When in French: Love in a Second Language

by Lauren Collins

Libby eBook 

Published: 2016

Genre: nonfiction memoir

I borrowed this when I was contemplating refreshing my acquaintance with French. It has taken me a long time and a lot of renewals to finish, but it's a pretty incredible book for language lovers.

 

The author fell in love with Olivier in her early thirties while in London. The two end up married and living in Switzerland. She chronicles her journey of learning French culture as well as language with honesty, information, and a good sense of humor.

Part One / The Past Perfect: Le Plue-Que-Parfait

Olivier was careful of what he said to the point of parsimony; I spent my words like an oligarch with a terminal disease. My memory was all moods and tones, while he had a transcriptionist's recall for the details of our exchanges. Our household spats degenerated into linguistic warfare.

 

She is such a wonderful writer! I love how she expresses herself.

Part One / The Past Perfect: Le Plue-Que-Parfait

A flank steak, I would have assumed, is a flank steak, no matter how you say it. We think of words as having one-to-one correspondences to objects, as though they were mere labels transposed onto irreducible phenomena.

 

Some of her stories are hilarious but also sad. I can so relate to her frustration in asking for something in French and not being understood. The idea that all things have a single word to describe them is an easy fallacy to believe!

 

Two / The Imperfect: L'Imparfait 

"Sonny LaMatina"

 

When she shared the "words" to Frére Jacques as her five year old self sang them, I laughed! I often mis-hear song lyrics and "Sonnez les matines" (ring the bells) does sound like a guy's name. Funny! I especially loved singing this song when I was little because I had a French uncle named John who was a Catholic priest! Father John . . .

Two / The Imperfect: L'Imparfait

While my bunkmates jotted cheery letters to their families, I whimpered into my pillow, an incipient hodophobe racked by some impossible mix of homesickness and wanderlust.

 

I noted this for two reasons. First of all, I had to look up "hodophobe" (dislike or fear of traveling) and I love books that push me intellectually. Secondly, I empathized with this little girl who wanted to travel and also wanted to be home. Collins is brutally honest about chronicling her weaknesses and mistakes.

 

Two / The Imperfect: L'Imparfait

He directed the ROTC, which was supposed to stand for Result of Torn Condom.

 

I know this is a crude joke, but it's a joke I've never heard before and it made me laugh. I have heard the organization called "rotsy" but forgot that it stood for Reserve Officers Training Corps.

 

Two / The Imperfect: L'Imparfait

In 1979 a presidential commission declared that "Americans' incompetence in foreign languages is nothing short of scandalous, and it is becoming worse." 

 

The history lesson here was so interesting. After Sputnik, the U.S. government wanted to fund more foreign language programs to help us be more globally competitive. The funding was short-lived, though, and we're back to being English only speakers for the most part.

 

Two / The Imperfect: L'Imparfait

" . . . And then we go over to Europe and all we can say is 'Merci beaucoup,' right?" President Obama said on the campaign trail in 2008, confessing his monolingualism as a source of personal shame (even if, for electoral purposes, it was likely an asset).

 

I think this is true of most Americans. It's kind of sad. I wish I had become bilingual and used two languages regularly! At this point, I don't think it's going to happen.

Three / The Past: Le Passé Composé

In college I fell in love with a tall Tennessean who directed his considerable intellectual gifts largely toward gambling on sports. The son of a southern lawyer and a serious-minded northern mother, he was so much like me: a partier and a reader, as introverted as he was sociable, stuck between two parts of himself whose ambitions and desires often seemed to be in direct opposition.

 

I just like her words and the juxtapositions of concepts.

Three / The Past: Le Passé Composé

The problem of translation is perhaps most acute in literature, to which renderings must be true in spirit as well as letter. Even the most diligent and creative translators find themselves hard-pressed to replicate such techniques as rhythm, assonance, alliteration, idiom, onomatopoeia, and double meaning. (Dr. Seuss books, with their oddball rhymes and invented words, are said to be the Nikita Khrushchevs of the written word.)

 

This tickled my funny bone, but also made me think about the challenges inherent in translating a work of literature.

 

Four / The Present: Le Présent

The Académie Française - the world's first national body dedicated to the stewardship of a language - was established in 1635, "to give certain rules to our language and to render it pure, eloquent, and capable of treating the arts and sciences."

 

Wow! I was vaguely aware of this organization, but hearing about it in the other French language audiobook I read and then in "print" in this book made me do some online reading. The French are incredibly serious about their language!

Four / The Present: Le Présent

 Despite its pretensions to clarity, French can be trying. Vert (green), verre (glass), ver (worm) vers (toward), and vair (squirrel fur) constitute a quintuple homonym, not even counting verts, verres, and vers (you don't pronounce the final s in French). 

We often hear about how difficult English is to learn, but this example is one of the reasons that I prefer to read and write French rather than listen and speak it! She goes on to talk about Cinderella's "pantoufle en verre" (glass slipper) which might have been a misheard "pantoufle en vair" (fur shoe).

 

Four / The Present: Le Présent

I often tease Olivier about the way he says "can't remember" - "can tree member," as though he were describing a still life of soup, oak, and penis.

 

This made me think of my mom and dad and language pronunciations! My dad used to say that my mother taught "turd" grade because he couldn't pronounce "third" correctly. Oh, we were not nice about that.

Five / The Conditional: Le Conditionnel

One French newspaper had a column that recapitulated the best tweets of the week in more characters than they took to write. 

 

 

Again, this just tickled my funny bone! All that verbiage to express "turducken." Too funny! (And yes, I was too lazy to type all that AND add in the correct accents.)

Six / The Subjunctive: Le Subjonctif

"They're going to go bananas over you, go berserk," she said, overlooking the fact that her paraphrase would probably have been incomprehensible to anyone under twenty-five, regardless of his native language.

This is Lauren's mom "explaining" what she meant by calling Olivier's brother(?) a "huge ladies' man." His confusion over that expression was NOT clarified by the bananas and berserk explanation. Language can be so tricky without idioms, slang, etc. And then the age differences. I still remember my dad trying to use "hip" phrases in the 70s and we disdained his lack of understanding. I often don't understand youngsters' words nowadays!

Seven / The Future: Le Futur

Besides, I was a fiend for birth announcements, wedding announcements, and obituaries, the "hatch, match, and dispatch" trinity that once comprised the only three times a respectable woman's name should appear in print."

I'd not heard that expression "hatch, match, and dispatch" for those announcements, though I have heard about respectable women not being in the paper other than those occasions. That's pretty antiquated, though! 

Seven / The Future: Le Futur

Our insurance policy provided for five days at the clinic, a standard stay in Switzerland.

 

She did indeed have the right room, she explained, and I did have an appointment - each new mother was entitled to a soin postnatal, just a little pick-me-up to help her feel more like herself. 

 

As she describes her experience of giving birth, with the five day stay, the food options, the offer to have a manicure, pedicure, massage, or having her hair done, . . . I wished I were European. American health care is incredibly expensive and minimalistic. It makes me both sad and mad.

 

This book took me a long time to read and a long time to blog! I finished it at least two weeks ago. I have three others that I've finished and need to blog!

 

 

 

The Persian Pickle Club

by Sandra Dallas

Hennepin County Library paperback 196 pages

Published: 1995

Genre: realistic fiction, historical (1930s)

I don't remember where I heard about this book, but I really enjoyed it. I liked it enough to look up the author - she's written a lot of books! The quilting in this story is probably how it came to my attention.

Queenie Bean is a young farm wife in 1930s Harveyville, Kansas. The Dust Bowl following the Great Depression is making life hard for everyone. But getting together with the other women of the Persian Pickle Club helps her stay positive.

Page 4: "I'd never met a woman who didn't sew. None of us had, and we stared at her again, until Ceres Root said with a nice smile, 'You modern women have so many interesting things to do. In this day and age, there's no good reason to make thirteen quilt tops before you marry, like I had to when I was a girl.'"

I love that it's one of the elderly women who breaks the silence when Rita, Tom's wife, admits that she didn't sew.

Page 4: "There wasn't a quilt top turned out by a member of the Persian Pickle Club that didn't have fabrics from all of us in it. That made us all a part of one another's quilts, just like we were part of one another's lives."

I love that they share fabric scraps the way they share their lives as they sew. Camaraderie!

 

Page 13: "She'd start coming to club after she found a husband. It was marrying that made women appreciate other women."

 

That made me laugh. Not every woman wants to get married or have friendships with other women.

 

Page 31: "I'm the same. I look across the land, and all I see are quilts. I carry my scrap bag in the car so's I can go to patching while Blue drives. If I didn't have my quilting, I'd have gone crazy with all this moving around."

I loved the scene where Queenie and her husband Grover meet with Blue and Zepha and little Sonny. This was one of my favorite aspects of the story!

Page 42: "When he went to town one day, she asked him to bring her back a piece of fabric she'd admired. Instead of a length, he brought her the whole bolt of cloth. It was Persian pickle, what some call paisley."

