Hello All,
It's time for a new Bookshare blog featuring some of the latest books that have been reported on.
Lots of great books here for you to choose from. We will be meeting next month on December 8th at
the home of Karla Cox. See you there!
BETH HEDENGREN
Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins. Very well written—such a brutal concept. Children fighting to the death to entertain the masses. I almost quit reading and had nighmares one night. But I finished. It’s a prequel to the main Hunger Games Trilogy, so it tied in with that at the end and looked toward the happy resolution to that. But, as Krystian says, “why do we read Hunger Games?”
The Wizard of Oz. by L. Frank Baum
The original is delightful—well worth a revisit. Much as I love the movie—the book is really lovely. Direct, simple style. Strong characters and a message you get but it is not over stressed or didactic.
The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood
Delightful story of 3 very un-similar women in a British village and how they solve the mystery of who murdered a neighbor.
Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization by Brad Wilcox (but not the Mormon Brad Wilcox)
Written by a University of Virginia sociologist, this book reports on extensive research on the links between the decline in marriage and declines in happiness and prosperity. He goes on to demonstrate that couples who take a “we-before-me” approach are happier and less divorce-prone. He has evidence that the happiest marriages are characterized by frequent date nights, family fun time, and chores done together as a couple and with kids. (Sounds like the Proclamation on Family, right?) Wilcox warns against anti-marriage messages in popular culture that seem to discourage people from marrying and building strong families.
Odyssey by Stephen Fry
A delightful retelling of the Odyssey! Not a word for word translation, but a very accessible and enjoyable story of the heroes of Troy and their journey home from the most destructive war in history to that point. Fry (the brilliant reader of the Harry Potter books) clearly knows and loves the Greek epic poetry, dramas, and legends. He blends them all together for a coherent and compelling tale of adventure, tragedy, and self-discovery.
Really fun to read, especially after reading the excellent story of the Trojan women—A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes. I am always moved by how these people that lived thousands of years ago were basically the same as we are in their emotions, desires, needs, and potential for either evil or good.- Murder on the Brighton Express by CJ ARCHER 3
️1900 London Cleo holidays in Brighton with her cousins, aunt & uncle, her only family. She meets a journalistic investigator at the beach who tries to blackmail her to get Cleos help after they’d returned to London. Cleo keeps an eye on the young& is horrified when the young woman does not get off the train, fearing foul play. Train employees say suicide. Cleo enlists help to find the body. The lazy Scotland Yard sergeant closes the case as suicide without an autopsy or a suicide note. Cleo & her side kick work to clear her name & discover the real criminals.
- ️️Black Widow by Daniel Silva 4 A very, very secret service agency in Israel recruits people from all walks of like to infiltrate thé newest Isis encampments. One recruit is an Algerian-French Jewess MD who emigrated from France to Israel with her parents. The agency basically kidnaps her to avoid detection & teaches her to become an avenging Isis black widow (one who has lost a lover or husband, lover, brother, etc ) who is also close to the supreme leader & needs medical attention. ISIS Plots are planned for European capitals as well as Washington DC. Can IDF use the intel to stop the massacres?
- All We Thought We Knew by 3.5️ by Michelle Shocklee 1942 After a whirlwind courtship & a four day honeymoon moon, Ava’s sailor is shipped out to the Japanese Theater where he promptly dies in battle. Ava forms a strong bond with an intelligent & gentle German enemy alien at the Army post where she works. But he is transferred to North Dakota & she feels lost & alone again. Fast forward to the 1960s & Maddie, Ava’s daughter, is violently opposed to the Vietnam War. Mark, her twin brother enlists with help from his Best friend. Mark dies. Maddie falls apart. She blames her parents for letting Mark go & Maddie leaves home for the California hippie scene for over a year. Her mother is dying & her dad finds her & asks her to come home to thé Tennessee horse farm where she was raised. Ava‘s secrets are revealed and her brother’s best friend returns from Vietnam missing an arm. Interesting family dynamics but thé love bind.
