Family Pictures, by Jane Green

This was a very enjoyable, thought-provoking book, except for the explicit sexual descriptions (I admit I am a prude). There were some errors in context that were mildly annoying, but I could get past them. I could predict from the blurb what was going to happen, and was just waiting for it to "hit the fan." It did, very explosively, and devastatingly, utterly wrecking the lives of two families. How the women managed to pull themselves and their children out of the pit made interesting reading.

The Watsons Go To Birmingham, by Christopher Paul Curtis

An award winning children's/young adult story about a typical African American family of the upper midwest who travel to Alabama to visit relatives before a fateful September Sunday. Mr. Curtis very skillfully blends humor with tragedy.

Evergreen, by Belva Plain

Having finished and enjoyed one Belva Plain book, I was eager to read another.

A great family saga, following Anna Friedman from her childhood in a 19th century Polish village through her immigration to America. Anna's life encompasses World Wars I and II, marriage, family, the depression, her husband's successful business, and many tragedies and joys.She lives to see grandchildren and a great granddaughter some fifty-odd years after her arrival.
Ever since her service as a maid in the Werner household, Anna has kept her attraction to the handsome young son of the family to herself, and after an incident several years later, she has even more devastating secrets to keep.

Whispers, by Belva Plain

Whispers and rumors abound, in the home and among friends and neighbors. Lies and cover-ups, to oneself, to children and other family members, to friends and neighbors. Finally, abruptly, and dramatically, it all must come out. A story of domestic violence, told very skillfully. This was not a pleasant book to read, but it kept me enthralled to the end.

In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote

A psychological thriller, a novel based on the facts concerning the murder of the Clutter family in a small town in west Kansas. Includes in depth descriptions and character studies of the victims and of the criminals, as well as of the friends and family members of both, and of the detectives.
I was afraid to read this, afraid it would be too disturbing for me, but now that I have read it, I am glad I did. Mr. Capote was an excellent writer. From the beginning I was deeply involved in the lives of the family and of the perpetrators. However, there is some controversy; family members and others who knew Mr. and Mrs. Clutter and their children are very unhappy with Capote's portrayal of them. And, there are some discrepancies with the facts of the case, as recorded in court records. I guess we can chalk that up to "poetic license," but I do think that Mr. Capote should have made that clear in his Acknowledgments section.

Hannah's List, by Debbie Macomber

A sweet romance based on an unusual premise. A young woman dying of cancer leaves a note for Michael, her grieving husband, to be read after her death. In it, she urges him to marry again, and even gives him a list of possible wives: her cousin, her oncology nurse, and a flighty, unpredictable model she met in her work as a buyer. Guess who Michael falls for? It's pretty obvious, even from the book's cover picture. However, as Shakespeare observed, "the course of true love never did run smooth" . The twists, turns, obstacles, and rocks in their path make for an interesting read.

Run, by Ann Patchett (audiobook)

This book was given to me by a Bookcrossing friend, a surprise gift sent in the mail! (Thanks again, Captivated Reader!) It is an audiobook. I am not in the habit of listening to books; I usually prefer to hold and read them, but as it happened, husband and I made several long auto trips in the last month, and we both enjoyed listening to the book in the car.
We got caught up in the story: a retired mayor of Boston, Mass. has taken his two adult adopted sons to a lecture by Jesse Jackson. As they were leaving, his older son stepped off the curb into the path of a SUV. A stranger pushed him out of the way, and was herself seriously injured. She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, leaving her 11 year old daughter alone on the street. The mayor and his sons persuade her come to their house. As it happens, the mayor's adopted sons are African-American, and so are the mother and daughter. As the story develops, long-hidden family secrets are slowly revealed and mysteries appear.
I never did quite understand older, natural born brother Sullivan's hidden past. Perhaps my thoughts wandered a little while that bit was explained, but I didn't want to listen to it all over again, just to find it. Otherwise, the story was quite enjoyable, but tied up a little too neatly and quickly at the end. Also, the bit about Tennessee's deceased friend mysteriously appearing in her hospital room seemed very strange, even surreal.
I did think that Peter Francis James did an excellent job narrating the story. His range of voices was spot on, from Boston Irish Catholic accents to Jamaican, Asian Indian, and perfect renditions of Jesse Jackson and of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (as heard on a radio in the story). Every one was distinct and well done, even the young girl, without resorting to the use of falsetto.

In a slump

I'm between books, sort of. I started In Cold Blood by Truman Capote several days ago, but haven't opened it since. I'm afraid it will be too gory for me, too explicitly grisly. I know it's hard to believe that a person of my age hasn't read it yet, and doesn't even know much about it, but that's the case for me. I do know that it is based on an actual event, the brutal murder of a family in rural Kansas.

I've been spending way too much time lately on my phone, on Facebook and playing Solitaire.

ETA: As you can tell from my entry of November 20 (today's date), I picked a lighter romance. Now I think I'm ready to tackle In Cold Blood.

Bookish Quote

image courtesy of clipartpanda.com

Seen on Bookcrossing.com

"What makes a book live? A book lives through the passionate recommendation of one reader to another. Nothing can throttle this basic impulse in the human being. Despite the views of cynics and misanthropes, it is my belief that men will always strive to share their deepest experiences."
Henry Miller

It is my hope that the books I enjoy will keep living, and that my reviews here and elsewhere are helpful to others.

