Who Touches the Mountains (The God Who series #1), book #33

 

After that last exhausting read, I was ready for something light and fun and sweet.  Our next Christian Fiction Reading Challege book is #3 in this series, so I decided to start with #1 in case I needed to know people, as we have seen in other books this year! 😉 This was a quick read and exactly hit the spot like a bite or two of ice cream after some really salty food.  I do feel, however, that I can skip #2 and head right into #3 before too long.  

Traveling all across the country is exciting…until it isn’t anymore.  Liesl Bachman enjoys success as a travel writer, but that success comes at a price. Now she feels isolated and stuck in a way she never expected in the “cool” job she always wanted. Zach Freylan is bound by an unspoken promise he made to his beloved wife before her death in a mysterious one-car crash. For two years, he’s run The Inn at Rosebud Lane that belonged to Jenny's grandparents, but he finds little joy in maintaining what was always her dream. From the moment Liesl checks in for an extended stay at the inn, something begins to shift inside Zach, letting him dare to hope that his life could be different. Liesl feels that same promise of hope, but the clock is ticking for them both as circumstances only grow more complicated. Is thirty-seven days enough to know for sure that this is God’s yes? (picture and description at Amazon)

Interesting story about my school book club book.  As you know, I joined it not only to make new friends ✔and meet new people ✔ but also to read different types of books (see here and here and here 😮and here and here 😊and here 😥) ✔  I haven't always read the one they picked because some of them just don't interest me at all.  I only have about 10,547 books I want to read before I die so I don't want to waste my time reading one I'm probably not going to like.  I found the one we just read interesting, and I thought I would like the next one we picked out because it had to do with pioneers.  People in the reviews either loved it or hated it, so I was a little cautious.  There was a very long wait for it, since it is so popular, so I broke down and bought it, thinking I would like it.  But alas ..... it was really not doing anything for me, except making me feel icky inside.  So, for the first time in recorded history (I think ... ) I literally just quit the book.  I've been close to it before, but I kept reading to see if the characters would pull themselves up.  Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn't.  But there are a lot of books I want to read really fast right now (to get back to my America 250 Book Bingo!) and I just didn't see myself finishing the book.  So there's a first.

I've got two I want to read in the next week ~ and then it will be time to start Christmas books!!

If my book is open, your mouth should be closed.

O:)

Melissa

*Disclaimer: on the quotes I've started using at the end I will never attribute it to anyone.  As we know, the internet is 0% trustworthy and my library brain is not researching to see if it was truly spoken by them.  

We Had a Little Real Estate Problem, book #32

 

At school we are doing an America Reads 250 bingo sheet with options including various things like books from each decade, a book about a culture different from your own, a book about indigenous people, etc.  Needless to say, it will be pretty easy for me to fill it up because I have been reading so many from various decades, but I was stumped about a book about indigenous people.  So I went to the library and asked my librarian friend what she had.  I picked this up because it looked funny and a potential quick read.  

Boy was I mistaken.  

For the record, I know for a fact that what we did to the 'indians' was wrong.  I've always felt that way.  I learned all about the tragic boarding schools, the treaties that were never kept, and of course the Trail of Tears.  I've been to Cherokee several times.  I learned that many of the heart breaking things that went on in America also went on in Canada.

But this book BLEW MY MIND about how it all still goes on today. 

