In the Storm

2019 Reading Goals | Updated

At the end of 2018 I set a few reading goals (they can be read in all the glory - or not so glorified - below). I am, today, writing an update. How did I do with my reading goals? Where did I fall behind and where I might have exceeded my expectations?

Some goals are hardened and fast. There are other goals that are similar to the phrase 'there are rules and then there are rules that are more suggestions'. I was serious about some of my reading goals and some that, while I would have liked to meet the goal, I'm okay that I haven't.

Back in November, while reading Nathaniel Philbrick's Bunker Hill, I began formulating what would be the first of my reading goals for 2019. I had intended to read Philbrick's In the Hurricane's Eye but it was new and our library system does not allow holds on new books. So I visited the shelves for an alternative by Philbrick and chose Bunker Hill which is a piece of history I knew bits and pieces of, only. This led me to my first proposed reading goal for 2019.

no. 1: Read 12 historical non-fiction books in 2019. Non-fiction is by far my favorite genre. When I say non-fiction is my favorite genre I am actually referring to my preference for Christian non-fiction. Since I am indubitably aware my knowledge of history is sorely limited - and I enjoy non-fiction, two characteristics that will blend together admirably. Because I have enjoyed the historical re-telling of actual events in the past such as Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing, Bill O'Reilly's Killing Lincoln, Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson, and Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer that the idea of reading a piece of history each month in this way is definitely worth my time and, shall I say, effort.

I set a goal of read 12 (or 1 book a month) historical non-fiction books. Because, generally, historical non-fiction are bulky, thought-provoking, and time-consuming reads for me, I know that even reading only one  book a month in this genre is a lofty goal. Challenging enough, and yet feasible. This goal aligns well with another goal this year: to learn something new every week; another newly created, thought-provoking, brain-teasing challenge that will invariably support, yet another new year focus, my One Little Word.

A few making onto my to-be-read (TBR) list for 2019 are definitely, Philbrick's In the Hurricane's Eye, and any others by O'Reilly, in particular, Killing Jesus or Killing Reagan. We recently watched Band of Brothers on DVD and I added Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers to my cart as a Christmas gift for Jeff but also, unapologetically, because I wanted to read the story of Easy Company of World War II. And I still have Hidden Figures on my bookshelf.

So, here's where I stand: this absolutely, completely did not happen. I just never got around to reading historical non-fiction books. In fact, I read way fewer non-fiction of any sort this year than I normally have read in past years.

no. 2: Read 3 books a-loud to my husband. What began, in September, out of necessity, reading a-loud to Jeff - for the connection, for the time together, so that we could grow in Christ together, I am hoping we continue this effort in 2019. In September I read a-loud The End of Me by Kyle Idleman, a re-shaping of me to be more like Christ. It was an easy and humorous, yet thought-provoking first read. Then in October through December we read a-loud The Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer, a re-newing of the mind to be more like Christ's. We don't read everyday. Sometimes only one chapter at a time. Some weeks we read a little bit every morning before work. Some days we've discussed the heck out of what we've read and other days we've pondered and meditated the text on our own.

I realized, being that Jeff is part auditory learner, and we need this for the health of our relationship and for our relationship's with Christ, continuing to read a-loud in 2019 is a must TBR. It is here I had to foremost set a realistic goal: reading 3 books a-loud to Jeff seems realistic - one book every 3-4 months. Our marriage counselor suggested some marriage-type books and I have in mind at least one of the three books being marriage related, but I think, for us, growing spiritually, first individually - and together, is just as important and maybe even more important for us right now.

These are a few of the potential TBRs: The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller, Love Does by Bob Geoff (this would be a re-read for me but it's been awhile and would be worthwhile. Plus I think Jeff would thoroughly enjoy the conversation and appreciate the easier read), This Momentary Marriage by John Piper, or even Radical by David Platt. I'm still contemplating what to read next.

Where I stand: Jeff and I read Love Does by Bob Geoff, Everybody Always by Bob Geoff, The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, Cherished by Gary Thomas, Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas, Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado, and Soul Keeping by John Ortberg, and Becoming Christmas by Max Lucado, in 2019. So, WAY MORE than 3 books!!! 

no. 3: Read 120 books. In 2018 my goal was Read 100 Books. I achieved the goal - just barely. However, this doesn't mean I'm shying away from upping my reading game in 2019. It does mean I'm kicking negative to the curb and planning to succeed. If the number one reason for success is believing I can succeed then planning is indispensable - and, essential. This means I will need to read more than two books a week to meet my goal.

While I came extremely close to reading 120 books in 2019 I missed it by 5 books, reading 115 books in 2019. Here's the deal, though, I'm happy with my results!

Lastly,

no. 4: 2019 Reading Challenge. Off and on over the past couple of years I have participated in an online annual reading challenge. I decided this year since I am crafting my own lofty reading goals I might as well add a 12-book reading challenge. As an avid follower of Modern Mrs. Darcy, the place I most often find reading recommendations, I decided I would keep this challenge simple and follow along with her 2019 Reading Challenge.

I completed Modern Mrs. Darcy's 2019 Reading Challenge (actually, the first year I've completed one of her challenges), thus fulfilling No. 4 of my reading goals.

a book you've been meaning to read: Where the Crawdads Sing (and I finally did! in book club)

a book about a topic that fascinates you: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Having loved Stargate SG-1 forever, when I heard great reviews about Dark Matter, even though I'm not a sci-fi reader, I gave it a shot and, because, the idea of alternate realities and time travel is fascinating I actually like reading the hard-to-understand science-language.

a book in the backlist of a favorite author: W.E.B. Griffin's, The Lieutenants, 1982

a book recommended by someone with great taste: Ali Edwards', who I admire tremendously for a lot of reasons, recommended David Sedaris' Calypso. I was pleasantly surprised at some of the humor, and totally uncomfortable at the content

three books by the same author: Usually, J.D. Robb only puts out two books a year but I hadn't read the second book in 2018 so I actually read three books by J.D. Robb in 2019, Connections in Death, Vendetta in Death and Leverage in Death

a book you chose for the cover: Like Lions by Brian Panowich (the book wasn't any good but the cover is beautiful)

a book by an author that is new to you: Celine by Peter Keller, but I, also, ended up reading his newer book, The River. Both were fantastic! Both 5 Stars!

a book in translation: Night, 1958(Fr.) 1960(Eng.)

a book outside your (genre) comfort zone: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, gothic, chilling, suspense, cringe-worthy and so outside my (genre) comfort zone

a book published before you were born: Anne of Green Gables, 1908 and The Railway Children, 1906, The Blue Castle, 1926, and Night, 1960 (English)

And, that's it - my reading goals for 2019.

But that's not all. In years past (2018, 2017, 2016, 2015) I have documented what I have read in various formats: In 2018, at the end of each month I created a 2-page 6 x 8 scrapbooking layout of what I read that month for my All About Me album. In 2017, I did something similar. I created a 1-page 12 x 12 page of what I read that month for my Stories 2017 album. In 2016, I made a separate 4 x 4 album with page layouts of each book I read that year - all 52 books. In 2015, I simply made a 2-page scrapbooking page template and inserted book covers into the pre-designed squares with each book I read.

no. 5: Continue the 'tradition' of documenting what I've been reading in 2019. This year, however, I'm changing things up completely and moving to the Traveler's Notebook (TN) to document what I have read. Most likely I will continue making digital pages that I will insert into the TN. Because I will be reading - a ton, I needed something that could accommodate my loftier goals. A burgeoning traveler's notebook is charming, delightful, and a  - dream. 