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland, by Jim DeFede

I had seen an article on Facebook about the events in Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11/2001, and this book was mentioned in the article. I posted about it on a Bookcrossing forum, and said that I would like to read the book. A fellow Bookcrosser generously offered to send me her copy!

A wonderful book, a true account of the events in Gander, Newfoundland and surrounding areas following the attacks of September 11, 2001. All airspace in the USA and even North America was closed, and all flights in progress had to land ASAP at the nearest airport that could accommodate them. Gander had been the site of a huge military airbase during World War II, as a fueling station en route to Europe, so it was easily able to accommodate many airplanes. There were passengers from all over the world, with many cultural differences. The good citizens of Gander (and surrounding areas) very graciously provided food, medicine, shelter, bedding, even clothing, transportation to stores, etc, and did not forget the pets still on board the planes. The dietary needs of three Orthodox Jewish passengers were provided. Friendships were formed. It is a very heart-warming and inspirational book. I enjoyed it thoroughly and would highly recommend it!

I no longer have this book; I donated it to my church's semi annual yard sale to fund missions.

90 Minutes in Heaven, by Don Piper with Cecil Murphey

I borrowed this from a friend.

A devastating road accident results in Don Piper's death, arrival at heaven's gate, and subsequent return to earthly life. He struggles with constant pain, suffering, and wondering why he was "sent back."
This is a very inspiring book for all who have lost loved ones and have reason to believe that they are indeed in "a better place", and for all who are suffering, are despondent and who are wondering what life is all about.
It is unapologetically a Christian book, written by a Baptist pastor telling of his own experiences. I found it very inspiring, and would like to buy copies of my own, to share with others.

The Inimitable Jeeves, by P. G. Wodehouse

A loosely connected collection of short stories featuring Jeeves and Wooster.

Don't we all wish we had a Jeeves to take care of us, to provide our every need even before we knew we needed it, and to solve all our problems and our friends' problems with ease and diplomacy? Bertie Wooster is a young man of Edwardian England, a socialite who has received a good education and seemingly is not required to work for his living. He and his friends frequently find themselves "in the soup", usually of their own making, and Bertie's valet, Jeeves, always adroitly manages to restore them to the good graces of their families. The contrast between Bertie's casual Edwardian slang ("What ho and all that rot" for example), behavior, and attitude and Jeeves' very proper, conservative manner ("Very good, sir") was part of the fun of reading this.

The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck

I read this many years ago, but I only remember bits and pieces of it. When I saw it at a yard sale last spring, I bought it to read again. I'm glad I did. There are many gems in it.
On corporate, commercial farming: "Carbon is not a man, nor salt nor water nor calcium. He is all of these, but he is much more, much more; and the land is so much more than its analysis. ...that man who is more than his elements knows the land that is more than its analysis. But the machine man, driving a dead tractor on land he does not know and love, understands only chemistry; and he is contemptuous of the land and of himself. When the corrugated iron doors are shut, he goes home and his home is not the land."

On the Dust Bowl migration along Route 66: "The people in flight streamed out on 66 .... All day they rolled slowly along the road, and at night they stopped near water. In the day ancient leaky radiators sent up columns of steam, loose connecting rods hammered and pounded. And the men driving the trucks and the overloaded cars listened apprehensively. How far between towns? It is a terror between towns. If something breaks - well, if something breaks we camp right here ...."

The people didn't leave because of the dust. They left because huge corporations bought the land from the owners. The people no longer owned the land their ancestors had settled. Years before, they had had to borrow against it and had been unable to pay their debts. Banks owned it. Land companies owned it. Sold it for profit, and drove the sharecropping tenants out. They had high hopes of a better life in California.

The above is a partial review; I hadn't finished it then. All I can say now is that it is a very deep, rich book. A disturbing, thought-provoking book. It was well worth reading again, I'm glad I did.

Okay, I have finished it, and actually gotten my old atlas of the United States and followed their journey through Oklahoma, the Texas panhandle, New Mexico, Arizona, and into California! The town they started from, Sallisaw, OK is in the far eastern part of Oklahoma, near Ft. Smith, Arkansas.

The book told the story of the Joad family, and interspersed this with chapter-long essays on the economy of the nation, the dust bowl migration as a whole and its effect on the western states to which they migrated, and the attitudes and actions of the people they met along the way: auto dealers, who sold the "jalopies" they needed, owners and employees of gas stations and diners whom they approached for fuel, water, and even sometimes food, fellow travelers with whom they camped on the sides of roads, campground managers, sheriffs and state police. This slowed the pace somewhat, but it helped in my understanding of the immensity of the entire situation.

The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins

I bought this book because it was recommended by some of my friends. I tried to start it a few months ago, but distractions kept me from being able to immerse myself in it at that time, and I find that immersion is required for many of the 19th century English classics (Austen, and Dickens, for example).

This is a Bantam Classic paperback in gently used condition. The cover is a little worn and the pages are slightly yellowed with age (3rd printing, 1986). They are not marked nor dog-eared.