It was one of the most reliable jokes in Charlie Hill’s stand-up routine: “My people are from Wisconsin. We used to be from New York. We had a little real estate problem.”  In We Had a Little Real Estate Problem, acclaimed comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff focuses on one of comedy’s most significant and little-known stories: how, despite having been denied representation in the entertainment industry, Native Americans have influenced and advanced the art form. The account begins in the late 1880s, when Native Americans were forced to tour in wild west shows as an alternative to prison. (One modern comedian said it was as “if a Guantanamo detainee suddenly had to appear on X-Factor.”) This is followed by a detailed look at the life and work of seminal figures such as Cherokee humorist Will Rogers and Hill, who in the 1970s was the first Native American comedian to appear on The Tonight Show.  Also profiled are several contemporary comedians, including Jonny Roberts, a social worker from the Red Lake Nation who drives five hours to the closest comedy club to pursue his stand-up dreams; Kiowa-Apache comic Adrianne Chalepah, who formed the touring group the Native Ladies of Comedy; and the 1491s, a sketch troupe whose satire is smashing stereotypes to critical acclaim. As Ryan Red Corn, the Osage member of the 1491s, says: “The American narrative dictates that Indians are supposed to be sad. It’s not really true and it’s not indicative of the community experience itself…Laughter and joy is very much a part of Native culture.”Featuring dozens of original interviews and the exhaustive research that is Nesteroff’s trademark, We Had a Little Real Estate Problem is a powerful tribute to a neglected legacy. (Picture and description from Amazon)

Since this was not my book, I couldn't mark it up, so instead I used tons of sticky note tabs because I wanted to remember some of the quotes in the book:

The province of British Columbia was not the result of some ancient land deal brokered between the king of England and the Indigenous peoples who were already there.  To the contrary, in a move now seen as a violation of international law, colonial powers moved in; laid claim to the land; established extensive logging, mining and petroleum operations; subjugated the population; and established a British colony.  British Columbia was established as a land heist. ... It might be the longest-running squat in history. (xi)

The famed Hunkpapa Lakota leader Sitting Bull fled to Canada after the Battle of Little Big Horn and the death of General Custer in 1876.  After months of hiding, he was extradited back to the US, where he was given the option of prison time or performing with Buffalo Bill. ... About 30 Native Americans captured at Wounded Knee were forced by the army to tour with Buffalo Bill in lieu of prison sentences. (9)

In the late 1800s, white people could buy Indian children if they passed a certain standard ... They used the word 'adopt' but white families would actually pay for Indian children--and the biological parents didn't have much say in the matter. (55)

Davy Crockett starred Fess Parker in a hat made from a raccoon pelt.  It created a schoolyard fashion trend.  Conformist children across the country hoarded coonskin hots as they enthusiastically re-created genocide during recess.  ... These false impressions have been delivered one year after another.  Generations of children have grown up to gain an entirely false idea of what Indians are [and now we have] television coming in, buying up all those hideous old films and compounding the slander in the eyes of the youngsters today. (94)

Blackface was taboo and Italian stereotypes objectionable, but when it came to the racist portrayal of Native Americans, network television didn't care ... [many shows] all presented racist stereotypes with white people grunting in feathers ... if television is so enamored with the Indian, why not dramatize the Mohask steelworkers revered for the construction of Manhattan's tallest skyscrapers? ... Television Indians stand around with  a sour look ... Real Indians are happy.  (95-96)

Television has painted the American Indian as a sadistic, irresponsible killer.  It is going to mis-educate a whole generation of American children .. by its persistent, erroneous portrayal of the true facts. (99)

Marlon Brando = "I read a book called 'Indians of the Americas'.  I realized that I knew nothing about the American Indian and that everything we were taught about the American Indian is wrong ... our schoolbooks are hopelessly lacking, criminally lacking, in revealing what our relationship was with the Indian.  When we hear ... that we are a country that stands for freedom, for rightness, for justice, for everyone--it simply doesn't apply .. (106)

Marginalization was a federal policy in both Canada and the United States for 150 years.  The purpose has always been to get people out of the way so that industry could exploit natural resources and claim them as their own.  The Declaration of Independence refers to "Indian savages" three times, while the document itself failed to apply to Native peoples.  ... In Canada, it was against the law for Native peoples to form a political organization, so as to limit their ability to fight back.  Until 1951, Canada defined a 'person' as any individual 'other than an Indian.' (239)

(Talking about Standing Rock in 2016 -- only 10 years ago!)  

