Compilation - 15 Books About Victorian London

Photo by Hert Niks on Unsplash

My favorite era/location for study is Victorian England. As a teen, I fell in love with Dickens. As a young adult, I pursued a masters degree in history with a focus on Victorian history. Thus, I often read books set in that time/country. Here are some past reads (with links to my reviews) for those who might be interested in fiction or non-fiction about Victorian London:

Fiction:

1. 12 Days at Bleakly Manor by Michelle Griep - 1st in Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series
2. A Tale of Two Hearts by Michelle Griep - 2nd in Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series
3. The Old Lace Shop by Michelle Griep - 3rd in Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series
4. Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
5. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 
6. At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald
7. The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton
8. Kidnapped by River Rats by Dave and Neta Jackson

Nonfiction:

1. Dirty Old London by Lee Jackson 
2. The Victorian City by Judith Flanders
3. A Metropolitan Murder by Lee Jackson
4. London by A. N. Wilson
5. Victoria by Catherine Reef
6. The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale
7. The Five by Hallie Rubenhold

Joining a New Book Club

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

I'm the perfect candidate for a book club. I love any opportunity to discuss the books I consume. However, sometimes book clubs can be tricky. For years, I belonged to a book club that met an hour away from me in a northern suburb of Indianapolis. The hour long drive seemed worth it to me. I appreciated the books they selected. We conversed easily. At the beginning, I felt very welcome and involved. Over time, things shifted. The book selections failed to interest me. I wondered if I was truly a welcome contributor. Somehow, they left me off the reminder email list a time or two. Intentional? The drive became difficult as we were experiencing major transportation challenges. Thus, I abandoned that group.

For a while, I attempted book clubs at my local library. This was a bust, too. Most of the times, the books selected were not ones I felt worth the time investment. 

In January, I joined a new group established on Facebook. Their first selection was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. I had listened to it in audio form when my oldest was much younger (perhaps when it first came out around 2003 - he would have been 7). My resounding memory is that the author nailed the voice (the autistic narrator is fascinating) and that the language was very foul (I could not listen when Bryce was in the car with me). Then, I read the book again with the afore-mentioned book group. I cannot remember their take on the book.

I didn't mind reading it again, but put it off until the last minute. Indeed, I skim-read the book in the hours before the book club meeting. There are many commendable attributes to this book club, so I'm hopeful. The others are true book enthusiasts, bursting with book recommendations for books that sound appealing (mostly historical fiction, but I'm okay with that). The others seem welcoming and vocal. Since the majority own dogs, we spent a good deal of time discussing the horror of the first moments of the book (off-putting to several), the curious and cruel incident. We discussed characteristics of individuals on the spectrum. We discussed whether character actions were realistic or believable. Mostly, we kept going back to book recommendations. I'm always up for those. 

Plus, I felt genuine interest in the February and March selections: Forty Autumns and The Women.  I attended the February meeting this past weekend. We had a lively and empathetic discussion. I felt comfortable enough to share more personally than I intended. The others were supportive and encouraging. I felt seen. I'm pleased that we're forming connections. Hopefully, the timing will work out so I can attend again in March. Perhaps this will provide an opportunity to bless others.

Book Review: The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club

Several weeks ago, a book title jumped out at me from the Book Bub newsletter. It sounded perfect for my friend, Dawn, who had been swimming in the sea during a visit to England. The book was called Lifesaving for Beginners (by Josie Lloyd) and featured the tagline: "It's your friends who keep you afloat." I sent a quick note to Dawn with the link, but didn't bother to purchase the ebook for myself (although it was only a song at 99 cents - now back up to $8.49). Instead, I searched on Hoopla, hoping to find a similar title to listen to during my treadmill time. I landed on Faith Hogan's The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club. It was a joy to listen to and made my time pass without notice.

This book's tagline is: "A dip in the Irish Sea is all it takes to wash away their troubles..." The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club centers on three separate women, each facing a troublesome challenge. For the recently widowed Elizabeth, it is the discovery of the immense debt her gambling doctor husband left behind. She lost a child early in life and lived a life of deception throughout her marriage, so Elizabeth is no stranger to difficulty. Still, can she face this alone? Jo lives in a small cottage in Elizabeth's town of Ballycove. She begs her divorced daughter to come from Dublin to fill in for the local doctor position. As soon as Lucy arrives, she can tell Jo is hiding her own secret. Lucy also must deal with her recalcitrant son, Niall, who doesn't appreciate being carted off to the end of the world without his game console. As the women face these challenges, they meet as often as they can to swim in the frigid waters of the sea, a place where the vastness of the universe makes their problems seem miniscule and manageable.

