Thursday, December 31, 2020

2020 - Fourth Quarterly Review

To assist my blog readers, I summarize my reading four times a year, providing a brief description, the page count, and a grading scale (5 thumbs up - Highly Recommend, 4 thumbs up - Enjoyed, 3 thumbs up - Good, but not as satisfying as I'd hoped, 2 thumbs up - Meh, and 1 thumb down - Regret, wishing I could get back the time invested). I read the following books during the fourth quarter of 2020 (for my full review, click on title):

For the Love of Europe: My Favorite Places, People and Stories by Rick Steves - A famous travel writer's concise guide to his jaunts in Europe (only sad it neglected a mention of Barcelona). 416 pages, 👍👍👍-1/2

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti - The winding story of a criminal's life as he attempts to protect those he loves. 400 pages (I listened in audio form, 11 CDs, 13-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍

The Temptation of Adam by Dave Connis - After Adam Hawthorne's expulsion from school, he must face down his porn addiction and make peace with the sacred and human embers blazing within us all. 337 pages, 👍👍👍👍

We Interrupt This Broadcast: Relive the Events That Stopped Our Lives... from the Hindenburg to the Death of Princess Diana by Joe Garner - Real radio clips from interrupted broadcasts as news flashes erupted for tragic events. 154 pages (I listened in audio form, 2 CDs), 👍👍👍

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway - Hemingway's memoir about life in Paris among many talented companions. 185 pages (I listened in audio form, 6 CDs, 4-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍-1/2

Craigslist Confessional: A Collection of Secrets from Anonymous Strangers by Helena dea Bala - A five-year project of listening to strangers unload secrets and burdens. 243 pages, 👍👍-1/2

The Grain Brain Whole Life Plan by Dr. David Perlmutter - As in Perlmutter's Grain Brain and Brain Maker books, this protocol urges avoidance of gluten and grains, as well as recommending many excellent lifestyle changes. 260 pages (I listened in audio form, 6 CDs, 7 hours), 👍👍👍

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman - A bank robber flees a cashless bank into an apartment viewing turning it into a hostage scenario full of anxious people. An unbelievable romp. 336 pages, 👍👍👍

Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner - A member of British aristocracy recounts her life and her time serving as a lady in waiting for the queen's sister Margaret. 80% her life; 20% Princess Margaret. 336 pages (I listened in audio form, 8 CDs, 9 hours), 👍👍👍

Open and Unafraid: The Psalms as a Guide to Life by W. David O. Taylor - Dissection of the benefits of the psalms for approaching all aspects of life with vulnerability and confidence. 194 pages, 👍👍👍

Open Heart by Elie Wiesel - The famous Jew who survived Auschwitz relates his experience facing emergency open heart surgery and contemplating his life. 96 pages (I listened in audio form, 2 CDs, 1-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen - Responding to Rembrandt's painting, Nouwen considers the parable and identifies with each character. 151 pages, 👍👍👍

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold - Revealing crime and poverty in Victorian London through the tales of five unfortunates. 368 pages (I listened in audio form, 9 CDs, 10-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes - Light-hearted romance about second chances. 289 pages, 👍👍👍

They Do it With Mirrors: A Miss Marple Mystery by Agatha Christie - During a visit to a childhood friend, a man is murdered and Miss Marple must figure out exactly how the killer gained access to the victim. 224 pages (I listened in audio form, 5 CDs, 5-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍

Out of my Mind by Sharon M. Draper - Imprisoned by her cerebral palsy, eleven-year-old Melody longs to sing the words her brain contains, but even when she finds a machine to assist her, she must navigate the waters of being different. 320 pages, 👍👍👍👍

Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis - Emmie Blue hopes her pen-friend Lucas is going to express a romantic interest. After all, their lives came together serendipitously when he found the balloon she launched with the terrifying secret she carries. Will they move from friend territory to the next level? 310 pages, 👍👍👍

The End of Alzheimer's Program: The First Protocol to Enhance Cognition and Reverse Decline at any Age by Dale E. Bredesen, MD - An outline of the protocol Bredesen uses to aid individuals in staving off and reversing Alzheimer's. 321 pages, 👍👍👍-1/2

Adorning the Dark: Thoughts on Community, Calling, and the Mystery of Making by Andrew Peterson - An inspiring look at the process of creation and our role, as image-bearers of God, in presenting our gifts back to God for His glory. 224 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey - A compendium of work habits for famous writers, artists, composers, scientists, etc. 234 pages, 👍👍👍-1/2

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee - A thorough expose' of the problem and progress of treatment for the insidious disease of cancer. 608 pages (I listened in audio form, 16 CDs, 20-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍👍

The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin - Creative individuals must bravely practice their art without concern for return on the investment.  They must courageously ship their work into the hands of others for criticism and, hopefully, change. 272 pages, 👍👍👍-1/2

A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti - Annabelle, triggered by memories of a traumatic event, takes off on a cross-country run to process and heal from the intense tragedy. 355 pages, 👍👍👍👍

Where We Belong by Lynn Austin - A Christian novel of two unconventional sisters who cross continents to establish God's providence and provision in life. Brace for hammered messages. 480 pages (I listened in audio form, 13 CDs, 15.25 hours), 👍👍👍

Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce - An unlikely friendship blossoms when a spinster hires an assistant to travel with her to New Caledonia in search of a rare golden beetle. 334 pages, 👍👍👍👍👍

At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald - A young boy in Victorian London ventures to the back of The North Wind. 168 pages (I listened in audio form, 2 CDs, 2 hours), 👍👍👍

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