inge87's Books of 2016: To Every Read There is a Season

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inge87's Books of 2016: To Every Read There is a Season

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1inge87
Edited: Jan 2, 2016, 11:07 am



Well, it's officially January 1, which means it's time for a new thread. And since I am an (in)famous teller of bad jokes, a punny title seemed appropriate. So with apologies to the author of Ecclesiastes, here is my 2016 thread.

To those who don't know me from previous years, I'm Jennifer, a library assistant working at a community college south of Dallas, Texas. Or at least that's what I'm doing now. I finished my master's degree in library science last month, so I am now officially inge87, MS. This means that a job change is inevitable, but change can be fun as well as scary—plus it means that I have a lot more time for books!

3inge87
Edited: Apr 30, 2016, 5:23 pm

Books Read in April

94. The Blue Whale by Jenni Desmond (4)
95. S is for Salmon: A Pacific Northwest Alphabet by Hannah Viano (3)
96. The Big Thicket: A Challenge for Conservation by Pete Gunter (4)
97. Shackleton's Journey by William Grill (3)
98. Mesa of Sorrows: A History of the Awat'ovi Massacre by James F. Brooks (4)
99. River Marked by Patricia Briggs (2)
100. Karl I: The Emperor of Peace by Marcel Uderzo & Marc Bourgne (5)
101. I Want to Get Married!: One Wannabe Bride's Misadventures with Handsome Houdinis, Technicolor Grooms, Morality Police, and Other Mr. Not Quite Rights by Ghada Abdel Aal (3)
102. Mary's Monster by Ruth Van Ness Blair (4)
103. A Procession of Saints by James Brodrick, SJ (4)
104. Wandering Whale Sharks by Susumu Shingu (4)
105. Mother Elisabeth: The Resurgence of the Order of Saint Birgitta by Marguerite Tjader (2)
106. Peacock Pie: A Book of Rhymes by Walter de la Mare (4)
107. Books Make A Home: Elegant Ideas for Storing and Displaying Books by Damian Thompson (3)
108. Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California's Farallon Islands by Katherine Roy (4)
109. Last Poems by A. E. Houseman (4)
110. When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne (3)
111. Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators by William Stolzenburg (4)
112. California Condors in the Pacific Northwest by Jesse D'Elia & Susan M. Haig (3)
113. Locally Laid: How We Built a Plucky, Industry-changing Egg Farm from Scratch by Lucie B. Amundsen (3)
114. How to Converse with God by St. Alphonsus Liguori (4)
115. Now We are Six by A. A. Milne (3)
116. Perelandra by C. S. Lewis (3)
117. Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey (3)
118. Tales from Shakespeare by Charles & Mary Lamb (4)
119. Saint Colum and the Crane by Eva K. Betz (3)
120. The Far Traveler: Voyages of a Viking Woman by Nancy Marie Brown+ (3)
121. Honey from a Weed: Fasting and Feasting in Tuscany, Catalonia, the Cyclades and Apulia by Patience Gray (4)

Monthly Total = 28 Books Read

* = re-read
+ = owned and unread for at least a year (Mt. TBR)
^ = foreign language book

1 star = Did trees really have to die for this?
2 stars = Almost a good book
3 stars = A solid, good book
4 stars = A very good book
5 stars = An amazingly good book

4inge87
Edited: Apr 20, 2016, 10:32 pm

Books Read in January

1. Saint Martin de Porres and the Mice by Eva K. Betz (4)
2. Library Wars: Love & War, Volume 1 by Kiiro Yumi (3)
3. Girl in Dior by Annie Goetzinger (2)
4. The Pied Piper of Peru by Ann Tompert (2)
5. Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert by Gary D. Schmidt (5)
6. The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart (3)
7. Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin, Jr. (4)
8. Murder by Candlelight: The Gruesome Slayings Behind Our Romance with the Macabre by Michael Knox Beran (4)
9. Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin (3)
10. Blessed Bishop Nicholas Charnetsky, C.SS.R. and Companions: Modern Martyrs of the Ukrainian Catholic Church by John Sianchuk (3)
11. Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews (3)
12. B is for Bear: A Natural Alphabet by Hannah Viano (3)
13. Americanine: A Haute Dog in New York by Yann Kebbi (4)
14. Friction by Sandra Brown (3)
15. Wickedly Dangerous by Deborah Blake (3)
16. Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books by Aaron Lansky (3)
17. Survival by Julie E. Czerneda+ (4)
18. The Reign of Christ the King by Michael Davies (3)
19. Migration by Julie E. Czerneda+ (4)
20. Marked for Death: Islam's War Against the West and Me by Geert Wilders (3)
21. Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins by Jim Forest (4)
22. Quick Curtain by Alan Melville (3)
23. The Easter Chick by Geraldine Elschner (3)
24. Regeneration by Julie E. Czerneda+ (4)
25. The Nativity by Géraldine Elschner (3)
26. The Gentle Traditionalist: A Catholic Fairy-Tale from Ireland by Roger Buck (4)

Monthly Total = 26 Books Read

Books Read in February

27. The Comic Book Story of Beer: The World's Favorite Beverage from 7000 BC to Today's Craft Brewing Revolution by Jonathan Hennessey, Mike Smith, & Aaron McConnell (3)
28. Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues by Martin J. Blaser (4)
29. Jackaby by William Ritter (3)
30. Beastly Bones by William Ritter (3)
31. The Story of Life in 25 Fossils: Tales of Intrepid Fossil Hunters and the Wonders of Evolution by Donald R. Prothero (3)
32. An Alphabet of Saints by Robert Hugh Benson (4)
33. A Story Of St. John Vianney by Brother Ernest, C.S.C. (3)
34. Corpus Christi: Holy Communion and the Renewal of the Church by Athanasius Schneider (3)
35. Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick (5)
36. Dreaming Death by J. Kathleen Cheney (4)
37. The Z Murders by J. Jefferson Farjeon (3)
38. Saints for Girls: A First Book for Little Catholic Girls by Susan Weaver et al. (4)
39. Winterwood by Jacey Bedford (3)
40. I Sing a Song of the Saints of God by Lesbia Scott (4)
41. Wild Hearts by Sharon Sala (3)
42. Cold Hearts by Sharon Sala (3)
43. The Miracle of Saint Nicholas by Gloria Whelan (4)
44. Joseph and Chico: The Life of Pope Benedict XVI as Told by a Cat by Jeanne Perego (3)
45. A Bride's Story, Volume 2 by Kaoru Mori (4)
46. Death of an Airman by Christopher St. John Sprigg (4)
47. Deep in the Valley by Robyn Carr (3)
48. Just over the Mountain by Robyn Carr (3)
49. Down by the River by Robyn Carr (2)
50. The Ghost of Flight 401 by John G. Fuller (3)
51. Dshamilja by Chinghiz Aitmatov+^ (3)

Monthly Total = 25 Books Read

Books Read in March

52. Thee, Hannah! by Marguerite De Angeli (3)
53. In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming (4)
54. I'm in Charge of Celebrations by Byrd Baylor (3)
55. A Fountain Filled with Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming (3)
56. Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming (5)
57. A Time to Keep: The Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays by Tasha Tudor (3)
58. Demeter and Persephone: Homeric Hymn Number Two by Homer & Penelope Proddow (4)
59. The Crucified Rabbi: Judaism and the Origins of Catholic Christianity by Taylor Marshall (3)
60. Thirteen Guests by J. Jefferson Farjeon (4)
61. Resurrection Science: Conservation, De-Extinction and the Precarious Future of Wild Things by M. R. O'Connor (3)
62. Winter at the Door by Sarah Graves (3)
63. The Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove (3)
64. The Girls She Left Behind by Sarah Graves (3)
65. The White Stag by Kate Seredy (2)
66. Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty (5)
67. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (4)
68. Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs (3)
69. You by Fulton Sheen (4)
70. Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin (4)
71. Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs (3)
72. Conversation with Christ: The Teaching of St. Teresa of Avila about Personal Prayer by Peter Thomas Rohrbach (4)
73. The Golden Specific by S. E. Grove (3)
74. Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs (3)
75. Friends of God: Homilies by Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer (3)
76. Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs (3)
77. Mit brennender Sorge by Pope Pius XI^ (4)
78. Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson (4)
79. Saint Germaine and the Sheep by Eva K. Betz (3)
80. Saint Athanasius by F. A. Forbes (3)
81. On Pascha by Melito of Sardis+ (4)
82. St. Margaret Clitherow by Margaret T. Monro (3)
83. A Short History of the Roman Mass by Michael Davies (3)
84. The Seven Last Words by Fulton Sheen (3)
85. The Sadness of Christ by St. Thomas More+ (3)
86. Elijah in Jerusalem by Michael O'Brien (3)
87. Saint Pius V by Robin Anderson (4)
88. The House of Gold: Lenten Sermons by Bede Jarrett, OP (5)
89. Easter: The Passion and Resurrection by Géraldine Elschner (4)
90. The Dawn of All by Robert Hugh Benson (4)
91. The Egg Tree by Katherine Milhous (3)
92. The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy (5)
93. Interior Freedom by Jacques Philippe (4)

Monthly Total = 42 Books Read

5inge87
Edited: Jan 2, 2016, 8:51 am

Books Read in April

Monthly Total = 0 Books Read

Books Read in May

Monthly Total = 0 Books Read

Books Read in June

Monthly Total = 0 Books Read

6inge87
Edited: May 2, 2016, 12:30 pm

Several Centuries of Reading (adopted from Dejah_Thoris who adopted it from souloftherose)

7th Century BC Demeter and Persephone by Homer & Penelope Proddow

c. AD 170 On Pascha by Melito of Sardis

1535 The Sadness of Christ by St. Thomas More

1754 How to Converse with God by St. Alphonsus Liguori

1807 Tales from Shakespeare by Charles & Mary Lamb

1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905 An Alphabet of Saints by Robert Hugh Benson
1906
1907 Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson
1908
1909
1910
1911 The Dawn of All by Robert Hugh Benson
1912
1913 Peacock Pie by Walter de la Mare
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919 Saint Athanasius by F. A. Forbes
1920
1921
1922 Last Poems by A. E. Houseman
1923
1924 When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne
1925
1926
1927 Now We are Six by A. A. Milne
1928
1929 I Sing a Song of the Saints of God by Lesbia Scott
1930 The House of Gold by Bede Jarrett, OP
1931
1932 The Z Murders by J. Jefferson Farjeon
1933 The Seven Last Words by Fulton Sheen
1934 Quick Curtain by Alan Melville / Death of an Airman by Christopher St. John Sprigg
1935
1936 Thirteen Guests by J. Jefferson Farjeon
1937 The White Stag by Kate Seredy / Mit brennender Sorge by Pope Pius XI
1938
1939
1940 Thee, Hannah! by Marguerite De Angeli
1941
1942
1943 Perelandra by C. S. Lewis
1944
1945 You by Fulton Sheen
1946 St. Margaret Clitherow by Margaret T. Monro
1947
1948
1949 A Procession of Saints by James Brodrick, SJ
1950 The Egg Tree by Katherine Millhous
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956 Conversation with Christ by Peter Thomas Rohrbach
1957 Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey
1958 Dshamilja by Chinghiz Aitmatov
1959 A Story of Saint John Vianney by Brother Ernest, C.S.C.
1960
1961 Saint Germaine and the Sheep & Saint Colum and the Crane by Eva K. Betz
1962 The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart
1963 Saint Martin de Porres and the Mice by Eva K. Betz
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972 The Big Thicket by Pete Gunter / Mother Elisabeth by Marguerite Tjader
1973 Saint Pius V by Robin Anderson
1974
1975 Mary's Monster by Ruth Van Ness Blair
1976 The Ghost of Flight 401 by John G. Fuller
1977 A Time to Keep by Tasha Tudor / Friends of God by Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986 I'm in Charge of Celebrations by Byrd Baylor / Honey from a Weed by Patience Gray
1987 Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin, Jr.
1988
1989
1990
1991 Wandering Whale Sharks by Susumu Shingu
1992 The Reign of Christ the King by Michael Davies
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997 The Miracle of Saint Nicholas by Gloria Whelan / A Short History of the Roman Mass by Michael Davies
1998
1999

2000 Deep in the Valley by Robyn Carr
2001
2002 The Pied Piper of Peru / Blessed Bishop Nicholas Charnetsky, C.SS.R. and Companions / Just over the Mountain / In the Bleak Midwinter / Interior Freedom
2003 The Easter Chick / Down by the River / A Fountain Filled with Blood
2004 Outwitting History / Survival / Out of the Deep I Cry
2005 Migration by Julie E. Czerneda
2006 Regeneration by Julie E. Czerneda / Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
2007 Joseph and Chico / Blood Bound / Karl I / The Far Traveler
2008 Library Wars: Love & War, Volume 1 / Iron Kissed / I Want to Get Married!
2009 The Crucified Rabbi by Taylor Marshall / Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs
2010 A Bride's Story, Volume 2 by Kaoru Mori / Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
2011 The Nativity / River Marked / Books Make A Home
2012 Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert / Americanine / Marked for Death / Laurus
2013 Girl in Dior / Corpus Christi / Easter / California Condors in the Pacific Northwest
2014 Wickedly Dangerous / Missing Microbes / Jackaby / Winter at the Door / The Glass Sentence / S is for Salmon / Shackleton's Journey / Neighborhood Sharks
2015 Murder by Candlelight / Black-Eyed Susans / Sweep in Peace / B is for Bear / Friction / Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins / The Gentle Traditionalist / The Comic Book Story of Beer / Beastly Bones / The Story of Life in 25 Fossils / Finding Winnie / Wild Hearts / Cold Hearts / Resurrection Science / Serafina and the Black Cloak / The Golden Specific / Elijah in Jerusalem / The Gates of Europe / The Blue Whale
2016 Dreaming Death / Winterwood / The Girls She Left Behind / Mesa of Sorrows / Locally Laid

8inge87
Edited: Jan 1, 2016, 11:49 pm

And with that I think we're good. So for those in time zones still celebrating the 1st, I wish you a happy New Year, Octave of Christmas, Feast of the Circumcision, and/or Feast of Mary, Mother of God, depending on your denomination or calendar. But most of all, I wish you happy reading!


Circumcision of Christ, Menologion of Basil II, 979-984.

9drneutron
Jan 2, 2016, 9:53 am

Welcome back!

10susanj67
Jan 2, 2016, 10:05 am

Hi Jennifer! And congratulations on the MS degree!

11PaulCranswick
Jan 2, 2016, 11:04 am



Have a wonderful bookfilled 2016, Jennifer.

13inge87
Edited: Jan 24, 2016, 1:53 pm

Best of the 2015

Top 5 Non-Fiction
1. God or Nothing: A Conversation on Faith with Nicolas Diat by Robert Cardinal Sarah
2. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
3. Goodbye to a River: A Narrative by John Graves
4. A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention by Matt Richtel
5. Saint Athanasius: Defender of the Faith by Michael Davies

Honorable Mentions
Church of Spies: The Pope's Secret War against Hitler by Mark Riebling
Forgotten Land: Journeys Among the Ghosts of East Prussia by Max Egremont
The Vanished Landscape: A 1930s Childhood in the Potteries by Paul Johnson

Top 5 Fiction
1. The Good Comrade by Una L. Silberrad
2. The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgson Burnett
3. Jane, the Fox, and Me by Fanny Britt & Isabelle Arsenault
4. The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter by Rod Duncan
5. In Bitter Chill by Sarah Ward

Honorable Mentions
Charlotte Cross and Aunt Deb; or, the Queerest Trip on Record by May Hollis Barton
Helena by Evelyn Waugh
Mystery in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon

Worst of the Worst
1. The Montmartre Investigation by Claude Izner
2. Patricia Brent, Spinster by Herbert Jenkins
3. Return of the Gar by Mark Spitzer
4. Elizabeth II: The Steadfast by Douglas Hurd
5. My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins

14Kassilem
Jan 3, 2016, 4:44 pm

I'm looking forward to seeing what you read this year!

15lkernagh
Jan 3, 2016, 9:57 pm

I am here to follow your 2016 reading!

16inge87
Jan 3, 2016, 11:11 pm

>14 Kassilem: So am I!

>15 lkernagh: Well, you've come to the right place!

17bell7
Jan 4, 2016, 6:24 pm

Congrats on your MS! Looking forward to following your 2016 reading.

18inge87
Edited: Jan 4, 2016, 8:34 pm

>17 bell7: Thanks! The first review should be coming soon.

19inge87
Jan 5, 2016, 11:08 am

Saint Martin de Porres and the Mice by Eva K. Betz



Source: me (1/16)
Recommendation: I was reading two Martin de Porres picture books for GeoCAT and saw this in my church's bookstore
Year of Original Pub.: 1962
Series: Easy Reading Books of Saints and Friendly Beasts
LC Call #: PZ 7 B489 Mar 2013
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Saint Martin de Porres and the Mice is a short biography of Saint Martin de Porres, written for early readers. It's one step up from a picture book, with black-and-white illustrations on every page and large print text. It covers Martin's life from the beginning in a Peruvian slum through his many miracles, including that of the mice (whom he got to move out of the sacristy and into the garden), to his death and then culminates in his canonization as a saint in 1962. It's a very nice book, although some of the text has not aged well (it was originally published in 1963), most notably the use of "negro" once at the end of the book and a few references to how Martin had black skin on the outside but was pure white on the inside (black is beautiful anyone?). But this doesn't take away from the overall value of the book, and in a time in which finding books with minority protagonists is a big deal, a book about the son of an African slave and her Spanish master who rose to become a respected Dominican lay brother and healer cannot help but find an audience.

Highly recommended for those looking for Catholic books to take their children on the next step from reading picture books and those who enjoy vintage Catholic fiction, just be prepared for some phrasing that would be awkward in today's society.

First Line: The lame dog walked painfully down the street and Martin's dark eyes followed it with sorrow.

20inge87
Jan 5, 2016, 11:35 am

Library Wars: Love & War, Volume 1 by Kiiro Yumi



Source: Irving PL
Original Title: 図書館戦争 LOVE&WAR 1 (Toshokan Sensō: Love & War 1)
Recommendation: It fit this month's DeweyCAT theme
Year of Original Pub.: 2008
Series: Library Wars: Love & War (1/15)
LC Call #: PL 877.5 U655 L5313 Vol. 1
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Library Wars: Love & War, Volume 1 begins the adventure of Iku Kasahara as she begins her career in the Library Defense Force. In her world, the Japanese government passed a censorship law in the late 1980s that has led to the attempted banning and seizing of "offensive" books and magazines. The Library Defense Force is the local governments' attempt at fighting back and protecting books and libraries from the federal government. Iku is the first woman to join the LDF in its history, and she attacks her job with an eagerness that makes up for her lack of skills. Her sergeant, Dojo, however, appears to pick on her and work her harder than the other recruits, but she doesn't let that get to her either.

Overall, a fun read perfect for book-lovers everywhere that manages to discuss an important topic (censorship) in an accessible way.

First Line: A gentle hand that softly touched my head.

21inge87
Jan 5, 2016, 11:54 am

Girl in Dior by Annie Goetzinger



Source: Austin PL (e-book)
Original Title: Jeune fille en Dior
Recommendation: It looked interesting
Year of Original Pub.: 2013
LC Call #: PQ 2667 O489 J4813 2015
Rating: 2 stars / 5

Girl in Dior is a graphic novel about Christian Dior's "New Look" and the fashion sensation he inspired. Our heroine is an aspiring fashion reporter who after a mishap ends up becoming one of Dior's "Young Ladies" (a.k.a. a model). Unfortunately, beyond oohing and ahhing at the clothes, there's not much plot here. This is especially obvious once she becomes a model. There's a love interest we meet for a couple of pages, the heroine gets married and the next thing we know her husband's been killed when the Andrea Doria sinks. Then a couple pages later Dior is dead and the book is over. It's like the author had a great idea and then couldn't execute it to save her life.

For Dior "New Look" fans willing to look beyond the book's weaknesses, anyone else will demand a functioning plot.

First Line: At the time, neither I, nor anyone else, had ever been to 30 Avenue MONTAIGNE.

22lkernagh
Jan 5, 2016, 9:06 pm

>21 inge87: - Book bullet taken!

23inge87
Jan 6, 2016, 10:17 am

>22 lkernagh: Then I must be doing my job!

24inge87
Jan 6, 2016, 10:28 am

The Pied Piper of Peru by Ann Tompert



Source: ILL (Richardson PL)
Recommendation: My Martin de Porres picture book readathon
Year of Original Pub.: 2002
LC Call #: PZ 7 T76664 Pie 2002
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Pied Piper of Peru is a picture book telling the story of Saint Martin de Porres and the mice from the mice's point-of-view. It doesn't really work. Juana and her mice family have been living in the priory kitchen in Lima, Peru, for many years, and they never had problems until a new mouse moves into the neighborhood who loves cheese so much that he causes enough damage to attract attention. This leads to a cat moving into the kitchen and forcing the mice into linen closets and other such places. The friars and lay brothers want Martin to trap or poison the mice, but Martin does not want to and the mice do not want to die. Can Martin find a solution?

An okay book that seems to be missing something. There are some lovely watercolor illustrations by Kasparavičius Kęstutis, although I found the fact that the mice were wearing clothing a bit odd, but I do think it suffers from an inferior text. But if your kid is really into St. Martin de Porres, this is one of the options out there. It's not a bad one, per se, but it's not really a great one either.

First Line: My name is Juana.

25thornton37814
Jan 9, 2016, 4:23 pm

Found this thread. I think I found yours in another group.

26inge87
Jan 9, 2016, 5:29 pm

>25 thornton37814: Yep, you did. But now you'll know you aren't crazy when you read one of my posts and swear you've seen it somewhere else. ;)

27thornton37814
Jan 9, 2016, 6:40 pm

28inge87
Edited: Jan 11, 2016, 3:08 pm

Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert by Gary D. Schmidt



Source: Irving PL
Recommendation: My Martin de Porres picture book readathon
Year of Original Pub.: 2012
LC Call #: PZ 7 S365 Mar 2012
Rating: 5 stars / 5

Martín de Porres is the best of the three children's books about St. Martin de Porres that made up my mini-readathon. A perfect trifecta of concept, text, and art, it tells the story of the life of Martin as a historical figure in colonial Lima. No one expected anything from the son of a slave, but he proved himself as a healer and a human being to everyone he met, and when he died the whole city mourned. The illustrations by David Diaz are supurb, the only oddity being that the Dominican friars wear all red (like a cardinal) instead of their black-and-white Dominican habit like Martin is shown wearing.