I figured out one thread of the plot line well in advance, yet still enjoyed this delightful novel. Sometimes the phrasing was just beautiful, but I didn't take the time to copy lines from the book (which would have required stopping and backtracking - not an easy task while trying to whittle away pounds). I did not identify this with a content caution, because the cautionary content seemed necessary for the plot. It would be interesting to see if Lifesaving for Beginners offers a similar tale with no cautionary content. Perhaps one day I will see if I can secure that book by interlibrary loan.

Pressing Prayers

Photo by Piron Guillaume on Unsplash

January and February 2024 have kicked off with a bang. From Trevor's car accident (and other sundry issues) to medical complications, we're in the thick of things. We have many pressing prayers daily. If you feel so inclined, join us in petitioning God for His best will for us in these areas:

John - My husband had a hernia six years ago. We have a hilarious story from that time. After the surgery, the nurses were performing some post-surgical procedure on my husband. The head nurse came running down the hall in concern, saying, "No, the correct patient is a 54-year-old man!" Ha! They had to inform her he was the 54-year-old man. Thankfully, he has a full head of thick, dark brown hair, with nary a gray to be seen. His mother had been the same. Despite her age, she maintained youthful-looking hair without the aid of dyes.

Sadly, John now has a hernia on the other side of his lower abdomen. We are praying for skilled hands in repairing this issue through surgery. We pray he will remain in sound health before, during, and after these procedures. Our eldest son and his fiancée gave us a gift of airline credit to arrange a visit to them in Texas sometime this spring. We had to postpone setting dates until we can determine when John will be back up to snuff and ready to travel (not his favorite thing to do in the best of times).

Sean - Sean had a scare the other night. He struggles with taking large pills and wants some new supplements that are not available in gummy form. Thus, he asked me to get him some thicker liquid to help swallow a pill. I gave him some Bolthouse Farms Chocolate Cherry Fudge Smoothie. He was thrilled to find that the pill went down with ease in the first gulp. A few seconds later, he said, "Wait, was there almond in that? My lips are tingling and getting puffy." Sure enough, it contained almond butter. 

When his almond allergy flares, he finds it difficult to swallow or talk and even gets chest pains. I ran to get him some antihistamine, but all we had was outdated by 2 years. Still, he took the pills (with milk) and waited for them to ease the symptoms. He doubted they would work. Sensing he was uncomfortable and concerned, I googled how to know when an almond allergy requires a trip to the ER (I'm a catastrophizer by nature).

My sister called during this, and I asked her to pray for Sean. My phone was on speaker and she said a prayer aloud for his comfort and healing. As soon as she finished, Sean said his chest felt better. The power of prayer manifest before our eyes and ears! Praise God! We now are considering getting him an epi-pen to keep with him, just in case.

My sister  - Dawn had a car accident last year and has been struggling with pain in her thumbs ever since. Facing the lengthy recovery time for a surgery, she opted to go with the less invasive shot therapy (I believe it is a steroid shot). She said the pain is excruciating. She had it done once before and did not get through the full procedure. I prayed for her throughout the morning. She called to say a nurse practitioner administered the shot after applying topical anesthetic, and it was far less painful than last time (praise God!). 

I know it is more than I could endure! How I pray I will never face the intense pain of such medical challenges. My most pressing difficulty is with a constant need to clear my throat. I've battled this for 5 or 6 years now and no doctor visits bring any answers or alleviation. Still, it is like comparing a blueberry to a watermelon.

My dad - In late January, my dad had a heart catheterization scheduled. Once again, my mind flew to worst-case scenarios. I urged him to find someone to come care for my mother and not to assume he would merely be gone for the 4-6 hour procedure. Thankfully, he came through that procedure and the cardiologist put in four stents. At his follow-up appointment, the cardiologist showed him a video revealing the severity of his blockages (70-99%) and recommended a quadruple bypass. He will have open-heart surgery on February 22nd.

