July 2025 Books

 Personal Reading

Dakota Series Book 1: Dakota Dawn

Dakota Series Book 2: Dakota Dream

Dakota Series Book 3: Dakota Dusk

Dakota Series Book 4: Dakota December

Dakota Series Book 5: Dakota Destiny

by Lauraine Snelling

A series of 5 novellas that feature the intertwining lives of five women, all who live in the early 1900s in the mostly Norwegian farming community of Soldahl, North Dakota.  Each of them faces circumstances they didn't expect and each finds (or strengthens) their faith in God through trials.  And, of course, each finds their true love and gets married. The audiobooks were well done.  The theology is typical of this author ("we are all God's children").

Someday Home

by Lauraine Snelling

Three middle-age women in the midst of various life crises become housemates, navigating the challenges of new friendships, responsibilities, and roles while also dealing with grief and bitterness.  The audiobook was well-narrated, except it makes one of them sound like an old woman rather than the 50+ woman that she is.  Some of the ways the characters interacted seemed unrealistic. It was an OK book, but not one I'm likely to read again.

The Shoe Box

by Francine Rivers

A short story about a boy in foster care who carries around a shoebox full of "things."  He never elaborates on what "things," but he gives it as an offering to baby Jesus when he plays the part of a wise man in a Christmas play.

Team Burger Shed

by Tavin Dillard

The author describes a season of small-town adult-league softball.  The description of the team's misadventures on and off the field is laugh-out-loud funny sometimes. It sounds like the author is doing stand-up comedy.  There's no bad language, but there are guys pursuing girls and other stereotypical "macho" behavior that seems more appropriate for adults rather than the "8 years and up" reading level that it is listed as.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

This is an engaging historical fiction novel is written in epistolary style. Letters and telegrams between various characters tell the story of how resident of Guernsey (one of the Channel Islands between England and France) survived five years of German occupation during WWII.  I was in a reading slump (not excited by the books I'd been reading) when I picked this one up.  It was very enjoyable. Some favorite quotes: 

• Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books.
• That's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive -- all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment.
• None of us had any experience of literary societies, so we made our own rules: we took turns to speak about the books we'd read. ... the purpose of the speakers was to goad the listeners into wanting to read the book themselves. Once two members had read the same book, they could argue, which was our great delight. We read books, talked books argued over books.
• Booksellers really are a special breed.  No one in their right mind would take up clerking in a bookstore for the salary, and no one in his right mind would want to own one -- the margin of profit is too small.  So, it has to be a love of readers and reading that makes them do it -- along with first dibs on new books.

Content considerations: some mild profanity and using God/Christ as exclamations; some descriptions of wartime atrocities; one character declares in a matter-of-fact way that he is homosexual.

Middle Grade Fiction

The Clock and the Boulder

by Karin Fisher-Golton

I received this book in a giveaway in exchanged for a review.  From the cover description: Sixth-grader Kerstin Bellini is so sick of moving around the USA that she avoids making friends so she won’t have to lose them. When her mom drops the bad news that their family of two is about to move again, Kerstin is devastated. But the next morning, when she wakes up in a forest she doesn’t recognize, things are definitely worse. Now Kerstin must break her loner habits to accept the help of Maja, a clever farm girl who longs to experience life beyond her tiny village. How can Kerstin find her way back to Minnesota in 2016 when no one even has a phone? And why does Maja think the answer might be found in the woods? Kerstin draws on her love of animals and interest in sewing crafts as she deepens her trust in herself and others—and finds that some things are timeless.

I found this to be a somewhat strange time-travel novel, similar to "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly, but not as engaging to me.  The writing style seemed a bit choppy to me. The book contains not-so-veiled references to an agenda of "tolerance", "that must be your truth," and "I'm my own best friend."  There were also unnecessary references to bras and urinating. The main character also talks about being "donor-conceived." I have nothing against children conceived in such a way, but parents should be aware that this is discussed in the book and should be prepared to discuss this with their children if they choose to let their children read this book.

Read-Aloud

The Monster in the Hollows

by Andrew Peterson

Book 3 of the Wingfeather Saga. See my original review of the series.

