2022 - First 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, 2 thumbs up - Meh, and 1 thumb down - Regret, wishing I could get back the time invested). I read the following books during the first quarter of 2022 (links to full reviews can be found in the sidebar, or after 2022, found through the search bar at the right):

💖The Reading List by Sarah Nisha Adams - Widower Mukesh Patel comes out of his shell as he encounters the books recommended from an anonymous reading list found in the pages of a library book. 384 pages (I listened in audio form, 10 CDs, 13 hours), 👍👍👍👍👍

The Christmas Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini - Master quilter Sylvia Bergstrom Compson swirls in a host of memories as she unearths long hidden Christmas decor. The holidays are meant to be shared and relationships are meant to be nurtured. 240 pages (I listened in audio form, 6 CDs, 6-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍👍

The Undercover Book List by Colleen Nelson - An unlikely friendship blossoms through notes left in the pages of a middle school book. A tween version of The Reading List. 258 pages, 👍👍👍👍

💖The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth - Two sisters. Two perspectives. One veiled past mistake. One shared goal. Delightful characters and intriguing plot. 306 pages, 👍👍👍👍👍

The New Year's Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini - Sylvia Bergstrom Compson Cooper (mouthful) reminisces as she prepares a quilt peace-offering for her estranged step-daughter. 240 pages (I listened in audio form, 5 CDs, 6-1/4 hours), 👍👍👍

💖Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for Being Purposeful, Present, and Wildly Productive by Jordan Raynor - Following Christ's example, Raynor outlines ways to increase and structure your productivity. Every principle is supported with a list of best practices for living out the principle. Every practice promises to aid in making the best use of the time we have left in this evil world before Christ returns. 239 pages, 👍👍👍👍👍

Midnight at the Blackbird Café by Heather Webber - For those who love magical realism, this story explores family conflicts, grief, and guilt, while presenting hope and redemption for moving on from the clutching past. 333 pages, 👍👍👍

Heads You Win by Jeffrey Archer - Two parallel lives, based on the flip of a coin to determine whether a mother and son escape Russia bound for New York or bound for London. Ambitious undertaking. Classic Archer with twist at the end; however, that ending left me less satisfied than his usual fare. 437 pages (I listened in audio form, 13 CDs, 16 hours - but due to confusion, also clarified bits from the hard cover), 👍👍👍-1/2

💖The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni - A coming-of-age war tale that is raw and real and, thankfully, redemptive. 369 pages, 👍👍👍👍👍

The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom - Faith, without the gospel, is merely religion. God's assistance, apart from salvation, gives mock comfort. Not my best choice this year. 288 pages (I listened in audio form, 4 CDs, 5 hours, much filled with foul language - how does profanity fit in a supposed faith book?), 👍👍

Holier Than Thou: How God's Holiness Helps Us Trust Him by Jackie Hill Perry - In a world that would rather emphasize God's love than His holiness, this book shines a light on why His holiness is absolute, necessary, and trustworthy. 168 pages, 👍👍👍👍

The Umbrella Lady by V. C. Andrews (ghostwritten by Andrew Neiderman) - 8-year-old Saffron, abandoned in a train station, must rely on the kindness (is it kindness?) of a stranger. 273 pages (I listened in audio form, 7 CDs, 8-1/3 hours), 👍👍👍👍

Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull - Children's biographies of twenty famous writers including their unknown quirks and unparalleled successes. 93 pages, 👍👍👍👍 

The Giving Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini - A myriad of mini-stories quilted into one as the characters come together to create quilts for charity. 369 pages (I listened in audio form, 9 CDs, 11-1/4 hours), 👍👍👍👍

Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull - Children's biographies of twenty famous musicians including their oddities and achievements. 93 pages, 👍👍👍👍

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth - Lucy's mother-in-law is dead. She knows something. What does she know? Did she play a role? What was their relationship like? 340 pages, 👍👍👍👍

The Woman Beyond the Attic: The V. C. Andrews Story by Andrew Neiderman - A biography of a writer whose personal health struggles limited her world, but expanded her imagination. No desire to read her books though. 248 pages, 👍👍👍

The Woman Beyond the Attic

As explained in my review of The Umbrella Lady, I have never read a book by V. C. Andrews. Still, who hasn't heard of The Flowers in the Attic? I may live in a cave, unaware of the success of Celtic Thunder, but you'd have to be, say, trapped in an attic to be unaware of the book that vaulted V. C. Andrews to fame. Reading one of her ghostwritten books made me game to read her biography, written by her ghostwriter, Andrew Neiderman. Any writer's biography would interest me and I suppose that is why I kept reading. Now, I'm more certain I'll never choose this author's books.