Overall, it's an amazing book and excellent for use in heritage month activities in schools (with an Afro-Peruvian hero the story would work for either February or September). Highly recommended for anyone who likes good picture books.

First Line: Anna Velázquez hurried out of the barrios of Lima and onto the plaza.

29inge87
Jan 11, 2016, 3:31 pm

The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart



Source: Irving PL
Recommendation: It's the last Stewart-thriller I hadn't read
Year of Original Pub.: 1962
LC Call #: PR 6069 T46 M6 2011
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Moon-Spinners is a typical Mary Stewart thriller: our heroine is abroad, gets sucked into events much larger than herself, finds herself in trouble, and somehow extracts herself from it while managing to pick up a man. In this case, our setting is Crete and our heroine Nicola is trying to escape the bustle of Athens during the Easter season. But a sudden decision to deviate from her designated path finds her encountering a wounded man and his attendant and finding herself drawn into their troubles. Because the man's teen-aged brother went missing during the shooting and no one knows what happened to him. Nicola can't help but go looking for him and soon becomes convinced that there is much more going on in this sleepy village than meets the eye. If only she can keep ahead of the criminals before they catch on to her and her allies. Otherwise, it won't be a very happy Easter at all.

A fun read, it's not the greatest of Stewart's works, but it's not the worst either. You should pick this one up if you've liked her other works, like retro thrillers, or if enjoyed the movie.

First Line: It was the egret, flying out of the lemon grove, that started it.

30inge87
Jan 11, 2016, 3:49 pm

Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin, Jr. & John Archambault



Source: me (1/16)
Recommendation: childhood favorite
Year of Original Pub.: 1987
LC Call #: PZ 7 M3643 Kno 1987
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Knots on a Counting Rope was a favorite growing up, so I was excited to find a copy on clearance for $2.99 at Half-Price Books. The book tells the story of a blind boy and his grandfather, members of an unnamed Native American tribe that that context suggests is probably the Navajo Nation. The boy, Strength-of-Blue-Horses wants his grandfather to tell him the story of his birth. Each time he tells that story, the grandfather adds another knot to the counting rope, with the idea that once the rope is full of knots, the grandson will know the story well enough to tell it himself. An inspirational story of inter-generational relationships and one boy's will to flourish in spite of the odds.

For those who enjoy picture books with disabled protagonists, good illustrations, or quality storytelling. Highly recommended.

First Line: Tell me the story again, Grandfather.

31thornton37814
Jan 11, 2016, 4:03 pm

>29 inge87: I read that one back in the 1970s. I remember enjoying it, but as you said, it wasn't my favorite book by her.

32inge87
Jan 11, 2016, 7:35 pm

>31 thornton37814: Luckily, when Stewart is good, she's so good that even her okay books are worth reading.

33streamsong
Jan 14, 2016, 6:08 pm

Ah, finally have you starred.

I, too, read a lot of Mary Stewart back in the 70's. I remember being very fond of Nine Coaches Waiting away back then. Since then I've revisited her Merlin books several times. Do you have a favorite?

34inge87
Jan 15, 2016, 10:34 am

>33 streamsong: Touch not the Cat, hands down. But of course, that's not a pure thriller like The Moon-Spinners because the heroine communicates psychically with her "cousin". My favorite of those is Nine Coaches Waiting followed by Wildfire at Midnight and then either This Rough Magic or The Ivy Tree depending on my mood.

The only ones I really didn't enjoy were The Gabriel Hounds and My Brother Michael.

35thornton37814
Jan 15, 2016, 11:26 am

>34 inge87: I think Touch Not the Cat is the one I remember most too, simply because a whole bunch of my classmates also discovered this one. We kept passing a copy around. Before long, most of my really good friends had read it! We had some interesting discussions.

36inge87
Jan 15, 2016, 5:29 pm

37inge87
Edited: Jan 15, 2016, 5:49 pm

Murder by Candlelight: The Gruesome Slayings Behind Our Romance with the Macabre by Michael Knox Beran



Source: work
Recommendation: Review in The National Review
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
LC Call #: HV 6535 G5 L66 2015
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Murder by Candlelight is an account of several murders that took place in Britain during the first part of the nineteenth century, during what the author considers the "golden age" of murder. But while the focus is on the murderers and their actions, the author also pays attention to the writers of the era, the Romantics, and their documentation and attempts to grapple with the subject. Particularly prominent are Thomas De Quincey and Thomas Carlyle but crowd pleasers such as Byron and Shelley also make themselves known. When it comes to the murders they are the usual tales of vengeance, greed, and mindlessness. Murder is one of those things that never really changes, no matter the time or place. But Beran's prose really brings his chosen murders to life, and will make you think about the Romantics and their times in a whole new way. And yes, he does eventually get to Jack the Ripper.

Highly recommended for fans of true crime, British (and particularly London) history, Romanticism, or interesting interdisciplinary non-fiction.

First Line: On an autumn day in 1823, a coach set out from the town of Watford, in Hertfordshire, and drove toward the nearby village of Elstree, some ten miles north of London.

38inge87
Jan 15, 2016, 6:01 pm

Black-Eyed Susans: A Novel of Suspense by Julia Heaberlin



Source: work
Recommendation: It looked interesting
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
LC Call #: PS 3608 E224 B58 2015
Rating: 3 stars / 5

When she was sixteen years old, Tessa went out for a run and disappeared, only to be found lying with four other bodies in an abandoned field full of Black-Eyed Susans. This local wildflower comes to define the girls and the name sticks, particularly to the lone survivor. Now, years later, the man who was arrested for the crime is going to be executed in Huntsville, and Tessa is becoming increasingly aware that the wrong man might have been convicted. She is also beginning to think that original killer may be stalking her again. And now she has her own teenager to worry about. The last trial destroyed her family, but can she afford not to go through the process again? And will she live long enough to try? You'll only find out by reading all the way to the end.

A fun Texas thriller. I'm particularly heartened by the mention of Corsicana (this city needs all the PR it can get). Heaberlin clearly knows Fort Worth well, although the idea of a church in Dallas having a basement is extremely iffy, as the soil usually makes that impossible. I didn't really like the ending, which knocked it down to three stars from four, but if you like thrillers, strong heroines, or books set in modern-day Texas, this one may be fore you.

First Line: Thirty-two hours of my life are missing.

39thornton37814
Jan 17, 2016, 9:57 pm

>37 inge87: I like the cover on that one!

40inge87
Jan 18, 2016, 12:21 pm

>39 thornton37814: It's really something, isn't it. One of those times, when it's okay to judge book by its cover.

41inge87
Jan 18, 2016, 2:04 pm

Blessed Bishop Nicholas Charnetsky, C.SS.R. and Companions: Modern Martyrs of the Ukrainian Catholic Church by John Sianchuk by John Sianchuk



Source: me (11/15)
Recommendation: interest in the subject
Year of Original Pub.: 2002
LC Call #: BX 4711.692 C48 S5 2002
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Blessed Bishop Nicholas Charnetsky, C.SS.R. and Companions is an account of the lives and deaths of 25 members of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine who were beatified (declared "Blessed") by Pope John Paul II in 2001. The bulk of the book focuses on four men, two bishops and two priests, who were members of the Redemptorist Order, but there are short biographies of all the martyrs (bishops, priests, religious sisters, and laymen) at the end of the book.

A quick history lesson, Western Ukraine, also known as Galicia, was part of the Austrian Empire until 1919, when it became part of Poland. It's residents were Catholics who celebrated the same liturgy as the Orthodox but who recognized the authority of the Pope. Its spiritual capital was and is Lviv. This Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church found itself stuck between the Orthodox Russians, who felt they had fallen away and the Poles, who wanted to assimilate the Ukrainians into good Poles in part by making them join the Western Catholic tradition. The Ukrainians just wanted to keep on doing what they were doing. World War II only made things worse, because the Soviets wanted the Church done away with entirely. A good chunk of this book describes the ways they went about trying to do this. But it also tells of lives given up for the betterment of the locals and the ways in which early 20th century Ukrainian nationalism expressed itself.

There is much talk to today about ISIS/Daesh and the evils it perpetrates, but this is nothing new. Evil has always been with us, and when it comes down to it the Soviets and the Nazis could be just as disgustingly brutal as today's Islamic terrorists. Blessed Zenon Kovalyk's mock crucifixion (he was not only nailed to the wall but also had a fetus stuffed in his abdomen) bears that out. The book suffers a bit by being written for the Ukrainian diaspora by the Ukrainian diaspora, with some assumptions made and terms used that make it less accessible than it might have been. But this is an important book on an important and increasingly relevant subject.

For those with an interest in Ukrainian history, 20th century Christian persecutions, or Eastern Catholicism. Highly recommended.

First Line: The ancient and beautiful Lychakiv cemetery in Lviv holds the grave of Bishop Mykolay (Nicholas in English) Charnetsky.

42inge87
Jan 18, 2016, 2:15 pm

Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews



Source: Austin PL (e-book)
Recommendation: continuing series
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
Series: Innkeeper Chronicles (2/?)
LC Call #: PS 3601 N56 S94 2015
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Sweep in Peace is the second book in a series about a woman trying to run a inn for extraterrestrial visitors in suburban Texas. Things have quieted down a bit since the events of Clean Sweep, but when the opportunity comes for Dina and her inn to host a peace summit, they heat up quickly. First she must find a chef willing to work on a tiny budget, then she must deal with her guests: the three warring parties and the negotiators trying to work out an end to the bloodshed. Although innkeepers are supposed to be neutral, Dina quickly finds herself being manipulated by all sides. Will they ever make peace, and will Dina live to see it happen? You'll have to read on to find out.

I didn't like Sweep in Peace as much as its predecessor. It lacked that book's sense of adventurous fun and instead was just kind of depressing. The last chapter perked things up, but overall, I just wasn't feeling it. Hopefully, the promised third story will be more like the first.

First Line: A man walked into a darkened room, moving on silent feet.

43inge87
Edited: Jan 19, 2016, 11:06 am

B is for Bear: A Natural Alphabet by Hannah Viano



Source: work
Recommendation: it looked cute
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
LC Call #: PZ 7 V5365 Bi 2015
Rating: 3 stars / 5

B is for Bear is a charming alphabet book that uses animals and other things of nature to teach the letters. What really makes the book is Viano's gorgeous art deco-esque paper cut illustrations. I'm particularly fond of H's illustration of a whirling school of herring. Highly recommended for anyone interesting in quality illustrations, unique alphabet books, or interesting picture books.

First Line: Perfect for a squirrel's winter food stash, an ACORN falls from the branches of an old oak tree.

44inge87
Edited: Jan 19, 2016, 11:58 am

Americanine: A Haute Dog in New York by Yann Kebbi



Source: ILL (Amarillo PL)
Original Title: Americanin: Un chien à New York
Recommendation: the concept
Year of Original Pub.: 2012
LC Call #: PZ 7 K43359 Am 2015
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Americanine is the story of a French dog who visits New York City and returns to France a different breed. His friends insist he tell them all about his trip, so he does. What follows is a wild tour through New York from Manhattan to Coney Island as told through Kebbi's wild kinetic illustrations. They aren't always pretty, but they capture the hustle and bustle of the city perfectly. Highly recommended for NYC-lovers, those looking for picture books with unique concepts, or just dog lovers in general.

First Line: Hiya, pals!

45inge87
Jan 21, 2016, 2:17 pm

Friction by Sandra Brown



Source: Austin PL (e-book)
Recommendation: Sandra Brown is always entertaining
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
LC Call #: PS 3552 R718 F75 2015
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Friction finds Brown tackling the issues of the meaning of family, child custody battles, and good old fashioned cold-blooded murder. All Crawford Hunt wants is custody of his daughter. He gave her up to his in-laws while coping with the aftereffects of his wife's death, but now he's ready to live again and ready for his daughter. Only his in-laws and a family court judge stand in his way—until a gunman storms the courtroom and opens fire. Now not only is the custody battle on hold, but someone is trying to frame Crawford for the crime. It will take all he can do to stay alive and keep those he loves safe. Especially since his heart keeps wanting to add the judge to that category too.

It's Sandra Brown so you know they're going to survive: it's the journey that's important. And this journey is a lot of fun.

First Line: The two stalwart highway patrolmen guarding he barricade stared at her without registering any emotion, but because of the media blitz of the past few days, she knew they recognized her and that, in spite of their implacable demeanor, they were curious to know why Judge Holly Spencer was angling to get closer to the scene of a bloodbath.

46inge87
Jan 21, 2016, 3:02 pm

Wickedly Dangerous by Deborah Blake



Source: Austin PL (e-book)
Recommendation: It looked interesting
Year of Original Pub.: 2014
Series: Baba Yaga (1/3)
LC Call #: PS 3602 L35434 W53 2014
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Wickedly Dangerous takes place in a world where Baba Yaga is a professional title held by witches who do the bidding of the Queen of the Otherworld on Earth. Barbara, our first Baba in the series, is travelling through Upstate New York in her airstream when she catches the attention of a local sheriff tasked with locating a serial kidnapper. Barbara hasn't been in town long enough to be that person, but Liam is looking at anyone who might fit the bill. When a local makes a bargain with her to save her daughter, Baba gets involved in the case as well, which is good because it soon become apparent that the Otherworld is involved. Cue the suspenseful music.

An average, but fun, urban fantasy. It's not the best thing you'll ever read, but it's not the worst either.

First Line: The crackle of the two-way radio barely impinged on Liam McClellan's consciousness as he scanned the bushes on either side of his squad car for any sign of a missing seven-year-old girl.

47inge87
Jan 22, 2016, 12:29 pm

Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books by Aaron Lansky



Source: work
Recommendation: DeweyCAT
Year of Original Pub.: 2004
LC Call #: Z 987 L25 2004
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Outwitting History is the story of the creation of the Yiddish Book Museum, now located at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. Going to college at Mount Holyoke, I used to pass it all the time on the bus, but I never actually visited. Lansky discovered Yiddish while a student at Hampshire, but it was only during a graduate program at McGill that he found his calling to rescue Yiddish literature from oblivion. With just an idea and some contacts, he began collecting Yiddish books from those who no longer needed them to redistribute them to those who did. Little did he realize the volume of books he would receive. Lansky started his project just as the last generation of Yiddish speakers was dying, so he found himself the heir to a culture that was rapidly fading away. Through the years, he met a number of remarkable people, had some exciting book-schlepping adventures, and found himself creating a permanent future for Yiddish culture that will last long after its last members are gone.

An interesting life told interestingly. If you like Yiddish, books, or Jewish culture, you'll want to pick this up.

First Line: The phone rang at midnight.

48inge87
Edited: Jan 22, 2016, 12:34 pm

Survival by Julie E. Czerneda+



Source: me (9/14)
Recommendation: WomanBingoPUP & SFFKIT
Year of Original Pub.: 2014
Series: Species Imperative (1/3)
LC Call #: PR 9199.3 C946 S64 2014
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Mac is a salmon biologist who runs a lab in the British Columbian wilderness. Her only concerns are her research and dealing with the owners of the land the lab is located on. She has no interest in anything off planet, even though space travel is a possibility for anyone who wants it. However, in Survival, everything changes. Friends become enemies and enemies friends, and Mac finds herself far beyond anywhere she ever thought she'd be. Caught up in an intergalactic mystery with no idea why she (a salmon scientist) was chosen, it is all Mac can do to keep it together. She is changing, but the scientist in her never leaves. Even if she finds her way back home, some parts of Mac will never be the same.

First Line: The drop glistened, green and heavy, as it coalesced at the leaf's tip.

49bell7
Jan 23, 2016, 6:15 pm

>47 inge87: My library read that as a town-wide read and finished the month off with a trip to the Yiddish Book Center (I too used to drive by it all the time going to school), and we had a lot of fun. Glad you enjoyed the story!

50inge87
Jan 23, 2016, 10:26 pm

>49 bell7: The fact that I never went there (or to the Eric Carle Museum where the bus actually stopped) at least once during my four years of college is one of the things I shake my head at now. Maybe at my 10-year reunion in 2020 . . .

51susanj67
Jan 24, 2016, 4:27 am

>47 inge87: Jennifer, that one sounds excellent and, amazing, there's a copy in my borough! I've added it to the wishlist for the time being, but I could be tempted to walk up and get it next weekend.

52charl08
Jan 24, 2016, 5:35 am

I am also tempted by this - hope the library has a copy.

Love your idea of visiting the library for your reunion - do they do behind the scenes tours, maybe? (Jealous)

53bell7
Jan 25, 2016, 11:10 am

>50 inge87: Oh, the Eric Carle Museum! I've been there a few times and it's still fun as an adult, though I really would've loved the craft room as a kid. If you're in the area long enough, we should plan a meetup during your 10th reunion visit :)

>52 charl08: The tour we did was a little behind the scenes, as in they took us into the room they use for conservation, which was really cool, though I'm sure there are still places closed to the public.

54inge87
Jan 30, 2016, 10:32 am

>51 susanj67: It's a very interesting study of Yiddish culture in the United States and Canada. I imagine the situation is/was very similar in Britain. Plus, the author (mostly) manages to avoid the egotism that seems to always come out in memoirs, which is always a good thing.

>52 charl08: I remember that it got a bit of press when it first came out, so I imagine most medium-to-larger library systems will have it.

>53 bell7: We'll see!

55inge87
Edited: Jan 30, 2016, 10:35 am

The Reign of Christ the King by Michael Davies



Source: me (11/15)
Recommendation: I'm a fan of Davies' work
Year of Original Pub.: 1992
LC Call #: BT 270 D28 1992
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Reign of Christ the King is the slighted edited version of a lecture Davies gave in 1991 about how the Western world has ceased to recognized Christ as King and instead has put man before him. Davies gives the reasons why Christ is King and how we reached the point in which his kingship has become something that embarrasses many Catholics, who seek to follow the world instead of Christ. In short, Davies is against the separation of church and state, which he views as an evil that came out of humanism and the French Revolution. Over twenty years later, many of his points are still valid if not even more valid than when he made them. Even if you disagree with Davies, he's always interesting and gives you something to think about. This book is no exception.

First Line: On 11 December 1925 Pope Pius XI promulgated his encyclical letter Quas Primas, on the Kingship of Christ.

56inge87
Edited: Jan 30, 2016, 12:55 pm

Migration by Julie E. Czerneda+



Source: me (9/14)
Recommendation: continuing series
Year of Original Pub.: 2005
Series: Species Imperative (2/3)
LC Call #: PR 9199.3 C946 S64 2014
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Migration finds Mac recovering from the events of the previous book and getting forced to take a vacation after a mysterious earthquake damages the research station. All she really wants to do is focus on salmon while trying to forget Emily's betrayal. No one seems to take her story about the dangers of the Ro seriously. Until she finds herself tracked down by a couple of aliens and accepted to join an intergalactic conference on the crisis situation in New Zealand. There she makes some new friends and begins to make headway. But so are the Drymn as they eat their way across planetary systems. Why are they doing this and what do the Ro has to do with it? These are only some of the questions Mac must answer, before the species' migration brings them to Earth and all Mac holds dear.

The unusual sequel that doesn't suffer for being the middle book of a trilogy. Highly recommended for fans of well-written science fiction featuring strong women, intelligent aliens, and lots of biology.

First Line: By what measure should we condemn ourselves?

57inge87
Edited: Apr 20, 2016, 10:33 pm

Marked for Death: Islam's War Against the West and Me by Geert Wilders



Source: work
Recommendation: Impulse grab in the stacks
Year of Original Pub.: 2012
LC Call #: DJ 292 W545 A3 2012
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Marked for Death is a combination memoir and polemic by the Dutch politician Geert Wilders. Best known for his political alliance with Ayaan Hirsi Ali and his opposition to what he sees as Islam's incompatibility with Western culture. Probably the best bit is when Wilders is describing what it is like to have to live in hiding with 24/7 police protection, which has been his life since the attack on Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard in 2010. It's a soulless life with no privacy and no stability, because he must constantly move around to keep his identity secret. I'd never be able to stand it, but somehow Wilders has manage to endure. There's a lot of exaggeration about Islam, but reading it after the Paris attacks, there are also some insights that seem remarkably prescient. 2012 seems like a much more innocent time compared to life after 2015. Wilders may make people uncomfortable, but his position certainly has a place in the greater conversation about the West's relationship with migrants and with Islam.

An interesting book by a very controversial politician. Whatever you may think about his politics, Wilders will make you think. Which is what I value most in books about politics and current events.

First Line: On January 1, 2010, at 10:00 p.m., a 74-year-old man fled from his living room.

58inge87
Edited: Jan 30, 2016, 11:31 am

Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins by Jim Forest



Source: me (12/15)
Recommendation: Shower of Roses
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
LC Call #: PZ 7 F67 Nic 2015
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins is a picture book retelling of the story of Saint Nicholas and how he saved three girls from prostitution. Not that the book ever actually mentions that bit, it just says they couldn't marry. Nicholas is depicted as a youth who wants to do good and live up the model set by his late parents and by his uncle the local bishop, so when he realizes his neighbors' situation, he comes up with a plan.

What really makes this book is Vladislav Andrejev's illustrations, done in the style of Eastern Orthodox iconography. For anyone who likes good illustrations or is looking for Saint Nicholas stories that focus on the saint instead of Santa Claus.

First Line: Once upon a time there was a boy named Nicholas.