June 2025 Books

Personal Reading

The English Masterpiece

by Katherine Reay

From the Amazon description: Set in the art world of 1970s London, The English Masterpiece is a fast-paced read to the end, full of glamour and secrets, tensions and lies, as one young woman races against the clock to uncover the truth about a Picasso masterpiece. Told from the dual points of view of Lily (first person) and her boss/mentor, Diana (third person).  Like all of the author's books, this one features a woman in her upper 20s who has to deal with a lot of emotional baggage from her childhood.  In addition to solving the Picasso forgery, she learns how to be herself and she learns that she truly does have a supportive family and friend who care about her.

Blood in the Snow

by Sarah Pennington

A combination of the fairy tales "Goose Girl" and "Snow White" in an Asian setting. A fun, quick read.

Joy to the World: A Regency Christmas Collection

by Carolyn Miller, Amanda Barratt, and Erica Vetsch

Three novellas by three authors who have other books set in the regency era. I bought it for the story by Erica Vetsch, because I loved Erica's Serendipity & Secrets and Thorndike & Swann series, and this included a story about one of her characters in those series. I loved all three of the stories in this collection and may investigate other works by the other two authors.

Dakota Treasures Book 1: Ruby

by Lauraine Snelling

The first of 4 books in the Dakotah Treasures series. Ruby and her younger sister Opal move from New York to North Dakota at their dying father's request, only to find that their "inheritance" is a brothel in a tiny town called "Little Missouri." Against much opposition, she turns it into a respectable hotel and fulfills her promise to her father to take care of the "girls" who worked there. I enjoyed the author's "Song of Blessing" series, also about Norwegian immigrants in North Dakota, but the writing quality in this series was not as well done as that other series. Each book ends with too many loose ends, and the resolutions to conflicts don't feel realistic.

Dakota Treasures Book 2: Pearl
by Lauraine Snelling

The second of 4 books in the Dakotah Treasures series. Pearl runs away from a marriage arranged by her father and goes to Little Missouri, North Dakota, where she becomes part of the community at Dove House (continuing the story of Ruby Torvald from the first book in the series.

Dakota Treasures Book 3: Opal
by Lauraine Snelling

The third of 4 books in the Dakotah Treasures series. Opal is Ruby's 14 year old sister who loves the ranch she lives on with her sister and brother-in-law. She loves to ride and train horses, and hunt and fish. She is bored with school and has no desire to be a "lady." But an innocent decision to go swimming in the river leads to a series of serious consequences for people she loves and she blames herself. Meanwhile, a young pastor's past sin of passion catches up to him, and he runs away from it, also blaming himself for the bad things that happen to those around him. 

Dakota Treasures Book 4: Amethyst

by Lauraine Snelling

Amethyst comes to Little Missouri on orders from her controlling and alcoholic father to find her nephew Joel and bring him back to inherit the family farm.  She meets up with many of the characters from the previous 3 books in the series as she finds a true home and true love in this small North Dakota town.  This book ties up most of the loose ends left in the previous 3 books to bring a satisfying conclusion to the series.

Heaven Sent Rain

by Lauraine Snelling

Dinah is a successful career woman who started her own company to produce food supplements to help people live more healthy lives.  She has her life exactly as she wants it -- neat and controlled.  But as she launches a new product, she comes under attack from the media and big Pharma.  Meanwhile, she befriends a young boy and his dog whom she sees every day on her way to work. Her life takes a unexpected turn when the boy's dog is injured and his mom passes away, naming her as the boy's legal guardian.  The author dribbles out bits of Dinah's past that explain why she never intended to get married or have children and why she thinks God is fairy-tale.  The vet who treats the boy's dog also has issues from hurts in his past, but he also has a strong Christian faith and is able to help both Dinah and the boy through their struggles.  Most of what I've read from Lauraine Snelling is historical fiction about Norwegian immigrants in North Dakota, so this was different, but good.  Reminded me of Francine Rivers.  The theology is bit off -- saying that Jesus comes to us on our terms.  I would say, he meets us where we are (he doesn't expect us to get our lives cleaned up and figured out before he saves us), but the Bible is clear that we must come to God on his terms (which are repent and believe).