I documented what I've been reading throughout 2019 in a traveler's notebook and I am excited to report this was a successful and completed album!

no. 6: Start a book club!!! While this was not on my radar by any scope of the means but over summer, after hearing all the deets from Ali Edwards about her book club that she faithfully attends, and loves, I began contemplating starting a book club. Then, I jumped in with both feet and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my book club! The best thing I could have done in 2019!

I am anticipating an exciting journey in 2020 by reading books.

What I've Been Reading | December

December was a slow reading month. The death of my mother-in-law the day before Thanksgiving threw us through a loop and in the midst I was plagued with a heavy dose of bronchitis that lasted weeks, in fact, almost the entire month of December. Full recovery just in these past few days, although that nagging cough hung on for dear life in a weakened body that desperately wanted to kick it to the curb and slam the door in its face. Unfortunately, my weakened immune system is dealing with another problem area.

And, this is why, although I came close to finishing the year reaching my goal of 120 Books in 2019 - I, however, did not. Somehow, though, I am totally okay with this unexpected development. I guess, because I know it wasn't because I simply stopped reading, for laziness, or television, or some other activity that takes me away. Besides, I came super close!

This is what I read in December:

If You Only Knew by Jamie Ivey. This was a re-read of one of my favorite non-fiction books from 2018 and it did not disappoint reading it again. Jamie takes us through her conversion and her true conversion and she is extremely real and honest in sharing her struggles, her sin, and how God met her right where she was at. Beautiful writing and beautiful words. 111/120

A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg. Our December book club selection (I was the only one that did not finish it by book club:( but I finished it soon-after and adore it. Think the very best of a Hallmark movie. It is sweet and all the characters are well fleshed out and endearing. 112/120

Because of Christmas by Max Lucado. This was Jeff and I's last book of the year reading a-loud together in the morning. It reads like an Advent for Christmas devotional and was an easy read and enjoyable in true Max Lucado form. 113/120

The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere. My mom brought this book, along with the others in the series, that she had found at a book bazaar, thinking I would enjoy another Christmas book. I decided to read The Christmas Shoes because it was on my book clubs potential reads in December (although not selected). It was another gentle, sweet, and beloved story. The shoes in the story are obscure, yet important for the ending. 114/120

Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. Okay, this one was not what I expected at all! Loved it none-the-same. I expected the how to digital minimalism but Newport affords us the who, what, and why of digital minimalism in an engaging, yet intellectual endeavor. 115/120

What I've Been Reading | November 2019

I wrapped up November with three books 'on my nightstand' (she says metaphorically because this girl doesn't read in bed unless hubby is away, which is rare) incomplete because life...

Life threw us a huge curveball and reading was - shelved - for a bit, except for our morning reading so Jeff and I were able to finish Soul Keeping by John Ortberg.

As always, this year, I created pages for my 2019 READ Traveler's Notebook album which I have shared below.

 

The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Phenomenal with one caveat. Skeeter's character fell flat and lifeless; she lacked - emotion - which I don't see how that was possible but I felt nothing, as if she was feeling nothing. 104/120

The Terminal List by Jack Carr. Disappointing. Too fast-paced. No character development, no story development. Could have been a great book. Implausible without the character and story development. 105/120

A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza. Difficult to read, yet, it was well-written. Chapters move back and forth, quickly, between present and past, and between family members. Struggled to keep focused at first. Irritated with the characters. Family sagas are definitely not a favorite of mine, mostly because they are so often family dramas, but I hung on and ended up liking the book. 106/120

The Peacock Emporium by Jo Jo Moyes. Ugh! Blah, blah, blah! I'm not a huge fan - actually, not a fan - of Moyes books and I should have quit while I was ahead, but I gave it another go. Not going to happen again. 107/120

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris. This was my book club's November read. We finished it earlier - thankfully, it was an easy read for everyone - because of the Thanksgiving holidays. I have very mixed feelings about Sold on a Monday. Like I said, it was an easy read but I felt very sophomoric and stilted. There was little character or story development and it felt very choppy. I could have envisioned each piece of the story being an important part of the story if it was tackled differently. People and pieces of the story came out of no where with zero introduction leading up to and it had my head spinning. We did, however, have lively conversation and the premise of the book and its historicity. 108/120

Say Say Say by Lila Savage. The inside cover says the book arrives in sentences of heart-stopping clarity...no, definitely not clarity, challenging, yes but not clarity. I grappled for understanding having to read the sentences, though well-written, several times as they are difficult to understand. But, then, the inside cover also says the book traces unflinchingly the most intimate reaches of a young woman's heart and mind...a riveting story that captures the contours of real life. Saying yes, definitely. The protagonist, Ella's inner life is flayed open, sometimes excruciatingly intimate, and is revealed through her present relationships. On the edges of the pages is a separate look at caregiving, and lesbianism, outside the realm of morality, simply what each look like, often crudely and blatantly, and lived out through the eyes of Ella's life. And, kindness. Ella explores kindness in herself and what it looks like in those around her. Yet, there is also a strange sickness prevalent in Ella's thoughts that is revolting.  All this to say, I can definitely see what captured the attention of the editor and publisher to say yes to Say Say Say. 109/120

Soul Keeping by John Ortberg. So many take-aways, a plethora of nuggets of gold to ponder and stand on. One thing was affirmed: we are pressing on in our relationship, setting aside our hurt and, instead of giving up, growing our relationship. And, it is in keeping the soul healthy - as a necessity - for the rest of ourselves - to thrive. 110/120.

 

 

 

What I've Been Reading | October 2019

As I press toward my goal of reading 120 Books in 2019 I cannot help feeling grateful for the experience, for the learning, for the living through each book. Immensely enjoyable endeavor does not do justice to my true feelings which awash lingering doubts in my abilities to comprehend books. Then I read You Learn by Living by Eleanor Roosevelt and I realized my abilities to comprehend books, to have book club conversations, to grow my knowledge of the mysteries found within books on life, and character development, and prose, and style are learned - by living - or in this case, reading. I think I should know what others know about books and that just isn't so. I can only know what I know about the books I read based on the attention I give to understanding what I am reading and giving words to those feelings.

Today I am sharing what I have been reading in October that includes our Between the Covers book club selection, Cutting For Stone. My book club had some - lively - conversation regarding Cutting For Stone. The evening ended with several of the ladies thanking me for starting the book club because they love it so. I am humbled and blessed!

Because having read Cutting For Stone, which tops at a very hefty read and almost 700 pages, my total books read this month was somewhat less than previous months and I'll have some catching up to do if I am going to meet my goal of 120 books in 2019. That said, here's what I've been reading... 