59inge87
Jan 30, 2016, 11:35 am

Quick Curtain by Alan Melville



Source: me (1/16)
Recommendation: It's a British Library Crime Classic
Year of Original Pub.: 1934
LC Call #: PR 6063 E436 Q53 2015
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Quick Curtain is a golden age mystery of the theatre. It's opening night and anyone who's anyone is there. They get more than they paid for though, when the play's hero ends up shot on stage. The shooter hangs himself, but a theatre-loving investigator and his journalist son think that more is going on. What follows a series of farces, as the two follow leads around the London and beyond. Just what is the ingenue up to and where did she disappear to? How did the victim acquire two widows? And just what direction did the bullet actually come from? It's up to our unlikely duo to find out.

Don't take it too seriously, because it sure doesn't. There's some police procedure somewhere, it just gets lost in the comedic moments. Recommended for lovers of golden age mysteries, father-son investigative teams, and theatrical fiction.

First Line: M. René Gasnier's bald pate loomed suddenly over the rail of the orchestra pit.

60inge87
Jan 30, 2016, 12:54 pm

The Easter Chick by Géraldine Elschner



Source: Irving PL
Original Title: Das Osterküken
Recommendation: It seemed seasonally appropriate
Year of Original Pub.: 2003
LC Call #: PZ 7 E5713 Eac 2004
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Poor Hilda, she has a beautiful egg that she's been incubating for a while, but it just won't hatch. Then one day she hears a voice. Her chick has decided it wants to be born on Easter and wants to know how many days are left. Hilda doesn't know, so she asks the other barn animals who direct her to a wise owl. He teaches Hilda and her chick how to count to Easter: it's the first Sunday after the first full moon of Spring.

A cute book that is so fun you forget you are learning. There aren't that many Easter books that aren't either about bunnies or Bible stories, so it certainly fills a useful niche. Lent is coming up, so it's the perfect time to pick up The Easter Chick from your library, so you can count down the days with Hilda and her chick.

First Line: Hilda had laid the most beautiful egg, and she fussed over it lovingly.

61inge87
Jan 30, 2016, 12:56 pm

Regeneration by Julie E. Czerneda+



Source: me (9/14)
Recommendation: continuing series
Year of Original Pub.: 2006
Series: Species Imperative (3/3)
LC Call #: PR 9199.3 C946 S64 2014
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Regeneration brings the trilogy to a close. Mac and Nik continue their long-distance quasi-relationship as their responsibilities drag them to opposite ends of space. Mac has Emily back, but needs to keep her occupied as Mac herself travels to Myriam to investigate the Dhryn's evolutionary past. But she never makes it. The Ro will do anything to stop Mac, even if Mac still hasn't figured out why. Meanwhile we learn a lot about the Dhryn and how they lived before their fatal meeting with the Ro. Which is good, because what Mac does eventually figure out takes her back to Earth where the time for the final reckoning has come.

An excellent trilogy that combines evolutionary biology with the best kind of science fiction. Highly recommended for fans of science fiction with strong female protagonists, science fiction about science, or well-written stories.

First Line: The portents will come.

62inge87
Edited: Jan 31, 2016, 8:21 pm

The Nativity by Géraldine Elschner



Source: me (12/15)
Original Title: Die Weihnachtsgeschichte
Recommendation: RandomCAT
Year of Original Pub.: 2011
LC Call #: PZ 7 E5713 Nat 2015
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Nativity is a retelling of the Christmas story using images from Giotto's frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. Beginning with the Annunciation it continues through the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth and the journey to Bethlehem. After the birth the book continues with the arrival of shepherds and wise men and the slaughter of the Innocents ending with Joseph's dream and the flight to Egypt. The last page has a nice allusion to Easter that is subtle in a way I don't normally associate with picture books, but is really the perfect ending.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not Giotto's greatest fan—I really don't like the way he paints eyes—but there is something to be said about picture books using classic art. It's a great way to expose children to the great artists without forcing it on them, like hiding zucchini in chocolate muffins. Overall, definitely one to include in the Christmas picture book collection.

First Line: One morning in the spring, a voice sounded in Mary's house.

63inge87
Edited: Jan 31, 2016, 8:25 pm

The Gentle Traditionalist: A Catholic Fairy-Tale from Ireland by Roger Buck



Source: me (1/16)
Recommendation: various places on the internet
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
LC Call #: PR 6102 U3576 G36 2015
Rating: 4 stars / 5

The Gentle Traditionalist is a rather odd book by modern standards: most of it is a Socratic dialogue between the narrator, the mysterious "Gentle Traditionalist", and various interesting visitors. Our hero is a rather confused average Brit, who is in love with Anna. First he lost her to a search for New Age completion, and now he's shocked to discover that she wants to be a Catholic nun. When she invites him to visit her in Ireland, he thinks he may still have a chance. But was it all a misunderstanding? After he's in a car accident, he stumbles into the office of the Gentle Traditionalist, who promises to explain everything that's separating him from Anna and how he might still win her. For the narrator, it's a trip through the rabbit hole to a world view completely different from his. But for anyone looking for a painless introduction to traditional Catholic thought (albeit a particularly European strain), it's a journey they'll want to take.

A unique book and probably best described as Sophie's World meets Father Brown, I've never read anything quite like it. Highly recommended for anyone interested in modern Catholic fiction, traditional Catholic philosophy, or Irish Catholic culture.

First Line: GPL. Those are my initials.

64inge87
Feb 2, 2016, 8:48 am

January Reading Round-Up!

Books Read: 26

Genre
Fiction - 15 - 57.69%
Non-Fiction - 11 - 42.31%

Sources
Work - 5 - 19.23%
Austin PL (e-book) - 4 - 15.38%
Irving PL - 4 - 15.38%
Me (last month) - 4 - 15.38%
Me (this month) - 4 - 15.38%
Me (other) - 3 - 11.53%
ILL - 2 - 7.69%

Authors
Female - 11 - 47.83%
Male - 11 - 47.83%
Both - 1 - 4.34%

Edition Language
English - 26 - 100%

Original Language
English - 21 - 80.77%
French - 2 - 7.69%
German - 2 - 7.69%
Japanese - 1 - 3.85%

Series
Stand-Alone Books - 19 - 73.08%
Series Books - 7 - 26.92%

Average Original Date of Publication
2002

Median Original Date of Publication
2010

Ratings Distribution
1 star - 0 - 0%
2 stars - 2 - 7.69%
3 stars - 14 - 53.84%
4 stars - 9 - 34.62%
5 stars - 1 - 3.85%

Average Rating
3.35

Best of the Month



Fiction: Species Imperative: Survival, Migration, Regeneration by Julie E. Czerneda

Non-Fiction: Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert by Gary D. Schmidt

65inge87
Feb 2, 2016, 6:52 pm

The Comic Book Story of Beer: The World's Favorite Beverage from 7000 BC to Today's Craft Brewing Revolution by Jonathan Hennessey, Mike Smith, & Aaron McConnell



Source: work
Recommendation: LibraryJournal
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
LC Call #: TP 577 H457 2015
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Comic Book Story of Beer is a history of beer from the Ancient Sumerians through medieval monks and modern industrialist brewing to the craft beer movement of today done in a comic book format. If you've ever wondering about how your beer came to be or just like interesting graphic non-fiction, it's worth picking up. The authors certainly know their beer, although their history (or maybe just their grasp of Catholicism) seems a bit too popularized to be completely accurate. Using the frame narrative of a beer novice who has to pick up some suds for a party for some foodies, the book tells beer's story from the very beginning. Once we read the middle ages, each chapter also features profiles of one or two well-known types of beer that originate in that era. Whatever you might think about the value of graphic-format works, if you grab this one, it's guaranteed that you'll finish knowing a lot more about beer than you though possible.

Recommended for beer fans and those interesting in interesting graphic-format non-fiction.

First Line: B-DEEP!

66inge87
Edited: Feb 4, 2016, 12:41 pm

Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues by Martin J. Blaser



Source: work
Recommendation: various places on the internet
Year of Original Pub.: 2014
LC Call #: RM 267 B57 2014
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Missing Microbes is an important discussion of the role that the microbes that live on and in us have in keeping us healthy and what happens when they disappear. There is a particular focus on antibiotics, because they appear to be the main culprit, but other factors are also discussed in detail. Research is increasingly suggesting that these "missing microbes" may be responsible for the rise of many illnesses and conditions that were uncommon, if not unheard of, before the modern era. The book can probably be divided into four sections: introduction to microbes, why are the microbes disappearing, what effect does the lack of these microbes have on our health, and what we can do about it.

My grandfather and his three siblings caught diphtheria in November 1917. Living in the country, half of them died because my great-grandparents waited to late for the father to ride into town and get a doctor. I would really prefer not to get dragged back into that time, so I try to avoid antibiotics except when absolutely necessary. This makes me automatically sympathetic to Blaser's arguments, but for those skeptical about the pitfalls and dangers of antibiotics (or who think all bacteria are bad), there are 36 pages of endnotes to back up his claims in the text.

A well-written, highly accessible book about a topic that will only become more prominent in health science debates as research continues. Highly recommended.

First Line: I never knew two of my father's sisters.

67inge87
Feb 4, 2016, 6:35 pm

Jackaby by William Ritter



Source: work
Recommendation: Kirkus, probably
Year of Original Pub.: 2014
Series: Jackaby (1/3)
LC Call #: PZ 7 R516 Ja 2014
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Jackaby is a YA historical fantasy set in New England featuring a detective pair who investigate supernatural crime. He is a seer who may be mad and she is fresh off a Romanian dinosaur hunt, what could possibly go wrong?

Abigail ran away from her English home to hunt for dinosaur fossils in Romania, when that didn't work, she decided to go home, but then decided America sounded less threatening than facing her parents. So she ends up in New Fiddlesham with no money, no friends, and no employment. A chance encounter with the enigmatic Jackaby changes that and she becomes his assistant. Before she can acclimate herself to her new position, she finds herself knee deep in murder. A local man has been murdered and exsanguinated and Jackaby has decided that he is on the case—even if the local police want him very, very far away. When Jackaby predicts another murder, it appears New Fiddlesham is in great trouble indeed. If only he and Abigail weren't the prime suspects!

A fun historical fantasy, that is so fantastical, you don't notice all the anachronisms. Highly recommended for fans of unusual or detective YA novels.

First Line: It was late January, and New England wore a fresh coat of snow as I stepped along the gangplank to the shore.

68inge87
Edited: Feb 8, 2016, 11:14 am

Beastly Bones by William Ritter



Source: work
Recommendation: continuing series
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
Series: Jackaby (2/3)
LC Call #: PZ 7 R516 Be 2015
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Beastly Bones picks up where right where Jackaby left off, with our intrepid pair going to visit a society lady whose cat appears to be turning into a fish. By the time they get there the transformation is complete and the cat is now living in a bowl and has a litter of scaly kittens. Jackaby takes them back home and reveals them to be chameleomorphs: predators that take on the appearance of their prey in order to live among them and feed at will. Abigail is excited about the discovery of dinosaur bones in nearby Gad's Valley, which just so happens to be where everyone's favorite police officer had to move after it was revealed that he was a dog shifter. Jackaby is focused on the chameleomorphs and rejects a visit to the bones—until the chameleomorphs' previous owner is found murdered in a strange way that matches deaths in Gad's Valley. So a visit to the bones (and Charlie) is in order. And that's where the adventure truly begins.

This one suffers a bit from middle-of-the-trilogy-itis, and is really just one big set up for the last book. Not that it isn't fun in its own way, it just seems a bit pointless in the greater scheme of things. Kind of like the monster. But book three is going to be the investigation of Jenny's murder, so I am very excited for September when it's due out.

First Line: "Follow my lead, Miss Rook," Jackaby said, rapping on the ornately trimmed door to 1206 Campbell Street.

69inge87
Feb 8, 2016, 11:55 am

The Story of Life in 25 Fossils: Tales of Intrepid Fossil Hunters and the Wonders of Evolution by Donald R. Prothero



Source: work
Recommendation: review in CHOICE
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
LC Call #: QE 723 P76 2015
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Story of Life in 25 Fossils tells the story of evolution from the first life from Cryptozoon (think stromatolites) to Lucy, our oldest human ancestor. Instead of just history in fossils, it is better to think of this book as history in case studies. Each chapter contains a short history of one facet of Earth's evolutionary history organized around one fossil, but not dominated by it. At the end of each chapter is a short reference list and a feature telling where you can see the fossils or replicas of the fossils in person. This is supplemented by an appendix containing lists of the best natural history museums in the US and around the world. It's all a lot of fun, although the author does get preachy in the last two chapters, the ones about our direct human ancestors, to the extent that I skimmed them more than read them. Otherwise, it's an accessible introduction to a very important area of science.

I was recently introduced to the concept of teaching through living books vs. textbooks by the internet. This would be a great resource for someone trying to teach the history of life/evolutionary science using that method, with the aforementioned caveats about the last two chapters. But since each chapter is self-contained, they can easily be avoided.

Recommended for anyone with an interest in the history of life or the fossils that tell us all we know about it.

First Line: When Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859, the fossil record was a weak spot in his argument.

70inge87
Edited: Feb 10, 2016, 10:08 am

An Alphabet of Saints by Robert Hugh Benson



Source: me (2/16)
Recommendation: the internet
Year of Original Pub.: 1905
LC Call #: PR 6003 E7 A56 2014
Rating: 4 stars / 5

An Alphabet of Saints is an alphabet book containing one saint for every letter of the alphabet from Anthony of Padua to Zita. Each saint has a picture with a short description as well as several rhyming lines of verse about their lives. In that it is very much a book of its time. What is remarkable now is that it was geared towards children, whereas our educational system has changed so much in the ensuing century that kind of doggrel is encountered much later, if at all.

Although it is technically a children's book, the level of writing means that it is equally enjoyable for adults with an interest in poetry. The art nouveau print illustrations are also worth a view. Recommended for Benson fans as well as those looking for solid Catholic children's books.

First Line: The twenty-six SAINTS in this volume of rhymes
Lived in various places in various times ;

71inge87
Edited: Feb 10, 2016, 10:08 am

A Story Of Saint John Vianney by Brother Ernest, CSC



Source: me (2/16)
Recommendation: I'm on a vintage Catholic children's book kick
Year of Original Pub.: 1959
LC Call #: PZ 7 E764 Sjv 2013
Rating: 3 stars / 5

A Story Of Saint John Vianney is the life of the famous Curé d'Ars retold for children. Emphasis is put on the fact that he struggled academically and almost couldn't become a priest, but still managed not only to become a priest but also to become a saint. Which is a fairly good lesson as such lessons go.

Vianney was born to a poor family in a time when priests were banned by the revolutionary French government. By the time this was changed, he had a lot of catching up to do and struggled in the seminary. When he received the parish of Ars, he arrived to find hardly anyone attended services. By hard work and personal devotion, he not only changed things locally, but soon become known throughout France.

An interesting take on an interesting life. There are not as many pictures in this one, so it is probably best for intermediate readers or reading aloud.

First Line: Those of us who find it difficult to study should be very interested in a boy by the name of John Baptist Vianney.

72thornton37814
Feb 9, 2016, 11:20 am

>70 inge87: A couple of colleagues might be interested in that one.

73inge87
Feb 9, 2016, 12:06 pm

>72 thornton37814: It's an interesting work of a kind you don't see much anymore.

74inge87
Edited: Feb 9, 2016, 8:23 pm

To get a real taste of the kind of poetry I'm talking about in An Alphabet of Saints, here's St. Dominic and the Letter D:

D for SAINT DOMINIC, Spanish by birth,
Who shone like a star in all parts of the earth.
In France there were heretics called Albigenses
Who poisoned the Faith wither their lying pretenses,
And spread their ridiculous nonsense about;
But Saint DOMINIC went and soon hunted them out.
Then with with Lawrence and Bertrand and Peter Cellani
He started his Order of Dominicani,
Or Domini Canes, the Dogs of the LORD,
Who go hunting for souls in the might of the Word.
The MASTER they follow in black-and-white coat
To catch men by the heart instead of the throat.
        Our LADY much loved this dear knight of the LORD,
        And her rosary served for his buckler and sword.

75inge87
Edited: Feb 10, 2016, 10:10 am

Corpus Christi: Holy Communion and The Renewal of the Church by Athanasius Schneider



Source: me (12/15)
Original Title: Corpus Christi: la Santa comunione e il rinnovamento della Chiesa
Recommendation: I liked the author's last book
Year of Original Pub.: 2013
LC Call #: BX 1746 S3613 2014
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Corpus Christi is more of a conglomeration of thoughts about the importance of the Eucharist than an organic whole. The first chapter is the story of a family the author knew in Kazakhstan. The next couple of chapters are the author's thoughts on the proper reception of the Eucharist (in the mouth, not in the hand), and then there is a chapter of excerpts from writers (particularly Pope Paul VI) about the importance of receiving in the mouth, then there are some prayers, and then some concluding thoughts. The overall whole is interesting, but I think Dominus Est is the better book.

Still, if you liked that book, or are interesting in Schneider or in current issues involving the Eucharist, you may way to pick this one up.

First Line: Peter Schmidtlein was born near Karaganda April 16th 1967 in the large German family of Peter and Serafina Schmidtlein who had eight children.

76inge87
Feb 24, 2016, 5:23 pm

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick



Source: me (2/16)
Recommendation: 2016 Caldecott Medal winner
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
LC Call #: PZ 7.1 M38 Fin 2015
Rating: 5 stars / 5

Finding Winnie is a charming picture book that tells the story of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Poor, complete with A Princess Bride-style interruptions. Lindsay is telling her son Cole a bedtime story about her grandfather, Harry Colebourn, a Canadian veterinarian who joins the army during World War I and buys a bear cub from a trapper on the way to Britain that he names Winnipeg after his hometown. "Winnie" soon becomes the unit's mascot, but when the troops leave Britain for the front, Winnie gets left behind at the London Zoo, where she makes a new friend, one Christopher Robin Milne. Throughout the story, Cole interrupts his mother with questions (and no, this is not a kissing book), which makes the story accessible and gets readers thinking along with Cole.

I'm a great fan of Sophie Blackall's illustrations are excellent and perfectly complement the text. A must-read for Pooh fans or anyone who enjoys quality picture books. Highly recommended for reading aloud or reading alone, as long as you read it!

First Line: "Could you tell me a story?" asked Cole.

77inge87
Feb 25, 2016, 10:21 am

Dreaming Death by J. Kathleen Cheney



Source: me (2/16)
Recommendation: I loved her Golden City books
Year of Original Pub.: 2016
Series: Palace of Dreams (1/?)
LC Call #: PS 3603 H4574 D74 2016
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Dreaming Death is the first in a new series by the author of the Golden City trilogy. Instead of historical Portugal, we are now in an entirely new world with its own rules and order. Mikael Lee dreams of murder and death while Shironne lives his visions. They have never met, because others have felt it safer that way. But a series of murders means that this is going to change. And nothing will be the same again. Because in a world where power is shifting, and the balance between ethnic groups is delicate, someone is unleashing chaos and only Mikael and Shironne can stop him.

A very interesting start to a new series, there's a lot of world-making here, and I still think there are bits that need to be resolved. The blind heroine with extreme touch sensitivity is an interesting POV that I haven't encountered before, although Cheney has explored the possibilities of touch sensitivity in some of her short fiction. The next book apparently picks up a month later, and I can't wait to see what has happened in the meantime.

Recommended for fans of Cheney's other works or interesting fantasy in general.

First Line: Liran Prifata's dove gray uniform jacket lay to one side, his shirt tangled with it, pale blotches on the bare dirt.

78inge87
Edited: Feb 25, 2016, 10:25 am

The Z Murders by J. Jefferson Farjeon



Source: me (1/16)
Recommendation: I liked another book by the author
Year of Original Pub.: 1932
LC Call #: PR 6011 A754 Z68 2015
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Z Murders is a thriller from the golden age of British mysteries. In this case, a chance encounter between a young man, a beautiful girl, and a dead man turns into a cross country chase around England. The police chase the man who chases the girl who seems to be fleeing for her life. But what is behind these mysterious deaths and just what is the significance of the "Z" medallions left at the scene? Only time will tell, but there may not be any time left.

A fun thriller. I liked Mystery in White better, but this one is still very good. Highly recommended for fans of golden age mysteries, retro thrillers, or British travel.

First Line: Places, like people, have varying moods, and the moods of London are legion.

79inge87
Edited: Feb 26, 2016, 10:41 am

Saints for Girls: A First Book for Little Catholic Girls by Susan Weaver et al.



Source: me (2/16)
Recommendation: it looked fun
Year of Original Pub.: 2014
LC Call #: PZ 7 W4397 Sai 2014
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Saints for Girls is a collection of stories of female saints that were previously published in four volumes between 1957 and 1961. All of the famous ones are here, plus a couple of lesser known women of the faith. Some sections are smaller, while Saints Therese and Bernadette have longer stories dedicated to them. Each section has the original title page with the author and illustrations names as well as the imprimatur. The best part are the very retro mid-century illustrations, which is a style that I am very fond of.

A nice collection of stories of women who lived their lives for Christ and the Church, written for early readers.

80inge87
Edited: Feb 26, 2016, 10:39 am

Winterwood by Jacey Bedford



Source: me (2/16)
Recommendation: pre-pub reviews
Year of Original Pub.: 2016
Series: Rowankind (1/?)
LC Call #: PR 6102 E346 W56 2016
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Winterwood is the first in a new historical fantasy series, and while it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, it shows potential . . . great potential. Ross Tremayne is a young widow who captain's her late husband's privateer ship in his name as part of the wars against Napoleon. When she visits her mother for the first time in years, she receives a strange inheritance: a box, a brother, and a man out for her blood. All she wants is to go back to sea, and her husband's ghost would like that as well, but fate has other plans in store and if she wants to survive she may have no choice.

It's got everything you'd expect for an historical pirate fantasy . . . mysterious govenment agents, deadly family secrets, magical mysteries, and lots of fae. But somehow it just didn't meld the way it should have (or at least the way I thought it should have). But book two sends us off to visit some wolf shifters in Yorkshire, so I'm hoping things will be a bit smoother now that we're off and running. Recommended for fan of interesting historical romantic fantasy that don't mind a few rough edges.

First Line: The stuffy bedroom stank of sickness, with an underlying taint of old lady, stale urine, and unwashed clothes, poorly disguised with attar of roses.

