May Books

The Geometry of Sisters by Luanne Rice -- a new author for me; a story about a widow traveling from Ohio to Rhode Island to begin a new job, and have a new start after her husband drowned and her oldest child ran away. The story of Maura, Travis, Carrie, and Beck.  And people they meet in Rhode Island - J.D., Pell, Lucy and so forth.  Good book

The Paris Winter by Imogen Robertson -- another new author for me; An English woman studying art in Paris takes a job as a companion for a man and his young sister.  But things aren't quite as first told, and Maud finds herself accused of theft, opium addiction, and is nearly drowned! 

Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist -- Texas Ranger Lucious Landrum goes undercover as a telephone troubleman in order to bring down Frank Comer's train-robbing gang.  He meets and works with a rural switchboard operator, Georgie Gail, and this book is about their time in a small Texas town.

No Place for a Lady by Gill Paul -- I got this book at a little free library while at the beach recently. Two English sisters end up in Crimea when their country sends troops to help the Turks during the Crimean War.  Lucy heads there as an officer's wife, while Dorothea is a nurse.

Minding Molly by Leslie Gould  -- book three in the Courtships of Lancaster County series; This one finds us going on a camping trip with the ever-organized Molly

Becoming Bea by Leslie Gould -- the final book it Courtships series; this one about Molly's younger sister Bea who helps as a mother's helper to a lady with triplets (whew!)

The Courtship of the Vicar's Daughter by Lawana Blackwell -- this is book two in The Gresham Chronicles. I read the first one early last month, but waited until the kids' visit was over to start book 2.  It took a bit longer as well because someone else had this book checked out of the library.  That someone else being my mom since I recommended the series to her.  Anyway, I finally got it from her when I returned my dad's truck on Saturday, and, oh, it was a good book indeed.  Just something about it, I really enjoyed. It's about so much more than the title, too. So many fun, interesting, colorful characters there in Gresham!

 A Framework for Understanding Poverty - by Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D.  -- a few weeks ago, I was discussing Hillbilly Elegy with a teacher friend from Ohio who had lived a few years in the North Carolina mountains.  She mentioned this book by Dr. Payne, and I told her I would put it on my Amazon Wishlist.  I received it for my birthday, and read through it in a few days.  The author compiled her research into this book after being asked several times to present her knowledge on the subject of "the mindsets of poverty, middle class, and wealth."  I found much of it interesting especially dealing with the matriarchal power in households of poverty, and the different forms and roles of language (formal, casual register, frozen, and so forth) and story.  The chapter on Discipline and the parent/child/adult voices.  I told my friend that the book made me sad, though. I found it interesting later when I read the conclusion and it mentioned grieving. 

The Dowry of Miss Lydia Clark by Lawana Blackwell -- book three in The Gresham Chronicles; I enjoyed this series and the cast of characters! 

The Amish Blacksmith by Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner -- book two in The Men of Lancaster County series; I read book one awhile back, and had to wait and wait for book two to be available.  This is the story of Jake, the few-months-older uncle of Tyler (the main character in book 1).  Jake returned from blacksmithing and farrier school, and is completing an internship with his friend, Amos.  I enjoyed learning more about horses while reading this book. Made me consider FIL's horse, Flash, a bit as I can see her from my backyard while reading.  




The Amish Clockmaker by Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner -- book three in The Men of Lancaster County series -- a good book about Matthew Zook's search for the man who lived in his room as a boy.  Clayton Raber left town in shame decades earlier after being accused of murdering his wife.  Matthew needs to find Clayton about a property dispute, but who knows where this excommunicated Amish man lives - or if he's even still alive!  I enjoyed learning about Clayton and Miriam's story - the middle part of this book.

The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen  -- I read this years ago, but it was worth a re-read.  A great book about Lilly and her season in London and then her return to her small village to help her dad's apothecary shop.

The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth -- a novel about Anna, a thirty-eight year old who has early-onset Alzheimer's.  Anna is put into a residential treatment center where she meets Luke who also has some form of early dementia.  A good story!

The Baker's Wife by Erin Healy -- After a pastor is forced to leave his church, his family runs a bakery. One foggy morning, the baker's wife, Audrey, hits a scooter and is soon blamed for the disappearance of a police detective's wife.  Kind of a weird story, but it did teach some good lessons about involving yourself in others' lives and reaching out with compassion.

Mothers & Daughters by Rae Meadows -- the stories of Violet, Iris, and Sam, three generations with glimpses of Violet's life in New York City with a mom addicted to opium, Iris' plan to take her own life on her seventy-second birthday, and Samantha juggling motherhood and her memories of her mom and grandmother

Treasured Grace by Tracie Peterson -- first book in the Heart of the Frontier series; a book about Grace, Hope, and Faith, sisters who traveled west to the Whitman Mission; an ok book

Legacy of Love by Joanna Trollope writing as Caroline Harvey -- this is what the cover says anyway.  I got this book in Wrightsville Beach at one of those little free libraries.  I am out of library books presently so I'm reading a few books I keep on hand for when I run out of library books.  This one is about three generations (or more) of women: Charlotte and Emily who follow Charlotte's soldier husband on an adventure in Afghanistan;  Alexandra, Charlotte's granddaughter, who finally leaves her rural home in Scotland for her Great-aunt's home where Emily tries to make Alexandra into a proper lady; and Cara, Charlotte's namesake and Alexandra's daughter, as she deals with staying home to care for the family and farm instead of being able to go on an adventure when England fights Hitler. 