You Learn by Living, Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life by Eleanor Roosevelt. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt is considered to be one of the most beloved woman figures of the twentieth century and her simple guide to living a fuller life, through commonsense ideas and heartfelt values have somehow lived on offering us a way of living well. Her keys to a fulfilling life? Learning to Learn; Fear, the Great Enemy; The Uses of Time; The Difficult Art of Maturity; Readjustment is endless; Learning to Be Useful; The Right to Be an Individual; How to Get the Best out of People; Facing Responsibility; How Everyone Can Take Part in Politics; and, Learning to Be a Public Servant. Timeless wisdom, a woman ahead of her time that resonates in any era, You Learn by Living, the book, is a window into Eleanor Roosevelt. 96/120.

The River by Peter Weller. Exquisite words. I felt like I was on the river, in the canoe, facing the elements, enduring the suspense, barely making it out alive. I sat on the edge of fear but it was his matter of fact prose, beautifully descriptive, and with a lyrical structure that captivated, and held me in its grasp. Gritty - and terrifying, at times. Two college students, best friends since freshman orientation when they quickly discovered they were kindred spirits for the water and mountains, hunting and fishing, and books, are on a wilderness canoe trip that began with leisurely paddling, nightly star-gazing, storytelling often, and reading the pages of books but their trip turns dramatically deadly as they are facing the firestorm, literally and figuratively. 97/120

Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. Without a hint of doubt, Sacred Marriage is the best book on marriage I have ever read. And, when your hubby likes it, too - win, win! Thomas brings the sacred back into marriage where it has long been but over time has gotten lost in today's views on marriage. Brilliant connection between the sacred, the holiness, and marriage. The End of Me, Battlefield of the Mind, Love Does, The Screwtape Letters, Everybody Always, Cherish, Facing Your Giants, and now, Sacred Marriage. What do these books have in common? These are the books we, Jeff and I, have read over the past year, aloud, together. 98/120 

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. 99/120

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin. Published in 1944, The Hundred Dresses won a Caldecott Medal and won a Newbery Honor in 1945, The Hundred Dresses is intended for early elementary grades but this timeless story Estes shares, along with Slobodkin's exquisite drawings that set the tone of the story, must be read for all grade levels. Even adults will find themselves within the story somewhere, whether they were or are bullied, or have used subtlety to bully mercilessly. "At the heart of the story is Wanda Petronski, a Polish girl in a Connecticut school who is ridiculed by her classmates for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. Wanda claims she has one hundred dresses at home, but everyone knows she doesn’t and bullies her mercilessly. The class feels terrible when Wanda is pulled out of the school, but by that time it’s too late for apologies. Maddie, one of Wanda’s classmates, ultimately decides that she is "never going to stand by and say nothing again."  - Amazon. 100/120

Big Dreams, Daily Joys by Elise Blaha Cripe. Fitting that I add Elise's new book, partly about goal setting, to my goal of reading 120 Books in 2019. While there are a few nuggets in the book, and an intriguing and easy-to-read style of writing, the content isn't anything new, especially if you're familiar with Elise's work, her blog, her podcast, her business, even her life. At some point or another she has discussed the topics in the book. But, here's the thing, even though she has, I'm hanging on to the book because it's all in one place and it's inspirational. She writes conversational, like she is communicating with just me and giving me worthy business, life advice. It will, can, give me that jolt of adrenaline to kick start something I might need or want to do. Plus, I'd love to meet Elise in person. 101/120

Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith. I would definitely consider this read more for young adults. It is cutesy and sweet and endearing. Implausible, yes, but it's a fictional story and a young adult romance at that. I adored Hugo! He's a British, biracial teen, one of sextuplets, who recently broke up with his girlfriend and who decided to embark on an American cross-country train ride he was supposed to take with his former girlfriend. Enter Mae with the same first and last name as his former girlfriend, a budding film maker who agrees to accompany Hugo on his travels. Mae was meh. I appreciated that both kids come from loving, solid family backgrounds. Mostly, because it seems books today there has to be something wrong with family dynamics and this was a refreshing change. Hugo's family dynamics are such a clever addition, one of sextuplets, and Smith handled the very real possibilities exceptionally well. I understand why Smith chose to make Mae's family dynamics unconventional (she has two dads), and while I loved that the family loves each other and are on solid ground I felt the writing surrounding Mae's family life was forced, and unrealistic. Oh, and while the ending was sweet it felt rushed, like enough already, let's move on. That said, I would still recommend this book to young adults, and well, even adults will enjoy it. 102/120

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai. Intriguing. Heavy-laden with futuristic and technologically advanced language made it difficult to - understand - but, the first person connection trumped the over-my-head discourse. I wanted to know what happened next, and why, every turn of the page. Until about page 350 then the story went way out in left field and the excitement of wondering what happens next came to a screeching halt with aghast and - meh, like the editor meant to take that part out but accidentally left it in. There followed very small snippets of the books exciting beginnings, but, unfortunately, the remainder of the book is dribble and unfulfilling. 103/120

 

What I’ve Been Reading | September 2019

Once again, I am sharing what I have been reading lately, in September. It has been a cram-packed reading month and I am overjoyed. It feels like fall reading has arrived. Now, if the temperatures would deliver fall as well. Instead, Savannah has experienced several record-breaking temperatures which means no windows to fling open, less time relaxing on the front porch. But for reading...

Without a doubt my book club, Between the Covers, book of the month, Where the Crawdads Sing, earns the top shelf award. Superb! Followed by Linda Holmes' Evvie Drake Starts Over, and oh, yes! A Better Man by Louise Penny with the feeling that she redeemed the book series with this one and I cannot wait for the next.

J.D. Robb's Vendetta In Death was much better than the last. Thus, I have hopes for a complete turn-around of the series as Robb writes book #50. Wonder if she's sending the series out with a bang or if she'll continue providing endless pleasure to adoring fans.

I cannot lie. I dig By Order of the President by W.E.B. Griffin. I can always count on a deeply woven book.

Without further discourse...

Long Road to Mercy by David Balducci. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Catch a tiger by its toe. It's seared into Atlee Pine's memory: the kidnapper's chilling rhyme as he chose between six-year-old Atlee and her twin sister, Mercy. Mercy was taken. Atlee was spared. She never saw Mercy again. Three decades after that terrifying night, Atlee Pine works for the FBI. She's the lone agent assigned to the Shattered Rock, Arizona resident agency, which is responsible for protecting the Grand Canyon. So when one of the Grand Canyon's mules is found stabbed to death at the bottom of the canyon-and its rider missing-Pine is called in to investigate. It soon seems clear the lost tourist had something more clandestine than sightseeing in mind. But just as Pine begins to put together clues pointing to a terrifying plot, she's abruptly called off the case.
If she disobeys direct orders by continuing to search for the missing man, it will mean the end of her career. But unless Pine keeps working the case and discovers the truth, it could spell the very end of democracy in America as we know it..." The beginning sets up Atlee Pine's flawed and psychological well-being and is important in the sense this is who she's become because of her past. But, that is where the connection remains. The remainder of the story is solving an ever-evolving mystery. I didn't dislike the character, the story, or the writing and I will, I'm sure pick up the second in the series. I was, however, hoping for - more. Something, something - else. Pine is a strong character and I like her kicka$$ abilities but I felt there was something missing. 82/120

