A Most Curious Murder

By: Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli

Libby audiobook 9 hours

Read by: Marguerite Gavin

Published: 2016  

Genre: murder mystery.

This is another one that I found by looking for available murder mystery audiobooks. It wasn't as bad as some of the others I've read lately, but I didn't love it.

"Jenny Weston moves home to Bear Falls, Michigan, to nurse her bruised ego back to health after a bitter divorce. But the idyllic vision of her charming hometown crumbles when her mother's little library is destroyed.

The next-door neighbor, Zoe Zola, a little person and Lewis Carroll enthusiast, suspects local curmudgeon Adam Cane. But when he's suddenly found dead in Zoe's fairy garden, all roads lead back to her. Jenny, however, believes Zoe is innocent, so when the two women team up to find the true culprit, investigating the richest family in Bear Falls, interrogating a few odd townspeople, and delving into old, hidden transgressions - until another body turns up."

The reader did a fabulous job making the different characters sound unique. It threw me for a bit that "Zoe" was pronounced "Zo" and not "Zoey," but that's just based on my relationships with people who spell their name "Z-o-e."

The ruined Little Library bothered me more than I can say. Sign out sheets? Blueprints for a replacement library? Helpers to "man" it after it's rebuilt? Where on earth does a LFL like this exist? All the ones I've seen are "take one / leave one" and self-service. That said, it was so sad that something so wholesome was destroyed along with all the books being ripped apart. I liked that Mr. Weston had built it for his wife before he died and made it look like their home.

I loved the allusions to literature! Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, . . . the literary aspect of this book is fantastic! (Zoe Zola is a fairy tale writer building off famous works.)

I kind of wish the author had done more with how the sisters got to be Jenny (trouble-maker) and "Lisa the Good." Clearly, Jenny had a lot of jealousy and feelings of inadequacy around her sister. I didn't really care for Jenny as a protagonist.

Adam, Aaron, and Abigail Cane . . . very interesting aspects to this story and why things happened the way they did. The actual heart of the mystery and who killed the brothers was well-written.

Johnny was clearly an alcoholic and a nasty person. Him leaving Jenny for Angel EIGHTEEN years earlier should not have still been a sticking point for Jenny! I know she was feeling upset because he ditched her (and upended her dreams) when she was young AND her husband just ran off with a client . . . but the way she had unresolved feelings about a teen boyfriend was too much for me. I was actually yelling at her in my car. When she went looking for him after midnight at a bar, I was just done with her. I thought surely he was on the verge of confessing that he was the one who killed her dad in a hit and run all those years ago . . . but that whole scene was just a teaser. And infuriating. 

The whole Mrs. Minnie Moon and her 19 year old daughter Deanna . . . seriously. Johnny ditched you when you were 18 and traumatized by your father's death. He got Angel pregnant and married her. They have two more children now. He's running around with your teenage neighbor. But you STILL don't know how you feel about him?!?! How could you remain in "love" with your teen sweetheart with whom you built an amazing fantasy life . . . for eighteen years?!?!? Grow up!

The mom, Dora Weston, was an amazing woman filled with compassion and kindness. Tony the carpenter (and former cop) was also a wonderful character. Just as I had thought that at least this story didn't have a flaky romance aspect to it, Tony and Jenny started getting flirty. 

The New York publisher Christopher most likely would not have made a trip to Michigan to visit his author Zoe Zola while she was told "not to leave town." 

 

Penelope was Jenny's former classmate and a very focused lawyer. 

 

One of the two of these characters had a great line: "I don't bother saying things I don't mean."

Since I listened to this mostly while driving, my notes aren't very detailed. I enjoyed the word play and literary allusions, but I disliked the stupid things that amateur sleuths (Jenny and Zoe) did while poking around.

The Alchemist

By: Paulo Coelho

Translated by: Alan R. Clarke

Scott County Library paperback 171 pages plus preview of Warrior of the Light

Published: 1988, 1993, 2014

Genre: novel, drama, fantasy fiction (I had to look these up because I was struggling to classify it!)

A friend recommended this book to me. I had heard of Coelho, but had not read any of his books before. This story seems like a philosophy or allegory to me. Coelho is Brazilian and has written quite a few books.

Wikipedia's nutshell description: "The story follows Santiago, a shepherd boy, in his journey across North Africa to the Egyptian pyramids after he dreams of finding treasure there."

 

There's much more to it, of course, but Santiago is a wonderful protagonist.

 

Page 18: "Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own."

 

Ooh! My sister Ann and I have talked about this before! It's much, much too easy to identify what other people "should" do to "fix" their problems, but much harder to focus on and work on one's own "stuff."