It's fun to find out where the title of the book originates. In this case, Ceres' husband made a purchase that gave the group their title.

Page 132: "When there's trouble, women just naturally think of food, although there was no need for it this time."

Food is one of my love languages! I love offering nourishment to people. It was wonderful how the women reached out to one another in times of trouble.

Page 141: "You can stay locked up here feeling sorry for yourself like Lizzy Olive would have done, or you can put the bad time behind you like Ella did and thing about all the good things the Lord gave you. And He'll keep on giving them to you if you'll let Him. But how can you take advantage of His opportunities if you're sitting behind the kitchen door with the hook on?"

Mrs. Judd was so bossy, but she made things happen!

Page 150: "'Oh,' I said, wondering why women like Velma and Rita, who didn't want children, got pregnant, while God denied me a baby even though I wanted one more than anything in the world. He even gave five at one time to that Dionne family in Canada. Was that fair?"

Those are the kinds of questions to turn over in prayer! It is painful to see people who do not value children at all having them and neglecting or abusing them, while also being aware of people who struggle with infertility.

Page 168: "I took the bundle from Grover and untied the string, putting it into my apron pocket to save."

This caught my attention because those frugal 1930s habits (like saving a piece of string) is what I grew up with! It's hard to not save every little thing when that's what you've known.

I am definitely interested in reading more of this author's work!

The Hurricane Girls

by Kimberly Willis Holt

Libby audiobook 6 hours

Read by: Aricka Parent

Published: 2023

Genre: YA coming-of-age "historical" fiction

When I initially got this book, it was because I like this author. I put hist fic in quotation marks because that was the designated genre I was searching for in Libby. The book, however, is set in 2017 which is twelve years after the 2005 storm Hurricane Katrina. That doesn't feel very historical to me!

The three girls Greer, Joya Mia (pronounced "hoy-ah mee-ah"), and Kiki (who didn't like the name Katrina) were all born "in the wake" of the hurricane. After doing a report on the hurricane in sixth grade, the three girls became fast friends. Now they are seventh graders and a lot has changed for them.

I thought the book was a little too middle school girl vibe for me. Well, duh. That's the target audience! But as the story went on, I was so impressed by the author's gifts in weaving so many themes without overwhelming the core story of their friendship.

Training for a marathon, being a loving sister, getting your period, not giving up, babysitting, modeling, saving for goals, Old Rusty (bicycle), grief, . . . there is a lot to this story. The audio was well done.

The Divine Proverb of Streusel

by Sara Brunsvold

Dakota County Library paperback 309 pages plus author's note and acknowledgements

Published: 2024

Genre: Christian realistic fiction

I love this author! We read her book The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip and I loved that one, too. 

 

From Amazon:

Shaken by her parents' divorce and discouraged by the growing chasm between herself and her serious boyfriend, Nikki Werner seeks solace at her uncle's farm in a small Missouri hamlet. She'll spend the summer there, picking up the pieces of her shattered present so she can plan a better future. But what awaits her at the ancestral farm is a past she barely knows.

Among her late grandmother's belongings, Nikki finds an old notebook filled with handwritten German recipes and wise sayings pulled from the book of Proverbs. With each recipe she makes, she invites locals to the family table to hear their stories about the town's history, her ancestors--and her estranged father.

What started as a cathartic way to connect to her heritage soon becomes the means through which she learns how the women before her endured--with the help of their cooking prowess. Nikki realizes how delicious streusel with a healthy dollop of faith can serve as a guide to heal wounds of the past.

 

It's surprising to me that a book filled with recipes didn't tempt me even once to think about cooking any of them. Weird, because I love food and many of the dishes sounded yummy. 

Page 10: "Tracy sank into the chair next to Nikki's desk - the same spot she claimed every Thursday morning before students arrived - for a "Gab and Grace session," as she called it. The life-giving thirty minutes of prayer and mentoring . . . "

This made me think of our weekly prayer time at PRMS - Megan, Cina, Bonnie, and me. What sustenance our prayer time gave us for working with middle schoolers! What a blessing to have prayer buddies.

Page 21: "No answer came, as if God trusted him to discern the way. He had faith sharpened by war, by witnessing the brightest good bloom among the sharpest thorns of depravation. But God should have known by then how dense Wes really was."

 

I love her language choices. Discernment is hard . . . I'm with Wes on thinking God knows I'm dense but willing.

Page 42: Rhubarb pie! This made me think of my husband with a smile. He loves rhubarb pie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On page 50, Wes is talking to his Aunt Emma about Nikki showing up on his doorstep. I kind of want to include their whole conversation here because I love it so much! But the part that I flagged was when he says "You have far too much confidence in me." Aunt Emma replies, "And for that I will never apologize."

Throughout the book, I was drawn to Aunt Emma so much! What a fun woman of God! She is a lot like Mrs. Kip. Both characters make a point of building others up. I love that quality! Part of me wants to own both of these Brunsvold books . . . I enjoyed them so much.

Page 73: "All the pieces of her life broke off bit by bit. Slipped through her fingers even as she had her palms to heaven in a plea for mercy. How had it all fallen apart so quickly? How had it gotten so completely out of her control? How would she ever get through it?

Her mom's reply to that very question floated back. It comprised the words from Grandma Ann herself. 'Do the next thing.'

'It's the only thing I can do,' her mom had said."

The phrase "Do the next thing" was repeated frequently throughout this book, but it felt powerful in its repetition, not redundant. Getting "stuck" in life happens, but having a way to move forward is much better than staying stuck! Do the next thing.

Page 82: "Don't tell our pastor. Of course, he'll probably find out anyway. We posted a few of those selfie photos on the social media. Too bad you're not on it. Old women with beers and insufficient knowledge of technology make for interesting results."

Again, Aunt Emma talking with Wes makes the best parts of the book! I love her spunk and the "old women" sentiment at the end. It truly made me laugh out loud.

Page 135: "Shame, that whole situation. But Chris has made his bed. He'll need to sleep in it a while yet. Hard as it is, we need to let him. The good news is God's not afraid of an attitude. That divine whack will come in due course - to all the skulls that need it."

Aunt Emma again. Nikki's dad Chris has left his family and married his affair partner. His choices have torn apart his ex-wife's life as well as impacting his daughters and brother. So very sad. But Aunt Emma knows no one can change his mind or his behavior. So true!

Page 147 - When Nikki and her sister Hannah are taking a last look at their childhood home, Nikki says, "Where are we going to go for Christmas? Or birthdays? Or any holiday?"

I know adults who have mourned the loss of their childhood home and this scene made me think of their sadness. I guess I was so happy to have my own home (plus my childhood home is still in the family) that I haven't dealt with this personally. It's interesting to contemplate the passage of time and the different seasons of life.

Page 172: "Maybe that would help break the ice. Plus, I'm champing at the bit to let my stories out. I'm old. I have to share while I'm lucid enough to remember them."

 

Aunt Emma again! This is part of the reason why I did StoryWorth to tell some of my own stories while I can. I cannot ever again hear my parents talk about their childhoods and younger years. I can't ask them questions to find out their thoughts. Stories can be powerful and meaningful and we all have them.

 

Page 190: "Wes closed his bedroom door and sank onto the edge of his bed. Nikki had no idea how like her father she was. The German language may have faded between their family's generations, but the stubbornness held strong, as woven into the DNA as the brown eyes."

 

I tagged this because my husband and I both have German ancestry. Whenever we argue about stubbornness, I try to convince him that he's MORE stubborn because he's more German than I am. We laugh about it, but this paragraph made me think of it.

 

Page 219: "No doubt she does. Stories are the universal heart language. They bring together what is scattered."

 

Wisdom from Aunt Emma as she talks with Wes. He told her that Nikki appreciates her memories. This is her lovely response.

 

Page  223: "'The empty nest amplifies the gaps in a relationship,' her mom said. 'The gaps had become so much bigger than we realized. We had neglected too many things for too long. I tried to work on them, but it takes two.'"

I'm so very thankful that Louie and I get along well and have not struggled to adapt to our "empty nest." We're friends and partners. I'm so blessed!

Page 243: "The good news is father hurt can be covered by the Father's love, if you accept it. I'm being more direct with you than I have been. I love you too much to not speak the truth. Please hear it for what it is."

As much as I love Aunt Emma, Wes had so many characteristics that I share. He truly wanted to glorify God and make a difference in people's lives for God's kingdom, but he often felt awkward. In the letter he wrote to his brother, he wrote the truth in love. I loved this letter and how he tried so hard to be honest and encouraging. His subject line (must have been an email) was "I should have said it sooner."

Page 265: "'The other thing that needs to be said,' she added, 'is how wildly proud I am of you. You invest so much care and love in those around you, and it shows in how real your grief is for this boy. Never, ever stop doing good. Especially when it gets hard. Teach our niece to do the same. She's watching you more closely than ever. You understand?'"

Yes, Aunt Emma. The "boy" who died was Trennen, a young man who farmed Wes' land. 