My mom - Of course, anything that interrupts my mother's normal routine means potential upheaval for her Alzheimer's symptoms. My dad requested my sister stay with her during the week when he will be in the hospital. What a daunting task! I am praying for all of them - my dad, my mom, my sister. It will be a trying and tenuous time! For now, I'm not on the docket to help, but that may change at any time. I am on my knees asking the Father to watch over my loved ones and bring healing and peace.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Mid-month Mention: Spring Author Talks and Upcoming Movies

AUTHOR TALKS:

Shortly after finishing Susan Meissner's Only the Beautiful, I discovered an author talk available with the writer in February (I mentioned it in my book review post).

Laura Beth Vietor (The Lover of Books) is also offering an author talk on May 6th at 8 p.m. with William Kent Kreuger, discussing The River We Remember. I have read and reviewed his books Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land. I have not yet read The River We Remember, so I'm not sure I'll attend this author talk, but he is certainly an author to watch. Again, if interested in participating search up The LBs (Lover of Books) page on Facebook, or her YouTube channel (for repostings - I noticed an author talk with Patti Callahan Henry for Once Upon a Wardrobe, a book I'm reading now, and one with Laura Spence-Ash, for her delightful Beyond That, The Sea).

Or you can participate in upcoming author talks with Jane Healey for her Historical Happy Hour: 

2/22/24 - Kristin Hannah, discussing The Women

3/5/24 - Allison Pataki, discussing Finding Margaret Fuller

3/28 - Kate Quinn and Janie Chang, discussing The Phoenix Crown

You can register to attend any of these live interviews at janehealey.com

I also stumbled upon an author talk for writers who wish to explore the therapeutic benefits of journaling. Though the free talk on February 7th has already passed, you may wish to join Dr. Hilton Koppe, author of One Curious Doctor, for his 2-part talk on Tending Heart: Reflective Writing for Well-being:

SPRING MOVIES:

ONE LIFE

A Bleecker Street post on Facebook has me excited about a movie coming in March:

"Embark on a journey of courage and compassion with Sir Anthony Hopkins in ONE LIFE. Based on the incredible true story of Nicholas Winton, a man who risked everything to rescue hundreds of predominantly Jewish children from Nazi Germany on the eve of WWII. Also starring Helena Bonham Carter, Johnny Flynn, and Jonathan Pryce, coming only to theaters March 15."

You can view the trailer here.

I'm not a big movie-goer, but I would love to see this one in the theater. Indeed, I was so intrigued, I watched a 60 Minutes news story about Nicholas Winton and then an older documentary, called Nicky's Family, available from my library on Kanopy.

SOMEONE LIKE YOU

I'm also interested in another movie due out on April 2nd, Someone Like You. Based on a Karen Kingsbury novel (brief review here) and produced by Karen Kingsbury Productions, the movie looks sweet and emotionally stirring.

You can view the trailer here.

UNSUNG HERO

The final movie I want to mention is one I will probably forego seeing in theaters and hope the library secures a copy at a later date. It is the story of the Christian musical group For King and Country. I had the rare opportunity to see them in concert at our 2015 annual Bible camp, CBLI. It is called Unsung Hero and opens on April 26th.

You can view the trailer here.

Book Review: Only the Beautiful - Highly Recommend

Day after day, I encountered posts from the Historical Fiction Lovers Facebook group with accolades and praise for Susan Meissner's Only the Beautiful. After closing the last page, I am gutted. My tears stream not just for the story, but for the ache of longing to share this touching story with my mother. I am sure she would have read this book and felt the same love for it I am experiencing. Then, she would do what she often did and insist upon reading it aloud to my dad on one of their trips. I'm sure the triggered emotions stem from more than just the book. I have been dealing with some intense struggles and desperately long for the old ability to call my mother and pour out my heart to her, but in her Alzheimer-afflicted state, she may not recognize my voice, let alone offer her encouragement. However, it is a book that definitely triggers emotion and sympathy for those afflicted with troubles we cannot imagine.

I also feel a special affection for this book because it involves the same research I completed when writing one of my young adult novels (still unpublished). I spent many months absorbed in books about the eugenics movement in the United States. Therefore, I was well-versed in the subject of this book. It always surprises me that more people are not aware of this significant movement in the early 1900s. They know nothing of the Carrie Buck case, Buck v. Bell, and are unfamiliar with the true initial tenets of Margaret Sanger's birth control movement. It is a dark past that many would rather leave untilled.