- ️Lost Souls of Leningrad by Suzanne Parry 4️ an intimate telling of the Nazi siege of Leningrad that starved half the population. The soul of a family kept alive as grandmother & granddaughter support each other. Great to read WWII from a new perspective. Very good.
A Rather Dastardly Death by Anthony Slayton 3️ Mister Quayle, Secretary to Lord Unsworth is called upon again to solve a murder & keep the family’s honor in tact. Family vacation on the Rivera between WWars.
The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor 4️ Harvard PhD & business consultant describes how to built a culture of happiness which boosts the bottom line in business & builds great relationships anywhere.
️️Good Night Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea 4.5️ thé donuts girls. Taking inspiration from his own mother’s WWII Red Cross service, Urrea weaves a wonderful story of camaraderie, heroism, tenacity, love & loss. Great book.
One Life by Barbara Winton 3.5️ In 1938, a friend tells Nicky Hinton of the terrible conditions existing for children in Czechoslovakia. Nicky organizes resources to evacuate & save from certain death over 600 children. Over his life his engagement in humanitarian work is constant - even after he’s 100 years old. Book got tedious as Author-daughter describes every job he ever had.
️️️A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes 4️ Have thé lives of women ever been the same? I see many parallels. Three goddesses, Hera, Aphrodite, & Athena, insist Paris decide which will be awarded the golden apple because of her great beauty. Penelope, wife of Odysseus writes letters & asks him if thé Bard’s tales of him are true & asks why he stays away 10 years after Troy has fallen.
Stories of The Amazons.
Wife of Hector watches a Greek throw her infant son from the walls of Troy only to become his slave & the mother of his son.
Cassandra, daughter of Priam sees the future - that would be very uncomfortable ‘gift’- & goes quietly to her death at the hands of her captors.
Her sister is sacrificed to the Greeks gods to insure their safe passage home.
Hecuba, Priam’s queen & Mother of Hector is taken by Odyssey to the nearby king who for money hid her youngest son & then betrayed him to the Greeks. Odyssey believes such treachery deserves punishment which he allows her to dispense. She kills both of his sons before his eyes & then blinds him with the same dagger but spares his life so he can agonize over the loss of his sons & relive his treachery.
Calliope thé Poet & muse of heroic poetry must compose on command. “I have sung of it all, including the women in the shadows, forgotten, ignored, untold & I have shaped them & have sung of them because they have waited long enough.”Why in war do we not sing of half the world? They are equally heroic.”
Lots of good books.
KARLA COX
SEPTEMBER
The Overstory by Richard Powers
This is 23+ hours of listening to prose about trees and their people. So it’s not for everyone. But each symbol and word-rich chapter introduces you to a new, unique individual who cares deeply about a particular type of tree - or, in the case of Patricia, a hearing-impaired genius who learns finally to relate to humans after she has cared about plants and their souls her whole life (shades of Is a River Alive?), a particular connection to nature. Eventually, all the characters are brought together, to connect with each other in their defense of trees and nature. Awful things happen. Beautiful things happen. Regret, redemption, and loss travel through the book like a seedling on the wind from the arboral star of this epic, the Chestnut. There are far too many word gems to record, but all of them are treasures to my brain and soul.
I’ve never been a true activist (though at times a bit of a crusader); but this book persuades me to lean with grace toward those who are.
A quote from the synopsis: “There is a world alongside ours - vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us.” For me personally, that’s analogous to the world and gifts of the Spirit - unseen and usually unappreciated.
A most unusual but beautifully written book.
I’m glad I listened to it; because reading would have taken me another 5 or six hours beyond the 23. (I would have stopped to write down quotes from almost every page…)
Gung Ho by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles
I read this book because Tim asked me to read it. The concepts taught in story form are preached to improve business practices. But, as with all truth, they apply to life in general, and to spiritual circumstances when applied analogously. The authors use three concepts that came, so says one of the two main characters, from his Native American grandfather: The Secret of the Squirrel, the Way of the Beaver, and the Gift of the Geese. I definitely see the benefits of these concepts in the business world. I had to dig for the spiritual implications.
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
What a beautiful collection of thoughtful reminiscences, by an author I believe I would like very much if we were to meet.
