October is such a wonderful month around here (2 birthdays, an anniversary, and a week long book sale to coordinate), but I’m always exhausted by Halloween. Now that November is here I’m deep into Cybils Awards reading . I’m a panelist for the first round of Nonfiction (elementary, middle, and high school). There are 205 books to read and I finished number 83 last night. This photo is my October reading with many of the picture books showing. I think elementary level reading accounts for about half of the books to read and the vast majority of what I’ve read so far. This week I need to start diving into more of the high school books.
Books read
I have SO MANY books in this house right now with so many different piles that I’m not even sure how many books I read YESTERDAY (but I know it was more than 5). Let’s just say that Goodreads tells me I’ve read 277 for the year and even if I’ve missed a book or two in the reading frenzy, I feel that’s fairly accurate.
Posts
I did manage to listen to an adult audio book and post about it! The Girl with All the Gifts. It’s an older book, but it was a fun Halloween-time apocalyptic horror thriller.
When Jason and I took a trip to the Finger Lakes region in New York, I stopped in a cute little bookstore and found a few books from a historical romantic suspense series that I loved. It encouraged me to post about it. The Deadly series by Brenda Joyce.
Jason and I have worked our way through season 2 of The Wheel of Time series on Amazon with plans to watch the finale tonight. We’re also watching the Great British Bake Off on Netflix.
Plans for the weekend
It’s going to be 60 degrees here! Woo hoo! So, it’s the day to clean out the garage before it gets too cold. We bought a snow blower and we need to find room for it 🙂
Let’s talk about the 2014 The Girl With All the Gifts. This is an apocalyptic horror story, as far as I can say. We start with Melanie, a ten-year-old kept locked and chained unless during the week when she has class with other kids just like her. The doctor wants to slice her open, the sergeant is happy to let that happen, and the teacher just loves her the best she can.
I don’t read a lot of this genre, but I got sucked into this one and I’m so happy I picked it up. I loved the ending which took it to the next level. There’s a second book that I might check out, but it takes place before this book and I’m not sure I’m curious enough.
Do you like these types of horror/apocalypse/thriller type of books? Think Justin Cronin, Neil Gaiman, Dean Koontz.
Chapter 45
“What she thinks is: this could have been me. Why not? A real girl, in a real house, with a mother and a father and a brother and a sister and an aunt and an uncle and a nephew and a niece and a cousin and all those other words for the map of people who love each other and stay together. The map called family.
Growing up and growing old. Playing. Exploring. Like Pooh and Piglet. And then like the Famous Five. And then like Heidi and Anne of Green Gables. And then like Pandora, opening the great big box of the world and not being afraid, not even caring whether what’s inside is good or bad. Because it’s both. Everything is always both.
It’s 1902 in New York City and Francesca, a 20-year-old bluestocking, openly works for reform while secretly attending Brainard College. She is the youngest of three and still lives at home with her parents in what is called the Marble Palace because of its opulence. Francesca is determined to get a journalism degree and become the first woman reporter for a major New York newspaper and her mother is just as determined to see her marry well. Francesca is beautiful and wealthy and suitors have never been a problem, but she is known to be different from other girls her age, so her best friends are her sister Connie and her brother Evan.
If you like turn of the century New York, wealthy and powerful men and beautiful and smart women you should give it a try. The mysteries are good and the romance is hot. If you are sensitive to the way alpha males treat the women they love then this may not be the series for you. It’s a favorite series of mine and they really need to be read in order.
It’s no shock that most of the women of the world fell in love with Viggo after watching The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’d seen him in a few movies before, but it was really that trilogy that made me take notice.
But, it’s the movies since then that have secured his place as one of my favorite actors. He could have played the Aragorn character for the rest of his life, but he didn’t. I’ve loved the surprise of his choices.
Born in NYC in 1958, he’s lives all over the world. He has a son who was in Crimson Tide with him. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish Studies.
As I watch more of these movies I’ll try to come back and update. I debated on whether to list the movies in chronological order or in the order I like them best. Since this is my blog I’m going with the way I like them best!
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, illustrated by Jim, Kay, story inspired by Siobhan Dowd. 4.5 stars, middle grade fiction, 206 pages, 2011
An unflinching, darkly funny, and deeply moving story of a boy, his seriously ill mother, and an unexpected monstrous visitor.
At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting– he’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd– whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself– Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined. from Goodreads
If I know a book will likely make me cry, more often than not, I’ll skip it. Plenty of things to cry about in real life, I do not need to be sobbing when reading fiction.