Biography/History

No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green

by Melody Green & David Hazard

Keith Green has long been one of my favorite Christian musicians.  His music is powerful and passionate and resonates with my soul.  His lyrics are challenging and convicting and reflect my own heart's cry.  This memoir about Keith's life, written by his wife, was also powerful and convicting.  He had an intense personality and a passionate zeal for Jesus and the holiness of his church.  Though he was intense and opinionated, he also exhibited humility and a willingness to be taught and corrected.  His journals (excerpts are shared in the book) and many of his songs vulnerably express his awareness of how he fell short of God's standard of holiness and yet still desired to keep striving to be more like Jesus. Content considerations: includes descriptions of life in the 1960s and 1970s (drug culture and free love culture).

Young Adult Fiction

Navigating Early

by Clare Vanderpool

From the Amazon description: From the author of Newbery Medal winner Moon Over Manifest comes the odyssey-like adventure of two boys’ incredible quest on the Appalachian Trail. When Jack Baker’s father sends him from his home in Kansas to attend a boys’ boarding school in Maine, Jack doesn’t know what to expect. Certainly not Early Auden, the strangest of boys. Early keeps to himself, reads the number pi as a story, and refuses to accept truths others take for granted. Jack, feeling lonely and out of place, connects with Early, and the two become friends. During a break from school, the boys set out for the Appalachian Trail on a quest for a great black bear. As Jack and Early travel deeper into the mountains, they meet peculiar and dangerous characters, and they make some shocking discoveries. But their adventure is only just beginning. Will Jack’s and Early’s friendship last the journey? Can the boys make it home alive?

An intriguing and redemptive story.  Early seems to be a high functioning autistic, though that term is never used because it wasn't in use during the time period in which the story is set.  It might be hard for younger readers to get into and understand, but teens might find it interesting.

Middle Grade Novels

Life Behind the Wall

by Robert Elmer

This book contains 3 books in a series that explores the life of a family in East Berlin through 3 different generations.  Candy Bombers takes place during the Berlin Airlift, just after WWII.  Beetle Bunker is set during the time the Berlin Wall was put into place.  Smuggler's Treasure concludes with the night the Wall was opened up. Each book is about 200 pages.  A great look into life behind the wall, for middle grade readers.

Newbery Award Books

Moon Over Manifest

by Clare Vanderpool

Oh my! This is such a good story.  This is what a Newbery Award book should be: powerful storytelling that kids would actually read and enjoy. Abilene Tucker is sent to spend the summer of 1936 in Manifest, Kansas with an old friend of her father's while her dad works a railroad job.  But she feels like her father is abandoning her; she has grown up riding the rails, moving from place to place with her father.  So why can't she still be with him now?  She is determined to find out about her father's past.  She finds a mysterious box of mementos and letters, makes friends with two girls with whom she goes on a "spy hunt," and hears stories about the town's past from a mysterious old neighbor lady.  No mention is made of her father, who supposedly grew up in the town.  But there is more to things than meets the eye. I can't tell anymore without spoiling the book, so you'll just have to read it for yourself. The audiobook was excellently done. Content considerations: a large part of the story revolves around illegal whiskey making during Prohibition, and there is a woman purported to be a diviner or fortune-teller (she's not really).

2011 Newbery Medal Winner

Freewater

by Amina Luqman-Dawson

A young slave boy and his little sister escape from a plantation in the south. But instead of heading north, they find refuge in a community of escaped slaves living in the swamp. A good story, told from multiple perspectives. Audiobook was well done. Content considerations: some description of violence against slaves (not too graphic); some characters pray to the swamp for protection or thanksgiving. 

2023 Newbery Award Winner

Holes 

by Louis Sachar

From the Amazon description: Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment —and redemption.

Interesting and redemptive.  The treatment of the boys at the camp could be construed as abusive.

1999 Newbery Award Winner

Read-Aloud

North! or Be Eaten

by Andrew Peterson

Book 2 of the Wingfeather Saga.  It's basically one long chase scene.  Excellently narrated by the author.

