2020 Book recap

Here are some of the best books of 2020. For more details you can view all my reviews here.
BEST CLASSIC: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
I had never read this as a child, but will probably read the rest of this 5 part series

BEST ADULT FICTION: This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Great characters and setting, happy and sad plot, another book by one of my favorite authors

BEST YA FICTION: Kent State by Deborah Wiles
With a grandson in ROTC and the events in Rochester this summer, this book really spoke to me.

BEST NONFICTION: What You Have Heard Is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance by Carolyn Forché
This author spoke at Brockport in 1984, and I was familiar with her from the Writers Forum. It was a Tales and Talons book club choice.

BEST ON AUDIO: 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
I must have seen the movie, but had never read the book, enjoyed it a lot.

BREAKOUT READ: Book that was surprisingly good or exceeded expectations The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen
My favorite Rhys Bowen book so far! Enjoyed the setting and the characters.

MOST RECOMMENDED: Kent State by Deborah Wiles
I would recommend to everyone

BIGGEST PUSH: Madame Fourcade's Secret War: The Daring Young Woman Who Led France's Largest Spy Network Against Hitler by Lynne Olson
This book got me out of my comfort zone, both because of the fact that I had committed to writing a review for it, and the subject matter.

TAUGHT A LESSON: The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
Sadly, what this taught me about myself is that I am a coward, I could never do what this person or Madame Fourcade did.

BEST BOOK CLUB PICK: Book that sparked discussion Human Touch: A Story in Real Time by Mitch Albom
The first book club choice, this book was reading in real time and made available for free on his website or through Audible.

MOST TIMELY - Book that spoke to our current culture Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
This book was written 70 years ago, how sad that it should remain so relevant today.

BEST TIME MACHINE - Historical fiction book that set the scene Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran
The story of Queen Lakshmi - India's Joan of Arc - who against all odds defied the mighty British invasion to defend her beloved kingdom.

BEST CHARACTERS - Book whose characters stuck with me Midnight at the Blackbird Café by Heather Webber
I enjoyed this book, hoping there is a sequel coming up.

BEST DRESSED - Book with the most attractive cover Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal
I'm not sure whether this actually had the most attractive cover, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

BEST PLACE - Book that was set in an interesting environment The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux by Samantha Verant
Set in both NYC and southern France, this was a very interesting book. Hope to read more by this author.

MOST THOUGHT-PROVOKING - Book that made me think the most A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
Another Writers Forum author, he's most famous for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.

MOST HUMOROUS - Book that kept me laughing Don't Make Me Pull Over!: An Informal History of the Family Road Trip by Richard Ratay
Humor is not my genre, but this memoir made me nostalgic for the freedom of the road trip.

BEST SHOCK - Book that made my jaw drop in surprise The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Deeply disturbing, chilling and thought provoking. Why do we turn one against another when we should stand side by side?

BEST FEELINGS - Book that made me really emotional The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere
Read on the 20th anniversary of my mother's death, this book had me crying the whole time.

BEST FLUFF - Book that broke my routine of misery and heartbreak in books The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins
I read so many cozy mysteries, Christian fiction and love stories this year, as a way to escape and smile.

WORTH THE PAGES - Book that was long but worth it Hild by Nicola Griffith
I got this out of Lee-Whedon in 2015, decided I would never finish it before it was due, so I purchased a used copy from the Seattle Public Library. Five years later, I finally finished it!

Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons

Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5 rounded to 3.0 stars - At first, I hated this book and wasn't going to finish it. There was racism that made me uncomfortable. I couldn't imagine why the library hadn't purged this book. So I came on and read some reviews, and saw that it won literary awards and even that it was an Oprah Winfrey Book Club pick. I ended up finishing the book, and while it's not one that I'd recommend to anyone, I finally understood that the racism and Ellen overcoming the racism was an important part of the plot. Ellen is an eleven year old child living in the South, whose mother commits suicide and whose father is an abusive alcoholic. She shows resilience and ingenuity as she is shuffled from one bad home to another, until she finally ends up in a loving foster home (now there are three words you don't often hear together). In fact, that is how she ends up with her name - she wants to take the name of her new family, which she believes is Foster.
Last book of 2020 - #220

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$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn J. Edin