In many ways, The Woman Beyond the Attic: The V. C. Andrews Story, demonstrates the truth that personal trial reaps creative inspiration. Authors who suffer understand the human condition and translate that suffering into works that are relatable to the masses. This author's life is a mini-picture of the emotion she taps in her famous book. Afflicted with arthritis, Virginia Andrews watched her idyllic childhood vanish when she twisted in just the wrong way on a staircase in her high school. This minor action led to a major redirection in her life. Doctors recommended a body cast, hoping the skeletal structure would heal in the proper way. But she didn't heal. For the rest of her life, Virginia felt trapped in a body that required help and care. Her controlling mother, somewhat ashamed of Virginia's disability and determined to protect her at all costs, kept her from engaging more fully in society. Thus, this author could articulate for others a story about four children trapped in an attic.

Biographies provide a chance to walk in another individual's shoes. This writer differs from me. She believes in reincarnation. The way she portrays Christianity in abusive terms shows her disdain. Plus, she embraces writing as a chance to play god in the lives of her characters. ("I step into a universe of my own making, and I am the god. What a sense of power!") 

While it was interesting to learn all about this author's life, this biography provided little writing wisdom. Two lessons emerged from her story. First, an author must persevere despite years of rejection. Like many writers, V. C. Andrews devoted much time and practice prior to achieving success. Some might say this one book catapulted her to "instant" success, but that's wrong. She had already written nine other novels and many short stories before she landed on the idea for her Flowers book. The origin of that story germ highlights the second lesson. Stories come from a myriad of sources and a writer must keep their eyes and ears open to plausible ideas. After hearing a true story of children isolated in an attic, Virginia asked the key writing question, "What if?"

At the end of this biography, Neiderman provides samples of the author's work, including an unfinished story, the bones of another story, and a few poems. Although I tried to read her writing, I skipped through this part (unsavory from the outset and not all that compelling either). Given that V. C. Andrews takes her isolated children down a path of incest, I have no desire to read this book that captivated millions. I hope Neiderman's sequel to The Umbrella Lady will be clean.

Content caution: 📒 - the biography discusses sex and one writing sample displays sex

Free 6-Page PDF!

 

Looking for a great read? Have I got a deal for you! On the sidebar to the right, I've added an opportunity to score a free pdf with a decade of recommended reads from my Of Books and Boys blog. I've broken the recommendations down into the following categories: Fiction (Adult, Young Adult, and Middle-Grade); Non-fiction (Memoir, Health, History, Religion, and Parenting)

Each recommended title offers a five-word teaser. Altogether, you get 73 brief book recommendations. Surely some will trigger your interest. I've also added a bonus section of recommended movies. If viewing the blog on a phone, you may have to switch to the web version to gain access to the sidebar.

If you snag this free pdf, I'd love to hear how many of the 73 books you've already read!

Book Review: The Mother-in-Law

The Mother-in-Law is a riveting read exploring complex relationships. A key concept the book presents is that women tend to have a more fraught relationship with their mother-in-law than do men. The author, Sally Hepworth, attributes this to the intensity of emotion women invest. A character says, "Sons-in-law and fathers-in-law don't care enough to have issues.... We have issues because we care too much." We desire their approval and affection, but often struggle to gain either.

With the police on her doorstep, Lucy seems to anticipate why they are there. How does she already know? Is it because she played a role? Sure enough, they proclaim that her mother-in-law is dead. But it is a conflicting crime scene. Although they discovered a suicide note (in a desk drawer, not near the body), evidence indicates suffocation. Who would have wanted to kill Diana? She was a philanthropist, working to give immigrants a chance in a world set on pushing them aside. Many people thought she was wonderful. But what kind of relationship did she have with her daughter-in-law? Why was she so cold? She had money, yet refused to assist her own children.

The book offers endless twists and turns. Everyone is hiding something. As the narrative progresses, it attempts to warm the cold Diana by weeding out her true motivations and philosophies. I read the book in two sittings, staying up well past my bedtime. Although I enjoyed it, I prefer The Good Sister. This one was sometimes a stretch to believe. Characters held too tightly to their individual perspectives and none were endearing. The author cast them with sharp lines. Still, it was a wild ride and quite engaging. The end was satisfying, if a bit too tidy. Apart from a few minor expletives, it was a clean read.

Lucky Me!

Oh, how I love when I snag a deal! It wasn't even the deal I thought I was heading out to get. Last week, I arranged to purchase a two-drawer locking file cabinet on a rolling stand for $10. Arriving early to the seller's set location (the Goodwill parking lot), I needed to kill some time. Of course, I headed to the book section. Once there, I found a beautiful boxed set of 3 Bill Bryson audio books. I already have read and own the hardcover of these titles, yet I'm thrilled with this opportunity to listen. If you're not familiar with Bill Bryson, his wit is a joy!

I would have happily paid the set price of $1.99 for three audio books. Lucky me - the half-price color of the day (brown), meant I snagged this set for one measly dollar. On Amazon, the set sells for $50. Score! I happened upon a new Facebook group this past week and almost joined, just so I could show off this astounding find. It is called Weird (and Wonderful) Secondhand Finds That Just Need to be Shared. The group is open to the public and has about 2.5 million members. Apparently, I'm not alone in my thrill of snagging a deal or searching for unusual bargains.