The Moonstone is considered the first modern detective novel, but Collins himself called it "A Romance". Certainly, it had romance in it, but the major plot revolved around the solving of the mysterious disappearance of a large diamond which had been presented to a young lady on her 18th birthday.
The story begins many centuries before, with a large golden-yellow diamond set in the forehead of an Asian Indian idol, the moon god. It is constantly watched by three Brahmin Indians, succeeding in turn by three more in each generation. It is their duty to always know where the diamond is, and if possible, to return it to its rightful place. Its turbulent history includes a curse, many wars and invasions, desecration and theft. Finally, another invading army, the British, sack and plunder the castle, and when it's all over, the diamond has been removed to England.
Two years after the Moonstone has been discovered missing from the sitting room of Miss Rachel Verinder, a family member and their lawyer decide it is worthwhile to have a written record of all the events of that evening and following. Thus we have the story, written as reports from the principals, beginning with the family's elderly and faithful servant, the butler and steward, Mr. Gabriel Betteredge. Reports are also given by Miss Clack, a "poor relation" spinster lady who is much concerned with missionary endeavors and is given to writing in excessively flowery language; by Mr. Bruff, the family's solicitor, mentioned above; by a cousin and suitor of Miss Verlinder, Franklin Blake; by physician's assistant Ezra Jennings; by the famous London detective, Sergeant Cuff; and by the family doctor, Mr. Candy.
The Epilogue consists of three more reports: by Sergeant Cuff's man, by a ship captain, and by Mr. Murthwaite, a man known to the family, who is well traveled in Asia and in Europe.
Of all the characters, I liked Mr. Betteredge best. (I'll have to re-read Robinson Crusoe now!) I also liked Ezra Jennings and Sgt. Cuff, and I learned to like Rachel Verinder. She began as a spoiled teenager, but grew to a wise, forgiving, and loving young lady. Of course, the most pitiable was poor Rosanna Spearman, who loved in vain.
There are several suspects who had motives for stealing the diamond, and I confess I was unable to guess who was the guilty party.

One Righteous Man: Samuel Battle and the Shattering of the Color Line in New York, by Arthur Browne

I read this book in June of this year, reviewed it on LibraryThing, and was shocked to see that I hadn't cross-posted it here! I still have it in my possession; I have not yet heard from Alabama State University. I will contact them again.

A biography of Samuel Battle, the first African American police officer in New York City, in 1911, and the challenges he faced getting on the force and fighting for each promotion and honor. He faced not only racial discrimination, but also Tammany Hall and organized crime.
This is also a story of race relations in the early years of the 20th century in the United States. What surprised me: (1) that the civil rights struggle did not begin in the 1950s; it began when the first shipload of African slaves was brought to what was then called the New World, and (2) that prejudice and discrimination was and is a national problem, not only a southern problem.
This book gave a fair and balanced account of Samuel Battle's life and behavior, revealing flaws as well as his many righteous and heroic deeds. We also see his personal life, a strong, loving husband and father, a man of faith, and a leader in his neighborhood and community.
This book is well documented and well researched, relying not only on Mr. Battle's own words in a manuscript written by Langston Hughes, but also citing public records and newspapers of the day. It has an extensive Notes section, as well as a very helpful Index.
I will try to donate this book to the Alabama State University, a historically black school in my hometown of Montgomery, Alabama. Mr. Battle's story should be shared with all who are interested in racial relations and in civil rights.

Happy Anniversary, Alice in Wonderland!

stock photo courtesy of Abe Books

I saw this note on Abe Books' Facebook page: "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a book loved by many and this year it celebrates its 150th anniversary. Learn about the author, the story, the illustrators and more on AbeBooks."

On the website linked below: "Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a story about a curious girl who falls down a rabbit hole and discovers a magical, nonsensical world, celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2015. Read by millions of children and adults alike around the world, this iconic book has been translated into at least 97 different languages and continues to be published in various forms. "

Read more here: Abe Books celebrates Alice in Wonderland

I have to say, of all the illustrators whose works are sampled in the website, I greatly prefer the original, John Tenniel, and also the Disney version (not pictured on the site). That was the Alice I grew up with, the little blond girl with a blue dress and white pinafore!

Did you read and enjoy Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking-Glass when you were a child? Have you read it since becoming an adult? I read it as a child, loved it then, and loved it again when I read it to my children!
Happy Anniversary, Alice!

Two books I want to read

I have discovered two books online that I would like to read.

One is an account I read on Facebook of the actions of the kind and generous citizens of Gander, Newfoundland, Canada, on September 11, 2001. Airplanes from all over the world were landing at their airport, and travelers were temporarily stranded for several days, as there were no flights into or out of the United States following the attacks.
The Day the World Came to Town

The other is from an article in The History Blog about Emily Post, When Emily Post Drove From Sea to Shining Sea .

The book is By Motor to the Golden Gate . It is available online only; it has been digitized.

English Fairy Tales

fairy tale image courtesy of Stock Vector Illustration, from Shutterstock, copyright lukeruk

With thanks to my friend Carrie of Reading to Know for the links.

Do you enjoy reading fairy tales for yourself or to share with children? Some of these may be more appropriate for older children, as the endings aren't always happy.

Here is one called Molly Whuppie and the Double Faced Giant Slightly reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel and Jack and the Beanstalk, but significantly different.

For more stories, see the Table of Contents on the left side of the The Baldwin Project site, linked above. One might spend a few satisfying hours on this site!

Private Life, by Jane Smiley

This book is a novel about Margaret Mayfield Early's life, spanning the era from 1883, when she was a young girl, to 1942. Her parents remembered vividly the American Civil War, and she lived through the Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II. (To be honest, World War II had just begun when Private Life ends, but Margaret is still strong and healthy.)