Only the Beautiful weaves the story of two women in the 1940s who experience and endure untold tragedy. The reader first meets 16-year-old Rosanne, recently orphaned and relying upon the kindness of the vineyard owners, the Calverts. She trains as a maid and bides her time reading the letters sent from Mr. Calvert's sister in Europe. In a moment of weakness, she shares her personal secret with Mr. Calvert. She cannot anticipate the harm it will trigger.

Miss Helen Calvert works as a nanny in Vienna. She adores the family she works for and especially dotes on their youngest, Brigitta. The child was born with birth defects and challenges, but Helen loves her sunny disposition. Even when war breaks out, Helen is determined to remain with the family, providing care for the children. When an S.S. officer visits the house, Helen emphasizes her commitment to provide for whatever needs Birgitta experiences. She, too, cannot anticipate the harm this will trigger.

Both women face unspeakable pain as the evils of this world test the depths of their love for a child. Although this is historical fiction, the motivations and wickedness driving this story line are still present today. We live in a fallen world. Man loves to think he can play God and dictate who deserves to live or die. If only we could read a touching book like this one and say, "So glad that's a thing of the past." In the words of George Santayana, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." The theme of this book is crucial. Every life holds value, not only the beautiful!

Mild content caution: Although this is primarily a clean read, readers should be warned there is one brief sexual scene where a man takes advantage of a young girl (no graphic detail).

Outstanding opportunity: After reading this lovely book, I came across information for an on-line Zoom call with the author coming soon. You can search for it on Facebook through the creator, The LBs (The Lover of Books). Here is the info graphic:

If you cannot attend the live event, you could seek the You Tube channel for The LBs (The Lover of Books), as she said she will upload it there afterward.

Book Review: Reset

Perhaps it is because I am involved in counseling at the moment. Or perhaps it is because starting a new year often triggers a desire to turn over new leaves. My new leaf involves slimming down for my son's upcoming wedding in September. It is really driven by a second goal, though; I am fearful of being diagnosed with diabetes or heart issues (my dad struggles with both). And third, I am determined to forge healthier relationships. Those are my reasons for seeking Debra Fileta's book, Reset: Powerful Habits to Own Your Thoughts, Understand Your Feelings, and Change Your Life. And that is why, after completing this book (similar to what I did with Gary Thomas' books), I checked it out again in e-book form, so I could take notes and digest more fully the wisdom within the pages.

Reset begins with this premise: "Thoughts lead to feelings; feelings lead to behavior." The book structure follows a month-long process to alter old patterns that fail to serve well. Fileta outlines 31 steps to take in this process, things like pause, acknowledge, decide, and plan. Last year, my goal was to pray more. I learned how important the planning process was in making that behavioral change. As Fileta observes, "The success or failure of your ability to act on your desire for change hinges on how much you've prepared for it.... Wanting it badly enough won't magically get you to a better place... you're going to have to spend some time preparing." In order to be intentional, I created prayer cards for each individual, cataloguing every need and request. I set aside 3 times a day to focus on those cards and individuals. This year, I'm trying to be intentional, as well. I track my food intake, my fitness activity, my water consumption, and my intermittent fasting hours.

I know I need to tackle a few steps outlined. She recommends identifying your default mode and negative thoughts, then doing it differently. I will need to spend plenty of time on practice 11: Call out the lies. The last steps all include self-care practices like finding mind/body outlets, filling yourself up (physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually), unplugging, resting, and breathing. My biggest challenge will be to tackle practice 29: connect with God and others. Connecting with God will be easy; connecting with others is something I find more challenging. Just as I learned years ago in my phone life-coaching with Mike, I need to repair some of the missing social spokes.

I wanted to take the Holmes/Rahe Life Stress Inventory the author mentioned as available on her website, but I could not find it. It would be interesting to assess my stress levels. She also mentioned a book I would like to seek, Holy Noticing, by Charles Stone. Not sure if I can find that and doubt I want to purchase it. If you are attempting to meet new goals this year, Reset just might help you tackle and change patterns of behavior that hold you back.