May 2025 Books

 Personal Reading

Debutante's Code (Thorndike & Swann Mysteries Book 1)

Millstone of Doubt (Thorndike & Swann Mysteries Book 2)

Children of the Shadows (Thorndike & Swann Mysteries Book 3)

by Erica Vetsch

Detective Daniel Swann and debutante Juliette Thorndike team up to solve a series of mysteries in 1816 Regency England while trying to navigate their growing attraction for each other despite the barrier of the widely different social classes.  A fascinating and delightful series.  I look forward to reading more by this author.

The Lost Lieutenant (Serendipity & Secrets Book 1)

The Gentleman Spy (Serendipity & Secrets Book 2)

The Indebted Earl (Serendipity & Secrets Book 3)

by Erica Vetsch

These three books can be read independently, but are best read in order. They occur chronologically before (and were written before) the Thorndike and Swann Mysteries reviewed above.  Each of the male heroes find themselves in marriages they didn't want -- out of convenience or necessity (social pressure), but find themselves falling in love with the women they married, all the while embroiled in some mystery or crime that needs to be solved.  Complex characters and plot, great dialog.  It was hard to put these books down. Clean romance, but some topics require some maturity to handle (i.e. prostitution and physical abuse).

A Thieving at Carlton House (Of Cloaks & Daggers Series, Book 1)

by Erica Vetsch

This book picks up right after the Thorndike and Swann series and is the first of three planned books (the second release in August 2025). Sir Bertrand Thorndike has mixed feelings about his new assignment: he would like to move out from beneath his brother's shadow, but he's not sure he's ready to lead his own team of spies for the British Crown.  He's definitely not keen on the assignment of investigating a jewelry theft at the Prince Regent's Carlton House, thinking that job belongs to a trained detective, not a spy like himself.  And as a confirmed bachelor, he definitely doesn't appreciate the pressure his supervisor puts on him to start looking for a wife.  Complex characters and plot, great dialog.  It was hard to put this book down. Clean romance, but some topics require some maturity to handle (i.e. prostitution and physical abuse).

Welcome to the Honey B&B

by Melody Carlson

A poignant story about learning to understand, care for, and live with a family member with declining mental and physical abilities.  Instructive and encouraging.

Song of the Selkies

by Sarah Pennington

This is billed as a retelling of "The Little Mermaid," but flipped. In this case, the girl lives on land and wants to marry a marine-dwelling king.  But there are no mermaids and no witch and no curse or spell.  Princess Ceana has always expected that her marriage would be arranged by her parents to make some alliance with a neighboring country -- just as has been done for her 6 older sisters.  So, she is thrown for a loop when her parents tell her that she is free to marry whomever she chooses.  She feels cheated; that somehow her marrying for love would not be as meaningful or useful as her sisters' marriage alliances.  But there is one neighbor with whom they are not on friendly terms -- the Selkies (creatures who shape-shift between seals and humans).  The Selkie king is insulted when a marriage alliance is proposed.  Ceana is shocked and decides to go undercover to find out why.  An intriguing, well-written story. A pronunciation guide and map would have been helpful.

The Scarlet Thread

by Francine Rivers

Sierra and Alex's marriage takes a downward spiral when she resents him moving their family to Los Angeles to pursue his career dreams and he resents her griping.  At her lowest point, she meets a believer in Jesus who invites her to church, where she begins to repent and find hope in Christ and help in accepting her husband's attempts at reconciliation.  Interspersed with this story are journal entries from Sierra's ancestor who struggled with difficult circumstances with her family, her husband, and God before eventually finding the "scarlet thread" of redemption that God weaves through our lives and throughout history.  At first, I was annoyed and irritated with Sierra's selfish attitude of wanting and demanding her own way ... and then realizing the same attitude in myself. Ouch. Content considerations: deals with the subject of marital relations and adultery.