If you’ve read anything by Ann Patchett, you know her character development is superb. But these essays required no development; just profound perspective, vibrant emotion, and rich insight - since each essay is from Patchett’s life. About home, family, friendships and writing, Patchett shares details that make you feel as if you are her friend, having a lengthy and introspective conversation. I don’t have to agree with her about not having children to respect her decision to live childless. I don’t have to come from a divorced family to appreciate her three-fathers blessings. I don’t have to have watched a friend fight cancer (though I have, too many times) to value the tenderness in her tale of unexpected friendship and loss. I can’t say enough about the resonance of these essays, personal messages artfully inlaid with universal meaning. A truly lovely book.
The Little Liar by Mitch Albom
Another WWII story; who knew Mitch Albom could go there with such astuteness? Like Death, the narrator of The Book Thief, this narrator is Truth. And truth, while always valuable, is not always kind.
The story revolves around a family of Greek Jews (interestingly, my second in as many months; and I’ve never read anything about Greek Jews before) who are rounded up with as many as 40,000 in Salonika/Thessaloniki and hauled by cattle-car to face death. Except one young son strangely left behind, Nico.
The story is filled with psalm-like gems of wisdom, such as “Evil travels like dandelion seeds, blowing over borders and taking root in angry minds”; or “Hate is an ancient melody; blame is even older.” Or “Time does not heal all wounds; some, it only rubs deeper.” And this: “The heart has many routes to love; compassion is one of them.” Are these and so many others that I didn’t write down, ancient wisdom? Perhaps handed down through rabbis? Or simply the wisdom of Mitch Albom? I’m not wise enough to know. But it was Albom, speaking as Truth, who faithfully researched and eloquently told this partly true and deeply meaningful story. I’m grateful for his commitment to the vow, “Never again.”
This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
I enjoyed These Precious Days so much, I checked out the next Ann Patchett book that came up; it was a collection of her published essays/short stories, and it takes us into the very real world of Ann Patchet’s life. Hard things, funny experiences, life-changing events, the love of a dog… These and more take us from her child to the present day.
Like These Precious Days, This is the Story of a Happy Marriage is a delightful and incredible wander through the days, people and intelligence of a truly remarkable writer. Again, I feel like I have a new friend.
Though there are painful stories here too, and circumstances that don’t resonate for me, novel author Patchett proves she can write truth as creatively as fiction. She is remarkable because she writes until her audience understands.
The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly
I’m a big fan of Martha Hall Kelley, a favorite historical fiction writer who usually bases her characters, and much of their circumstances, on real people. This one is based on her mother, uncle, and their background on Martha’s Vineyard. But the book’s story is placed in WWI, and many of the characters hail from that time period. Two sisters, trying to maintain their family farm in the face of their parents’ death and brother’s enlistment, find their every talent called upon to save their grandmother and the farm they love. The very real twists and turns bring them and their innocent Book Club friends to the brink of arrest or worse, while wondering if their brave brother is alive or dead.
A delightful story and a good wander into German activity on American soil.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Though this story is famed among Hemingway fans, most people I’ve heard describe this story, and the movie based on it, call them boring and depressing. I guess I’m a Hemingway fan, though late to the table. (I didn’t read any of his until my daughter won the Hemingway Award through her high school journalism writing.) I loved the symbolisms and the inherent themes of courage in adversity and of love for others, even the fish he fought to capture. From the publisher’s review: “It tells a fundamental human truth: in a volatile world… what sustains us, ultimately, is hope.” Too short to pass up, it’s worth the detail and contemplative structure. I loved it’s conciseness, and it’s symbolic beauty.
The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry
Who knew this story by an author I’ve enjoyed for her mystery and suspense would create a tale of Ireland - a place I now love, Gaelic - a language I actually studied a bit, and of enchanted places I long to see?!
To be fair, the key characters are actually based in London and the Lakes District, England and the shores of May River, South Carolina. But the tale is woven of times and peoples past, of remarkable interconnectedness, and an inner secret place and story that everyone might have, but most have forgotten.