81inge87
Feb 26, 2016, 10:39 am

I Sing a Song of the Saints of God by Lesbia Scott



Source: me (1/16)
Recommendation: the text is one of my favorite hymns
Year of Original Pub.: 1929
LC Call #: PZ 7 S268 Isi 1981
Rating: 4 stars / 5

I Sing a Song of the Saints of God was one of my favorite hymns that we sang in Episcopal elementary school, so when I discovered that someone had turned it into a picture book, I couldn't not buy it. The song discusses how all kinds of people became saints, and the illustrator, Judith Gwyn Brown, has interpreted the lyrics though the medium of a parish play. The artwork has just the right touch of nostalgia, but I'm not sure if that was done on purpose or just the effect of 35-year-old fashions in art. I really liked it. If you ever sang "I Sing a Song of the Saints of God" in an Episcopal or Anglican church, you'll like it too. But you may also like it if you're interesting in good, quality illustrations or picture books about saints. Highly recommended.

First Line: I sing a song of the saints of God,
Patient and brave and true,
Who toiled and fought and lived and died
For the Lord they loved and knew.

82inge87
Edited: Feb 26, 2016, 2:21 pm

Wild Hearts by Sharon Sala



Source: Austin PL (e-book)
Recommendation: it's escapist reading that fits this month's DeweyCAT
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
Series: Secrets and Lies (1/3)
LC Call #: PS 3619 A5375 W55 2015
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Wild Hearts is the first in a trilogy of romantic thrillers set in the fictional West Virginia town of Mystic. The apparent suicide and possible murder of her father brings reporter Dallas Phillips back to her hometown from the bright lights of Charleston and back into contact with Trey, her old childhood sweetheart who is now the town's chief of police. Her father, Trey's mother, and two other classmates were involved in a terrible accident after their high school graduation. One died and the other three were too injured and drunk to remember what happened. But now Trey's mother is dreaming and her dreams contain her fractured memories of that night. Meanwhile, Dallas's family farm is about to be foreclosed upon. Her father never mentioned anything to her, but it appears that he had a plan and did not want to call upon her to help him. So she sets about trying to figure out his secret and do it herself. Trey, of course, is more than happy to help. Especially, since it seems that someone has it out for Dallas, just like they had it out for her father.

A fun thriller about coming home and reclaiming lost love. The dream segments are interesting and clearly something very bad happened (but knowing Sala, we won't find out what until book 3). Highly recommended for fans of romantic thrillers and childhood sweethearts.

First Line: The cackle of hens and the occasional squawk of a pissed-off rooster were the beginning to Dick Phillips's day as he went about his morning chores.

83inge87
Edited: Feb 26, 2016, 2:22 pm

Cold Hearts by Sharon Sala



Source: Austin PL (e-book)
Recommendation: more escapist reading that fits this month's DeweyCAT
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
Series: Secrets and Lies (2/3)
LC Call #: PS 3619 A5375 C65 2015
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Cold Hearts picks up where it's predecessor left off—yet another passenger in that fateful ride 30 years ago has been killed and now Mack is left to piece together what happened to his father. Trey's mother is still dreaming back her memory, and now she is the only one of the four still alive. Meanwhile, Mack's high school girlfriend is back in town after she inherits her parents' house and naturally (because it's that kind of book) she's being stalked. The two did not part well, but he still loves her enough not to let a crazy stalker kill her. Together they investigate his father's death and the identity of her stalker, but the hunters in Mystic are both busy and secretive, and time is running out.

Not quite is good as the first book, but then again second books rarely are. The third book comes out at the end of March, and we'll finally find out all the secrets someone is willing to kill to keep quiet.

First Line: It began with phone calls in the night.

84inge87
Feb 26, 2016, 12:51 pm

The Miracle of Saint Nicholas by Gloria Whelan



Source: Irving PL
Recommendation: NLM
Year of Original Pub.: 1997
LC Call #: PZ 7 W5453 Mir 1997
Rating: 4 stars / 5

The Miracle of Saint Nicholas is a charming Christmas picture book set in Russia that teaches both the spirit of Christmas and the history of the persecution of Christians in the Soviet Union. Now some might wonder why I read a Christmas book in February, but the truth is my library hold took almost two months to come in, so I figured it was better late than never. It's Christmas time in Russia and Alexi is listening to his grandmother tell stories of what Christmas was like when she was a girl, before the soldiers came. Alexi wonders why they can't celebrate Christmas like that anymore, but as his grandmother reminds him, it has been sixty years since the soldiers came and shut down the church and the priest disappeared. But Alexi decides to try anyway and low and behold a miracle happens.

A unique and memorable story that should be added to Christmas picture book collections everywhere.

First Line: It was the day before Christmas in the small Russian village of Zeema.

85inge87
Feb 26, 2016, 1:01 pm

Joseph and Chico: The Life of Pope Benedict XVI as Told by a Cat by Jeanne Perego



Source: me (1/16)
Original Title: Joseph e Chico
Recommendation: various places over the years, but ultimately because Half-Price Books had a very cheap copy
Year of Original Pub.: 2007
LC Call #: PZ 7 P42486 Jos 2008
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Joseph and Chico is a picture book biography of Pope Benedict XVI as told by Chico, a cat who has known him his entire life. Which was my biggest issue with the book (and may be an issue with older children readers as well), because there is no way a cat can be that old! But it's a lovely book besides that and a good way to introduce the younger set to Pope Benedict.

First Line: MEEEOOOOW!

86inge87
Edited: Feb 26, 2016, 1:04 pm

A Bride's Story, Volume 2 by Kaoru Mori



Source: me (2/16)
Recommendation: GeoCAT
Original Title: 乙嫁語り 2 (Otoyomegatari 2)
Year of Original Pub.: 2010
Series: A Bride's Story (2/?)
LC Call #: PL 873 O753 B7513 Vol. 2
Rating: 4 stars / 5

A Bride's Story, Volume 2 follows Amir and her new family as she continues to get to know her neighbors and becomes accustomed to village life. We also get to meet Mr. Smith, an English adventurer who has come to stay with Amir's in-laws while documenting their way of life. But the events at the end of Volume one to to fruition, and her family has come to take her back and give her to another clan in marriage. Will she be forced to accompany them and leave her new family behind, or will she find a way to resist their demands? You'll have to read on to find out.

I really like this manga. A perfect way to introduce someone to manga who thinks they don't like manga, the series is accessible and really shows the flexibility of the format. But you'll want to start with volume one first.

First Line:

87thornton37814
Feb 26, 2016, 1:12 pm

>85 inge87: Well, the cat did have 9 lives!

88inge87
Edited: Feb 26, 2016, 2:28 pm

>87 thornton37814: At 80+ and counting in 2007, he certainly did!

89inge87
Edited: Feb 26, 2016, 4:47 pm

Death of an Airman by Christopher St. John Sprigg



Source: Irving PL
Recommendation: BingoDOG
Year of Original Pub.: 1934
LC Call #: PR 6037 P65 D43 2015
Rating: 4 stars / 5

An Australian bishop comes to the Baston Aero Club to learn how to fly and better reach is distant parishioners, but instead he arrives just in time to encounter Death of an Airman in this fast-paced aeronautical mystery. Just when the crash appears to be a clear case of suicide, the investigators uncover a wide-reaching conspiracy with links to the continent. But just who killed the airman and when did they do it—You'll have to read all the way to the end to find out.

An exciting golden age murder mystery complete with an eccentric crime-solving cleric, what could be more fun. Highly recommended.

First Line: A young woman with a reddish face and horn-rimmed glasses appeared suddenly out of a door marked "Manager, Baston Aero Club".

90inge87
Feb 26, 2016, 3:55 pm

Deep in the Valley by Robyn Carr



Source: Austin PL (e-book)
Recommendation: I wanted something cozy
Year of Original Pub.: 2000
Series: Grace Valley Trilogy (1/3)
LC Call #: PS 3553 A7776 D44 2000
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Deep in the Valley begins the tale of June Hudson, the local doctor in the rural northern California town where she grew up. Having taken over the practice from her father, she finds herself 37 and alone wishing for a child but with no man in sight. However, her practice is about to get a new doctor, which should make things easier but naturally only gives her more stress. Instead she contents herself with helping her neighbors including her eccentric aunt Myrna, who's husband disappeared twenty years ago and who makes her money writing about women who murder their husbands. And there's also the issue of the skirt-chasing minister. A constant worry in the area are illegal marijuana grows and the armed men who run them. Rumor is that a raid is coming soon, but the locals have long gotten used to the roving DEA helicopters. However, one night June receives unexpected armed visitors seeking medical treatment, and her life will never be the same.

A fun cozy bit of fiction with just the right mixture of fluff and dark reality.

First Line: June stood in the shower a little longer than usual, preoccupied with a conversation she would have later in the day.

91inge87
Edited: Feb 26, 2016, 4:29 pm

Just Over the Mountain by Robyn Carr



Source: Austin PL (e-book)
Recommendation: I wanted something cozy
Year of Original Pub.: 2000
Series: Grace Valley Trilogy (2/3)
LC Call #: PS 3553 A7776 J87 2002
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Just Over the Mountain picks up a little after the end of the first book. The minister is gone, but so is Jim, June's secret federal agent boyfriend. Which makes it even more awkward when her old high school boyfriend turns up divorced with twin sons. He wants to get back together, and she can't tell him the truth about why she won't. Plus his two sons are wrecking havoc across the town and may in up in jail if he's not too careful. Then there's the new minister to get settled in, plus the usual issues with domestic abuse and hospital staffing. But Jim will be able to retire after this one last mission, so maybe things are looking up after all.

All-in-all, it's more cozy fun in the California hills, and who can complain about that.

First Line: June Hudson had nerves of steel.

92inge87
Feb 26, 2016, 4:29 pm

Down by the River by Robyn Carr



Source: Austin PL (e-book)
Recommendation: I wanted something cozy
Year of Original Pub.: 2000
Series: Grace Valley Trilogy (3/3)
LC Call #: PS 3553 A7776 D69 2003
Rating: 2 stars / 5

Down by the River is a book that really didn't need to be written. Everything had been tied up nicely at the end of Just Over the Mountain, but duologies are apparently not good enough so this third book was produced. So now to generate a book's worth of plot, June gets cold feet about marrying Jim and we finally get to find out what happened to Aunt Myrna's husband. It might have made a nice e-book only novella, but I guess they didn't have those in the early 2000s so it had to be stretched out into novel-length. Highly missable, read it only if you loved book 2.

First Line: Dr. June Hudson awoke to the ringing of the phone.

93inge87
Feb 26, 2016, 4:39 pm

The Ghost of Flight 401 by John G. Fuller



Source: ILL (U. of Houston)
Recommendation: DeweyCAT
Year of Original Pub.: 1976
LC Call #: BF 1461 F84 1976
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Ghost of Flight 401 is the kind of book only the 1970s could produce. A combination of memoir, airplane crash history, and psychic investigation, it tells the story of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, which crashed into the Everglades in December 1972 and the stories of ghost sightings that happened in Eastern Air Lines planes for the next couple of years. The rumor was that the captain and officer Don Repo continued to haunt planes that carried parts reused from the crashed aircraft. This part is the best bit of the book and makes for really interesting reading. It's only when the author delves deeper into parapsychology and decides to try to contact dead officer Don Repo with a Ouija board that it gets ridiculous. Whatever you believe about ghosts, it's a very interesting read, however, you may want to skip the last few chapters. One to check out from the library first.

First Line: I have been conditioned all my life to think that there are no such things as ghosts.

94Kassilem
Feb 27, 2016, 12:39 pm

>80 inge87: Book Bullet!

>86 inge87: Glad you're liking the manga! It's one of my favorites in terms of artwork.

95inge87
Edited: Feb 27, 2016, 2:36 pm

>94 Kassilem: I think Winterwood is probably better than I let on. The pre-pub reviews had made me think there were elements there that were not, so for those of you who haven't been trawling through the likes Kirkus and LibraryJournal won't have the same mental baggage as I did.

And A Bride's Story is fabulous for all kinds of reasons, artwork definitely included.

96inge87
Feb 28, 2016, 7:40 pm

Dshamilja by Chinghiz Aitmatov+^



Source: me (5/08)
Original Title: Джамиля
Recommendation: GeoCAT
Year of Original Pub.: 1958
LC Call #: PG 3478 I8 D9415 1963
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Dshamilja (I was reading a German edition, the usual English title is Jamilia) is a novella of forbidden love set in the glorious landscape of northern Kyrgyzstan. Told from the point of view of the heroine's younger brother-in-law, who is the only male left in the family because everyone else is off fighting the Second World War. Therefore, Jamilia ends up doing work that women would normally never dream of doing, such as hauling grain to the train depot so it can be sent to feed soldiers on the front. Her mother-in-law does not want her going alone so she travels with the narrator and a crippled soldier returned from the fighting. Over the course of their journey the narrator watches something beautiful unfold, even as he also fears it and knows that as the eldest male in the family he should put a stop to it. But even the most amazing journeys come to an end, and rumors are flying that Jamilia's husband will return home soon. In a world in which women have little power and family is everything, what choices does she have.

A very atmospheric work featuring a part of the world little-known outside its immediate neighborhood. Recommended for those who like good novellas or subtle romances.

First Line: Wieder einmal stehe ich vor dem kleinen Bild mit dem schlichten, schmalen Rahmen.

(My Translation from the German: Once again I stand before the little picture with the simple, narrow frame.

"Official" English Translation: Here I stand before this little painting in its simple frame.)

97inge87
Edited: Mar 1, 2016, 10:32 am

February Reading Round-Up!

Books Read: 25

Genre
Fiction - 16 - 64%
Non-Fiction - 9 - 36%

Sources
Me (this month) - 7 - 28%
Austin PL (e-book) - 5 - 20%
Work - 5 - 20%
Me (last month) - 3 - 12%
Irving PL - 2 - 8%
ILL - 1 - 4%
Me (other) - 1 - 4%
Me (TBR) - 1 - 4%

Authors
Male - 13 - 56.52%
Female - 10 - 43.48%

Edition Language
English - 24 - 96%
German - 1 - 4%

Original Language
English - 22 - 84%
Italian - 2 - 8%
Japanese - 1 - 4%
Russian - 1 - 4%

Series
Stand-Alone Books - 15 - 60%
Series Books - 10 - 40%

Average Original Date of Publication
1988

Median Original Date of Publication
2007

Ratings Distribution
1 star - 0 - 0%
2 stars - 1 - 4%
3 stars - 15 - 60%
4 stars - 8 - 32%
5 stars - 1 - 4%

Average Rating
3.36

Discovery of the Month



Jackaby by William Ritter

Best of the Month



Fiction: Death of an Airman by Christopher St. John Sprigg

Non-Fiction: Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues by Martin J. Blaser

98inge87
Mar 1, 2016, 10:34 am

I added a new feature to this month's reading round-up: "Discovery of the Month". This is for a book that wildly exceeded my expectations. It may not have been the best book I read, but it's certainly worth remembering.

99inge87
Mar 1, 2016, 11:52 am

Thee, Hannah! by Marguerite De Angeli



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: DeweyCAT
Year of Original Pub.: 1940
LC Call #: PZ 7 D3365 The 1940
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Thee, Hannah! is a rather fun intermediate-reader book about a young Quaker girl growing up in antebellum Philadelphia. Hannah wishes she had curly black hair and got to wear flowery bonnets and pantalettes like her non-Quaker best friend Cecily. Instead she has straight blond hair and wears a plain bonnet that pinches her ears. Her antics drive her parents a bit crazy, but they never give her a good reason except that basically that that's what they do and that she needs to remember that she's a Quaker, it's rather understandable on my end. I'm not sure if the lack of reasoning was because the author was not a Quaker or was actually accurate, but if it was historically accurate than it really isn't surprising that plain dressing mostly died out within Hannah's natural lifetime. Besides learning about Quaker life, the book also discusses slavery and the underground railroad and indeed Hannah finally figures out what it means to be Quaker when she encounters a runaway slave. Mostly it's a story about growing up and wanting to fit and accepting yourself as you are, something that is just as true now as it was in 1940 when the book was published.

De Angeli's illustrations are lovely, and the plot is amusing, even if the argument for Quaker plain dress is really weak, plus it has an exclamation mark in the title—"Thee, Hannah!" is just so much better than "Thee, Hannah". Overall, it's a quality bit of juvenile historical fiction, probably more for girls than boys, because its message is delivered via 90 pages of dresses and bonnets.

First Line: "Nine o'clock, and all's well!

100inge87
Mar 2, 2016, 12:04 pm

On the book news front, Amazon has put up the cover image for the final Jackaby novel, Ghostly Echoes, in which our detective duo finally investigate Jenny's murder—and it's purple!



August cannot come soon enough.

101inge87
Edited: Mar 3, 2016, 12:26 pm

In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: It turns up while I was putting together the Crime-Solving Clerics list
Year of Original Pub.: 2002
Series: Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Mystery (1/8)
LC Call #: PS 3619 P645 I68 2002
Rating: 4 stars / 5

In the Bleak Midwinter is the first in a mystery series featuring the chief of police in small-town upstate New York and the new Episcopal priest—who happens to be a woman and a former helicopter pilot. The two meet for the first time when she discovers a newborn abandoned outside her church on a freezing winter's night. He offers her a ride-along later in the week so she can get to know the town better, only instead they find the baby's apparent mother . . . dead. Thus begins a team effort to uncover the truth of the baby's paternity and the identity of his mother's killer. But between some desperate aspiring adoptive parents, supposed domestic violence, and yet another murder, there seem to be more questions than answers.

This was surprisingly good, managing to balance the fact that one of the protagonists is an ordained minister without sending the book into the "Christian fiction" genre. At the same time, Clare is obviously a minister who believes what she preaches. Perfect for those looking for contemporary mysteries with a twist.

First Line: It was one hell of a night to throw away a baby.

102inge87
Edited: Mar 3, 2016, 12:23 pm

I'm in Charge of Celebrations by Byrd Baylor



Source: Irving PL
Recommendation: childhood favorite
Year of Original Pub.: 1986
LC Call #: PZ 7 B3435 Im 1986
Rating: 3 stars / 5

I'm in Charge of Celebrations is a picture book about the joys of being alone and the wonders of nature. Many people ask the narrator whether she gets lonely wandering around the desert, but she says she isn't because she in charge of the celebrations. Celebrations in this case meaning remembrances of really memorable days, such as the day she saw five dust devils or the night that she and a total stranger both watched a fireball in the sky. The illustrations are what makes the book, although Peter Parnall really doesn't do human faces well. The fireball page is especially worth looking at.

Overall, it's a fun book about the wonders of the American Southwest and the human ability to be alone without being lonely. There's also a strong environmentalist undercurrent about respecting nature. Recommended for early readers and those who like interesting illustrations.

First Line: Sometimes people ask me,
"Aren't you lonely
out there
with just
desert
around you?"

103brodiew2
Mar 3, 2016, 12:33 pm

>89 inge87: You have quite an interesting thread here. Because of your stellar review of Death of an Airman and that it was one of your best of the month, it now on my wish list. In the Bleak Midwinter sounds good, too.

I look forward to more of your selections and reflections.

104inge87
Edited: Mar 3, 2016, 12:36 pm

A Fountain Filled With Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming



Source: Austin PL (e-book)
Recommendation: continuing series
Year of Original Pub.: 2003
Series: Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Mystery (2/8)
LC Call #: PS 3619 P645 F68 2003
Rating: 3 stars / 5

It's the Fourth of July in the Adirondacks, and it looks like someone has it out for gay people. In A Fountain Filled With Blood police chief Russ Van Alstyne must battle his personal beliefs about homosexuality with his desire to maintain law and order (and to not drive off customers from local small businesses). Naturally Clare doesn't think he goes far enough and shoots off some words that she comes to regret. Meanwhile, a local developer is fighting off rumors of environmental pollution and clean up costs. He happens to be gay, so when Clare discovers him dead on a late night stroll the question becomes whether the people beating up gay men have escalated or whether it is the work of an environmentalist copy-cat. There are no easy answers, as our heroes soon discover. About the attacks or about their friendship.

Not quite as good as book 1 (but few second books are). What was probably a cutting-edge theme in 2003, now seems a bit preachy, but the issue is still very much alive today. Recommended for those who enjoyed the first book, those new to the series will want to start there.

First Line: The yahoos came by just after the dinner party broke up.

105inge87
Edited: Mar 4, 2016, 10:13 am

Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming



Source: Austin PL (e-book)
Recommendation: continuing series
Year of Original Pub.: 2004
Series: Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Mystery (3/8)
LC Call #: PS 3619 P645 O88 2004
Rating: 5 stars / 5

Out of the Deep I Cry is a remarkable book for a number of reasons: 1. Diphtheria, a pet subject of mine, plays a major role in the plot, 2. The story utilizes flashbacks that actually work as part of the narrative, 3. We finally get to meet Linda. Russ and Clare are still trying to figure out the whole platonic friendship thing, because both realize that that is the only option. Clare also has bigger fish to fry: the church's roof needs to be replaced and she has no idea where the parish will find the money to fix it. The solution appears to involve cutting funding to the local free clinic, something Clare dislikes but doesn't see any way around. And then the clinic's doctor goes missing. Did the local anti-vaccine activist do it, or are there other things at work. Meanwhile we learn a lot about Mrs. Ketchem, the woman who responsible for creating the clinic, and the tragedies that inspired her to do so. The novel uses flashbacks to the 20s, 30s, 50s, and 70s in order to tell the story of her loss, which is somewhat paralleled in the present by the story of a woman who believes that vaccines gave her child autism.

I do have to say that the final twist was a bit much, but that may be because I think the bare realities of early twentieth-century rural life were tragic enough without needing any extra dramatics. Overall, it's the best of the series so far, with an important message to be content with what you have, because you never know what tomorrow will bring.. Highly recommended.

First Line: Russ Van Alstyne had just gotten a tug on his line when he saw the old lady get up from between the headstones she had been trimming, lay down her gardening tools, and walk into the reservoir.

