Dragondrums

by Anne McCaffrey
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 CDs
read by Sally Darling

Published: 1979 (this version 1992)
genre: YA fantasy

I had read all three Pern books with Menolly as a primary character several times in the 1970s and 80s, but grabbed this when I was looking for some audiobooks for drive time recently. It was fun to revisit Piemur's story. (His voice changes, the MasterHarper has a special job for him, he's in the drum heights learning the measures . . . )

The vocal work was interesting. Darling has an odd accent that I couldn't quite place . . . something from out East? Anyhow, it worked for the story but kind of made me giggle. I ended up finishing the book in the print format just to be done.

McCaffrey is a delightful storyteller. I've not read all her Pern books, but most of them. Dragonsong is probably my favorite.

 

(Above written 5.27.19. Below added 10.11.22.)

 

Since I had re-read (listened) to books one and two, I decided to finish off this series.  

Same reader. She *does* have an interesting accent, but it does not detract from the story. I love that Piemur is able to use what he's learned in the drum heights to make a new life in the South.

Between Heaven & the Real World: My Story

by Steven Curtis Chapman with Ken Abraham
Scott County Library hardcover 430 pages
genre: autobiography

I have long enjoyed SCC's music. I remember hearing about the accident when his teenage son accidentally hit and killed his little girl in their driveway at home. How does a strong Christian get through the pain of that? When I saw this book, I knew I wanted to read it and learn more about his journey. What an amazing story!

Filled with lots of photographs, SCC shares about his childhood, music, struggles, and faith. One thing I didn't know about him (since I don't go to concerts) is that he is very talkative! The book gets a little long-winded, but since I am cut of the same cloth, verbosity doesn't put me off. I truly enjoyed reading this story of his life.

I marked a LOT of passages and there were many more I didn't mark that impressed me. At times (especially the last quarter of the book), I had to wipe tears from my eyes just so that I could continue reading.

Page 48 - in his childhood, their family agreed to host a layman, Dr. Baird, who was in town for a revival. What a cool experience! And how life-changing for the Chapman family!
"It turned out that a layman's revival did not feature a 'professional evangelist' but centered around the personal stories presented by a group . . . the laymen simply shared their own experiences of putting their faith in Jesus Christ and then stayed around to talk, answer questions, and pray with anyone wishing to trust Christ with his or her life. It was a deeply spiritual yet very natural, low-key presentation . . . Dr. Baird was not a theologian or a preacher; he was a dentist."

Page 65 -  I love this! It makes me think of legacy and how I want to be faithful to Jesus and shine His light in the world. It also makes me think of Delta (I can't remember her last name) in junior high. She seemed alien to me! But I knew she had strong faith and strong morals, without her being self-righteous.
"Years later, at class reunions, some former classmates told me, 'We always knew where you stood as a Christian, and that made you kind of uncool, but we respected you.'"

Page 84 - His dad's insistence on practicing is admirable.
"'If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right!' And the fact that we were just singing on a Sunday morning in our little church was never a reason for anything less than a stellar performance. 'If we're gonna do something for the Lord, it needs to be done with excellence.'"

Page 107 - When SCC and Mary Beth were dating and had a makeout session that caused him to apologize to her and they had a conversation about saving themselves for marriage . . . powerful.

Page 121 - "I finally realized there was more going on than what met the eye. We were in an invisible but very real spiritual battle. Satan hates marriage. He loves romance and sexual desire because he tries to twist them for his purposes. Marriage, however, is a symbolic picture of our relationship with Jesus. That's why God is so pro-marriage, and that is why the enemy works so hard to destroy marriages."

Page 188 - "'You, as a husband, are responsible for the emotional well-being of your wife.' Whether or not Dr. Dobson actually said that I'm not sure, but that's the message I heard. To me, that meant if my wife was not doing well, it was my fault. Her emotional health was my responsibility as her husband. If she was broken, I had to fix whatever had caused it. I had no idea that fixing someone - even myself - was impossible."
As I read this, there were times I appreciated the challenge in being both candid and respectful. I wonder what his wife's feedback was on this . . . he doesn't shy away from admitting his mistakes and flaws, but this focus on "fixing" people, relationships, etc. persists throughout the entire book. In fact, the next page I marked was 195, where they are visiting with a counselor.
"I still felt a heavy weight of responsibility to fix what part of this brokenness was my doing, and I was sure much of it was. Maybe we just needed to pray and read the Bible more and try harder."

Page 227 - I'll miss the context of this without including the entire interaction, but I love how God uses us in our faithfulness. SCC was "ambushed" by a Howard Stern employee and gave the best testimony he could for Jesus, but was mocked as a Christian. He was a "fool for Christ" and kicked himself for not being more wise.
"But at least one husband started a fresh journey with his wife as a result of the encounter in which I felt I had failed to represent the Lord well. It was a poignant reminder of the truth: God never calls us to be successful; He calls us to be faithful."