Here’s one of the beautiful quotes from the book, spoken by the narrator: “Bronwyn made up her own language; [Callum] hid his - both having untold stories that needed to find their way out. …The internal landscape of the soul needs to belong to oneself before it can be shared with others. Some creations are for the creator and no one else; the created act a discovery, a quest for oneself.” A magical book.
Fun bonuses: The story is partially based on two real women: Barbara Newhall Follett, a troubled child prodigy author, and Beatrix Potter, the beloved children’s author and illustrator, who is casually included in the story as though, of course these fictional people knew her!
Also, the killing fog (known as the Great Smog or the Great Smoke) that drove the key characters out of London was real. It occurred in 1952 and may have killed 12,000 people. It resulted in the Clean Air Act of England.
More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova
If you’ve read anything by Lisa Genova, you know she is a crusader, with human struggles as her cause and fiction as her tool. This story is about a girl who’s just like any other stressed-out college freshman, who thinks it’s normal to feel overwhelmed, and doesn’t fit in with her oh, so perfect Connecticut country club family. Until she is diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.
Genova is incredible at taking the reader inside the suffering. While I have known enough sufferers of BPD to feel compassion, I’ve never considered the spiraling intensity of the highs or the merciless depth of the lows.
The book was hard to stay with because of the terrible language and casual sexual references; and quite frankly, it was painful for me empathetically. But I still recommend it for the educational insights that enhance compassion for those who deal with any mental health issue. And the hopeful ending.
Save the Date by Mary Kaye Andrews
Just a fluffy love story about a florist in Savannah GA who feels like an outsider and who can’t catch a break even though she’s talented and works hard. Until she meets the proverbial manly man, complete with rough hands, who she hates until she falls for him. Terribly formulaic but still fun to listen to. I probably wouldn’t have bothered with it though, if I were reading the book.
Proclaim Peace by Patrick Q. Mason and J. David Pulsipher
I have heard many podcasts and read another book by Patrick Mason. His voice is somewhat brusque, but his message is bullseye. While I disagree a little with some of his points (e.g., that Nephi used anger and violence unnecessarily), he makes some important points, too many to mention here, all the while citing scripture and modern prophets and their revelations.
Here’s one example of backing up his non-violent case, point by point.
Eight Criteria for balancing the ledger when violence (war, punishment) is essential:
-Disinclination
-Forbearance
-Divine Consent
-Accountability
-Restraint
-Grief
-Steadfast Connection
-Increased Love
In my opinion, these steps were followed after the U.S. dropped bombs on Japan; we are now solid friends and allies with the Japanese people.
He makes a strong case for God’s ability to use violence and still be omnisciently loving. And he said this: “There’s nothing that says we have to be happy about God’s occasional resort to violence [e.g., in the destruction of the wicked after Christ’s crucifixion]. If we shrink from divine violence, and are morally troubled by it, it means our sensitive souls are simply a reflection of God’s own sorrow over the violence He sometimes deploys.”
A remarkably timely book, so relevant for our times!
OCTOBER
The Maid’s Secret by Nita Prose
For you who have read the Molly the Maid series, this one feels like a wrap. A spirited art heist mystery and an epic love story combined, as the key to both lies in the past - all to be found in Molly’s beloved Gran’s diary.
I squeezed in time to read this in strange places and limited moments. Well worth it!!
The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki
Great recommendation, Marlene! I enjoyed learning about this rich and powerful woman who had a wonderful life, though she was unsuccessful in marriage. Married four times, all ended badly; she had periods of wastefulness of her wealth as the heiress of Post and General Mills, but was, overall, and kind and philanthropic woman. A fascinating book (though not a biography - rather a novel written as though in her words).
Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage by MC Beaton
Agatha Raisin’s marriage to James Lacey is ruined because our dear, obnoxious, feisty Aggie’s first husband is alive! And then he’s not… Another crazy chase through the Cotswolds as Agatha and her comical cohorts try to solve the murders that follow them around, til Agatha herself is the victim! Great murder mystery fun. Which doesn’t sound right, but I know y’all understand.