Page 277: "I myself am a maligner, an abuser, an insulter, a neglecter, a shunner. Yet I am pure, covered in the love of a scourged and rejected Savior. I love because I am loved. I forgive because I am forgiven. I am a saint because he became my sin. I cannot charge a penny debt to someone else when I have had millions erased.

Okay, that's all the waxing I can do in a single email. I need a cold beverage now.

In all seriousness, darling niece, please consider what Ann taught me. It is my belief she came to this wisdom too late for certain relationships in her life. She wouldn't want that for you."

Aunt Emma's letter to Nikki also brought out my post-it notes. I love this character! I love her faith in the Lord and her exuberance for life.

Page 289-290: I just decided to show the letter from Nikki to her dad (Chris). Good stuff!

 

Page 292: "I'm happier than a dog with two tails!"

Aunt Emma's response to Wes telling her that he and Joyce are getting married. 

Page 296: "The makeshift bookmark turned out to be only the business card of the bookstore, but on the page it denoted, a light touch of a pencil underlined one passage: 'I shall be infinitely prouder of a lovable daughter with a talent for making life beautiful to herself and others.'"

The reconciliation between Nikki and her dad was perhaps the sweetest "love story" in this book. The fact that he chose to find a valuable edition of Little Women, read it, underline this line, and send it to her speaks volumes of love. 

This book was wonderful! I apologize if I've given away too much or spoiled it. It has taken me a long time to write all this!

The Case of the Smuggler's Curse

By Mark Dawson

Libby audiobook 4 hours

Read by Mark Peachey

Published: 2022

(After-school Detective Club, bk. 1)

Genre: children’s mystery

This was a lovely little story. Max, Lucy, Joe, and Charli (Charlotte) becoming friends is the real heart of this story. The mystery and ensuing heroics are in the vein of Scooby-Doo.  (There's even a dog named Sherlock!)

But the development of friendships really shines through.  Max is inventive but a bit lazy.  Lucy is athletic.  Joe is lonely; his dad is often away for work and his mom's a socialite.  Charli and Sherlock tend to be loners. (But together,  because her dog means the world to her. )

The bag guys are smuggling exotic animals.  They are truly awful and the kids are amazing. 

Though written for elementary to middle school aged kids,  I enjoyed listening to it.  I liked the dog best,  then the Captain. Mr. Creech was worse than Mr. De Havilland!

It's Okay to Not Finish . . .

I was listening to Kristin Hannah's The Four Winds and I wasn't enjoying it. Her writing is wonderful, but Elsa (Elsinore) as a spinster in 1921 just wasn't working for me. I felt sorry for her, but also frustrated. My one favorite quote before I quit listening was from her deceased grandfather. "Don't be afraid of dying. Be afraid of not living." The Walcotts and their social standing were off putting. I was curious about The Age of Innocence, but don't think I'll get it and read it. 

I just decided to move on even though I truly think Hannah is a talented author who crafts a strong story. The vocal work was fine; I just didn't like it.

#NoEscape

by Gretchen McNeil

"a #murdertrending novel" #3

Libby audiobook 10 hours

Narrated by: Rebecca Gibel

Published:  2020 (this version 2022)

Genre: YA murder mystery

There WILL be spoilers, so stop now if you plan to read this book. Persey (short for Persephone, but that's her middle name and she's really touchy about being called anything other than Persey) is a 17 year old who is freakishly good at figuring out puzzles. She solves the "unsolvable" library escape and wins a place in the national escape room championship. (First prize is $11 million  . . . )

What I liked:

• the escape room theme (Office, Loft, Collection, Cavethedral, Spike Pool, Classroom, Tea Room, . . . )
  
• interesting characters
  
• the curiosity about who was the killer and how the story would turn out
• the narrator's vocal work
  

 

What I didn't like:

• virtually everything else!
• there was no indication in audio of when we were experiencing a flashback to the protagonist's earlier story, so that was jarring. One moment, you're in an escape room trying frantically to solve a puzzle and the next you're in Persey's dining room having a shouting match with her dad.
• Persey's dad was beyond horrible. To constantly berate her and tear her down while idolizing his awful son . . . it was unimaginable. No wonder mom is a raging alcoholic.
• The scene in the Iron Maiden room . . . I was shouting "narrate what you see!" Because of course the people without the night vision goggles wanted information about what she was seeing and what all of them were facing. So frustrating!
• So many times, they were having stupid teen conversations instead of focusing on the task at hand. That was maddening.
• The deaths - Bryan smashed on the head, Arlo decapitated, Shawn drugged and frozen in place, Wes . . . well that was understandable. He has only himself to blame. Riot crushed to death, McKenzie shot by "Kevin," . . . Nila spared, Persey of course surviving.
• Kevin actually being Lincoln Brown, sadist and brother of Persey was almost the most disappointing part of the story. Persey going along with his plan was the worst!!!
• What an awful story. 

Mentor: The Kid & The CEO

subtitle: A Simple Story of Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Significance

by Tom Pace with Walter Jenkins

paperback 175 pages

Published: 2007

Genre: motivational

This was donated to a middle school I worked at over fifteen years ago. It sat in a pile at my house and so I decided to read it (finally). It isn't really middle school level . . . though I thought about which readers might benefit from it.

The basic premise is that a dumb entitled teen gets in trouble with the law and ends up in prison on a felony conviction. A motivational mentor offers a weekly class and the teen eventually goes just to get out of his cell. Over the weeks and months, his life is transformed.

Overall, this is a fairly cheesy simplistic book but it is definitely a positive and encouraging one. Two big themes from this mentor are to read and to run. It also touches on the reality of how hard life can be for ex-cons who are trying to turn their lives around after leaving prison. And of course, there is a huge emphasis on finding a mentor and / or being a mentor.

One thing I liked were the very faint phrases on the bottom of every page. "Dream big." "Share hope." "Be loyal." "Concentrate." I almost got out my highlighter to make them more prominent, but I knew I wasn't planning to keep this book. I'm trying to decide if I will drop it off at a Little Free Library, a jail, or a high school.

The Duke and I

by Julia Quinn

Libby audiobook 12 hours

Read by: Rosalyn Landor

Published: 2016

Genre: historical romance fiction

I have seen ads for the show Bridgerton, but never watched it. When I saw that this audiobook was available and had "Bridgerton" about the title, I was curious. I listened to the entire thing and here's my reaction.

It's basically just a romance / lust story set in the Regency era. Quinn does a nicer job of storytelling than many other Harlequin-style authors, but the main draw is the sexual attraction between the Duke of Hastings and Daphne Bridgerton.

My favorite aspects:

• Simon's childhood and overcoming his speech problems
• the Bridgerton brothers and that dynamic
• the alpha order of the Bridgerton children
• Violet, the Bridgerton matriarch. What a hoot! Especially her "night before the wedding" talk with poor Daphne

 

Overall, though, I don't feel a need to read any more of the books or watch the show.

Beyond the Bright Sea

by Lauren Wolk

Hennepin County hardcover 283 pages plus author's note and acknowledgements

Published: 2017

Genre: Children's historical fiction

 

I borrowed this for a sixth grade student who wanted to read it (after she enjoyed the author's book Wolf Hollow so much). Of course, I needed to read it myself before returning it to the library. It was enjoyable and unpredictable. Little Crow was set adrift in a small boat as an infant. Osh rescued her and raised her on one of the Elizabeth Islands. 

This book made me interested in Cuttyhunk, Penikese, and other islands. I have already read quite a bit about Hansen's disease (leprosy) and wasn't surprised by people's attitudes (especially in the 1920s). I love books that made me think and wonder. I was surprised that we didn't learn more about Osh's past by the end of the book! 

Page 6: "I wanted to know why there were pearls tucked inside some of the Cuttyhunk oysters but not others. I wanted to know how the moon could drag the ocean in and out from such a distance, when it couldn't stir the milk in Miss Maggie's tea. But I needed to know, among other things, why so many of the Cuttyhunk Islanders stayed away from me, as if they were afraid, when I was smaller than any of them."

Crow is such a lovely protagonist. I love this distinction between wanting to know and needing to know. I also love the language choices.

Page 34: "I read a dozen new books, like The Secret Garden and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - books that rang bells in my heart - and I devoted myself to my lessons with Miss Maggie, who taught me things like why salt water boiled faster than fresh."

First of all, the "books that rang bells in my heart" is simply beautiful! Secondly, why does salt water boil faster than fresh?

Page 82: "the 8th of June, 1925 . . . Carville, Louisiana"

Until the signature on this letter from a doctor, I didn't realize the time period. Interesting, but not enough to make me go back and see if I should have picked up on the time period earlier!

Page 91: "The chickens liked me, as long as I didn't bring Mouse along."

This made me laugh! Mouse is the name of her cat. I'm quite sure the chickens wouldn't like a cat to come along with young Crow. 

Page 113 - I was so surprised when Crow rescued Mr. Sloan, and a bit worried at what he might do to her. The danger element in this book was high enough to make it very captivating, especially later when Mr. Kendall is after them.