Page 336 - When he was in the midst of deep despair, repeating God's promises over and over helped him survive. "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord. . . . " There truly is power in God's promises.

Page 337 - "She had asked Mary Beth on February 20, 'Does God really have a big, big house? I wanna go to God's big house. I wanna live with Jesus in His big house.' And I knew - I knew both intellectually and spiritually - that it was true. It was all true. Maria was with Jesus."
Even re-reading this now to blog it makes me tear up. I want the people I love to have this same conviction and knowledge of life after death. What am I doing to share the Good News of eternal life?

Page 340- "It was all I could muster, but as I did, the light and the clarity came back. I sensed that we were on holy ground. God's act of drawing back the curtain just enough that I could peer into eternity, to catch a glimpse of His eternal perspective, was a gift He gave to help me survive. I could do nothing to make it open again; there was no magic formula."

Page 354 - "It wasn't that what I had done previously was insignificant; it was simply that my world had shifted on its axis and I viewed things through a different lens."
This notion of a dramatic change in life and world-view, aka a paradigm shift, is hard to comprehend until you experience it. I know that phrase bugged me (paradigm shift) until 2013, when my world changed dramatically. Reading this immediately made me think of my own world shifting on its axis.

Page 356 - "Many times I cried out like David in the psalms. I felt like I was wrestling with God. It wasn't a matter of trying to be 'spiritual' or simply saying the right things; it was survival."

Page 400 - "'Satan is screaming lies over us all day long. And God whispers the truth in a still, small voice. So often the voice we listen to most is the one we hear the loudest.'"
SCC is quoting / paraphrasing a friend of his, but this is so very true! I need to be careful to spend time drawing near to the Lord so that I can actually hear Him over the loud voice of the accuser!

Page 405 - Although I've not experienced the highs of SCC's fame or the lows of his loss of a beloved child, I definitely can relate to his dilemma about wanting to shine for Jesus but not fake the personal struggle. It's really hard to want to witness and bring people to the knowledge of Jesus, but to also want to be authentic and confess the struggles.
"I was at the place where I basically said, 'Okay, God, if that's what You want to do, to have us stand in front of the world as broken as we are, and maybe even have everything fall apart with everybody watching, then it's in Your hands. . . I can't imagine how that's a good thing, but I'm going to trust You with it.'"

Page 407-8 The letter from his adult daughter Emily was amazing!!!
"One of the best things, ironically, I believe that you gave me was your inability to fix it. Really, it was a kind and gentle introduction to a harsh world that eventually every child has to grow up in and out from under their parents' wings and cope with. If you could have fixed it all, why would I have needed to turn to God? You always led us to the throne of grace, especially when you couldn't fix it."
"And that, that is indeed a great gift, because on these really hard momma days, when I feel like I am failing, the enemy is throwing all his darts, . . . then somehow I have to raise kids and have hope to look for the kingdom coming in what can feel like a hellhole at times, I remember what you taught us. Maybe I can't fix it, but I know the One who can."

I love this book enough to want to buy it, but as I'm working on saving money AND decreasing clutter in my home, I'll just recommend it highly! (And appreciate public libraries.)

King and Maxwell

by David Baldacci
Scott County Library audiobook 11 CDs
read by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy
genre: detective fiction

I grabbed this after my sister's reaction to the last Baldacci book I read . . . she's a huge fan of King and Maxwell. I like the characters pretty well, but I'm not a "must read" fan.

The vocal work on this was irritating for the first few CDs. Not the actual voices, but the pacing. It sounded as though they didn't record at the same time and place, so the person who edited left odd gaps. The narration and all male characters were read by McLarty. Only Michelle Maxwell's (and other female characters') lines were read by Cassidy.

Not sure why I made a note of this, but I jotted "Charge of the Light Brigade" on my car paper . . . there must have been a reference to it in the book, but I don't remember it now. Must. Google.

I loved the little old neighbor lady by the Wingos' house! "I gotta pee." She was a hoot! I kind of wished she'd been in more scenes.

Alan Grant is evil. As I listened, I kept thinking of his wife and kids not being aware of his other life. The lengths someone might go to in exacting revenge . . . this story's premise is extreme, but definitely gets at some of the baser aspects of human nature.

Sam Wingo, geopolitics, etc. Interesting stuff.

Edgar was another favorite character for me! Brilliant but clueless. I love him! By the end of the story, I'm actually thinking of getting whatever is the "next" book in this series to see how the Edgar part turns out . . .

The description of the president's limousine - "The Beast" - was fascinating! I wonder if it's true?

I suppose the sign of a wonderful book is one that makes me more curious. This one succeeded!

The Saturday Night Supper Club

by Carla Laureano
Hennepin County Library hardcover 381 pages
genre: Christian realistic fiction, romance

This was a lovely, lightweight book that I read in part of a day. It's our April book club title, so it'll be fun to discuss.

