More Summer Reading

I am almost done the summer reading list! I have one more on hold at the library, and I just need to pick it up (it came in the day after I was at the library this week).

There aren't many to mention this time; I think I was close to finished last time I reported. 

I have read the first book in the DreamKeeper Saga: The Dragon and the Stone by Kathryn Butler. It was a good story, full of imagination, allusions to Christianity (I think it's intended to be an allegory, but not quite), and fun. I have just started the second book as well.

Not fiction, but I did look at two book in The Story of the Orchestra series: The Planets and Carnival of the Animals. They were fun, with buttons to push to hear parts of the symphony as you read a story (and I learned that if you stack the books and one is too heavy, it will also make the music play!). It's a good way to introduce classical music to kids and maybe adults as well.

Someone had recommended the Brave books, a whole series of picture books by different authors, including Kirk Cameron. I could only find a few at the library, but they're pretty good on the whole, although some of the stories are more engaging than others. They teach life lessons from a biblical viewpoint and include the Brave Challenge at the end of each book, with games and activities to reinforce the lessons. I'm considering them for the church library.

Not on my original list: 

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. A friend read it to her boys, cried a lot, and insisted that I read it as well! I cried a lot too, and loved it! It's beautifully written and wonderfully engaging.

I stumbled upon The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall. I enjoyed her Penderwick series, and this one (a stand-alone) was also fun. It has a neglected girl, a wonderful uncle, a young neighbour, a library, and some tiny creatures that usually can't be seen by anyone over the age of 6. My only problem was that she and the librarian justified the theft of a portrait; I don't really want children thinking that crime can be justified so easily.

I also started reading more the the Dear Canada series, just for fun. There are several newer ones that I don't know.

It's been a fun summer of light reading.

Reading Lists

I keep lists of what I've read; I have for years. Lately, I've been going through some of the lists, trying to compile a list of the best ones for The Book of Books for Kids and Youth. I have a new notebook just for the job!

Some thoughts as I go through the lists:

1. Oh, yeah, that was a good book!

2. Not that one!

3. What was that book. I don't even recognize the title!

4. Oh, that's why that book that I read last month seemed familiar! I read it (checks date) 12 years ago. Okay, I guess it's okay that I forgot about it!

5. Hey, I just checked that one out of the library; I thought it sounded good. I was right!

My book lists date back to 2012 (although a few years are missing because they ended tracked elsewhere), so there are a lot of books! I generally just note the title and author, and I sort them by fiction, nonfiction, children/youth, and picture books.

The Book of Books for Kids and Youth is a new project and a work-in-progress. I anticipate it going on for years, since there are always new books to read. Also, in my going through, I skipped the pages and pages of picture books I've read over the past few years. That's a project of its own!

More Books for Children

July was full of reading books recommended by children and families, and I'm almost done the list. I have a few on hold at the library; once they're in and read, that goal is complete. Until I start meetings again in the fall and get a new list!

Here are the ones I really liked:

• Britfield and the Lost Crown; Britfield and the Rise of the Lion by C.R. Stewart
• The first Britfield book is all adventure, escape, and running from bad guys through England; the second one is all adventure, escape, and running from more and worse bad guys through France! There's intrigue, danger, and (in the second book) a major, world-wide conspiracy headed by some very, very bad guys with amazing tech. The fighting gets more intense and there are more casualties, but it's never gory or excessive. 
• An added bonus: The author includes history and other information about the areas the kids are traveling through.
• There are two more books out (and another one coming), but the library doesn't have them, so I haven't read them. I know that one takes place in Italy, and I think the next in Austria.

• The Restorationists trilogy by Carolyn Leiloglou
• The job of restorationists is to restore paintings, especially after the distortionists have damaged them. The best part is how they do it: by traveling into and through paintings! Of course, there's adventure, confusion, and danger, but also a lot of fun and some facts about artists and artwork.
• The stories are interesting in that they each focus on a different young restorationist and his or her specific challenges (anger, jealousy, fear), while telling the story of the battle between good and evil. It's very well done. I wish there were more books!

• The Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem
• The stories are fun, simple, and entertaining. The main attraction, for me at least, is the artwork. It's so wonderful and detailed! 