At 27 years, Margaret Mayfield is not beautiful nor especially talented. Her younger sisters marry and begin rearing families. It seems that Margaret is destined to remain an old maid - until Captain Andrew Early comes along. He doesn't exactly sweep her off her feet; his interest in her seems amazingly cool and indifferent, but she accepts his proposal. He is of a respectable family; his mother is a friend of her mother and he is always well groomed, and not unattractive. He has written a book concerning his theories of the universe, which has caught everyone's attention. It is only later, much later, that Margaret discovers that he has also caught unfavorable attention from his superiors and others at the university where he taught, and was forced to leave suddenly.

Immediately after their marriage, Andrew and Margaret move to California from Missouri, where Margaret has lived all her life. Taking an interest in her new surroundings, making friends and joining women's groups, Margaret is not homesick or bored. Time passes, and their hopes for a large family of strong, lively sons is thwarted. She grows less enchanted with her husband, as unsettling truths are slowly revealed, and his overbearing personality becomes more pronounced. She finds her time at home alone, when he is at work or engrossed in his projects, are a relief.

Margaret's old friend Dora (her sister's sister-in-law) has remained a busy, single career woman, traveling all over the world as a newspaper reporter. Although it is never expressed overtly, it seems that Margaret is envious of Dora's freedom. Although, actually Margaret is surprisingly free to come and go as she pleases, for a woman of her time. Her husband purchased an automobile, but insisted that she, not he, be the one to learn to drive it. She roams all over her small city and the county, and into San Francisco, observing nature and visiting friends which include a Japanese family and a Russian ex-patriot.

The Prologue and the Epilogue take in place in 1942, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. These sections deal with the aftermath, especially the detainment and internment of Japanese families, Margaret's friends particularly.

Night Ride Home, by Vicki Covington

I have mixed emotions about this book. It was fairly interesting to read, but none of the characters really "grabbed" me. What I liked best about it, I think, is that it was set near Birmingham, Alabama, where I lived for 34 years. I recognized many of the places, and the one trip into the city was particularly interesting for that reason.

Set in a coal mining community in Jefferson County, Alabama west of Birmingham, this is a story of the events before and during a mining disaster.

Keller is about to marry Laura, the daughter of the owners of a service station and general store, against her father's wishes. Her mother manages the store, and her father works occasionally at the nearby steel mill, but mostly just hangs around the store drinking, shooting clay pigeons, "skeets," and getting drunker and angrier by the hour. He threatens his future son-in-law with a shotgun, so they secretly delay the wedding by a day. As it turns out, the new wedding date is December 7, 1941. However, the Pearl Harbor attack and World War II are only mentioned in passing. The young man, Keller, is afraid he will have to go to war.

On Christmas Eve that year, a wall falls at the No. 3 mine, trapping Keller's father and his crew. Men work around the clock, trying to dig them out. Meanwhile, Keller's mother fulfills a singing engagement at the Catholic Church in Birmingham, and the pregnant camp prostitute goes into labor. (The identity of the baby's father is the topic of much gossip and speculation in the community.)

Vicki Covington and her husband Dennis Covington live and work in Birmingham, Alabama. Both are authors and have been newspaper columnists.

A Child Who Reads ...

This image courtesy of www.birthdaywishes.expert

"A child who reads will be an adult who thinks." I am a strong believer in reading to children, teaching them to read, and encouraging them to read. I have always loved to read. My parents read to me at bedtime. I tried to learn to read before I started school, and managed to read and write a few words. Once I started reading books on my own, there was no stopping me!

I read to my children, and enjoyed it as much as they did. Even after they were reading independently, I read books aloud to them that were a little more advanced than their reading levels, and books that they might not have chosen. I have two sons, and we read Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz, books they might have passed over, as they featured girls as lead characters.

They are grown now. One of them loves to read as much as I do. The other not so much; he prefers watching TV (as my husband does). He does read to his children, and encourages them to read, so the torch is being passed. With so many other temptations: computers, TV, Leapfrog, etc., I do hope my grandchildren will be readers. There is nothing like reading!

Forgotten Bookmarks, by Michael Popek

This was sent to me by another Bookcrosser as part of a bookray. There had been some discussion about it on a Bookcrossing forum.

This is a compilation of strange things people have left in books to mark their places, from the early 19th century to the present day. It includes a very brief introduction, and lots of photos, all compiled by the author, a used book dealer and blogger.

I have barely started it, and am looking forward to delving further into it. When I am finished, I will send it on to the next Bookcrosser on the list.
It comes with its own collection of bookmarks, generously supplied by the one who started the bookray, and others exchanged along the way. I have added two, and removed two.

Bookish quote

"Sometimes you read a book so special that you want to carry it around with you for months after you’ve finished just to stay near it."

Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief

(Bookish quote, seen on Bookcrossing.com)

2 books: Watchers on the Hill, and Dangerous to Know

I finished it a few days ago. Written by Stephanie Grace Whitson, this is a Christian romance book of pioneer, ranching, and U. S. Cavalry days on the American frontier. A widow returns to her father's home to make a new life for herself and her wayward son. Romance beckons.
This book is the second in a series. While it could have stood alone successfully, there were too many annoying references to earlier times. (I have not read the first of the series.) However, it was a pleasant way to pass time.



Another romance, not Christian, written by Barbara Taylor Bradford. I started it yesterday, and am not liking the "spicy" passages. However, I probably will keep reading, just to find out who killed the old man. (Not a spoiler; we learn of his death on the first page.)