It was an amazing experience ... You've got hundreds of tribal nations coming together ...  you think about the historic context .. many of these tribal nations had never interacted with each other .. they're all coming together in this one place for a common goal to support each other .. and there are tribes that have hated each other for centuries--and they're just chilling.  (244)

Regardless of the result, Standing Rock brought Native issues into the mainstream.  'It was so powerful,' said Adrianne Chalepah.  "For Native people, it really helped me see that we still have a voice.  Sometimes being a Native person in America--it feels like you're screaming at the top of your lungs for someone to acknowledge that you exist.  You are invisible in your own country.  Standing Rock changed that" (245)

Here is a powerful video of one Native Americans story of being at Standing Rock:

Overall, however, the book was about the rise and fall and small rise again of the Native American comedians. Many of them started out the likes of David Letterman, Jay Leno, Michael Keaton, etc, however they were not able to keep up for a variety of reasons.  In fact, on many casinos built on tribal lands, they did not use Native comedians, even though there were plenty, because

"white people want to see white people ... They're not interested in seeing famous Native American comedians.  Indian casinos are mostly run by businesspeople who have nothing to do with Indians and everything to do with outside interests." (255)

I found this interesting website that has snippets from various Native American comedians, if you are interested.  They are absolutely hysterical, when you realize they are making 

Ok, whew!  That was a lot!  How about a funny book quote to end this off.

Listen, I don't want to be a bad influence, but ... you should skip that to-do list and finish your book instead.

O:)

Melissa

In These Hills, book #31

 

I was only partially excited to read this new book by my favorite hometown author.  I mean, I was excited to read it because Tamara wrote it, but I didn't think I would like the subject too much.  You know I have a rant about alcohol in Christian Fiction, and the suffrage movement was not one I was overly interested in.  But I love Tamara, so I got into it.

I was pleasantly surprised that I liked it!  I learned A LOT about the suffragists.  I will never take my right to vote lightly any more.  What women went through just over 100 years ago was insane, and now we can't even get 10% of people to vote?!?  It's just crazy.  

While I am still not a fan of alcohol in Christian Fiction, I will confess that she did an interesting job showing how it is not only about making whiskey, but about supplying jobs and other things for the people of the town.  Anyway, I was glad it had a bigger picture view.

The almost end is a shocker, but I love how it turned out!  I should have known I would not be disappointed!

1905. Josephine Dunham is running for her life. After a women's suffrage rally in Atlanta turns deadly, she buys a one-way ticket on the first train out and lands in rural Tennessee. There, Dodge Coburn—a rough-edged stranger with undeniable appeal—begrudgingly offers her a ride to Lynchburg, a speck of a town where Josephine hopes to disappear.  Battered and desperate, Josephine has little to say when Dodge delivers her to Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House. Hoping to work in exchange for room and board, she soon discovers the only job matching her skills is at Jack Daniel's Distillery, an irony not lost on a suffragist committed to prohibition.  Dodge is skeptical of Josephine's claim that she's on the run from an abusive husband. But between running Jack Daniel's cattle farm and raising his young niece, he has little time or inclination to press her . . . at first. But when Josephine's convictions and compassion draw him in, Dodge begins to reconsider the life he's chasing, while Josephine must face a world far more complicated than the principles she's held to.  As Jack Daniel's Distillery gains national recognition, Josephine's secrets resurface. In a place where whiskey making takes time but justice is too often hurried, Dodge and Josephine must decide what—and who—they are willing to risk everything for, and whether faith will hold when the cost is high and time is running out. (picture and description at Amazon)

We are doing an American 250 Reading Challenge at school, so next up is an book about indigenous people [aka indians ;)] which I just started today.  

(Tamara and I at her recent book signing!)

'Who, Me? A Book Hoarder? I'm just well-prepared for the next 25 years!'

O:)

Melissa

The Midnight Library, book #30

 

Finally our first book for the FHS Faculty Book Club!  I was a little nervous about reading it, since Katie read it this summer and wasn't all that thrilled about it.  But since the deal with this book club is that I expand my reading horizons, I jumped in.

It was a little odd, but it reminded a bit of one of my favorite show a while ago, Quantum Leap.  I did find the book interesting; it made me wonder if all the times I wish I had of done things differently when I was younger ~ would the result really be better?    Worth reading if you like taking a walk down an odd road ....