Fortune's Price

by Frank Nissen

This is book 2 in the "Gold Rush Odyssey" series.  I received this as a giveaway in exchange for a review.  I was not required to give a positive review.  I don't hand out 5-star reviews lightly.  If I could, I would give this book more than 5 stars. As soon as I finish writing this review, I will be ordering book 1 in this series.  And waiting eagerly for the author's next installment. Bartholomew Pegg is a 14-year-old boy who set out with his father and a partner, Fred Hoyt, to make their fortune in California's gold fields.  But Pegg's father died on the way and Hoyt only finds ways to get them into trouble. (All this happened before the start of this book.)  Now, Pegg must figure out a way to disentangle himself from Hoyt's conniving ways, meet the obligations of the partnership, and return home to Vermont to care for his mom and sister.  A well-written, fascinating, historical novel.  I read this 400+ page book in less than 48 hours; I couldn't put it down!  Clean adventure book that I would recommend to anyone, but especially teenage boys.

Life Together 

by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

One of Bonhoeffer more famous writings: "the classic exploration of faith in community." Parts of it were good, parts of it I didn't understand what he was getting at or where he was coming from.  I listened to the audiobook.  I might get more out of it if I sat down with a physical copy and concentrated better on it.  I had read a biography about Bonhoeffer and watched a play about his life, neither of which really delved into his doctrinal and theological beliefs, so I was curious to read his own writings to find out what he believed.

Biography/History

The Mythmakers

by John Hendrix

This graphic novel tells the story of "The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien," describing each of their lives from their youth, through their shaping by their experiences in WWI, to their meeting and friendship and their influence over each other in the writing of their major works which made them famous.  It was interesting, but the type is extremely small and some of the philosophical discussions were over my head.  You can listen to an interview with the author at Read-Aloud Revival.

Bonhoeffer (Student Edition)

by Eric Metaxas

A biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, scaled down from the author's 600+ page original version and written for a middle/high school audience.  Similar in content to A Faithful Spy.  I thought it was interesting and not as daunting as the 600+ page version.

Young Adult Fiction

The Starlore Legacy Book 7: Creed
by Chuck Black

Book 7 (just released this month) out of a planned 12 in this series (first six were reviewed last month).   This one parallels the book of Acts from Jesus' resurrection to Saul's blinding encounter on the road to Damascus. Recommended age: teens and above (due to violence level, romance level, and scientific terms). Listen to an author interview on Episode 40 of Read Clean YA with CJ.

Truth Cursed

by Angie Dickinson

From the Amazon description: Cressida Hoth is alone in the world. Orphaned and unwanted, she is inflicted with a peculiar curse by her mischievous aunts and banished to a finishing school in the secluded kingdom of Dernmont. Students train in every accomplishment suitable for young ladies: music, dancing, etiquette…and strangely, poison-making, fencing, and lock-picking. The school is a front for a rebel spy ring, and when her training is complete, Cressida is selected to join a mission to infiltrate the kingdom’s royal court. She has been thrown unceremoniously into a world of ball gowns and espionage, but she is still under a curse, and it threatens to expose them all.

A fascinating page-turner of a debut novel.  I look forward to more by this author.  It has the feel of Regency England culture, with spies and mystery, set in a fictional, but realistic world. Content considerations: some light, clean romance; some danger and violence. Recommended for teens and above. Listen to an author interview on Episode 38 of Read Clean YA with CJ.

Andramache

by L. E. Richmond

From the Amazon description: The nation once known as the United States of America has fallen. On the West Coast, five cities collectively known as Cinq battle rampant poverty and disease. On the East Coast, the wealthy, technologically-advanced Federation's human population is nearly extinct. A treaty between the two nations guarantees Western brides in exchange for Eastern technology. When Andromache Kanoska is chosen to go East to wed a nobleman and bear his children, her greatest fear is that her infertility will be discovered. Her only chance of protection is to marry the soon-to-be Elector, Denzel Xavier.  While competing in challenges designed to determine if she is worthy to become the next Eastern Consort, Andromache learns a terrible secret. But the people in power are those responsible. And the only person able to make a difference is a man whom she is unsure whether to trust. Will she risk exposure to protect others whose lives are regarded as expendable? Or will she choose to save herself at any cost?