August 2 - On second thought, I won't finish it. I'll flip to the back to see how it ends, but I don't think I can swallow any more.

Eighty-five year old man learns to read!

Lessons in Literacy, WSFA-TV news

I found this very interesting, and encouraging! Fred Oliver is the oldest person learning to read with the Literacy Council of Central Alabama! He wants to write a book about his life, and I want to read it. :-)

Mr. Oliver's advice to older people who need help learning to read: "Get out from in front of the TV and come to school," he said, then continued with, "You missed out? So you missed out. You can't reach back and get what you lost, but you can better your life at any stage."

This is a cartoon I found on Facebook, where it was attributed to Crown Publishing Group. I apologize if it is not public domain. If you own it, let me know and I will take it down.

[SPOILER ALERT!!} Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee

Do not read this review if you don't want spoilers!!!

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I posted a "teaser" a few days ago, Redeemed My Voucher, so now that I've finished reading it, here goes!

This could have been titled, "Atticus' Feet of Clay". Like Jean Louise/Scout, many of us, most of us, regarded the Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird as a saint, a hero, an idol to look up to, a breath of fresh air in a stiflingly racist small town in the American South.

In Go Set a Watchman, he loses his virtue. The grown up Jean Louise witnesses him in the Maycomb County Courthouse, in the very room where he defended Tom Robinson so long ago, apparently complicit with the "Citizens Council" opposing the U. S. Supreme Court decision of 1954, the Brown vs the Board of Education decision that was decided in the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. At this meeting, racial epithets were thrown about. African Americans were reviled, reduced to children, reduced to animals, subhuman. Shameful, insupportable. Who was Atticus Finch that he could sit in that meeting and tolerate such as that?

Atticus was neither purely saintly nor purely evil.. Like all of us, he was a human, complete with fault and goodness, all mixed together. He was a good man, a fair man, but a man of his own time and place. That time was early to mid 20th century, and that place was Maycomb, Alabama, a small town in a rural county, many of whose citizens vividly remembered or knew relatives who remembered slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction.
Atticus did not like all the things that were said at that meeting, but he saw the Supreme Court decision much as he saw the Civil War, aggression of the North against the South, a violation of the Tenth Amendment of the U. S. Constitution, the amendment guaranteeing States' Rights. Like many who considered themselves just and honorable people, he was for fair and equal treatment of all, but not in the same place, in the same schools, in the same restaurants, in the same seats on buses. He believed in the ideal "separate but equal", but we know that in reality "separate" was never "equal."

Jean Louise had a very heated and emotional confrontation with her old beau Henry, and another even more heated and emotional confrontation (on her part) with her father. I won't reveal the ending; I've "spoiled" you enough.

Now, my thoughts about the book itself. I thought it was very well written; in my opinion it lives up to the standards (if not the morals) of To Kill a Mockingbird. The characters are well drawn and the plot is interesting, with a great deal of conversation between individuals.

Comparing GSAW with TKAM: Jem has tragically passed away at a young age from a congenital heart disease. Dill is living in Europe, and Boo is no longer present. The old Finch home has been torn down and an ice cream shop is in its place. Atticus is now 72 years old and suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Calpurnia has retired and lives with her family; Aunt Alexandra has come to live and cook and keep house for her brother Atticus. Scout (Jean Louise) is living in New York City and comes home for annual visits.

There were some discrepancies from the plot of TKAM that I found unsettling, even jarring. Since To Kill a Mockingbird was published and widely read and filmed decades, half a century, before Go Set a Watchman was released, I am treating it as the authority, even though Go Set a Watchman was actually written earlier.
Atticus did see his children in the courtroom as they viewed the Robinson trial from the balcony.
Tom Robinson damaged his arm while working in a cotton gin, not a sawmill.
Mayella Ewell was nineteen years old, not fourteen, a significant difference.
Atticus Finch was appointed to try Tom Robinson by Judge Taylor, not persuaded by Calpurnia, his cook/housekeeper. He accepted as a matter of conscience.
Most important of all, Tom Robinson was convicted, not acquitted.

All in all, I enjoyed the book and am glad I read it, notwithstanding the fall from grace of Atticus Finch. I was born and reared in the South, in Alabama in fact. I grew up with people who thought and spoke as the "new" Atticus did, and even as Aunt Alexandra and as Mr. O'Hanlon did. I came to see the world differently, and in college I had "words" with my parents as Jean Louise did with her father, but I included this to say that Atticus is a believable southern man of the 1950s, more moderate in his thinking than most of his contemporaries were, but certainly not up to progressive standards of the 2010s.

Killer Keepsakes, by Jane K. Cleland

Cover image courtesy of LibraryThing

A delightfully well-written cozy mystery featuring the owner of a quaint New Hampshire antique shop and auction house. Her small group of employees are like family, so it is especially upsetting when her friend and assistant has not returned from work after her Hawaiian vacation. Even more distressing is the sight of a dead man on the missing woman's living room sofa! The plot twists and turns, with mysterious callers and secret identities before the answers are finally revealed.
(This book is fourth in a series, but stands alone very well. I have not read the others, and had no problem following this.)

American Meteor, by Norman Lock

"American Meteor" could describe the protagonist of this novel, Stephen Moran, or the railroads that spanned the continent, or the US's declared "Manifest Destiny", or even Walt Whitman (quoted in the frontispiece "What am I myself but one of your meteors?"

