AUGUST 2020

 Hello Book Lovers,

Here are the books that were reported on last Thursday night at our latest  Bookshare gathering in Maryann Stevens' lovely back yard.

MARYANN STEVENS

ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE  by Gail Honeyman 4 ⭐️

Eleanor is a survivor of extreme child abuse, who stumbles upon one new friend - her first in more than 20 years of stridently avoiding social situations. That friend sticks by her when she has given up hope for the future & the outcome is nearly miraculous.

THE GREAT ALONE by Kristin Hannah. 4⭐️ Ernt is a Vietnam War POW who returned to his wife, Cora & Daughter, Leni, a different & difficult man. Seeking for a new start (again) they move to Alaska to 40 acres inherited from a fellow POW who died at the hands of his captors. The cabin, like all the others in the area, had no running water, no electricity, & the short summer is consumed with efforts to store enough food & wood for the long winter. Ernt can’t handle the long Alaskan nights. Jealous, suspicious, quick to anger, abusive, Ernt turns the cabin into a prison. Teenage Leni finally finds love & redemption.

THE SECRETS WE KEPT by Lara Prescott. 4⭐️ 1950-60s Cold War. Americans’ embarrassment at the Soviet triumphs of, not one but two Sputniks & the merciless crushing of the Hungarian revolt for freedom, inflame the American public. Irina, an American born of a Russian emigrant mother and a father who died in Russia during an interrogation, is hired as a typist at the CIA even though her wpm score was abysmal. CIA staff carefully train her & she finds herself overseas aiding in the CIA plot to disseminate copies of Pasternak’s banned blockbuster, Dr. Zhivago. Intricate side stories of love, betrayal exist alongside the narrative of the CIA typist pool. Multiple narrators are a bonus. The CIA/Zhivago plot, including Pasternak & his mistress Olga, is a true story though our heroine’s story is not.

THE LIGHT IN THE RUINS by Chris Bohjalian 5 ⭐️. WWII Italy. An idyllic Italian villa becomes a prison for the family when the Nazis require first, rest & entertainment and finally, a bastion in the last days before surrender. Ten years after the end of the war two of the remaining family members are murdered in grisly fashion. The detective on the case, who is battling her own war demons methodically tracks down clues in a desperate attempt to save the last members of the family. Suspenseful. Tight, Well written.

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens 5⭐️ imagine a Dysfunctional family in the marshland of North Carolina- a disabled war veteran with awful memories that drive him to drink & abuse  his wife & children. The youngest, a 7 year old child abandoned by her family members one by one as they escape the quagmire of hunger & abuse. But Kyla had been taught well in the ways of the marsh even at that early age & manages to survive, thrive, find love and grow old in this place she loves. 

PILLARS OF THE EARTH by Ken Follett 4.5⭐️A historic epic tale (20 hours of audio) of England during the 12th century. This was such a time of savagery & by contrast remarkable advancements in cathedral building. Nobles had no constraints. They starved their serfs, raped at will, & burned to the ground villages that they feared competed with their selfish interests. The battle between the church & the state rarely aided the common people -these truly were the Dark Ages. There were a few notable exceptions & out of this comes a story of commitment to love, family, beauty & true piety.

BEFORE WE WERE YOURS by Lisa Wingate, published in 2017. In this fictional account, narratives that alternate between past and present expose the exploits of real-life Georgia Tann, a child trafficker who used her unlicensed Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage as a front for high-priced illegal adoptions, obtaining and selling thousands of children in the south through subterfuge and outright kidnapping for over 25 years in the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Really fascinating and well-written. 4 stars. 

CLOCK DANCE by Anne Tyler, published in 2019. She’s one of my favorite authors and a Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction for her novel Breathing Lessons.  In her writing, plots always feel secondary to character descriptions and development, which are lovely and nuanced; her books are beloved for the insights Tyler gives into the ordinary moments that over time make up a life. This particular book checks in with its main character Willa Drake at ages 11, 21, 41 and 61, examining the motivations, choices and, ultimately, fulfillment she encounters along the way. Sounds a little boring, but I promise it’s not, thanks to Anne Tyler’s wonderful prose! 4.5 stars. 

