The Big White Farmhouse

In November of 2012, the Eastern Shore of Virginia was old. It was long. It was isolated. It was emptying of people but full of abandoned houses. It was dark. It was a uniquely perfect place to light a string of fires. (8%)

I’m on a true crime kick.  Where Columbine was fascinating but utterly disturbing, American Fire is fascinating purely by the craziness of it all!  The story is about a series of mysterious building fires in Accomack County, Virginia — around 70 arsons located in just one rural county. The culprit is identified early in the book, but the bigger question answered is why?  Such an interesting book, especially from a psychological standpoint.


WONDER by R.J. Palacio
My Rating: ★★★☆☆ (more like 3.5 stars)

I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives. (p.231)

My oldest had this read aloud to his class last year (in 4th grade) and he has wanted me to read it ever since.  I heard Wonder was a tear-jerker, but surprisingly, it didn’t have that effect on me.  I’m not sure what this says about me, but I was just angry.  (I blame it on being the mother of a child who was picked on and bullied too.  #angrymamabear)  All in all, I’d say it was a good middle-grade novel and a good reminder that words are powerful, both for good and for evil.

MISSING, PRESUMED by Susie Steiner
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

Life… is full of compromises you never thought you’d make when you were young.

Missing, Presumed seemed like less of a missing person police procedural and more of a character-driven story about a woman who happens to be a detective.  It was just okay for me – I didn’t particularly like any of the characters.  I felt myself constantly distracted while reading, which is usually a good sign that I’m not invested in the story.  Even so, I persevered because I really did want to know what happened at the end…and the ending was just okay too.


THE WISHING SPELL (THE LAND OF STORIES #1) by Chris Colter
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Courage is one thing that no one can ever take away from you.

I read The Wishing Spell aloud to the kids for school.  The story line was interesting and the kids loved it, but there were enough eyebrow-raising comments for me not to easily recommend it.  I mean, do we really need to talk about a painting of a barely clothed Red Riding Hood wearing only a wolf-skin coat?


FINISH: GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF DONE by Jon Acuff
My Rating: ★★★★★

The only way to accomplish a new goal is to feed it your most valuable resource: time. And what we never like to admit is that you don’t just give time to something, you take it from something else. To be good at one thing you have to be bad at something else. Perfectionism’s third lie is: You can do it all. I’m here to tell you that you can’t. (18%)

 We become adult toddlers when we refuse help from people and believe the lie that seeking assistance is a sign of weakness. (59%)

Oh boy, this one was a perfectly timed read.  My perfectionism has been rearing its ugly head big time lately.  As I read Finish, it was as if he could see inside my brain!  So weird and yet reassuring too.  I zipped through the book in days and immediately put the tips and tricks he suggested to use.  An inspiring book for sure!