Fast moving as a meteor, this brief novel (201 pages) encompasses the career of one man, and takes us from his childhood gathering oysters near Brooklyn, NY, to the American Civil War and an army hospital where he met Walt Whitman, to Abraham Lincoln's funeral train. He stayed with the train after the Union Pacific RR bought it, and having become enamored of the pioneer craft of photography, worked for U. P.'s Dr. Thomas Durant documenting the progress of the railroad's westward expansion. From there, it was a short step to becoming Gen. Custer's personal photographer, and meeting Crazy Horse..

The author takes a few liberties with actual historical events, as he freely admits in "Acknowledgements".

The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan

The book is divided into four sections. Four Chinese mothers; four American-born daughters; two stories for each woman. The first tells a story from each mother's childhood, and the second section tells an episode from the relationship between each mother and her daughter. The next two sections reveal a bit more of the mothers' pasts and of the mother-daughter relationships. It is a very interesting concept and method of story-telling. I find myself frequently flipping back and forth, to review what I had read before of each mother and daughter. We get a very poignant glimpse into the Chinese psyche, not that there's just one for all!

Under a Blackberry Moon: A Novel, by Serena B. Miller

From my church's library. Read and reviewed for LibraryThing in September, 2014

A Christian romance with excitement and danger. A young starving Chippewa widow with a baby seeks refuge in a lumber camp where she becomes an assistant to the cook and a friend of the owner and his wife. When danger of another kind threatens in town, she and her baby take off to reunite with her people, accompanied by Skypilot, an itinerant preacher. Their steamship explodes while navigating Lake Superior; the Indian Moon Song and her baby, Skypilot, and the young wife of an Army commander are the only survivors. Moon Song's native skills keep them alive; she can forage for food, devise shelter, swim, and find safe refuge. Knowing from past experience that white men are unreliable, she leaves Skypilot as she nears her village. Meanwhile, the young wife, Isabella, goes into a severe depression over the loss of her husband and baby in the shipwreck, and experiences a psychotic episode when she temporaily mistakes Moon Song's child for her own. There are other adventures before she reaches her homeland, and Skypilot has some decisions to make, as well. Then there is the attempt of the American government to take the native children far away from home to an "Indian school."

This was a surprisingly good book. I will look for more by this author.

The Handwriting On The Wall: Secrets From The Prophecies Of Daniel by Dr. David Jeremiah, C. C. Carlson (Contributor)

An explanation of the prophecies of the Book of Daniel, with references to the books of Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Revelation. Dr. Jeremiah takes us through the story of Daniel (the lion's den, the fiery furnace), then carefully explains the prophetic visions in everyday language.

Sweet Thursday, by John Steinbeck

A public library book read and reviewed for LibraryThing in April, 2014

A sequel to Cannery Row. This one is more plot-driven and not so much a series of vignettes, as Cannery Row was, even though it is its sequel and carries on the stories of nearly the same characters and the same setting. This picks up after the interruption of World War II, after Doc returns from the battlefield. He has changed inwardly, lacking the satisfaction with his life that he enjoyed before. His friends at the Palace Flophouse and the Bear Flag attempt with humorous and poignant results to come to his rescue.

Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck

A public library book read and reviewed for LibraryThing in April, 2014

A revealing and intimate look at individuals often overlooked by "dressed for success" nine-to-five suburbanites. Everyone has his own way of looking at life, his own hopes and dreams, regrets and failures. This was very well written, as one would expect from Steinbeck. However, I became irritated at Mack's frequent, almost constant use of "I and the boys". If I were Doc, I'd find it hard to resist correcting him, but Doc knew it would be useless.

The Road Taken, by Rona Jaffe

A public library book read and reviewed on LibraryThing in March, 2014

A quick paced family saga, focusing on the life events of the family of Rose Smith Carson, born on January 1, 1900, and still living in 1999. Most of the major events of the 20th century affected some member or members of her family: World War I, the influenza epidemic, World War II, beatniks, polio, the women's movement, gay pride, the sexual revolution, the Pill, advances in medicine, and many more. I found it interesting; I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens next, but I wished many parts of it had been more fully developed.

The Gentleman from Indianapolis: A Treasury of Booth Tarkington by John (editor) Beecroft, Booth Tarkington (Author), John Alan Maxwell (Illustrator)

An old book of my mother's, an anthology of short stories and novels by Booth Tarkington. I never have finished reading all the stories, but I read and reviewed one for LibraryThing in February, 2014.


I found this volume in my mother's home after her death and decided to keep it. It's in fairly good condition with the exception of the dust jacket, which I threw away keeping the end notes (blurbs).

Alice Adams (complete novel)
Reading from a 21st century perspective, I found the 1920s characters of Alice Adams and her mother very annoying and harmful to their family. The mother was constantly nagging her husband to better himself by leaving his secure if lowly position in a company to start a new business. Alice was a very cheerful person who seemed to get along happily with everyone, but she pretended to be of a social class higher than she was. She had been popular in high school, and thought that popularity alone could get her through adulthood. I found it strange that a 22 year old woman whose family's finances were almost stretched to the limit (partly because of hers and her mother's demands) would not be earning her own way.

I finally got through the novel, just to see how it would turn out, but it has put me off wanting to read the others in this volume: The Magnificent Ambersons and Penrod. I will give them a try though.