This book was so good I didn’t even mind that it made me cry twice. Not just tears in my eyes, but having to close the book and grab some tissues. I can only speak to this illustrated version. The fantastic illustrations really added another layer to this story for me. They created just the the right amount of darkness and terror needed.
Conor’s mom has been sick awhile and he’s having trouble at school. When a monster appears he’s scared, but nothing can be as scary as his nightly nightmare. The monster tells his stories and Conor’s life continues to get worse.
This is a kids book, but it goes to dark places. I don’t want to give anything away, but there’s so much to say, but I don’t want to say all of the spoilery things.
Have you read it? I highly recommend, but would read it first before sharing it with your child. As a mom you want to be prepared to discuss.
“There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in between.”
“Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?”
“Your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing the painful truths that make those lies necessary. And your mind will punish you for believing both.”
“Conor was no longer invisible. They all saw him now. But he was further away than ever.”
September is coming to a close and my favorite month is about to begin. Cheers to all you fall lovers! I read 15 books this month, bringing my 2023 total to 201. I read 6 picture books (3 fiction, 3 nonfiction), 2 romances, 3 fiction, 2 thrillers, 1 kids fiction, 1 inspirational.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Rainbow Weaver by Linda Elontz Marshall and Elisa Chavarri is everything a kids picture book should be. A story set in modern day Guatemala about a little girl born of the Mayan weavers who finds a very timely and creative way to solve more than one problem. Based on what’s really happening. Gorgeous artwork and told in both English and Spanish.
Following the Path: The Search for a Life of Passion, Purpose, and Joy by Joan Chittister. I loved it. I always get something I need out of Joan Chittister’s books and this one was perfect for me during this transitional time of Gage going back to school after 3 years of homeschooling. When you’re at a crossroads, or even at a place where you’re acknowledging that there’s something unfinished in you, this is a nice read. I read a chapter every morning for a few weeks and it was a nice way to start the day. Clink on the link to get some of my favorite thoughts from the book.
ALSO VERY GOOD
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood is very similar to The Love Hypothesis by the same author. It’s set in academia, has offbeat heroines and stoic heroes (unless there’s sex and then all bets are off), and an obvious attraction seen by the reader even though the heroine misses it. But, in all of the ways that TLH went over the top and sometimes missed the mark, this one didn’t. It’s a more mature story, complete with cats and near death experiences.
The Enchanted Hacienda by JC Cervantes. I’m a sucker for all things magical realism. This was the perfect book at the perfect time. I love when that happens! It was magical, romantic, and fun.
The Estrada women are tied to their Mexican flower farm. Each one of them, for generations, has been born with special powers and the ability to help others through spells, like erasing memories or bonding to another person. Harlow didn’t have any such gift and always felt like the odd one out. When she goes home to regroup after a breakup she finds the magic she’s been looking for her whole life.
Hello Stranger is the latest feel good novel by Katherine Center. Sadie is an artist in her 20s living in a not-fit-to-rent apartment on a dime. She’s just reached the finals of a prestigious portrait competition, when an accident and subsequent surgery cause prosopagnodia, an inability to ‘see’ faces.
Sadie’s family story was the most moving part of the story for me. Her mom was gone, and she had an evil stepmother and stepsister to make her miserable while her father looked away. Needless to say, I was rooting hard for Sadie.
Sundiata: Lion King of Mali. I’m a David Wisniewski fan. I always love the historical tale and the paper cut illustrations. If you see his books make sure to take a look!
Long Shadows (Amos Decker #7) by David Baldacci. I wrote about this series here.
The Sentinel (Jack Reacher #25) by Lee Child and Andrew Child. I’ve read this series from book 1 and love the character of Jack Reacher. This was the first that Lee wrote with his brother and another solid addition to the series.
Flying Colors: One Man’s Magical Journey to Find Fulfillment by Christopher Laney. John meets a mysterious man in an airport who opens his eyes to a different way to live, to new possibilities never dreamt of before. When John arrives back home to a job that is ready to serve up the life he’s always wanted on a silver platter, the memory of the man in the airport has him questioning what it is he really wants.
Sarah Addison Allen had me from the moment I fell in the love with the Waverly Sisters in Garden Spells. Born in Asheville, North Carolina, she brings that southern charm to her magical books. I’ve read all seven and she is one of my few auto buy authors.
These are her books listed in the order I like them best with a few of my thoughts on each and linked to my full review.
Garden Spells. Claire Waverly and her sister Sydney, were part of the Waverly’s of Bascom, North Carolina. The family that was just a bit off, strange, and they had that magic apple tree in the back yard. Claire stayed in the family home after her mother and grandmother died, but Sydney had escaped to New York and beyond as soon as she could. The sisters had never been close, so when Sydney returned to Bascom with her 5 year old daughter in tow, Claire was surprised.