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff. "1946, Manhattan. One morning while passing through Grand Central Terminal on her way to work, Grace Healey finds an abandoned suitcase tucked beneath a bench. Unable to resist her own curiosity, Grace opens the suitcase, where she discovers a dozen photographs — each of a different woman. In a moment of impulse, Grace takes the photographs and quickly leaves the station. Grace soon learns that the suitcase belonged to a woman named Eleanor Trigg, leader of a network of female secret agents who were deployed out of London during the war. Twelve of these women were sent to Occupied Europe as couriers and radio operators to aid the resistance, but they never returned home, their fates a mystery. Setting out to learn the truth behind the women in the photographs, Grace finds herself drawn to a young mother turned agent named Marie, whose daring mission overseas reveals a remarkable story of friendship, valor and betrayal.." Aside from it being unbelievable at times (the author took tremendous liberties but I think, at times, did a disservice to the actual women who served in the war in such capacity), it was a somewhat enjoyable read. Very slow at times and the build up, rather than anticipating, became frustrating. Having just read The Alice Network, The Lost Girls by comparison...were lost and falls perilously short. 83/120

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life--until the unthinkable happens. Fabulous! Just might be my favorite book this year! I loved the handling of time: a present murder and a past moving towards the present. I loved life storied in the marshlands and how the marsh tells its own story weaved throughout. Without spoiling the ending, I could have done without the epitaph, or closing pages but leaving the reader to wonder, imagine, hope - all on their own. 84/120

An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Col. Chris Hadfield. An exceptional memoir with invaluable lessons for the reader that Hadfield learned himself over the years as a military man and astronaut. Colonel Hadfield is a brilliant man and writes a surprisingly engaging story. 85/120

A Better Man by Louise Penny. I loved the complex story line. It was intriguing and different and brought the series back to, for the most part, the solving of murders and hopefully this continues well into the next books in the series. The added twist, or side story, of the life-threatening waters was an okay addition except it built and built and then came to a screeching halt with nothing more said so I felt it was supremely mishandled. The battlefield lines within the Surete leadership is tiresome and hopefully Penny will put aside the re-hashing of Gamache's fall and rise and in the next book can return to, like I said, solving murders. It did seem like there was a transition happening across multiple specters: Surete leadership, Jean-Guy's departure, returning to solving murders.  Also, I usually love Penny's writing. I hung on her every word. Her characters were brilliant. However as one Amazon reviewer said exactly what I wish I could say, "I want what Louise Penny offered in her earlier novels: food and flowers and friendship, the place not found on any map, the place where we'd all like to live...with a good local mystery providing the narrative," yet, in this book I was dumbfounded by the non-sensical writing. Such as beginning. A sentence in the middle. Fragmented sentences. Starting. A sentence. And finishing in another sentence. It was. Crazy! At first I thought it was simply a mistake but then it continued throughout the book, again and again. Occasionally, to make a point is one thing but, man, it got old and hard to follow. It was crap writing. Sorry, not, sorry. Please don't do this again, Louise Penny. You are so much better than this. 86/120

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Jeff and I are reading together Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas and he mentions the marriage of Anne Morrow and Charles Lindbergh and highlights Anne's strengths, and yes, weaknesses in her marriage and mentions her writing, as well, which intrigued me enough to check it out from the library. Anne Lindbergh was so far ahead of her time to the needs, the wants, the desire of women and the unknowing, or knowing, of how to bring balance to life. We are finally seeing, today, what Anne seemed to have found even then. "I remember again, ironically, that today more of us in America than anywhere else in the world have the luxury of choice between simplicity and complication of life. And for the most part, we, who could choose simplicity, choose complication." "...not the life of simplicity but the life of multiplicity...is the life of millions of women in America...the American woman more than any other has the privilege of choosing such a life." Through gifts from the sea, Anne confronts contentment in a barren beach shack and a simple life in a channeled whelk and that simplification can begin in the outward life even though the final answer is always inside. In a moon shell she tackles the gift of aloneness and solitude and the realization that "it is the wilderness in the mind, the desert wastes in the heart through which one wanders lost and a stranger." I appreciated her words regarding a personal worship time, a time of spiritual reflection, of contemplation and worship and that in that giving time and acceptance time a women can find renewal and her springs refilled. "She must consciously encourage those pursuits which oppose the centrifugal forces of today. Quiet time alone, contemplation, prayer, music, a centering line of thought or reading, of study or work...any creative life proceeding from oneself...what matters is that one be for a time inwardly attentive." Anne identifies the downfall's around women emancipating themselves from men and women's equalities, into competing to the neglect of their own inner springs, the timeless inner strength of woman. And the arduous, ever-changing and evolving marriage relationship and the one and only moments through the double sunrise shell. And the oyster shell for its tireless adaptability and tenacity [towards the marriage relationship], the shedding of shells (ambition, materialism, ego); On being whole for the marriage: "the two separate worlds or the two solitudes will surely have more to give each other than when each was a meager half." 87/120

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal. I finished chapter 8 and was beginning chapter 9 and I thought, "Draining!  Make it stop! This book is draining my spirit." Not one thing good has occurred since beginning. Someone mentioned the book was funny. Did we even read the same book? Frustrating, annoying, yes. Three sisters each in their own crisis [that never ends] set out on a pilgrimage to India in honor of their mother's deathbed wishes. Neither of the sisters wish to do this and only grudgingly agree which, between their crisis, their grudges, and their individual attitudes carries on for much of the book (more than 75% of the book) and instead of hoping for resolution I just wanted to cast the book aside. Only I didn't. And, I have no idea why! While I saw few redeemable qualities in the characters, they hung on (as I did, reluctantly) and, finally in the last chapters, redeemed themselves and found peace. A welcome respite, but would have rather seen a slow change throughout the book because, rarely, do people rush change and the author bullet trained it. 88/120

Vendetta in Death by J.D. Robb. The play and banter between Eve and Roarke was good. Eve has grown so much as a character and Peabody, as well. I wonder if Eve, growing into her own isn't a problem now, for Robb. Eve needs a challenging opponent again. She needs all of her skills and character tested, some action. I've enjoyed the books where the killer is represented as a character without giving away who it is. In Vendetta it was an interesting murder investigation, however, I didn't appreciate knowing who the murderer was so early in the game. Pretty much lost interest once I knew who did it. I think this is the third in a row that I've been disappointed in the offering in a series that I usually adore...so many are amazing. If Robb is winding the series down with book 50 which comes out in February 2020 it would definitely need to go out with a bang, or be disappointingly anti-climatic. 89/120

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes. This is a story of an unlikely relationship between a young woman who has lost her husband and a major league pitcher who has lost his game. A delightful yet unique story with a bit of romance that is handled extremely well. The dialogue never felt contrived but flowed naturally; extremely engaging discourse. For a somewhat quirky romance, the depth of character and story development was unexpected but exceptional. Both the main characters were flawed people in the middle of a crisis of the heart and head, but, still so likeable. I was rooting for both characters to find their way out of their loss into hope. Just so good. 90/120