 

Page  24: "'It's a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realize your Personal Legend. It prepares your spirit and your will, because there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth.'"

The old man is teaching the shepherd about this (what I call) philosophy of life. In Christianity, I would call this finding God's purpose for your life. 

Page 27: "The old man looked disappointed. 'If you start out by promising what you don't even have yet, you'll lose your desire to work toward getting it.'"

I found that an interesting observation. The shepherd boy has told the old man that he will give him one-tenth of his treasure after he finds it. The old man knows a thing or two about motivation and drive.

Page 30: "He was sure that it made no difference to her on which day he appeared: for her, every day was the same, and when each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises."

Santiago is thinking about the merchant's daughter, but I like his observation that people fail to recognize the good things. I love that my husband has a very positive, optimistic, appreciative attitude. I try to live with gratitude and joy.

Page 38: "If God leads the sheep so well, he will also lead a man, he thought, and that made him feel better. The tea seemed less bitter."

Coelho weaves imagery from many faiths, including Christianity. The parallels of Santiago as a shepherd and the Bible's description of the Lord as our Shepherd were delightful. This especially resonated for me since reading W. Phillip Keller's A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.

Page 42: "But now I'm sad and alone. I'm going to become bitter and distrustful of people because one person betrayed me. I'm going to hate those who have found their treasure because I never found mine."

I don't think most young people who have been hurt as Santiago was hurt would be this self-aware. It's true, though. It's easy to become bitter and distrustful when you're alone and have been wronged.

Page 43: "Now he understood why the owner of the bar had been so upset: he was trying to tell him not to trust that man. 'I'm like everyone else - I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.'"

 

Poor Santiago! To be robbed of everything he had so soon after arriving to find his treasure is sad. Again, his self-awareness of how unaware he was just a little earlier . . . I think it takes longer for most of us to have these kinds of realizations.

Page 45: "As he mused about these things, he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure."

Yes! We have to choose how to see ourselves! Victim or adventurer? Lost or chosen? This is an important point.

Page 60: "'I don't want to change anything, because I don't know how to deal with change. I'm used to the way I am.'"

The crystal shop keeper was keeping it real! There are times I resist change and just want to stay in my familiar comfort zone. Lord, help me to be open to the changes you want to see in me! I love how Santiago made changes to improve the man's business and Santiago's own situation.

Page 86: "The boy went back to contemplating the silence of the desert, and the sand raised by the animals. 'Everyone has his or her own way of learning things,' he said to himself. 'His way isn't the same as mine, nor mine as his. But we're both in search of our Personal Legends, and I respect him for that.'"

 

The Englishman who wanted to be an alchemist was a good foil for the wisdom of "the boy" Santiago. (I wonder how old Coelho imagined him to be.)

 

Page  146: "'If a person is living out his Personal Legend, he knows everything he needs to know. There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.'"

The real alchemist is coaching and challenging Santiago. This section gets kind of weird because Santiago has to "turn himself into the wind" to prevent being killed by Arab soldiers. I do agree that fear of failure can make it nearly impossible to achieve your dreams.

Page 155: "'That's what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.'"

Interesting take . . . when I hear "alchemist," I think like the Englishman - someone who turns common metals into gold. I like the idea of improving oneself and impacting others around us positively.

Coelho has the alchemist tell the boy a story (pages 161-163) about a soldier during the time of Emperor Tiberius in Ancient Rome. I quickly caught on to the point of the story. The excerpt below is the angel telling a man about his son the centurion.

"'Your son went to serve at a distant place, and became a centurion. He was just and good. One afternoon, one of his servants fell ill, and it appeared that he would die. Your son had heard of a rabbi who was able to cure illnesses, and he rode out for days and days in search of this man. Along the way, he learned that the man he was seeking was the Son of God.'"

 

I love this story within a story. The man thought his son's poems made him immortal, but the angel pointed out that "when the reign of Tiberius ended, his poems were forgotten." It was his interaction with Jesus that was remembered.

 

I enjoyed reading this book and would gladly re-read and discuss with others. It will not replace my belief in Jesus as my Lord and Savior, though. And I do not want to pursue a "Personal Legend."

Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement

By: Suzi Parron with Donna Sue Groves

free copy paperback 226 pages

Published: 2012

Genre: nonfiction

I'm only on page 80, but I'm heading to a barn quilt painting class and I want to donate this book, so I'll blog this right now.

 

I liked the personal stories, but she interviewed a LOT of people and gathered a LOT of information. I like the "Lemon Star" story.