Rachel Bishop is a James Beard award-winning chef in Denver, but she resents being identified as a female chef. To her, gender is irrelevant if she makes good food. But she is drawn into a media stir by a writer's article that criticizes a troll . . . leading to her loss of reputation, stake in her restaurant, and an identity crisis.

Her two best friends (Melody, a talented pastry chef) and Ana (a high-powered lawyer) help her to assess the situation and buoy her spirits. Ana also gives her a kick in the pants (proverbially) to help her move forward.

Page 62: "How painfully ironic that her attempt to keep the focus on her food had turned into a glaring personal spotlight. She couldn't even muster the self-righteous zeal to defend herself. Not when deep down, she wondered how much truth was contained in those horrible accusations. She had been foolish to think she could make this work. Foolish to believe that in the end, she would be anything more than a failure." "No. She pressed Stop on that recording before it could begin playing an endless loop in her brain."

I love that sentence! I love that someone could make the conscious choice to shut off the negative self-talk before it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy!

Page 101: "She'd been overcome with misplaced affection over some good - and clearly manipulative - writing and made a deal with the devil. A devil with hazel eyes and a dimple she couldn't stop thinking about."

This really bothered me. This is the first book I've read by this author, and I don't know much about her, but it's disappointing that a "deal with the devil" is the way she chose to express this idea. It's bothersome . . . not a phrase I would take lightly.

Page 363: "She'd been so quick to think the worst of him. She hadn't even given him the chance to explain. That made her as bad as all the strangers who had condemned her on social media without bothering to learn the truth, passing what they saw through their own damaged filters."

This phenomenon is troubling. There is so much hatred, condemnation, and criticism in the world. It's discouraging.

All in all, this was a fluffy read. You know that Rachel and Alex are going to fall in love. I probably enjoyed the storyline with Alex's sister the best. It was an easy, pleasant read.

The Boat People

by Sharon Bala
Scott County Library hardcover 330 pages
genre: realistic fiction

Oh my! I just finished reading this. SPOILER!  

Mahindan and his six-year-old son Sellian have gotten on a refugee ship from Sri Lanka to Canada with 500 other people fleeing the war between the Tigers and Sinhalese. Canadian authorities have vowed to keep terrorists out and so the refugees languish in detention centers.

Priya, of Tamil descent but not a native speaker, wants to work in corporate law, but is placed with Gigovaz to help with the refugees.

Grace is of Japanese descent, has twin teen daughters, and is dealing with her aging mother's obsession with what happened during WWII to the Japanese. She is also trying to please her hard-line boss while being fair with adjudicating the hearings for the refugees.

This was a powerful story, moving in time from the present in Canada to the past in Sri Lanka as we learn more of Mahindan's life story. Wow.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

by Malcolm Gladwell
Scott County Library audiobook 7 CDs
read by the author
genre: Non-Fiction

I definitely liked Outliers better. The idea of "thin slicing" or making snap judgments was interesting but also frustrating. The power of the subconscious is not necessarily something I wanted to read an entire book about.

It bothered me when he used the expression "mind reading" even though I understood how he was using that phrase.

The part on facial expressions and tracking eye movements of regular people and autistic people . . . got a bit long. Also, the expression that people can have "temporary autism" - again, I understood his meaning, but the expression of the idea bothered me.

The part on police shootings was very timely.

The section on the Pepsi taste test of the 80s and the whole "New Coke" debacle was very relatable since I lived that and remember it well! (Though I actually could pick Coke and prefer it to this day.) Pepsi is too sweet!

I would gladly re-read Outliers. I'm not as interested in Blink. Gladwell is pretty amazing, though.

In Case You Missed It

by Sarah Parer Littman
Mrs. Weiers bookshelf, PRMS paperback 305 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

You can google a description of the book . . . college-prep stress, friendships, social media, true self vs. what people see, parents and children, cancer, etc.

I chose this book while subbing (10 minutes silent reading time) because the book I had brought from home was not worth my time (Better World Books donation later that day). The first one I grabbed off Katie's shelf didn't work for me, either. This one was better.

Likes: realistic people and situations (brother/sister dynamic, girlfriends, etc.), positive outcome, grappling with difficult situations, etc.

Dislike: Although I liked the book overall and took the time to read it cover to cover, the characters and storytelling just weren't engaging enough for me to rave about it. It's not a book that I'll think about tomorrow . . . but it was worth the time.

Hour Game

by David Baldacci
loaned by a coworker . . . a few years ago, hardcover 437 pages
genre: murder mystery

I seriously considered just returning this book without reading it . . . but after two or so years, I thought it made sense to just get 'r done. So I read it while cuddling my grandson. That made the grisly murders less horrific somehow.

Someone is committing murders that look like famous serial murder copycat crimes . . . only the killer is sending letters that say they are purposely NOT copycats. There's a huge cast of characters, but private investigators Alex King and Michelle Maxwell are the ones to crack the case.

