The Big White Farmhouse

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#39. DIARIES OF THE CHINESE MARTYRS by Gerolamo Fazzini
★★★★☆

I recall that Jesus himself arrived at the Resurrection only after he completed the ascent of Calvary, carrying the cross on the Via Dolorosa.  Why should I, a follower of Christ, expect something different?…So I began to transform my fears into something positive, to cultivate love as the purpose of my life, learning to suffer with my divine Lord for the Church in China, for the universal Church, [and] for all humanity. (p.189)

This is such an important book.  There are four testimonies included from both priests and laymen, detailing their experience during Mao’s dictatorship in 1950s and 60s.  Such suffering!  Two of them were imprisoned for over twenty years!  I found the parts about propaganda and changing laws especially fascinating and scary.  Definitely a cautionary tale.

#40. THE PLOT by Jean Hanff Korelitz
★★★★☆
This book was so much more than a thriller!  The story follows a man named Jacob who is a bit of a “one hit wonder” writer: his first book was well received, but his subsequent novels were duds.  So while working as a professor in a college writing program, he is introduced to a student with an unbelievable story.  Fast forward a few years.  Jacob discovers that his student has died without finishing the book, so he decides to take the plot idea and run with it as his own.  His book is a huge hit and he’s finally living the dream…until he gets an email that says, “You are a thief.”  Someone knows the truth and Jacob has to figure out who it is before the world discovers that he is a fraud.

I’d consider this one a slow burn with a book within a book.  I’m sure writers will especially love and relate to the ups and downs of the writing process.  3.5 stars, rounded up.  (The Plot was released on May 11, 2021.  Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.)

#41. HOSTAGE by Clare Mackintosh
★★★★☆
This thriller had a slow start, but quickly picked up the pace and I couldn’t put it down!  In this book, we meet Mina, a flight attendant who is working on the first nonstop flight from London to Sydney.  When she receives a threatening note from a passenger, she has to make an impossible choice, which creates a series of nail-biting events on the 20-hour flight.  I really enjoyed this one.  (Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.  Hostage will be released on June 22, 2021!)

#42. THE WIVES OF LOS ALAMOS by Tarashea Nesbit
★★★☆☆
This book focuses on the women married to the scientists who worked on the atomic bomb during WWII.  The entire book was written in first person plural, which I don’t think I’ve ever read before.  An example: We sometimes resented how our husbands asked us to step out of the room in our own house so they could talk to their friends late into the night.  And some of us spied and heard things, and some of us would never eavesdrop though we really, really wanted to, and some of us did not even think to listen to what our husbands and their friends were talking about because we were too busy thinking about our own worries: what Shirley meant when she said that thing yesterday, how to stretch the ration coupons to make a nice dinner tomorrow. (p.100-101)

Despite the distracting writing style, I actually found this book thought provoking.  I’m interested in learning more about this specific aspect of WWII history.

#43. THE CALL OF THE WILD by Jack London
★★★☆☆
When I picked up this short classic, I was expecting a little story about a dog in the frozen Yukon.  I was not expecting the violence and animal cruelty. Brutal!  My favorite part was the section describing Buck’s devotion to John Thornton.  (This was also my 1903 pick for the 20th Century in Books Challenge.)

 

#44. THE ESCAPE ROOM by Megan Goldin
★★★☆☆

“Welcome to the escape room.  Your goal is simple.  Get out alive.”

I flew through this suspense thriller in 24 hours!  This is a story of greed and revenge with a whole cast of unlikeable characters.  Definitely have to be in the mood for that kind of thing, but still a good escapist read.  I only wish that there had been more time on the “escape room”-type puzzles.  Solid three stars.

#45. WIFE, MOTHER AND MYSTIC: BLESSED ANNA-MARIA TAIGI by Albert Bessières, S.J.
★★★☆☆

“It is a question of a humble wife and mother, an angel of consolation to her parents, a model of schoolgirls and young women of the working classes, a mother of children who knew how to unite labor with recollection, a mother of children upon whom weighed the care of her old parents, the care, too, of a husband who was not always good-tempered, and the education of a large family.  It is a question of a mother of children, who, without neglecting any duty whatever, yet found time to visit the sick and to make herself all things to all men.” – Pope Benedict XV, on declaring her “Blessed” and approving the miracles (p.210)

I first learned about Blessed Anna-Maria from the Saint’s Name Generator back in January and was excited to find a book dedicated to her life.  She was a wife and mother and I enjoyed learning a little about her home life and relationships with those around her.  Unfortunately, I found the book itself somewhat awkward to read, though it may be because it has been translated from the original French?

#46. THE FULL CUPBOARD OF LIFE by Alexander McCall Smith
★★★★☆
It’s been too long since I’ve visited Mma Ramotswe and the No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency!  This is the fifth book in the series and it was just the wholesome, cozy read I needed.  Three and a half stars, rounded up.