Page 12: "Those hand-drawn copies led to a humorous incident at Moyer Winery and Restaurant. Donna Sue said, 'The artist who was supposed to paint the quilt square on their barn lost the template, so he just went to the library and got a book and looked up LeMoyne Star. The next Saturday morning a bunch of quilters came to see it, and those women said, "No, that is not a LeMoyne Star!" and they knew - the points weren't directed the right way! The restaurant called me, and I called Mother and we assessed the situation. Mother called it "a variation of the LeMoyne Star, which shall forever be known as the Lemon Star!"' A year later, Donna Sue discovered that the templates could easily be created electronically, using Electric Quilt's BlockBase software, which saved Maxine Groves a lot of time and has since become a staple of barn quilt committees across the country."

It was interesting that the author was trying to find the source of the barn quilt phenomenon . . . but it seems that many communities were doing this and some learned from other groups.

Page 23: "I was reminded of Donna Sue's explanation as to why quilt blocks were mostly painted on boards and then mounted - the less time spent above the ground, the better for all concerned."

Safety is key! Those 4'x8' sheets of plywood can get pretty heavy.

Page 42: "Carole continued, 'We really enjoyed the project, and we tell our grandchildren, "This is all we are leaving you!" Hopefully, we have gotten them interested in doing community projects and art projects, and it'll come to fruition later. You never know.'"

The idea of legacy and what we're leaving for our children and grandchildren fascinates me. I like the focus on doing community projects and art projects, but I don't think that's the legacy I most want to leave.

 

Page 57: "Speaking of her experience as a judge at quilting competitions, Marcella stated with great conviction, 'I do not approve of quilts being machine quilted. I could never put a first blue ribbon on a machined quilt - it's not a quilt.' She is, however, quite fond of her painted quilt and often serves as a hostess when a tour is scheduled."

Wow. Kind of a quilt snob. I'm glad Minnesota Quilters has different categories for hand quilting and machine quilting. For her to say, "it's not a quilt" seems blatantly wrong.

 

Page 176: "'Really,' Kathi said as she slid a buttery Danish Kringle into the backseat of my rental car. 'I'm not sure it's just about the farm or about quilting. It's about community. I have met so many people through this project who are now like family to me.' Her comment echoed a sentiment that by now I had heard many times."

 

I like that observation. (I was looking through the rest of the book at my barn quilt painting class tonight. This quotation just jumped out at me. I love quilting (and painting a quilt block is just not the same as working with fabric!) but the focus on community and connecting with other people . . . I really like that focus.

 

My biggest frustration was that I often wanted to SEE the barn quilts that she was describing. Some of the photos are in the book, but many are not. I'm sure the editor (or perhaps the author herself) wanted to limit the photographs and have fewer larger photos, but this reader wanted to see all the quilts that were talked about. 

 

I gave the book to the instructor to give away as a prize. I was the second person to finish my block, so I left before the evening was done.

The Atlas of Untold Stories

 By: Sara Brunsvold

Jodi's copy paperback 327 pages plus excerpt from The Divine Proverb of Streusel (which I've already read).

Published: 2025

Genre: Christian contemporary fiction

Oh my! We're discussing this at book club in less than an hour and I have an absolute FLURRY of post-it notes! Reading this has made me request The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip to re-read. I remember that I absolutely loved that book by Brunsvold! This one is good, even great (but that one's better).

Moria Mondell was an exacting, unemotional mother to Edie Vance. Edie has done her best in raising Lauren and Chloe, but there is definitely some distance in their relationships (as well as estrangement from Edie's sister Gabriella). When Chloe proposes a literary road trip to make memories, Edie has no idea how she will begin to examine her role as a mother.

Page 51: "Refusal played a big role in her mom's life. It had edged out rationality more than once."

Edie and Lauren are having coffee and maintaining their solid walls of propriety. Rather than accepting advice or help with her late mother's estate, Edie is placing herself in the role of a martyr who has to take care of everything herself. I recognize this role! (My mother did this a lot.)

Page 59: "She bowed her head, closed her eyes, and whispered one more time to the only ears that could hear, 'Take us where we are meant to go.'"

Though Chloe could be impulsive and too starry-eyes, she was also the most positive of the three Vance women and I loved her faithfulness to God. I love that her prayer wasn't for her own plan to work out, but for God to take them where they needed to go.

Page 61: "Thorough plans equaled thorough command. With every item she ticked, her breath steadied."

I have to admit that I didn't like Lauren very much. At times, I could empathize with her, but mostly she was just too tightly wound and controlling. Her exercising, eating disorder, stoicism, etc. got old fast. She is the LAST person I'd want to go with on a road trip!

Page 75: "Younger sisters didn't know the level of protective thinking that took place on their behalf."