TESSA RUSSELL

THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN by Lisa See

The Island of Sea Women, is about the free-diving women of South Korea’s Jeju Island. Booklist called The Island of Sea Women “stupendous… enthralling…and engrossing.” Jodi Picoult has given her praise: “Lisa See excels at mining the intersection of family, friendship and history, and in her newest novel, she reaches new depths exploring the matrifocal haenyeo society in Korea, caught between tradition and modernization. This novel spans wars and generations, but at its heart is a beautifully rendered story of two women whose individual choices become inextricably tangled.” Independent booksellers honored the novel by selecting it as an Indie Next pick, while Barnes & Noble chose the novel for its nationwide March 2019 Book Club. It became an Instant New York Times bestseller.

FARAH KNUDSEN

BECOMING by Michelle Obama

In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As first lady of the United States of America - the first African American to serve in that role - she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the US and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

THE COLOR OF LAW by Richard Rothstein

In this groundbreaking history of the modern American metropolis, Richard Rothstein, a leading authority on housing policy, explodes the myth that America's cities came to be racially divided through de facto segregation - that is, through individual prejudices, income differences, or the actions of private institutions like banks and real estate agencies. Rather, The Color of Law incontrovertibly makes clear that it was de jure segregation - the laws and policy decisions passed by local, state, and federal governments - that actually promoted the discriminatory patterns that continue to this day. 

GERI CHRISTENSEN

THE CAROUSEL by Rosamunde Pilcher

A wonderfully satisfying short romance that takes place in Cornwall on the south coast of England. In typical Pilcher style, she quickly has you enfolded in the story and although you know what the outcome will be, it is deeply satisfying just to be immersed in her glorious words as she describes the beautiful coastline and the people she creates in her marvelous narrative style. 4 stars.

THE SECRET ADVERSARY by Agatha christie

This is the story of how Tommy and Tuppence, two of this famous mystery writer's sleuths, and how they became partners in solving crimes. In this story they are on the trail of the mysterious Jane Finn who was given some very important and secret government plans just before the sinking of the Luthsitania. They are both kidnapped and have to overcome several  difficult obstacles before they reach their goal, solve the mystery, find Jane Finn and are reunited in one glorious moment at the end. It is a good read with strong characters. 3.5 stars.

THE WEED THAT STRINGS THE HANGMAN'S BAG by Alan Bradley

This is the second in the Flavia De Luce series by this amazing and marvelously entertaining writer. Although very improbable, it is still fun to follow the irrepressible Flavia, an 11 year-old genius and sleuth, as she uses her amazing knowledge of chemistry to solve the msytery of who killed the puppeteer who came to Bishop's Lacey, the fictional village in England where the dysfunctional De Luce family lives. It is fast-paced and lively but definitely not written for children as there is a darker element to the book relating to a child who was found hanging from a tree in the woods near the village. I love these books and never tire of the amazing use of similes the author uses to describe people and places which are almost as delightful as the book itself. 4.5 stars

THE BLUE CASTLE by Lucy Maude Montgomery

All her life, Valancy Stirling lived on a quiet little street in an ugly little house and never dared to contradict her domineering mother and her unforgiving aunt. At 29, she's never been in love, and her only consolation has been the forbidden books of John Foster and her daydreams of the Blue Castle.

Then, one day, she gets a letter and decides that things need to change. For the first time in her life, she does exactly what she wants to and says exactly what she feels. At first, her family thinks she's gone around the bend, but soon, she discovers a surprising new world, full of love and adventures far beyond her most secret dreams. This is a wonderfully written and surprisingly entertaining book written n in another century and time, but still just as appealing and readable today as when it was written.  I enjoyed it once I finally got past the first few chapters.  3.5 stars

BETH HEDENGREN

Running With Sherman by Christopher McDougall

Very fun book about a man who rescues an abused donkey and then trains with it to run in a Colorado donkey race. Funny and heartwarming and informative. There is some colorful language in it (sort of like Bill Bryson's books) so just be warned. The audiobook is read by the author who is excellent.

The Return of the King by JRR Tolkien

The last book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I find these books very inspiring, as the little hobbits fight against overwhelming evil, with little hope of success. Yet they never give up. And they do succeed. Re-reading the trilogy was my summer project, and I finished just in time, one book per month. 

