fiction – Peaceful Reader

Hot, Hot, Hot

We are in the middle of a June heatwave from Colorado throughout the Midwest and probably across the US. So it’s hot outside and the Trump administration (if you can even call it that) is trying to make us hotter. The “Big Beautiful Bill” H.R. 1 is ridiculous and frightening. First of all who names a bill that?

And then if you look at what’s in the bill it seems like even many Republicans would take issue with raising the debt ceiling. And cutting Medicaid and Medicare, adding more money for ICE thugs, more money to the Pentagon, canceling green energy initiatives, and renewing fossil fuel subsidies. All this is bad enough but adding in the sale of public lands as Trump’s idea of solving the housing crisis is absolutely absurd. Horrible, despicable, and completely unhinged. When will Congressional Republicans begin to care about their constituents and saying NO to Trump. 71% of Americans disagree with the sale of public lands.

I had a relaxing morning reading at home before heading off to my local farmers market and yoga class. All lovely, peaceful and privileged. When I came home I started making phone calls though using the 5 Calls app. If you’ve not used this yet please consider downloading and using it every day. I’ll be calling all week long to complain about this bill.

Now I want to focus attention to the book I finished this morning. Where Wolves Don’t Die by Anton Treuer is an excellent coming-of-age Native tale of Ezra Cloud of the Wolf Clan. Ezra has a run-in with a neighborhood bully at school and chooses to punch a locker instead of the bully which sets in motion a chain of events that opens up Ezra’s life in a new way. Treuer’s writing is poetic and I loved the characters so much. I wanted to be at the community feast to celebrate Ezra’s first kill. I wanted to sit at the kitchen table and eat Grandma Emma’s wild rice dish.

A friend purchased this book at Birchbark Books in Minneapolis and shared it with me. The book brought out a lot of emotions for me, thinking of my own ancestors who I hold dear. I highly recommend this charming yet real tale of Ezra and his family. Treuer has a long list of nonfiction books but I hope this story is the start of more fiction from him.

Make some calls, stand up and complain, all while staying cool.

Recent Reads

I’ve finished these four excellent books in the last few weeks of February:

Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon-a beautifully written historical fiction about a midwife’s journey as she takes care of her family and her community during a crisis. I didn’t want to put this book down at the end of the day.

The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis-Ashlyn Greer owns a used/rare bookstore and as she holds certain books she can catch a feeling of what the previous owner was experiencing. When she gets a hold of a pair of unique books she sets out to find more about the author.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty-I listened to this one which is difficult for me but the narrator, Caroline Lee, is fantastic which makes it worth it. The Delaney family is experiencing a bit of a crisis when a young girl ends up on their doorstep with a tale of woe and puts the family at odds with each other. I very much identified with the mother, Joy.

The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand-On my continued quest to read all things Elin on my e-reader this one was available and brought me to tears. Dabney Kimball has always lived on Nantucket. She’s a skilled matchmaker and is able to see either a green or pink glow around certain couples. This one has all sorts of twists and turns, old and new loves, a daughter who needs the comfort of home for just one summer with heartache at the end.

And I’m reading the Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune, the sequel to The House in the Cereleun Sea; both so good I don’t want the story to end and both have much to say about LGBTQ/transgender folx that are under fire right now in our crazy world. But that is a tale for another day…

Best Books 2023

I read a lot of great books this year even though I didn’t make my GoodReads goal; maybe it was quality over quantity. I love going back through the year and revisiting and thinking of each story. I started the year off big with Demon Copperhead which turned out to be my absolute favorite of the year. I remember I started it right after Christmas because someone sent it to me as a gift. Barbara Kingsolver is one of my top 5 authors. What are the others you ask? Louise Erdrich, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Gabrielle Zevin, and Matt Haig. And this is just the shortlist.

1. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (2022) : This is a moving coming-of-age story told in the first person from childhood through young adulthood. Damon struggles with a teenage single mom, a terrible stepdad, and neighbors that are family once removed in the Southern Appalachia region.

2. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (2020) : Beautifully written fantasy novel that begins in France, 1714 and ends in New York City, As a teenager Addie sits on the banks of the river near her home and wishes for a vastly different life to what women are expected to do. She doesn’t want to get married and live in the same village as her parents have done. She wants more and as she asks for it her life changes forever.

3. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2021) : TJR does her homework for the time period and creates characters that are so memorable that I feel like they are out there somewhere living beyond the pages of the book. This book tells the story of the young Riva family; Mick and June parents to Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit. Told through two different time periods so we understand both parents and the kids on the night of a memorable beach party thrown at Nina’s Malibu home. I loved that this book also brought in Carrie Soto.

4. Fellowship Point by Alice Elliot Dark (2022) : Our book club read this and I didn’t know what to expect except that the book was big! I enjoyed every page though and thought the writing was brilliant. I could see myself in the two main characters, Agnes and Polly, best friends and neighbors in their Maine summer homes. They’ve led very different lives but strive for the same things. I loved their friendship and conversations.

5. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2014) : This one was on my radar when it first came out but I never picked it up. Then the show came out and my brother handed me the book and told me to read it. I did, was captivated by the story, and proceeded to hand it to my husband, and daughter. I thought the show was done well but of course, the book is always better.

6. The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (2023) : I’d heard some of the buzz about this but wasn’t pulled in by the whole romance-fantasy genre but then a librarian friend said she liked it and that opened up a portal for me. I picked it up from the library and read it straight through in just a few days. I am set to read the sequel here as soon as I finish Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez.

I’ve used Libby quite a bit to find books I can read in the middle of the night on my phone if I happen to be awake for a couple of hours. And Yours Truly was one that popped up. I hope you’ll pick up any of these books at your local library or bookstore. Let me know what you think. More favorites in a day or two.

Charlson Meadows and writing

[Labyrinth at CM]

I’m working on consistently writing by trying to make a habit of it. Mentally I made a scheduled plan last Spring to create a new post every weekend and I’ve carried through pretty well. In the midst of Covid and school I’m happy with this amount. I have a million writing projects that stay incomplete that are separate from this blog space. I have several picture books I’ve started, several fiction pieces, a play, and a few nonfiction essays-mostly all not finished. My sister-in-law Steph invited me a few years ago to a writer’s retreat at Charlson Meadows and I went on a whim. In my mind I’m a librarian and a bibliophile but writer generally does not flash into my mind. But I do write and I fell in love with the location of the retreat. It’s not possible to be there in the beautiful surroundings inside and out and not feel productive or at best inspired.

The last time I attended I actually wrote several pieces, took a bunch of hikes, and managed to get lost in the woods, literally. Thank you for the rescue Jason! I can say this year I’ve been published twice; one, letter to the editor about BLM and second, a poem I wrote after my first walk on Friday late afternoon on the grounds of Charlson Meadows. It’s easy to be creative there if you give it some breathing space. It was also the most beautiful weather weekend we’ve had all fall. The last few days I’ve worked on an old piece, added to it, had my friend Angelle edit it and I just finished submitting it to Wow! Women on Writing. We’ll see, she says, with a shrug…

I feeling something emerging inside myself and maybe it took this lockdown of sorts to push forward. I found a batch of college writing of mine and my goal for the next few weeks is to read through and retype them and see if anything is worthwhile. The last two books I’ve read have also inspired me in different ways. Laurie Frankel’s book This is how it always is, is smart, funny, and timely. And Richard Power’s The Overstory is such an intricate work of details and stories weaved together in a tangled mess like roots to the trees he keeps explaining. I can truly see why this book won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for literature. I’m half way and even as I write this the book is calling out to me.

One of the reasons the last retreat I went to worked so well was because they had a writer/poet in residence, Ronda Redmond, who conferenced with us, gave a reading of her poetry, and in general was there to chat with as the weekend progressed. I very much enjoyed meeting her and listening to her as we talked about writing. Her book, Said the old widow to the new, is available on her website and is filled with excellent writing. During our conference together she suggested getting out my dusty old copy of The Artist’s Way and I’ve been working on the daily practice set forth in the book. I guess in writing and thinking about this as with much in my life I’m learning to be intentional about what I’m doing.

What sustains us?

Food, for one. I am cooking twice as much while we stay home together and I’ve tried to keep it interesting. This week I cooked several winning recipes (and yes, I am patting myself on the back) that my family loved. It’s amazing how busy we are finishing up school projects, books clubs, and homework. Oh and planning a mini socially distant grad party to celebrate our senior. Luckily in our house we are not on top of each other so it is wonderful when we can gather together at the end of a long day to eat together and talk. While the food is important its really the gathering as one that sustains us.