As I mentioned this book to my sister, she raved about Baldacci's team of King and Maxwell. She hadn't read this book yet (the title alludes to the killer using watches on his victims to indicate the number . . . and one tick off for certain victims). I don't want to include any spoilers, but I did not figure things out before the end!

Now I can finally return the book! (Clear the clutter in my home and my life . . . )

Outliers: The Story of Success

by Malcolm Gladwell
Scott County Library audiobook 7 CDs
read by the author
genre: non-fiction

Gladwell is such an interesting person! I love his research and writing, though there were times I didn't appreciate his rhetoric. (For someone who tends to over-the-top, you'd think I'd appreciate his hyperbole . . . ) My notes don't make much of a blog entry for others to read, but I highly recommend this title and may end up re-reading it!

hockey and soccer players and birthdates . . . crazy!
1954 technology / Bill Gates / opportunities
practice and 10,000 hours
The Beatles / Hamburg
entrepreneurs / 1833
lawyers
China / rice farms / math / numbers / logic . . . fascinating section!
4853976
"Working really hard is what successful people do."
Kipp School (?) - interesting . . . rigorous

Gladwell is basically debunking outliers that have typically been shown to be extraordinary people. He identifies different factors that have opened opportunities for success. Fascinating stuff!

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things

by Carolyn Mackler
NPMS Berglund bookshelf, paperback 244 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

In the past, I've had students drawn to this book because of the title. Now that I've finally read it, there are a number of ways I could booktalk it . . . Virginia is overweight and self-conscious about being a "fat" girl. She perceives the rest of her family as being normal and herself as odd-person out. Named after Virginia Woolf (her siblings are Anais and Byron), she prefers magazines, television, and snacking rather than the things her parents would like to see her doing.

I enjoyed this book, but most especially her interactions with her new doctor. His insight and emphasis on being healthy (rather than thin) make an impact on Virginia. As she learns to pay attention to her self and others, she begins to think less of her weight and more of her life.

I wrote some other notes and observations in my teaching journal, but I'll just say that this book was pleasantly surprising.

The trip to Seattle, her conversation with her dad, her letter to Anais . . . there were many good moments in this book!

A Tale of Two Cities

by Charles Dickens
Scott County Library audiobook 12 CDs
read by: Martin Jarvis
genre: historical fiction

Although I felt extremely familiar with this title ("It was the best of times; it was the worst of times" . . . Madame Defarge and her knitting . . . London and Paris . . . the French Revolution . . . Sydney Carton, Charles Darnay . . . ) I'd never actually read it or seen a movie version. So I got the audiobook to give myself a first true exposure to the full novel. Oh. My. Word. This got painful.

If you've never read this and want to be surprised, stop here! I will include spoilers.

For starters, I kept a cheat sheet of quick notes in the car just for the characters . . . and I still got confused! (One of the many reasons that reading the print version is better than listening.) I Googled the character names before writing this blog entry to make sure I had correct spellings.

Jarvis Lorry - banker with Tellson's
Miss Lucie Manette
Dr. Manette - in the Tower (Bastille) for 18 years (why?!?! - I found out later . . . ) - Lucie's dad
Jacques Defarge - wine seller
Madame Defarge - knitter, vicious woman
Mr. Jerry Cruncher - messenger for Tellson's / "respectable tradesman" who digs up graves / gets angry with his wife for "flopping" - praying, which he sees as the reason he's not more successful . . .
Young Jerry - his son
Charles Darnay - imprisoned and tried in London, imprisoned and "tried" in Paris
Striver - his lawyer / "the lion"
Sydney Carton - "the jackal" / works with Striver . . . not quite sure in what capacity / he's an interesting character
Monseigneur - He was awful! I kept vacillating between thinking he was also Charles Darnay's uncle, the Marquis de Evremonde, and thinking they were two separate people. Was he / they hung? Alive? What did I miss??? In any case, he was selfish, greedy, and nasty. (Wikipedia to the rescue:

The Marquis St. Evrémonde is referred to as "Monseigneur" and "Monsieur." These three different titles all refer to the same person: people who are below the Marquis in rank refer to him as "Monseigneur" or "Monsieur," while people of equal rank refer to him as the "Marquis.")

Miss Pross - good comic relief; calls Lucie "Ladybird"
Little Lucie
Spy / Miss Pross' brother / Mr. Barsat . . .
The Mender of Roads / the Sawyer
Jacques 3 - nasty
The Vengeance

Book the First - Recalled to Life (Starts with 1775; Ends with Dr. Manette out of France)
Book the Second - The Golden Thread (Starts in 1780; Ends with Darnay going to France)
Book the Third - The Track of a Storm (Starts in Autumn 1792; Ends with everyone except Evremonde escaping)

Darnay is called "Evremonde" when he is imprisoned in France. The scene between Jarvis Lorry, Sydney Carton, Mr. Barsat, and Jerry Cruncher is one of my favorite parts of the book . . .