$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn J. Edin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5/5.0 - It's hard to believe in a country as rich as ours that people can live in such abject poverty. This book followed 8 families over many years and concludes that there is really no safety net for people since the welfare reform act in 1996. Most of the people this book talks about aren't homeless and living on the streets, but they don't have their own homes, either. Instead, they stay with family or friends, often changing homes several times a year. In one scenario, a house held 20 members of an extended family. The people want to work, and seek even part-time or low paying jobs, just to be bringing something home. But finding the jobs, and then keeping the jobs, are difficult with less than reliable transportation and daycare. This book seemed much more authentic than Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, which I read earlier this year.
Book 219 of 2020

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The Christmas Shoes by Donna Van Liere

The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5.0 stars - Sometimes a book is more than the story, more than the laughter or a way to pass the time. Sometimes, like now, a book feels like it was written just for you. How ironic that on this day, the 20th anniversary of my mother's death, that this little story, of a little boy who loses his mother to cancer on Christmas Day (with a subplot of another character, a middle-aged man, who loses his mother unexpectedly on the day after Christmas) should be the one I read. A few things stick out to me. First, no matter your age, you're never ready to lose your mother. Second, your mother is never really gone, her love lives on in your heart. Finally, the beautiful lesson, God doesn't take her from you, He receives her with love.
This is the first book of the Christmas Hope series, but the third that I have read. They are short books, classified as Christian Fiction, and each one seems to build from the characters of the previous one. This is a book I will treasure, and may read annually on this day.


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The Best of Us by Robyn Carr

The Best of Us by Robyn Carr
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

3.0 stars - I might have series fatigue because I enjoyed this book the least of the five. None of the Jones siblings played a significant part in this one, but Maggie's father, Sully had a large story line, where he falls in love, at the age of 72, with a mystery writer named Helen. Helen is the aunt of the town doctor, Leigh, and meets Sully while visiting her. I think what bothered me was the use of the "oops, I'm pregnant" plot device so soon after it was used in the previous book. And these are not teenagers, but professionals (the town doctor - seriously?) who it accidentally happens to. But never fear, they all live happily ever after. Also showing up in this book was visiting villain, Johnny, and local troublemaker, Alyssa, but they didn't really add anything to the story, for me. It was interesting to have a trio of love interests, young love - Maia and Finn, main love story, Leigh and Rob, and the mature love story of Sully and Helen. (view spoiler)[And kudos to the author, for not killing off Maia, which I was sure was going to happen. (hide spoiler)]
Book 212 of 2020

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Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin

Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5.0 stars - Black Like Me tells the story of a Texas journalist, who, disturbed by the conditions he sees around him, decides to look at the problems through the lens of those who live them every day, by turning his skin black and living in the black community. Nothing prepares him for the demoralizing, dehumanizing experience he has, where one day he is a respected man and the next he fears for his life. But Griffin doesn't make this about himself, and afterwards he is clear that he does not speak for the black community, but it cannot be denied that the book had a profound effect on America, coming at what would be the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. For many years he traveled America giving lectures, going to troubled cities, but always saying to the city leadership - why are you asking me these questions, you have so many black leaders among you - ask them!
The story of the 6 weeks he spent in New Orleans, Mississippi, Alabama and Atlanta is disturbing and eye-opening. He feared for his life from the moment he crossed into Mississippi until he left it, under cover of darkness a few days later, arriving during a time when lynchings were tacitly approved, when a jury refused to convict members of the mob who murdered Mack Charles Parker.
The story of John Howard Griffin is in itself fascinating, from his wartime experience rescuing children from the Nazis, his temporary blindness, his deep Catholic faith and his experience writing the book and afterwards. In the Afterword, Robert Bonazzi, a Griffin scholar, writes fifty years later, giving us further insight to the author and the book itself.
The most haunting part for me is viewing this book in the context of the Civil Rights movement and the part it played, and seeing that almost 60 years later, it is still relevant and many of the same issues are being played out in city after city across the country to this day.

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2020 Myers Christmas letter

Hello, dear friends - John's aunt and uncle always send a Christmas newsletter and I've decided to take up the tradition 2020 style. First, let me say how much we miss you all, and pray you are all well and happy. Here are some of our 2020 highlights - I hope you will share yours, as well. Of course our biggest highlight had to be our trip to Hawai'i in February for Matt and Niah's wedding and the birth of our granddaughter, August.

And speaking of August, aka Waffles, have you ever seen anyone so cute? Thankfully, Matt is good about calling us regularly on Alexa, so we can visit with them.

Almost immediately upon returning from the wedding, we took a small trip to South Carolina to see Adrienne, who was training for her new job. And then, COVID. Who could have predicted that? So we've been hunkering down and working on self-sufficiency, including gardening and raising chickens.