Claire’s gift was affecting people’s mood and feelings through food. The garden was always in bloom, even if she had to put up with the trouble-making apple tree. Sydney had spent most of her life denying her Waverly roots, but even she found her special gift when she returned home. The only other family still around was a great-aunt who had the gift of giving people, even complete strangers, trinkets that they would soon need.
I loved this book. Loved it. It had romance, charm, and drama. The relationship between the sisters was compelling and the magical elements made it very light and fun. The reason that drew Sydney back to Bascom was a shadow hovering over the Waverlys and it provided a grounding effect for this magical story. I was drawn into their world and didn’t want to leave.
First Frost. As much as I really like Allen’s other books, and I’ve read them all, it’s the Waverley’s from Bascom, North Carolina that really make me happy. I want a magic apple tree and a special gift, I guess. Who doesn’t?
Ten years after Garden Spells the sisters and their Aunt Evanelle find themselves settled into relationships and trying to find their way, especially Claire. Claire is questioning her gift and the way that she’s using it, so she is ripe for someone to come along and shake her faith. And he does.
I love that Sydney’s daughter, Bay, is a major part of this story, coming into her own as one of the mysterious Waverley women. She’s 15 and knows her gift, only it has only made her high school experience miserable. I love how she is willing to be different at such a young age.
The Girl Who Chased the Moon. Emily recently lost her mother, the only family she has ever known, and is shipped off to her grandfather in North Carolina. Julia is from Mullaby but left as a teenager only to return as an adult after her father died. Both plan on being there for short time, but both find themselves with reasons to stay in the quaint, close-knit town full of secrets and charm.
I loved Allen’s first book Garden Spells and found myself almost as enchanted with this quirky and magical tale of lost love and the trials of growing up. She has a talent for making stories that are light and still satisfying. Oh, and romantic. Emily and Julia both found men to appreciate them even when they didn’t want to be appreciated. Julia’s story of her teen years carried the novel for me and I was happy to see her get her happy ending (this is Sarah Addison Allen so I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying that).
Lost Lake. There are so many things to love about Allen’s writing. She has a light, lyrical quality that encourages fast and happy reading. And even though I always consider her books happy, she embraces difficult topics, like how to move on when who you love has died. Her characters are always so true and somewhat quirky and the icing on the cake is the magic that movies the story along. All of these make her books a delight to read. This was no exception.
Lost Lake made me wish it were a real place so I could make my reservations today. I loved the idea of the whole town getting behind Eby so she doesn’t sell her property. I loved each unique character’s back story. They were all engaging. I loved the romance of Paris. This is great Southern fiction with charm and the magic of childhood.
Other Birds. There were ghosts, but it wasn’t a ghost story, there were misfits looking for a tribe, there was a mystery or two you didn’t even know needed solved, and there was love in many different forms. There were secrets revealed and secrets kept, invisible birds, and childhood trauma. Even with all of that going on at one this is, at its hear, a comfort read.
In an interview with the author she said that she always envisioned the setting first and that’s why it always feel like a character. This setting is the fictional Mallow Island, South Carolina, known for its marshmallows.
The Peach Keeper. Wall of Water, North Carolina, is home to Willa, Paxton, and Sebastian. Though none of them were friends in high school, Paxton and Sebastian are inseparable now. Willa own her own store and lives a happy but quiet life. When Paxton restores the Blue Ridge Madam, an old home important to Willa’s family, it brings a mystery that leads them both to their grandmothers, looking for answers.
Josey Cirrini is a 27-year-old who hides sweets and romance novels in her closet so her perfect southern belle mother doesn’t see them. She lives in servitude of her mother with no life of her own until a local woman shows up in her closet to hide out for a while, seemingly to escape a boyfriend. She draws Josey out of her shell and she starts to develop relationships that her mother doesn’t approve of. Chloe and Adam both give Josey the confidence she needs to take a look at life in the small North Carolina town where everyone remembers her as a mean child.
When Chloe had a need in her life the perfect book would appear in front of her. How awesome would this be? I totally loved Chloe’s story and her transformation. I think this is why I liked but didn’t love the book, I wanted Chloe to be the main character, not Josey. I wanted to give Josey a little tough love pep talk.
Any other SAA fans out there? What’s your favorite?
