The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs

The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 rounded to 4 stars because of the recipe tie-ins. This is the first book in the Bella Vista trilogy, of course I started with the second. This gives more of the backstory, and introduces Isabel, Tess and Dominic. It was a fast read, and my favorite parts are the recipes that are scattered at the beginnings of several chapters. Before I return the book to the library, I want to transcribe a few, including Grape and Rosemary Focaccia, Baked Hot Chocolate, and Rustic Tomato Sauce without any Bitterness.
Book 253 of 2021

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Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter

Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 rounded to 4.0 stars - What's not to love about a book that takes place on the seashore, with a newly opened bookshop, and a young woman who has given up so much for those she loves finally taking time to do something for herself, including falling in love? This was my first book by Denise Hunter, but likely not my last.

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Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5/5.0 - It's hard for me to review this book. I am surprised at how high a rating it has after >39K people have read it. I'm not saying that it's bad, just that it might be the highest rated book (4.56) I've read (with that many ratings). What I liked: the philosophy of the indigenous people, their history, stories about the plants and the respect for the earth. What I didn't care for was the way the book jumped around, both in subject matter and timeline.
Compared to The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson, this book had more plant lore - that part was fascinating, but The Seed Keeper told a similar story in a more readable manner. True, Braiding Sweetgrass is a non-fiction book, but The Seed Keeper is the one I will remember longer and moved me more. Both books told of the tragedy of children removed from their families and their cultures and the long term effect it had on their people, and also the indigenous philosophy of honoring and stewarding the land.
This author will be speaking at the Writers Forum at Brockport in October, and this title is the October reading for the college book club, so I expect there will be some good discussions forthcoming.

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The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington

The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5/5.0 - Set in the late 1800-early 1900s in Indianapolis, the novel follows the decline of a wealthy family, the Ambersons. George, the crown prince, is a self-absorbed, selfish, spoiled young man, who desires to do nothing, just to be. His concern with appearances keeps his mother from having a relationship with the man she loves, after her husband dies. In turn, it keeps George from pursuing Lucy, who he was in love with. But time and circumstances cause George to grow up and reform.
This book won Tarkington a Pulitzer Prize, and nominations for 4 Academy Awards for the 1942 film adaptation by Orson Welles. It was considered a very important piece, but unfortunately contains racist language (not a lot, but enough) that takes away from its lasting value.

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Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder

Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 - Before I retired, my husband and I toyed with the idea of being Rvers, and workampers. We went as far as to buy a 5th wheel and pickup truck, but ended up selling them a year later. Shortly after I retired, COVID hit, and any plans like that fell by the wayside. Reading this book, and finding out what life is like for many of the people who work those kinds of jobs gave me pause, made me so grateful that we had that choice. It's hard to imagine feeling forced to live a nomadic life, with no financial cushion for emergencies, and day to day expenses having to be so carefully budgeted. It is frightening, to say the least. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time.


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Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Review may contain triggers)

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 - This review may contain triggers.

This was the 20th Anniversary Edition. This important YA book was first published in 1999, and according to The American Library Association, was one of the Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books between 2000 and 2009 due to the discussion of rape. It was an important resource in bringing the concept of consent to the forefront. It is a heartbreaking book to read, to put ourselves in Melinda's shoes, a young 13 year old at her first party, drinking her first beers, unable to stop what happens next. She calls the police, but runs away in fear and confusion and is then ostracized by all her peers. She loses her voice, and is voluntarily mute for most of the school year. Slowly, with the help of a few people, she decides to speak out.

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A Cup of Silver Linings by Karen Hawkins

A Cup of Silver Linings by Karen Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 rounded to 4 stars because it kept me interested enough to want to read the next book in the series. This second book in the Dove Pond series continued Ava and Sarah's story, while interweaving it with Kristen's. Kristen is 16, and her mother has just died from breast cancer, and now she has to find a way to live without her. She doesn't want to leave her home, but her grandmother, her new guardian lives in Raleigh and wants to take her there. Through the help of Ava's magical teas, and Sarah's "talking" books things are finally resolved, although the two sisters face some major obstacles themselves.
Read all my reviews at: http://xbmill.blogspot.com/
Book 235 of 2021

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Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 - I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It was quirky and funny, but also a little sad. It's about finding strength within yourself and rising above the limitations others put on you. You have to suspend belief a little, the premise of two children who catch on fire (view spoiler)[actually three (hide spoiler)] pushes the boundary of believability. Lillian, the poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks, is Madison's best friend, and always seems to bail her out of tricky situations, whether taking the fall for drugs and getting kicked out of school, or raising her two stepchildren. She is plucky and smart, and it's easy to be on her side.
While I liked the title (Nothing to See Here - we're just normal kids), I kept thinking that this should be called "Little Fires Everywhere" had the title not already been taken. I'll probably look for more of this author's work in the future.

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Downsizing by Lin Stepp

Downsizing by Lin Stepp
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.0/5.0 - If you like Christian fiction, stories set in the Great Smoky Mountains, and second chances at love, this story will delight you. Sent a copy to my sister, who lives in that area.

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South of the Buttonwood Tree by Heather Webber

South of the Buttonwood Tree by Heather Webber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 - Another enjoyable book by Heather Webber, who also wrote Midnight at the Blackbird Café. As I reread the review I wrote for that book, I realized that it fit this one just as well.

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.

However, if you have to choose between the two, I like Midnight at the Blackbird Café just a little bit better, but either one is time well spent.

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The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson

The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5.0 stars - I loved this book. It was thoughtfully written, told a sad but hopeful story, through a non-linear timeline which covered 1862 to early 2000s, and touched on many issues, from the wrenching of native children from their families to the rise of agri-business and the death knoll of the small family farm. The title refers to practice of the indigenous women to save the best seeds every year, and to pass those on to the next generation. It is a beautiful story and one I would not hesitate to recommend to others.

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