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?  Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place. (picture and description from Amazon)

Next up is one of my favorite author's new book ~ I can't wait to dig in!

You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend

O:)

Melissa

A Wing and A Prayer (The Cousins O'Connor Book 1), book #29

 

Just finished the September book for our Christian Fiction Reading Challenge!  It took a good while to get into it, but once I did it was really good.  It seemed like it took me a while to read it (on my Paperwhite), then when I finished I saw it had 568 pages!  No wonder it took so long!

A street orphan abused and abandoned by an alcoholic father at age five, Gabriella (Gabe) O’Connor has never let a man stand in her way yet. So when a handsome flight officer thwarts her plans to become a WASP— Women Air Force Service Pilot — she’s determined to join the war effort anyway she can. Her chance comes when she “borrows” foreign correspondent credentials from the Boston Herald—where her father is the editor—to stow away on a medical ship to the front.  Lieutenant Alex Kincaid pegs Gabe O’Connor as trouble the moment she steps foot on Avenger Field as a WASP cadet. As the eldest brother of a boy whose jaw Gabe broke in grade school, Alex is familiar with her reputation as both a charismatic ringleader and a headstrong hooligan who’s challenged every male and nun from grade school to college. As her WASP flight instructor, Alex eventually expels Gabe when she pulls a dangerous stunt. But when he is an evacuation pilot in France eight months later, their lives intertwine once again, exposing them to a danger as perilous as the German tanks roaming the Reichswald Forest: a love that neither expects. (picture and desciption at Amazon) 

Our Faculty Book Club is starting back, so my next book is one for that .... 😊

Never quit reading ...

O:)

Melissa

Theo of Golden, book #28

 

I jumped on the Theo of Golden bandwagon and started reading it a while ago.  I have no words. Just go read the book. It is precious, contemplative, and made me wish I had secret millions to help all the people.  

Just go read it ....

One spring morning, a stranger named Theo arrives in the small Southern city of Golden. He doesn’t explain much about where he came from or why he’s there—but when he visits the local coffeehouse, where pencil portraits of the people of Golden hang on the walls, he begins purchasing them, one at a time, and giving each portrait to the person depicted. In exchange, he asks only for the person’s story. And so portrait by portrait, person by person, secrets are revealed, regrets are shared, and ordinary lives are profoundly altered.  A story of giving and receiving, of seeing and being seen, Theo of Golden is an unforgettable novel about the power of generosity, the importance of connection, and the quiet miracles that happen when we choose kindness and wonder. (description at Amazon)

I'm serious, go read it.  You can even borrow my copy.

Taking a short break from reading to finish up a cross - stitch project and to let me soul just sit in the wonderousness of Theo ...

O:)

Melissa

A Seaside Wonder (Muir Harbor #2), book #27

 

Such a delightful book!  I was about 20% in when things started rolling around in my mind ~ why did some of this seem familiar?  Was it like a text to text connection from other books I had been reading?  But more and more I realized I *knew* this family, what was it?  That was when I realized this was book #2 in the series and I read the first one here! 

My favorite quote from the book that really hit home:

She’s put her trust in a God who . . . who maybe doesn’t make every crack disappear, but who holds all her broken pieces tenderly. Who heals her simply by being with her. Staying with her.

Professor Philip West never wanted to return to Maine . . . or his grandfather’s miserable old house. But after his mother’s death, he’s now the guardian of a teenage half sister who doesn’t want anything to do with him. He longs to help her heal, but he’s exhausted and numb, desperate for relief of his own. Maybe that’s why he’s so easily distracted when he happens upon the little shop with an intriguing owner—one who happens to share a name with someone from his grandfather's mysterious past.  More than a decade has passed since Indi Muir made the heartbreaking decision she’s never recovered from—though she’s certainly tried. She has a full life running her shop and creating the artsy pieces that fill its shelves. If she can just stay busy, she’ll keep her hurt and regret at bay. But when her ex-fiancé returns to Muir Harbor, he brings news that shatters her carefully built walls. Things only get worse when lurking danger comes calling at her childhood home.  The one bright spot amid Indi’s turmoil is the shy stranger who wandered into her shop months ago and his moody but lovable sister. As she confronts her past and the mysterious threat facing her family, she’s intent on helping Philip win over his sister. He just might win over Indi, too, if they can overcome old secrets and wounds, outrun rising peril . . . and take a chance on love. (picture and description at Amazon)

Next up, a book everyone is raving about.  I had been holding out on reading it, but when 2 people in one week were telling me about I decided it was time to jump in!  