A futuristic, dystopian novel (not generally my favorite genre) that focuses strongly on the theme of the value and importance of every human life, even if it is not "productive" or "useful" to society. It is somewhat a retelling/reimagining of the Biblical story of Esther. I enjoyed the story very much. Because of the prevalent issue of fertility and the bridal competition, I would only recommend this for very mature teens and up.  I listened to the audiobook, but would have preferred the print version.  The narrator sounded like a robot most of the time. Listen to an interview with the author: Episode 42 of Read Clean YA with CJ

Middle Grade Novels

Adventures Down Under Book 1: Escape to Murray River

by Robert Elmer

The first in an eight-book series. Patrick McWaid's father is framed and falsely accused by his boss in 1867 of conspiring with the Fenians, a group dedicated to the establishment of an independent Irish Republic.  He is sentenced to 10 years hard labor in an Australian penal colony.  Patrick and his family follow, hoping to be able to be close to him. Mysterious circumstances crop up which are not solved by the end of the book.  I've ordered the next 7 books so I can finish the story.  I enjoyed the author's two other historical series for kids: The Young Underground (about Dutch resistance in WWII)  and The Promise of Zion (about the establishment of Israel after WWII).

Newbery Award Books

The View from Saturday

by e. l. konigsburg

Four sixth-graders with varied backgrounds, but interconnected lives, become friends and join forces to support their new homeroom teacher and beat the eight-graders in the Academic Bowl.  An enjoyable story marred by jumping around chronologically and by unnecessary comments about puberty. Audiobook narrator was good.

1996 Newbery Winner

The First State of Being

by Erin Entrada Kelly

Ridge is a time-traveling teenager from 2199 who gets trapped in 1999.  He befriends twelve-year-old Michael and sixteen-year-old Gibby and changes the course of their lives forever.  Interesting theories on how time travel can affect history.  Good messages about taking life one day at a time, looking for the good that come out of unwanted circumstances, and recognizing that uncertainty is a part of life.  Content considerations: some substitute swear words, one minor character is described as "non-binary." Audiobook narration was well-done.

2025 Newbery Award Winner.

The Eyes & the Impossible

by Dave Eggers

A light story narrated by Joannes, a "free" dog who roams an urban park, observing everything and reporting to the three elderly bison who rule the park.  It's kind of cute, but I found the dog's overexaggeration of things (his speed, time, etc.) to be annoying.  The dog also repeatedly says "God is the sun" and refers to God as "her."

2024 Newbery Medal Winner

Read-Aloud

North! or Be Eaten

by Andrew Peterson

We've been enjoying the audiobook narrated by the author.  See my previous review of the entire series from November 2020.

April 2025 Books

Personal Reading

Hero Debut

by Angela Ruth Strong

Book 2 in the author's "Love Off Script" series (after Husband Auditions), though it could be read as a stand-alone. Gemma is a high school English teacher and aspiring screenplay writer who is always searching for and researching ideas for her screenplays.  She signs up to take a Citizen's Safety Academy class from the Portland police and fire departments as part of her research. And because she has her eye on Karson, one of the policemen leading the class.  Karson has anger issues and a wounded past and wants nothing to do Gemma, whom he considers trouble with a capital T.  Told in first person, from a dual point of view (chapters alternate between Gemma and Karson), this book is just as good (if not better) than Husband Auditions.  Laugh-out loud funny, great dialog, engaging characters who work through some hard stuff before heading toward their happy ending.

Fiancé Finale

by Angela Strong

Book 3 and the conclusion to the author's "Love Off Script" series (after Husband Auditions and Hero Debut).  Charlie and Nicole were once engaged, but each thinks they are the one who was abandoned the day before the wedding. Both have issues to work through before they can come together again.  Charlie sees things in black and white and can be unknowingly insensitive. Nicole has been hurt by her father's infidelity and willingness to sacrifice her for the sake of others.  A powerful story of repentance and redemption.