When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi  --   a friend sent this to me for my birthday; She had read it, and thought I'd enjoy it too. I read most of it last evening. Paul was a young neurosurgeon completing his training when he was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer at age 35. You read this book knowing he died while writing it, but are still amazed at the way he processes things, how he sees now what it's like to be on the other side: the patient with a scary illness.  What an amazing man, and a great book that he left for us to ponder. 

The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton -- Fiona, a librarian in New York, answers a newspaper ad about traveling with a bookmobile to semi-nomadic peoples in Kenya.  This novel gives perspectives from a local teacher, his wife, the American, and several others. Some are in favor of these books while others denounce them as intruding on the old ways. 

The Pleasure Was Mine by Tommy Hays -- just like the book above, I got this one recently at a free little library. I realized soon that I'd read this one before, but it had been long enough that I enjoyed it again. This is the account of Prate Marshbanks, a 70-something, who had to put his wife into a nursing home after she lost her memory.  Prate visits Irene with their grandson Jackson who is staying with Prate for a few weeks while the boy's dad paints. 

Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring by Bassem Youssef -- I remember seeing articles about this Egyptian comedian/satirist a few years ago; he's the "Jon Stewart of Egypt" apparently.  A friend sent this book for my birthday, and I enjoyed reading about the revolution and coup in Egypt's more recent years.  He confirmed things I had heard about the Muslim Brotherhood and the military rulers. 

Sophie and Zach at Disney!

Zach and Sophie are at Disney World in Florida right now with their grandparents.  I enjoyed these pictures their Nana shared on Facebook.

They were really more thrilled than Sophie appears here.   Linda said they hardly ate anything at brunch because they were looking around for Mickey and Minnie.  Also, she said Sophie kept on giggling.  Awwww.

I love her watching Goofy here.

And hugging Mickey.

 

Linda said Zach wore these Mickey hands about all day.  Good thing the weather is a cool 97 degrees, eh? 

April Books

The Widow of Larkspur Inn by Lawana Blackwell -- The first book in the Gresham Chronicles; a nice tale of Julia Hollis and her children who leave London after the death of their husband/father who left them in debt.  Julia opens an inn in the country - a place for lodgers to stay and rest in a peaceful place.  The story describes life there with the villagers and the lodgers.  

Elementary, My Dear Watkins by Mindy Starns Clark -- another book about Jo Tulip and her friend Danny.  In this book Jo's life is in danger, and they have to find out why.  Also, Danny is in Paris for a photo shoot as he follows his dreams.

The Amish Nanny by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould -- book two in The Women of Lancaster County series; This one follows the story of Ada who found out her parentage is not as she grew up thinking.  In this story, Ada gets the chance to travel to Switzerland to see places important to her Amish/Anabaptist faith.

The Amish Bride by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould  -- book three follows the story of Ella as she leaves Lancaster County to learn baking in Indiana; also she tries to help her grandmother solve a mystery in a book their ancestor left 

The Amish Seamstress by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould  -- the final book in this series, this one is about Izzy, the young Amish caretaker and seamstress, and about Zed, Ella's film-making brother; a pretty good series over all

Bryson City Secrets by Walt Larimore, M.D. -- a follow-up book to an earlier book I read about this young doctor living in a small town in western NC; he reveals why his family left this charming mountain town

Adoring Addie by Leslie Gould -- book two in The Courtships of Lancaster County series; This follows Cate's cousin Addie's story - the only girl in a houseful of brothers.  Pretty good, but I liked Cate's story much more.

The Amish Groom by Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner -- part of The Men of Lancaster County series. I figured since I read the Women series, I'd give this a try.  Tyler's mother was raised Amish, but left her faith community to marry a career military man. When she died suddenly, Tyler, age 6,  went to live with his Amish grandparents while his dad went overseas.  In this book Tyler, now 23, feels a restlessness. He's not sure if he should join the Amish church or join the "Englisch" world where he started life and where his father, stepmother, and brother live.

A Daughter's Inheritance by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller -- book one in The Broadmoor Legacy; three cousins, this book focused on Fanny, who was orphaned when her mother died in childbirth and her father took his life.  I wasn't sure if I'd like this book, but enjoyed it better than I thought.  When Fanny was named in her grandfather's will, her greedy Uncle Jonas does his best to make her inheritance his own.  

Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay  -- a great way to learn more about the rounding up of mostly women and children in July 1942; this story follows the stories of Sarah, the ten year old Jewish girl, who was taken by the French police, and Julia, a journalist in 2002 trying to find out more about this terrible moment in history

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kids by Bill Bryson -- a memoir about his life in Des Moines, Iowa 

An Unexpected Love by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller -- book two in The Broadmoor Legacy; this book focused more on Sophie although the other cousins were mentioned; good story


A Surrendered Heart by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller -- book three in The Broadmoor Legacy;  this book focused more on Amanda as she had to make a choice about saving the family fortune and so forth

The Ebb Tide by Beverly Lewis -- an Amish lady goes to Cape May, New Jersey, for eight weeks one summer as a nanny for an English family.  Will she go back to her Old Order Amish ways or follow the freedom of the non-Amish world?