Always keep reading!

O:)

Melissa

Sixty Acres and a Bride (Ladies of Caldwell County #1), book #26

 

This book was kinda good, kinda odd, but ok I guess.  Apparently this is the author's debut novel so I'll give her some grace.  At some point I might like to read the others in the series to see if her writing gets any better ...

With nothing to their names, young widow Rosa Garner and her mother-in-law return to their Texas family ranch. Only now the county is demanding back taxes and the women have just three months to pay.  Though facing eviction, Rosa falls in love with the countryside and the wonderful extended family who want only her best. They welcome her vivacious spirit and try to help her navigate puzzling American customs. She can't help but stand out, though, and her beauty captures attention. Where some offer help with dangerous strings attached, only one man seems honorable. But when Weston Garner, still grieving his own lost love, is unprepared to give his heart, Rosa must decide to what lengths she will go to save her future. (picture and description from Amazon)

Not sure what is next, but I hope it will be better ;)

O:)

Melissa

The Targeted (Secrets to Keep #3), book #25

 

Finished up the series ~ sad it ended, but I'm ready to move on.  

Can she protect her gym students before her past catches up?  When Chloe Ainsworth's older sister reappears after fourteen years, she brings with her the news that Chloe's abuser is back in town. Chloe is a coach at her childhood gym and fiercely protective of her young gymnasts. She won't allow them to suffer the way she did, but she's desperate for an ally—one who can help her make her case.  Law student Dare Shepherd works at the local legal clinic, where he meets Chloe and hears her out. He believes her case but can't get the clinic director on board. As he learns more about her story, he finds himself bound by a deepening personal care for Chloe.  They band together in search of answers, and suddenly the stakes skyrocket. It's clear they're onto something, but will they be able to find the answers before it's too later? (picture and description at Amazon)

I'm going to be really sad when this fun is over, I hope they decide to do it again next year!

Now I need to go find some pioneers or something ...

O:)

Melissa

The Accused (Secrets to Keep #2), book #24

 

Yep, you read that right -- book #2.  Let's back up.  As you remember from this last post  I said I was going to skip book #2 (remember, these are not cheap Kindle books) and go straight to book #3.  Well, I did. But as I was reading it, I realized THINGS HAPPENED in book 2 that I felt like I needed to know the back story.  I was about 30% through book 3 and I thought to myself ... Self, are you going to stop where you are and go back and read book 2?  Should I wait until I finish this book before I go back?  Or do I need to stop right now and see what happened, then come back and pick this up?  ... After reading another chapter or two I realized I did indeed need to go back RIGHT NOW and read book 2.  I'm really enjoying the author's writing/story/characters so why not?

So here is where it gets a little weird.  Maybe it's my fault for not reading the summary, but the book was really not about what I thought it was going to be about.  Don't get me wrong, it was still a great book!  It's just that what I thought it was going to be about the THINGS HAPPENED things, was only a very small subplot of the book.  But I'm still glad I read it, because I do love most everything about this series.  

I love how she occassionally throws in big words that I have to look up.  I love the character developement.  I love the plots and how it all comes together.  The only thing I don't like is that this amazing story that you have been so invested in wraps up really fast on the last or next to last page.  There is no Epilogue or breathing room once you see how it all ends up.  But other than that, I highly recommend these books!  