All of this makes me curious about the French Revolution. What happened after all the bloodshed? How many people were killed? I may need to do some research to learn more!

 Madame Defarge is my least favorite character, but I wondered if she really was directly related to the young woman / husband / father / brother tended to by Dr. Manette so many years ago. How and why did she become a person "without pity" and so incredibly evil?

The Marquis - elder is Charles' dad, but died how? Then the younger (who defiled the woman) is Charles' uncle, but he is killed. This part was a bit vague for me. I wish I had a print version here to check the Marquis part.

I loved the scene between Madame Defarge and Miss Pross! Especially how it ended.

I actually cried at the last part. "It is a far, far better thing I do . . . " I recognized the quote. I've heard it many times. I didn't realize that it was said by Sydney Carton at the end of this novel! I wept like a baby.

Now that I've had my first read-through, I think I'd like to watch a video or read an abridgement . . . the French Revolution was bloody and dark.

(Below added 4.7.19)
So I got the Great Illustrated Classics version from the library. It helped put a few pieces of the puzzle into place for me.
It was Jerry Cruncher who brought the message to Jarvis Lorry in the opening scene.
It was Miss Pross who flew at Jarvis Lorry when Lucie got the news about her father.
The Marquis was stabbed in his bed by one of the Jacques . . . the man who was hanging from the chains was probably the killer . . . and he was killed the same night Charles Darnay spoke to him about renouncing his title . . . this part is still a bit fuzzy for me.
Madame Defarge really was the little sister whose family was destroyed by the Marquis. Still, she's extreme in her hatred and desire to exact revenge.

We Hope for Better Things

by Erin Bartels
Scott County Library paperback 392 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

This was our February book club title, but I didn't get a copy of it until the night of the discussion! I wish I'd gotten it earlier - I love this book! I marked lots of pages, but will start with some of my character notes.

Elizabeth Balsam - journalist, Detroit, modern day, also Lapeer house, sister Grace (a doctor, much older), parents are missionaries in the Amazon, meets Mr. Rich (James) and his son Linden (pro NFL)

Nora Balsam - Eleanor, Elizabeth's dad's aunt, Detroit 1963, then Lapeer County house, married William Rich, quilted, sewed, grew up privileged, had a falling out with her parents, Tyrese (not William) mows her lawn

Mary Balsam - Nora's great-grandmother, Lapeer County, 1860s, married to Nathaniel, abolitionists, made Crazy Quilt (and others), died 1875, had Bridget as her serving girl, wrote letters, George, three sons and a daughter . . .

Page 91 - When Nora says she would never use the N-word, William says, "Don't matter if you'd never say it. It's what's in your heart that matters." I love his direct way of challenging her preconceived notions about herself and her attitudes throughout the book.

Page 131 - When Mary is describing the reason behind Independence Day and explaining the Revolutionary War, young Angelica asks "That the war going right now?"
"Mary shook her head. 'No, child. This was almost one hundred years ago. It was a different war.'
'Don't seem different.'
'Quiet, girl.' Martha said. 'You get outside and let me and Mrs. Balsam get to work.'"
Out of the mouths of babes! A war for liberty and the right to be in control of your own life . . . Revolutionary or Civil or both?

Page 227 - I love that George answers "You know this cannot be anything more than it is" when Mary confesses her love to him. I have to admit, this part of the story was the hardest to accept. I just can't picture this relationship at this point in history. Propriety was such a huge part of most people's expectations. George behaved much better than Mary, for the most part!

Page 301- When Nora interviewed her very elderly relative Margaret in the 1960s, she thanks her for the visit and the stories. Margaret replies with ". . . I do like talking. When you're busy living life, everything's a blur. It's not until you get to be my age and you've got nothing more to do than think that you start to see it for what it was." I love the idea of contemplation and slowing down.

Page 335 - Nora's return to her childhood home when she returns to Detroit, looking for William in the aftermath of the Detroit riots. "As much as she had told herself that William was all the family she needed now, that he was enough, he wasn't. She wanted the love of her parents too." This whole paragraph spoke to me about the value of close family relationships. I strongly dislike brokenness in families. (Though I also disliked how Nora's family spoke and acted.)

Page 338 - I love when William's mom cries out to God! "Hear us as we cry out to you. We know you know where our Will is right this moment. We know you see him, that you're looking at him even now. We're trying to trust you with him, but it's hard. We're trying to leave him in your hands, but it's so hard to do. Lord, bring him back to us. Bring him back even today, even this very hour. Hear our prayer as you heard your own Son's voice as he cried out to you on the cross. Amen."

Page 371 - When Elizabeth remarks on the difference between the huge Baptist church where she goes with Nora and the "simple hut" her parents were worshiping in in the Amazon, "What a strange and wonderful family we were all part of." Amen!