Page 137: "'Things are usually better when you don't mess with them too much,' he said."

Osh is wise and he imparts his wisdom to Crow whether she's aware of it or not. Beyond the simple meal they're having, he's referring to her getting involved in what happened to her family before she came to him on the sea.

Page 165: "'I suspect they pay attention to what they know.' As he had told me I should."

Again, Osh is teaching Crow. They're talking about baby birds learning to fly. And about Crow.

Page 166: "The breeze curtsied as it passed by.

A chimney swift sketched a curlicue overhead.

If there had been music, it might have been too much to bear."

Osh, Miss Maggie, and Crow are eating a meal together. This book is filled with lovely language as well as a wonderful mystery and adventure story. I was a bit surprised that the ending didn't tie up all the loose ends, but glad that it wasn't just a pat, predictable story.

Secrets in the Snow

by Michaela MacColl

Libby ebook

Published: 2022

Genre: YA historical fiction

 

This story was enjoyable but didn't blow me away. Jane Austen is the central figure and it's an interesting blend of real history and creative writing. I liked Jane's spunk and the whodunit murder mystery. I liked her disabled brother George and her love interest Tom being pleasant when he met this brother. A lot of other parts were a bit meh.

 

Chapter 3: "Besides," Jane continued, "you must stay here and find out as much as you can. Edward won't suspect you of ulterior motives." 

"Unlike you, I have no hidden depths," Cassandra said. "I seem scrupulous because I am." 

I love that Cassandra is just so WYSIWYG! (What You See Is What You Get) These sisters are such a great pair!

Chapter 18: What possibilities there were in Tom's story! A family desperate for a son. Perhaps the property is entailed and only a male relative can inherit. But daughter after daughter is born. Their only hope is to marry well. But how can five girls all manage to find husbands? The Austens couldn't manage two!

In the author's note, she provides a bit more background information. She really did her research on Jane Austen, but also took a few liberties. It was kind of sweet how info like this popped up. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books, so this made me smile.

Chapter 22: Imagine a gentleman with five daughters and no fortune. The business of his wife is to get her daughters married. The two eldest sisters might resemble us: one who is sweet and kind like you, and another who is too clever for her own good. Of course there will be dances, misunderstandings, heartbreak, and at least one engagement. No murder, however. I am done with that.

In her last letter to her sister Cassandra, Jane lays out the plot for her next story. The murder aspect in this book was interesting, but a bit of a stretch. The cousin Eliza and her story were prominent.

Ladies of the Lake

By Cathy Gohlke

Dakota County Library paperback 352 pages plus author’s note, acknowledgements, and discussion questions

Published: 2023

Genre: Christian historical fiction

 

I hope I remember details when our book club meets in a week and a half! There are things I loved about this book and things that bugged me. I learned about the Halifax explosion of 1917. In fact, I looked it up before I was even halfway through the book. I’d never heard of it before!

 

Young Adelaide Macneill becomes an orphan when her parents don’t return one night, lost in a storm at sea. Her much older brother removes her from PEI and sends her to a girls boarding school in Connecticut. She becomes friends with three other girls and the “Ladies of the Lake” pledge to be eternal friends.

 

There will be spoilers, so stop here if you've not yet read the book!

 

Pg 4: “Not my concern after looking after the both of you all these years? You’ve gotten to be like that Miss Haversham woman in that Dickens book you’ve been reading aloud. You'll keep on till you die like - - "

"Portia, please. And it's Havisham."

 

I love the reference to Dickens and the correction of the character name! Portia and "Rosaline" (Aka Addie) have a unique connection and a long history.

Pg. 13: "Dear God and Father of us all, we come to You tonight heartbroken, grieving the sudden and terrible loss of Adelaide's beloved mother and father. We grieve for the loss of their strong arms about her, for the loss of the home she dearly loved - the home where she was born, felt safe, and had expected to grow to womanhood."

Mrs. Simmons is the woman I want to be - attentive, sensitive, kind, and willing to pray with someone who clearly needs prayer. The prayer goes on and was such a great counterbalance to young Addie's brother's coldness and her grief.

Pg. 57: "The gulp in Bernadette's throat was visible. She looked at the headmistress, set her mouth in a firm line, and looked away. 'I've been better, but it costs more.'"

We've traveled from 1910 and Addie to 1935 and her daughter Bernadette. The headmistress at Lakeside Ladies Academy is now Dorothy Meyer (aka "Dot," one of the Ladies of the Lake). When Bernadette utters those words, Dot is immediately reminded of her dear friend Addie (who theoretically died in 1917 . . . ). There were so many hints and clues . . . and it seemed pretty apparent to this reader where the story was going.

Pg. 63: "I'd never tasted alcohol, but I was certain those racings of brain and pulse signified intoxication."

Ah, young love! Just being near Stephen makes Addie feel intoxicated. Sigh, swoon.

Pg. 185: "Miracles are Your department, aren't they, Lord? Dorothy wondered if that was sacrilege, to beg God when she needed Him and ignore Him when things were fine. But things aren't fine, Lord! They've never been fine, not for a long time."

I love that God's grace is bigger than our sin! But it does frustrate me when people only cry out to God when they want something from Him. Ignoring God when "things are fine" is such a huge mistake.

Pg. 274: "And how can I hope to be forgiven if I don't forgive? Each day I pray the Lord's Prayer - 'Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.' Dear God, forgiveness depends on both of us; I know this. We're in this hole together and together we can climb out. That's where freedom is born, isn't it?"

 

I love how Addie / Rosaline, Dot, Ruth, and Susannah all had such distinct personalities and strengths. I love how Addie grows throughout this story. Her ability to recognize the need for forgiveness is powerful.

 

Pg. 284: "Stephen is no longer that young man any more than I am that young woman. Who is he now? Who am I without the shield of memory I've built to protect myself? Lord, you've built an identity in me while I've stood unaware, grieving a broken monument. The wonder overwhelmed me."

 

Sometimes we forget that others' lives have moved, as ours have moved. Memory can be powerful and positive, but it can also be deceptive.

Pg. 309: "I'd vowed to the Lord yesterday that I wouldn't waste one more moment of my life in fears and regret, but carrying that out was harder than I'd imagined."

Amen, sister. Good intentions, even vows to God, doesn't equal a clear path to follow in words and actions.

Pg. 315: "I don't want to lose another minute of our friendship, girls. The truth is, children grow up and move on with their lives. Husbands become busy with their work and who knows what. But women need friends, read, true friends, and we're the best we've got."

I don't remember which character said this! (I've already returned the book to the library and I'm just using screenshots of pages for the quotations.) It's one of my favorite lines from the book.

Pg. 325: The big reveal - that Dot had married Jonas Meyer and not Stephen Meyer kind of ticked me off. It was so strongly implied that she had betrayed Addie because she was pining for Stephen . . . Ugh. The wasted time and lives . . . All's well that ends well, I suppose. But that part kind of bugged me.

The whole drama about Addie being Bernadette's mom (vs. aunt) and going to the graduation were also mixed with the board treasurer embezzling money and the school's danger of closing. It was a wonderful book to read! Oh, and the Meyer family were of German descent and faced persecution during the war. The girls taunting men with the white feather . . . there were so many details. The author's note was quite good, too.

 

 

 

Just Because

by Matthew McConaughey

Illustrated by Renée Kurilla

Hennepin County Library hardcover children's book

Published: 2023

Genre: children's fiction, encouragement

 

I don't remember where I saw a blurb about this book and got curious, but I've been on the waiting list for a while. It's a beautifully illustrated picture book where the text only carries half the message. 

 

Some might say the author is promoting social relativism, but I think he's showing situations where nuance is required. He writes (and Kurilla illustrates) in such a kid-appropriate way that many good conversations about how to handle life situations could follow.

"Just because you're a bully, doesn't mean that you're strong." The illustration shows a boy angrily snatching a basketball from another child's hands. The bottom half of the page says, "Just because it felt right then, doesn't mean it won't feel wrong." That illustration shows the bully with tears as his back is turned to the other child, who looks forlorn.

The other thing I love about this book is how grays and full color illustrations are mixed to highlight the point of the text.

This is a wonderful picture book, worth having in an elementary school collection or a child's home.

The Awe of God: The Astounding Way a Healthy Fear of God Transforms Your Life

by John Bevere

Hennepin County Library hardcover 279 pages + notes

Published: 2023

Genre: Non-fiction Christian faith

I didn't realize this was just published this year . . . until now. There's a LONG waiting list for it and I'm six days over my return date. (Last week was super busy and then we went to the lake.) I will return it today and request it again because it is so good! I thought about buying a copy, but I'm trying really hard to spend less money and have fewer possessions. 

It is written in such a way that it could be used as a six week (42 day) devotional. He has at the end of each day a "Making it Personal" section with a Scripture passage, a main point, questions to ponder, a prayer, and a statement of profession. (I love the alliteration! Passage, Point, Ponder, Prayer, Profession.)