• Mac Undercover by Mac Barnett and Mike Lowry
• The story is okay, silly, and will be enjoyed by children. I do not like that the author claims that the book (and the series) are true, and that when he was a kid, he was a spy. I don't like that sort of dishonesty in books; let's not confuse children about real and make-believe. Yes, the story is so far-fetched that it's unbelievable, but some children may believe it. Aside from that, the story was fine and the illustrations are good.

• Pax by Sara Penny Packer
• The story contains war, violence (against humans and animals), and an adult's PTSD from a previous war, including her telling a child about killing a man. I would absolutely not give it to younger children, nor to many in the preteen or early teen age.
• It's also very much pro-nature and anti-human.
• It's officially recommended for 8-12 year olds, with some upping the age to 10-14. I would say that the reading level is accurate for the younger age, but the content level is better for older children (maybe even older than 14).
• If you want to have your child read it anyway, read it first. Then you'll be ready for hard conversations and potential nightmares.

That's the list for now. It's been a fun month of reading!

Quick Recommendations

I don't know how many of the books written by my former Sunday School children I've recommended, but here is the list, in order of publication date:

A Vessel in the King's Hand: A Story of the Filles du Roi by Abigail Froese

A Parched Land by Elizabeth Russell

A War Within by Maddison Ford

Difficult Decisions in Difficult Days by Elizabeth Russell

When All Isn't Right With the World: Letters from Golden West Farm by A. Frose

That's the list, for now. I'm looking forward to more from the children, especially the sequel to A War Within. I think they're all wonderful, so go and read them.

Books, Books, Books

I have started my plan to read all the recommended books, or at least all the books I can get from the public library. I'm a little disappointed at the number that aren't available.

So far, the books have mostly been good, although not without some problems here and there.

There is one I won't recommend because there's a bit that I suspect the parents don't know about. It's rather subtle and may go over the heads of children, but it's there anyway.

I'm also a little hesitant about The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series by MaryRose Wood. I read book 1, The Mysterious Howling. As I read it, I thought "She was definitely influenced by Lemony Snicket and A Series of Unfortunate Events." After the first book, I looked up the series to see what the rest were about, and many of the reviews and websites mentioned A Series of Unfortunate Events! It's not in the storyline, but the writing style.

The book started out well. Someone found three wild children (they had been raised by wolves) on his estate and claimed them. Penelope comes to be their governess and she tames them just as she would an animal. The taming is pretty quick in many ways, but it makes for a good story. It's only later that I began to be concerned about giving it to children. There is a party, and some of the men talk about hunting the children. The lady of the house also gets very drunk at the party. There are themes that many children aren't ready for. The story ends on a cliffhanger: What is really going on at the house? (That's when I looked it up online so I didn't have to read the rest!)

It's probably okay for some children and a bit much for others. As I said, I'm hesitant, not refusing. It's down for readers aged 8-12.

On the list of fun books that I will definitely recommend (the grade levels are approximate and will change by child; they can also be read alouds for younger students):

• Appleblossom the Possum by Holly Goldberg Sloan (around grades 3-5)
• Young Appleblossom gets stuck in a people house. At first it's fun, but then she misses her family and outside. Happily, her brother are planning a rescue! It's a fun story and children can learn a little bit about possums.

• The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (around grades 3-5)
• Roz the robot washes up on the shores of an island inhabited by a plethora of wildlife. She learns to communicate with them and to enjoy being wild. In the end, she has to head back to civilization for repairs, but that it not the end. There are 2 more books in the series, and a picture book for younger children.

• Sunny the Shark by Remy Lai (around grades 1-3)
•  This is a simple story about a shark, some fish friends, and the dangers of pollution.

• Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library; Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics; and Mrs. Pennypickle's Puzzle Quest by Chris Grabenstein (around grades 3-7)
• The title of the first one won me over fairly quickly! The Mr. Lemoncello stories are fun and full of puzzles and quizzes. There are two more that I haven't read. I enjoyed them more than the Mrs. Pennypickle book; while it was an okay story, parts of it felt forced, and I didn't really enjoy the ending.

There are still more books that I'm reading, and more waiting for me at the library! It's a very fun way to spend summer afternoons.

July Plan

Summer is definitely upon us. We have had so much rain, with more to come. On the other hand, the sunny days are getting hotter. My garden is growing nicely. The little pot of perennials from last summer has flowers just starting to bud, the tomatoes and growing well, I've already harvested some green onions, and the other flowers are bright and cheerful.

