2021 - 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, 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 first quarter of 2021 (for my full review, click on title):

Freezing and Thawing: New and Revised Stories from the Midwest by Kyle L. White - From a letter of recommendation for Autumn to minutes from an insomnia meeting, White presents equal parts humor and introspection. A gem from a Midwest poet I call a friend. 130 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2

Four Umbrellas: A Couple's Journey into Young-Onset Alzheimer's by June Hutton and Tony Wanless - Tender and tragic tale of two writers and their journey through the deterioration brought on by Alzheimer's. 224 pages, 👍👍👍

Audacious by Beth Moore - Moore's manifesto for reaching all women with the message of the gospel so they can audaciously love Christ. 174 pages (I listened in audio form, 4 CDs, 5 hours), 👍👍-1/2

Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers by Jessica Roux - Beautifully illustrated coffee-table book highlighting the Victorian practice of using flowers to communicate sentiments. Simply wanted more. 226 pages, 👍👍-1/2

Prayers for Prodigals: 90 Days of Prayer for Your Child by James Banks - 90 prayers, supported by Scripture, to bolster and encourage the hearts of parents with wayward children. 240 pages, 👍👍👍👍

Reaching Your Prodigal: What Did I Do Wrong? What Do I Do Now? by Phil Waldrep - After numerous parents approached Waldrep in despair over their child's choices, he determined to study the problem and offer wisdom for parents in this troubling predicament. 256 pages, 👍👍-1/2

Acedia & me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life by Kathleen Norris - Writers often struggle with the emotional malaise that accompanies isolated work that is often viewed as wasted time and energy. This form of sloth (sin?) impacts the emotional and religious experience of a writer. 334 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - Between life and death, Nora Seed encounters a library full of books that will allow her to rewrite her regrets, but will she be able to find a life worth living? Intriguing and life-affirming! 304 pages (I listened in audio form, 7 CDs, 9 hours), 👍👍👍👍-3/4

The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris - A poet reflects on lessons from monastic life. Beautiful writing but differed on some points. 385 pages, 👍👍👍

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist by Adrian Tomine - A cartoonist's honest memoir about seeking success with his creative work. 162 pages, 👍👍-1/2

Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose by Rebekah Lyons - A compendium of suggestions to help regulate your life and relieve stress and anxiety. Nothing new, but great storytelling to support ideas. 224 pages (I listened in audio form, 5 CDs, 5-1/2 hours, 👍👍👍👍

How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy - A songwriter encourages would-be-songwriters in the discipline, play, and word-dancing required for penning lyrics and melodies. 158 pages, 👍👍👍

The Hungering Dark by Frederick Buechner - While written half a century ago, this book of essays (sermons?) by Buechner could have been penned today - same darkness, same hunger for God's holiness to intervene and wipe away our tears and doubts. 125 pages, 👍👍👍👍

Someone Like You by Karen Kingsbury - A stand-alone novel, starring characters from Kingsbury's famous Baxter family, exploring ethical and emotional ramifications of embryo adoption. 301 pages (I listened in audio form, 7 CDs, 8 hours), 👍👍👍-1/2

Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything by Viktor E. Frankl - A concentration camp survivor's thoughts on the meaning we can derive from suffering and the importance of each and every life. 115 pages, 👍👍👍👍

Winter is Scissors: A Winter Companion by Kyle L. White - My friend Kyle's book of 31 daily readings "extending the metaphor that winter cuts." 76 pages, 👍👍👍👍

Halfway to Forever by Karen Kingsbury - This follow-up to Waiting for Morning, traces the expectations and obstacles in two families patiently awaiting the addition of children. 354 pages (I listened in audio form, 10 CDs, 11-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍-1/2

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard - A step back in time to watch a madman murder, a president fall, a doctor usurp, and a scientist invent. Excellent! 354 pages (I listened in audio form, 8 CDs, 9-3/4 hours), 👍👍👍👍👍

We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly - Bird, Fitch, and Cash bear the fall-out of their parent's animosity. Aligned with the Challenger mission of 1986, the book explores the typical struggles and dreams of middle-schoolers. 389 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2

Pianos and Flowers by Alexander McCall Smith - 14 short stories prompted by old photos. 192 pages, 👍👍-1/2

The Library Book by Susan Orlean - A thorough telling of the San Francisco Library fire of 1986 and a love song to books and libraries. 310 pages (I listened in audio form, 10 CDs, 12 hours), 👍👍👍👍

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline - A masterful sequel that ups the ante a hundred-fold. A riveting ride of a book. 371 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2