The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

I read this aloud to my grandsons. We were all surprised a little by how much we loved it. Pinocchio is a mischievous little puppet who means well but somehow always ends up getting in terrible trouble, only to be rescued (every time) by remarkable chance--or grace. The book is funny, with a clever, ironic, narrative voice. It could also be read as a journey toward redemption, as the puppet learns a little more about how to be good with each adventure, and as he is saved again and again through grace. Finally, he becomes a "real boy"-- just as we all may become "real" at the end of our mortal journey. I thought the book was about 100 times better than the Disney movie, which I have never liked much. The edition I read was illustrated by MINALIMA, with delightful 3D interactive elements. https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Pinocchio-Carlo-Collodi/dp/0062905279/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+adventures+of+Pinocchio+minalima&qid=1598926165&sr=8-1

Unnatural Causes by PD James

I have watched the PD James detective mysteries on PBS, but I believe this is the first book I have read by her. A very enjoyable mystery, with all the required ingredients: tiny English village, a murder victim nobody really likes, a band of quirky suspects, and a valiant detective who cleverly deduces the solution to the murder.

Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley

This is McKinley's second retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story. Her first one, Beauty, won awards when it was published in 1978 and was a favorite of mine. This month I discovered that in 1997 she had written another novel based  on the tale, so of course I had to read it. In the afterward, McKinley told that she had taken up gardening since writing the first book, and she wanted to put in more about the roses in this retelling. It is a charming book, as Beauty uses her love of plants to redeem the Beast. 

LANI PACKARD

RUNAWAY RALPH by Beverly Cleary, the second in a series about a mouse who runs away from his family to seek adventure in the world and ends up at a children's summer camp. It was a lot of fun to read, especially to my young girls. 3 out of 5 stars.

ARTEMIS FOWL by Eoin Colfer. A young genius lawbreaker discovers that fairies and other mythical creatures do exist, living underground, and exploits them to increase his fortune. It was okay. The fairies and other creatures were very high tech sounding and lost all of their charm from original fairy tales and I didn't find any characters very likable. 2 out of 5 stars.

ARTEMIS FOWL--THE ARCTIC INCIDENT--the second book of the series and another adventure of Artemis and the fairies as they try to uncover the corruption in the fairy world and rescue Artemis' father. I just don't like the writing--too much made-up tech jargon strung together and scene explanations didn't always make sense. 1 out of 5 stars.

THOMAS BROWN'S SCHOOL DAYS by Thomas Hughes. Set in England in the 1830s and Tom comes from a wealthy family that sends him off to boarding school when he arrives home earlier than expected due to a contagious fever from his previous school. He makes fast friends with a boy called East and they encourage each other in their love of sports, hijinks, outsmarting bullies, slacking off in their studies, and eating good food. It was so much fun to read and seemed like a delightful experience (minus the bullies), you could see why JK Rowling was inspired by it for her presentation of Hogwarts. 4 out of 5 stars.

LIZ ORTON

THE MORTAL MESSIAH 3 & THE MILLINIAL MESSIAH by Bruce R. McConkie

KRISTINE ABBOTT

THE DIVINE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS by Neil L. Andersen

"As surely as the sun will rise tomorrow," Elder Neil L. Andersen promises, "the Savior's divine gifts of repentance and of forgiveness, offered in the beauty of His encompassing love, are certain for those who come unto Him with full purpose of heart."

In this book, Elder Andersen writes especially to those who are "awakening" unto God—those who are just beginning to discover or who seek the divine gifts and power of repentance and forgiveness in their lives. The Divine Gift of Forgiveness is organized in such a way that readers can choose the section or chapter that applies most to them and study it without having to have read from cover to cover. Leaders can similarly recommend specific chapters to those with whom they work. Filled with powerful doctrine along with stories and experiences, this book will help all readers become more devoted disciples of the Savior.

GETHSEMANE by Andrew C. Skinner

When eternity hung in the balance, . . . All of our Heavenly Father's planning and preparation, all of his interest in his children an all of his desires for them, all of his aims and goals for the entire universe came down to a singular moment on this earth in a garden called Gethsemane.

GOLGOTHA by Andrew C. Skinner

God rewards the sacrifices of those who love Him whether in this life or the next, precisely because of the infinite sacrifice of His Beloved Son. Our Savior, after enduring Gethsemane, did not shrink from Golgotha but saw the Atonement through to the conclusion.

THE GARDEN TOMB by Andrew C. Skinner

Beginning in Gethsemane, continuing on Golgotha, and culminating in the ultimate triumph at the Garden Tomb, the Atonement of Jesus Christ resonates through the centuries as the single most important event n time and all eternity.

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