Summer on Blossom Street (Blossom Street Books (Audio), by Debbie Macomber

An audio book from the public library. Listened to and reviewed on LibraryThing in February, 2014



A light-hearted piece about individuals and families in a Seattle, Washington neighborhood with a smorgasbord of family relationships and romance. It was read by the radio star, Delilah. I like to listen to Delilah on the radio occasionally, but didn't care for her reading. She put too much emotion, and sometimes inappropriate emotion for the context, in my opinion. I found that distracting. I did like it because it was "family-friendly" and "prim granny" friendly. ;-)

Minding Frankie, by Maeve Binchy

A public library book read and reviewed on LibraryThing in January, 2014

Family, friends and neighbors come together to help a single father make a home for his newborn daughter, who makes a sudden appearance in his life. The "evil fairy" in this almost magical tale is the overly suspicious social worker, always on the lookout for a breakdown in the system. An uplifting, happily-ever-after story, the kind of book I'm looking for now as I recover from knee surgery.

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

A public library book, read and reviewed on LibraryThing in January, 2014

Even though it was a book well written with good character development, I did not enjoy reading it. Not my cup of tea. A dark, depressing, sad book of family dysfunction and urban loneliness. A group of misfits center around a quiet, mysterious deaf-mute. Everyone invests him with the answers and qualities that they are most in need of, but no one realizes his needs and problems, his desperate loneliness and inability to communicate.

Mrs. Miniver, by Jan Struther

A book from the public library, read and reviewed on LibraryThing in January, 2014

Mrs. Miniver is an imaginative and thoughtful woman, a loving wife and mother. This is a gentle and easy reading book with little plot. Each chapter is a different episode of Mrs. Miniver's life, with her thoughts and observations.

Mrs. Miniver was strong in time of war and preparation for war (WW II). She tried to keep things as normal as possible for her children, preparing them without alarming them. She volunteered with First Aid and took in seven refugee children to her country house in Kent. Written with sympathy and humor, and plenty of human interest.

Redeemed my voucher yesterday!

My photo on Flickr

Yesterday I went to Books-a-Million to redeem my voucher for Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee's just published, old manuscript. No lines, no waiting. The bookstore was busy, but I walked right up to the salesperson at the counter, received my book, and left. We walked across the parking lot to Panera Bread to have lunch. I was going to read while eating, but gave up that idea, as I was afraid I would drip some of my broccoli-cheese soup on the pages. I read it after I ate, with my second cup of coffee (Panera had a lunch rush of carry-out orders, but there were several empty tables.)

Husband and I shared shared a "Choose Any Two" meal; he got 1/2 an Italian combo sandwich.

The story begins with a train trip from New York to Maycomb, Alabama (Monroeville). After a brief stop in Atlanta, she crossed the Chattahoochee River into Alabama. Trains from Atlanta to Montgomery would pass the front of my grandparent's house, in a little community just west of the Chattahoochee! I could imagine her trip, being very familiar with the area!

Since I've started another book, a cozy murder mystery, I haven't gotten any further, and I really, really don't want spoilers. I am not reading any articles, blog posts, forum posts, Facebook posts, etc., print or online, about the book until I have finished it!

Savannah or A Gift For Mr Lincoln, by John Jakes

Read and reviewed in December, 2013, released via Bookcrossing later

The trials and tribulations of the citizens in and near Savannah, Georgia during General Sherman's infamous American Civil War march through Georgia. This is a work of historical fiction dealing with one family and their friends, relatives, and acquaintances, and a surprising outcome, told from the viewpoint of a young girl on the threshold of womanhood.

Above All Things, by Tanis Rideout

A book from the public library, read and reviewed July-August, 2013

A fictional account of a group's effort to scale Mt. Everest. Focuses on two climbers, George Mallory and Sandy Irvine, and on George and his wife Ruth.

The cover art is captivating and provocative. It seems to represent the mountain as a woman, almost like a siren calling men to danger, to risk their lives in their quest to answer her call.

*******SPOILER ALERT***************


Now that I've finished the book, I've learned that it is a work of fiction based on the actual events of real people. George Mallory and Andrew "Sandy" Irvine did attempt to climb Mt. Everest in 1924. George's beloved wife Ruth was left at home to be single parent to her three children, Clare, Berry, and John. She was a deep, introspective woman (according to the novel). I found two quotes particularly poignant: "When I was small I imagined love as something safe, something without sharp edges, only the sweeping, enveloping curves of romance and happiness. But it isn't. Not now, anyway. There are edges and they cut." (p. 191) and "Duty is something men step inside and fasten around them, like uniforms. For women, duty is a cloak draped over us, that weighs us down." (p. 262)

Although I have no interest in climbing mountains, or even hiking, I was drawn into this book. In the middle of an Alabama hot, sticky summer, I was cold reading about their experiences in high altitude. And, I kept wanting to shout at them, "Use your oxygen! Use your d*** oxygen!" (And I'm not a cursing woman.)

Sadly, George and Sandy disappeared very near the summit of Mt. Everest. It is not known if they ever reached the peak.

Just My Type: A Book About Fonts, by Simon Garfield

A book from the public library, read and reviewed in July, 2013

Just as it says, a book about fonts, causing me to look more carefully at the letters of the words I'm reading. I wish the information were more chronologically presented, and that more examples of the different fonts were given. It is fascinating to read about the men and women who created the letters that we take for granted when reading.

