Third 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 third quarter of 2022 (links to full reviews can be found in the side-bar, or after 2022, found through the search bar at the right):

The Lost Quilter by Jennifer Chiaverini - Book 14 in the Elm Creek Quilts series follows the story of a runaway slave seized from the haven of Elm Creek Farm in the early 1860s. 368 pages (I listened in audio form, 9 CDs, 10-3/4 hours), 👍👍👍-1/2

The Aloha Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini - Book 16 in the Elm Creek Quilts series provides a Hawaiian getaway for Bonnie, who is embroiled in a bitter divorce. Wishing for more redemption and growth. 336 pages (I listened in audio form, 9 CDs, 10 hours), 👍👍-1/2

A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain by Sara Manning Peskin - Fascinating story of advancements in the study of the human brain and how it can go wrong. 214 pages, 👍👍👍-1/2

In an Instant: A Family's Journey of Love and Healing by Bob and Lee Woodruff - All it takes is one blow to the head from a war-time bomb to implode a family with crisis. The Woodruffs share honestly about this trial and Bob's recovery from the brink. 322 pages (I listened in audio form, 8 CDs, 9-3/4 hours), 👍👍👍-1/2

The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCullough - Follows notable American creatives who furthered their education and artistic endeavors in Paris between 1830 and 1900. 576 pages (I listened in audio form, 14 CDs, 16-3/4 hours), 👍👍👍👍-1/2

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne - First published in serial form, this classic novel provides travel and adventure for a gentleman and his servant as they travel around the world with a deadline. 160 pages (I listened in audio form, 6 CDs, 7 hours), 👍👍👍

Courage for Beginners by Karen Harrington - Who wouldn't want to write their own life story? Certainly a girl whose mother struggles with agoraphobia, whose father is in a coma, and whose best friend is turning on her. That's when courage of Alamo proportions is necessary. 289 pages, 👍👍👍

Biohack Your Brain: How to Boost Cognitive Health, Performance & Power by Kristen Willeumier, PhD - Full of practical ways to enhance your brain health and function. 229 pages, 👍👍👍

Watching the Road: Praying Your Prodigal Home by Karen Wheaton - A heart-wrenching tale of a daughter's deception and departure into the enemy's field. Full of wisdom on the weapons of warfare. 152 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2

Lucky for Good by Susan Patron - Though lauded by many, this book indoctrinates children to believe in relativism and pluralism. It portrays salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone as ridiculous and narrow-minded, encouraging children to carve their own path. 224 pages (I listened in audio form, 5 CDs, 5-1/2 hours), 👎

The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life by A.J. Jacobs - Fascinating expose of all the many different forms of puzzles available and ruminations on what they provide to humanity. 380 pages, 👍👍👍👍

Forgiving Paris by Karen Kingsbury - Christian novel about an artist who goes astray in Paris, only to learn later how God has turned it all for His good. 336 pages (I listened in audio form, 7 CDs, 8 hours), 👍👍👍-1/2

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak - Recommended by a friend, this book presented an interesting intersection of plant and human life amid the political struggles on the island of Cyprus. 343 pages, 👍👍👍-1/2

💖The God of the Garden: Thoughts on Creation, Culture, and the Kingdom by Andrew Peterson - Part-memoir, part-tree-study, part-cultural commentary, part-theological treatise. Entirely worth the read. 209 pages, 👍👍👍👍👍

💖In Five Years by Rebecca Serle - This book sucked me in so thoroughly that I overlooked things I would normally not tolerate. The premise was clever. The execution flawless. It resonated emotionally and tugged my heart strings completely. 288 pages (I listened in audio form, 6 CDs, 6-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍👍👍

The Hardest Peace: Expecting Grace in the Midst of Life's Hard by Kara Tippetts - A story that will break your heart and build your faith simultaneously. 194 pages, 👍👍👍👍-3/4

A Distant Shore by Karen Kingsbury - Christian novel about sex trafficking and second chances. 384 pages (I listened in audio form, 8 CDs, 9-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍👍

All by Myself, Alone by Mary Higgins Clark - Enjoyable, clean mystery of an ocean liner trip that turns deadly. 260 pages (I listened in audio form, 6 CDs, 6-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍-1/2

No Such Thing as Ordinary by Rachel Balducci - Former mommy blogger of Testosterhome writes about going deeper with God to find the joy and satisfaction He offers when our souls long for more. 112 pages, 👍👍👍👍

Book Review: All by Myself, Alone

It has been a while since I've read a Mary Higgins Clark novel. I couldn't remember if I should expect a clean read or not. Thankfully, it was a clean read. This little mystery filled my exercise time and made the miles on the recumbent bike and treadmill slip past quickly. I didn't solve the crime myself, but had to wait for the story's resolution.

Passengers on the Queen Charlotte cruise ship's maiden voyage have high hopes for a pleasant crossing. Celia Kilbride, a gem and jewelry expert, is happy to travel and provide guest lectures to get her away from the buzz back home surrounding a financial investment scandal. Professor Longworth is also onboard to give lectures on Shakespeare. Willy and Alvirah Meehan have booked passage to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary. But mostly, eyes are on the elderly Lady Emily Haywood, who intends to wear her famous emerald necklace. The stage is set. The characters in place. Then, the tragedy takes hold of the ship. Who is responsible for these attacks on the passengers? Where has the necklace gone? Will amateur sleuth Alvirah solve the crime before they reach their destination? This author pulls off yet another mystery for the books.

Book Review: A Distant Shore

I expressed some of my difficulty with Christian fiction (especially my recent read, Forgiving Paris). So, my sister encouraged me to give A Distant Shore a try. She had just finished it and enjoyed it quite a bit. The story line was intriguing and the characters endearing. Yet, I still believe it hammered the message more than necessary. I have resigned myself to accepting that Christian authors write Christian novels with Christian readers in mind, with the sole intention of strengthening faith. If you frame these novels in that way, then the verses that open every chapter are beneficial. I will try to complain less about sermon overshadowing story. I will shift my understanding of the purpose of these novels.

Sixteen-year-old Jack Ryder is playing football on a beach in Belize when he sees a small child drowning. What he doesn't know is that the girl allowed herself to be drawn into the riptide because she wanted to join her mother and brother in heaven. The girl is returned to her supposed family and Jack returns to his, neither knowing what happened to the other. A decade later, Jack is an FBI agent back in Belize to break up a sex trafficking operation. These two collide again, and the stakes feel far higher than the pull of the ocean. Can Jack do his job without falling in love? Can she find a reason to live? Does God allow evil in our lives to lead us into situations that train and bolster us "for such a time as this"? Can God redeem the evil that is present in our fallen world?

This is a heavy topic. Kingsbury handles it with compassion and sensitivity. Although it is difficult to read about the loathsome treatment of girls taken captive, it is important because this evil exists and our awareness is vital. Battles rage all around us, often hidden in darkness. We should be a light that exposes Satan's schemes and opposes them with God's gospel.

Book Review: The Hardest Peace

I cannot remember how I came across this author. Was it a recommended read in one of the many email services I receive? Was it a Netflix movie recommendation (once I read her books, I intend to watch the documentary)? I cannot believe I didn't find her story sooner. This book was written in 2014. The book I intended to read turned out to be a later book, Just Show Up: The Dance of Walking Through Suffering Together. Thus, I searched until I found Kara Tippett's first book, The Hardest Peace: Expecting Grace in the Midst of Life's Hard.

Bring tissues to your cozy chair if you sit down to read this book! Kara Tippett's story expresses pain, but persistently points to God's goodness. Church-planters Jason and Kara Tippetts received a devastating diagnosis after Kara discovered a lump in her breast. This young family, with four children, face down questions, confusion, despair, and suffering without ever giving up on the God who writes their story. Kara admits she is a broken woman seeking peace in the middle of vast pain. She writes, "Hard is often the vehicle Jesus uses to meet us, point us to that peace, and teach us grace." I cried hardest at her parting letters to her husband and children. This book bolstered my faith, with Kara's words to Jason, "The plan is beautiful, even if the path is hard. I trust Him, I trust Him, I trust Him!"