I don't have a lot of work in the summer. The happy life of a homeschool facilitator means that I'm pretty much off until mid-August or thereabouts (whenever parents start filling out program plans). I just need to check email once in a while just in case. I do a bit of tutoring once a week, and I'm doing some tech work for a friend, but that doesn't take much of my time.

My plan for July is to read, read, and read more. Specifically, I plan to read children/young adult books. I get piles of recommendations from families, and I like to read the books before passing the recommendations on. It's not that I don't trust my families, only that different families have different rules for what they want their children to read. 

Which means I get to do a lot of light, easy reading next month! I've already started, and now I'm just waiting to get more books from the library. I'll also mix in some deeper reading; I have some biographies, theology, and history in my summer pile as well. 

The main goal for July, though, is rest. Reading lighter, simpler books has a double benefit: I can recommend things to families and I get to rest. It's a win-win!

In Which I Try A New Genre

I have a high school student who is a Very Reluctant reader. Tutoring him is a challenge, as not only does he not want to read the books for his course, his dad agrees that he doesn't have to read all the books. We ran into trouble when the assignment was directly from To Kill a Mockingbird and he had not (and did not want to) read it.

He had to read something. We couldn't do all the assignments from Tom Sawyer (which I'm pretty sure he read at least most of).

He finally agreed to read Leviathan by Scott Westfeld. It's a steampunk novel, and WWI alternate history, and his parents had given it to him for Christmas, and he had immediately tossed it on a shelf and ignored it until recently. And, lo and behold, he enjoyed it. I mean, really enjoyed it. Enough that his parents got him the sequels and he's reading them.

One of his favourite things is that the book describes how things work. One side has been building mechanical beasts and means of travel, and the other has been playing with biology and coming up with their own contraptions and animals. The book talks a lot about how they work, more than just "it flies because it does". My student is mechanically inclined and that appealed to him.

So.... I read the book. It was not a bad story. The characters are interesting, the story moves fairly quickly, and it wasn't too predictable. The steampunk bits were just like any fantasy book, so not that strange for anyone who has read a lot of fantasy (raises hand). I probably won't read the sequels, but that's nothing about the story and more about being the wrong age with the wrong interests. I like my historical fiction a bit more realistic.

I'd definitely recommend it for teen boys who like reading about adventure, war, close escapes, and mechanics and the like. 

Books

I did not intend to disappear for almost a month! Facilitator meeting months are extra busy and I've been working and tired. Three more weeks and things will settle down again.

For now, two books for the younger generation (preteen age, maybe a bit younger even) that I've been introduced to recently:

Beyond Mulberry Glen by Millie Florence

This was on a list somewhere! It's a lovely story, well-written and engaging. 

From the back: "Eleven-year-old Lydia Green doesn't want anything to change. She lives happily in Mulberry Glen with her mismatched family of a fairy guardian, a philosopher, and twin troublemakers known as the Zs."

Of course, something happens to cause Lydia to leave home and head off on an adventure to rescue the Zs and save her part of the world. The characters are real, the story flows, the danger is growing, and the ending is satisfactory.

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

One of my homeschool students told me about this one; he loved it, so I thought I'd give it a try. It's a fun story about 12-year-old Kyle Keeley and a group of friends and/or classmates who are chosen for a lock-in at the new library. The next morning, they learn the the library is also an escape room and they're welcome to stay and try to find their way out.

Some of the characters seemed a bit one-dimensional, but most of them showed some growth through the adventure (others did not, but really, how much growth can you reasonable expect from someone over a 12 hour period?). The children face challenges that could only be solved in the library stacks and, eventually, by working together. It was fun, and full of little bits of book-related trivia.

Overall, I quite enjoyed the story, enough that I'm planning to try the sequel as well!

The Correspondent

Once again I return to the list of "I have no idea who recommended this book" to talk about The Correspondent by Virginia Evans.

Seriously: I have so many recommendations from so many people and websites that I'm not sure where I heard about this one or how it made it on my list. It obviously looked interesting enough and it's very popular; I waited a long time for it to come in at the library and there are currently 712 holds on it (I'm returning it this afternoon so the next person can read it).

I really enjoyed the story. It's told in letter form (with some emails) over about 10 years. The main character, Sybil, is in her early 70s when the novel opens. She has written letters all her life and is not willing to give up and make the switch to email completely. Most of the letters are ones she writes, although some are written to her.