Interesting . . . I should ask my older sisters if they felt this way toward me growing up. In our current stage of life, I don't feel as though they "look out" for me. But perhaps I'm just oblivious!

Page 91: "Whatever it was, she couldn't force it before its time. Light always found what was hidden. Eventually."

Here, Chloe is certain that something is deeply wrong with Lauren. But in a bigger sense, this is a powerful truism. Light will shine. The sooner, the better, in my opinion!

Page 104: "Per the ruthless menopausal curse, she had sweat through her single sheet. Even if she had spooned the air-conditioning register, the midlife maven would have brought her to such a state."

Something about the way Brunsvold wrote this just brought a smile to my face. I'm thankful my menopausal temperature issues weren't too horrible, but this made me laugh just the same. If you know, you know.

Page 117: "History was only thoughts until you could look it in the face."

The three women are at the Orphan Train Museum in Kansas. The reality of what those children experienced is powerful and overwhelming, especially for Edie.

Page 151: "Too much freedom was sacrificed on the altar of pride."

This whole scene (and what happens after with Aunt Gab) makes me glad I'm not overly prideful! The loss of relationship between Edie (Edith) and her sister Gab (Gabriella) is hurtful to Chloe, who tries to "fix" things. (The song Where the Spirit of the Lord Is, There Is Freedom is running through my mind right now.)

Page 160: "Her mom may not have realized it as they wound through the clusters of people, but the memories they would make that day would be praises that they would raise the rest of their lives. God would make sure of it. Walking in faith was an adventure like none other."

Yes! Walking in faith is a fantastic place to do life! There were many times in this book where I wondered if / when Edie and / or Lauren would ever understand the source of Chloe's joy.

Page 200: "On a road trip aimed at celebrating perspective-shaping books, her mom and sister staunchly remained the main characters in their own stories. What was the point in relishing books if you didn't allow them to lift you out of your silo? What was the point of a road trip if not discovery?"

Ooh. . . I don't think her mother or sister would have appreciated Chloe's observation had she expressed it aloud. I loved this, though. I know people who have definite "main character" energy . . . 

Page 217: "Splendor always unfolded for those patient and trusting enough to wait for it."

This was when they checked in to their AirBNB, only to find that Olga was scary and they had the cramped garage, not the main house. I love Chloe's spirit of adventure, but I can also understand Edie's and Lauren's frustrations. Traveling together sometimes requires some time and space apart.

Page 239: "Shame reached its pinnacle when laid bare before a parent."

I'm not so sure I agree with this, but perhaps that's because both of my parents have been dead for a long time and I was one of their care-givers the last few years of their lives. I love that Brunsvold did a lot of family and relationship "work" in this novel. Opening the story with Edie's recollections of her mother's emotional neglect really set the tone for a lot of this book.

Page 246: "I have been a mother for thirty-two years, and I am still lost on how to do it with a modicum of wisdom. I am huddled alone on a thin bench in the punishing wake of secrets revealed, and I have no idea how to steer us to the place we need to go. How are we this far in and farther apart from each other than when we started?"

I was glad that Edie started using the journal that her husband Grant had given her at the start of the trip. Her dependence upon him was interesting. Her meditations resonate for me, though I don't really feel distant from my children.

Page 260: "Minutes, hours, days all passed with insensitive swiftness, too fast for any mother to relish them. Why hadn't she relished them while she could have?"

Chloe and Edie are riding the little tram thing to the top of the St. Louis Arch. Chloe set her timer for the duration of the ride to help Edie with her anxiety. Seeing the numbers tick down make her more cognizant of the overall passing of time. The lines above made me reflect on all my impatience and "countdown" mentality when my kids were growing up. I wish I had lived more in the moment and cherished the time I had with them then.

Page 273: "Middle school Lauren was Chloe's favorite version."

I loved that Chloe had some fond memories from their younger years! My sisters felt like different people at different times in the past.

Page 275: "Lord, I don't know what to do with all this. How do you sway stone hearts?"

Poor Chloe! She was trying so hard to encourage and to build relationship with both her sister and her mom. Thankfully, she turned to prayer - always a good choice!

Page 285-6: I'm not going to quote this, but I absolutely loved when Chloe clapped back at more of Lauren's martyrdom and how she had always had to rescue Chloe and be her safety net. Chloe's response is a powerful witness of how God is her rock and redeemer. She tells Lauren exactly how it is for her!

Page 288: I have no idea who Harold Bell Wright is or what his The Shepherd of the Hills book is about. Most of the literary references and authors were very familiar to me. I had to look this one up! It was fascinating to read on Wikipedia, 

"But it was Wright's second novel, The Shepherd of the Hills, published in 1907 and set in Branson, Missouri, that established him as a best-selling author. That book also attracted an overwhelming number of tourists to the little-known town of Branson, resulting in its becoming a major tourist destination." 

