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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Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 - Some books I can fly through, others need to savored, read slowly, and perhaps put aside and read again at a later date. I struggle with literary fiction, I want a book to tell a story, rather than be focused on characters or setting. Gilead is a beautifully written book, in fact, the list of awards it won includes: Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (2005), Orange Prize Nominee for Fiction Longlist (2006), PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction Nominee (2005), Ambassador Book Award for Fiction (2005), Los Angeles Times Book Prize Nominee for Fiction (2004), Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Fiction (2005), Rodda Book Award (2006), National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction (2004), Frederic G. Melcher Book Award (2004), Society of Midland Authors Award for Adult Fiction (2005), Grawemeyer Award for Religion (2006). It is written in an epistolary manner, John Ames, at 76, knows his days are numbered. He has a wife, who is half his age, and a beloved young son, who was a gift to him in his old age. Keenly aware that he won't be there to guide his son for much longer, he spends time each day writing in a diary, trying to impart a lifetime of wisdom and guidance. He tells of growing up, the son of a preacher, who was a son of a preacher, of the Civil War and its aftermath, and how that affected his father. He tells of his boyhood, meeting his first wife and losing her in childbirth, and many years later, finding Lila. He speaks of faith, regret, philosophy and theology.
The structure of the book could be off-putting to some, it has no chapters, no clear divisions except some spacing between paragraphs that would indicate the next setting in his writing. One could even say it rambles. This is the first book of the Gilead series, I have previously read Lila, and will read the others.
Book 226 of 2021

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The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis

The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 - This historical fiction alternates between the 1920s - Clara's story, and Virginia's story in the 1970's, finally tying them together by the end. The Grand Central Terminal in NYC plays a major role in both timelines, being the location of the Grand Central School of Art from 1923-1944, and as a subject of the campaign to save the terminal from destruction.
For fans of books about NYC, Grand Central Terminal, or the art world, and readers of historical fiction.
Book 224 of 2021

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It's a wrap

The 2021 garlic harvest is a wrap. The photos show our remaining fresh (we've used or shared a like amount already), our 250-300 seed garlic (each head will yield 4-5 cloves), 4.5 lbs of frozen garlic, and 2.5 lbs of dehydrated. And the harvest wouldn't be complete without memorializing my broken arm, which I got when disturbing a yellowjacket nest while digging the last of the garlic.