As the story unfolds, we learn more about Sybil's life, her past, and her family. We see her interact with other people: old friends, her brother and children, her friend's young son, a customer service rep whom she manages to befriend, and other characters. We start to get a picture of what type of person Sybil is and what influences in the past have shaped her present.

As a bonus, Sybil is a reader and often writes about books, either writing to the authors or sharing "what I'm reading now" with a friend.

The story is not action and adventure, but character and life. It held my attention and I read it quickly, over a couple days of riding the bus (my best reading time right now). I'm very glad that I picked it up and happily recommend it to others.

Reading to the Kids

Today is Wednesday, and Wednesday mornings are for taking care of the homeschool kids while their moms are in the Bible study, and one of the best parts is reading to the little guys (5-6 years old).

Today was a very good day because, after a month of various illnesses, most of my littlest lambs were back. Also, we read 4 books, so they were very happy.

Our books for today:

Ol' Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein

When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Diane Goode

ish by Peter H. Reynolds

My Daddy is a Cowboy by Stephanie Seales, illustrated by C.G. Esperanza

The children were full of energy, questions, and comments this morning. There were a lot of requests to see something in the picture, to know who the person was, to know why someone did something, to know what was going to happen.... I finally asked, "Do you know how books work? I read, you listen, and then you'll find out!" But I wasn't actually feeling impatient with them; I was more amused at their chatter.

There were also judgements of the characters ("He's not being nice to his sister"), misunderstandings ("Why did he throw out her pictures?" "He didn't; he threw out his own pictures and she rescued them"), and random thoughts ("I'm going swimming today!").

The best was when we got to the last book, My Daddy is a Cowboy. They had so many questions and comments about the people and the horses and the people who weren't even in the story and the cake in the shop window. Every page elicited more questions and comments.

Then we got to the line where the little girl talks about her daddy telling her stories about his childhood and says, "I listen closely and only interrupt five times to ask questions." 

And my sweet lambs thought that five times was a lot and that she shouldn't interrupt. I just laughed at them and kept going.

Wednesday morning story time is one of my favourite times.

The Woman All Spies Fear: a book review

My local branch library has moved across the road. The space is larger and brighter and nicer, and I think there are more books. Especially when it's very cold, I tend to hang out and browse the shelves for a few minutes before leaving in time to catch the bus and not have to wait outside.

In my perusal of the 900s, I came across The Woman All Spies Fear by Amy Butler Greenfield. She tells the story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, a code breaker who worked for various U.S. government and military branches during, between, and after both World Wars. I had read a children's picture book about her and was interested in getting to know her more. (Just as an aside, her parents spelled her name with the extra "e" where and "a" would usually be.)

The book was excellent and I enjoyed it very much! I didn't realize that it's officially a young adult book, and I don't really care who it was written for; I just care that the story is good. I enjoyed reading about Elizebeth's life and work, and that of her husband, William (also a code breaker). Elizebeth cracked codes during both World Wars, including being part of cracking the Enigma code in the U.S. She also helped decode messages from rum runners during Prohibition, smugglers, and spies. She also helped various people and institutions develop codes; as a master cryptologist, she knew how to make sure codes were virtually unbreakable.

Interspersed in the book are short sections (2-3 pages each) teaching about various types of codes and ciphers. I found those bits equally interesting and had fun thinking about types of codes I could create, despite having no real need for codes!

Overall, it was a very good, very well-written book. It discussed Elizabeth's challenges as a cryptologist, some of which were because she was a female in the early 20th Century doing "men's work", but also of her triumphs and joys. It also told of her family: her husband, William, and his own work and mental challenges, and their two children, Barbara and John. 

I would recommend it for anyone interested in that particular period of history or codes and codebreaking.  

Books So Far

I've been reading regularly this year. January/February are my quiet months, so I regularly set aside time to read more. I'm also aiming at reading more nonfiction this year.

So far, I have read (or finished reading):

Fiction

The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin. I really enjoy her historical fiction; this one taught me about the trials of upper-class women in Victorian London.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Bockman. It was pretty good. The concept was fairly standard: A grumpy old man is changed by the family who moved in next door. It was well-told and not too predictable.

Non-fiction

Finding My Way by Malala Yousafzai. It was interesting to read what her life was really like after her earlier story in I Am Malala.