I've never been to Branson, but of course I've heard of it. Fascinating!

Page 300: "Heat streamed through her. Not from shame or summer or sweat. From the answer to the question she didn't yet have the words to ask. Her unformed plea for grace, met before it was uttered. Their mom, in the face of her own overwhelming fear, only wanted to chase Lauren's away."

This was the scene that broke things! Chloe, then Lauren, decide to climb the tall rickety tower. When Lauren gets to the top, everything she's been holding to so tightly breaks and she sobs. Her mom climbs up the tower to comfort her! Beautiful catharsis

Page 302: "The younger generation became more enigmatic every day."

This is in response to Chloe telling her dad that mom was "a beast" and Chloe assuring her mom that it was a good thing. I've often been with Edie, not sure what the "younger generation" is talking about.

Page 306: "Truth grew heavier the longer it was withheld."

It's also true that it gets harder to express the longer you wait to express it. Even after Lauren's sobbing at the top of the tower, it takes her until later the next day to tell Chloe and then her mom about all the things that had happened to her.

Page 310: "'You are so strong, Laur. You know that?'

The response, gentle and pure, stole her breath. Then, just as quickly, it invited her to take her fill of peace."

I love how Chloe responds when Lauren finally shares about getting fired, Duncan ghosting her, not getting other job offers, etc. I love Chloe's encouragement and steadfast love for her sister.

Page 317: "Lauren had not been pretending she didn't need anyone. She truly had believed it, much like their mom had believed she wasn't worth the effort. God had helped them see. He had taken each of them by the hand and shepherded them toward where they were meant to be and what they were meant to find."

Great way to finish the road trip! When we trust in Him, He leads us well.

Page 320: "She smoothed the comforter as the memories took her back to another, simpler era, when time with the girls at home seemed to be nowhere close to running out. How fast it had all gone."

"She couldn't reach that little girl she once was. She couldn't do a thing to change her mother's choices. She couldn't take back any words or choices of her own as a mother, and there were far too many to count. But she could use the rough beginning to craft a better ending."

 

This whole section at the drive-in theatre with Edie's thoughts and conversation with Grant . . . touching and genuine. Life flies by, especially when measured by our children. And we cannot go back in time or impact our parents' parenting choices. 

Page 324-327: This closing scene had me bawling. Beautiful. I loved it.

The Audacity of Hope

Subtitled: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

By: Barack Obama

Libby audiobook 6 hours

Read by: the author

Published: 2006

Genre: nonfiction, autobiography, politics

I'm glad I got this and listened to it. What a wonderful man! Intelligent, reflective, thoughtful, caring . . . He wrote this while he was a U.S. Senator from Illinois. Having read Michelle Obama's Becoming, I have a whole new perspective! I remember thinking she was "whiny" about him being gone too much and her shouldering the burdens of parenting. Ha! I bet she felt like a single mom with the demands of his political campaigns and crazy hours. I'm so glad for both of them that they have a strong marriage. To have made it through the presidential years . . . they're both amazing people. 

I briefly thought that I should read a book by Donald Trump, but I don't think I could stomach it. He typically brags about himself and is awful toward other human beings. I just don't think I could spend time reading anything he wrote.

One thing that bothered me in this book is the degree to which the media controls what we hear about. Since sensationalism and negativity are more "interesting" than boring topics with little divisiveness, the froth just keeps getting stirred up. I know many journalists truly care about finding and reporting the truth of what is happening, but we only seem to hear the outrageous sound-bites. This makes me sad.

At the very end of the book, the end notes (not in Obama's voice) said that this was produced "and abridged" by . . . Ugh! I hate abridgements! Now I feel as though I ought to get a copy of the print book and read the whole thing again. But not now.

The Let Them Theory

By: Mel Robbins and Sawyer Robbins (her daughter)

Libby ebook 20 chapters plus extras

Published: 2024

Genre: self-help, non-fiction (Libby also has the tags "business," "economics," and "self improvement")

 

A friend highly recommended Mel Robbins and so I requested some of her titles via various library systems. The first one I got was High Five from the Scott County Library. I had so many other titles on my reading pile that I loaned it to one of my sisters, who liked it so much she wants to buy a copy!

When I got this on one Libby, I started reading it along with a few other titles. Now it's due in a few hours and I'm only on chapter 7 . . . I may or may not make more progress before returning it.

The 5 Second Rule was published in 2017. 

The High 5 Habit was published in 2021. 

The Let Them Theory was published in 2024.

