Personal Reading
How to Plot a Payback
by Melissa Ferguson
From the Amazon blurb: Successful screenwriter Finn Masters just landed his dream job writing for Neighbors, one of Hollywood's highest-rated, longest-running sitcoms. The only downside? It will put him back in proximity of the show’s universally adored, optimistic, altruistic star, Lavender Rhodes, who has been inadvertently ruining his life since they were school chums in England. But she doesn't even know she destroyed his acting career and wrecked his relationship with the love of his life. He's not about to let this woman yank yet another dream out from under his feet. In fact, he realizes he's been given the ideal opportunity to plot his payback: spinning her character in shocking new directions. What could go wrong? Only everything.
"Hilarious and heartwarming tale of revenge, redemption, and unexpected romance". This subtitle pretty much sums up this story for me. The author makes the characters come alive to me, the dialog and banter are great, and the redemptive story arc is refreshing. I enjoyed the dual point of view and getting a glimpse into the world of writing and producing a TV sitcom. The audiobook was excellently narrated with dual voices.
The Dating Charade
by Melissa Ferguson
From the Amazon blurb: Cassie is fed up with online dating, but just when she’s finally decided to give up, firefighter Jett Bentley takes her on an amazing first date. But when they both go home and find three children dropped in their laps—each—they independently decide to do the right and mature thing: hide the kids from each other while sorting it all out. What could go wrong?
Another funny, but poignant rom-com by Melissa Ferguson. (This was actually her debut novel, but not the first one I read.) Heartbreaking and hilarious, as the two protagonists deal with sudden, unexpected parenthood, as well as the foster care system and loved ones with addictions. I almost needed the tissues toward the end. Audiobook was good.
The Cul-de-Sac War
by Melissa Ferguson
From the Amazon blurb: Actress Bree Leake doesn't want to be tied down, but just when it's time to move on again, Bree's parents make her an offer; hold steady in Abingdon for one full year, and they will give her the one thing she's always wanted—her grandmother's house. Her dreams are coming true . . . until life throws her some curve balls. And then there's her new neighbor. Chip McBride. For the first time in her life, she's met the person who could match her free-spirited air—and it's driving her to the ledge of sanity. She would move heaven and earth to have him out of her life, but according to the bargain she's struck, she cannot move out of her house and away from the man who's making her life miserable. So begins Bree's obsessive new mission: to drive Chip out of the neighborhood—and fast. Bree isn't the only one who's a wee bit competitive, and as Chip registers what Bree's up to, he's more than willing to fight fire with fire. But as their pranks escalate, the line between love and hate starts to blur.
It is a standalone, but features some of the same characters as The Dating Charade, so I'd recommend reading that one first. Just like all the other rom-coms by this author, I love the characters, the banter, the growth and redemptive story arc. Sweet, clean romance. I couldn't put this one down.
The Princess Bride
by William Goldman
Subtitle is "S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure." Blurb from the cover: A tale of true love and high adventure, pirates, princesses, giants, miracles, fencing, and a frightening assortment of wild beasts. From the Amazon blurb: As Florin and Guilder teeter on the verge of war, the reluctant Princess Buttercup is devastated by the loss of her true love, kidnapped by a mercenary and his henchman, rescued by a pirate, forced to marry Prince Humperdinck, and rescued once again by the very crew who absconded with her in the first place.
A Whisper of Peace
by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Library blurb: Ostracized by her tribe because of her white father, Lizzie Dawson lives alone in the mountains of Alaska, practicing the ways of her people even as she resides in the small cabin her father built for her mother. She dreams of reconciling with her grandparents to fulfill her mother's dying request, but she has not yet found a way to bridge the gap that separate her from her tribe. Clay Selby has always wanted to be like his father, a missionary who holds a great love for the native people and has brought many to God. Clay and his stepsister, Vivian, arrive in Alaska to set up a church and school among the Athbascan people. Clay is totally focused on this goal...until he meets a young, independent Indian woman with the most striking blue eyes he's ever seen. But Lizzie is clearly not part of the tribe, and befriending her might have dire consequences for his mission. Will Clay be forced to choose between his desire to minister to the natives and the quiet nudging of his heart?
I had trouble suspending disbelief on several aspects of this story. It seemed unrealistic that the village would welcome the white missionaries as openly they did. It was also strange that the missionary would think that he had to build his mission building before he could preach the gospel to the villagers. And the gospel he shared was not very clear or Biblical -- it focused only on God's love for people and failed to mention man's sin and need for repentance.
Drums of Change
by Janette Oke
From the Amazon blurb: Running Fawn loved her place of birth, the site of the Blackfoot tribe's winter camp, more than words could express. But the coming of white men with their guns and diseases, the prairie fires that swept the grazing lands, and the quick slaughter of the vast buffalo herds leave her Blackfoot tribe with little choice but to take up residence on the assigned Reserve. All too soon, the world that Running Fawn has cherished is left behind. The chief's son, Silver Fox, and Running Fawn are chosen to attend classes at the Mission Boarding School in Calgary. How can she adjust to the strange new world? To the loneliness in this place far from her home and family? And how should she respond when Silver Fox shows more than a passing interest in the white man's God--and in her?