Recipes of the week:

Chicken and Rice with Scallion-Ginger Sauce from the New York Times. It’s worth it to download the Times’ cooking app; it’s my idea starting point. I loved that this recipe used sushi rice and that the flavor reminded me of eating sushi without the rolling work. I sautéed a block of firm tofu to add to it as I’m not a fan of eating chicken. I also used veggie broth instead of chicken broth and we had chicken thighs instead of breasts. I love recipes with a lot of flavor but that aren’t going to take me five hours to prepare. This one won on both accounts and when my husband and I ate the last of it for lunch the next day I added diced orange pepper and zucchini, sprinkled in a little more sesame oil and rice vinegar to refresh the rice. It was amazing the second time around as well.

Chicken Tikka Masala from Jaime Oliver: This one did take a little more time but after hearing my husband talk about really missing Indian food one night I decided to give this recipe a try. I do make a lot of Indian recipes and have a great cookbook, Indian for Everyone by Anupy Singla, that I’ve learned a lot from but this one popped up on Jaime’s IG feed and I was inspired. Searing the chicken was new for me but also made it easier for to eat my Tikka Masala chicken-free because it’s not mixed together during but added as the last step. I served it with Roti from my freezer and cooked in my cast iron skillet on both sides to make it nice and toasty. I’m not a great pre-planner so our chicken breasts didn’t get much more than 20 minutes of marinating time. Next time I would plan ahead a bit more but my two other dinner companions didn’t complain one bit.

Roasted Tomato and White Bean Stew again from the NYT: I made this one just last night. I don’t go out much at all but we had some errands to run for our soon-to-be graduate and I went to the grocery store with my husband. He pushed the cart while I tossed things in and realized I missed being able to see stuff and choose it instead of me relying on my husband with the list. In preparation for the long weekend I had two recipes picked out to try and purchased all ingredients plus pantry replacements. This white bean dish was so, so simple to put together and added a spicy warmth to a chilly day. There was murmurings of joy and I watched my husband literally like his bowl. Next time I will double this recipe so there are more leftovers. I imagine it would be excellent the second time around. I served it with mini Naan flatbread toasted from the oven. All three of these recipes will be on rotation at my house now. It’s great to find new favorites to get us through this world crisis.

Books, for two. I recently read two amazing fiction books and feel that everyone should read them as well. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent was a compelling story about Agnes who has been sentenced to death after the man she works for and has loved is murdered. This book takes place in Iceland in 1829 and I can’t say I’ve ever read a book with this particular setting. I thought I might get bogged down by the unusual and long names but they flowed once I connected with Agnes’s story. This book is based in reality as their was a real-life Agnes accused of murdering her employer and lover. From Adelaide, South Australia Hannah Kent heard the story during the year she spent as a teen in Iceland on a Rotary Exchange. This was her first book. Right out of the shoot an amazing story, award-winning and all!

A little over a year ago I joined Book of the Month Club because, after reviewing the format, I wanted some hand-picked and new book choices. I have thousands of book already in my house-maybe less now that we cleaned one entire book shelf clean over Spring break-still many, many volumes of great books already live here. To justify joining a club that would bring me more shelves of books I asked my husband to share the experience. So every month we look at the selections together and make a choice. That way we are both invested and we like reading the blurbs from the literary crew that does the picking.

One month as I read through favorites on the BOTM website I came across The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne which won Book of the Year in 2017 and added it on to my order. I finally picked it up a week ago with some trepidation because of its size but as I read the first few chapters any lingering concerns were flung away as I buried my nose in the book sneaking hours away from my to-do list to get another section read. The book made me laugh out loud many times yet I cried when I turned the last page as I stood up at my kitchen counter waiting for my toast to pop. I loved this book. I felt such a deep connection to the main character, Cyril, and his ability to mess things up unwittingly. When your nearest library or local book store opens up, don your mask, and get yourself a copy.

Stay safe out there even as many business begin to reopen. During this time we’ve found much to sustain us right here at home and we will continue that through the summer so stay healthy.

YA books related to social justice

Recently I’ve had the opportunity to read a few young adults books with social justice themes. The Hate U Give would be a perfect example of a book for teens about a shooting of a black teenager. This is work we are doing to find appropriate texts for 6th grade students and while I may allow my daughter to read a wide variety many parents are not happy about younger students reading about real-life (sometimes scary) situations. We had a large pool of books to choose from and unfortunately we had to cross many off the list right away. My job was to read a few of the questionable titles and see if any would be appropriate.