Burning Bright, by Tracy Chevalier

A book from the public library, read and reviewed in July, 2013

I've read two of Tracy Chevalier's books (Girl with a Pearl Earring and Lady and the Unicorn) and enjoyed them, so was looking forward to this one. It did not disappoint! Fascinating story weaving William Blake, the poet and printer with Astley's Circus of late 18th century London, along with fears concerning possible repercussions of the French Revolution in England. All brilliantly told from the viewpoint of a young boy who has just moved to London with his family from a country village.

Left Neglected, by Lisa Genova

A book from the public library, read and reviewed in July, 2013

A fascinating fictional account of a woman who suffered from a very real but largely unknown medical condition, Left Neglect. A fast-lane, type A mother of three in a high-powered corporate position is suddenly rendered helpless following an auto accident. The book follows her therapy, her adjustments to her condition, her attempts to resume her former life, interpersonal relationships with her husband, children, and mother, and how she decides to live the rest of her life. I have read Still Alice by this author, and found it fascinating as well. I enjoy well written novels that deal with real issues in a convincing manner. I hope to find more of Lisa Genova's books.

I Still Dream About You: A Novel, by Fannie Flagg

This book was a gift from a friend, and given to my daughter-in-law after I read it. I reviewed it in May, 2006.

A fun read with lots of Birmingham, Alabama references that made it even more interesting to me, as it was my home for 34 years..

Home and Away, by Joanne Meschery

I reviewed this book on LibraryThing in May, 2013, but I failed to post my review on Bookcrossing. (I corrected that omission just now.) It has been released.

This is the story of two players on a high school girls' basketball team, their team and their coach, told through the eyes of one girl's mother. The mother is a very introspective person, and everything she sees, encounters, experiences, and hears reminds her of something else, which she has to carry through in her mind. The associations are not always clear, but even when they are, it makes for a tedious effort to plod through the storyline. It took me a long time to read this book (almost a week), only partly because my husband and I are going through a move.

Passing by Samaria, by Sharon Ewell Foster

A public library book read in May, 2013

A novel with African American and Christian themes. A young woman in rural Mississippi in the year 1919 is forced to leave her family and community. She goes to stay with an aunt who runs a Christian mission in Chicago. Her faith has been tested and almost unraveled due to actions of racial bigotry and hate. Her life is turned around in Chicago.

The Jane Austen Book Club, by Karen Joy Fowler

A public library book read in June, 2013

A very interesting book about the personal relationships and inner lives of a group of five women and one man who met monthly to discuss the novels of Jane Austen. Intricately woven, with layers upon layers, each chapter revealing more of the characters' individual stories.

Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger

A public library book read in July, 2013

A most interesting book! A familiar story: a fugitive from justice relentlessly pursued by a single-minded lawman is helped by friends and family along the way. This one is told from the viewpoint of two children, the outlaw's asthmatic young brother and his precociously talented little sister, a remarkable poet of eight years old. Their father is a deeply spiritual man who believes in and experiences miracles. Davy is a teenager who values action. When he shot and killed two bullies, town ruffians who entered their home with intent to harm the family, was it defense of home and family or premeditated murder?

I have caught up, with books reviewed on Bookcrossing.com

Now all I have left to do is copy and paste the reviews from LibraryThing of books checked out of libraries or borrowed from friends. Books not registered on Bookcrossing. That will have to wait for another day. Good night, all!

What Alice Forgot, by Liane Moriarty

(Mine was not an audio book; it was a paperback, but looks like this.)

An amazing book dealing with a familiar subject, amnesia, in a new way. Alice was exercising at the gym and fell, hitting her head on the hard tile floor. When she woke, ten years of her life had been erased from her memory. The ten years during which her three children were born and her marriage fell apart. How does she begin to deal with a new life that she does not even recognize? A fascinating story, kept me interested and eager to see what happens.

I thought this might be a sequel (although written by another author) of Still Alice, by Lisa Genova. Strange that it's another woman named Alice, in a different country, of a different age, with amnesia instead of dementia - but an Alice with a memory deficiency.

Her Father's House, by Belva Plain

Read, reviewed, and released in April, 2015

Interesting reading, an exciting tale about love gone wrong. An aspiring lawyer meets an attractive young woman, falls in love, and they marry. Then they learn that they are not suited for one another; she likes the fast life whereas he longs for a quieter, more conventional way of living. At her suggestion, they divorce, but not before she learns that she is pregnant.

The rest of the book tells of his decision to kidnap his daughter after a near disaster, and of his efforts to hide away in the country under an assumed name, with a new identity and a new life. However, he is eventually discovered, as we knew he must be.
I found it ironic that the things he most despised in his former wife, her lies and deception, became the way he lived for many years, hiding in the country.

I had some problems with this book. What did she see in him, why did she pursue him? Why was she so eager to marry him? His philosophy of life was no secret to her. Also, it seems to me that he could have proven that the child was endangered, having been taken to an adult party with excessive drinking and drug use, and put into a car with a drunken, speeding driver. Oh, well, it did make for an exciting tale.

The Kitchen God's Wife, by Amy Tan

Read and reviewed in May, 2015

A very powerful book, and distrubing. It begins very simply and seemingly ordinary, with a family reunion and wedding. However, as the mother reveals more and more of her past to her daughter, it became very hard to read, especially about Weili's first marriage, the abuse and the heartaches she endured. The story line begins in California, and takes us back to war-torn China, facing first the Japanese and then the Communists. War and politics are only a background for Weili's troubles, though.