Brave Companions by David McCullough
After a beautiful and revealing prologue about McCullough - who wanted to be an artist but became arguably the greatest historian of our time, this historian provides a collection of historical biographies: the brave companions of the earth in this dispensation.
~Alexander Von Humboldt
~Louis Agassiz
~Harriet Beecher Stowe
~Medora, ND (and Marquis de Mores, his wife Medora Hoffman, and Teddy Roosevelt)
~Frederick Remington
~Miriam Rothschild
~Harry Caudill
~David Plowden
~ And SO many more pioneers and builders of America, the world, the mind. People with a rare vitality and sense of purpose.
He summarized the amazing - and sometimes frightening - advances of the last century, and encouraged readers to SEE. See the world, see the people, see history (and understand its lessons), see the amazing accomplishments of others. READ. Talk to people. And be grateful.
Bookended by the wisdom of this great historian, this was so worthwhile!
The Pioneers by David McCullough
The second of my history craze, Pioneers tells the story, not of the American West, but the acquisition and subsequent battles (some against nature, some against other humans) to claim the land northwest of the Ohio River - country that became Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. McCullough’s account focuses on the beauties of the land along the Ohio River, the work it took to clear the dense forests, and the struggles of those courageous and pioneering souls whose efforts in Ohio define our country, including freedom of religion, free universal education, and the prohibition of slavery.
Too many aspects to share much here, the vast sweep was explained through the lives of five truly great but lesser-known main characters. He then incorporated more well-known people into the story of these five. Masterfully written, in true McCullough style.
One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
Thank you for this one, MaryAnn. I found it a fascinating story, and had to research after I finished to find out if it was all true (it wasn’t, but the request by Cheyenne Chief Little Wolf was real). Fergus created a realistic and believable journal style, then wrapped it with an “actual” ancestor of the protagonist, May Dodd. With all the horrors of the U.S. government’s conquering of the Native spirit, it really is a believable story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Amazing Mrs Polifax by Dorothy Gilman
The irrepressible Emily Polifax is off to Turkey this time, where her mission is to rescue a Russian defector in Türkiye and come home within the week. Well, it doesn’t happen quite that way… Making friends with surprising people — including a friendless young British man, a gruff and dirty vagabond, and a wandering band of Roma — and finding supposed allies are actually the worst kind of enemies, Mrs. Pollifax finds herself facing death and instantaneous decisions nearly constantly. As always, a fun spy chase with the good guys - and gals - coming out on top.
I immediately looked for the next in the series…
The Incredible Kindness of Paper by Evelyn Skye
A classic Hallmark movie - in a book. Oliver Jones and Chloe Hanako Quinn are BEST friends - and eventually more - from first grade on. Then suddenly Oliver is gone, without a word of goodbye or explanation. Years later, when life is much different for both of them, and they have moved beyond childhood romance, their paths cross again. And again. And again. While predictable from the start, the plot is fun and the characters are creative.
So sweet and clean it was well worth it!
Is a River Alive? By Robert MacFarlane
Conceptually this book is several books, even though, as a whole, it’s a treatise that champions ecology and the rights of nature. I realized, when it came back into my list to check out, that I hadn’t finished it. And it was like picking up a different story. MacFarlane tells different stories by focusing on different needs and different triumphs. This is highlighted in part by the background he gives on his key human characters (though the stars of the story are the rivers). An illustrative example is the chapter about Yuvan from Chennai, and his efforts to save the rivers of India. Yuvan grew up with a seriously abusive stepfather and only got out alive because an educator whom he trusted sent him to find haven and education in a school 50 miles away. After four years of inner searching and outer learning, he was strong, confident, and, quite frankly, ready for battle in a deeply non-violent way - rather through education and awareness. His chapter points to the power that can come from stillness and caring about ALL things. He founded a trust called Palluyir, a Tamil word that translates to “all of life” - exactly what he devoted himself to protect. After saving his mother from the evil stepfather with a personal power verbalized in a single single sentence, he forgave him, and served as the individual who officiated at his death. He not only forgave his abuser, he sent him peacefully to his Maker when his time on earth was done.