This fall we took a short trip to Texas to see John's aunt and uncle, my sister Carol, and my friend, Laura.

What else? We've been up to Indy a few times to see Corey and Jess and their beautiful new home. I've read hundreds of books, and participated in a book club for the first time. Our three oldest grandsons are now in their senior, junior and freshman year at Emerson College, SUNY Brockport, and Indiana University, and the younger two are a senior and junior in Medina. The Cross Country team had an excellent year.

From our home to yours, have a blessed holiday and a wonderful new year!

The Family Gathering by Robyn Carr

The Family Gathering by Robyn Carr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 - This latest installment of the Sullivan's Crossing series focuses on Dakota Jones, the third sibling. After years in the military, he decides to visit Sullivan's Crossing, where older brother, Cal and younger sister, Sierra have put down roots. Sedona, the oldest sister, also has a subplot, involving her mental health. There is a wide cast of characters including their love interests, Connie and Sidney, friends Lola and Tom, and troublemakers, Alyssa and Neely from earlier books. While several love stories were moved along, I suspect we will hear more about Alyssa and Neely's in a future book, as their stories haven't been fully resolved.
Book 208 of 2020.

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The Country Guesthouse by Robyn Carr

The Country Guesthouse by Robyn Carr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5/5.0 - I have read books 1 & 2 in this series, but grabbed this one off the new book shelf not realizing there were two more in between. Still, I was familiar enough with the characters in general that I was able to jump right in. Hannah finds herself the guardian of a 5 year old boy shortly after returning from a corporate retreat held in Sullivan's Crossing. Between this unexpected turn of events due to the loss of her best friend, and the betrayal of her fiancée, her life is in upheaval. She decides to take some time to get to know her new charge, Noah, and books the guesthouse for a few weeks, where she meets the owner, photographer Owen Abrams, who harbors a dark secret of his own.
This book is filled with the things you expect from Robyn Carr, family, romance, friends and community to give you the support you need through your times of trouble, along with some mystery, conflict and intrigue. And of course, a happy ending. Now time to read the middle books of this series!
Book 207 of 2020.


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The Second Chance Boutique by Louisa Leaman

The Second Chance Boutique by Louisa Leaman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 - I was taken by surprise by how much I enjoyed this book. Once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. I think the premise, a woman whose dream job is matching vintage gowns with brides by listening to and learning their back story was such a unique idea that it intrigued me. Francesca is happy with her life as it is, until one day a chance find at a clearance (US equivalent of estate sale) turns her life upside down. The gown, from a Paris design house long out of business, is beautiful beyond words. But when she tries it on, she senses a story filled with sorrow and anger. The remainder of the book follows Fran as she searches out the rest of the story and finds and loses love along the way. Will she (and the gown) live happily ever after? That would be telling.
Book 206 of 2020

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The Christmas Table by Donna VanLiere

The Christmas Table by Donna VanLiere
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5/5.0 - If you like Hallmark movies, this book is for you. Short, inspirational, and faith-based, this book by Donna VanLiere grabbed me from the New Book shelf. And like many books that do that, it turned out to be the latest installment in a series that I hadn't read any of the previous ones. I now have the first two on hold.
The book is told through a dual timeline - 1972 and 2012, and follows two young families throughout a year in their life. What ties the families together is a handmade walnut table and a stack of recipes written by a loving mother for her newlywed daughter. The story of the original owners and how the second family works to find them - to return the family heirloom recipes makes for an enjoyable holiday read. A cup of tea, a warm fireplace, and a blanket or cat in your lap completes the setting.
Book 205 of 2020.

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Love Finds You in Lake Geneva Wisconsin by Pamela S Meyers

Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin by Pamela S. Meyers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5/5.0 - In 1933, Meg Alden wants nothing more than to be a reporter and live the life that God intended for her. Meg is the older of two daughters in a deeply religious family, and at 25 still lives at home under her parents' jurisdiction. When she is unable to complete college due to low grades and financial worries during the depression, she takes a job with the local weekly newspaper writing want ads and the occasional society piece, all the while hoping to further her career as a reporter. When one male reporter leaves, Meg hopes that she will be given an opportunity to prove her ability, but that is dashed when handsome Jack Warren, of the Chicago newspaper family is given the job instead. But as time passes, Jack and Meg find themselves drawn to each other. Initially, they struggle to communicate and be open with each other, Meg about the man who hurt her in the past, Jack about his feelings for her. But the more they work together, the stronger their partnership grows.
I enjoyed this book, even though Christian fiction isn't my normal genre. The historical details about the town were interesting and I'd like to learn more. The peak into the newspaper world of that time also interested me, as I had a job at a local newspaper 50 years ago.
Book 204 of 2020
Hah, not surprisingly, I've spelled her name wrong both times I wrote it.
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2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 - This famous 1968 science fiction classic was written concurrently with the Stanley Kubrick film of the same name, which is considered one of the greatest films ever made. The story opens with a primitive alien race who comes across a monolith which enables them to develop tools and changes their lives from one of a constant fight for survival. Fast forward to 1999, when a scientist discovers the monolith on the moon which sends a radio transmission to Saturn. A spaceship is sent to Saturn, containing two scientists who are awake and three more who are hibernating, and a sentient computer named HAL. Towards the end of the journey, HAL starts to malfunction and before Dave can stop him, he has killed Frank and the three sleeping scientists, saving himself just in the nick of time. He continues to travel by himself and finally reaches a monolith and is turned into an immortal star child.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this audiobook, science fiction is not my normal genre. The narrator is Dick Hill, who does an excellent job! This is the first of a four book series, on the 1000 books to read list, and book 202 of 2020.

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Threading the Needle by Marie Bostwick

Threading the Needle by Marie Bostwick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 - This officially moves Marie Bostwick onto the "Authors that I've 5 or more books" list! A Christian author, she doesn't come across as preachy, she just quietly shows how having God in your life makes it better. In this Cobbled Court Quilts offering, two childhood friends turned enemies both move back to their hometown of New Bern, CT. Tessa and her husband Lee come here to escape the rat race of corporate life and the busyness of Boston. They are struggling during a poor economy with trying to get two small businesses (a farm and an herb shop) up and running. Madelyn returns to a town she thought she'd never see again, when her husband, a Wall Street mogul turns out to be the next Bernie Madoff and everything they own is taken away, and he is sent to prison. Madelyn doesn't have happy memories of living here, but her (cruel) grandmother has left her the house and that provides her a place to live and start over.
Anchoring the town are the women of the Cobbled Court Quilt shop and circle, and they provide friendship and support to these newcomers. Finding their way back, moving on from the past, healing for the future and learning to trust again are all themes that play out on these pages.
Book 203 of 2020

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Downton Abbey - A Celebration by Jessica Fellowes

Downton Abbey - A Celebration: The Official Companion to All Six Seasons by Jessica Fellowes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5.0/5.0 - A beautiful (coffee table?) book to accompany one of my favorite tv series, which I am in the middle of rewatching again. The book is organized beautifully, as a well run house might be. Its major divisions include rooms/areas of the main house, upstairs and downstairs characters along with their actor's profile, locations beyond Downton including the village, London, and other great homes. The writing is interwoven so well so that it flows with the plot lines, and is supported by costume details and behind the scene photographs.
Book 201 of 2020

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The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen

The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5/5.0 stars - My favorite Rhys Bowen book so far! This takes place in England and Italy, where Joanna Langley travels after finding a letter addressed to Sofia Bartolia, after her father dies. Her father was wounded in Italy during World War II, and comes home to find his wife and son have gone to America, and his family estate, which has housed an English regiment during the war, in disrepair and without funds due to the death tax imposed when his father died. Joanna is stunned to discover that there was at least one brother and possibly two that she wasn't aware of, as the letter to Sofia mentions that he has hid their beautiful boy. She then feels compelled to travel to Tuscany to find out more. The more she finds out, the greater danger she finds herself in, but ultimately the story unfolds and she finds hope for the future.
Book 196 of 2020

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Along the Infinite Sea by Beatriz Williams

Along the Infinite Sea by Beatriz Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5/5.0 stars - This is my second book by Beatriz Williams, and I am just figuring out how interrelated all her books are. This story is told in two voices - Pepper, a young American socialite from the 1960s, and Annabelle, whose story spans starts in prewar Europe to the time she meets and rescues Pepper. There was a lot of dot connecting needed as you read through the two timelines and multiple family connections, but if you could keep it straight or had the backstory that I suspect was provided in earlier books, it was an interesting read.
Book 191 of 2020

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What You Have Heard Is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance by Carolyn Forché