Page 376 - The trunk, the letters, the mice . . . not the ending I would have picked. But I like this observation: "Aunt Nora had been wrong when she said that history was written by the victors, for the victors in one generation may turn out to be the villains of the next. And the only way to get closer to the truth was to refuse to quit searching for it. All it took to lose one's history was a single generation that didn't take the time to learn it and pass it on."

I look forward to reading Bartels' next book. This was her first.

Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions

by Amy Stewart
A Kopp Sisters Novel (#3)
Scott County Library hardcover 35 pages
genre: historical mystery fiction

Stewart has again taken the pieces of historical fact and woven a believable and enjoyable work of fiction. It is so weird to think of the change in our country over the past one hundred years . . . for good and for ill. Constance is upset about girls being arrested "over dubious charges of waywardness, incorrigibility, and moral depravity." I loved how Edna Heustis' life intertwined with Minnie Davis' . . . and I was pleasantly surprised by the resolution of Fleurette's situation. I hope Stewart continues writing these books! (I was surprised - and curious to know if it's true - that a sheriff at that time in New Jersey was only allowed to serve one term.)

Everything She Didn't Say

by Jane Kirkpatrick
Carver County Library paperback 333 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

Although this book wasn't nearly as engaging as other titles I've read by this author, I certainly marked plenty of pages! Based on the real-life travels and memoirs of Carrie Adell Strahorn and Robert Strahorn, the "story" at times felt like more of a travelogue. Book club is in less than an hour, so I'm just going to put some quick notes here.

Page 22: "I often longed for where I'd been and where I wasn't. It was a lesson of living I hadn't yet learned about, finding the blessings of each moment." Though I get sick of people talking about "living in the moment," I need this lesson as well . . . I'm too often in a hurry to cross things off my list. Finding the blessings of each moment resonates for me.

Page 58: "My old pattern of memorizing Scripture came in handy, and I repeated a psalm as a mantra: 'Be still and know that I am God.' I saw it as a promise that God would have our backs rather than as a chastisement to be quiet."

Page 78: When Robert has trouble catching his breath after moving a trunk, I thought that he was surely going to die soon. This was at least his third illness and I just didn't think he was going to last very long!

Page 83: When she is telling her sister about the Chinese who "lay rail lines, dig in mines, cook, do laundry, sleep in colonies separate from others, and they send all their money home to family." This truthful depiction of Chinese labor is historically accurate and it makes me sad how they were treated when their labor was no longer wanted.

Page 86 and 90: When she finds out that Robert had mumps when he was young and was probably infertile . . . what a gut-punch! And he never told her about it, even though she wanted children. And when she confronted him about it, his excuses / explanations were pathetic and self-serving. Ugh!

Page 113: Might be my favorite part! "The effect of a compliment seasoning hard, dreary days was something I could give and vowed to do that more. Kindness. To notice small moments of service, even asking for a woman's name, brought joy out of proportion to the simple act. We all want to be known."

Page 117: "I overheard one of them refer to me once as 'bossy' and I'm not. I just knew what others should be doing." Hahaha! This made me laugh out loud.

Page 139: "'I'm not jesting. We all hear voices inside. Things Mama told us when we were little that remind us of some action to take in the present. Husbands tell us things we let stew inside our heads and hearts, even when they aren't present. It's not always for the best." There's some truth in this! I am trying to be better about listening to the Holy Spirit - my favorite little voice!

Page 154: "A bit of a stuffy title, but then a title is meant to tell a reader what's inside and it surely did that. I do think it's why I love to read novels, though, because the titles are meant to intrigue, perhaps be a double entendre." I'm always looking for the book title connection within the text of the novel. I love this!

Page 186: ". . . it's how we respond to the broken tracks that matters, because there will always be brokenness. It's what we do with the punches we take, the heart-stopping moments, those are the knives that carve out who we are." I love the author's language here!

Page 187: "Fear's an elixir that feeds anxiety and drains common sense." One of the few things that Robert said that I liked . . .

Page 227: "Women have a way of knowing what another needs. Some of us struggle with receiving kindness."

General observation: I love the dogs! And using "B-flat" to indicate "down" is genius, especially for a music lover.

Page 313: Her observations on the impact of Manifest Destiny also make me sad . . . history is full of grandeur and pain. I do love that chapter 36 is titled "What She Didn't Say" . . . and the connection she made in the author's note about her sister sticking with the cheery news and omitting the difficulties.

Page 329: In the author's notes, she points out that his wife of fifty years merited three sentences in his life's memoir. Then she goes on to write "Robert remarried a year after Carrie's death in 1925 and in that same memoir wrote twenty-six pages about his second wife and their two years of travel in Europe." What a jerk!