Page 11: "I realized that morning the pastor had confused the 'spirit of fear' with the 'fear of the Lord.' There is a huge difference, . . . "

Yes! As a child, I heard the refrain, "God will get you for that!" We were taught to be AFRAID of God, and in my child's mind I just wanted to avoid Him. He was scary. The fear of the Lord is so very different from being afraid. I'm so glad that I've learned to have a healthy awe and respect for the Lord!

Page 48 (Your Value): "Once again, we see a differentiation of holy fear and unholy fear. I cannot stress enough that holy fear does not mean being scared of God and consequently withdrawing from Him, but unholy fear does. It's imperative that we know the difference and are established in this truth."

Obviously, I'm not the only person who has struggled with this. As I am revisiting this book, I remember why I thought about buying my own copy. I may have to buy it yet . . . And I concur with his recommendation to use a journal with the daily readings.

Also on page 48, I wonder if I could get a job as a proofreader. "The two will be a significant part our discussion moving forward . . . " I read that sentence at least four times, my brain filling in the word "of" between "part" and "our." Ugh.

I am on week 2 day 4 "Fear and Trembling." Ironic, huh? After I get this book again, I will try to be more diligent in reading it daily and returning it on time!

<Above posted 1.16.24. Below added 2.13.24. More to come later . . . >

The "ironic" above was having had the book for 27 days (21 day checkout and 6 days late) and only getting to entry #11!!! I've been more diligent this time around, but I have finally put it on my Wish List. If no one buys it for me, I'll cycle back to getting it from the library again when it's not so new.

It is worth owning, though. So many Christian books make me think, "I can just read my Bible! That's where the knowledge comes from - the Word of God." But some help guide and direct my thoughts and prayers. This is one of those books. I'm really enjoying the time drawing into God's Word. I love his "Making It Personal" at the end of each section. (And yes, I love the alliteration of Passage / Point / Ponder / Prayer / Profession, but that's only a small part of it!)

Page 105 (Depart from Evil): "I loved Jesus, but I didn't fear God." 

Bevere is talking with a jailed evangelist who repented of his sinfulness. This is in answer to Bevere's question, "You committed adultery seven years before you were prosecuted for the mail fraud that ultimately put you in this penitentiary. How can you tell me you loved Jesus those seven years?"

This reminded me of Pastor Jamie talking about "Mush God" - some people's perception that "God is love" means whatever people want it to mean and there are no limits.

Page 160 (A Good Pain): "Peter instructs us to arm ourselves. Can you imagine a military going to war without any planes, ships, tanks, guns, bullets, knives - unarmed? Just the thought of it seems ludicrous. In the same way, it's just as crazy for a believer to be unprepared to suffer, yet many are. An unarmed believer can easily bypass hardship for the sake of self-preservation. The fear of the Lord is what arms us; it maintains a deep resolve in our will to obey God no matter what suffering it may entail."

I don't love the military / war analogy, but it makes sense. It's too easy in American Christianity to want everything to be pleasant. That's not what God's Word tells us! Following Him is a sacrifice and we WILL have troubles. Trusting Him is what gets us through the hard times.

Page 167 (It Is Finished): "Likewise, most would affirm he did well by completing 99.99 percent of the assignment, but very few would classify his actions as rebellion. If we were in Saul's shoes and received this correction, how many of us would protest, 'Come on, be reasonable! Why are you so focused on the little I didn't do, instead of acknowledging all that I accomplished?' In light of this, it's safe to conclude this truth: almost complete obedience isn't obedience at all."

Ouch. This hit me. I'm pretty quick to rationalize and celebrate what I DID get done, rather than asking God what HE wants me to do. I really need to work on seeking His will, listening, and obeying. 

 

I need to get this back to the library (again). I'm on week 5 day 1. Week 5 is "Intimacy with God." Week 6 is "The Treasure's Benefits." Six weeks x seven days = 42 day devotional. Seriously, I should just buy this!

The Bullet

by Mary Louise Kelly

Libby audiobook 12 hours

Read by Cassandra Campbell

Published: 2015 

Genre: murder mystery

Warning! I WILL include spoilers in this review. Stop after the first paragraph if you're curious to read it yourself.

Initially, I liked this book and was curious to see where it would go. Caroline is a thirty-something year old college professor and has been dealing with wrist pain for a year. Her doctor seems dismissive, but finally has her go in for an MRI. There's a bullet lodged in her neck!

My first thought was that the MRI would have caused the bullet to go toward the powerful magnet . . . but a few chapters later, they explain that the bullet is lead and so not magnetic.

Her parents are cagey when she asks them how it is possible that she has a bullet in her neck. She learns that they are her adoptive parents and she was shot as a three-year-old when her birth parents were murdered. This sets her off on a discovery research trip to Atlanta to find out about her own past.

The things I disliked most about this book:

1. The excessive use of the Lord's name as a swearword. (Ironic that I'm also reading The Awe of God right now . . . God is Holy, His Name is Holy, He is not a casual swearword.) Even more ironic is that the main character actually prays when she is in a place of need! What?!

2. Her physician, Will, seduces her then ghosts her! That whole thing was ick on a deeper level than I was ready for. I thought he had to be in cahoots with her parents' murderer. How else could he possibly make so many awful choices about his relationship with a patient?! (And then they get back together at the end of the story . . . yuk.)

3. When she killed Ethan Sinclair. Of all the ways this could have resolved, her becoming a murderer herself did not seem to be a very fitting way to get justice for her birth parents and her own lost childhood. Then her going on the run, buying burner phones, etc. . . . Jason Bourne she is not.

4. Finding out the identity of the actual killer. It was maddening that it was so apparent well before the lightbulb went on for Caroline. The ending was definitely anticlimatic.

Campbell's vocal work was fantastic. I love that the author translated the French words and phrases. (I knew many of them, but not all.) I liked the main character's brothers. They were probably my favorite characters!

The Ballad of Lucy Whipple

by Karen Cushman

Libby audiobook 5 hours

Read by Christina Moore

Published: 1996 (this version 1997)

Genre: YA historical fiction

I can't believe I've never blogged this story, either! I just checked my old Excel sheet and found nothing.

I remember the first time I read this (in print) and I sobbed at a sad part. I laughed at Lucy's brother learning all the different words for alcohol. There are both surface things and deep things to enjoy in this story.

Lucy "California" Whipple has gone west with her mother, brother, and two little sisters during the 1850s. Her mother will start a boarding house in Lucky Diggins while they figure out life without Pa and two sisters who have died.

Lucy just wants to go home to Massachusetts. I really like Cushman's writing. This is a wonderful book.

Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen

Libby audiobook 12 hours

Read by Kate Kellgren

Published: 1813 (this version 2010)

Genre: historical fiction, romance

 

I can't believe I've never blogged this book before! It's one of my favorites. Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy are so delightful. I have so many favorite scenes. This audiobook was sheer pleasure to listen to (except for Mr. Collins' long-winded obnoxiousness, of course). 

 

I love Keira Knightley in the 2005 film version (and most of the rest of the cast). But Colin Firth in the 1995 television series is an amazing Mr. Darcy. Ahh. I could rewatch, relisten, and reread again and again. But I have so many other books right now! 

I just went to my old Excel spreadsheet of reading response and found this:

Pride and Prejudice

Austen, Jane

4/26/07

Love story from the 1800s. Who was more prideful - Elizabeth Bennett or Mr. Darcy? 

 I love this story! The movie version with Keira Knightley was my first experience with Jane Austen's work. The language, manners, and social conventions are so different from our age, but it's a wonderful love story nonetheless.

 

 

Wow! I didn't realize I hadn't read Austen before watching the movie back in 2007! Memory can be deceptive . . . 

CD / Carver County / unabridged / approx. 16 hours

May, Nadia - beautiful British accent, but she sounded too old for the young characters. . .

Les Trois Petits Cochons

 by Anonymous (fairy tale, oral traditions)

Narrator: Olivier Lecerf

Libby audiobook 5 minutes

Published (this version) 2011

Genre: Children's fiction, French

Again, I had to listen multiple times to get more than a few isolated words. I also had to slow it down a LOT.

I finally got to the point where I understood the wolf's threat to "huff and puff and blow your house down" and also when he "mangez le cochon" (eat the pig). 

I like listening to the French and trying to understand words and phrases better, but I'm surprised at how hard this is!

Le Petit Monde de Pierre Lapin

by Beatrix Potter

Translated by Erik Bjork

Read by Erik Bjork

Libby audiobook 49 minutes

Published: 1901 . . . 2016 this version

Genre: Children's fiction, French

I only listened to the first story (The Tale of Peter Rabbit). There are seven of Beatrix Potter's books on this! It was only 5:42 of the full 49 minutes.

The first time I listened, I only caught isolated words - "jardin" (garden), "lui dit" (he said), etc.

The second time I listened, I slowed it down to about 85% and could understand a bit more.