A thoughtful treatment of the experience of the native peoples of North America as white settlers moved in and changed their way of life. An accurate and compassionate presentation of the gospel by a missionary who truly cares for the people he works with and lives among. I haven't been excited by many of the author's books in this "Women of the West" series, but this one was particularly good -- on par with her excellent books in the Love Comes Softly and When Calls the Hearts series.
Classics
Dombey and Son
by Charles Dickens
Mr. Dombey is the proud proprietor of the prosperous "Dombey & Son" business in London. It was passed down to him from his father, and his pins all his hopes and dreams on passing it down to his own son. He has no affection for his firstborn child because she is a girl. But his second-born, a boy, is weak and sickly and has no interest in money except in using it to help a friend who is in trouble. Mr. Dombey has even less use for his daughter after his son dies. He remarries, but his new wife (who was pressured to marry him) despises him and his wealth and refuses to submit herself to his prideful demands. When he forbids her to show affection to his daughter, he sets in motion a chain of events that leads to his ruin, which eventually leads to his redemption. Like all Dickens books, this is a long, wandering tale filled with many characters (some colorful, some villainous, and some too good to be true), dry humor, and social commentary. The villain meets his end, the others find some measure of redemption, and most live happily ever after. An audiobook is helpful in getting through it. I listened to one narrated by Mel Nicholson.
Young Adult Fiction
Fortune's Call (Gold Rush Odyssey Book 1)
by Frank Nissen
Amazon blurb: What begins as a high-spirited jaunt west to claim easy riches becomes a grim race for survival. Pegg is only 13 when he and his father set off for the gold fields of California. But by the standards of the 1840's, he's on the verge of manhood. Unfortunately, the third person in their party, Fred Hoyt, is a city slicker who is of little help on the trail. Worse, he proves to be unreliable, with a dangerous habit of making rash decisions. Even as Pegg struggles to fulfill his father's dream of a better life for their family, Hoyt's every move jeopardizes his chances. Can Pegg muster the courage and perseverance to not just survive, but to succeed in the lawless frontier?
A well-written, fascinating, historical novel. Clean adventure book that I would recommend to anyone, but especially teenage boys. Content consideration: there is some non-explicit references to Mr. Hoyt's dealings with women, and there might be a few mild curse words or using the Lord's name in vain. Be sure to have book 2 "Fortune's Price" on hand when you finish this one.
Non-fiction
Homegrown
Edited by Amber O'Neal Johnston
This is a collection of essays and articles by homeschooling moms and dads from many different backgrounds, ethnicities, and educational philosophies. They all have the purpose of giving the reader "guidance and inspiration for navigating your homeschool journey." I had heard of a few of the contributors (such as Sally Clarkson and Jennifer Pepito) but most were unknown to me. Some write from a Black perspective, some from an Asian perspective; some are fathers, most are mothers; some with neurotypical children, some with special needs; some with many kids, some with just one or two. In the first 68 pages, I marked more than a dozen quotes that resonated with me. Then I misplaced my sticky notes, and I didn't mark much in the rest of the book. Some of the essays are down to earth and practical; others are full of flowery language and buzzwords that remind me of a high schooler (or college student or an adult) trying to sound scholarly and sophisticated but end up sounding pompous and unrelatable. I do recommend this to book to homeschoolers or those considering homeschooling with one caveat: the short bios of each contributor indicate that, in addition to homeschooling, they are all authors, bloggers, speakers, entrepreneurs, business owners, or leaders of some thing or another. This could make someone like me (just a homeschooler) feel like I'm not doing enough because all I do is homeschool by kids. I don't think that's the intent, but it could be an unintended consequence. I received this book as a giveaway in exchange for a review.
The Last Days Collection
by Keith Green
This is a collection of articles by various authors, published by Last Days Ministries (founded by Keith & Melody Green). It addresses topics such as repentance, revival, forgiveness, modesty, gossip, evolution, love vs romance, "what's wrong with the gospel" (what's been taken away and what's been added to the Biblical gospel). All as relevant today as they were when they were written in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The Arts: A Practical Approach
by Ivan Kushnir
I was intrigued by the title description of this book in LibraryThing.com's giveaway program, hoping it might be something I could add to either my homeschool library, or the homeschool library at my church. It claims to "cover all forms of art from ornament to ballet, from henna to 3D graphics, from folk dances to cinema." And it does, in a way...in very short, numbered paragraphs. A 219-page book cannot possibly cover all these topics in any depth. It does not "deliver knowledge in a vivid, engaging way," and it is not "an encyclopedia of inspiration for any child." It certainly will not "transform childhood for many."
As a homeschooler who is not of the artistic bent, I hoped this book would be a helpful resource (or in the words of the subtitle "a practical approach"). Sadly, it utterly fails. As other reviewers noted, there is no introduction or explanatory text as to the goal or intent of the author or how to use it with children. Although it may have some helpful step-by-step instructions, it needs more step-by-step pictures to go with the text. There are a lot of pictures, but there are no captions to explain what the pictures are or what they are supposed to illustrate. The overall feel is boring and impractical. I tried to read through it from the beginning, then just skimmed through it. No child of mine would find this book interesting or helpful. There are also a number of pictures of immodestly dressed women. I would not give this to children to use. I would not recommend it to anyone, and I definitely would not spend any money on it.
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