What You Have Heard Is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance by Carolyn Forché
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5.0/5.0 stars - This is a book that I'd likely never had picked up if it hadn't been a book club selection. First, she is a poet and second, it is a memoir. It would have been a great loss to me, though. I was moved by this book in ways I can't begin to describe - both by the beauty of her prose, her mastery of language, and the horrors of the events that she witnessed. The setting is El Salvador in the late seventies, the time leading up to a 12 year civil war. Carolyn is a young, but established poet, teaching at a university in California when Leonel Gomez Vide shows up at her door and changes her life. He invites her to come down to El Salvador and over the weeks she is there, lifts the veil of innocence and naivete from her eyes. Look, see, observe and write he tells her. Read this book, it may well change your life.
I was gifted a copy by a friend, purchased the Audible version, as well. During my library work career, I had the privilege of working with a great collection of interviews with great writers that had been filmed over a 50 year at Brockport. I wrote grants to digitize several dozen of the interviews, including a young Carolyn Forche in 1982. It is freely available through our repository here: http://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/w..., as well as the transcription of it here: https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/....
Book 190 of 2020

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Daughter of Black Lake by Cathy Marie Buchanan

Daughter of Black Lake by Cathy Marie Buchanan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 - In the first century A.D., in a remote part of Britannia lives a small community who follow pagan ways, who honor Mother Earth, the Protector, The War Master and the Begetter. Their lives are simple with clans for hunters, smiths, carpenters, shepherds and hands. One man, the head of the Smith clan has crossed the boundaries, by loving and marrying Devout, a healer and a hand, whose first love, Arc, has died at the hands of the Romans. Devout and Smith have a daughter, a seer, called Hobble because she has a hip dysplasia. The book is told in the dual timeline of Devout and Hobble's coming of age.
The world is changing for the community, and like our own time, the choice must be made whether to cling to the old ways, or forge ahead and embrace the new. This is the major conflict of the story, and one that the author tells beautifully. The love of family, the conquering of fear, the embracing of hope are all major themes in this book.
Book 189 of 2020.

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The Last of the Moon Girls by Barbara Davis

The Last of the Moon Girls: A Novel by Barbara Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 - Elzibeth (Lizzy) Moon, a young, successful perfumer in NYC, comes from a family of wise women. Women who heal, who have gifts that others don't understand and are often ostracized for them. Lizzy's is the gift of scent, and while she appreciates her gift, she has spent her adult life running away from her legacy - Moon Girl Farm, and all the bad memories that live there. Lizzy grew up on Moon Girl Farm, raised by a loving and wise grandmother, but when she was a young adult that all changed. Two local teenage girls were found dead in the pond on the Farm, and fingers were pointed at and blame placed at her grandmother's feet. Some of the town thought the idea preposterous, Althea was a healer. But in a town named Salem Creek, you can imagine what others thought, and life became unbearable for both Lizzy and her mother, Rhanna. Both left town, Rhanna to carry on her hippie lifestyle, and Lizzy to attend college and become a successful businessperson. Fast forward eight years. Althea has died, Lizzy has inherited the farm, which she intends to sell as quickly as possible. Here is where the story actually begins with twists and turns, some of which I didn't expect.
The best part of the story for me involved Althea, the journals she left, and the gifts of the Moon women. The interaction later in the book between Lizzy and Rhanna was interesting, and spoke to the theme of "family is everything, you don't give up on family." Evvie was another interesting character, a singing beekeeper, but her storyline could have been better developed. I liked the fact that Lizzy wanted to prove her grandmother's innocence, but didn't do it in the typical female detective style. And finally, I loved the "Books of Remembrances" that each woman in the Moon line left as her legacy. I could see this being the beginning of a series, perhaps.
This book reminded me of several others that I've read recently (The Mercies and The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs) which speak to the dangers for women of being different; and Midnight at the Blackbird Café for its grandmother-granddaughter, wise gifted women, coming back home to sell the farm (or cafe) and finding true love trope.
Book 188 of 2020

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Guilty as Cinnamon by Leslie Budewitz

Guilty as Cinnamon by Leslie Budewitz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 or 3.5 stars for this second in the A Spice Shop Mystery series. This is set at the famous Pike Place Market in Seattle and I loved the market interactions. I enjoyed the tension between Tag and Pepper as they navigate their way from marriage into friendship, all the while trying to decide whether friendship is all they want. It's definitely not all Tag wants, but Pepper is not as sure. Either way, with Pepper being a shop owner, and Tag being a bike patrol policeman whose beat is the market, they are sure to be in each other's lives for the long haul. While the Flick Chic group didn't play as much into this plot as in some of her other books in this series, I am always attracted to strong women characters and friendships. And books that include recipes, sign me up! All in all, not a bad way to pass the time.
Book 184 of 2020