Book Review: In Five Years - Highly Recommend

I'm almost embarrassed to recommend this book. In Five Years presents a moral worldview I cannot embrace, yet... the writing swept me away. So many times, I wanted to yell at the book. How can people treat sexuality as if it is some meaningless gesture as insignificant as a handshake? How can they tolerate the idea of the person they are with being intimate in that way with someone else? I just cannot understand. So, heads up, this book has sexual immorality and behaviors that go against everything I believe is right. 

Why did I persist? The premise is thoroughly enticing. The writing left me unaware that there was a writer behind the scenes orchestrating the pageant as it played out before me. It hit a level of emotional resonance that will keep me thinking about this book for days to come. These are all signs of a highly engaging book. Plus, I genuinely liked the characters.

Dannie Kohan, a lawyer in Manhattan, has everything she has always wanted. She has a stable life and a best-friend she adores. Her job interview, with a firm she's been eager to join, turns out to be a resounding success. She nails the standard question, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" David, her boyfriend of two years, treats her to dinner and proposes. But that night, everything changes. She wakes in different surroundings, wearing a different engagement ring, next to an unknown man. Her fiancé?? For one hour, she lives her life five years in the future, but was it just a dream? It felt so real.

As the book proceeds, a swirling current leads Dannie toward the inevitable, but does she want that inevitability? Can she force herself to marry David? The closer I drew to the end of the novel, the more emotionally invested I felt. What an intense tear-jerker! The conflicts were believable and difficult. How would one navigate when one is being pulled in a direction unplanned and perhaps unwanted? I would kill to have a close friendship like Dannie enjoys with Bella. But, with great love, comes the capacity for great pain.

I agree with the multitude of glowing reviews:

"Be prepared for deep emotions, a few laughs, and possibly a few tears as well. Reading this book is truly an experience." - Seattle Book Review

"Serle takes a fairly generic rom-com setup and turns it into something much deeper in this captivating exploration of friendship, loss, and love." - Booklist

"When smart, thoughtful writing pairs with a compelling, ingenious plot I am hooked and so very happy." - Elinor Lipman, author of Good Riddance

Like Jamie Ford (author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet), "In five years, I will still be thinking about this beautiful novel."

Content Caution: 📒 

This and That September 2022

The Queen's death - While it wasn't shocking news, it was certainly monumental news. My first thoughts went to my friend, and former "Page of the Presence," Ray Wheaton. He gave his life in service to a queen who gave her life in service to a country I adore. For me, the queen's passing is sad. For him, it must bring much greater grief.

Of course, I'm just a hanger-on. Pathetic, I know. I revel because I rubbed shoulders with someone who rubbed shoulders with royalty. Through friendship with Ray, I received the unexpected blessing of encountering some of Buckingham Palace (well before they welcomed the public for viewing). It was such a delightful excursion.

I think my favorite image (found on Facebook) is this dual shot of the queen and her husband in the early years and in late. 

Marriage is hard. I cannot imagine trying to do it well while under the scrutiny of an entire nation (no, more than a nation, a commonwealth). The queen was a public figure who carried well the responsibilities thrust upon her. What a different life she might have had if another had not cast the responsibility aside. She seemed to take it all in stride.

A visit from Bryce - I've just returned from driving Bryce to the airport. His company sent him to do recruiting at Purdue again this year. We squeezed in a day and a half with him. He arrived from Dallas late on Friday night and will now pick up a rental car at the airport for his Purdue schedule this week. I was so glad that we attended Sean's junior-varsity football game on Saturday morning. It was a nail-biter and we won. Thankfully, Bryce filled me in on some aspects I didn't understand (no, I'm not the quintessential football mom). Plus, I focused on enjoying the game and the company rather than my usual watching in dread and fearing an injury.