Hidden Figures

by Margot Lee Shetterly
Scott County Library paperback 265 pages
genre: non-fiction, history

I have to admit, this book would probably not have crossed my radar if it hadn't been for the amazing movie made based on this. I absolutely love the movie! Reading this, I see some of the places where Hollywood skewed the truth to tell a story . . . but I still love the movie! The author did a fantastic job of researching the history and tying in the racial aspects (in the people's lives, at NASA, in the South, in the United States vs. the rest of the world . . . ) with the technological aspects (human computers, mathematicians, engineers, teachers, airplanes, rockets, IBM, etc.). The book was perhaps a bit too techie for me, but I'm glad I read it and I'm even more glad that Lee Shetterly researched and wrote it!

Window Treatments

I was impressed by the wealth of books in the Scott County Library system! I looked through all of these for window treatment ideas, but have decided on a different strategy for the specific project I was considering. I may want to come back to some of these for future use, though!

The Sunset Big Book of Window Treatments was delightful for visual options! Subtitled "More than 1,000 ways to dress up your windows," it really shows a lot of styles, colors, designs, etc. It's a visual feast!

The Complete Photo Guide to Window Treatments, edited by Linda Neubauer, is fantastic for DIY directions! I copied a few pages for Roman Shades, which I might try making for a window up at the lake. If I were planning to buy any of the titles I looked at, it would be this one.

Sunset's Simply Window Treatments: All you need to know to make curtains, shades, and swags was a close second. I copied the roman shades pages from this one, also, but the directions and illustrations were not quite as clear and straightforward.

Fish in a Tree

by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
NPMS Mrs. Weiers' copy paperback 272 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

I had read a small section of this a while back when I subbed in Mrs. Bowers' room. Then I saw it on Mrs. Weiers' desk Monday and started reading it from the beginning. Well . . . I borrowed it today and finished it! What a lovely book!

Sixth grader Ally Nickerson is really good at drawing and figuring things out, but she struggles to read. She is teased by some of the mean girls at school (mostly Shay) and gets in trouble a lot. When her teacher goes on maternity leave and Mr. Daniels shows up, Ally's world is changed! I wish all teachers were like Mr. Daniels!

Page 63 - "I'm not perfect, but at least I'm not mean. And then my heart sinks, because I realize that I just was. I guess I did it because I was lonely. Now I know that there are worse things than being lonely."

Page 106-7 - The scene where Ally tells Albert and Keisha how she got on Shay's bad side . . . too funny!

Page 142 - "I'd rather be in charge of teaching cats to play hockey."

Page 158 - "'You are smart, Ally. And you are going to learn to read.' A chill runs through my whole body. I don't have any choice but to believe him, because I can't go another day thinking things will be like this forever."

Page 184 - "And I think of words. The power they have. How they can be waved around like a wand - sometimes for good, like how Mr. Daniels uses them. How he makes kids like me and Oliver feel better about ourselves. And how words can also be used for bad. To hurt."

Page 273-4 Her "Dear Readers" note at the end . . . I love it as much as the book! Ally is a wonderful protagonist who cares deeply about her family and her new friends. This book is as much about celebrating the best in humanity as it is about learning to read.

The above was written 3/17/2019. On 1/13/2020, I finished listening to the audio version, read by Kathleen McInerney. The skeptic in me doesn't think a student could make it all the way to sixth grade without an educator realizing she has dyslexia and cannot read, but the realist in me knows that students who move a lot often get lost in the shuffle. Also, some kids come up with excellent coping mechanisms that deceive the adults about what's really going on. This is a wonderful book, especially Ally and her brother Travis, their love for their parents and their grandpa, the "Silver Dollar" and "Wooden Nickel" days, . . . .  

 

In April 2021, I read it *again* while subbing at New Prague High School. The media specialist had bought it for some of her students with learning challenges. I had time, so read it a third time! Hunt is such an amazingly talented author. I cried as I finished this book! I love Ally Nickerson, her teacher, and her love for her brother. I love the impact their grandpa had on them. I love this book! 

8.18.2023 - Yes, I really do like this book a lot. I listened while at work (Libby app). Kathleen McInerney does a wonderful job. Kudos to Hunt for writing such an incredible book.

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman

by P.D. James
Scott County Library audiobook 8 CDs
read by Penelope Dellaporta
genre: detective mystery

Cordelia Gray is a young private detective. Initially, I thought the story was set earlier, but soon realized that the young Mark Callendar was born in the 1950s.


What I liked:

• clues, in classic whodunnit style
• the mysteries!
• not knowing who the murderer was for most of the story . . . in fact, I had lots of theories, but they all proved wrong!
• the interesting characters . . . I could almost picture the cast if it were an Agatha Christie mystery!
• the details in the story
• the reader's voice - Dellaporta is so talented! I would pick an audiobook just to hear her!