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The Orphan's Guilt by Archer Mayor

The Orphan's Guilt by Archer Mayor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 stars - This was my first book by Archer Mayor, although I understand it to be the 31st in the series. It must be tough for an author who writes long-lasting series to make each book be comprehensible to a new reader without being too repetitive to old ones. I think I would enjoy this more if I had a better understanding of the relationships of the cast of characters. However, that has just inspired me to go back and start the series from book one.
This is a police procedural that takes place in Vermont and includes a cast of characters ranging from police officers and a coroner, to lawyers, private investigator and a reporter, who amazingly all work together to get to the truth.
Book 183 of 2020.

The guilt mentioned in the title refers to the main character, John's guilt about not protecting his younger brother better. View all my reviews

The Solace of Bay Leaves by Leslie Budewitz

The Solace of Bay Leaves by Leslie Budewitz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 - New (to me) cozy mystery series by Leslie Budewitz that takes place in Pikes Place Market in Seattle that I finished on a recent trip. I like the location and the characters, all in all it was an enjoyable read and now I'm going to go back and start from the beginning of the series and see if it holds up.

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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5.0 stars - This moving Newberry Award winner by Mildred D. Taylor tells the story of a family in the deep south during the depression who fight racism, poverty and great odds to retain their land, raise their fine children and rise above the bonds of poverty. The parents, Mary and David, work hard to provide their four children with a better life, and balance the need to teach them how to survive in a white man's world with showing them that respect begins with oneself. They are hard-working, frugal, and wise parents and the family support - including Big Ma, Uncle Hammer and Mr. Morrison, forms a strong bond that helps both the family and the community.
Book 179 of 2020.

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Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters by Jennifer Chiaverini

Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters by Jennifer Chiaverini
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.0/5.0 - I have read more than 30 books by this author, her complete Elm Creek Quilts series and several of her historical fiction. This was told from an interesting perspective - that of Mary Todd Lincoln's sisters, primarily Elizabeth, the oldest and caretaker, Frances, the next oldest, and her younger sisters Ann and Emelie. While Elizabeth almost always sided with Mary, Frances and Ann saw a different side of her and were sometimes a bit more realistic. Mary was willful from a young age, knew what she wanted even as a child, which was to live in the White House. Sadly, it didn't bring her the joy she had hoped, as she lost two children and her husband there, and her third son a few years after. She was long estranged from her oldest son, and from her sisters, but always the family was there for her, especially in the end.
The structure of the book is such that each chapter is told from a different sister's point of view, and it jumps around a 50 year timeline. I understood why the author chose to do it that way, but honestly, I didn't really care for it.
Book 178 of 2020.

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The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux by Samantha Verant

The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux by Samantha Verant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 stars - Sophie is a young chef who seeks her past after being sabotaged at the restaurant she cooks at. Her grand-mere is a French chef, and she grew up visiting her, until a final falling out between her mother and grandmother happened at the beginning of her teen years. In an attempt to put her life back together, she reaches out to her French family, only to find her grandmother is in the hospital after a serious health setback. Leaving immediately for France, she is astonished at what she finds there. The chateau is not the simple thing she remembers, it now supports the village and includes two critically acclaimed restaurants. Over the next months, Sophie struggles to find her confidence, learn more about her family, including a father she never knew, and spend as much time with her beloved grandmother as possible.
If you love cooking, family stories, and stories about second chances this book is one you'll want to read. I would definitely seek out more books by this author!
Book 177 of 2020.

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Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 stars - Newberry Award winner, well written and told from the POV of an 11 year old boy. It's not surprising that Marty fell in love with the dog, but what is surprising is how far is is willing to go to save it, and how responsible he feels for it. Yet he makes mistakes, lies to his family, but feels bad about it, like any well-raised boy would. He eventually comes clean to his parents, and they don't try to cover for him. They make him tell the story himself, and he learns from it. And it all works out in the end.
The one thing that doesn't ring true to me about this story is in Chapter 7, when he describes his best friend's house as having a room just for his father's computer and books. Was that a thing back when this story was written (1991), or had the edition I read (2003) been updated?
Book 173 of 2020.