Brave Love by Lisa Leonard. Women today feel pressure to be the best wife, mom, and professional possible - often at the expense of their own identity. But what if you could experience deep peace - knowing you are loved right now, just as you are? It was unclear to me where she found that deep peace. Was it in God or was it in pulling away from her family for some self reflection and personal time? While I didn't dislike the book I felt it read like a really long blog post. I have never really connected with Lisa's blog posts, as in I never really felt she wrote exceptional. However, I do love her story, her vulnerability, and what she has to say is so important for women today. She is doing hard things and as someone who lives/lived with years of chronic pain, and have faced immense relational sadness, excruciating and crushing pain, I know those overwhelming heart aches and have experienced those self-worth questions. There was quite a bit of repetitiveness and the lengthy narrative - loooong story, wish it was short - was frustrating at times and I found myself skimming much of it. 91/120

A Suitable Vengeance by Elizabeth George. Confusing at first until I realized it was a, sort of, prequel to the series, how Lynley and St. James and Deborah, and Helen evolved in their relationships to where the beginning of the series began. And, there was a murder, of course, but the family dynamics played the larger part of the story, and their relationships and, for me, fell short of what I've come to love about the Inspector Lynley and Sergeant Havers series. 92/120

Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand. "Welcome to the most tumultuous summer of the twentieth century. It's 1969, and for the Levin family, the times they are a-changing. Every year the children have looked forward to spending the summer at their grandmother's historic home in downtown Nantucket. But like so much else in America, nothing is the same: Blair, the oldest sister, is marooned in Boston, pregnant with twins and unable to travel. Middle sister Kirby, caught up in the thrilling vortex of civil rights protests and determined to be independent, takes a summer job on Martha's Vineyard. Only-son Tiger is an infantry soldier, recently deployed to Vietnam. Thirteen-year-old Jessie suddenly feels like an only child, marooned in the house with her out-of-touch grandmother and her worried mother, each of them hiding a troubling secret. As the summer heats up, Ted Kennedy sinks a car in Chappaquiddick, man flies to the moon, and Jessie and her family experience their own dramatic upheavals along with the rest of the country." This is my first ever Elin Hilderbrand book, who some have come to say summer wouldn't be the same without reading an Elin Hilderbrand book. A quick love note: the chapter titles - smooth. 93/120

By Order of the President by W.E.B. Griffin. Always a fan of Griffin. I just am. It is probably my military connection and to the special operations community, those type A personalities who so often do so well again and again. Lots of background story so definitely read this first in the series. A wealthy by birth military man on loan to the director of Homeland Security with secret service credentials is tasked by the president of the United States to look into a missing jet. Fast, fast-paced. I would say unbelievable but I'm prior service and I have worked with people like this - they just come out on top every single time. Pretty cool story line. Great beginning to a series. 94/120.

Well-Schooled in Murder by Elizabeth George. Back to the regularly scheduled murder investigation. I'm a happy camper. This was a cleverly drawn murder mystery with minimal hints as to the guilty. It is tough reading anytime the young are involved.95/120

 

what I've been reading | August

It is that time of the month again when I share what I have been reading, lately. This month I hosted our second book club meeting and discussed our first book club read, The Alice Network. It was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. I could not have envisioned a more perfect first book - club - discussion. Everyone contributed compelling and persuasive dialogue and we all left highly charged for next month's meeting. Huge answer to prayer and yet still blown away by how God worked it all out.

That being said I think that 'required' reading - my book club read - was the culprit in a less than stellar reading finish for August. I only read 8 books this month I know, say it isn't so! But, when I am used to reading 10-12 books a month I consider this sorely lacking. I have already learned from my book club reading hiccup and will be reading September's selection first with a quick review prior to our next reading. Then, the remaining days of September will be for pleasure reading. Although, I am sure I will derive substantial delight from Where the Crawdads Sing, my book club's September selection.

Again, this month I have created pages for inclusion into my READ traveler's notebook. As always I have been using digital products from mostly Ali Edwards, In a Creative Bubble, and Kellie's Stamps. Enjoy.

Payment in Blood by Elizabeth George. The second installment in the Inspector Lynley series with his proverbial sidekick Sergeant Inspector Barbara Havers in another exceptional, twisted, and complex murder mystery. A couple dropped clues had me believing I knew who the killer was - suckered me and except for a bit of an anti-climactic ending, Payment in Blood was particularly un-put-down-able. 74/120

The Lieutenants, Brotherhood of War series by W.E.B. Griffin. I'm sure The Lieutenants is not for everyone because it is replete with military terms and lingo. As retired Air Force and married to a former Army special operations aviation regiment (airborne) soldier, it is right up my genre alley and I am comfortable with most of the language peppered throughout the book, even though it is in 1940's military vernacular. Griffin seamlessly entwines the plethora of character-driven story lines with military history. My attention was caught, immediately, and held as the book moved rapidly through time and through characters back and forth. While we are being introduced to Lieutenants, there are various ranks represented with strong supporting parts, as mentors, or if this was Griffin's police series, the term Rabbi might be used. This series begins at the end of WWII and takes us, historically, through often little-known military presence and the men (and women) impacted and their parts in the story. Loved The Lieutenants so much I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. Jeff has the entire series and it is his favorite of all of W.E.B. Griffin's series', which he has read all - and has all for that matter. 75/120

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. An amazing first book club read. 76/120

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. 77/120

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary. Make it past chapter eleven because that is as long as it takes to get real with the book and the characters and you fall in love with them. So hang on. You're gonna' love it. And, it is the characters who are amazing! It is not simply the main characters, either, but, the supporting cast of characters are perfection. 78/120

Like Lions by Brian Panowich. Think of the wild west but set in the hills of northern Georgia when family's rule the region and are only loved because of the fear they elicit. There is so much meanness and harshness and frustration and little redeeming qualities of any of the characters, even the main character Clayton, although he has truly been dealt life's harshest of blows in the family he was raised, but man, it was like watching a movie of the cattle baron who takes over the town because he is feared. 79/120

Night by Elie Wiesel. Wiesel, winner of the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize, having survived Nazi death camps, writes a horrifying personal accounting of his agonizing witness and participation to shocking brutality toward Jews, the death of his family, the death of innocence, and the death of his God. 80/120

Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips. After the first chapter (chapters are set in months) sets up the mystery, every chapter following introduces portraits of women within a small Russian community on the Kamchatka Peninsula, each women searching for something other than what they are living. On the one hand it was intriguing, revealing the people, the natives, the immigrants of this tundra community. How they existed and dwelled, yet not really living, each a part of the missing girls even as a glance. And on the other hand, frustrating with each passing chapter, and little mystery resolution. Could it be simply the portraits of women that was the point? Aside from the story I loved reading about some place else, the living in the unknown. 81/120

All About Me 2019 | Book Club

Our Between the Covers book club held the second meeting last Monday and it was a resounding success. We came together to discuss our FIRST book club selection, The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. After a short time of fellowship, dessert, a delectable Southern Caramel Cake I had baked that afternoon, and coffee, we began a lengthy and compelling discussion of The Alice Network. Everyone participated and contributed without a conversation intermission.

I had great trepidation leading up to the meeting, but I prayed fervently for a successful book club, and by the end of the meeting I was giddy. It seemed to be a resounding success. The last few minutes of the night we reviewed the selection of 6 books I had chosen for September's book club reading. It truly was a difficult choice but we all agreed upon Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens with the caveat that several of the books from the list would make it into offerings for October.