Christmas Ella

by Angela Ruth Strong

A combination of Cinderella and reality TV show, this is a short novel about Ella, who is the location director for a reality TV show, and Paxton, the single son of the family that stars in the show.  They fall for each other, against the wishes of his family, who threaten to destroy not only Ella's job but her career as they try to marry him off to one of their more "appropriate" socialite friends.  But he is not a snob like his family and has eyes for only Ella.  Like Cinderella, there's the masquerade ball, running away at midnight, and confronting the family with their deceit and arrogance.  And happily ever after.  The audiobook was well done.

Dana's Valley

by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan

A realistic story of a Christian family walking through the "valley of the shadow of death" as their teenage daughter battles cancer.  Told from the point of view of the younger sister.  It's a tear-jerker and a faith-builder.

The Booklover's Library

by Madeline Martin

From the library description: In WWII England, widow Emma, when she's separated from her daughter, seeks solace in the friendships she forms at Boots' Booklover's Library, but when the Blitz intensifies, she fights to reunite with her daughter, learning to depend on her community and the power of literature to find hope in the darkest of times. I really enjoyed this well-told story with a bit of sweet romance in it.  I didn't realize that England had laws (or at least conventions) at the time that did not allow widows with children to be employed.  What a ridiculous rule!  Who needs a job more?

The Last Bookshop in London

by Madeline Martin

This was a re-read for me from several years ago.  I loved it just as much this time as the first time around. Here's my review from before: 

A delightful story that kept me up too late several nights in a row. A young woman moves to London just before the Germans began bombing London in "The Blitz."  A bookshop owner grudgingly employs her as an assistant (due to pressure from her landlady).  Though she's never had time to read, she does have experience in organizing a store to make it more attractive to customers.  She plunges into the monumental task of cleaning and organizing the dusty, cluttered bookshop.  Along the way, one the shop's regular customers befriends her and encourages to start reading some of the wares of the shop.  he explains his (and my) passion for reading in this wonderful quote: "Reading is.. It's going somewhere without ever taking a train or a ship, an unveiling of new, incredible worlds.  It's living a life you weren't born into and a chance to see everything colored by someone else's perspective. It's learning without having to face consequences of failures, and how best to succeed.  I think within all of us, there is a void, a gap wanting to be filled by something.  For me, that something is books and all their proffered experiences."  I highly recommend this book to older teens and adults, especially those who love books!

The Paris Dressmaker

by Kristy Cambron

This novel follows the stories of two women in Paris during WWII as they are drawn into working with the French Resistance.  Lila works as a dressmaker, making fancy dresses for the Nazi officers' paramours.  Sandrine, whose husband went off to fight with the French army, is put to work cataloging Nazi-confiscated art by a Nazi officer who attempts to woo her to become his companion.  The story alternates between their points of view, which is fine.  But it also alternates between past and present (1944), which gets kind of confusing.  Nevertheless, it is a fascinating account highlighting the courage of people who did used the opportunities that came their way to fight against evil and darkness.

Lowlands of Scotland Book 1: Thorn in My Heart

Lowlands of Scotland Book 2: Fair is the Rose

Lowlands of Scotland Book 3: Whence Came a Prince

Lowlands of Scotland Book 4: Grace in Thine Eyes

by Liz Curtis Higgs

A retelling of the Biblical story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel set in the late 1700s in Scotland.  It was a well-written saga, but a little bizarre to give the main character the same dreams, visions, and promises that God gave Jacob.  And bizarre to have the multiple wives scenario in 1790 Scotland. Although there is talk of God and the Almighty, along with grace and mercy, there's little, if any, reference to Jesus Christ. If you're familiar with the biblical story, you can imagine that these books contain content for mature audiences only.

Biography/History

The Woman All Spies Fear

by Amy Butler Greenfield

A biography of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, who was a cryptanalyst (code breaker) during WWI, prohibition, WWII, and beyond. She labored in secrecy, in a time where women were often not credited with their accomplishments.  I found the story very interesting and was pleased to learn that she and her husband supported each other in their work (both were code breakers).