The third time, I followed along with the print version (in English) and I could more clearly understand some of the French. My language skills have really gotten weak!

L'histoire de Pierre Lapin was delightful!

Mabuhay!

by Zachary Sterling

Scott County Library paperback 229 pages

Published: 2023

Genre: YA graphic novel

 

I saw this showcased at the Scholastic Book Fair at NPMS and was curious. I love graphic novels! This one has the tagline "Can two kids save the world and still work their family food truck?" 

JJ is the older brother who wants to be part of the cool crowd. He's embarrassed by his weird family and having to wear the "beautiful pig" costume at their food truck stops. Althea is younger and loves horror films. She loves being weird and is pretty angry that her former best friends have changed so much and now avoid her. She can be downright hostile.

A strange person turns up at their food truck one day and pays with an ancient Filipino coin. She is a witch and she is determined to get back the kids' mother who has a powerful relic. There's a lot of mythology, magic, and superhero style fighting. There's also a lot of Filipino food and culture in this book (with footnotes and a glossary). 

My favorite part was when Althea became attached to Juan and Pinya. So sweet! It's a delightful book that I would gladly purchase for a middle school collection (if I were still a librarian).

The Wings of Poppy Pendleton

by Melanie Dobson

Scott County Library paperback 326 pages plus author's note, discussion questions, and acknowledgements

Published: 2023

Genre: Christian historical fiction

With chapters focusing on Chloe in 1992 and Amelia Pendleton in 1907, this book has a lot of mysteries for the reader to figure out. I ended up grabbing scrap paper to make notes about the timeline as I tried to connect the dots. I thought about taking a picture and including it here, but I'm too lazy! (Plus, it has spoilers on it . . . ) Reader hint: you may want to make your own timeline with major events and characters' ages.

I missed book club discussion last week because I wasn't finished reading and didn't want the mysteries solved for me! I didn't fall in love with this book and I'm not sure why. My favorite character was Logan. I liked the islands, the boats, the castle, the candy store, and the ending. 

Page 186: "No one knew what went on sometimes in families. The good and the bad. No one could possibly understand except those who had lived through it."

 

This struck me! Some people act as though everything is fine when it's not; others overdramatize their experience and create trauma that didn't happen. ALL of us have experienced unique things in our family history that can't necessarily be explained. Life is meant to be lived. 

Page 204: "While Chloe's earthly father might have failed, Nana liked to say, her heavenly Father would never fail her. Instead of scattering the pieces of her life, God would help her mold them into something good."

 

For people who DO have disappointing fathers, I think it's so wonderful to know that God is our perfect heavenly father who loves us unconditionally.

Page 212: "Chloe glanced down at Joe's colorful tackle box, still partially filled with candy. She wanted to bring joy to people, but too much of anything could hurt. How did one enjoy the simple pleasures without being consumed?"

 

I'm not sure if the author was comparing candy to opium . . . but it is an interesting conversation to talk about pleasures and what our role is in being faithful to God. Seeking holiness is not about making sure you get your own needs and wants met!

Page 238: "'We have that in common then. I like words and stories and uncovering the mysteries in this life, whether made by man or God Himself."

 

It took Chloe way too long to actually like Logan! I'm also a person who likes words and stories.

Page 268: "The lie of Poppy Pendleton had been erased, and a new reality had been born. She'd never tell Birdie what happened back in England or on Koster Isle. Instead, Birdie would live free from any worry of becoming like her mother and grandmother or Sarah, for that matter. And neither of them would have to worry if Ellie defied the registrar after the accident, like Sarah had done, and was searching for them both."

I'm honestly not sure why I tagged this. I guess because I don't like secrets. I'm a firm believer in telling the truth! I mean, it worked out well for Birdie . . . but I still think truth is best.

I didn't write about all the bird imagery or the human trafficking or the high society stuff . . . there's a lot in this book!

Page 286: "'God is good,' he said, his eyes on the rain-soaked window. 'I'm just trying to partner with Him.'"

The Hunger Between Us

by Marina Scott

Libby audiobook 8 hours

read by Julia Emelin

Published: 2022

Genre: YA historical fiction WWII Soviet Union

This review WILL have spoilers, so stop now if you don't want the story ruined. Here's a blurb from Amazon: "There are some lines that should never be crossed―even in a city ruled by hunger. The black market is Liza’s lifeline, where she barters family heirlooms and steals whatever she can get her hands on just for enough food to survive. Morality, after all, has become a fluid thing since the Nazi siege has cut off her city from the rest of the world. Hope for a quick liberation is obliterated as the Soviet government focuses on sustaining the Red Army and not the city, subjecting its people to unimaginable cruelties at the hands of the secret police. When Liza’s best friend Aka proposes that they go to the same bullying officials, rumored to give young women food in exchange for “entertainment,” Liza thinks there surely must be some other way. Then Aka disappears and Liza resolves to rescue her no matter the cost, entangling herself in an increasingly dangerous web with two former classmates, one a policeman, the other forced to live underground."

 

Things I appreciate about this story:

• the severity of starvation's effect on people was very realistic
• that moral ambiguity that comes with having a survival mentality . . . again, believable
• both Maxim and Luka (?) are amazing young men 
• the narrator sounded very Russian! Halting phrasing, accent, . . . perfect
  
• reading about the author, this is her debut novel. Good job! (And she grew up behind the Iron Curtain!)
  
• Who was worse for the Russian people - the German Nazis or the NKVD (Russian secret police)? Again, the horrors of starving to death were very realistic.
  

What I didn't appreciate:

• what a jerk Liza could be at times! She was not willing to trust either Luka or Maxim, even though neither one DID anything to make her believe they were untrustworthy. Fine. Be suspicious. But to lie and behave selfishly when it endangers others is reprehensible!
• chucking the pot of stew onto the ground because you think the "meat" is human . . . when people are starving to DEATH . . . is unconscionable. Don't eat it. Walk away. Throwing the soup on the ground isn't going to bring back the dead people!
• Also, when she kept wandering around the Mansion to look for Aka . . . how stupid can you be? Don't mess with the secret police in their own lair!
  
• Seriously, it took until chapter 19 to reveal who the creepy dude at the apartment really is? Gaganov (?) seemed like an awful man who had done something inexcusable. Liza avoided him like the plague. Then we find out he's her dad?!? And the horrible thing he did was suggest selling dead bodies so they could survive? Then she's all "Daddy" and talking to him. What?!?
• Okay, it gets worse when we find out that he basically sold her best friend Aka for food . . . and kept her necklace and shirt. Super creepy awful.
• The number of times Liza said she had no choice or "what choice do I have?" bothered me. There are ALWAYS choices! Some of them may be horrific, but you can choose what you think, say, and do.

I like Ruta Sepetys' books better. Her WWII Soviet book is called Between Shades of Gray. I highly recommend it!

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

by Suzanne Collins

Scott County Library, hardcover, 517 pages

Published: 2020

Genre: YA dystopian fiction

I have heard that the movie was fantastic, but I wanted to read the book first! I kind of want to re-read all the Hunger Games books now (and re-watch the movies) but I have too much to do! (FYI, this review assumes one understands the trilogy concept and content.)

This story takes place in the tenth year after the rebellion. For the tenth Hunger Games, mentors from students at the Academy have been chosen for each of the tributes.

 

Part I: "The Mentor"

Part II: "The Prize" (page 155)

Part III: "The Peacekeeper" (page 321)

Epilogue (page 511)

I love when authors reference other literary works! Collins opens the novel with this page of quotations. I'm guessing for most readers, this page is glossed over. But if I were reading this with a book club of teens, we'd spend a whole discussion on this! Wow. Lots to think about here.

Page 12: "As she led Coriolanus into the kitchen, he reminded himself that self-control was an essential skill, and he should be grateful his grandmother provided daily opportunities to practice it."

For most of the story, Coriolanus Snow is a fairly sympathetic character (which is surprising considering the Snow of the trilogy). His grandmother, her roses, her daily singing of the anthem, and her old ways are irritating to young Coryo, but this attitude of gratefulness for helping him learn a skill caught my attention. I'm often just quick to be crabby and forget to look for the opportunity when I feel frustrated.

Page 15: "Really, she needed to get her drinking under control, although the same thing could be said for half the adults he knew. Self-medication was a citywide epidemic."

This caught my attention because it saddens me and it's the reality for too many people over too many eras. Self-medicating to numb the pain, anger, grief, sadness, etc. does not solve a person's problems.Yet it's the go-to for many people.

Page 76: "'It's just this whole Hunger Games thing is making me crazy! I mean, what are we doing? Putting kids in an arena to kill each other? It feels wrong on so many levels.'"

When Sejanus expresses his true opinion, I agree whole-heartedly. I was surprised, though, that he trusted Coriolanus enough to say something that he must have known would mark him as a treasonous traitor.

Page 158: "Oh, to be seven again, in a happy pile with his friends, with nutritional crackers waiting at his desk."

When life and the decision-making gets hard, wanting the carefree joys of younger years rears up. 