Biblical Counseling in Practice by Martha Peace. I had started it in December. It's very practical and looks at many of the challenges that women face.

Notes From the Tilt-a-Whirl by N.D. Wilson. I have to say, this was different, but in a good way. He looks at God, theology, and various issues, from a very unique perspective.

The Twelve Monotasks by Thatcher Wine. I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this one. It's about the importance of doing one thing at a time and doing it well.

Unplug by Richard Simon. I found this one while browsing in the library. I don't have a smartphone that I carry with me (I use one primarily at home for a few apps); I prefer to use a flip phone. The book didn't quite relate to me as it was about detoxing from smartphone addiction. It was still a good look at how to keep my phone from taking over if I ever switch to it permanently.

Picture Books

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman. It was a fun read; the illustrations really made the book.

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen. This is short and simple: Sam and Dave are digging for something amazing and keep missing diamonds. The kids felt bad for them, but happy that the dog found a treasure (a bone)!

Lighthouse: A Story of Remembrance by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Janet Wilson. This is quite different from Robert Munsch's regular books. It's a gentle story about a father and daughter remembering her grandfather. The kids enjoyed it, although I did have to explain to some of them what a funeral is.

Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by David Ezra Stein. The kids love Interrupting Chicken (this is our second story about him). The youngest ones didn't quite get the idea of "element of surprise", but they loved the elephant popping up in the story.

2025 in Books: Picture Books

It is time to give some loving to the world of picture books! I read a LOT of picture books, but I only track the ones I read to my Wednesday morning kids with a goal to see how many years I can go without repeating a book. So far it's three years! I read some other picture books, occasionally to other children (although there's some overlap with the Wednesday books); other books I read and decide aren't right for my children.

Some of our favourites from the past year....

• Many by Mo Willems, including:
• Leonardo the Terrible Monster
• The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster
• Knuffle Bunny Too
• Sam the Most Scardy-Cat Kid in the Whole World
• That is NOT a Good Idea
• Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
• Knuffle Bunny Free
• The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!
• The Pigeon Needs a Bath
• Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late

• By Jan Brett:
• Annie and the Wild Animals
• The Turnip
• The Umbrella
• Mossy
• The Snowy Nap

• Amos McGee Misses the Bus, written by Philip C. Stead and illustrated by Erin E. Stead
• Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
• The Dodsworth books by Tim Egan
• The Trial of Cardigan Jones by Tim Egan
• Snow by Uri Schulevitz
• No T. Rex in the Library, written by Toni Buzzeo and illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa
• Dragons Like Tacos Too, written by Adam Rubin and illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
• Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing, written by Jude Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett
• The Many Problems of Rochel-Leah, written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Felishia Henditirto 
• If You Give a Pig a Pancake, written by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond
• Blizzard by John Rocco
• Cold Snap, written by Eileen Spinelli and illustrated by Marjorie Priceman
• Don't Trust Fish, written by Neil Sharpson and illustrated by Dan Santat

2025 in Books: Fiction

Most of my favourite fiction books of the year fall into two categories: historical fiction and Elm Creek Quilters.

Elm Creek Quilters is a series by Jennifer Chiaverini. The books generally center around a group who run a quilter's retreat somewhere in Pennsylvania, as well as some of the people who attend the retreat. Other of the books look back at the history of the area and the ancestors of the current owner of the mansion that houses the retreat. I enjoy the stories and find them good "bus books" (interesting enough for me to forget that I'm on the bus a lot; simple enough that I can focus on them and ignore the noise around me). This year I read 13 of them and that caught me up with the current books. I'm waiting for the next one to come out next year!

My favourite historical fiction (not counting the historical Elm Creek books):

• The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin (WWII, Poland)
• A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (1922-1954, Russia)
• The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin (WWII, London)
• The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly (WWII, Martha's Vineyard)
• A Town Called Alice (WWII and slightly beyond; Sumatra and Australia)
• Half Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls (1900s-1950s, mostly Arizona and Texas; the author calls this a "true-life novel" as it is about her grandmother; I think it fits in the same category as the Little House books)
• The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry (primarily 1952 with some flashbacks to 1920s; South Carolina and London/Lake District during the 1952 Great Smog of London)

Other books:

• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
• The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Lucy Gilmore
• The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore
• The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osmon

2025 in Books: Nonfiction

I have read 46 nonfiction and 41 fiction books this year. I also read 15 youth fiction, ranging from early chapter books to later teen books, at least in part to determine if I could recommend them to others. I also read 74 picture books to the homeschool room kids (and a few more to other kids that didn't get recorded). It was a good year for reading. I think that next year I will try for more nonfiction. The challenge there is that they are deeper books and take more time to read and process, while fiction are easier and usually faster to read.

