Little Souls by Sandra Dallas

Little Souls by Sandra Dallas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5/5.0 - Sandra Dallas is one of my favorite authors, and while this book is good, it isn't my favorite that she has written. I was drawn to the book by both the time period and the location (Denver in 1918, during the Spanish flu) because of a very personal connection to the setting. My grandmother, who was 18 and lived in Salmon, Idaho at the time traveled to Colorado to care for a family (who had moved there from Idaho) whose mother had the flu. It was on the train back to Idaho that she met my grandfather, who had just returned from the war. I loved reading about the setting, and the two sisters who cared so much for each other. I also enjoyed the Easter eggs, where the author mentioned to a place or an incident that took place in another book. Here is one example:

We'd wandered around the town looking at the quaint houses, one of them a mansion with a tennis court that had gone to seed. p. 189

This refers to The Bride's House.
Where the book performed less well for me was in believability. There were too many things happening (view spoiler)[ kidnapping, fiancés dying, the influenza epidemic, several rapes (off page), incest, bootlegging, adoption, etc. (hide spoiler)].
Overall, the good outweighed the bad, and it was an enjoyable book.

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The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a collection of essays, written by one of my daughter-in-law's favorite authors (and through whom I became familiar with him). It is biographical, filled with hope and despair, tackling both heavy topics such as depression, death, and plague and hopeful subjects such as love, family, children and carrying on. He speaks often and lovingly of his adopted city, Indianapolis; and of his struggle during Covid.
The book is a series of reviews, everything from Canada Geese (2 stars - I agree!) to Piggly Wiggly (2.5 stars), Icelandic hot dogs (5 stars) to the plague (1 star), with many more things in between. This is definitely a book for people who appreciate his work already, it shares many insights. I think the Hoosiers among us will get a kick out of it, too.

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So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5./5.0 - This is an important, difficult, uncomfortable book, that if we are able to be honest with ourselves, makes us question so many things we once took for granted. A few key takeaways: racism isn't how an individual treats another (although it's that, too), it's systemic. It's how we have treated others that we see as different than us, for hundreds of years. It's the opportunities that are different, economic situations, and things we don't see because we are blind to them. Another - check your privilege. I never knew what that meant. Basically, look at all the ways your life is different from someone else's that has nothing to do with merit. Things like being raised in an intact family with two parents who were employed, being treated with respect in my everyday life, not being afraid when I see a police car. I could offer many more examples of ways in which this book opened my eyes, but really, just read it for yourself.

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Violeta by Isabel Allende

Violeta by Isabel Allende
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 rounded to 4.0 stars - This is the first book that I have read by Isabel Allende, it jumped out at me from a New Book shelf at the library. The storyline is epic, covering a full century, but the author does it in just over 300 pages. While this is a very reasonable length for a book, the premise is that this is basically a letter that she is writing (albeit on her computer) from her deathbed to her beloved grandson.
Violeta is born during the 1920s flu pandemic and dies 100 years later during the COViD pandemic. In between she lives an interesting life filled with lovers, revolutions, family, and fortune. From Depression to depression, wealth to poverty, tiny villages to world travel, feminism, Cold War, and the war on drugs, this book encompasses it all in a way that was interesting, but not overwhelming.

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A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There by Aldo Leopold

A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There by Aldo Leopold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 - I received this book through ILL from the Fisher Public Library in Athens, TN. I mention this because without Interlibrary Loan, it is unlikely I would have gotten to read this book published in 1949, and I enjoyed it very much. The first part of the book describes the flora and fauna over the course of a year around the author's Wisconsin farm, and there were many species I had to look up. Then there is a section written over 40 years where the author traveled around North America. The final section is philosophical, talking about modern life (in the 1940s), and the ethics around the use of land and conservation. He was a professor at the University of Wisconsin, and an important figure in conservation and wildlife management. He died shortly before this book was published, and "The Aldo Leopold Foundation of Baraboo, Wisconsin, was founded in 1982 by Aldo and Estella Leopold's five children as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit conservation organization whose mission is "to foster the land ethic through the legacy of Aldo Leopold."[34] The Aldo Leopold Foundation owns and manages the original Aldo Leopold Shack and Farm and 300 surrounding acres, in addition to several other parcels." Wikipedia

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When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Kay Penman

When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Kay Penman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5/5.0 - I have read several books about the later Plantagenets, this is the first time that I have read about the origins of that line. This is a well researched book, in which the author shares in great detail the 19 years in English history, known as the Anarchy. It was a time of civil war in England, where two monarchs, Stephen and Maude, fought for the right to be recognized as king (or queen). Stephen, grandson of William the Conqueror, and nephew to the king, took the throne when the king died unexpectedly. He had named his daughter, Maude, as his heir.
Although a very long book, the author did a good job of keeping my interest. Perhaps in the future I will tackle further volumes in this saga.

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Groundbreaking Food Gardens: 73 Plans That Will Change the Way You Grow Your Garden by Niki Jabbour

Groundbreaking Food Gardens: 73 Plans That Will Change the Way You Grow Your Garden by Niki Jabbour
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5.0/5.0 - This book was so good, I ended up purchasing a copy for my home library. It's filled with ideas, details, layouts, and suggestions for so many different garden possibilities that you're bound to find one (or more) to fit your needs! From container to truck gardens, victory to specialized gardens - such as a Chicago hot-dog garden, children's garden, beekeepers, herbalist, garlic and pizza aficionados, and so many more are here for the picking. A useful book for any home gardener.

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