Page 227: "The right thing to do. Coriolanus realized that this was what had always defined Sejanus's actions, his determination to do the right thing."

I love that about Sejanus - wanting to do what is right whether it is beneficial to him or not. What a difference between him and Coriolanus! (But Collins writes this cleverly, because the latter character is still sympathetic . . . )

Page 243: "'A boy with a club who beats another boy to death. That's mankind in its natural state.'"

Dr. Gaul's attitude about human nature is chilling. This sentiment brings to mind The Lord of the Flies. I haven't read that book since I was a teen in the 1980s. I should probably re-read it, but it was such a distressing book the first time! Human nature. Nature vs. nurture. Good grounds for discussion here!

Page 338: "He felt sure he was having a heart attack but made no attempt to call for help, instead curling into a ball and pressing his face against the wall."

This is such a turning point for Snow. A letter from his cousin Tigris has let him know that they are completely destitute and need to sell their luxury apartment in Panem. He envisions a future for himself of being an old Peacekeeper and missing out on all his hopes and dreams, with the Snow name ground into the dirt. 

Page 423: "'Every one of us Covey owes our name to a ballad, and this one belongs to this pretty lady right here!' She held out a hand to Lucy Gray, who curtsied to scattered applause. 'It's a really old one by some man named Wordsworth.'"

I love The Ballad of Lucy Gray by William Wordsworth! I love how Collins uses literary allusions to feed the reader more literature. I like the Covey, their music, and their names.

I think my favorite character was Pluribus, the nightclub owner and black market guy in Panem. I like how cleverly Collins wove in the details that "set up" the Hunger Games stories . . . which were written more than a decade ago. 

The epilogue wasn't really surprising, but his little interview with Dr. Gaul when he thought he was headed to officer school was an eye opener. She orchestrated a lot more than just the Hunger Games! This is actually a very chilling dystopian story. But it is well-written!

Learn French: Level 1: Introduction to French

by Innovative Language

Libby audiobook 3.5 hours

Published: 2012

Genre: non-fiction, language

I got this audiobook because I love the French language. I was so close to being bilingual as a teenager, but I gave up when it got too hard with verb tenses. 

Listening to this was fun, especially when they used pauses for the listener to practice. Other parts were just plain interesting. If I were truly a beginner, I may have been discouraged. There is a LOT of content in this audio. It's nicely broken up into short lessons. If I were truly trying to learn the language this way, I would probably just buy the resource to practice over and over. 

It's also interesting to primarily listen and speak without seeing the text. They often spelled out what they were saying, but I could mostly picture the words because of my past experience with studying French (in the late 1970s and early 1980s!).

I also checked out a copy of Nelson Mandela in French. It's the one that's part of the Little People, Big Dreams series. That was an eBook and hard to read because I had to keep enlarging the page to be able to see the text, then zooming back out to see the entire page. It was tedious. I like reading children's books in French because they're less demanding than novels for adults. But I think I'll have to check out print books for this so I can take my time, see the text, and look up words I don't know. (I'll have to pull out my old French / English dictionary.)

I highly recommend this audio for anyone trying to become more familiar with French. The co-hosts (Virginie & ??? I forgot the guy's name) were cute and playful but not obnoxious.

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade (Enola Holmes #9)

by Nancy Springer

Libby audiobook 4 hours

Read by: Tamaryn Rayne

Published: 2022

Genre: YA historical fiction, mystery

 

I hadn't planned on continuing with this series, but this audiobook was available and I decided to listen. 

 

I enjoyed the story for the most part. Lady Cecily is once again in trouble. Her despotic father has locked her in her room with no clothing (other than a nightgown), no books, and no art supplies. Enola is determined to rescue her.

The part I didn't like in this story was the continual emphasis on Lady Cecily's two personalities - her "left-handed" persona of strength, determination, and creativity, and her "right-handed" weak, docile, and vapid personality. It just got old after a while.

Overall, Springer has done a delightful job with these books. I like the interplay between Enola and her brother Sherlock. I really liked the playfulness between Enola and her usual cabbie Harold. Fun!

<Above posted 11.13.23. Below added 5.29.25.>

This one is a no-go for me for future. Interesting that I gave it a pretty positive review previously. I do like how the other women at the club help Enola with her costumes. I like Harold. But honestly, the whole split personality thing is just too dumb and irritating.

Framing Cecily's dad for his illegal disposal of servants' bodies and Sherlock's unwillingness to engage in blackmail . . . that's interesting.

The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady

by Elizabeth Stuckey-French

Libby eBook 23 chapters plus acknowledgements

Published: 2011

Genre: realistic fiction

 

I'm not sure how this book caught my attention, but I could not stop reading it even when I didn't like where it was going.

 

Part of the blurb (which I'm just reading now) says, "Told from the varied perspectives of an incredible cast of endearing oddball characters and written with the flair of a native Floridian, this dark comedy does not disappoint."

 

Marylou Ahearn is 77 years old and determined to exact revenge on Doctor Wilson Spriggs. "In 1953, he gave her a radioactive cocktail without her consent as part of a secret government study . . . " 

 

I can understand the depth of her anger. She watched her daughter die, her marriage break up, and eventually received money for what was done to her while she was pregnant. But revenge . . . doesn't just destroy the person you're trying to wreak it upon. Marylou becomes "Nance" as she relocates to Tallahassee, Florida, to take Wilson Spriggs' life. When she realizes that his dementia has taken away his ability to truly understand the damage he has caused her, she decides to destroy the lives of his children and grandchildren.

 

Chapter 4 (Ava): "She just didn't like her own kind. She could understand why typical people avoided people with Asperger's. They were obnoxious know-it-alls."

 

Ava is the oldest daughter in the family. She resents being made to go to Asperger's Group, but her mother Caroline is insistent. Caroline is Dr. Spriggs' unhappy adult daughter who tries to live vicariously through the beautiful Ava.

 

Chapter 4 (Ava): "Ava knew then that Nance was no Miss Clavel from the Madeline books. Nance, unlike Miss Clavel, didn't care about something being not right." 

This is where I started to hate the book (but also kept reading . . . sigh). Nance convinces Ava to go ahead and pose nude for the photographer who is shooting her for a possible modeling job. I wish Ava had stuck to her guns and refused! I was horrified that Nance would do such a despicable thing.

Chapter 5 (Otis): "In the book was a detailed diagram of a breeder reactor. Once he saw that drawing, almost a blueprint, he was hooked. Otis had never doubted that he had the persistence and focus and intelligence to make a reactor. Asperger's was good for something."

I'm curious about the author's connection to people with Asperger's, but not curious enough to do any digging. I wonder about Caroline's intense focus on Ava, but not on her son Otis, in regard to their neurodiversity and their futures. Otis' goal also reminded me of The Radioactive Boy Scout (and the author mentions this book at the end!).

Chapter 6 (Suzi): ". . . like one you'd fine (sic) in a fancy hotel . . . "

Ugh. Typos. I'm a bit surprised I highlighted this, but I definitely notice and re-read sentences like this several times. "Fine. Fine? Shouldn't it be find?" How ironic that I sometimes re-read my own blog entries and notice silly errors! But I'm not paid to publish, am I? And I'm often in a hurry to just dump my thoughts and move on to something else. Excuses, excuses, excuses . . . 

Chapter 8 (Vic): "But Caroline never hesitated to throw those A-words out like firecrackers. Although she wouldn't admit it, she enjoyed the disturbance those words caused. If asked why she brought it up with people, she would say that she was only making people aware so they'd be more sympathetic to Ava and Otis, cut them some slack, realize that they weren't just weird but weird for a reason."

Vic wasn't my favorite character, lost as he was in his own fantasy world (where he had imaginary affairs and hurricanes tore through Florida). But I like his observation about his wife's obsession with the two older children and their place on the spectrum. The rest of his observation about all people being weird in different ways is something I can agree with!

Chapter 8 (Vic): " . . . he didn't want to add to the damage that had already been done by the everyday wear and tear of life with three kids, two of them with 'disabilities,' and an old man with dementia."

I can agree with Vic here. The "wear and tear" of life can definitely impact our marriages, personal well-being, etc. I didn't like his flagrant flirting with Gigi, though, even though he didn't actually have sex with her.

Chapter 9 (Caroline): "She despised July Fourth and all the forced gaiety around it, gaiety that required one to endure the heat, eat bad food, and subject oneself to fiery things that banged and popped and had been known to 'take out an eye' or 'blow off a finger.' She felt guilty about hating Independence Day, so she usually went overboard in the opposite direction - baking cupcakes with red, white, and blue icing; organizing a cookout buying tons of sparklers and snakes; forcing gaiety on everyone else."

 

I don't understand people like this. "Forced" gaiety? If you don't like a holiday, that's okay. I eat yummy food at picnics and barbecues, 4th of July or no! Guilt . . . I can understand that.