106inge87
Edited: Mar 3, 2016, 2:56 pm

>103 brodiew2: Thanks. Both of those books are very good mysteries and well worth reading.

107inge87
Mar 4, 2016, 10:35 am

A Time to Keep: The Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays by Tasha Tudor



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: A Shower of Roses
Year of Original Pub.: 1977
LC Call #: PZ 7 T836 Tim 1977
Rating: 3 stars / 5

A Time to Keep is a picture book about all the ways the author's family celebrates the seasons, from major holidays to family birthdays and beyond. The narrative is driven by a young girl asking her grandmother what it was like when her mother was growing up. Every month had a different thing to celebrate or participate in. The goat-cart racing in particular looks like it was a lot of fun. I would also like to know how they managed to successfully float the cake down the stream (if I tried that it would end up in the water). This being Tasha Tudor, there are lots of Corgis involved, and everyone seems happy about it except the cats.

Those who like Tudor's particular blend of nostalgia and fun will like this book, those who find her kitsch or cloying will not. But every Tudor fan should pick this one up.

First Line: Granny, what was it like when Mummy was me?

108inge87
Mar 6, 2016, 10:34 am

Demeter and Persephone: Homeric Hymn Number Two by Homer & Penelope Proddow



Source: Irving PL
Recommendation: it sounded interesting
Year of Original Pub.: 7th century BC
LC Call #: BL 820 C5 P76 1972
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Demeter and Persephone is a adaptation of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter designed for children. However, the translation is quality verse, and maintains the pulse and feel of the original Greek hexameters—Proddow studied classical archaeology at Bryn Mawr, and it shows—so really it is perhaps better suited to older children or adults interested in the subject. The hymn to Demeter tells the story of Persephone's kidnapping by Hades and her mother's search for her, with a particular emphasis on her stay in Eleusis disguised as a nursemaid. Barbara Cooney's illustrations are a rather brilliant cross between Ancient Greek and midcentury modern, and with the exception of Persephone, who ends up looking a bit like a strung-out Ancient Greek hippy, work perfectly at bringing the Ancient to life again while keeping the feel of the original culture.

Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the Ancient Greek myths (the Homeric Hymns were composed as early as the 7th century BC, so you can't get much more ancient than that), those trying to introduce their children to the classics early, or those who enjoy good illustrations. Highly recommended.

First Line: Now I will sing
of golden-haired Demeter,
the awe-inspiring goddess,
and of her trim-ankled daughter,
Persephone,
who was frolicking in a grassy meadow.

109inge87
Mar 7, 2016, 10:41 am

The Crucified Rabbi: Judaism and the Origins of Catholic Christianity by Taylor Marshall



Source: me (1/16)
Recommendation: somewhere on the internet
Year of Original Pub.: 2009
LC Call #: BM 535 M37 2009
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Crucified Rabbi is an interesting study of all the ways that Catholic teachings and traditions are derived from Judaism. From the holidays to the Eucharist to the priesthood, religious life, and marriage, he finds connections everywhere. I'm not sure it's all as simple or straightforward as the author makes out, but some parts are extremely compelling and at times it reads like a theologically orthodox Catholic version of Margaret Barker. However, other parts seem more like the theological equivalent of folk etymologies, and leave out the obvious possibility of adoptions from Middle Eastern or European pagan traditions. I also find his use of "Catholic Christian" instead of just "Catholic" to be extremely annoying, I thought we had left that term in the 70s where it belonged. But when the book's good, it's good, and anyone with an interest in the relationship between apostolic Christianity and Judaism will want to pick it up.

First Line: A priest and a rabbi walked into a hospital . . .
     This is not the beginning of a joke, but the beginning of my journey to the Catholic Faith.

110inge87
Edited: Mar 7, 2016, 10:43 am

Thirteen Guests by J. Jefferson Farjeon



Source: me (1/16)
Recommendation: I enjoyed Mystery in White
Year of Original Pub.: 1936
LC Call #: PR 6011 A754 T45 2015
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Thirteen Guests is a house party mystery where having one too many guests proves a fatal decision. John injures his foot getting off a train and is carried off by a beautiful woman to recover at the estate of Lord Aveling, where she is to be a guest. This uninvited guest makes the total thirteen, a very unlucky number indeed. John, an outsider marooned on a couch for the weekend, is the passive observer of the silent emotions passing amongst those he interacts with. The last couple to arrive, the Chaters, in particular to be the source of much discomfort. Then an artist's portrait of his host's daughter is found ruined and a body is found while the others are hunting. No one seems to know who he is, although some suspect the Chaters might know. But then Mr. Chater's horse turns up riderless and it becomes apparent that much more was going on than anyone suspected. It will be up to the police to sort out all the petty hatred and jealousies and discover the cause of all this death. This is one house party it might have been better to miss.

A fun vintage mystery. The estate is isolated, so you know it had to have been someone in the house, it is only a question of who and the author keeps you guessing until the bitter end. Highly recommended for fans of the genre and those who enjoy well-written whodunits.

First Line: Every station has a special voice.

111thornton37814
Mar 7, 2016, 4:07 pm

>110 inge87: I know I already have one by Farjeon on my wish list so I won't add this one at the moment, anticipating that I will add it after reading the one that's theree.

112inge87
Mar 7, 2016, 6:15 pm

>111 thornton37814: To my knowledge three of Farjeon's books have been re-issued by British Library Classics. Each is worth a read if you like classic mysteries.

113lkernagh
Mar 9, 2016, 10:38 am

I like the idea of "Discovery of the Month"! It's great to bring attention to books that exceed our expectations. ;-)

114inge87
Mar 9, 2016, 5:33 pm

115inge87
Mar 10, 2016, 5:37 pm

Resurrection Science: Conservation, De-Extinction and the Precarious Future of Wild Things by M. R. O'Connor



Source: Irving PL
Recommendation: Choice and/or LibraryJournal
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
LC Call #: QL 82 O26 2015
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Resurrection Science takes on many of the realities facing anyone who wants to de-exinct or even re-introduce species into former habitats and reveals that in many cases conservationists' dreams are unlikely to be fulfilled. Unlike How to Clone a Mammoth, which focuses on the hows and whys of de-extinction, Resurrection Science focuses on the situations on the ground that make de-extinction and re-wilding unrealistic. Travelling around the world, the author shows how man's effect on the environment has changed habitats so that they no longer exist to support the animals they once did. Forrests and swamps have been settled and developed, and such as in the case of the golden toads of Tanzania, sometimes the habitat is completely destroyed and there is nowhere for the animals to return to. There is also the question of what makes a species a species—something that genetics has made much more complicated than it once was—and the fact that evolution moves much faster than we ever imagined. Therefore, what might appear to be a single widespread species may, in fact, be a collection of many related species that may or may not require conservation measures. All of these complications mean that, while the idea of de-exinction may sound appealing, ultimately there are better ways to spend our conservation dollars.

A thoughtful book that's perfect for anyone who loved The Sixth Extinction or How to Clone a Mammoth. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in wildlife conservation or interesting non-fiction.

First Line: When I was a kid in the 1990s, the world often felt like it was on the verge of catastrophe.

116inge87
Edited: Mar 10, 2016, 6:37 pm

Winter at the Door by Sarah Graves



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: I'd accidentally grabbed book 2 off the new arrivals shelf and needed to read book 1 first
Year of Original Pub.: 2014
Series: Lizzie Snow (1/?)
LC Call #: PS 3557 R2897 W56 2014
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Winter at the Door is the first in a new mystery series featuring Lizzie Snow, a Boston homicide detective who takes a job in rural northern Maine to follow a lead about her long-missing niece. When she arrives in Aroostook County, it soon becomes clear that not only is the job not what she signed up for, but that the sheriff has alterior motives for hiring her—he's convinced that someone is killing retired Maine law enforcement officers and making it look like suicide. Lizzie is not convinced but promises to look into it, but quickly becomes caught up in the little issues of Bearkill, Maine. Things that stop being so little when they start becoming murder. Meanwhile, Lizzie is looking for her niece and fighting off the advances of an ex who betrayed her badly but now wants another shot.

An interesting start to a promising series. I could have done with a bit more investigation and a bit less personal stuff, but that may have been the author's attempt at setting things up for later. Unlike many Maine mysteries, this is not a cozy, but it's perfect for anyone who likes strong heroines or books set in small towns or New England.

First Line: Carl Bogart's old Fleetwood double-wide mobile home stood on a cleared half acre surrounded by a forest of mixed hardwoods, spruce, and hackmatack trees shedding their dark-gold needles onto the unpaved driveway.

117inge87
Edited: Mar 10, 2016, 6:25 pm

The Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove



Source: Irving PL
Recommendation: The Book Smugglers & SFFKIT
Year of Original Pub.: 2014
Series: The Mapmakers Trilogy (1/3)
LC Call #: PZ 7 G9273 Gl 2014
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Glass Sentence is the first book of the adventurous life of Sophia Tims, an aspiring cartographer in a world in which time has gone out of whack and different areas belong to different ages: for example, the Eastern US stayed in time, but Canada now belongs to the Ice Age, and parts of Europe to the middle ages. In this environment, maps are essential and luckily for Sophia, her Uncle Shadrack is an expert. Sophia has lived with him since her explorer parents went off to help a friend and never returned. Just when the two of them are about to set off in search of their lost family members, Shadrack gets kidnapped and Sophia has no choice but to try to rescue him. Reactionary politicians have decided to close the country's borders so she only has a matter of days to escape and follow the instructions he left her. Luckily, Theo, an escaped circus performer from the Badlands (Western US), decides to travel with her. What follows is a journey that will change Sophia's life forever, because not only is her uncle missing, but there is strange news from the south and Sophia is heading right towards the danger.

A fun adventure that's not just for middle-grade readers. It's a bit fat and could have been trimmed a little, but the wonders of Sophia and her world still shine through. Recommended for those looking for interesting fantasy concepts who don't care how old the protagonists are.

First Line: The day New Occident closed its borders, the hottest day of the year, was also the day Sophia Tims changed her life forever by losing track of time.

118inge87
Mar 10, 2016, 6:36 pm

The Girls She Left Behind by Sarah Graves



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: It looked interesting
Year of Original Pub.: 2016
Series: Lizzie Snow (2/?)
LC Call #: PS 3557 R2897 G57 2016
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Girls She Left Behind continues Lizzie's Maine adventure. It may be the middle of winter, but a drought is threatening to send the entire area up in flames. Which becomes the least of her worries when a local teen goes missing and a known kidnapper and rapist is reputed to be heading to the area. Lizzie knows the girl's mother holds a key to the truth—if only she can get her to tell the truth. Meanwhile, the police aren't the only ones looking for the kidnapper and enough blood is found for several bodies, but there's not a body in sight. Just what is going on, and will Lizzie be able to figure it out before fires destroy everything. You'll have to read to the end to find out.

I liked this a little better than the first book. There's not as much awkward time between Lizzie and her ex (although he is very much still trying to win her back), which makes the narrative flow a bit better and keeps up the tension. Lizzie still hasn't found her niece yet, so who knows what kind of trouble she'll be getting into next. Definitely recommended for fans of contemporary mysteries.

First Line: Sleet needles lanced through the January night, gleaming slantwise in the headlights of the cars making their hesitant way long the street outside.

119inge87
Edited: Mar 11, 2016, 9:51 am

The White Stag by Kate Seredy



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: GeoCAT
Year of Original Pub.: 1937
LC Call #: GR 154.5 S4 W5 1937
Rating: 2 stars / 5

The White Stag is a book that has not aged well. A retelling of the Hungarian origin myth, it was originally deemed worthy of the 1938 Newbery Award, but I can't imagine any child wanting to read it now. Between the stilted language and awkward plot, it's definitely something that an adult interested in Hungarian folktales would read but few others. It's saving grace are Seredy's extraordinary illustrations that look like a cross between Soviet realism and something out of a Fritz Lang film.

Plot-wise, it tells the story of the descendants of Nimrod, who head west from the plains of Central Asia seeking the Promised Land. These are led by twin sons, Hunor and Magor, and their descendants later become the Huns and the Magyars (Hungarians). The bulk of the story describes how the birth of Attila the Hun is foretold and then how Attila seizes his destiny. Suffice to say there's lots of death and killing involved.

Probably worth reading only for the illustrations. Otherwise, it's completely skippable.

First Line: Old Nimrod, might hunter before the Lord, leaned wearily against the stones of the sacrificial altar.

120inge87
Mar 11, 2016, 11:10 am

Speaking of good illustrations. I'm a huge fan of the cover illustration for the 40th anniversary edition of Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry that came out in January.



Kadir Nelson does amazing work.

121brodiew2
Mar 11, 2016, 2:16 pm

It is a beautiful cover, indeed. I'm not sure I ever read this one back in the day. However, Sounder is burned in my brain.

122inge87
Mar 11, 2016, 3:46 pm

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: The Book Smugglers
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
Series: Serafina (1/?)
LC Call #: PZ 7.1 B4347 Sbc 2015
Rating: 5 stars / 5

Serafina and the Black Cloak is the first of a new middle-grade historical fantasy series set at the Biltmore Estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Serafina lives with her father in the basement of the Biltmore Estate. No one knows she's there and her father works hard to keep it that way. Serafina finds purpose in being the estates "CRC"—the chief rat catcher, but one night while hunting rats she sees a evil-looking man make a young girl disappear. Soon other children are missing as well. Serafina is determined to catch the man in the black cloak, even though her father wants her to lay low. But then Serafina makes an actual friends and all of a sudden hiding isn't going to work anymore. Especially since the man in black shows no signs of stopping his child-snatching anytime soon.

A perfect story of growing up with just the right amount of terror. The author clearly knows the Biltmore and the surrounding area well. Book 2 is due out in July, and I can't wait to find out what is waiting for Serafina next—after all, now that she has entered the woods, she'll have to come to terms with what she's discovered, both about herself and about those she loves. Highly recommended.

First Line: Serafina opened her eyes and scanned the darkened workshop, looking for any rats stupid enough to come into her territory while she slept.

123inge87
Mar 11, 2016, 9:12 pm

>121 brodiew2: I'm not sure I read that one either. But the new cover makes me want to pick it up.

124bell7
Mar 15, 2016, 1:07 pm

>120 inge87: It's a fantastic book, and I do love the new cover.

125inge87
Mar 15, 2016, 2:37 pm

>124 bell7: I know you're not supposed to judge a book on its cover, but a good cover can really help sell a good book.

126inge87
Edited: Mar 15, 2016, 2:51 pm

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs



Source: Austin PL (e-book)
Recommendation: SFFKIT
Year of Original Pub.: 2006
Series: Mercy Thompson (1/?)
LC Call #: PS 3602 R53165 M66 2006
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Moon Called is the first book in the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series, featuring a coyote shifter doomed to be surrounded by werewolves. After a very unfortunate event in her teens, Mercy has sworn off werewolves and enjoys annoying Adam, her alpha werewolf neighbor when she isn't busy working as a mechanic at her shop. But when he and his pack are attacked, Mercy finds herself returning to a place she never thought she'd see again and having to deal with things she thought she'd put far behind her. Because someone has kidnapped Adam's daughter, and Mercy's knowledge of wolves may be the only thing that can save the situation.

A fun first book that manages to set the stage for future volumes without too much info dumping. The covers are awful, but don't them them stop you. Highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy or fantasy set in the Pacific Northwest.

First Line: I didn't realize he was a werewolf at first.

127inge87
Edited: Mar 15, 2016, 2:50 pm

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: SFFKIT
Year of Original Pub.: 2007
Series: Mercy Thompson (2/?)
LC Call #: PS 3602 R53165 B56 2007
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Blood Bound finds Mercy accidentally encountering a vampiric serial killer when she does a favor for her VW Bus-driving vampire friends Stefan. That a someone could be both a vampire and a sorcerer is unheard of, and a very, very bad thing. Especially once he turns his mind to the local werewolf population. The wolves, old-school as they are, just want Mercy to stay safe and out of the way, but the vampires believe that only she can track down the killer and the parent vampire controlling him. So staying safe is not going to be an option.

More fun with everyone's favorite coyote. We learn more about Mercy and her friends as well as a lot about vampires and how to kill them. And the set up for book three sounds promising indeed.

First Line: Like most people who own their own businesses, I work long hours that start early in the morning.

128inge87
Edited: Mar 28, 2016, 3:27 pm

You by Fulton Sheen



Source: me (2/16)
Recommendation: Lenten Reading
Year of Original Pub.: 1944-5
LC Call #: BX 2350.3 S54 2003
Rating: 4 stars / 5

You is a collection of radio lectures given by the author from late 1944 through Easter 1945. The focus in on Christian living, delivered in Sheen's trademark accessible style, and he has lots of ideas for how to live better and live happier, while deepening one's relationship with God. The importance and significance of suffering also makes appearances (remember this was during World War II, so there was lots of that going around), and there is also one lecture dedicated to the nature of Hell. Highly recommended for anyone who has wondered why they aren't happy and wants to do something about it. Highly recommended.

First Line: Are you perfectly happy?

129inge87
Mar 16, 2016, 4:35 pm

Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin



Source: work
Original Title: Лавр (Lavr)
Recommendation: Kirkus, various places on the internet, such as here
Year of Original Pub.: 2012
LC Call #: PG 3493.76 D65 L3813 2015
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Laurus is a very interesting historical novel set in medieval Russian that won a lot of awards in Russia and then garnered a lot of attention in certain parts of the English internet when the translation was released last Fall. It's an interesting book, both stylistically and plot-wise. Arseny (he's not going to be Laurus until page 330) is born in the Rukina Quarter of Russia in 1440. His parents soon die of plague and he is raised by his healer grandfather, Christofor. Arseny too becomes a healer, but when his lover dies in childbirth without the benefit of marriage or confession, he is so overwhelmed by guilt that he spends the rest of his life in penance trying to help her soul obtain salvation.

You learn a lot about medieval Russia as well as Russian folk beliefs, as Arseny spends more than an entire section of the book as the holy fool Ustin (after Ustina, the aforementioned dead beloved) in Pskov. My favorite character is probably Ambrosio, the Italian seer who is interested in identifying the time of the end of the world and travels with Arseny to the Holy Land.

Structurally the novel is interesting in that the author is constantly inserting archaically-spelled words and sentences even as he also sticks in obviously modern terms as well. There are also visions of the future seamlessly inserted into the plot, jumping the narrative suddenly decades if not centuries for a paragraph or two. The best of these is probably that of the 1950s historian who visits Pskov and meets the girl of his dreams.

Laurus is a great book over which ponder the meaning of life. It's infused in a particular kind of Orthodox spirituality that makes it specifically Russian in character. An American or Briton could never have written this book. Highly recommended for fans for novels with interesting construction, those who enjoy fiction with a spiritual message, or those interested in modern Russian literature.

First Line: He had four names at various times.

130inge87
Mar 16, 2016, 4:37 pm

I must say here that Laurus is one of those books you will either love or want to throw against the nearest wall. I spend most the book wanting to hurl it, but find now that I'm done that I really enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a book that requires a certain amount of patience, but is rewarding by the end. This makes is a perfect book for Lent.

I should also note that Rod Dreher usually annoys me more than anything else, but like broken clocks he occasionally does write things that I can agree with and appreciate. His thoughts on Laurus are one of those things.

131inge87
Mar 17, 2016, 10:12 pm

Conversation With Christ: The Teaching of St. Teresa of Avila about Personal Prayer by Peter Thomas Rohrbach



Source: me (1/16)
Recommendation: the priests at Mater Dei
Year of Original Pub.: 1956
LC Call #: BV 4813 R57 1982
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Conversation With Christ is a guide to the style of meditative prayer favored by Saint Teresa of Avila. One should note that unlike Eastern-style mediation, which is what most people think of these days when they hear "meditation", Western-style meditation does not involve emptying one's mind but rather filling it. The goal is to have a conversation with Christ (hence the title) and there are five basic steps to the process: the preparation, selection, consideration, conversation, and conclusion. Basically, the practitioner prepares himself for prayer, selects a passage to meditate upon (such as the story of the crucifixion or another passage from the Bible), then forms a mental image of the passage and meditates upon it. This in turn leads into a conversation with Christ about the consideration, before bringing the prayer to an end. The author gives a step-by-step introduction on how to achieve mastery of this style as well as two alternative variants. He also discusses things that can make meditation difficult (distraction and aridities) as well as things that can aid mediation (recollection, detachment, and spiritual reading). It's an incredibly useful book for anyone who has wanted to try mental prayer but did not know where to start.

Highly recommended for anyone who has considered meditation or has heard their priest mention it and wondered what the fuss was about.

First Line: A good deal of the confusion surrounding meditation results from a failure to recognize its basic, fundamental purpose.

132PaulCranswick
Mar 17, 2016, 11:24 pm

Splendid reviews Jennifer as always. I really like the idea of including the book opening lines in your reviews. Looks like you will leave 75 books well behind before the first quarter leaves us.

133inge87
Mar 18, 2016, 1:13 pm

>132 PaulCranswick: Thanks. I like to think of the first lines as little distilled book morsels that give a hint of what the rest of the book is like. I initially thought I'd hit 75 in April, but it does look like I'll manage it before Easter unless something comes up.

134inge87
Mar 18, 2016, 1:15 pm

This should have gone before Conversation with Christ, but I didn't realize I hadn't reviewed it yet. Oops . . . :)

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs



Source: Austin PL (e-book)
Recommendation: continuing series
Year of Original Pub.: 2008
Series: Mercy Thompson (3/?)
LC Call #: PS 3602 R53165 I76 2008
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Iron Kissed finds Mercy investigating fae murders after Uncle Mike calls in a favor that she owes him from the end of Blood Bound. When Zee gets arrested and accused of the murders, Mercy suddenly finds herself unwilling to quit even though everyone tells her she should (including Zee). Her quest leads her to an anti-fae group and acquires her a fae enemy who thinks her flesh would be quite tasty. Mercy also finally chooses between Samuel and Adam (not that it was much of a choice as she realizes when she actually thinks about it). But the murderer is still at large and he's decided that Mercy knows too much. Will her werewolf neighbors be enough to protect her or has she finally gone a step too far for her own good? Either way, she's about to find out.