Bryce wanted a photo with Sean after the game (Sean is now as tall as Bryce, at only 15) but he was dripping with sweat, so he declined. I hoped for a photo of all three boys together, but they were never all three together the whole weekend. Bryce took Sean golfing on Saturday afternoon. That evening at dinner, Bryce marveled when Sean ordered two steak and cheese burrito meals and then polished off almost every bite. Finally, on Sunday morning, Bryce had a chance to see Trevor. He is also quite tall and has grown buff and lean (really careful with his diet now and exercising back up to the level he was at before his the cyst in his leg popped in May). It was pouring outside and Trevor was in a time crunch to get to work, so they both passed on a photo for me. I'm quite sad because I don't know when the next photo opportunity will come along. Perhaps not until Christmas.

I have a few photos of the boys at home (taken in August):

(Trevor and Sean)

Sean must dress up for school on game days, so I snapped this photo on the last Friday in August:

My book - In early August, my book rose to within the top 100 for the category of religious and inspirational poetry again. This was an unexpected blessing:

I started September with a handful of reviews. I'm grateful to several individuals who have written outstanding reviews for my book and brought the number up to 12 written reviews. Without readers, a book is impotent. Like a tree falling in a forest with no one to hear, does it make a sound?

To read some reviews, visit my book's Amazon page. Or visit this book review my blogging friend Maria posted on her blog. I feel blessed beyond measure.

 

Book Review: The God of the Garden - Highly Recommend

It was Sunday. None of my books from the library seemed like good choices for my Sabbath time. Instead, I pulled down a book Bryce gave me for Christmas. Andrew Peterson's The God of the Garden has a similar feel to my other favorite by him, Adorning the Dark. I lost myself in this book, devouring it in one day. After reading a secular book focused on trees and how they stand watch and mark time for us, this was more in line with my worldview. 

I will admit, I'm not big on trees. My mother-in-law would come and ask how the such-and-such tree was faring (this being family property and thus hers, too). I would cringe because I cannot identify the trees we have. I know that we have an oak orchard and a black walnut orchard. But ask me how the Arborvitae is doing and I'm paralyzed in my ignorance. Which one is that?

Moreover, I keep as far from the garden as I can (much to my husband's dismay and my late mother-in-law's critical opinion). Plants do not thrive in my care. I have told the story before about receiving my first gifted plant. When honored with the General's Guard award, the leader gave me an African violet. She waxed eloquent. "As this plant grows, so will your spiritual life flourish." Yikes! I'm doomed. I killed that plant in just a few days.

Given this book's focus on trees and gardens, you would think I'd be disinterested. But you'd be wrong. I was fixated. Peterson weaves personal stories that ground the trees and gardens into the book, and those stories flourished like spiritual plants. He is not only a gifted storyteller but also a humble and honest pilgrim. The book considers ideas of innocence lost, God's silence, responsibility for the land we live on, and the ever-important communities we establish.

Toward the end, I hung on every word, since we are in the process of the very struggle he outlines. The developments outside our front door alter our land and sentimental affection. It is hard not to view these houses and neighbors as interlopers, threatening our peace and solitude. I could relate to Peterson's question concerning his parents' little piece of property. In fifty years, the new owners will not value the vision his parents had. They will tear it down to build a modern house with up-to-date amenities. May even sell it to developers who will multiply those modern houses on the land.

Yet, we are also on the other side of the equation. Necessity calls for us to carve up this legacy and put it into the hands of similar developers. It is breaking our hearts. Will they be kind? Many in the community expressed a desire to keep our old white barn. 

There was talk of moving it closer to the proposed community park. Alas, it is in such a state that the cost is prohibitive. Thankfully, they will not molest the beautiful tree (I can only call it beautiful - I do not know its name). 

Just as Andrew Peterson emphasized, this tree has been here for years. It will hopefully remain for many more generations. Think of all the life that has transpired around this tree. It bears witness.

I may never grow passionate about trees, yet I took great comfort in reading Andrew Peterson's love of them. Perhaps he is right, and a little time in the garden alongside my husband might banish internal despair. This book filled me with the desire to cultivate the garden of my life, to till its soil with purpose, and to bear fruit for the Lord who loves me every bit as much as his planted creations. Though he may not feel it, Peterson is blessed in his ability to perceive his capacity for sin and waywardness. Too many falsely believe they deserve God's salvation. They do not rely upon His mercies because they maintain their walk with Him. I want to see my own sinful state clearly and fall on His infinite mercy and love. To hold His hand as I walk through this garden. 