Chapter 10 (Ava): "And what would Elvis think of this church? He'd probably like it, being kind of a Christian and a showy guy, but she didn't like it. It reminded her of a poor man's version of one of Elvis's Vegas shows. There was too much going on at once with the screens and music and live entertainment and headline news, everything way too loud. It was like they were trying to duplicate what it was like in her own house. Why would she want to go to church for more competing noise? What happened to church being quiet? Did everything have to be like a video arcade?"

 

Ouch. All the Genesis Church scenes were  so interesting. I think of the phrase "style over substance" in this scene. Then later, the fact that the youth pastor was a sex addict just made me so incredibly sad. If you're serving the Lord, you need to avoid sin, not seek it out in your position of authority. Good on Ava for refusing him and avoiding that church.

Chapter 11 (Otis): "In her bedroom they rifled through her old lady underwear and jewelry. Rusty helped herself to a pair of rhinestone clip earrings."

 

This was another scene I hated. I get that Rusty (the youth pastor's daughter) was a juvenile delinquent. I sort of understand why she was targeting Nance / Marylou with her pranks. I actually liked that Rusty befriended Otis in a manner of speaking! But when they go into Nance's house, they crossed a line. Their violation of her personal space and stealing from her is beyond a prank.

Chapter 12 (Suzi): "She liked going to Genesis, she'd accepted Christ as her personal savior and planned to start read the Bible, very soon."

 

Suzi was the most likeable character, but she was playing a role in her family. "The normal one." Even when she offered herself to the youth pastor - "Buff" - she said she was doing it to save Ava, but she secretly wanted more attention on herself. So sick.

Chapter 13 (Marylou): "She wanted to run over her options in her head once again, but she'd recently had trouble thinking clearly. Maybe it was the torpid subtropical heat here. It was hard to focus."

 

Marylou / Nance had to figure out what her new plan was once she decided not to murder Wilson Spriggs and she actually started to care about other family members. Florida heat making people not think clearly . . . that's a well-worn meme.

Chapter 13 (Marylou): "She liked Suzi. Plain and simple. In fact, she liked her so much that she wished she could adopt her. Who knew why you liked one person more than others?"

That question fascinates me. Sometimes I meet someone and just feel such a strong connection so quickly. It often doesn't make sense. I don't try to "play favorites."

Chapter 13 (Marylou): "She'd hoped that Suzi would embrace fundamentalist Christianity and become a zealot, but she was wrong there, too. She'd underestimated Suzi's ability to fold religion smoothly into her already well-rounded life like eggs into a batter."

 

This sentence is part of what kept me reading. Stuckey-French is a talented author and she uses language effectively.

Chapter 13 (Marylou): "Living well is the best revenge, he always reminded her."

Nance's husband Teddy had tried so hard to help her let go of her pain. 

 

"That's what he'd said when she expressed to him her anger at her own parents, telling him how they'd abandoned her at her grandmother's house in Little Rock so they could go off gallivanting in Hollywood. Teddy, while not making light of her anger, had encouraged her to forgive them, and after a time she had. But forgive Helen's death? Never."

 

Nance had a lot of pain and a lot of anger in her. But her decision to exact revenge was incredibly destructive. I wish she'd seen a counselor instead!

Chapter 13 (Marylou): " . . . the same lady librarians working behind the counter, probably they were only in their forties but they looked, to Marylou, to be 140."

 

This made me laugh. Librarians as timeless, ancient old ladies. Yep, that's me.

Chapter 13 (Marylou): "Mostly she felt terrible for Suzi, because she knew, from her own experience with a nasty uncle, that this event would affect her the rest of her life. This sort of thing happened to a lot of girls, but that fact didn't lessen the pain of it, not one iota."

 

Ugh. I'm glad that at least Suzi only gave Buff a blowjob instead of having sex with him, but ick. An older married man with a sex addiction working in a church . . . and the consequence of revelations about him is to have a prayer service with the victims there to forgive him? Massive yuk!

Chapter 16 (Ava): "Why did the good and the bad have to come together? It seemed, often, that they did."

Liking Travis and realizing that she wanted to study history were counterbalanced with what had happened to Suzi and what Ava had to tell her family about (her nude photos). Plus a hurricane heading their way. . .

Chapter 18 (Suzi): "'By trying to get revenge, I hurt lots of people. People I care about.' She turned and smiled a suck-up smile at Suzi, but Suzi just made a disgusted face."

 

Good on Suzi for not instantly giving Marylou what she wanted. That was NOT a sincere apology!

Chapter 23 (Marylou): ". . . in the lobby while the Peabody's famous ducks waddled out of the fountain and over to the elevator to ride up to their penthouse coop . . . "

 

I've read about those ducks before! Fun. The ending was a bit too neat for me (and I usually like happy endings!) Everyone in Memphis and a surprise wedding announcement. And who tipped off the EPA? This was not what I expected. Weird book, but intriguing.

The Broken Blade

by William Durbin

NPMS paperback 163 pages

Published: 1997

Genre: historical fiction, YA

I am positive I've read this book before, but when I checked the spreadsheet I used before I started this blog, I only found the entry for Blackwater Ben. I decided that I will move my reading entries from that document to this blog as I have reason to open it. (Hence the entry from 2007 for that other Durbin title.)

This book is one that I was using in a social studies class with sixth graders. Our task was to read chapters 7 and 8, so I quickly read chapters 1 - 6 in the morning. 

I went back to that classroom yesterday to borrow a copy of the book so I could finish it.

Google Books says: In 1800, 13-year-old Pierre La Page never imagined he'd be leaving Montreal to paddle 2,400 miles. It was something older men, like his father, did. But when Pierre's father has an accident, Pierre quits school to become a voyageur for the North West Company, so his family can survive the winter. It's hard for Pierre as the youngest in the brigade. From the treacherous waters and cruel teasing to his aching and bloodied hands, Pierre is miserable. Still he has no choice but to endure the trip to Grand Portage and back.

 

I really enjoyed this book for a whole host of reasons. 

 

Page 95:

McKay paused to open a small brown Bible. "The Lord warns us to prepare, saying, 'What man is he that liveth and shall not see death?'" 

McKay looked up at his men and continued. "Whether our parting from this world comes early or late, sudden or slow, it is not our place to question. We take up our journey without knowing where or when it will end. Each man in his turn must one day pass on to greater kingdoms."

Though the voyageurs worked hard and fought hard, they acknowledged death as a part of life. The impromptu funeral brought some serious contemplation for Pierre and the other men.

 

Page 99-100:

" . . . lake is two hundred fathoms in places and so cold she makes a climate all her own. It might be summer up on those hills, but here on the water, a squall can bring it down to freezing in minutes."

I didn't grab the part on page 99! But it was talking about Lake Superior. It made me think of Nick and Mari. They really do have a special ecosystem in Grand Marais!

Page 129: 

"You give the Indians trade goods before they even bring in furs?"
"Aye," McKay responded. "It's all based on trust. I've seen some cheating done, but the whites mainly author it. If you give an Ojibwa a rifle in the fall, you can count on twenty pelts come spring."

Pierre is such a wonderful young character. I love his homecoming. This is a lovely book, but I'm still convinced I've read it before!

Blackwater Ben

by William Durbin

I read / wrote about on 9.3.2007 (before I started this blog)

Carver County paperback 245 pages

Genre: YA historical fiction

 

 

Summary: 

Ben has trouble sitting still in school and is thrilled when his dad invites him to work at the lumber camp with him. He's less thrilled when he finds himself as the cookee, his dad's kitchen helper.

 

My reaction:  

Pretty slow, but had some nice points. I liked Charlie & Mrs. Wilson best. Even with a glossary in front, the use of unusual loggers' terminology was confusing.

Mixed Up

by Gordon Korman

Libby audiobook 6 hours

Read by: Christopher Gebauer and Mark Sanderlin

Published: 2023

Genre: YA realistic / fantasy

Why both realistic fiction AND fantasy? Because the premise of the story is that two boys (Reef Moody and Theo Metzinger) start forgetting their own memories as they are somehow transferred to the other boy's mind. 

The story opens with Reef, who is forgetting his mother. She died the previous year from Covid and he believes he is at fault for her illness. He is living with her best friend Jenna Helmer, Jenna's husband Will, and their three kids. The oldest two are barely part of the story, but Declan is the youngest . . . and two years older than Reef. He treats Reef horribly! But of course, Reef doesn't want to jeopardize his situation and end up in foster care so he just keeps quiet.

Then we meet Theo, who loves gardening and is averse to "Jaws," the rabbit nibbling on his flowers and working his way to the vegetables. His dad "ruled the school" back in his day and he expects Theo to do the same. Theo goes to karate begrudgingly, but isn't like his dad and prefers to keep to himself.

The story was interesting enough for me to want to know how it resolved and I generally enjoy Korman's stories, but this one bugged me. And the resolution at the end wasn't great! Reef not being able to remember his childhood experiences with his mom, his guilt over her dying of Covid being "his fault," . . . there were just so many things that bothered me. Ugh. Maybe I'm just done with YA fiction.