When a popular college student is murdered, her international roommate, Anneliese, becomes a prime suspect. But law professor Margeaux Robbins doesn't believe that the quiet, lonely German girl in her class is the killer.  Chase Crandall is a burned-out defense attorney ready to extricate himself from the grind of criminal law. After he loses a client to tragedy, he's ready for an in-house corporate position.  When Chase is assigned to Anneliese's case, Margeaux is horrified. She doesn’t want him to provide legal counsel—not after what happened to his past client. And not with the evidence incriminating Anneliese.  Despite their mutual misgivings, the lawyer and professor pair up to find the killer and prove Anneliese's innocence. Will they be able to untangle the mystery—and navigate their growing interest in one another—before the wrong person is charged with murder?  (picture and description at Amazon)

Now back to book 3!

Keep reading!

Melissa

The Vanished (Secrets to Keep #1), book #23

 

So, as I mentioned in the last post, I decided to go ahead and read the series of the next book for the Christian Fiction Reading Challenge.  I was pretty bummed when I realized that the three books were NOT in my library and they are NOT ones that are less expensive.  But the sounded good so I decided to go ahead.  I got the first one and really loved it, and as I was drawing near to the end, I could see how she could potentially drag the plot out through all three books, like the other series.  However, this book 1 wrapped everything up really fast on the last page and BOOM!  That was that!  

Then I said to myself, 'Hhm, what is the next book about?' So I checked and it is just another story with another one the characters in this same cute town, but not necessarily a continuation.  Thus, I have decided to skip The Accused (book #2) and go straight into The Targeted (book #3).

I did enjoy this book a lot, although it was interesting to me that it ALSO dealt with art and provenance, etc, since I have now read three books in the past year or so about it.  It was a whole world I knew nothing about until I started reading these books.  The story kept me on my toes, but I did not like how it wrapped everything up in a neat little bow on the last page or two.  

Janae Simmons left the small town of Kedgewick, Virginia, ten years ago to pursue her legal career and never looked back--until a professional mistake leads her to her grandmother's historic carriage house and to the town where her past threatens to find her. The quiet streets echo with her grandfather's sterling reputation, one that conflicts with fresh questions that claw at Janae, launching her on a reluctant journey to unearth his secrets. When her new job at a local law firm doesn't live up to expectations, she wonders if coming home was the right decision.  Carter Montgomery starts his art preservation career with the only job he can get—director at the Elliott Museum of Art. At least Kedgewick is a nice enough town to provide him and his nephew with a safe place to grieve the loss of Carter's sister. But Carter's calm days disappear when an elderly woman claims two paintings in the museum's collection were stolen from her family during World War II.  Carter enlists Janae's help to unravel the legal labyrinth of art ownership, and the peaceful facade of Kedgewick morphs into a hot bed of secrets. When an attorney turns up dead and Janae uncovers another painting, what began as a simple legal issue spirals into a race against time. As the web of intrigue tightens, the duo must confront a looming question: What dark truths lie beneath the surface, waiting to be exposed? (picture and description from Amazon)

Only a few more days till I get back to school and while I have enjoyed lazy mornings I love my job so much I can't wait to get back! 

O:)

Melissa

More than Friends, book #22

 

Cute book, but very similar to the one I just read.  Girl moves back home, ends up in love with boy next door .... etc etc

Jenna Greene just ended things with her boyfriend . . . which also ended her career. (That's the risk a girl takes when her boyfriend doubles as her boss.) With no income and no job prospects in sight, Jenna is forced to return to her mother's house on Chincoteague Island, Virginia, to figure out what's next. And the timing couldn't be more perfect. Jenna's widowed mother has just returned from a cruise--with a brand-new boyfriend in tow. But there's something off about the guy. His story doesn't quite add up, and he keeps sneaking off to make suspicious phone calls and borrowing money from her too-trusting mother.  In search of some investigative help, Jenna turns to her childhood BFF, Tyson Parker, who lives and works in town. Still reeling from his wife's infidelity, Tyson is doing his best to heal from the pain of divorce. He's made a name for himself on the island as a volunteer firefighter and one of the much-admired saltwater cowboys who looks after Chincoteague's wild ponies. Oh, and he turned out to be more than a tiny bit attractive--besides being almost-too-good-to-be-true sweet and caring.  Growing up, the uber-competitive Jenna was always accepted as one of the guys. But things have changed between her and Tyson, and he's now looking at her through new eyes. Jenna suddenly feels like a leading lady on a movie set--only with way less composure.  But Jenna also has old wounds that make these new feelings seem fraught with peril. Is she willing to open her heart and see where love might lead? Or will she let her hesitant heart hold her back?  (picture and description at Amazon)