This book is meant to give someone in the process of making a life decision at any age—in early adulthood, at the point of middle-age change and later, when we find ourselves at the crossroads without a name—some ideas against which to pit their own minds, their own circumstances. Its purpose, as they wrestle with the process of trying to find and follow their own special call at this new stage of life, is to both provoke thinking and to clarify it. —Joan Chittister
In our modern and mobile society, the range of answers to the questions “What am I supposed to do with my life?” and “How do I know when I’ve found my purpose?” can seem endless and overwhelming. Following the Path by Sister Joan brings the insights of her years of teaching and contemplation to bear on this issue, providing readers with a new way forward. Through her examination of spiritual calling and gifts, change and discernment, she leads readers home to the place where, finally, we know we fit, where we are the fullest of ourselves and a gift to the world, a timely and much needed message that many will be happy to hear.
I loved it. I always get something I need out of Joan Chittister’s books and this one was perfect for me during this transitional time of Gage going back to school after 3 years of homeschooling. When you’re at a crossroads, or even at a place where you’re acknowledging that there’s something unfinished in you, this is a nice read. I read a chapter every morning for a few weeks and it was a nice way to start the day. If any of these quotes resonate with you, get your hands on the book.
“We are all called, in some form and fashion, to give ourselves away so that tomorrow can be better than yesterday for many. We are all called to be reckless, intrepid, conscious philanthropists of the world to come.”
“But it is in our giftedness that our future lies. To be really happy, we must either follow our gifts or find our gifts. Otherwise we run the risk of going to our graves only half alive.”
“Aristotle, the great philosopher of personal development, said happiness depended on developing ourselves to our fullest potential. On becoming the best self we can possibly be…he said happiness depended on our commitment and involvement in ‘virtuous activity.’ In doing good…it’s about doing something that makes the world a better place to be…What fills our heart with happiness, ironically enough, is not what we get out of the world; it’s what we put into it.”
“Enjoyment and happiness are not synonyms. Enjoyment is, at best, an answer to the rigors of routine, it is not the abiding sense of a life we’ll live. That comes with having lived life well at every level and to the very heart of its ultimate meaning.”
“The more equipped I am to distinguish the me I want to be from the me everybody else wants me to be, the more likely I am to become it.”
“What other people require of us leads us to create the masks we present to the world.”
“At the end of the day, at the end of every decision, the measurement criteria must always be whether what I am doing is serving my false self or my true self.”
“Unless I am capable of letting go of the security level to which I have become accustomed, unless I am ready to begin again, the lack of a sense of meaning in the here and now that plagues us with the grace of doubt will die in the wind.”
Last night we celebrated a last second Ohio State win over Notre Dame. A great way to end the day. We also had a game night with friends and I always forget to take pictures of those! We played Big City. Any other board game lovers out there?
As you can see from the pic, I got a new car! I am so not a car person and will surely lose this car in the parking lot for a bit. My only requirement was good gas mileage and a car to take on trips, the the CRV Sport Hybrid is a good fit.
I do typically have many books going on at once, but this is close to my limit. Anyone else struggle with this?
On TV
We’ve been watching Harlan Coben’s Shelter series on Amazon. We hope to catch the finale tonoght.
We also started Wheel of Time, season 2. I’ve not read the series of books, but love the show.
Movies
I watched this for one of my lists. I appreciated the idea, but it didn’t quite live up to its potential. Based on a play about a writer who gets drawn into the SS.
Plans for the Weekend
Well, it’s already Sunday and the last few days have been busy, so I have a lot of catching up to do with house stuff. And Gage and I will be started supplemental Mom school, lol. I’ll be doing a reading curriculum with him, because, well, I’m not sold on how much instruction he’s getting at school. We’re going to start one of my favorite kids books, Number the Stars.
Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.
But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.
Hello Stranger is the latest feel good novel by Katherine Center. Sadie is an artist in her 20s living in a not-fit-to-rent apartment on a dime. She’s just reached the finals of a prestigious portrait competition, when an accident and subsequent surgery cause prosopagnodia, an inability to ‘see’ faces.
Sadie’s family story was the most moving part of the story for me. Her mom was gone, and she had an evil stepmother and stepsister to make her miserable while her father looked away. Needless to say, I was rooting hard for Sadie.
There was a love interest or two, a loyal best friend, and the realities of her new life with face blindness. This novel was warm and fuzzy in all the right places, while also letting real life shine through.
I loved it. There were, perhaps, one or two more coincidences than necessary, but at the end I was left feeling happy and satisfied.
Have you read a book by Katherine Center? Are they great?
“The fact that you don’t want me to help you really makes me want to help you.” “That sounds like a you problem.”
Stacy's Books 