My favourite nonfiction books read in 2025 are:

Biography/Memoir/Autobiography:

• The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson 
• Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose (if you only read one memoir on this list, read this one)
• The Watchmaker's Daughter by Larry Loftis (about Corrie Ten Boom)
• 84 Charing Cross Road and The Dutchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff 
• Gifted Hands by Ben Carson 
• Slow Noodles by Chantha Nguan
• Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar with Derick Dillard and Craig Vorlase
• Mom and Me and Mom by Maya Angelou
• How to Feed a Dictator by Witold Szablowski, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones (the lives of several dictators as seen primarily through their cooks)
• Reading the OED by Ammon Shea (seriously: he ready the entire many-volume set of the Oxford English Dictionary)
• From Jerusalem to Irain Jaya by Ruth A. Tucker (this is a history of missions with many short biographies)

Theology:

• Growing Your Faith by Jerry Bridges (I've read it before, but Jerry Bridges is always worth a re-read)
• Isaiah's Great Light by Kyle Swanson
• None Else by Joel Beeke and Brian Cosby (about God's character and attributes; I should pull it out as I start working on Sunday School lessons about God the Father)
• The Good Portion: Scripture by Keri Folmar
• Dear Titus edited by Nate Pickowicz (Pastor James wrote one of the chapters)
• Unmet Expectations by Lisa Hughes
• An Ark for All God's Noahs by Thomas Brooks (full title: "An Ark for All God's Noahs: In a Gloomy, Stormy Day, or, The Best Wine Reserved Till Last: or, The Transcendent Excellency of a Believer's Portion Above All Earthly Portions Whatsoever")
• Personal Declension by Octavius Winslow
• The Blessing of Humility by Jerry Bridges (I hadn't read this one before and I'm glad I did)

Spies (Technically this could be a subset of Biography/Memoir/Autobiography, but I like them as their own category.):

• Book and Dagger by Elyse Graham (WWII librarian and scholar spies)
• A Man Called Intrepid by William Stevenson (WWII spies)
• Spy Dust by Antonio and Jonna Mendez (Cold War spies)
• The Princess Spy by Larry Loftis (WWII and a bit into the Cold War)

Other:

• Do More Better by Tim Challies (I probably could have put it under theology, but it's also productivity for the glory of God and the good of others, and I found it helpful for organizing my responsibilities)
• Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
• Victorian Writers Then and Now by Thomas Finch

A Town Like Alice: A Book Review

I am not entirely sure how A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute made it onto my book radar. Maybe it was part of a recommended reading list (but which one?), or mentioned in another book, or I just saw it online somewhere. It's a bit of a mystery!

(Please note: the following two paragraphs contain spoilers, but nothing that you wouldn't see if you read the back of the book.)

The book was written in 1950 and encompasses World War II and a bit beyond. The main character is Jean Paget. She was living in Malaya at the start of the war, with several other women and some children, was forced into a 7-month death march around the island by the Japanese (side note: in the author's note, he says that it's based on an actual event in Sumatra during the war; it seems the Japanese didn't know how to (or want to) deal with a group of female and child prisoners and so kept sending them elsewhere). Eventually Jean and what is left of her group settle in a village for the remainder of the war. Once they are rescued, she goes back to England and tries to forget.

Of course, it's not that easy. There's an unexpected inheritance from a rich uncle, a return to Malaya to help the village who helped her, news that the Australian soldier who saved her life didn't die after all, a trip to Australia, and the challenges of outback life.

The story is good, and I really enjoyed it. I learned something about Malaya (now part of Malaysia) and Australia in the 1950s. The characters are complex enough to be interesting.

The most interesting part is that it's written in first person, but not from Jean's perspective. The story is told by Noel Strachan, the elderly lawyer who oversaw her uncle's estate. It starts with him telling us about his meeting with the uncle, and then his later meeting with Jean after the uncle dies. The uncle left the money in trust for Jean until she turns 35 (she's still in her 20s in the book), so Noel stays involved and gets quite interested in Jean's situation. We learn her history as she tells it to him. When she leaves for Australia, it is easy to forget that the lawyer is telling the story; she has been writing to him regularly so he feels he knows what it going on and he pops up occasionally as an advisor and in relation to the trust. It isn't until the end that it comes right back to him, and the book ends with the Noel talking.