Stories 2019 | Book Club

I hosted my first book club meeting in July 2019. There were only four in attendance but three other ladies are signed up and have purchased their book. We selected our first book from a curated stack from my own to be read books. I had typed up a synopsis for each book and we, together, culled our top pick from least ‘desirable’ to most desired. Before we chose our book we discussed, chatted about, what genres we preferred, how we read - did we read for pleasure, or were we slow readers to comprehend. We talked about our reading habits and, even, why. It was a time to break the ice, getting to know each other. I held to the basic agenda I had planned, probing how we would navigate future meetings. It was agreed, wholeheartedly, that I would continue to host the meetings each month rather than switch hosting. We agreed, generally how each book club meeting would run: we would fellowship, and snack and then we would dive in to discussion of our book selection.

While everyone wanted a couple of this month’s selections to be on next month’s possibles, we ended up selecting The Alice Network as our first book club read. I am super excited I stepped out in faith and probed my community of ladies for interest in a book club. And, then when I had ‘takers’, actually did something about it, picked a date and time, - hoped, and prayed the way through the first meeting.

Before the meeting adjourned, I probed everyone if we wanted to give our book club a name, especially since we would have a closed Facebook group, and provided the ladies with a plethora of book club names. One jumped out at a couple ladies and we had such a good chuckle over it that we chose Between the Covers as the name of our book club.

a reading odyssey | july 2019

And, just like that July is over and another month of quite pleasurable reading tucked away on my bookshelf. It was definitely a delightful summer excursion. July began with the fast-paced, read it in a day, Back Lash, and I'm not sure the month ever slowed down. Celine, by Peter Heller, is definitely a new favorite and I'm putting his backlist titles into my holds cart at the library. I am continuing to read through the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear, slowly, not as ferociously as other series'. I enjoy each one but they just aren't as 'gripping'. Ruth Reichl hasn't failed yet so I am eagerly awaiting her other delectable reads. Liturgy of the Ordinary was probably the one I was most surprised by how much I enjoyed and learned from so much so I'm ordering my own copy. And, finally The Lost Man which was un-put-down-able, sitting on the edge of my seat, intriguing and mysterious.

As usual I have created 4 x 8 traveler's notebook (TN) size pages for each book I have read. This is how I am documenting what I am reading each month. My TN is thick. I will not be using a TN again for documenting what I'm reading unless I create an entirely different approach. I'm already considering how I will document my 2020 reading.

Without further ado: what I've been reading lately (July 2019)...

 

Back Lash by Brad Thor. I bought the book as soon as it was released to add to Jeff's entire Scott Harvath series collection. It was sitting on the end table next to the chair I sit on in the morning when we are reading together. I had five minutes before I had to leave for work. Jeff was fixing my coffee and fiddling around in the kitchen. I picked up Back Lash and read the first chapter. So gripping, so fast-paced, I tucked the book into my purse instead of setting it back on to the end table. It was going with me to work. With the weather superb and such an engaging read I finished Back Lash that very same day. Granted, I did nothing else. The stakes are high for former SEAL, former Secret Service agent Scott Harvath and current intelligence operative for an independent intelligence and security agency. Harvath is literally fighting for his life. 61/120

Messenger of Truth, a Maisie Dobbs mystery, by Jacqueline Winspear. I loved the storyline as Maisie Dobbs is hired by a twin sister whose brother supposedly committed suicide. The sister doesn't believe it was suicide and wants Maisie to find out the truth. While I liked the book I also felt it wasn't as engaging as her others. I wasn't sitting on the edge of my seat anxiously awaiting for what to happen next. It took a long time to get there and it seemed drawn out, choppy, and not Dobbs' normal way of handling a case. But, as I said, it came around and it was a satisfying ending. Definitely, some unexpected sadness, but for the time period probably necessary. 62/120

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren. A young adult (YA) time-traveling historical 'romance' fitting, and clean for young adults yet not cheesy for adults. I was thrust along by the story, engaged, and satisfied. Unsurprised but pleased by the ending, it did, however, leave an opening for book two. A teenager is sent back in time to medieval Italy and because of who her parents are and how she was raised what she knows and encounters and how she handles situations was just believable for me. "Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Bentarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives with their parents, famed Etruscan scholars, among the romantic hills. In Book One of the River of Time series, Gabi and Lia are stuck among the rubble of medieval castles in rural Tuscany on yet another hot, boring, and dusty archeological site … until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces. And, thus she comes to be rescued by the knight-prince Marcello Falassi, who takes her back to his father’s castle—a castle Gabi has seen in ruins in another life. Suddenly Gabi’s summer in Italy is much, much more interesting. But what do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?" - Amazon. 63/120.

An Incomplete Revenge, A Maisie Dobbs novel, by Jacqueline Winspear. Winspear weaves the historical with the fiction seamlessly to tell a phenomenal story of shared pain, shared lies, and a revenge that is incomplete. An Amazon reviewer says it best of An Incomplete Revenge, "always a refreshing change from the blood and guts that are common fare in most other detective fiction. Maisie, who bills herself as a “Psychologist and Investigator,” is unlike any other protagonist in crime fiction...With her base of operations in London, Maisie works under the ever-present pall of World War I. Though it’s now the 1930s, Maisie’s service as a nurse at a casualty clearing station near the front line in France was a dominant experience in her 'unusual life'...In An Incomplete Revenge, Maisie faces the lasting pain of her earlier years: the backstory of her family’s life, the class resentment she continues to bear as a child of poverty, the tension between her and her brilliant mentor, Dr. Maurice Blanche, and her lover’s worsening condition. In the face of all this stress, Maisie takes on what proves to be a challenging case on behalf of her dear friend, James Compton, the son of the aristocratic couple that sponsored her education." Her investigation takes her to a village where strange things have happened, to a village in southern England. a village that lies not far from the estate where she once served as a maid and her father still lives, tending the horses. It’s hop-picking season. The fields are crowded with Londoners, a small tribe of Gypsies, and villagers, all seeking to supplement their meager income. It’s 1931, and the Depression is well underway. All the land nearby, and the brickworks located on it, are the property of a single owner, who is universally despised in the area. Alfred Sandermere is a bully, a drunkard, and a wastrel. Maisie has come to Heronsdene because James wants her to look into the strange circumstances there, as he is interested in buying the estate. These circumstances include a series of suspicious fires, a rash of thefts at the Sandermere mansion and elsewhere, and the villagers’ mysterious refusal to talk about the Zeppelin attack that killed the local baker and his family in 1916. With mystery piled on mystery, this is a case tailor-made for Maisie Dobbs." 64/120

I Think You're Wrong But I'm Listening by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers. So here's my caveat. I have never listened to the podcast Pantsuit Politics which is hosted by the authors and actually how they were mostly likely able to sell a book. The did a good job. On the book. After a ho-hum beginning, once they moved into the nitty-gritty of 'debating' politics, or should I say, how to do it without mudslinging and nastiness, it was a really good book. It makes me believe I could have a political discussion with someone I disagree with politically if I apply these principles. 65/120