Another interesting installment in the series. Recommended for fans of the previous books.

Trigger Warning (I normally don't do these but this is important): The plot's climax involves Mercy being kidnapped given a mind-controlling magical potion, getting raped, and dealing with the consequences. It's not done in a graphic, exploitative way, but I could see how this may disturb some readers.

First Line: "A cowboy, a lawyer, and a mechanic watched Queen of the Damned," I murmured.

135inge87
Mar 21, 2016, 11:13 am

The Golden Specific by S. E. Grove



Source: Irving PL
Recommendation: continuing series
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
Series: The Mapmakers Trilogy (2/3)
LC Call #: PZ 7 G9273 Go 2014
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Golden Specific finds Sophia and Theo separated and Uncle Shadrack jailed for a murder he didn't commit. Sophia has discovered a lead in the case of her missing parents, but it requires her to travel to Granada in the Papal States. Her Uncle is too involved with politics to help her, but Theo says he'll come. Only to miss the boat when he witnesses her Uncle's arrest while hiding in a wardrobe. Sophia, meanwhile, spends a lot of time avoiding sea sickness by exploring maps, while Theo is doing his best in Boston to exhortation his unjustly accused friend. Both make new friends and discover that the past is closer than they think. Faced with a deadly plague, Sophia must journey towards the Age of Ausentinia, which disappeared into the mists of a Dark Age years ago. In the process she makes important discoveries about Lacrimae and Ages. Theo, meanwhile, uncovers new levels of conspiracy and corruption and must face down an figure from his past he hoped he had left behind. Cue the cliff hangers, because this arc won't be done until the next book.

An enjoyable jaunt through Sophia's world of ages. I did think it was a bit too long for the split narrative to work—after a while I started skimming one and focusing on the other, because Sophia's journey was just that much more interesting to me. But hopefully they'll rejoin forces in The Crimson Skew, so that won't be as much of an issue. I'm particularly interested in the future ages that first reveal themselves in this book, who knows what secrets they hold. Recommended for fans of the first book and interesting alternative histories.

First Line: On the morning of May 31, Sophia Tims stood on Beacon Street, staring through a gap in the iron fence at the monolith before her.

136inge87
Edited: Mar 22, 2016, 9:43 am

Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs



Source: Irving PL
Recommendation: continuing series
Year of Original Pub.: 2009
Series: Mercy Thompson (4/?)
LC Call #: PS 3602 R53165 B66 2009
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Bone Crossed finds Mercy dealing with the consequences of certain actions she took at the end of Blood Bound—suffice to say Marsilia is not happy with her. Unfortunately, she appears to have taken her anger out on Stefan instead. She could really use a break right now because of everything that happened with Tim in the last book, but obviously she isn't going to get one. Because an old college acquaintance wants Mercy to help her with her house's ghost problem. Thinking Tacoma might mean a bit of a respite, it turns out that it will be anything but. Because there may only be one vampire in Tacoma, but he is called the Monster for a reason.

Poor Mercy, she only seems to get rest when she's unconscious. This isn't the strongest book in the series but it's still a lot of fun: especially if you like vampire drama. Recommended for fans of the series. Everyone else should start with book 1.

First Line: I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

137inge87
Mar 22, 2016, 9:43 am

Friends of God: Homilies by Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer



Source: me (2/16)
Original Title: Amigos de Dios: Homilías
Recommendation: Impulse grab from my parish bookstore, Lenten reading
Year of Original Pub.: 1977
LC Call #: BX 1756 E77 A4313 1997
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Friends of God is a collection of sermons given by St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, the founder of Opus Dei. The overall theme is how to live a Christian life and live it well. The sermons were given at various times over a period of over twenty years, but they are ordered in such a way that you would not guess they weren't given in a series, if the dates of delivery were not in the footnotes on the bottom of each first page. Escriva is a good homilist and there is a lot here to think about. One complaint is the pocket format, which is great for reading on the go, but means that almost every sermons is around thirty pages long and makes them seem longer than they actually are. But overall, it's an excellent set of sermons full of good advice for every Christian.

First Line: I remember, many years ago now, I was going along a road in Castile with some friends, when we noticed something in a field far away which made a deep impression on me at the time and has since often helped me in my prayer.

138inge87
Mar 22, 2016, 9:44 am

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: continuing series
Year of Original Pub.: 2010
Series: Mercy Thompson (5/?)
LC Call #: PS 3602 R53165 S55 2010
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Silver Borne finds Mercy's life getting even more complicated (it that even possible, yes, it is). She and Adam are finally dating and acting like a "normal" couple, but someone in the pack is using pack ties to sabotage their relationship. On top of this it appears that someone wants the book that Mercy borrowed for help with the fae situation in Iron Kissed and wants it badly enough to kill for it. Just what is so special about that book and who is crazy enough to try to kill Mercy and several others to get to it? Mercy needs to find out quickly, before anyone else gets attacked. Because the pack unrest is not going to go away without a fight, and it's much easier to focus on one thing at a time, right?

Another quality installment in a very good urban fantasy series.

First Line: The starter complained as it turned over the old Buick's heavy engine.

139inge87
Edited: Mar 22, 2016, 9:56 am

Mit brennender Sorge by Pope Pius XI^



Source: free on the internet (German here, English here)
Title in English: With Burning Concern
Recommendation: 79th anniversary of its reading in Germany was Sunday
Year of Original Pub.: 1937
LC Call #: BX 1536 P58 1937
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Mit Brennender Sorge is an encyclical of Pope Pius XI written to the Church in Germany in 1937. Catholics in Germany were already feeling the pressure to abandon their beliefs and adopt National Socialist teachings. Pope Pius urges them to stand firm and hold to their faith in spite of official oppression, while making a plea for the importance of religious freedom. He makes it clear that it is not possible to be both a Catholic and support the official paganist line of the National Socialist regime. All of this without ever mentioning the National Socials Worker's Party by name.

The encyclical was dated Passion Sunday (March 14), but was smuggled into Germany and read from the pulpit across the country a week later on Palm Sunday. Hitler was furious and the German state cracked down hard: mass arrests and imprisonments, along with the seizure of printing presses and the closure of publishers followed. Seventy-nine years ago yesterday liturgically speaking (Monday of Holy Week), the offices of the Catholic Church were raided across Germany as the government looked for copies of the encyclical in order to seize and destroy them and the message the carried.

In an era in which religious persecution appears to be growing and in which some groups attempt to enforce their truths through violence and fear, Pius XI's words have just as much strength now as they did in 1937. Highly recommend.

First Line:Mit brennender Sorge und steigendem Befremden beobachten Wir seit geraumer Zeit den Leidensweg der Kirche, die wachsende Bedrängnis der ihr in Gesinnung und Tat treubleibenden Bekenner und Bekennerinnen inmitten des Landes und des Volkes, dem St. Bonifatius einst die Licht- und Frohbotschaft von Christus und dem Reiche Gottes gebracht hat.

(English: It is with deep anxiety and growing surprise that We have long been following the painful trials of the Church and the increasing vexations which afflict those who have remained loyal in heart and action in the midst of a people that once received from St. Boniface the bright message and the Gospel of Christ and God's Kingdom.)

140inge87
Edited: Mar 23, 2016, 12:00 pm

Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson



Source: me (1/16)
Recommendation: it fit both DeweyCAT and SFFKIT
Year of Original Pub.: 1907
LC Call #: PR 6003 E7 L6 2011
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Lord of the World is an early example of dystopian fiction, set in a world in which materialism and individualism have triumphed over religion in the West. The few remaining Catholics are condescendingly tolerated even as they are openly ridiculed by those who know better. Then, just when it seems like there will be war between Europe and "the East", an unknown American takes the world by storm. All of a sudden, the West discovers faith again—faith in humanity expressed as faith in Felsenburgh. Catholic priest Father Percy Franklin despairs of what is coming, even as he tries to help his flock withstand the coming persecution. From mob violence to official persecution, there is no relief in sight for those who differ with the official line. In return Felsenburgh has promised a new age, but as one of the main characters finds out, this new age looks a lot like the old one.

A very interesting take on the End of the World. Also, the cover of my edition is possibly the most effective use of stock footage in a book cover I have ever seen. Rio has never looked so apocalyptic. Highly recommended for fans of classic dystopian fiction, fiction of the apocalypse, or interesting Catholic fiction.

First Line: "You must give me a moment," said the old man, leaning back.

141brodiew2
Mar 23, 2016, 2:26 pm

This a beautifully ominous review. I guess I'll have to read it to see if the Lord returns.

142inge87
Mar 23, 2016, 4:31 pm

>141 brodiew2: Thanks! Benson makes some fairly interesting predictions about the future for a man writing in 1907: imagining everything from mass air transportation to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. He also foresees the same kind of general cultural shallowness that Huxley does with Brave New World twenty-four years later. The visions of the future are one of my favorite parts of early 20th-century dystopias.

143PaulCranswick
Mar 25, 2016, 12:09 am

Have a wonderful Easter.



144inge87
Mar 25, 2016, 10:27 am

>143 PaulCranswick: Thanks! Happy Easter to you too!

145inge87
Edited: Mar 25, 2016, 10:30 am

Saint Germaine and the Sheep by Eva K. Betz



Source: me (1/16)
Recommendation: continuing series
Year of Original Pub.: 1961
Series: Easy Reading Books of Saints and Friendly Beasts
LC Call #: PZ 7 B489 Sag 2013
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Saint Germaine and the Sheep is an early reading book about the life of Saint German Cousin of Pibrac, near Toulouse, France. She was born with a deformed hand and a skin condition and was abused by her stepmother. Eventually forced to live in the barn with the sheep, she never let the hatred of others affect her. When she wanted to attend mass she would stick her staff into the ground and tell her sheep to say, and they would until she returned and removed the staff from the ground. Also, after a bridge gave out, she was able to cross a fast-flowing stream without being swept away.

All of this makes for a good read, even if the artist did not do a good job with St. Germain's face (she looks like she's forty even when she's supposed to be a young girl). For those who enjoy illustrated and interesting lives of saints.

First Line: "Germaine, tell us a story!"

146inge87
Mar 25, 2016, 10:33 am

Saint Athanasius by F. A. Forbes



Source: me (12/15)
Recommendation: Hunt for a good Athanasius biography
Year of Original Pub.: 1919
LC Call #: BR 1720 A7 F67 1998
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Saint Athanasius is a rather straight-forward hagiographical biography of the great Alexandrian archbishop who battled the Arians and their Byzantine political allies for most of his life and somehow managed to outlast them. Beginning with the famous story of how a young Athanasius was spotted on the shore playing mock-baptism with his friends, the book continues to follow his carrier as a deacon defending the faith at Nicaea to his initial appointment as Archbishop of Alexandria when he was barely thirty. The rest of the book is taken up with his adventures as archbishop, opposing emperors and enduring persecution and exile for much of his reign. The book mostly focuses on his deeds and not on his writings, but it crams in a lot for a book under one hundred pages.

An inspiring work about an inspiring man. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a good biography of Saint Athanasius or inspirational biography in general.

First Line: The Patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt was expecting company.

147inge87
Mar 25, 2016, 10:34 am

I've given up secular reading for Holy Week, so expect a veritable Catholic reading list for the next few days. Other books will just have to wait for next week.

148inge87
Edited: Mar 25, 2016, 10:51 am

On Pascha by Melito of Sardis+



Source: me (1/09)
Recommendation: sudden inspiration/clearing Mt. TBR
Original Title: Περὶ Πάσχα (Peri Paskha)
Year of Original Pub.: c. 160, 170, or 190
Series: Popular Patristics (20)
LC Call #: BR 65 M453 H6513 2001
Rating: 4 stars / 5

On Pascha is an early text about the Easter liturgy by Melito of Sardis. Most sources say that it was probably written between AD 160 and AD 170, although this edition suggests a later date of AD 190. There are many things that make Melito's text significant, no one seems to agree on what exactly it is, whether it is a homily, a description of the Easter liturgy, or something else entirely. What we do know is that Melito lived in Sardis in Asia Minor, a major center of Jewish activity, that he himself was probably of Jewish ancestry, and that he was a Quartodeciman—that is, he celebrated Easter on 14 Nisan, the day the Jews celebrated Passover, not on a Sunday. This was apparently a widespread custom in the Eastern church at that time and it also meant that Good Friday and Easter were celebrated in a single feast. Luckily, the book has a very thorough introduction by the translator that helps put Melito and his text in context, especially his views about the Jewish role in Christ's crucifixion. The text itself has a particularly liturgical grace about it and the reader will catch many parallels to "traditional" Triduum liturgies, particularly to Easter Vigil. This means it makes for very good triduum reading.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in the early Church and its practices, Quartodecimanism, or Christian liturgies, or anyone looking for something different to read this Holy Week.

First Line: The Scripture of the exodus of the Hebrews has been read,
and the words of the mystery have been declared;
how the sheep was sacrificed,
how the people was saved,
and how Pharaoh was flogged by the mystery.

149inge87
Edited: Mar 25, 2016, 11:13 am

St. Margaret Clitherow by Margaret T. Monro



Source: me (12/15)
Recommendation: it was next to Saint Athanasius on the shelf
Year of Original Pub.: 1946
LC Call #: BX 4705 C64 M6 2003
Rating: 3 stars / 5

St. Margaret Clitherow is a life of the so-called "Pearl of York", who was pressed to death in 1586 after she refused to enter a plea in court after she was arrested for harboring priests. While it provides all of the necessary biographical details, it is definitely hagiography, and the author is very much on Margaret's side. The daughter and wife of leading figures in the city of York, Margaret had it all, but decided that her faith was more important. Nevertheless, she tried to protect her family from her actions at all costs—part of the reason she refused to plead was to avoid making her children testify at her trial. But her faith was the most important thing of all, and we learn a lot about how Catholics struggled to get by in the first decades of Elizabeth's reign.

An interesting book about an interesting person. Probably for Catholics only, because of its essentially polemical nature. For those looking for a more academic study of her life, there is Peter Lake and Michael Questier's The Trials of Margaret Clitherow: Persecution, Martyrdom and the Politics of Sanctity in Elizabethan England, which I'm hoping to get to in the next few weeks. Highly recommended.

First Line: In the year 1530, a certain Thomas Middleton took up his freedom as a citizen of York.

150inge87
Edited: Mar 25, 2016, 11:18 am

A Short History of the Roman Mass by Michael Davis



Source: me (12/15)
Recommendation: I've liked some of Davies' other works
Year of Original Pub.: 1997
LC Call #: BX 2230.2 D38 1997
Rating: 3 stars / 5

A Short History of the Roman Mass is a brief, fifty-page overview of the origin and development of the Roman Rite of the mass (the main form of the liturgy in the West). From the New Testament to today, Davies gives a thorough summary of how the mass became what it is today, including the form of the low mass. It should be noted that the author was famously anti-the new mass, so post-Vatican II developments are relegated to a couple of pages about how underhanded and a betrayal of previous processes it the mass of Paul VI was. But if you're interesting in the older forms of the mass, there is much to chew on here.

Recommended for Catholics of a certain stripe, Davies gets a bit bitter towards the end, so lovers of the new mass may want to stay away.

First Line: The first source for the history of the Mass is obviously the account of the Last Supper in the New Testament.

151harrygbutler
Mar 25, 2016, 12:00 pm

>148 inge87: On Pascha sounds well worth seeking out. Thanks for the review!

152inge87
Mar 27, 2016, 7:20 pm

Christ has risen! He has risen indeed! Happy Easter!


"The Resurrection of Christ" (1499–1502) by Raphael

153inge87
Mar 27, 2016, 7:46 pm

>151 harrygbutler: You're welcome! It was an impulse grab off my shelf while I was looking for something else, but I ended up reading it instead of the Jacques Philippe book I'd been looking for. We know so little about the liturgical practices of that period, but I think Melito would be notable even if we did have more sources because what he says is so interesting.

154inge87
Mar 27, 2016, 7:47 pm

I hope everyone has had a great Easter. I was fasting from the internet from Good Friday services through Sunday, and then spent most of today either recovering from Easter Vigil mass (I got back home at 3 am) or cooking Easter lunch. We had lamb chops with apple-mango chutney from Marcus Off Duty with my favorite shallot fried rice recipe from Burma and sauteed kale with garlic. Dessert was almond cake. It was all very delicious (especially the cake), and this year's services were very beneficial spiritually, but I am glad Holy Week comes only once a year because it is exhausting.

155inge87
Mar 27, 2016, 9:41 pm

The Seven Last Words by Fulton Sheen



Source: me (3/16)
Recommendation: I was looking for Holy Week reading material
Year of Original Pub.: 1933
LC Call #: BT 455 S45 1996
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Seven Last Words is a series of short meditations on the seven last words of Christ originally published in 1933. These are the last seven things that Christ is recorded as having said, and have long been the subject of Christian inspiration. Each of the "words" is given its own chapter and each chapter ends in a brief prayer. This is fairly early Sheen, and it's missing some of the spark of his later works, but there is still much here to chew on. The seven last words make for excellent Lenten or Holy Week reading, but they are also worth pondering the rest of the year as well. Recommended for Catholics interested in the last words or those who have enjoyed Sheen's other works.

First Line: It seems to be a fact of human psychology that when death approaches, the human heart speaks its words of love to those whom it holds closest and dearest.

156inge87
Mar 27, 2016, 9:45 pm

The Sadness of Christ by St. Thomas More+



Source: me (12/09)
Recommendation: it looked like good Good Friday reading
Original Title: De tristitia Christi
Year of Original Pub.: 1535
LC Call #: BT 435 M6613 1993
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Sadness of Christ is a scripture commentary on Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and John 18 written by Thomas More during his final imprisonment. It was the last work he finished before he was executed. This makes the work's subject, an analysis of Jesus' agony in the garden up to his being taken into custody, particularly poignant. More knew first hand what it was like to be betrayed and beaten down. But the work is worth reading for its content and not just for the circumstances of its birth. For those interested in commentaries on Christ's passion or the life and works of Sir Thomas More.

First Line:

When Jesus had said these things, they recited the hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. {Mt. 26:30}

Though He had spoken at length about holiness during the supper with His apostles, nevertheless He finished His discourses with a hymn when He was ready to leave.

157inge87
Edited: Mar 30, 2016, 10:27 am

Elijah in Jerusalem by Michael D. O'Brien



Source: work
Recommendation: I loved Father Elijah
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
Series: Father Elijah (3/3)
LC Call #: PR 9199.3 025 E55 2015
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Elijah in Jerusalem is the sequel that fans of Father Elijah have been waiting twenty years for. I will be the first to admit, I thought the ending of the first book was perfect and didn't really want a sequel. Some parts of the plot support my initial reluctance, but overall it's a good book. There's actually not much apocalyptic going on during the narrative, as the Antichrist is busy creating peace in the Middle East and planning a big announcement on the Temple Mount. Elijah and his companion are laying low in Israel after receiving instructions from the Pope, they meet some interesting allies, including one woman who has known the President (aka the Antichrist) from childhood. All Elijah wants to do is fulfill what he feels is his mission, but God's plans don't always match up with ours.

I can't tell if O'Brien is planning to spin off another series from this one (the last time he did that the results were awful), but it does seem at that times like he us up for future volumes in this world without Elijah. Overall it's a good book that will get you thinking about the role of Christians in the world. But it's probably best to start with Father Elijah first.

First Line: Look closely.

158inge87
Mar 28, 2016, 4:00 pm

Wishing everyone a happy Easter Monday! In the extraordinary form, today's Gospel is the story of Jesus' appearance on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32), which happens to be my favorite Bible story. It combines deep symbolism with a genuinely compelling plot.


"Der Gang nach Emmaus" (1877) by Robert Zünd

159brodiew2
Mar 28, 2016, 4:48 pm

>158 inge87: Thank you for this. The road to Emmaus is a favorite of mine as well. I have seen no paintings or dramatizations that I recall.

160inge87
Mar 28, 2016, 9:46 pm

>159 brodiew2: I stumbled on this one several years ago. The landscape is completely unrealistic, but I think the painting captures the essence of the story quite nicely.

161inge87
Mar 30, 2016, 10:07 am

Saint Pius V by Robin Anderson



Source: me (12/15)
Recommendation: Part of the same bunch of biographies as Sts. Athanasius and Margaret
Year of Original Pub.: 1973
LC Call #: BX 1323 A52 1978
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Saint Pius V is a short biography of one of the great popes of the early modern era. Pope Pius V is known for a wide variety of things, from cleaning up the Vatican to excommunicating Queen Elizabeth. This book tries to touch on all of them, so there is a chapter about his life growing up and joining the Dominican Order, and then various chapters detailing different aspects of his papacy. Whether it dealing with matters at the Vatican, organizing the Holy League that will defeat the Turks at Lepanto, or standardizing the mass with the 1570 edition of the Roman missal, Anderson manages to cover it somewhere in the book's one hundred pages. An excellent short biography of a very influential figure whose influence lasted long after death. Highly recommended.

First Line: Michael Ghislieri was born in the township of Bosco, not far from the Piedmontese city of Alesandria, on January 17, 1504, during the reign of Pope Julius II.

162inge87
Mar 30, 2016, 10:30 am

The House of Gold: Lenten Sermons by Bede Jarrett, OP



Source: me (2/16)
Recommendation: Lenten Reading
Year of Original Pub.: 1930
LC Call #: BV 4277 J3 1930
Rating: 5 stars / 5

The House of Gold collects a brilliant series of sermons and lectures that the author, an English Dominican, gave in New York during Lent in 1930. The book is divided into three sections: homilies given at Sunday masses during Lent and Passiontide that deal with the Gospel readings of the day, weekly lectures about marriage and the family given on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays in Lent, and homilies for Holy Week, plus a discourse on the seven last words of Christ given on Good Friday. Jarrett's writing is highly readable and incredibly informative, which probably made his homilies highly listenable to as well when they were given. I particularly enjoyed the sermons in the first section, which gave me additional insights to the readings I had heard at mass that day (note that this only works with the extraordinary rite). Highly recommended. It is the perfect book Lenten reading.

