' younger brother Bobby just didn't understand Chet.