Celine by Peter Heller. I want to be Celine when I grow up (without the emphysema), although age-wise I better get my butt in gear because I'm pushing Celine's age. I adore Celine, the character and the book. And, Celine's husband Pete found a forever love right there. Celine is an 'older' private investigator who, along with her adorable husband Pete seek to bring families together. I wish this was a series because I love the protagonist and supporting cast of characters. Peter Heller writes beautifully and his use of imagery made me believe every second I was there, in the story. I loved how he seamlessly offered backstory to the characters from the characters' different points of view. This was just so good. 66/120

Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl. Fabulous! True, it is long, very long for a memoir, but I think quite necessary to tell this part of her story from beginnings to endings. Engaging read, smart, and - delectable. 67/120

A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George. And just like that I've been sucked in. George has gone and done it. As if J.D. Robb, Louise Penny, David Balducci's (Memory Man series), Daniel Silva, and Jacqueline Winspear aren't enough authors with series' that I collect. Elizabeth George's The Lynley novel's (and there are 19 thus far, I know) are another I must have! I must. Sometimes the British language is difficult to follow  but not even near deal-breakers, because I adore the flawed, yet endearing characters in this criminal procedural series featuring Inspector Lynley (and an Earl) of Scotland Yard and his newly promoted partner Detective Sergeant Havers who are assigned what appears to be an open and shut case, until they dig deeper - and I did not see that one coming! 68/120

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. Written half in Epistolary communication between office girlfriends and half in first person prose from the IT security guy 'listening' in on office email conversations. This is a quirky, witty, laugh-out-loud, not-to-be-taken-seriously, really fun read. 69/120

Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado. The End of Me, Battlefield of the Mind, Love Does, Cherish, Everybody Always, The Screwtape Letters and, now, Facing Your Giants. These are the books Jeff and I have read aloud together each morning before work over the past 11 months, along with reading through the New Testament. We are reading for spiritual growth, spiritual connection, and putting God first in our marriage. Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado, a prolific Christian author, an engaging and a truly compulsory story was, is, applicable for both of us, uniquely, because we each are facing our own giants. We've identified our Goliath's. We recognize his heavy-trodden walk. We hear the thunder of his voice, loudly, ringing in our ears, taunting us. Lucado uses, the giant-slayer, David, to tell us a story of how to slay our own giants. David learned if we focus on our giants we will stumble. If we focus on God, our giants will tumble. 70/120

Liturgy of the Ordinary, Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren. "When we gaze at the richness of the Gospel and the Church and find them boring, dull and uninteresting, it's actually we who have been hollowed out. We have lost our capacity to see wonders where true wonders lie...we must be formed as people who are capable of appreciating goodness, truth, and beauty." "Everyone wants a revolution. No one wants to do the dishes...we can't skip the sometimes dull and boring daily stuff to get to the thrill of an edgy faith." Warren, an Anglican priest - and while our theology differs somewhat, there is value in her written words where she addresses meeting God in the quotidian moments of daily life, those slow, steady routines, some even might say mundane. Yet, Warren suggests when seen through the liturgical lens, even the mundane can become sacred acts of worship. 71/120

Spymaster by Brad Thor. I hadn't planned on reading another Brad Thor, Scot Harvath series book but when Spymaster was sitting on the table (because Jeff realized he'd not read it yet and wanted to read it before picking up Back Lash), I decided to read the first chapter or so to see if it peaked my interest. It did. Fairly fast-paced and another enlightening world order, politically charged, counter-intelligence and hard-charged read. Brad Thor writes exceptional for the military minded and special operators and anyone else who is intrigued by what is happening in the world beyond what plays in the media. 72/120

The Lost Man by Jane Harper. Not quite as good as The Dry, Harper's debut novel but I thought better than Force of Nature, her second. A thriller, a suspenseful mystery set in the outback of Australia, the setting itself is blistering but the story is just as blazing hot. Piece by piece Harper chips away at the secrets of one family until they are exposed and so is the killer. 73/120.

 

a reading odyssey | june 2019

It's that time again to share what I have been reading lately. Summer reading is in full swing. I've spent hours out on the front porch, so far, this season, even in the heat and humidity of the southeast, and I'm thrilled I am making the time to go outside and enjoy my front porch.

After reading the first two Maisie Dobbs mysteries by Jacqueline Winspear, the second book just this month, I expect my remaining summer to be filled with mystery - and delight. My plan is to make my way through all of the Maisie Dobbs mysteries before the end of summer. Sounds like fun!

Of course, there are several 'new' books coming out that I cannot wait to get my hands on. One of them is Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Armand Garmache mystery series and I am anxiously waiting the release after coming late to the party and reading her latest book, Kingdom of the Blind, just this month. After a mis-step or two - in my opinion - Kingdom of the Blind redeemed the fledgling series and I'm so looking forward to her new release in August.

I read so many good books this month, several will be strong contenders for my favorite books of the year. Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar, Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum (this one will, at least, be a YA favorite), and Hannah Coulter by Wendall Berry - which may be my favorite of the month. And, of course, Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear - delightful. But, it is so very hard to choose from some amazing reads.

Per usual, I digitally created traveler's notebook-size (4 x 8 - size), to record what I've been reading this month. Once these are printed by Persnickety Prints, an online photo lab that offers a plethora of sizes and amazing quality, I will tuck them into my teal-colored leather traveler's notebook.

Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee. First, it was not, in the least, what I expected. This is first a book for designers and maybe somewhere down the list of whom this book might be for would be the average reader. I wasn't so much disappointed as - confused. The extraordinary happiness being attributed to things, because it is things like color and shapes, that Lee is handing out like candy as to what makes us happy. I get that different colors and shapes are more pleasing to the eye than others, but extraordinary happiness...the content fell flat against the dramatic title. Would I recommend it for designers and, yes, memory keepers who record through scrapbooking, especially. I had significant aha moments regarding my love of certain colors, plants, and circles. You don't have to run out and buy the book but, a leisurely walk - and check it out from the library, first. 50/120

Redemption by David Balducci. The Amos Decker series is my favorite Balducci series and Redemption is his latest in the series, although I am behind in reading it. The Amos Decker character grows with each novel and, while I love the clever character he began as, with his particular medical challenges, time should grow someone and I'm pleased with the avenue Decker is going and becoming. The story had a few significant sharp turns that seemed to come out of nowhere and that made me go - huh! - but, he tied up the story, nicely. 51/120

Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny. The excitement flowed in waves. Just when I couldn't stand waiting for more it would crash over and build and build. Then, gently flow out again to sea. Before the next wave of excitement. I breathed easier through this latest Penny novel in the Armande Gamache (now, the former head of the Sûreté du Québec) series, yet, still sat on the edge of my seat waiting for the coming detour. Once again, it was a full-blown story within a murder mystery and the beloved characters of Three Pines, the fictional quiet, picturesque, quaint town where those characters have come alive. 52/120