This book was the July selection for the Christian Fiction Reading Challenge.  I wasn't necessarily going to read it now, but someone mentioned the August book was #3 in a series and they wanted to read the other two first.  Since When Justice Comes made so much more sense when I read the first two, I decided to go ahead and start on the August series.  Sadly, they are not at the library and are not cheap books on Amazon :(  But from what I have read so far of it, it should be good!!

Only two more weeks before I'm back at school!

Melissa

On Hummingbird Wings, book #21

 

A nice break from the heavy stuff I have been reading!  It was a quick read because it drew me in fast.  Gave me several thoughts about what it might be like if I was "dying" and how my girls might respond.

"But Mother is always dying," is Gillian Ormsby's sarcastic response when her younger, favored sister tells her that she has to go take care of their hypochondriac mother. Begrudgingly, Gillian arrives in California to find the garden and yard dead, the blinds all drawn, and her mother indeed waiting to die. But when Gillian talks with the doctor, he assures her there's no medical reason behind her mother's state.  Gillian insists Mother get out of bed, eat, exercise and hopefully, choose to live. She also sets about reviving the garden to its former glory, enlisting the help of Adam, a handsome man who owns a family gardening business with his father. Gillian is delighted when a pair of hummingbirds appear, and her friendship with Adam grows.  Soon, Mother's health improves, and one day she announces she and her friend Enzio are going on a cruise. Before Gillian has time to turn around, her mother is gone and she is left high and dry again, and wondering, what is she going to do with the rest of her own life?   (picture and description at Amazon)

Gonna get started on the Christian Fiction book for July so I will have time to read all three book in the series for August! 

Hope you are enjoying summer reading!

MeLissa

Until We Find Home, book #20

 

Wow but wow but wow!  It took a while to get into this, but once I was hooked I was hooked!  This poor girl was so mixed up with so may emotions and situations, but once she worked through all of them (about 80% of the way through!) she had her head on straight and did what needed to be done.  Loved the characters, loved the detailed writing to help me "see" the locations, loved the history mixed in to teach me things that didn't come up in my class books & loved the ending.   Highly recommend!

For American Claire Stewart, joining the French Resistance sounded as romantic as the storylines she hopes will one day grace the novels she wants to write. But when she finds herself stranded on English shores, with five French Jewish children she smuggled across the channel before Nazis stormed Paris, reality feels more akin to fear.  With nowhere to go, Claire throws herself on the mercy of an estranged aunt, begging Lady Miranda Langford to take the children into her magnificent estate. Heavily weighted with grief of her own, Miranda reluctantly agrees . . . if Claire will stay to help. Though desperate to return to France and the man she loves, Claire has few options. But her tumultuous upbringing―spent in the refuge of novels with fictional friends―has ill-prepared her for the daily dramas of raising children, or for the way David Campbell, a fellow American boarder, challenges her notions of love. Nor could she foresee how the tentacles of war will invade their quiet haven, threatening all who have come to call Bluebell Wood home and risking the only family she’s ever known. (photo and description at Amazon)

I'm thinking it's time for another mystery thriller ...

Keep up summer reading!

Melissa

Run for the Hills, book #19

 

So, this book.  Hhm.  How do I feel about this book?  Quite honestly I'm not entirely sure.  