So: Is it her story or his story? Maybe both. Either way, it is worth reading.

Wednesday Morning

 The women's study at the church has started again, and that means I get to be with my homeschool kids again on Wednesday mornings!

There was the usual first day chaos, with things not quite set up and children going to the wrong rooms (despite the email that told their moms exactly which room they were in). There was also some "but that child told me we were in this room" nonsense. Don't listen to the other children; listen to the person who set up the rooms! There was also one unregistered child who showed up, but since he was with the junior high kids, there was plenty of room for him.

After things settled, I was able to spend some time with the four rooms of elementary aged children. We played fast games of "Pets" trivia (courtesy of Professor Noggin, maker of many, many sets of trivia cards). I had time to read to the little ones as well. 

Reading to the little ones is my favourite part of the morning. There are around 12 of them and they're all 5 and 6 years old and they love story time. This week we read The Many Problems of Rochel-Leah by Jane Yolen, which I have written about previously; The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems, which is just as funny as all the pigeon books; and Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett, which is a fun story with excellent illustrations. It was an excellent start to the year with some of our favourite authors.

I am so happy to be caring for my little (and not-so-little) lambs once more!

About Books

Things that I like to read: 

• WWII historical fiction about librarians and books shop owners 
• Biographies
• Spy fiction and non fiction, especially Cold War CIA books
• Mysteries (but not the gory type)
• "Found family" stories
• Adventure stories
• WWII nonfiction about librarians
• Theology
• Travel books, fiction and nonfiction
• Various nonfiction books, especially in the social sciences area
• Many, many other books

Things that I don't enjoy reading:

• Romance novels (although I am okay with some romance in a book)
• Dual timeline novels (right now, anyway; I think I just need a break from them)
• Horror and thrillers
• Anything too gory
• Sex scenes, and doubly so when they are unnecessary and interrupt a perfectly good book
• Books that I have decided are too boring or strange
• Poorly written books

Things I am currently getting from the library:

• Books about librarians
• Travel books
• Many, many picture books to read to the bambinos on Wednesday mornings this fall
• Theology
• A novel about families and found families

Audio Books

In the past year or so I've started listening to audio books. I haven't listened to many and I still prefer reading books, but when I'm busy with mindless tasks or handicrafts or can't find the book in paper form at the library, I enjoy listening to books.

I usually enjoy listening. There was one book where the narrator was so boring I gave up. (I really wish the site the library uses would allow a preview of the reader's voice so I don't check it out and waste one of my 5-items-per-month that Hoopla allows).

On the other hand, the others have had great narrators. The ones by Corrie Ten Boom had a narrator with a Dutch accent which was exactly right.

My current listen is a bit more of a mixed bag. The story is read well and the character's voices are distinguishable (and the grandma who was born in Ukraine has an accent). The problem is that I found one character very whiny. Then I listened to her words instead of her voice and determined that I would not likely have read it that way. Her whininess could be read as concern, frustration, or even just normal speech. The narrator chose to have her sound whiny when I would not. And no, I don't know which one of us is correct in our choice.

It's interesting just how much difference the voice makes. And how we different readers can view the characters.

A Couple Books

Earlier this year I came upon 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. It was on a book list and it looked interesting and the library had it, so I read it. It's a short book of 20 years worth of letters between Helene, living in New York City and Frank Doel, chief buyer for Marks & Co antiquarian booksellers, located at 84 Charing Cross Road in London. It started as purely business: Helene was looking for various used books and Frank was selling them. Over time, their relationship grew, and others in the store and in Frank's life joined in the letter writing. It's just a simple story of a friendship that grew through letters and shared bits of life. It's also a peek into England post-WW2.

Recently I finished the follow up: The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street. After 84, Charing Cross Road was published in the UK, Helene was finally able to visit London. She met many of the people she had been corresponding with (although sadly not Frank, who died before the book was written) and several of her fans. It is Helene's journal about her fun in London. It's also a short book, but quite interesting.

Neither book is incredibly deep, but I found them to be simple, interesting stories of life.