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Family Tree by Susan Wiggs

Family Tree by Susan Wiggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5/5.0 stars - This book combined so many of my favorite elements, family, food, second chances at love, with strong women characters and the gorgeous New England/Vermont setting that sets the stage for a good read. Not that there weren't flaws. The books tried to cover too many things and left some lightly explored. Was it a true representation of someone with TBI? Was it awfully convenient that two different workplace accidents were so important to the plot? There was a lot of lawyerly love in this book. There was a happy ending that really took 3 or more years to happen, but seemed like just a few chapters.
Book 170 of 2020

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HomeMade Modern: Smart DIY Designs for a Stylish Home by Ben Uyeda

HomeMade Modern: Smart DIY Designs for a Stylish Home by Ben Uyeda
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 stars - I put this on Reserve at the library, so I didn't realize how "modern" the projects would be. Unfortunately, most aren't to my taste, but that doesn't lessen my appreciation for this book. This really is a great step-by-step manual for the diy-er. From a great description of the project, estimated time it will take, estimated cost, clearly described supplies and tools, and photos, it is easy to understand and follow. As you proceed with a project, each step has icons above which will alert you to the tool you need to do it. It gives you different options, tips on what could go wrong, alternative ways to make it, and perhaps best of all, what to do if you don't want it anymore (how to repurpose). There were one or two projects, including an herb wall and a kitchen island, that did sound appealing. Maybe we'll try them!
Book 167 of 2020.


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Human Touch: A Story in Real Time by Mitch Albom

Human Touch: A Story in Real Time by Mitch Albom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 stars - Author Mitch Albom wants stories that inspire, offer hope, and help us realize our humanity, and Human Touch is yet another example of this. Written in real time and shared weekly, this serialized book is offered for free on his website https://www.mitchalbom.com/human-touc... or through Audible.com. In eight episodes, it tells the story of four families, friends and neighbors, as they encounter the virus. Their trials and tribulations, mishaps and mistakes, courage and cowardice, sharing and bravery are all part of this story. It is an unusual tale in its universality, we are all living this time together, and so it touches each reader in its own way. The author describes why he wrote the book this way:

"I believe in humanity. I believe we will get through this together. And then we’ll each have our own “human touch” story to tell.

This book was chosen for the first meeting of Talons and Tales, the SUNY Brockport book club.
Book 165 of 2020.


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Goodnight Mind: Turn Off Your Noisy Thoughts and Get a Good Night's Sleep by Colleen E. Carney (from 10/1/2017)

I originally reviewed this in 2017, it came up on my FB feed today, so I thought I would add it to my blog. Goodnight Mind: Turn Off Your Noisy Thoughts and Get a Good Night's Sleep by Colleen E. Carney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book appealed to me, as I have struggled for many years to get a good night's sleep. I have no trouble falling asleep, but inevitably I'd wake up in the early hours of the morning, and toss and turn before I could get back to sleep. While this book offered no groundbreaking suggestions, it did bring together several common sense strategies in an easy to read and apply process. I've waited for about a week after finishing the book to write this review, so I could comment on how well it worked for me. Overall I'd say I'd sleep better about 80% of the time, so a great success! The two suggestions that I have implemented from the book that have worked best have been 1) limit the amount of time you spend in bed and 2) set a sleep schedule and follow it. So now I don't read or watch tv in bed at all, and I force myself to stay up until 10 PM. If you suffer from sleepless nights or restless sleep, this book might help you as it did me. It will be interesting to look back in a few months and in a year to see if there are long term effects, as well.

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The Librarian of Boone's Hollow by Kim Vogel Sawyer

The Librarian of Boone's Hollow by Kim Vogel Sawyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 rounded to 4.0 stars -
This book was a solid 3.5 stars for me, but if I have to round, more deserving of a 4 star rating than a 3 star. The setting is a mining town in Kentucky during the Depression. The story opens in Lexington where Addie and Emmett briefly meet. Addie, a top student, has just found out that she has lost her position in the last week of her junior year, due to her family's financial straits. Emmett is about to graduate with a degree in commerce and is in the library looking for jobs in the want ads. They next meet up in Lynch, Emmett's home town, where Addie has been offered a job as a traveling librarian. It is here she meets Miss West, the library manager, who captures what I love about reading in the following quote:

"A book takes one into another person's thoughts and emotions. Books open up worlds beyond the view from one's own window. Stories can stir compassion, can inspire integrity, can show different lifestyles and problem-solving skills. Books, Addie, have the power to change people for the better." (p. 158 - Miss West to Addie)