Book Review: The Island of Missing Trees

A friend recommended this book; otherwise, I might have set it aside. In the beginning, it felt wonky. This unusual idea of a tree not only personified but in love with a human (which, coming full circle, made more sense at the end). I am glad I stuck with it, however. There were plenty of redeeming features to the tale. The writing was lyrical and beautiful. I loved the vivid illustration of a tree strangled by its roots when the father is attempting to explain the mother's pain to his daughter. Having battled depression, this book was worth it for that image alone.

On the island of Cyprus, star-crossed lovers, Kostas and Defne, live out a classic Romeo and Juliet forbidden romance. The only private place they can find to meet where people will not talk and spill their secret is a tavern called The Happy Fig, so-called for the fig tree growing in the middle of the tavern. Kostas loves all living things, but animals and plants most of all. War rips choice away from these two, separating them for a time (they end up married and living in London with their teenage daughter). In fleeing Cyprus, Kostas brings a small portion of the fig tree to replant in their London garden. This tree is not only a symbol of their love but also a thing that grows and understands despite the wars and damage inflicted by humankind.

As I said, it is a bit abstract, while rooted in many truths about life. The exposition on plants and creatures is fascinating. This author clearly did her research and presents information you may have never encountered. Though I'm nothing like the author (differ in life perspectives), I can appreciate her well-written words. To get a taste of the book and hear some of the tree's eloquent observations, listen to the author's brief talk on "If Trees Could Speak."

Content Caution: 📒

Book Review: Forgiving Paris

Reading is becoming increasingly difficult. So many of the modern books I wish to read (to keep my blog on the front lines of literature), offer excellent premises but underlying agendas and common filth. Time after time, I get sucked into a novel and then toss it aside because it is clearly pushing societal perspectives I cannot embrace. Why must every. single. book. promote this agenda? Thus, I often swing the pendulum in the other direction and seek books I can be certain will provide a clean read. This doesn't solve the problem. These novels may provide a great premise, interesting characters, and a riveting plot, but are so often muddied with intense preachiness and saccharine simplicity.

As for Christian fiction, Karen Kingsbury is a quite capable author. Her writing is outstanding. She takes on realistic life-problems and portrays timely characters. Yet, I felt toward this one, the same as I have for much Christian fiction. I may agree 100 percent with the "lesson," yet I don't want that message to crowd out or overrun the narrative. 

Ashley Baxter Blake is an artist living in Indiana and invited to showcase her talent in a Paris art gallery. This has been her life's dream. Her deceased mother predicted she would make it one day. But, as Ashley and her husband cross the ocean to celebrate their anniversary and seize this life goal, she is overwhelmed by images of her compromised past during a visit to Paris in her twenties. The sin she committed back then led to the joyous birth of her firstborn, Cole. Can she forgive Paris for that bump in her road? Can she forgive herself for her personal mistakes?

Yes, this was a great reminder that God will take our sins and turn them around to bring good from the bad. He will redeem our brokenness. Yes, there are plenty of times when God saves us from evil all around us. Even, I imagine, with protecting angels. But, oh, the wallop of the message. 

Are there truly secular readers out there picking up these books and saying, "this story packs a powerful punch of things I have never considered"? Why such polarization? Both sides are pushing messages. On the one hand, you get the worldly perspective of what is acceptable and good, and that message is contrary to God's will. Yet, they won't allow a single book to be produced without pounding it repeatedly. On the other, you get a godly perspective, but equally hammered. 

Who will direct me to a clean read, free of the pervasive perspectives touted in our society today? Where are the writers who can convey a decent story, in line with godly lifestyles, without overshadowing the story with a driving Christian message? God is big enough to appear within pages without even being mentioned. His solutions to the problems in our world continue to be the only solutions I find viable. Never have I been so discouraged with the choices available to me in my reading pursuits. I'm ready to wave my white flag and close the books. Books are now used as weapons and I'm fed up with the war.