This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.
#8. CHERRIES IN WINTER: MY FAMILY’S RECIPE FOR HOPE IN HARD TIMES by Suzan Colon // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
Some reviews thought this book was pretentious and unrelatable, but I felt it was a common experience in 2008 and probably even today (ie. two-income household gets knocked down to one due to layoffs). I really enjoyed the old recipes and the idea of drawing strength through your ancestors – if our grandmothers could persevere, so can we. Solid three stars.
I know now that there were many things Nana wanted to do in her life – go to college, become a teacher like Miss Bumstead, be a writer, and at the very least stop having to worry about money. And there are probably some other things I don’t know about because she made a practice of acceptance. If she was able to change her situation, she did. If she wasn’t, she did the best she could and didn’t waste time complaining. How’re you doing, Tillie? Fabulous, never better. This is yet another lesson I have learned from her that will serve me well. (p.206-207)
#9. SOLOMON’S OAK by Jo-Ann Mapson // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
The blurb on the back of the book says: “Three survivors find in each other an unexpected solace, the bond of friendship, and a second chance to see the miracles of everyday life.” A typical women’s fiction novel – there were parts I liked and others I didn’t.
#10. 1984 by George Orwell // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop)
1984 is a dystopian classic for a reason. Very thought-provoking and quite the warning! From the book’s afterward: “The mood it expresses is that of near despair about the future of man, and the warning is that unless the course of history changes, men all over the world will lose their most human qualities, will become soulless automatons, and will not even be aware of it.”
The proles, it suddenly occurred to him, had remained in this condition. They were not loyal to a party or a country or an idea, they were loyal to one another. For the first time in his life he did not despise the proles or think of them merely as an inert force which would one day spring to life and regenerate the world. The proles had stayed human. They had not become hardened inside. They held on the primitive emotions which he himself had to relearn by conscious effort. And in thinking this he remembered, without apparent relevance, how a few weeks ago he had seen a severed hand lying on the pavement and had kicked it into the gutter as though it had been a cabbage stalk.
“The proles are human beings,” he said aloud. “We are not human.” (p.165)
#11. MRS. POLLIFAX AND THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE by Dorothy Gilman // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
Number eight in the series! This one is set in Thailand and the action never lets up. I really enjoyed this one.
#12. DARK WINTER: HOW THE SUN IS CAUSING A 30-YEAR COLD SPELL by John L. Casey // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
The premise of this book is that climate change can be explained by cyclical periods that seem to have occurred throughout history, ie. a period of warming followed by a period of (sometimes severe) cooling. His theory is intriguing and definitely warrants further research. I especially like that he wrote:
It is my hope that the RC theory will be fully reviewed, critiqued, and forced to stand against the best scientific scrutiny that can be mustered. If it fails the test, then so be it. I will be the first to support the talented researcher who comes up with a better concept. There is no ego to be bruised here, no research grant to be preserved, and no university tenure to be maintained. (p.42)
The academic humility is refreshing to see! As for the book itself, I found the layout bizarre – there were 45 pages of actual book but the real meat of the argument/theory was back in the Appendix.
MY 2025 UNREAD SHELF PROJECT
Unread Books as of January 1, 2025: 206
Books Finished in February: 5
Books Donated/Sold in February: -2
Books Added: +0
Unread Books Remaining: 198
Current “Read 100 Books Off My Shelves Project” Total: 16/100
February 21 was the Optional Memorial of St. Peter Damian, Bishop & Doctor.
February 10 was the Feast of Saint José Sánchez del Río, Martyr.