Mel Robbins has a very interesting personal story, which she shares in various anecdotes to illustrate her points. I sort of want to buy all three of these titles for my sister, but she can buy them if she chooses. For me, although I understand and appreciate the points the author(s) make(s), I do not feel as though these books will enhance my life. Salvation through Jesus Christ and turning my thoughts to Him have done much for my mental health and well-being over the decades. Still, I did highlight some parts that I'll share here. Again, this is just from her most recent book The Let Them Theory.

Introduction: "You'll never feel ready to change your life. One day, you just get tired of your own excuses and force yourself to do it."

My struggle is with loved ones who are still "stuck" in lamenting their situation but not yet tired enough of their excuses. Yet I cannot "help" them get to that point.

Chapter 1: "All human beings have a hardwired need for control.

We all have an innate desire to control everything about our lives: out time, our thoughts, our actions, our environment, our plans, our future, our decisions, and our surroundings."

She goes on to talk about how the only thing you CAN control is yourself. When we try to control other people, we're just setting ourselves up for frustration. She does a really nice job of setting up her "Let Them" theory by pointing out that we can deal with the frustrations in life by saying "let them" do . . . whatever. And "let me" . . . choose my reactions, options, etc.

Chapter 2: "And let's be real - control gives us the illusion of safety."

This made me grin. "Illusion" is a good word here. Life is full of risks and dangers. There's really very little that we truly have control over.

Chapter 2: "Any psychologist will tell you, the more you try to control something you can't, the more anxious and stressed out you become."

Amen! It's an exercise in futility and frustration. I'm thankful that I'm not the control freak I was in the late 80s / early 90s. Sometimes God needs to get my attention about what I'm saying / doing in this regard, but I definitely don't get as stressed out as I used to!

Chapter 2: "Let Them dismiss it. Let them go with a different idea. Their response doesn't change the value of your idea. It doesn't change your worth as a contributor. They might have gone with a different strategy, but that doesn't mean yours wasn't a great idea. You're still the same person with the same talents and ability to succeed, and the fact that you had an idea to pitch proves it!"

She's talking about a work environment. I hope younger people are reading this book and applying this theory. Feeling unappreciated at work is a very difficult thing to continue pushing through. This change in attitude can be helpful.

Chapter 3: "You can't control how other adults behave, and stressing about it diminishes your power."

It's funny that I can picture specific people as I'm reading this book. I love being at a place in life where I don't get as stressed out. One biggie is staring me in the face, but it's more complex than Let Them / Let Me. . . . Or is it?

Chapter 3: "When you let the world around you impact your emotional state and peace of mind, you become a prisoner to these external forces."

Oh my word! Our current POTUS is severely impacting many people's peace of mind right now. There is very little I can do to change how he "governs" or who he is as a human being. There are people I care deeply about who are absolutely tormented because of the decisions he's making and the negative impact it has on people all over the world. I care, but I refuse to let my mental health be ruined by Mr. Trump.

Chapter 3: "There's this famous quote about life from Greek philosopher Epictetus, 'It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.' What does that mean? It means that your personal power is in how you react."

This is quite a familiar quotation, but few of us internalize the message. I have choices about how I'll respond to situations. Sometimes my choices are not fantastic, but I have choices.

Chapter 3: "Focusing on what you can't control makes you stressed. Focusing on what you can control makes you powerful."

I love the situation she uses to illustrate this!  A man is hacking and coughing on a crowded flight. After glaring at him, she asks him to cover his mouth when he coughs. When he doesn't, she puts a scarf over her mouth and headphones on to block out the noise. She decides she is the one responsible for her own health and well-being, not some random coughing guy on a flight.

Chapter 4: "Let Me stay engaged and vocal on the issues I care about and do something that can change the future of my local, national, and global politics. Don't sit around and wait for someone else to clean up the mess that you see."

Unlike me, Robbins is very careful to NOT make the specifics of her political leanings apparent. She talks in terms of unrest and divisiveness. What can you do if you care? She's really a very good author.

Chapter 5: "Poet Mary Oliver asked this question in her poem 'The Summer Day'" 'Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?'"

 

This is a line my sister loves! She used it in one of her art quilts. I really want her to read this book . . . I think a lot of things will resonate for her.

 

Chapter 5:  "The point here is not to move through life as a selfish or narcissistic person who doesn't care about other people. . . . In life, you don't want to be a doormat, but you also don't want to be an inconsiderate bulldozer. It's a balance." 

That balance is a delicate thing! I may read a bit more before I return this (or let it auto-return in four hours). I only made it a quarter of the way through, and may or may not read the rest sometime. She's quite a good writer and I'm glad she's having so much success with her speaking and her books. It's amusing to me that I highlighted so many passages in a book that I'm saying isn't very applicable to me.