Why would you want to read this book? I think it depends on what you're in the mood for. This book is uplifting, light reading. It is Christian Fiction, but not preachy. It is Historical Fiction, but a little light on the historical details surrounding the traveling librarian program. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek does a much better job in that respect. During this difficult year of pandemics and politics, it offers hope for the future. There are lessons to be learned about looking for the blessings in your daily life, even when they're not easily found; about treating others based on who they are inside, not listening to biases other people have about them; and about never giving up.
In short, if you're looking for a deep book with lots of historical details, this might not be for you. But if you're looking for something that will bring you peace and hope, within a historical setting, this is for you.
Book 161 of 2020.
Also reviewed on my blog: http://xbmill.blogspot.com/


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Someplace to call home by Sandra Dallas

Someplace to Call Home by Sandra Dallas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5/5.0 - Sandra Dallas is one of my favorite authors, and this young adult/juvenile book by her is another reason why. This takes place during the depression and the dust bowl and features a brave pair of siblings, Tom and Hallie, who take off from Oklahoma after losing their mother, in order to find a better life for themselves and their beloved younger brother, Benny. When their car breaks down in Kansas, they camp beside a stream for the night. In the morning, though, the farmer who owns the land finds them and tells them to move on. Tom, a mechanical wizard, explains their transmission is broken and their tire blown, and they'd like to stay on and look for work, until he can fix it. Swede, the farmer, has a hard time believing Tom could fix it, until Tom offers to look at a tractor Swede is having problems with. Tom is able to fix it, and the Carlson offer to let them stay. They become friends and benefactors, and their young daughter, Tessie finds a friend in Benny.
Sometimes it's hard to believe for us to believe or envision what life must have been like back then.
It is only when Benny goes missing for a time that Hallie and Tom can truly understand their place in the community, when the community bands together to help find the little boy.
We have so many fail-safes built into society today that children aren't wandering the country by themselves looking for work. Not to say that there aren't homeless people still, only that we have a few more mechanisms to help them. Back then, one relied on church, family or neighbors much more than today.
This is a book about hardship and courage, friendship and love, and what it means to be neighborly.
Book 160 of 2020
Fall Reading Challenge: OCTOBER/1. Pumpkin Spice Everything/b. Read a book whose title starts with a letter in SPICE.
PS FRC - 2. A book that has been on your shelf since at least last fall.


Other Sandra Dallas books I have read: Westering Women
Someplace to Call Home
The Last Midwife
A Quilt for Christmas
Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky
Fallen Women
True Sisters
The Quilt Walk
Whiter Than Snow
Tallgrass
The Chili Queen
Alice's Tulips
Prayers for Sale
The Persian Pickle Club
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Midnight at the Blackbird Café by Heather Webber

Midnight at the Blackbird Café by Heather Webber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 stars - This was a book I really needed to read, to balance all the heavy books I've been reading lately. This lovely little book was about family, those we grew up with and those we find we find later in life. It was about healing and the hard road that is made more bearable when others travel it with us. It is about letting go, and holding on; finding new hopes and dreams and following them. It is about new friendships and new loves and learning who we are. I found myself caring about the characters and not wanting it to end, or at least wanting to hear what is next in their stories. Even if there isn't a sequel, the author did a good job of resolving or hinting at their futures so that it didn't leave you hanging.
PS FRC - 10. A book about or involving nature.
Book 158 of 2020

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The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne


First, let me say, that in a year when the country seems to be on a downward spiral, why is it that all I seem to be reading are war-related or other depressing books? It's hard to know what to rate this. It's a very different spin on WWII literature, written from a child's POV. Bruno, one of the two main characters, displays such naivete that it's hard to picture him as a 9 year old. But, perhaps it was a more innocent time altogether. I also think that Bruno represents the rest of the world, in that aspect. When the camps were liberated, no one could believe that such atrocities really happened. There are those today who claim they didn't. Still, calling it Out-With, and Hitler - the Fury, rings more like a 4 or 5 year old to me. There were many things in the book that didn't ring true to me.
On the other hand, you do see some emotional growth in Bruno. He struggles with denying his friend, he questions what friendship really means, he (view spoiler)[ ultimately gives his life to try and help his friend. (hide spoiler)]
I watched the movie a few years ago, I might watch it again sometime and see how closely it follows the book.
Book 157 of 2020

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The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 - I really enjoyed this book by Karen Hawkins. It's a story of love, lost and found, and of family - those you're born in, and those you make. It's a story of hope in dark times, the strength of friendship, the wisdom of the elderly and the value of sisters. Oh, and how could I forget? The importance of books!
Book 155 of 2020

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