Rebecca got it for me for Christmas, as he is a Tennessee author and she thought I would like it.  The description sounded like it would be a fun read:

Ever since her dad left them twenty years ago, it’s been just Madeline Hill and her mom on their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee. While it’s a bit lonely, she sometimes admits, and a less exciting life than what she imagined for herself, it’s mostly okay. Mostly.  Then one day Reuben Hill pulls up in a PT Cruiser and informs Madeline that he believes she’s his half sister. Reuben—left behind by their dad thirty years ago—has hired a detective to track down their father and a string of other half siblings. And he wants Mad to leave her home and join him for the craziest kind of road trip imaginable to find them all.  As Mad and Rube—and eventually the others—share stories of their father, who behaved so differently in each life he created, they begin to question what he was looking for with every new incarnation. Who are they to one another? What kind of man will they find? And how will these new relationships change Mad’s previously solitary life on the farm?  Infused with deadpan wit, zany hijinks, and enormous heart, Run for the Hills is a sibling story like no other—a novel about a family forged under the most unlikely circumstances and united by hope in an unknown future. (pic and description from Amazon)

But was it really fun?  Yes and no.  I had trouble getting into it at first because I didn't much care for the writing style (a personal preference) and it was only the first two kids.  As the others were added it did pick up some, but I would hardly call it filled with zany hijinks.  I almost felt like there was more that one person writing it, as parts were really, really good, other parts took off on ways that did NOT sound like the author at all (all the basketball stuff), and the end was a major let down.  

All that to say ... last night when Katie casually asked me at supper what the book was about I went into a long 15-20 minute explanation, first about what actually happened and then about what the book was about (you will understand after you read it! 😊) and then I explained what happened in the book.  And as I was telling the story it was pretty unbelieveable, because of course I was adding crazy to it.  After a long deep sigh, I asked, 'So do you guys want to read it?' They just looked at me and said, 'Well, we don't need to read it now...' 

All in all, I'm ready to get back to my pioneers and indians or Civil War or something after these last few books! 🤣

Happy Summer Reading!

Melissa

To Win a Crown (True Blue Royal Book 3), book #18

 

Well, this was another Christian Fiction Readers Challenge book and even though I decided not to read the first two, I think I have a good idea about how these folks got to where they are today.  I wouldn't mind going back and reading them at some time, but not right now.

Cute book. good plot and drama, enough love to keep me happy.  Here is the thing that I kept thinking, though.  Rachel Hauck has written a plethora of books about royal families and I just wonder if she has some royal blood in her or if she just does A LOT of research.  I haven't read one of her "royal" books lately, but this one had a lot of rules, guidelines, laws, etc in it, along with all these different places.  How on earth does she come up with all these different names of countries and areas and castles and ... and ... and .... I look forward to asking that question on our Zoom meeting later this month! 

Scottie O'Shay has built a perfect life as creative director of her family's Tennessee fashion empire — until a reporter's exposé reveals she's the secret daughter of the Queen of Lauchtenland. Flying to Europe for answers, she's thrown into palace intrigue, ancient rivalries, and the steady gaze of Michael Cross — the bodyguard whose quiet strength makes her feel dangerously at home.  Michael has loved and lost. He won't risk his heart again — especially not on an American heiress with one foot already on a plane home.  But when a late-night kiss in a hidden doorway melts duty into devotion, neither one can pretend anymore. Then devastating news from Tennessee shatters the fairy tale, and Scottie faces an impossible choice: the safe life she built, or the uncharted kingdom where a crown — and a love she's barely begun to claim — wait for her. (picture and description at Amazon)

Not sure what is next, but I'm excited to finally be off for my half summer break from work!

Keep up the summertime reading!

O:)

Melissa

Before We Were Yours, book #17

 

To say this book slayed me, to say it ripped me to the core ... would be an understatement.  Especially with the picture on the cover (I did read a hard copy of this, one I borrowed from Leah, although apparently I have one on my Paperwhite and didn't realize it!).  This author is known for digging deep and writing as though you are walking through emotional minefields with her, and she did not disappoint this go around.  (See here + here + here) I just can't even imagine the situation these girls were put in, and the fortitude with which Rill/May handled it.  Things 12 year olds should not have to handle!  I know our orphanage/foster care systems have improved greatly since 1950, but there is still so much that needs to be done.  

Must read = 20/10!!

Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty.  

Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption.  Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong. (picture and description at Amazon)

I think I'm going to need some light and fluffy after this!  

Happy Summer Reading!

O:)

Melissa