The Tangled Tale of the Woolgathering Castoffs

By: Sharon Mondragón

Hennepin County Library paperback 275 plus acknowledgements

Published: 2024

Genre: Christian fiction

 

I love this author! She has written another wonderful book. This one deals with the stresses of caregiving for loved ones with Alzheimers as well as the joy of knitting and crocheting for those caregivers. 

 

We first met Rose and her knitting friends in The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady.  We don't see much of Fran, Margaret, or Jane in this book. Instead, along with Rose at the Fair Meadows Retirement Community, we have:

Jenny - flirty life of the party

Edna - crabby crocheter

Sarah - hyper-focused on health and germs

Laura - teacher

Mr. Alistair Peabody - learning to knit, flirty

Gus - driver for FMRC, heading to med school

Then we have Sam Talbot, faithfully visiting his wife in memory care even though she doesn't know him any more and even starts to be afraid of him. Nan goes to visit her mom and brings along Tara (sulky teenager) and Samantha (enthusiastic but careless knitter). All these (and more) wonderful characters bring the story to life. It took me a few chapters to get into it, but then I devoured the book.

Page 45: "Nan had learned to be 'quick to listen and slow to speak' with Tara, the quieter and more private of her girls. She waited for Tara to find the words to explain."

I really enjoyed the character arcs for both Nan and her daughter Tara. I love that there was tension, but also resolution. I loved that Nan referenced Scripture in dealing with parenting issues! It was so hard for Tara to have Grandma Becca not know her any more . . . 

Page 61: "Fran regarded Margaret across the table. 'Margaret, Ed has been gone almost two years. I'll never quite get over it, but it's time for me to go on with my life. I've seen how fleeting life can be and how it can be cut short in an instant. I intend to live whatever time is ahead of me to the fullest.'"

This was a scene at Hope of Glory. Margaret was nagging about Fran dating Howard. I love Fran's response!

Page 92: "Laura's face was bright with cheerful excitement. Rose thought she must have looked like this often during her career as a high school English teacher. It was clear she was happy to be teaching again."

Even though Laura was not able to successfully teach Sam to knit, I love how energized she was by trying. How fun that Edna was able to get him to crochet instead. There's something powerful about teaching others with joy.

Page 97: "'I wish I didn't have to go at all,' Tara burst out, 'I'd rather remember her the way she was when I was little, before she got sick.'

'You'll always have those memories.' Rose's voice was gentle. 'But these memories are important, too.'

Tara struggled against tears again. 'No, they're not. They're horrible.'

'Trust me, Tara,' Rose said. 'In the years to come, you'll be glad you made memories with her for as long as you could.'"

Oh, the heartbreak and struggle of losing someone to memory loss while they are still alive! I think the author handled the emotions and challenges extremely well.

Page 103: "'She could spend her Christmas money on any of the myriad things teenagers want. But she's buying yarn to make a shawl to give away.'"

Laura gets teary after Tara expresses her plan to use her money to buy yarn to make a prayer shawl. Susan naturally thinks Laura is getting sick! I agree with Laura - it is touching to see a young person behave selflessly. What a blessing!

Page 107: "Yes, there was Dorothy, chatting away with her tablemates, living in the moment. Life is so much simpler for them, he thought. No past, no missing the way things used to be. No future, no worrying about what might happen. That fell to other people, to their caregivers. For Dorothy, there was only now. A now without him in it."

If there's a bright side to dementia, it is this sense of a simpler life. But that compounds the heartaches for the family members, like Sam. Caregiving is hard!

Page 129: "'It's become much more about the people than the place,' Rose said."

Rose has shown Jenny the Prayer Chapel and Jenny falls in love with the beautiful, peaceful space. Rose understands her attraction to it and the necessity of getting out of one's comfort zone. Other people coming to know the Lord is more important than the comfort and peace of the knitters.

Page 138: "'Simply ask God to help him,' Rose said. 'We don't need to know what's wrong to do that.'"

So true! We can pray for people without having the details of their situation. God knows what they need!

Page 146: "Father God, we ask you to remember all those who have loved ones who do not remember them . . . In the embrace of these shawls, may they be strengthened, encouraged, loved, and known."

The shawl maker's prayer was repeated a few times in the book, but I only marked this one. I like that different people prayed (this time was Alistair Peabody) and that he added the names of specific people who were on the Woolgatherers' radar.

Page 157: "Jenny was uncharacteristically quiet on the way back to Fair Meadows. Praying for caregivers in general was one thing, but telling Amy to her face that she'd pray about her relationship with Bryson was another. She realized she now had a stake in how things turned out for the little family. It mattered whether she prayed for them or not."