Book Review: A Lifelong Love - Highly Recommend

Once I finished Gary Thomas' book, Loving Him Well, I searched Hoopla to check for another audio book I could listen to while I exercise. I enjoy listening to his books because they keep me focused on the words instead of the movement. Yet, I'm frustrated by the desire to stop and write things down. Thus, this is the second time that I have listened to a Gary Thomas book clear through, then sought the e-book to take notes for myself. I'm hoping, now that I've gone through A Lifelong Love twice, I will retain some of the valuable lessons. How I pray my marriage will improve and stand firm as I consider the biblical teaching in these books!

The subtitle captures the essence of this book's message: Discovering How Intimacy With God Breathes Passion into Your Marriage. We cannot be closer to our spouse if we do not seek closeness first with our heavenly Father. The book breaks the marriage foundation into three pillars: spiritual intimacy, relational intimacy, and devotional intimacy. Once again, Thomas flips things on their head by suggesting a new perspective. He recommends asking this simple question: "What if my son's wife treated him the way I treat my husband?" He entertains the idea of God in a father-in-law role. God is the spiritual Father of our spouse. He desires we treat his child with respect, love, and consideration. That simple question is so convicting. He suggests, "Make God clap today by honoring His son/daughter."

Another convicting thought Thomas raises:

"At the judgement seat we will be asked, 'Did we respond to… God’s mercy by sitting on our hands and soaking up His blessings while filling our days with worthless pursuits and selfish preoccupations? Or did we, like Paul, work with the urgency and understanding that we must give an account of our days to our Lord?'”

Finally, he recommends an attitude adjustment. Don't get hyper-focused on getting your needs met. Instead, make your goal to bless your spouse. I found it hard to list ways I had demonstrated kindness to my spouse in the past week. Here is one final bit of his sound advice:

"Be careful about demanding that your spouse speak your love language or meet your need… One goal of biblical love should be that our spouses are far more aware of what we like about them than they are of what they do that frustrates us.”

I am certainly not an MVP in marriage. But, I press on to the goal. I'm open to learning more about how God wants to grow my faith through the challenges my marriage presents. He wants me to be holy. Who knows, maybe in getting holier, I'll also get happier.

Book Review: Loving Him Well - Highly Recommend

Looking to improve your marriage? I highly recommend Loving Him Well: Practical Advice on Influencing Your Husband, by Gary Thomas. The main title drew me in more than the subtitle. Originally, I was seeking a book to suggest to my oldest son to prepare him for his impending marriage. Of the few I viewed, I favored one written by Gary Thomas, Nine Essential Conversations Before You Say I Do. Although I doubt they will follow my suggestion, I still think they should embark on these conversations (especially since they are not seeking pre-marital counseling as we did prior to our wedding). Frankly, marriage is hard. It requires two people willing to die to self and put the other person's needs above their own. While I try to love my husband well, I'm sure that I could improve in that area, and thus I sought this other book by Gary Thomas.

When my husband and I separated (for a time) years ago, I attended a conference where I heard some outstanding advice. The speaker challenged audience members to make a weekly list of beneficial actions. Instead of listing one's own beneficial activity, the focus is on your spouse. You list all the things your spouse did to bless and benefit your marriage; then you list all the things you did that may have harmed or challenged your marriage.

The advice in Gary Thomas' book seemed quite similar. If you want a better spouse, be a better spouse. If you want your spouse to follow harder after God, you must seek to follow hard after God. Thomas is famous for a specific well-toned phrase about marriage: "What if God designed marriage to make us holy even more than to make us happy?" It is a training ground. He writes, "What if your husband's faults are God's tools to shape you? What if the very thing that most bugs you about your spouse constitutes God's plan to teach you something new?" Indeed, he sees marriage as a spiritual gym. The work done in marriage makes you spiritually strong and fit. It may be grueling at times, but it is worth the pain to get to the gain. The book's theme is, "Change the equation of your marriage by remodeling yourself."

Finally, I came away with fodder for a similar list. Thomas suggests you thank God for your spouse's strengths and ask for His help to deal with your weaknesses. I have a host of them. I am eager to put the principles learned in this book into practice in 2024. This book was an outstanding primer for improving your marriage. Since I listened to this one on Hoopla, I believe I might just reread it in the original title, Sacred Marriage, that I can access in hardback form. Loving my husband well will not come automatically, and I could stand repeat lessons in that endeavor.