First Line: It is good to realise that one of these various temptations, my dear brethren, to which our blessed Lord was made subject by the Spirit of God, was the temptation of power.

163inge87
Edited: Mar 31, 2016, 12:58 pm

Easter: The Passion and Resurrection by Géraldine Elschner



Source: me (2/16)
Original Title: Die Ostergeschichte
Recommendation: I liked her Christmas book
Year of Original Pub.: 2013
LC Call #: PZ 7 E5713 Eap 2013
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Easter is a retelling of the final days of Jesus' life from Palm Sunday to the Ascension, with a focus on the events of Good Friday. The book uses a fresco series by Fra Angelico as illustrations. Elschner has done similar treatments of the Nativity and the story of the Three Kings, and I am a great fan of the concept. Besides the amazing art, the book's text is also good, managing to be both readable and informative. An excellent addition to anyone's Easter book collection.

First Line: She had always watched over her son, born on a cold winter night on a bed of straw in a stable.

164inge87
Edited: Mar 30, 2016, 11:50 am

The Dawn of All by Robert Hugh Benson



Source: work
Recommendation: It seemed a logical choice after finishing Lord of the World
Year of Original Pub.: 1911
LC Call #: PR 6003 E7 D39 1911
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Apparently, many people felt that Benson's first novel of the future, Lord of the World was too negative, so in reply he wrote The Dawn of All. Presented as the dream of a dying apostate priest, in this book we encounter a world in which the Catholic Church has triumphed instead of materialism. Indeed some might find this book slightly scarier than the first one. In this world Monsignor Masterman wakes up from a dose at Speaker's Corner with no memory of who he is. He has to learn the world anew. In place of his memories linger only a kind of vague knowledge of how the world was decades earlier at the turn of the century. This literary device allows the protagonist to engage this new world heads on instead of blindly accepting it. Indeed, he feels that its victories have caused the Church to forget how to suffer and he finds that it has become hard in ways he doesn't feel comfortable with. But other aspects of the world amaze and awe him. Meanwhile, there is a secret socialist underground conspiracy with roots in Germany that has decided to fight back, and sudden news pushes them to the brink. Will they be able to bring down the Church? Will Masterman find a way to help the Church improve its trouble spots? And what about that apostate priest, what is happening to him? All will be explained, if only you survive to the end of the book.

A very different book than its predecessor, but a very interesting one as well. I especially give Benson kudos for predicting a European War in 1914. Recommended for fans of early twentieth-century dystopian novels, Robert Hugh Benson, or interesting Catholic fiction.

First Line: Gradually memory and consciousness once more reasserted themselves, and he became aware that he was lying in bed.

165inge87
Edited: Mar 30, 2016, 12:05 pm

The Egg Tree by Katherine Milhous



Source: work
Recommendation: Easter
Year of Original Pub.: 1951
LC Call #: PZ 7 M55568 Ea 1950
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Egg Tree is a cute picture book about a bunch of grandchildren visiting the family farm in Pennsylvania for Easter. They can't wait for the egg hunt, but then it looks like the youngest won't find any eggs. Then she uncovers some beautiful ones in the attic. Soon all the grandchildren want to paint eggs like those and hang them on the egg tree. The next year they tell all their friends about their egg tree and visitors come from all around to look at the beautiful tree.

A sweet story about a Pennsylvania Dutch folk tradition. It won the Caldecott in 1951, and the illustrations are still worth a look. Recommended for those looking for a non-commercial secular Easter book.

First Line: It was very early on Easter morning.

166inge87
Edited: Mar 31, 2016, 12:36 pm

The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy



Source: me (12/15)
Recommendation: GeoCAT
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
LC Call #: DK 508.51 P55 2015
Rating: 5 stars / 5

The Gates of Europe is a history of Ukraine from the very dawn of written history through 2015. The very name "Ukraine" means borderland, and the one constant throughout the thousands of years of history documented here is the constant shifting of borders—whether it is Greek and Barbarian, Russian and Polish, Catholic and Orthodox, or simply East and West, Ukraine is where they met. Therefore, the history of Ukraine is a history of turmoil, which at least guarantees that it is never boring. And luckily, Plokhy has a very readable English style, which makes it accessible as well.

The only downside is that because he is dealing with so much time, the author has to dedicate a small space to everything, so nothing gets covered in complete and total detail. I personally would have liked more about Western Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, because my little Catholic Austrophile heart finds those topics interesting, but I'm sure others will say the same about other parts or aspects of the country as well. But everything that needs to get cover gets covered, from the Cossacks to Panslavism to the Holodomor to the Russian Proxy Wars of today. So if you're at all interested in Ukraine, you'll want to pick this one up. It's probably the best general book on the topic in print right now.

Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in Ukraine, Eastern European history, or good history books.

First Line: The first historian of Ukraine was Herodotus, the father of history himself.

167inge87
Edited: Mar 31, 2016, 1:01 pm

Interior Freedom by Jacques Philippe



Source: me (4/15)
Recommendation: priest at Mater Dei / matched read for DeweyCAT
Original Title: La liberté intérieure : La force de la foi, de l'espérance et de l'amour
Year of Original Pub.: 2002
LC Call #: BT 810.3 P4913 2007
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Interior Freedom is a short, but deeply satisfying volume about finding interior freedom. Mostly, it's about accepting suffering and coming to love yourself, because God loves you no matter how inadequate you might feel about yourself. This means that you are worth much more than you think you are. Philippe is focused on helping his readers navigate the hardships and realities of the modern world. His two great sources of inspiration here are Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, who needs no introduction, and Etty Hillesum, a young Dutch Jewish woman who was killed in Auschwitz in 1943. In order to achieve true freedom, you have to grow in faith, hope, and love and begin to put God first. While not always easy, these steps always provide great rewards to those who persevere. In short, it's the perfect work for those struggling through hard times or those looking to increase in spiritual growth and closeness to God. Highly recommended.

First Line: This book is about a basic theme of Christian life: interior freedom.

168inge87
Edited: Mar 31, 2016, 3:02 pm

March Record-Breaking Reading Round-Up!

Books Read: 42 (compare to 22 in 2013, 21 in 2014, & 17 in 2015)

Genre
Fiction - 21 - 50%
Non-Fiction - 21 - 50%

Sources
Me (other) - 11 - 26.19%
Corsicana PL - 9 - 21.44%
Irving PL - 6 - 14.29%
Austin PL (e-book) - 4 - 9.52%
Me (last month) - 4 - 9.52%
Work - 4 - 9.52%
Me (TBR) - 2 - 4.76%
Free Online E-Book - 1 - 2.38%
Me (this month) - 1 - 2.38%

Authors
Male - 20 - 60.6%
Female - 13 - 39.4%

Edition Language
English - 41 - 97.62%
German - 1 - 2.38%

Original Language
English - 34 - 80.96%
German - 2 - 4.76%
Greek - 2 - 4.76%
French - 1 - 2.38%
Latin - 1 - 2.38%
Russian - 1 - 2.38%
Spanish - 1 - 2.38%

Series
Stand-Alone Books - 25 - 59.52%
Series Books - 17 - 40.48%

Average Original Date of Publication (Including Homer, Melito, & Thomas More)
1864

Average Original Date of Publication (Modern Era Only)
1980

Median Original Date of Publication
1992

Ratings Distribution
1 star - 0 - 0%
2 stars - 1 - 4%
3 stars - 23 - 60%
4 stars - 14 - 32%
5 stars - 4 - 4%

Average Rating
3.5

Discovery of the Month



On Pascha by Melito of Sardis

Best of the Month



Fiction: Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Non-Fiction: The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy

169inge87
Apr 1, 2016, 1:02 pm

It's April, and I'm on a fine art kick, so here's something to set the month off right: El Greco's "Annunciation" (1596-1600), currently held in the Prado. I love the way he uses color.

170inge87
Apr 1, 2016, 9:52 pm

The Blue Whale by Jenni Desmond



Source: me (2/16)
Recommendation: GeoCAT
Year of Original Pub.: 2015
LC Call #: PZ 7 D3754 Blu 2015
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Did you know that a blue whale weighs as much as 55 hippos, that 50 people can fit in its mouth, but that its eyes are only six inches wide? If you didn't, The Blue Whale will set you straight, and if you did then this is your dream book. A wonderful picture book about the world's largest animal, it has everything you ever wanted to know about blue whales and maybe some things you didn't. But the facts never overwhelm the reader or the whales, because you're having too much fun. Where else could you learn that the whale poop is orange or that they can blow air through their blowholes to the height of 9 seven-year-olds? The answer: nowhere.

To top it off, the excellent text is backed up by some remarkable illustrations that help put the facts in perspective. The perfect book for whale-lovers, both young and young-at-heart, it's also a great starting point for getting children excited about biology and natural science.

First Line: Once upon a time, a child took a book from a shelf and started to read.

171inge87
Apr 3, 2016, 3:33 pm

S is for Salmon: A Pacific Northwest Alphabet by Hannah Viano



Source: me (3/16)
Recommendation: I love Viano's illustration style
Year of Original Pub.: 2014
LC Call #: PZ 7 V53 Si 2014
Rating: 3 stars / 5

S is for Salmon is Hannah Viano's first book. An alphabet book inspired by the flora and fauna of her native Pacific Northwest, it has you covered from "anemone" to "zephyr". Her art is fantastic, wonderful paper-cuts that she then digitally colors and have a fantastic retro look. The text could have tied into the illustrations better; sometimes it seemed rather irrelevant and didn't actually explain what the plant or animal in the image actually was or did. But it's her first book, so I'll cut her some slack. Plus, with art that good, I'm inclined to be generous.

A nice alphabet book with brilliant art. Especially recommended for lovers of the Pacific Northwest, but nothing is too specialized that it couldn't be appreciated or used in other parts of the country.

First Line: Tucked away when exposed to low tide, the tentacles of a sea ANEMONE reach out when the water returns.

172inge87
Apr 3, 2016, 4:21 pm

The Big Thicket: A Challenge for Conservation by Pete Gunter



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: library impulse grab
Year of Original Pub.: 1972
LC Call #: F 392 H37 G8 1972
Rating: 4 stars / 5

The Big Thicket is a book written for a specific purpose: to get what was left of the Big Thicket ecosystem in East Texas declared a national park. The land is a longleaf pine forest/swamp and contained species found nowhere else in Texas. There had been several failed efforts in the late 60s and in 1970, and at the time it looked like the logging companies might win. But, perhaps with the help of this book, the Big Thicket National Preserve was created in 1974 by President Ford, and it continues to be added to today.

The southern part of East Texas is the most backwater part of a region that most Texas already consider backwards. The soil doesn't support much agriculture, so the dominant industry is lumber, which is a lot like coal with company towns and the associated poverty. In spite of its beauty and ecological significance, the Thicket swampland was so little valued that the Alabama and Coushatta tribes were granted reservations there in the 1830s and 40s and never pushed out. They alone seemed to value the Thicket for itself and not for what they could get out of it.

The book contains a description of the wide diversity of animals and plants found in the Big Thicket, a history of the local lumber industry, some short biographies of those who have contributed to attempts to conserve the forest, as well as the stories of those locals who decided to destroy it to keep it out of government hands (some things never change). Interspersed with the narrative are some lovely black-and-white photographs of the Big Thicket and local people. The end of the book contains an appendix listing the common and scientific names of many of the plants and animals that can be found in the Big Thicket. I've never been to the Big Thicket (it's between 3 and 4 hours southeast of me), but having read this book, I'd like to make the trip someday to see what is left. Highly recommended for those who enjoy books about conservation or those interested in the Big Thicket and southeast Texas.

First Line: Long ago, before the conquistadores sailed from Spain or the first pioneers foraged warily into the Appalachians, there sprawled across almost one hundred miles of what is now Southeast Texas a lush semitropical wilderness.

173inge87
Apr 4, 2016, 12:13 pm

Shackleton's Journey by William Grill



Source: ILL (Texas A&M U. at Commerce)
Recommendation: GeoCAT
Year of Original Pub.: 2014
LC Call #: PZ G7555 Sh 2014
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Shackleton's Journey is the tale of Ernest Shackleton's great Antarctic adventure adapted into picture book format. The text is excellent and really helps the reader explore all aspects of the expedition from its very beginnings in London to its end on a boat headed to Chile. This is probably a book best suited for older children, because there is a lot of small text and trivia, but also because it does deal with some rather adult subject matter. The comment about having to kill the surviving dogs before putting out to sea could especially be troubling for sensitive readers. But it's a book about a group of people almost dying but yet surviving, so that's to be expected.

The illustrations are on the whole good (the book won the 2015 Kate Greenaway Medal, the British equivalent to the Caldecott) and are done in colored pencil. This works very well with the smaller, thumb-nail-sized images, but for some reason with larger images it almost looks as if they were done small and then blown up, because they are much less crisp and almost pixelated. I'm not sure if that's a problem with my copy or just the way they are meant to be.

Overall, a quality book. Recommended for Shackleton fans and older children interested in polar exploration or Antarctica.

First Line: Born on 15 February 1874, Shackleton was the second of ten children.

174inge87
Edited: Apr 5, 2016, 2:46 pm

Mesa of Sorrows: A History of the Awat'ovi Massacre by James F. Brooks



Source: Irving PL
Recommendation: various pre-pub reviews
Year of Original Pub.: 2016
LC Call #: E 99 H7 B85 2016
Rating: 4 stars / 5

On an autumn night in 1700 the Hopi village of Awat'ovi was destroyed, it's men killed and its women and children either killed or parceled out among the victors. But these attackers were not Spanish invaders or traditional Hopi enemies such as the Utes or Apaches, but Hopis from neighboring villages. Mesa of Sorrows shows how this massacre was not some sudden random act of violence but rather part of a larger trend rooted deep in the Hopi historical conscience. In the Hopi world, life is constantly threatened by chaos (koyaanisqatsi). Again and again in Hopi tradition, there are stories of past villages who are become the source of witchery and are destroyed so that their chaos cannot spread and the community can experience healing and rebirth. Often, as at Awat'ovi, the destruction is ordered by the village head. The story of Awat'ovi still lingers on as descendants of both survivors and perpetrators grapple with its legacy, a legacy that caused many complications for anthropological teams who attempted to excavate the ruins in the late 19th and early twentieth century.

Awat'ovi's path to destruction began years before its end, with the arrival of Spanish missionaries on the Hopi mesas in the early 1600s. The Pueblo Revolt of 1680 only increased tensions in the area. People who were doing things differently were inviting koyaanisqatsi, and Awat'ovi was definitely doing things differently. Once the Catholic missionaries returned in the late 1690s, it was only a matter of time before things came to a head and the town's chief had his village and its sorcerers destroyed.

An extremely interesting book about a thought process completely alien to the modern Western mindset, and a historical event that has left lingering traces across northeastern Arizona. Highly recommended for anyone interested in interesting histories, the American Southwest, or Native American history.

First Line: I had thought about the bodies, but not about the bones.

175inge87
Apr 6, 2016, 7:40 pm

River Marked by Patricia Briggs



Source: Austin PL (E-Book)
Recommendation: continuing series
Year of Original Pub.: 2011
Series: Mercy Thompson (6/?)
LC Call #: PS 3602 R53165 R58 2011
Rating: 2 stars / 5

River Marked is probably the weakest of the Mercy Thompson books so far. She and Adam finally tie the knot and head off on a fae-sponsored honeymoon. Seeing as the fae are involved they probably should have thought twice. Especially once it becomes apparent that a river monster is killing people. And wants to eat Mercy badly. On the plus side, we learn a lot about Mercy's paternal heritage and the native American magics (vs. European imports like werewolves, vampires, and fae). But something about the plot just didn't sit well with me. Still, if you've liked the rest of the series, you won't want to skip this one—there's too much useful new information in it.

First Line: Under the glare of streetlights, I could see that the grass of Stefan's front lawn was dried to yellow by the high summer heat.

176inge87
Edited: Apr 7, 2016, 10:02 am

Karl I: The Emperor of Peace by Marcel Uderzo & Marc Bourgne



Source: me (4/16)
Recommendation: Karl is a VIP (Very Interesting Person)
Original Title: Charles Ier, l'empereur de la paix
Year of Original Pub.: 2007
LC Call #: DB 92 U3413 2011
Rating: 5 stars / 5

Karl I is a remarkable biography of Karl I of Austria, also known as Charles of Austria, done in a comic-book style. This graphic biography covers his entire life, but focuses on the period surrounding the Assassination of his uncle at Sarajevo and World War I. Karl is the epitome of the servant leader, who puts his country above himself. He was also a pacifist who came to power in the middle of one of the most violent wars in history, and tried his hardest to make peace when others would not. All of this comes across very clearly in the text. It also does shy away from the religious origins of his conscience. Was he a bit too naïve? Probably. But it makes you wonder what he might have been able to accomplish if he had been born for more peaceful times. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Emperor Karl, the First World War, or Austrian history.

Note: If you read this and cannot resist getting a hold of a copy, the only place that seems to have them is the publisher here.

First Line: You see, children, whenever anyone asked your great-grandfather about his goals and purpose in life, he always answered: "My entire endeavor, in all things, is to recognize as clearly as possible the will of God, and to follow it as closely as I can."

177inge87
Apr 7, 2016, 5:10 pm

I Want to Get Married!: One Wannabe Bride's Misadventures with Handsome Houdinis, Technicolor Grooms, Morality Police, and Other Mr. Not Quite Rights by Ghada Abdel Aal



Source: ILL (Harris County PL)
Recommendation: Somewhere on the internet
Original Title: ʻAyzah atjawaz
Year of Original Pub.: 2008
LC Call #: HQ 691.7 A6313 2010
Rating: 3 stars / 5

I Want to Get Married! is a satire of the life of a young, single Egyptian woman trying to find a man. Based on the author's blog, which apparently became a pop culture sensation, the book tells of "Bride"'s various attempts at matchmaking, all of which end up being spectacular failures for one reason or another. However, beneath the slapstick is a serious commentary about gender relations and roles in modern Egyptian society. The Bride is a pharmacist, but because she is unmarried she is seen as lacking. The men she meets are willing to use women's desperation for their own ends, and often have wildly unrealistic expectations that completely ignore their own flaws. Part story, part advice column, I Want to Get Married! is an interesting take on a situation few Westerners are familiar with, which is why it has been translated into multiple languages. All of the cultural references are foot-noted, so you don't have to run and look up the various film stars or Arabic phrases, which does help with accessibility. Recommended for those interested in women in modern non-Western societies or contemporary Egyptian culture.

First Line: Say your bismillahs and stick with me step by step.

178inge87
Apr 8, 2016, 8:01 pm

I normally don't do library haul posts, but I ended up spelunking in the children's section and found some really interesting stuff. April is National Poetry Month here in the US, so I might have used that as an excuse to get a bit carried away . . .

Books I actually went to get:
The Children of Green Knowe by L. M. Boston
Hannah Fowler by Janice Holt Giles

Other books I walked out with:
When We Were Very Young & Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne
Peacock Pie: A Book of Rhymes by Walter de la Mare
Tales from Shakespeare by Charles & Mary Lamb
I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Treviño
Oxford Book of Poetry for Children by Edward Blishen (illustrated by Brian Wildsmith!)
Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey

One of the nice things about having a low-budget public library is that they hold onto some things long after wealthier libraries would have discarded them.

179scaifea
Apr 9, 2016, 8:14 am

Oh my gosh, you hit the jackpot with that haul! So many wonderful children's books listed here. Well done!

180inge87
Edited: Apr 10, 2016, 7:19 pm

>179 scaifea: Thanks! Library catalogues are useful, but there's just something fun about random browsing and discovering hidden treasures.

I'm currently well into Walter de la Mare's Peacock Pie, which although shelved in juvenile poetry is also a perfectly serviceable book of light verse for adults. And since this is National Poetry Month, I figured this thread could use some poetry, so here's one from the book:

THE CUPBOARD

I know a little cupboard,
With a teeny tiny key,
And there's a jar of Lollypops
For me, me, me.

It has a little shelf, my dear,
As dark as dark can be,
And there's a dish of Banbury Cakes
For me, me, me.

I have a small fat grandmamma,
With a very slippery knee,
And she's the Keeper of the Cupboard
With the key, key, key.

And I'm very good, my dear,
As good as good can be,
There's Branbury Cakes, and Lollypops
For me, me, me.

181inge87
Apr 10, 2016, 8:50 pm

Mary's Monster by Ruth Van Ness Blair



Source: me (4/16)
Recommendation: the cover
Year of Original Pub.: 1975
LC Call #: *Juv* QE 707 A56 B55 1975
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Mary's Monster is a charming biography of a pioneering woman fossil-hunter, who made many discoveries in the cliffs on the Dorset coast near Lyme (the place where Louisa Musgrove falls in Persuasion). Mary Anning grows up helping her father discover fossils, or "curiosities" during the off season, so they can clean them up and sell them to tourists to make extra money. When her father dies, Mary, still a child, takes to fossil-hunting to help provide much needed extra income. Her family helps her and her brother uncovers a strange skull. Then one day, after a great storm, Mary uncovers the rest of the skeleton. Just what is this monster? (The eventual answer: an ichthyosaur). This discovery helps Mary make a name for herself and she soon has friends and corresponds with scientists across the country. She never gets the kind of attention that a man would have, but eventually her friends get her a pension for her contributions to science.

A great biography about an important woman in the history of science. A bonus are the many lovely black-and-white pen-and-wash illustrations. It is probably best described as intermediate reading level and because of this focuses on her youth and summarizes the rest of her post-ichthyosaur life in the last chapter. Mary Anning has had more recent biographies written about her, but do any of them have a cover this fabulous? Definitely not. Highly recommended for those interesting in female scientists, the history of science, fossil-hunting, or Dorset.

First Line: Many years ago—long before automobiles, airplanes, radio, and television were invented—a little girl was born in the town of Lyme Regis on the southern coast of England.