I'll begin with I'm a Stranger Here Myself, an essay collection about returning to the United States after years of living in Britain. I seem to recall sending a copy of this book to my older brother, David. If he read it, I never heard. While I wish these were full versions, I'll settle for approved abridgements. Eighteen hours of listening pleasure!

Book Review: Lives of the Musicians

Since I enjoyed Kathleen Krull's Lives of the Writers, I sought another similar volume. This time she delved into the fascinating biographies of twenty famous musicians in Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought). Written in 1993, this is the first book in this series of biography compilations. As in the other book, she presents oddities and tid-bits with flair.

I was intrigued to learn that Chopin shared some of Dickens' obsessive quirks and got ideas while walking. He was quite meticulous. He spent six weeks working on one page of music. Brahms was also intense. His first symphony was the product of ten years of devotion. Like other famous musicians and writers, he burned what he didn't like and started over. 

I enjoyed the section on Gilbert and Sullivan the most. It was full of new and interesting facts. I hadn't known about the friction between them. Nor did I realize that Sullivan wrote "Onward Christian Soldiers." Even more perplexing, someone kidnapped Gilbert when he was two and held him for ransom. 

Many of these famous musicians turned to their colleagues' music for comfort. When sad, Ives would play "Onward Christian Soldiers," until his melancholy lifted. Of course, some sought unconventional cures. Stravinsky relaxed by standing on his head. Crazy!

My library only has a few more of these titles, covering athletes, explorers, presidents, and scientists. I probably won't seek those out, but I may seek a neighboring library's copy of her Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes (and What the Neighbors Thought). The other inaccessible titles explore the lives of extraordinary women and pirates. Sadly, this author passed away a little over a year ago. No more interesting children's biographies from her entertaining pen!

Book Review: The Giving Quilt

I'm reading (listening to) the Elm Creek Quilts novels out of order, but enjoying it all the same. The Giving Quilt is book 20 in the series. It works as a standalone novel. The book felt like a quilt. The dominant story is of a quilt camp centered on giving, called "Quiltsgiving." During the camp, participants keep giving journals and contemplate the question, "Why do you give?" 

Within that main framework come the smaller stories of various participants, young and old. The young cheerleader, dropped by her male counterparts, is struggling along on crutches. The librarian whose book display causes a stir and may cost her the job. A teacher is mourning her deceased husband and trying to find new interests on her own. A quilter who returns to the manor after an unsuccessful bid for a quilt instructor job. Each well-told story holds realistic conflicts and satisfying resolutions. I am thrilled my library has more of these books in audio form, because they promise a clean read, acceptable for my husband's and kids' passing ears.

Book Review: Lives of the Writers

When seeking the Gilbert and Sullivan book by Kathleen Karr (mentioned in my recent compilation of books about music), I stumbled onto this listing. My library no longer has Kathleen Karr's book, but they have several biographies by Kathleen Krull. Intrigued, I requested one. This delightful children's book introduces kids to twenty famous (or semi-famous, as I didn't recognize a few of the names) authors. Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought) shares all the tidbits and oddities that make lives interesting. I've studied Dickens for years, yet I was unaware of his obsessive-compulsive traits. Who knew Louisa May Alcott wrote for 14 hours a day, only taking breaks to run? So many of these authors felt they had to write to support their poverty-stricken families. Many went to work at young ages. Stripped of leisurely childhoods, did this prompt them to create fantastical worlds? Many took long walks of ten or twenty miles. This would make a great read-aloud for elementary classrooms. Informative and interesting.

Book Review: The Umbrella Lady

This was another audio book snagged on my quick trip into the library. Of course, I've heard of V. C. Andrews and her book, Flowers in the Attic. But, not a fan of horror fiction, I've never read one of her books. However, the back cover copy for this book, The Umbrella Lady, enticed my interest.

Eight-year-old Saffron, abandoned at a train station, is at the mercy of a stranger holding an umbrella. The umbrella lady offers her shelter while she awaits her father's return. Told from her childish perspective, Saffron paints a terrifying picture of this Good Samaritan who meets her in her time of need, but also imprisons her in the house. The woman goes by many names. She introduces herself to Saffron as Mazy Daisy. Others in the small community know her as the former teacher, Mrs. Dutton. Since Saffron appeared out of nowhere, the other kids call her "the tree girl" and view her with suspicion. Several mysteries carry the story along: Where did the father go? Will anyone rescue Saffron from her imprisonment? Who is Mazy Daisy? Is she involved in the father's disappearance? Will Saffron ever mingle with her peers? Can she blend in?

I thoroughly enjoyed this and requested the sequel, Out of the Rain. The narration was excellent. (If you wish to listen to an Audible sample, follow this link and click on the sample button.) I'm sure V. C. Andrews was a talented writer (she wrote many books and, at her death, left behind 63 further story ideas). Perhaps this book, written by the estate's ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman, stems from one of those storylines. Neiderman delivers. The writing in this book lures you in and holds you fast. I loved how your feelings about the characters change and grow with time. Plus, the final reveal is satisfying and stirring. I'm also on the hold list for a book about V. C. Andrews, The Woman Beyond the Attic.