1. Ball Don’t Lie by Matt de la Pena (2005); Matt’s debut and it’s excellent. This book tells the story of Sticky, a teenager who has fallen through the cracks his whole life. First with his single mom while she suffers from mental health issues and ultimately commits suicide in the apartment with him in the next room. After her death, he is shuffled from foster home to group home never able to find a good match. While this is an excellent book there is just too much in here for 6th grade students to process. Death, suicide, teen pregnancy, petty crime, and drugs all play a role in who Sticky is-luckily for him, his passion and skills at basketball help him to escape some of his situations. I loved Matt’s dystopian series The Living and all of his picture books including his brand new Love collaboration with Loren Long.

2. If you come softly by Jacqueline Woodson (2006); Woodson, one of my favorite authors, writes eloquently about first love in this story. Ellie and Jeremiah are from two different worlds and meet accidentally at school. In their first meeting when they bump into each other spilling Ellie’s books across the hall they both feel sparks and spend the first weeks of school looking for each other again. Jeremiah is transferred into Ellie’s English class and once they start spending time together they find a solid connection. Jeremiah’s father is a famous filmmaker and his mother is an author but they no longer live together. Ellie is the youngest in her family and all her siblings are off in their adult worlds. Twice her mother has left her family and even though she’s been reliable for the last few years Ellie has a hard time trusting she will always be there. Everything I’ve read of Woodson’s is filled with truth and this one hits home on love, consequences, family, and what it still means to be black in America today.

3. House Arrest by K.A. Holt (2015); A novel in verse, this story tells the tragic story of Timothy who steals a man’s wallet so he can pay for medicine that his baby brother needs to survive. Levi has been very sick his whole little life and lives at home with constant care from Tim, his mom, and a cycle of babysitter/home health care providers. The father has been absent for the past few months and Tim’s mom tries to keep it together. Tim tells us his story through journal entries he writes to his probation officer and counselor as he tries to do penance for what he’s done and to stay out of the juvenile detention center. This is my first K.A. Holt book and I like her style. Another title of hers was a hot seller at our recent Scholastic book fair-From you to me which is about a sister’s grief.
House Arrest is the only book on our list that is “appropriate” for our 6th grade audience. It has a strong social justice theme w/out sex/kissing/swears.

4. Pinned by Sharon G. Flake (2012); This one I’ve not read yet but I will. Autumn and Adonis are both differently abled young adults who work to overcome what is stacked against them. Autumn is on her school’s wrestling team which is a cool twist. And Adonis is in a wheelchair and has a crush on Autumn. I’m interested to see how this story plays out; I’ve enjoyed other books by this author such as The Skin I’m in.

I also recently finished Well, that was awkward by Rachel Vail and now I have Groovy Girl reading it. It was a great retelling of the Cyrano story. Not so much a social justice them except it is about accepting yourself in all your own glory; a lesson for many teens (and adults).

Girl at war by Sara Novic`

School is winding down and my desk is full. I’m grading, collecting books, and preparing for an-end-of-the-year book fair. My head is spinning maybe because I spent part of my week laying on the sofa reading Girl at War instead of getting stuff done. It was worth it though; this is a great book.

Ana Juric`, a ten-year-old living in Croatia’s capital has had a happy childhood until civil war breaks out and her life is transformed by food rationing, soldiers, and air raid drills. Suddenly life is very different and she feels out of control. The daily peace she felt is replaced with fear and uncertainty except when she is nestled together with her family:

That first time we saw it, my mother and I together, she patted my shoulder because these men were protecting Croatia and the fighting didn’t look too dangerous. She smiled and the soup steamed, and even Rahela wasn’t crying for once, and I allowed myself to slide into the fantasy I recognized as such even while my mind was still spinning it- that there in the flat, with my family, I was safe. (29)

The war circles around the Juric` family but at home there is a greater concern. Ana’s younger sister, Rahela, is sick and needs medical attention. After visiting a female doctor in Zagreb Ana’s family makes the difficult decision to get Rahela transported out of Croatia to America where she will recieve the treatment she needs. As Ana and her parents mournfully drive back to Zagreb they are stopped by a roadblock of Serbian soldiers. It is at this moment that Ana’s life will be forever changed and as it is with tragedy it makes her into the womas we later meet in New York.