I love how being a part of this group helped changed Jenny's personal outlook and habits. And yes, offering to pray for someone is a responsibility. But a good one!

Page 205: "'Old people falling in love?' Donna frowned. 'They meet-cute by crashing their walkers together?'"

This line made me laugh! The book club is discussing a romance novel and someone opines that the protagonists are always young people. A discussion of what a romance novel about older people would be like ensues . . . 

Page 208: "She never liked to think past the fairy-tale parts of her marriages. That's why she loved reading all those books about the beginnings of love. She could live in the rosy possibility of happily-ever-after and not remember what happened when the realities of life set in."

Jenny's flippant "fun" personality is rooted in this discrepancy between what she wants life to be like and what she has actually experienced. I'm so glad Louie and I have worked our way through the fairy tale parts (including dragons and battles) and are currently living our happy ever after!

 

Page 213: "He stopped at his favorite fast-food restaurant on the way home, ordering fries and onion rings to go with his double cheeseburger. Since it was abundantly clear he was nothing but the Fat Man, he might as well enjoy it."

Oh, Sam! I recognize this self-destructive behavior. I'm very familiar with this attitude (sadly).

Page 243: "Josh nodded. 'You're right. We should have been here more, for the both of them. Yeah, it was awful to see Mom like that, but we should have braved it for Dad's sake. We should have come to spend time with him. Hard to think of your parents needing you.'"

When Sam collapses with double pneumonia and the flu, it's the Woolgatherers who come to the rescue. His two adult sons have been preoccupied with their own lives and that last statement hit home for me. I was able to help my parents toward the end of their lives, but it made me sad that they needed me so much. It was hard on my 50th birthday to not have parents in my life any more. 

Page 277 (Acknowledgements): "All who have shared their journey of caring for a loved one iwth dementia with me, either in person or through books and articles. I hope so much that you feel seen and loved in the pages of this book."

She is a wonderful author! I've really enjoyed all three of her books and I sincerely hope she writes more!

Buried in a Good Book

By: Tamara Berry

Libby audiobook 8 hours

Read by: Tanya Eby

Published: 2022

Genre: Murder mystery

 

Blurb from Libby: "Bestselling thriller writer Tess Harrow is almost at the end of her rope when she arrives with her teenage daughter at her grandfather's rustic cabin in the woods. She hopes this will be a time for them to heal and bond after Tess's recent divorce, but they've barely made it through the door when an explosion shakes the cabin. Suddenly it's raining fish guts and . . . is that a human arm?"

 

Things I liked about this story:

• wordplay, literary allusions, love of books and libraries
• interesting characters - especially Ivy (police), the triplets (Peabody boys), Nicky the "librarian" . . . 
• the surprise (to me) ending

 

Things I didn't like about this story:

• Tess's tendency toward exaggeration (something like "a slew of dead bodies" or "all these murders" when there was just the one . . . )
• Tess's tendency to jump to conclusions on the smallest bits of "evidence" - she pinned Ivy, Nicky, Mason, and others for the murder of the young woman found in her pond
• the constant parallels between her fictional Detective Gonzales and the real Sheriff 
• the way Tess parents her daughter Gertrude . . . just got on my nerves . . . but then I can't imagine being in a relationship where my spouse cheats on me and I have to raise a teenager alone AND pay palimony . . . 
  

 

Overall, it was an enjoyable story and the reader did a nice job. I'm still looking for something better.
 

Likely Suspects

By: G.K. Parks

Libby audiobook 10 hours

Read by: Amy Deuchler

Published 2023

Genre: mystery, romance

I did it again. I looked for audiobooks / available now / English / first in series / mystery . . . and grabbed one that sounded interesting. 

"I quit my job. I walked away from everything I knew. I couldn't lose anyone else. Not again. Working for James Martin wasn't supposed to be complicated or lethal. Too bad someone wanted him dead, and I was the only thing standing in the way."

Alex Parker is bossy, whiny, and irritating. She crosses all the professional / personal boundaries . . . but not until I was sucked into the story and curious about the criminal mastermind! 

The reader, Amy Deuchler, did a fabulous job with the voices! It can be hard for a woman to make a male character sound sexy, sneering, etc. but she did it. 

Too bad I didn't notice the "romance" tag until AFTER I'd already listened to a few hours of it. It was forced sexual tension and it just bugged me.

The shootout scene was intense and fast-paced. Most of the rest of it was just meh. The bad guy was exactly who the obvious bad guy seemed. The title - "likely suspects" - really only has one suspect . . . 

Her use of her former boss's time and the local PD seemed unbelievable as well.