What I disliked:

• who the murderer was . . . and what actually happened. Yuk.
• what Cordelia decided to do in the climactic scene . . . I just found her decision to be disappointing, even though I understand her motivation for doing so 

I'm not sure if I'll read more Cordelia Gray mysteries. I really liked her for most of the book. She's a strong character.

Lady Cop Makes Trouble

Kopp Sisters #2
by Amy Stewart
Scott County Library hardcover 310 pages
genre: Historical mystery fiction

Set in the 19teens, this book is also based on historical people and events. Constance Kopp is employed as a jail matron for the female prisoners, but longs to be a deputy. When a dangerous prisoner escapes from a hospital room during a storm, Kopp feels personally responsible and tries to track him down. There is less of Norma and Fleurette in this story, but enough to keep Constance grounded and challenged. Fleurette's flair for drama (and skill at sewing) are clearly leading to some new ground for the Kopp sisters. I've already reserved book 3 at the library!

I liked this line from page 282: "The two of them sat resolutely behind bars, having decided, apparently, that they would trade their liberty for familial solidarity. Sometimes a family was like a swamp, everyone mired in the same mud." (I'm not sure I agree with it, but it did make me grin. There's something about family bonds . . . )

I absolutely love her "historical notes, sources, and acknowledgments" at the end of the book. What excellent research! I love how she identifies factual sources and her embellishments in storytelling. She has mad skills! Looking forward to continuing to read these exploits.

King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village

by Peggieliene Bartels and Eleanor Herman
personal copy paperback 334 pages
genre: biography / memoir

My son Alex and his wife gave this book to me a few years ago. Now that I've finally read it, I need to ask them if they met either of the authors . . . I'm not sure what the connection was for them to get this book and then give it to me. My sister wanted to read it for her book club, so that motivated me to finish it and loan it!

Peggy Bartels was born in Ghana, but had been working and living in Washington D.C. at the Ghanian embassy for years when she received a call that her uncle had died. The "spirits" had chosen her as the new king. After getting over her shock and disbelief, she needed to decide if she would accept the responsibility or not.

Her odyssey (living in the U.S. for 10-11 months each year and then traveling to Otuam, Ghana for the other month or two) was expensive and arduous. Her royal advisors were crooked, stealing from the money that should have gone toward the betterment of the village. The book was interesting and worth reading, but I struggled with the descriptor of her as a "devout Christian" intermixed with her pouring libations to the ancestors and talking to the spirits of the stool for direction.

Here are some passages I noted that I really liked or reacted to as I was reading:

Page 48 - "An African wearing kente, or even regular cloth decorated with adinkra symbols, walked out into the world proclaiming what he or she stood for: strength, family, or forgiveness, powerful concepts that helped you get through your day. Peggy opened her closet and looked at the row of black and brown pantsuits she usually wore to the office. How sad, she thought, that we Americans dress like this. We walk outside every morning with no power, no symbolism, no added bit of spiritual heft to help us meet our challenges."

Page 159 - "My people have no running water, she thought, and bad schools, and minimal health care, and electricity only part of the time. Most have no cars, no television, and no radio, and the kids don't have games or toys. We are poor in gadgets, but rich in so many other ways. And America, despite all its riches , and despite all the buttons you can push there, is in some respects poor."

Page 166 - (When the door fell off the refrigerator and Cousin Charles fixed it with a piece of cork) "'There!' he said, satisfied. He looked at Peggy. 'I know that in America you go out and buy new things when something breaks. But this is African engineering at an African price.'" I love that!

Page 198 - I laughed when I read the section about Tsiami's virility, even though I mostly thought he was a jerk.

Page 260 - "Returning to Ghana had made Peggy more aware than ever before of the concept of African family, of the interlocking layers of support needed to ensure that the weakest do not falter."

Page 317 - When Tsiami explained what Isaiah and Baba Kobena had done, in agreement with Uncle Joseph's daughters, it was heartbreaking. "Those in the room lowered their heads in shame at the story, except for Peggy. Her head was high, and her eyes flashing. But they haven't won, Peggy thought. Because there is a God who doesn't approve of dishonoring corpses, especially that of the person who gave you life. They haven't won because there is a God who hates deceit and bribery and causing pain to innocent people, a God who will punish the wicked. Honor thy father and mother, God said, and he wasn't joking."

Page 333 - "When I first cheerfully got on a plane headed for Ghana I had no idea that the experience would be life-changing. There are many Americans - I myself was one of them - who live in big houses with every luxury money can buy and who are, nonetheless, stressed, depressed, and take for granted so much of what we have. Until my trip to Otuam, I was never grateful for the faucet that brought me clean water, hot or cold, at a touch. For flush toilets. For the ambulance that arrives at our doors within minutes of a 911 call. For food and clothing, heating and air-conditioning. Yet most of the people of Otuam, despite their poverty and their lack of water, health care, and educational opportunities, are grateful for every blessing and find joy in their faith, families, and friends in a way that those of us trapped in suburban depression can't imagine."