Her predictable life studying in NYC has her on edge and she can’t accept all that has happened to her. She is at war with herself, trying to resolve what she experienced. She makes a rash decision to travel back to Croatia to see if friends are still alive and to make peace with how her life has been shaped.

This is a transformitive story. I enjoyed Ana’s voice, her family struggles in New Jersey, and the difficult time she has with feeling comfortable after living, surviving a war where so many died. Girl at war shows how resilent we are while making us fully aware of the damage caused by tragedy and war. It is a story of survival. And we all need to read more of that.

It also brought to light this conflict for me. In my small town we had an influx of Bosnian residents during this conflict. They’ve succeeded in our community in many ways, been accepted and embraced, but it also makes me wonder what lies underneath. Thank you, Ana, for this reminder; realizing the harm we do while fighting wars abroad and on our own streets would be a worthy reason to keep the peace.

On sale: May 12th, 2015 (go buy it now)

Thank you to @DavidEbershoff at Random House for my copy. My time-wasting habit of scrolling around twitter totally worth it when I’m able to scoop up an excellent book. It also in no way altered my review of this book. I loved it all on my own.

What DID I read in April?

Not much is the answer. It was a busy month and my lowest reading in history. I read 2 (two) books in all those 30 days. It was a month of starting books. Hopefully more free time in May will help me clean up my record.

I started:

The Dollmaker by Harriette Arnow: This is the book club pick for May. I’ve read the first 5 chapters and I don’t know if I’m going to continue. It was recommended by our oldest member, Jean, who diid this year. We are reading it in memory of her so I would like to finish it but I’m not drawn to the story or the character of Gertie.

Girl at War by Sara Novic`: I won a copy of this book by responding to a tweet from David Ebershoff from Random House. Girl at War is a story from Croatia, 1991, when the war is just beginning and Ana’s childhood is a changed forever. Ten years later Ana is in NYC for school and is haunted by memories of war. I like this one and plan to read more this week now that I’ve made the choice to let The Dollmaker go for awhile.

Dreamsleeves by Coleen Murtagh Paratore: Groovy Girl and I started this one a few days ago. I’m lucky she hasn’t gone back to “I don’t want to read with you” shenanigans (read all about that here) because it is the best way to end our day together. Spunky main character, Aislinn, has a lot going on with her 4 younger siblings and an alcoholic father. They are saving money for a dream house in the country and her mother is pregnant again. Groovy Girl and I feel this is not going to end well.

The life-changing magic of tidying up; the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing by Marie Kondo: I read an article about this book and ordered it from the library (I already have enough books clutterin up my house) I like her advice and am in the process of rethinking objects in my house.

The Organically Clean Home by Becky Rapinchuk (from cleanmama.net): Healthy recipes for cleaning. Also ordered from the library. Recommended by V and a topic of conversation while in Arkansas.

The Introvert Advantage by Marti Olsen Laney: Recommended to me by a neighbor friend who happens to be a counselor. One of my two kids at home right now is withdrawn and I’m trying to learn more. This book is helpful and makes me realize why I’m socially awkward at times.

This is what I finished:

Nest by Ester Ehrlich: Marvelous tale of Chirp who loves birds, nature, and playing outside. Her mother is diagnosed with MS and Chirp, her sister, and father have to watch as she struggles to deal with this new reality. Her family sets her apart in school as well, they are Jewish and her father is a psychologist. Luckily they are surrounded by nature on Cape Cod and this serves as a healing force for Chirp.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart: Crazy story of four orphans ready to save the world from mass brainwashing. Mr. Benedict places an advertisement looking for gifted children and once they pass all of his tests they are rushed off to save the world. Read for 6th grade book club and it was just exciting enough to take their minds off of Legend series for a just a bit. Our last book for the year is Champion by Marie Lu.

The Book Fair is here!

I know this will sound like one big fat commercial from a woman who isn’t into commercialism but I love the book fair! Too me it is one more way to get good books into the hands of unsuspecting kids. And this book fair is the biggest book fair I’ve ever watched get unloaded which means it took me several hours on Friday + several more hours on Saturday for me to set up. It was a lot of work. I even enlisted my husband’s help for part of the day on Saturday. He created a castle front out of my little sketch for the front of the library. The them is “The Kingdom of reading…”

So excited to introduce Hansen students and staff to the fun of an amazing Mrs Holt book fair. There are so many good books scattered throughout the fair that I will be hard pressed to get any work done all week long. I’ll be reading…

Look what I've read…{three month review}

January;

Divergent by Veronica Roth (2012); I devoured this first book in her series. I loved the beginning of this book but somewhere near the middle disliked all the violence and gun-worship. I wondered if the series would continue to be violent or if their would be an awakening? {and no I’ve not had the chance to see the movie…}

The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho (2007); Love his writing, he always makes me think. Read my review here.