I could break down each chapter similarly. And here is just a tiny example of his feast-worthy delicious prose: “The sunset has slaughter in it, and spills scarlet onto the vast clouds amassing inland. Swallows sit like musical notes on the staves of telephone wires.” This is truly a wondrous, richly written, poetic soul- feeding, and for me, paradigm-changing and hopefully earth-changing book. I’m grateful I discovered it. I sing its praises to anyone who sees rivers, mountains, and trees as living beings with rights (a view I have only recently come to hold), and all creatures as worthy of kindness.
Truman by David McCullough
As I have deep respect for the historical and biographical skills of David McCullough, I now have greater respect for Harry S Truman (the S stood for nothing, just as Tim’s grandfather had a no-name middle initial; the reasons are intriguing). The Man from Missouri was a more common man than most presidents. He came from a farm, had financial struggles early in life, gained a high reputation by earning it, and dealt with a bizarre range of challenges during his presidency - from facing down Stalin to firing MacArthur. His integrity and genuine kindness, while overlooked by many in the difficult passages, was unquestioned.
I’ll say no more; a biography like this about a man like that deserves to be read.
Separation of Church and Hate By John Fugelsang
Okay, this author is a comedian and broadcaster, so maybe those occupations play stronger than his authorship. At any rate, this book is harshly stanced and not for the faint of ear. Like many other strongly political books, I listened to this to better understand how people who think and believe differently are viewing things. But I thought this would be more enlightening because its premise is the Bible, and even more strongly the New Testament and its accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus.
But Mr. Fugelsang, in the name of condemning hatred, bigotry and un-Christian behaviors, comes across with all three — and delivers his version of right with high irreverence. To be sure, he uses humor well at times; but overall, he did not persuade me that I am going to hell for my right-centrist beliefs.
To me, it was worth finishing. But it’s not one I can recommend in good conscience. In spite of lots of truth and meaningful persuasion, there is too much anger, too much vitriol, too much of what he claims is wrong with his opponents.
Green Lights by Matthew McConaughey
A surprisingly clever approach for a memoir, the famous actor shares his first 50 years of life with candor, humor, and an unavoidable sprinkle of spicy language. He comes from a religious and loving, yet tough and violent family. His personal story shares it all - his triumphs, his failures, his lessons learned, and his advice to everyone based on his rich and diverse life experiences.
I don’t know what this book would be like to just read it; I think it was made to listen to McConaughey, as he calls himself, tell it in his unique and familiar voice. Great fun, but not for everyone.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
I’ve never read this classic dystopian novel, so it was time. The symbolisms are clear, the similarities to our society are haunting, and the ending is hopeful.
It’s short, it’s powerful, and it includes a favorite quote (“suck the marrow… live as if you’ll die tomorrow”). Happy to add it to my list!
The Canceling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott
This enlightening, well-researched book is about cancellation culture and how to fight it; but it’s primarily about the demise of freedom of speech. It’s a galvanizing deep dive into what has happened and what continues to happen when people and their opinions are shut down, or “canceled”, and when the right to speak openly and honestly is ostracized, threatened, even condemned. The authors, whose political views are opposite, unitedly recognize the vital need to respect the voices of others instead of assuming someone is wrong simply because you disagree. It’s far more in-depth than I can cover in a review; but the bottom line is simple: we in America MUST promote “the American principles of individuality, resilience, and open-mindedness.” A return to the values we as Latter-day Saints have been taught by prophets - civility, courtesy, respect, peace-making, would save our country from the path of ruin. Really affirming.
Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough
A detailed biography of the Roosevelts — not just Pres Roosevelt, but his entire family, and all before his time as president. Having read a couple of books on Roosevelt recently, it was fun to compare and enhance the things I had already learned. No one interested in Teddy Roosevelt can overlook his time in the area of North Dakota now named for him (Teddy Roosevelt National Park). But there is so much about the man and his family that’s interesting!
One funny little fact I’m surprised I had not encountered previously: The name Roosevelt is Dutch, and was originally pronounced slightly different than the three-syllable pronunciation we normally here now. But only a girl from Roosevelt UT and North Dakota would care about that detail, right? 
GERI CHRISTENSEN
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