182inge87
Apr 16, 2016, 10:17 am

A Procession of Saints by James Brodrick, SJ



Source: me (2/16)
Recommendation: it looked interesting
Year of Original Pub.: 1949
LC Call #: BX 4655 B76 1949
Rating: 4 stars / 5

A Procession of Saints is a collection of essays about twelve British saints, one for each month, plus a thirteenth to grow on. Admittedly, I didn't read the thirteenth one, because Marie of the Incarnation's biography happens to include an episode of maternal abandonment (on her part) that I have always found nauseating. But the main part of the book is sound. Since each chapter is about a saint who has a feast day in that particular month, there are several nicely obscure ones that you don't normally bump into in these kind of books. But then Anselm of Canterbury and Thomas Becket are there as well. Brodrick is an historian, so the book also stands out for having a great deal of interesting footnotes and useful sources. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the history of British saints or interesting saints lives.

First Line: Aelred, the "dulcedo monachorum", as a poet of his time called him, the St. Bernard of England, the Saxon troubadour of friendship with Jesus, well deserves to lead off this little cavalcade of saints, if only because he was himself so great a one for delving into holy lives and conserving their fragrance.

183inge87
Apr 18, 2016, 1:09 pm

Wandering Whale Sharks by Susumu Shingu



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: GeoCAT
Original Title: じんべえざめ (Jinbēzame)
Year of Original Pub.: 2002
LC Call #: *Juv* QL 638.95 R4 S4513 2015
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Wandering Whale Sharks is a Japanese picture book written and illustrated by the well-respected contemporary artist Susumu Shingu. Although it does teach the reader a lot about whale sharks, it is probably better approached as literature instead of non-fiction. The text is sparse, but poetic, and the art is fantastically graceful and minimalist. The book is also a good, subtle introduction to Japanese culture (no other country would put lines like "tiny ears and gentle eyes" in a book about sharks). Kudos to the translators for their delicate hand in keeping the spirit of the work so present in the English translation. A picture book with a text that begs to be read aloud, and urges you to join the whale shark on its never-ending journey through the watery world of Earth.

Highly recommended for those who interested in picture books by contemporary artists, creative non-fiction, or whale sharks. This book along with a stuffed whale shark would make an excellent birthday gift for a four or five year old.

First Line: What human beings believe
is the surface of the sea
might just be a ceiling of air
for all the fish living below.

184inge87
Apr 18, 2016, 2:57 pm

Mother Elisabeth: The Resurgence of The Order of Saint Birgitta by Marguerite Tjader



Source: ILL (Tarleton State U.)
Recommendation: she is being declared a saint this year
Year of Original Pub.: 1972
LC Call #: BX 4705 H564 T58 1972
Rating: 2 stars / 5

Mother Elisabeth is the story of Elisabeth Hesselblad, who emigrated from Sweden to the United States to help support her family and eventually overcame severe illness to establish a new branch of the Order of Saint Bridget (Bridgettines), which was founded by one of Sweden's great saints in the middle ages. She was determined to bring the order back to its native land, and to regain control over the house where St. Bridget died in Rome. And eventually, she did both and the Roman house is now the Order's international headquarters.

Hesselblad's story is particularly relevant right now, because she is going to be canonized a saint on September 4th along with Mother Teresa of Calcutta and two others. She led a remarkable life, so it's a shame that this is the only book available on it. It's uneven and suffers from the author's decision to intersperse the text with large chunks of text from Hesselblad's unpublished memoirs. You also sometimes feel like somethings have been slightly shoved under the rug (this is a common problem with hagiographic biographies). Considering she only died in the 1950s, it's amazing that so few people know about Hesselblad and her story. Hopefully her upcoming canonization will inspire someone to give her a better biography.

Recommended only because it's literally the only book on the subject in English.

First Line: Maria Elisabeth Hesselblad was born in the village of Foglavik, province of Västergötland, on June 4, 1870.

185inge87
Apr 19, 2016, 12:27 pm

Peacock Pie: A Book of Rhymes by Walter de la Mare



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: April is National Poetry Month
Year of Original Pub.: 1913
LC Call #: PR 6007 E3 P4 1988
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Peacock Pie is a collection of Walter de la Mare's poetry for children, but it can also be easily enjoyed by adults as a collection of light verse. Mostly, it's verse that does not take itself too seriously, but there are poignant and fantastical moments as well. Considering its Edwardian origins, one should not be surprise to encounter the odd semi-harmless fairies and changelings, but they don't overwhelm the book's content as much as they could have considering how en vogue they were at the time. Highly recommended for fans of light verse and those looking for verses to get the young and young-at-heart interested in poetry.

First Line: I heard a horseman
Ride over the hill;
The moon shone clear,
The night was still;
His helm was silver,
And pale was he;
And the horse he rode
Was of ivory.

186inge87
Apr 19, 2016, 12:27 pm

And now another brief poetry break, this time from Last Poems:

III. by A. E. Houseman

Her strong enchantments failing,
    Her towers of fear in wreck,
Her limbecks dried of poisons
    And the knife at her neck.

The Queen of air and darkness
    Begins to shrill and cry,
'O young man, O my slayer,
    To-morrow you shall die.'

O Queen of air and darkness,
    I think 'tis truth you say,
And I shall die to-morrow;
    But you will die to-day.

187inge87
Apr 19, 2016, 12:40 pm

Books Make a Home: Elegant Ideas for Storing and Displaying Books by Damian Thompson



Source: work
Recommendation: I was dealing with a home shelving issue and remembered we had this upstairs at work
Year of Original Pub.: 2011
LC Call #: NK 2115.5 B66 T49 2011
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Books Make a Home is a book about using books in interior design. But really it's a book to look at all the pretty rooms that others have created with books, because much of it is the kind of interior designer look that few can afford and fewer will actually want to live with. But it is all very pretty, and since it goes through the house room by room, there are plenty of ideas to adapt to your personal situation, whether you have book issues in your living room, kitchen, or bath. A book that will inspire bibliophilic dreams even if they never reach reality.

First Line: 'When I have a little money I buy books.

188inge87
Apr 19, 2016, 5:24 pm

Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California's Farallon Islands by Katherine Roy



Source: Irving PL
Recommendation: GeoCAT
Year of Original Pub.: 2014
LC Call #:*Juv* QL 638.9 R685 2014
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Neighborhood Sharks is a picture book about great white sharks and how they live when they visit the ocean near San Francisco, California. Thanks to the fantastic watercolor illustrations, seal slaughter has never looked so good. But it's not all seals, teeth, and pink water. There are also interesting facts about how the great while shark's body works and how they migrate around the Pacific. But when it comes to the Farallones, it's all about the seals. And what adorable, tasty seals they are.

An excellent book, perfect for anyone with an interest in great white sharks. If your kid is old enough to love Shark Week or think that the seal hunting they see on tv is cool, then they're read for this book. If that kind of thing makes them a bit queasy, you may want to hold off for a bit. Highly recommended for shark lovers everywhere.

First Line: Every September the great white sharks return to San Francisco.

189inge87
Apr 20, 2016, 10:26 am

Last Poems by A. E. Housman



Source: work
Recommendation: April is national poetry month (and I love Houseman)
Year of Original Pub.: 1922
LC Call #: PR 4809 H15 1965
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Last Poems was the last poetry collection to be published by Houseman before his death. Like most Houseman it mostly deals with three things: youth, soldiery, and death. But the best part of Houseman his spare epigrammatic style and the way he makes it look so easy. If it rhythm and rhyme were really that simple, then everyone would be a poet. But since it isn't, then it's best just to enjoy Houseman and dream that you could do it too. And while A Shropshire Lad is probably the best place to start with Houseman, this volume has everything that makes Houseman, Houseman too. So if you like Houseman, or think you might like Houseman, or are interested in Edwardian poetry, you may want to pick this up.

First Line: Beyond the moor and the mountain crest
—Comrade, look not on the west—
The sun is down and drinks away
From air and land the lees of day.

190inge87
Edited: Apr 30, 2016, 7:51 am

When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: April is National Poetry Month!
Year of Original Pub.: 1924
Series: Winnie-the-Pooh (3/4)
LC Call #: *Juv* PZ 8.3 M6354 Wh 1924
Rating: 3 stars / 5

When We Were Very Young is a collection of mostly short, mostly humorous verse for children, written for Christopher Robin by the author of Winnie-the-Pooh. Unlike the Walter de la Mare book I read earlier this month, this one is probably best enjoyed by children, as the verse is rougher and the subject matter less universal. But they are fun poems and catchy in their own way, and I am all for more poetry where I can get it. So if you liked Milne's other books, you may want to read this one too.

First Line:Down by the corner of the street
Where the three roads meet,
And the feet
Of the people as they pass go "Tweet-tweet-tweet-"
Who comes tripping round the corner of the street?

191inge87
Apr 20, 2016, 6:43 pm

Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators by William Stolzenburg



Source: Irving PL
Recommendation: it's been on the TBR list forever
Year of Original Pub.: 2008
LC Call #: QL 696 C53 D45 2013
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Where the Wild Things Were is a book about the importance of large predators in supporting ecosystems. Without them, it turns out, that things quickly go out of control, whether it is sea urchins in the ocean or deer on land, and the ecosystem becomes degraded. Predators help keep things in check. Anyone who has ever lived in a place like Austin that is completely overrun with deer will understand how crazy it can be (I have an aunt who at one point lived in a neighborhood where at one point hired hunters went around shooting deer at night with silencers). To show how predators help prevent this, he mostly uses the obvious case of wolves at Yellowstone. But there are other chapters with other ecosystems and other predators. I thought it made for fantastic reading, but then again when it comes to predators, rewilding, and me, it's essentially preaching to the choir.

Nature did a remarkable piece on lions in India and how they live side-by-side with people, which essentially encapsulated my great hope for recovering America's damaged ecosystems. And when I win the lottery, I am totally founding a nature preserve where people can watch cheetahs go after pronghorn like it's the Pleistocene. But until then, I'll just need to keep pushing books like this one. Highly recommend for those interested in conservation, America's predators, or interesting natural science books.

First Line: On the northernmost tip of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, in a wild and lonely little crescent of shore called Mukkaw Bay, ocean meets land in a crash of wind and wave against craggy rock, geysers of salt spray erupting into brooding skies.

192inge87
Apr 20, 2016, 6:45 pm

And in other exciting news, Amazon has the cover for Serafina and the Twisted Staff. Are there werewolves as well as catamounts hiding in the North Carolina woods? I can't wait for July to find out!

193inge87
Apr 20, 2016, 6:56 pm

California Condors in the Pacific Northwest by Jesse D'Elia & Susan M. Haig



Source: ILL (El Centro College (DCCCD))
Recommendation: Choice
Year of Original Pub.: 2013
LC Call #: QL 696 C53 D45 2013
Rating: 3 stars / 5

California Condors in the Pacific Northwest is a scientific study hoping to uncover more information about the birds and their former habitat in order to help make decisions about reintroducing them to the wild in the Pacific Northwest. Despite the condor's name, there were California Condors in the Pacific Northwest region up until the end of the 19th century when they disappeared. Figuring out why that happened is just one of the questions the authors are trying to answer with this work, and they eventually do come up with a sound hypothesis that poisoning played a major role. But in the process, the reader learns a lot about condors, native cultures' perception of condors, and the surprisingly successful condor reintroduction program. If you've ever been interested in condors or in animal reintroduction/rewilding, then you may want to pick this one up, although it does have a lot of graphs and charts that might scare off the easily intimidated.

First Line: Condors are often defined by their remarkable size.

194thornton37814
Apr 26, 2016, 12:49 pm

Quite the varied lot of reading here! I am just hoping to finish two or three more this month. I think I can finish two more, but I'd sure like to finish the third.

195brodiew2
Apr 26, 2016, 12:52 pm

>192 inge87: Beautiful cover.

196inge87
Apr 29, 2016, 4:33 pm

>194 thornton37814: That was me last year. Having finished grad school in December, I sometimes feel like I am making up for lost time.

>195 brodiew2: It is, isn't it.

197inge87
Apr 29, 2016, 5:52 pm

Locally Laid: How We Built a Plucky, Industry-changing Egg Farm from Scratch by Lucie B. Amundsen



Source: Irving PL
Recommendation: WomanBingoPUP matched read
Year of Original Pub.: 2016
LC Call #: HD 9284 A2 A48 2016
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Locally Laid is the story of the author's family after her husband decides he wants to go into the egg business. At that point, they had no farming farming or husbandry background except for five backyard chickens who hadn't yet laid a single egg, but that was his dream and so they struck out and started Locally Laid, a pastured egg company. "Pastured" means that the chickens are actually allowed to go outside and roam, anything else and its likely the chickens never see the outside of their building. Our protagonists learn this the hard way when they received their first shipments of chickens and discover that not only do they not have the slightest chicken-y instinct to poke around outside, they also don't know how to roost. Suffice to say, the learning curve was long with that one. But they persevered and eventually got Locally Laid in a Super Bowl ad competition, which got them extra attention, and by the book's end, they had finally turned a profit.

Like most memoirs, I found everyone a bit obnoxious by the end because inevitably the egos get the best of me. But if you are interested in the egg industry, and the pastured egg industry in particular, you will want to pick this one up.

First Line: At dusk, hens seek their coop.

198inge87
Apr 29, 2016, 5:58 pm

How to Converse with God by St. Alphonsus Liguori



Source: me (7/15)
Recommendation: spiritual reading
Year of Original Pub.: 1754
LC Call #: BV 4813 L513 2009
Rating: 4 stars / 5

How to Converse with God is a series of meditations on how to pray better by the great spiritual master and Doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus Liguori. It makes for a great spiritual reading tool, because not only is it full of good advice about what to say to God and how to say it, but each chapter contains a single concept, so it can be read bit by bit over an extended period of time. Perfect for anyone wanting to get more out of prayer and those interested in deepening their relationship with God.

First Line: Job was astonished at seeing Almighty God so intent on doing good that He seems to have nothing more at heart than to love us and to induce us to love Him in return.

199inge87
Apr 30, 2016, 7:54 am

Now We are Six by A. A. Milne



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: continuing series
Year of Original Pub.: 1927
Series: Winnie-the-Pooh (4/4)
LC Call #: PZ 8.3 M6354 No 1924
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Now We are Six picks up where When We Were Very Young left off. The poems are a little longer and less nonsensical, but they lose something in the process, I think. There's not as much whimsy. But fans of Milne and the greater Winnie-the-Pooh universe will not want to skip it.

First Line: I have a house where I go
When there's too many people

200inge87
Apr 30, 2016, 8:15 am

Perelandra by C. S. Lewis



Source: Irving PL
Recommendation: continuing series
Year of Original Pub.: 1943
Series: Space Trilogy (2/3)
LC Call #: PR 6023 E926 P47 1990
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Perelandra finds our favorite linguist on his way to Venus on a mission from Above. There he finds a golden world of floating islands and meets a green lady who bears uncanny parallels to Eve. It soon becomes obvious that he has been sent to stop the Fall from happening again and to keep Venus from becoming another Silent Planet. This is easier said than done, and requires a lot of debate and conversations (even Ransome gets tired of it at one point). The tension hangs on her decision—will she take the leap or not—and although it's semi-obvious what the end decision will be, it's not always obvious at the time how we will get there.

Typical Lewis, if theological debates veiled in fantastical garb are your thing, then you'll like this one, but start with Out of the Silent Planet first.

First Line: As I left the railway station at Worchester and set out on the three-mile walk to Ransom's cottage, I reflected that no one on that platform could possibly guess the truth about the man I was going to visit.

201inge87
Apr 30, 2016, 8:20 am

Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: impulse grab
Year of Original Pub.: 1957
LC Call #: PZ 7 M1336 Ti 1985
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Time of Wonder is a picture book detailing one family's summer in the islands of Penobscot Bay, Maine. The kids and their dog (who appears to be an English Setter) have a lot of fun both on the beach and on the water. But everyone knows the weather can change in an instant. When the hurricane comes, will they be ready in time? You'll have to read to the end to find out.

A nice poetic text pared with Caldecott Medal-winning illustrations make this the perfect book for anyone who enjoys summers by the ocean, English Setters, or Maine.

First Line: Out on the islands that poke their rocky shores above the waters of Penobscot Bay, you can watch the time of the world go by, from minute to minute, hour to hour, from day to day, season to season.

202inge87
Apr 30, 2016, 8:26 am

Tales from Shakespeare by Charles & Mary Lamb



Source: Corsicana PL
Recommendation: impulse grab
Year of Original Pub.: 1807
LC Call #: PR 2877 L3 1966
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Tales from Shakespeare is, as the title would suggest, a collection of prose summaries of Shakespeare's plays, designed for children. Of course, seeing as these were early 19th century children, the reading level is higher than one would see today and they are perfect for adults as well. The authors skip the history plays, as well as a few others like Coriolanus, but most everything else is here. It's the perfect book for anyone wanting to brush up their Shakespeare.

First Line: The following Tales are meant to be submitted to the young reader as an introduction to the study of Shakespeare, for which purpose his words are used whoever it seemed possible to bring them in; and in whatever has been added to give them the regular form of a connected story, diligent care has been taken to select such words as might least interrupt the effect of the beautiful English tongue in which he wrote: therefore words introduced into our language since his time have been as far as possible avoided.

203inge87
Apr 30, 2016, 9:18 am

Saint Colum and the Crane by Eva K. Betz



Source: me (2/16)
Recommendation: GeoCAT
Year of Original Pub.: 1961
Series: Easy Reading Books of Saints and Friendly Beasts
LC Call #: *Juv* BR 1720 B4 1961
Rating: 3 stars / 5

Saint Colum and the Crane tells the story of Saint Columba, and how he came to found the famous monastery of Iona in Scotland. We watch Columba grow up in Ireland and become a priest before reaching the famous crane incident that gives the book its title. Columba copies a manuscript after being told not to and gets banned from seeing Ireland or feeling its soil under his feet forever. But his crane friend accompanies him and his twelve companions on their journey across the sea to Scotland and their work bears great fruit (as one might expect).

A nice book about one of the less common children's book saints. Jean Fritz has written a version of the book incident in The Man Who Loved Books that is more satisfying, but just as out of print. So if you like books about saints outside of the main children's book canon of Francis, Therese, and Bernadette, you should grab this one if you bump into it.

First Line:

204inge87
Edited: May 5, 2016, 8:34 pm

The Far Traveler: Voyages of a Viking Woman by Nancy Marie Brown+



Source: me (12/14)
Recommendation: GeoCAT and clearing Mt. TBR
Year of Original Pub.: 2007
LC Call #: DL 65 B77 2007
Rating: 3 stars / 5

The Far Traveler is a combination history, biography, and memoir based around the life of Gudrid, an Icelandic woman who travelled to Greenland and beyond over the course of her long life. There are two accounts of Gudrid's experiences, which differ wildly in their details but which when put together allow readers to glean a few basic facts. She was born in Iceland and travelled to Greenland with her father as a young woman. She married a brother of Leif Ericsson and after becoming a widow at 17, journeyed farther west with her new husband and visited Vinland, where she gave birth to a son who was the first known European to be born on American soil. After giving up Vinland and returning to Iceland, Gudrid's travel appeared to be done, but in her old age she later made a pilgrimage to Rome. In the course of telling Gudrid's story, the author also tells the story of the Norse settlement of Iceland and Greenland and what their everyday life was like there, using information both from the sagas and from archaeological findings. We also hear the story of her own summer spent working at an archaeological dig at a farm where Gudrid and her sons may have lived.

All-in-all, it's a solid, accessible work. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Vikings, especially in the lives of Viking women.

First Line: A thousand years ago, an old woman named Gudrid stood on the threshold of her house contemplating her next voyage.

205PaulCranswick
Apr 30, 2016, 11:11 am

>204 inge87: That is one for the hitlist Jennifer, historical fiction of that kind is a favourite of mine.

It remains slightly dangerous territory for me over here given my propensity to book splurging, your voluminous reading and the enticing reviews.

With one eye open I wish you a lovely weekend.

206inge87
Edited: May 2, 2016, 10:55 am

>205 PaulCranswick: Thanks! The Far Traveler is the kind of speculative non-fiction that can be extremely satisfying, as long as one remembers to take everything with a grain of salt. And Brown is good enough that it is easy to forget.

207inge87
May 2, 2016, 10:58 am

Honey from a Weed: Fasting and Feasting in Tuscany, Catalonia, the Cyclades and Apulia by Patience Gray



Source: ILL (Tyler PL)
Recommendation: I honestly can't remember
Year of Original Pub.: 1986
LC Call #: TX 725 M35 G73 1987
Rating: 4 stars / 5

Honey from a Weed is Gray's account of her life living in various small villages around the Mediterranean with her stone-carver husband. Her focus is on the food they eat and the book is organized (if it can truly say to have any overarching organization) by food type: pasta, vegetable, meat, etc. There are lots of interesting anecdotes about living in a tiny village on Naxos, about the life of a Carrara marble-cutter, and about all the strange looks and good advice their neighbors give them wherever they live. There are recipes in many of the chapters, but their usefulness varies. Some have only a list of ingredients with no measurements and many depend on a wood fire. But I did manage to use the garlic butter pasta recipe to good success last Friday, so they are worth attempting.

But what really comes through is a description of a way of life that was disappearing even as the author was writing in the 1980s. A method of living off the land because that was all there was and enjoying it to the fullest. So while we cannot all be Greek shepherds or Italian smallholders, we can all learn from them as Gray and her husband did, through this book. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in Mediterranean culture, slow food, or interesting memoirs.

First Line: In the last twenty years I have shared the fortunes of a stone carver and during that time, working in silver and gold, have become a craftsman myself.

208brodiew2
May 2, 2016, 11:10 am

>204 inge87: this sounds interesting and the cover is striking and beautiful.

>1 inge87: By the by, I will miss your topper image when the thread turns. It is pretty cool.

209inge87
May 2, 2016, 2:31 pm

>208 brodiew2: It was a surprisingly good read. Caspar David Friedrich is an artist always worth viewing. But have no fear, I promise another lovely fine art topper on my next thread!

210inge87
May 3, 2016, 11:09 am

Speaking of new threads, mine's over here. So come an join me!