Palace Beautiful by Sarah Deford Williams (2010); Sisters Sadie and Zuzu discover a diary written by Helen in a hidden space in the attic of their new Salt Lake City house The two sisters and a neighbor friend read the diary together uncovering Helen’s troubled life. One of the highlights of this story was the very caring and hip stepmother.

Seven Wild Sisters by Charles de Lint (2014); I received this as an ARC and enjoyed the light fantasy book. My kids at school are WILD about The Warrior series by Erin Hunter and I think Charles de Lint’s books could bridge a gap for those students looking forward to reading the Hunter books. And he sings-Old Blue Truck; a real renaissance man. Thanks Little, Brown, and Company.

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver (2012); Read this for book club. Loved it. My review. Will make the reader rush out to plant a butterfly garden.

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (2013); J.K. Rowling’s spy mystery was really very good. There’s a new Cormoran Strike mystery, The Silkworm, out…I just need to find a copy.

February:

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (2012); I liked the unrest-revolution is on the way aspect. Tris is not my favorite female hero. She resorts to violence often not thinking of how it will effect others.

Hush Puppy by Lisa Cresswell (2013); I liked this book. I read something about Hush Puppy on a website {that I obviously did not keep track of!} and downloaded it to my Kindle. It took me a few weeks to get back to it but it was a pleasant diversion from the roughness of Insurgent. Corrine and Jamie are both unique characters struggling with their own identities.

The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller (2009); Gave me lots of ideas. Opened me up more as a teacher-librarian.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth (2013); More violence yet it came with resolution and consequences. Four is my favorite character from this series.

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee (2014); Beautifully written chapter book. Read my review. If you have a young reader at home this would make a beautiful gift.

Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins (2005); I have one boy’s book club at school and we are winding our way through this series. They were reluctant at first but Gregor has won them over. I had only ever read the first one so am quite pleased that within this school year I will finish this under-appreciated series by the same Collins of The Hunger Games fame. I think The Underland would make an amazing movie.

March:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (2012); Why did I wait so long to read this? I read it in under a week. I hope the movie does it justice. Must be read with a box of tissues yet so very well worth the pain. Hazel is a wonderfully quirky character!

Here Lies Linc by Delia Ray (2011); Ray is coming to be an author-in-residence for a week to meet students. I loved her other book Singing Hands. Here Lies Linc has everyone wandering through the graveyard on a school project. I read this with Groovy Girl and we live across the street from a graveyard-very spooky!

The Summer I found you by Jolene Perry (2014); Did not love. Read my review.

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith (2014); This one I did love. Lucy and Owen are location-crossed lovers. They can’t figure out if they would like to be more because they are not in one place for very long. Postcards remind them of the one day they spend together. Lucy’s parents are a bit odd but other than that this was good.

The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson (2012); Read for book club. Long, really long. Very interesting look at North Korea; made me happy to have lived dictator-free for all my years.

Sweetgrass by Mary Alice Monroe (2005); Lovely story of a North Carolina family hanging on to a house on the coast. I loved how the Blakely and Bennett families were intertwined and needed each other to survive. The environmental message was well done. This one has been on my pile at home for some time and it feels good now to pass it on…

Slob by Ellen Potter (2009); I loved The Kneebone Boy and The Humming Room by Potter and my daughter recommended this one to me and I enjoyed Owen’s journey. This was a lunchtime book for me at school.

The Curse of the Warmbloods (Gregor #3) by Suzanne Collins (2005); This one takes the reader on a jungle adventure to find a cure for the plague. We meet a few new characters and find out some Underland secrets. Already started #4.

The Cats of the Tanglewood Forest by Charles de Lint (2013); This is where the story actually begins. Often I’m sent and ARC of the second book in a series and I can never find the first one. This one I downloaded to my Kindle and read in two days, just to end the month with a bang. I plan to order both of de Lint’s titles for my early fantasy readers.

I’m so happy with all these list. It is wonderful to rethink about each one as I’ve written this post. Almost everyone was an enjoyable read.