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 WinnerRead-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.
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