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum. I am generally not a favorite of YA, except for utopian YA. Mostly utopian YA because those are so other worldly and young adults almost always have to become adults sooner in those atmospheres. But, this book, Tell Me Three Things, remains true to age and covers a large range of topics that a high school student might face these days. I was grabbed early on by the epistolary messaging between the protagonist and an unknown mentor who is simply somebody, nobody in the tag line. The story may center around their online conversations but Tell Me Three Things is filled to the brim with handling bullying, death, grief, loss (any type of loss), and the unknown. I would recommend this book to every high school student, although some of the topics, such as grief and loss, are applicable to adults - totally, for sure. Love the book. Will definitely be on my top numbered list of the year. 53/120

The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman. Up to this book, of all her books, it was Simply Tuesday only, her first book, that I loved, connected with best, and placed on my growing stack of all-time favorite books. So, when The Next Right Thing was published - I hesitated, stammered, talked myself out of, placed it in my Amazon cart, moved it to my wait list. I rarely listen to podcasts, what I believe the book is 'based on', the concept, anyway. And, it isn't that I don't appreciate all of Freeman's writing. Because I do. She writes beautifully. But, I am a firm believer that not every book is for everyone. And, not every book is for everyone at the time they read the book. The Next Right Thing is for such a time as this - for me. Doing the next right thing. It is a concept that has a broad sweep of important...leading up to doing the next right thing...and there are even - steps, if you will, once you make the decision to do the next right thing. All of which are just as important as doing the next right thing. Freeman guides us through every step. A truly applicable book. And, another book going on my ever-growing stack of favorites. 54/120

Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar. If you are familiar with the Bible then you are probably familiar with the story of Rahab, the prostitute, and surprisingly she is one of three women mentioned in the geneology of Jesus. Pearl in the Sand is the historical yet fictional account, the thought-provoking story behind the life of Rahab. This was excellent Biblical fiction. Afshar remains true to the Word where the Word and historical context speaks regarding Rahab and the Hebrew nation and truly brought her story to life. I was able to visualize what it must have been like to have heard about the nation of Israel and the God of Israel before they ever came to the gates of Jericho. And what it might have been like to be inside the walls when the Israelites marched around the Jerichoin's impenetrable city day after day. And for Rahab to trust that the God of the Hebrews would not harm her or her family simply because the spies said so. Because we are told in Scripture that we can see God even in His Creation, I had no trouble agreeing upon Afshar's re-telling of how Rahab could have found God, or once saved from destruction what it must have been like to be a Canaanite harlot in the midst of the nation of Israel. Or the struggles and questions Rahab had even as she grew in her relationship with the Lord, just as every single Christian struggles and questions. Afshar brought the scriptures to life and spoke the character of God throughout. The book was filled with themes of grace, forgiveness, and especially mercy, timely and poignant even for today. Threads of hope are woven through the pages and offer us a taste  - and see. 55/120

The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis. I went completely outside of normal when selecting The Screwtape Letters to read aloud to Jeff each morning during our book and Bible reading time. I partly chose it because of the cleverness of the letters written by the brilliant C.S. Lewis and I knew Jeff's analytical mind could grasp the depth of Lewis' words (while I sometimes struggle with them) and thus would make for good conversation. We finished up this short satirical epistolary book, reading two letters each morning; letters written by a senior demon Screwtape in the role of a mentor to his nephew, Wormwood, a junior tempter and just how he should go about securing the soul of Wormwood's patient. Published in 1942, it is so interesting how our society, even still, struggles with the same sorts of 'sins' that give the devil a foothold. Thus far, since September 2018, we have read aloud together, The End of Me, Battlefield of the Mind, Love Does, Cherish, Everybody, Always, and now The Screwtape Letters. 56/120

Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear. My second Maisie Dobbs mystery and this series (there are many more) is quickly becoming another murder mystery favorite following Louise Penny and Deborah Crombie. Introduced to Maisie Dobbs in her first book of the same title, Birds of a Feather picks up with another investigation. This one a missing person that turns into a dual investigation into murder, as well. I love how Winspear entwines historical references and facts into her story with ease. Such as a slight history of Pilates and physical therapies at their beginnings. Or actual events that occurred in history that are relatable to her story line. Very clever. Birds of a Feather was, for me, un-put-down-able. Every couple of minutes I had amidst my day I was reading because I could not wait for more of the story. Maisie Dobbs is admirable and real. She is not perfect as we see in this book but once she identifies her failures she seeks redemption. After WWII is a backdrop to the story and I imagine it will for several more books because of the aftershocks of the war into so many lives. "In learning about the myths and legends of old, we learn something of ourselves. Stories, Maisie, are never just stories. They contain fundamental truths about the human condition." "Never judge a journey by the distance, Billy. Your journey, from the time you went over to France has demanded bravery of a different kind..." 57/120

Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry. My first Wendell Berry novel. I have only heard his works are worth the time, otherwise I didn't know what to expect. At the first page, I read on bated breath. I was mesmerized, captivated by the voice of Hannah Coulter's love of her family and her community and her rural farming life; evocatively told and beautifully written - nostalgic. Sparse in dialogue, yet thoroughly provocative, I wondered at the life of Wendell Berry, the author, to so write as if he was writing from experiencing life in the same way as the people of the fictional town of Port William. "Compared to nearly everybody else, the Branches have led a sort of futureless life. They have planned and provided as much as they needed to, but they take little thought for the morrow. They aren't going any place, they aren't getting ready to become anything but what they are, and so their lives are not fretful and hankering...They survive and go on because they like where they are and what they are doing, they aren't trying to get up in the world, and they produce more than they consume...they trade and contrive and make do, getting by and prospering both at once. It doesn't seem to bother them that while they are making crops and meat and timber, other people are making only money that they sometimes don't even work for." - on living for today, not worrying for tomorrow, being content, and the nature of ambition and Berry fills the story with similar provocative and philosophical narratives. "I began to trust the world again, not to give me what I wanted, for I saw that it could not be trusted to do that, but to give unforeseen goods and pleasures that I had not thought to want.” And, "Living without expectations is hard but, when you can do it, good. Living without hope is harder, and that is bad. You have got to have hope, and you mustn’t shirk it. Love, after all, “hopeth all things.” But maybe you must learn, and it is hard learning, not to hope out loud, especially for other people. You must not let your hope turn into expectation." Enthralled, exquisite, intriguing, and breathtaking!  58/120

Remember God by Annie F. Downs. Overall, depressing. I realize it received some great reviews and she writes well, but I found the book unresolved. Her Looking for Lovely is on my favorite books stack, but this one fell so far short, and for a Christian book to end without believing God, because that is what I read up to the last chapter, thus, I am truly not sure of the point of the book. Ever chapter was her disappointment in God not doing this for her, God not coming through in that. I realize everyone goes through those periods of disappointment, unbelief, and discontent, but I never felt Downs made it out of the pit she is in, so again, what is the point of this book. May I suggest, Miss Downs, that you take Beth Moore's Bible study, Believing God. 59/120

Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines. I love a good cookbook. If they're really good they will read like a good book of stories you can curl up with. And, Magnolia Table is so good! As I subscribe to Magnolia Journal I was familiar with Joanna Gaines' easy, heart-warming style of writing. I always feel like she is talking with me as a friend and kindred spirit - and her cookbook is no different. It was truly a delight to read. While I haven't as yet made any of the recipes, I have dog-eared many, many pages for future endeavors in the kitchen. She makes every recipe look easy to make and sound mouth-watering yummy. 60/120