Young Adult Fiction

The Starlore Legacy Books 1-6

by Chuck Black

This series re-tells the biblical story of God's chosen people -- in an intergalactic, science fictional setting. It is not as explicitly allegorical as the author's Kingdom series, but readers familiar with the narrative of the Bible will recognize some of the characters and plot points. There are also some hints of Star Wars and Star Trek (i.e. a loyal and lovable android, crack pilots, aerial battles in sky and space, among others). It contains more romance (but fairly clean) than that earlier series did. It also has a more believable scenario for the sacrifice and death of the savior than the Kingdom series.  Recommended age: teens and above (due to violence level, romance level, and scientific terms). The author plans 6 more books in this series. Listen to an author interview on Episode 40 of Read Clean YA with CJ.

Middle Grade Novels

The Swallows' Flight

by Hilary McKay

A story of WWII, told from the perspectives of two boys from Germany who don't want to fight for Hitler, two girls from England (one who endures ridicule because of the birthmarks on her face and one who is very sickly), and a dog from England.  It got a little confusing at times with all the different shifts in perspective and the dropping of hints that I didn't quite get, but I enjoyed the story.  I would recommend it for ages 12 and up.  You can read more reviews of it at Lives stitched together | WORLD and Special Report: Read Aloud Round Table | WORLD.

The Ship of Stolen Words

by Fran White

On the last day of school, Sam runs into some goblins who steal his over-used, but very much needed, words of "Sorry," and "apologize."  His efforts to recover these words lead him and his friends on a fantastical adventure to another world as they learn the power of sincere and idle words.  A little bit weird on my brain, but kind of fun.

Newbery Award Books

A Single Shard

by Linda Sue Park

An orphan Korean boy watches a master potter and longs to learn to be a potter himself one day.  He works for the potter, chopping wood for the kiln and gathering clay.  When the potter has an opportunity to showcase his work to earn a royal commission, the boy travels to the capital city with the precious pottery.  However, robbers attack him along the way and shatter the pots.  The boy salvages one single shard which is enough to convince the person responsible for issuing the royal commissions of its superior quality.  A heartwarming story, worthy of the Newbery award.

2002 Newbery Winner

A Year Down Yonder

by Richard Peck

During the Great Depression, fifteen-year-old Mary Alice is sent to live with her feisty, larger-than-life grandmother in rural Illinois and comes to a better understanding of this fearsome woman. A good story, except for one chapter describing a woman who was posing nude for a painter. 

2001 Newbery Winner

New Kid

by Jerry Craft

A graphic novel about a black boy who moves to a new school with mostly rich white kids. He struggles to adjust and make new friends, while teachers stereotype him or bend over backwards to not appear racist.  It was an OK book, but didn't really grab me.  I listened to the audiobook before I realized this was originally a graphic novel.  The narrators did an admirable job adapting it from visual to audio format.

2020 Newbery Winner

Missing May

by Cynthia Rylant

Twelve-year-old Summer and her uncle Ob try to go on with life after Aunt May passes away.  I got about halfway through before abandoning it when they started trying to find a way to communicate with the dead.

1993 Newbery Winner

The Midwife's Apprentice

by Karen Cushman

A nameless, homeless girl in medieval England wants only three things in life: a full belly, a contented heart, and a place in the world.  The ending is good, but it was hard to get through all the name-calling and bullying before that.  The description of birthing and midwifery may not be appropriate for younger readers.

1996 Newbery Winner

A Gathering of Days

by Joan Blos

The journal entries of a fictional teenage New England girl from 1830-1832, writing about daily events, her father's re-marriage, and the death of her best friend. It was decent, but not overly exciting.

1980 Newbery Winner

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices

by Paul Fleischman

A short collection of poems about various insects.  Kind of cute. The audiobook was well-done.

1989 Newbery Winner

Read-Aloud

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness (The Wingfeather Saga Book 1)

by Andrew Peterson

See my earlier review of this book.  We began this month to listen to the audiobook, primarily for the benefit of two of my children who had not yet read the book themselves.  One of them couldn't wait to find out what happened when we stopped on one of the many cliffhangers.  So he picked up the book, finished it, and began the next one.  I've enjoyed listening to it, read by the author with all the right voices and pronunciations.

The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler

by John Hendrix

I read this graphic novel last year.  After attending a play about Bonhoeffer, I decided to listen to the audiobook version with my kids. See my earlier review here.