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#67. THE BORROWERS by Mary Norton
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Our school read aloud for October.

#68. UNOFFENDABLE by Brant Hansen
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Yes, the world is broken.  But don’t be offended by it.  Instead, thank God that He’s intervened in it, and He’s going to restore it to everything it was meant to be.  His kingdom is breaking through, bit by bit.  Recognize it, and wonder at it. (p.40)

Unoffendable takes an interesting look at anger, especially in the age of social media.  I think some of his reasoning was a little too simplistic, but as whole, we can agree that it’s universally beneficial to allow others to have differing opinions without feeling disgust/offense.  This is one of those books that would have made a great article, but loses its effect when it’s draaaaaagged out into 200 pages.

#69. THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD by John le Carré
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

He knew what it was then that Liz had given him; the thing that he would have to go back and find if ever he got home to England: it was the caring about the little things – the faith in ordinary life; the simplicity that made you break up a bit of bread into a paper bag, walk down to the beach, and throw it to the gulls. (p.91)

The Spy Who Came In From the Cold has so many great reviews…so I’m thinking I maybe just didn’t understand it?  Well written but not what I was expecting.  (This was also my 1963 pick for my 20th Century Reading Challenge.)

#70. THE A.B.C. MURDERS by Agatha Christie
My Rating: ★★★★☆

I really, really liked this one!  Agatha Christie had such a gift for writing about crime, but without all the gore.  This story line was interesting and had a twist at the end that I never saw coming.  So good.


#71. WOMAN ON THE EDGE by Samantha M. Bailey
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Woman on the Edge was an intense psychological thriller with a harrowing premise: What if a woman on the subway platform hands you her baby, then jumps in front of a train?  The first half of the book was strong and I couldn’t tear myself away.  Unfortunately, I found the second half to be too far-fetched and the ending a little too neat.
(And thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.  Woman on the Edge will officially be released on March 3, 2020!)

#72. SIMPLY TUESDAY by Emily P. Freeman
My Rating: ★★★★☆

If they don’t know who you are, then you have been given the gift of obscurity.  Let this not be offensive.  Let this be a relief.
When I celebrate my smallness and receive the gift of obscurity, I am free.  I have hope.  I can give generously.  I can be who I am rather than either who you think I am or who I want you to think I am.  When I resist smallness it’s because I’m afraid it means invisibility. (p.104)

May we be sensitive to the ways our words land in the hearts of others.  May we be quick to turn to you when the words of others land heavy in ours.  Show us the people you ask us to love and give us the courage to be loved in return. (p.130)

My first thought as I started reading Simply Tuesday: Emily Freeman, you’re preaching to the choir.  A lot of what I write about here on my blog follows her idea of small moment living.  She had many good points and even a few that spoke right to my heart and got me all choked up.  My only critique is that it was a little repetitive, but otherwise a really good book.

#73. FELICITY CARROL AND THE PERILOUS PURSUIT by Patricia Marcantonio
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆


I signed up to read and review a book from Netgalley before realizing that it was a sequel!  I quickly found a copy of the first novel to get up to speed.  Felicity Carrol and the Perilous Pursuit is about a feisty independent young woman in Victorian times who investigates the murder of her beloved mentor and friend.  There’s something about the way that it is written that really bugs me, although I can’t put my finger on it yet.  Maybe with book #2.

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#60. THE MAN IN THE BROWN SUIT by Agatha Christie
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

My fourth Agatha Christie novel of the year!  This one was about an independent young woman, eager for adventure, who investigates an accidental death that she witnesses.  A page turner like the rest of Christie’s novels, but this one seemed to have a lot of names.  I was often flipping back and forth through the book to keep it all straight.  Not necessarily a bad thing – I just may be getting old, hah!  Solid three stars.  (This was also my 1924 pick for the 20th Century Reading Challenge.)

#61. WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON by Grace Lin
My Rating: ★★★★★

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was our school read aloud for September into October.  We loved it!

#62. THE LIKENESS by Tana French
My Rating: ★★★★☆

This is the second book in the Dublin Murder Squad series and it didn’t disappoint!  Lots of twists and turns and many that I didn’t predict.  There were a few pieces to the puzzle that just didn’t add up if you think too much about it – like accents – but if you just read it at face value for the entertainment, it was great.  I’m anxious to get the next one in the series.

#63. TODAY WILL BE DIFFERENT by Maria Semple
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

I read and enjoyed Where’d You Go, Bernadette a few years ago, so when I saw Today Will Be Different at the thrift store, I snatched it up.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t nearly as good.  I didn’t care for the protagonist, the story was all over the place, and the Catholic/religion jabs were a little overkill.  Just okay for me.
Fun fact: I found a boarding ticket tucked into the pages, so I’m assuming Elizabeth from Richmond didn’t care for the book either, ha!

#64. MRS. MIKE by Benedict and Nancy Freedman
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

“You’ll see, you’ll come to understand.  These big things, these terrible things, are not the important ones.  If they were, how could one go on living?  No, it is the small, little things that make up a day, that bring fullness and happiness to a life.  Your Sergeant coming home, a good dinner, your little Mary laughing, the smell of the woods – oh, so many things, you know them yourself.” (p.158)

I can add Mrs. Mike to my growing collection of frontier literature!  This one is about a Mounty, his wife, and the challenges they face in the Canadian wilderness.  I enjoyed it but wished there was more character development for the main characters.  Solid three stars.  (This was also my 1947 pick for the 20th Century Reading Challenge.)

#65. THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

How do I begin to describe The Book Thief?  Even at over 500 pages, this very unique book about Nazi Germany seemed to be a fast read.  There are parts that I know I’ll be thinking about for some time.  I liked it.


#66. NEVER HAVE I EVER by Joshilyn Jackson
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

People say, I don’t know how she lives with herself, but every single one of them was living with their own worst thing, just fine. No one walks around holding their ugliest sin in the palm of their hand, staring at it. Our hurts are heavy, and we let them sink. Every day they drift lower, settling in murky places where the light can’t reach. All I had to do was wait. (24%)

Never Have I Ever is a suspense thriller about secrets and blackmail and it was nothing like I thought it was going to be.  I flew through the book in days and there were a few twists that I never saw coming!  However, there are enough sensitive/inappropriate pieces in it to make me wary of blindly recommending it to anyone.  Just okay for me.

#54. ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE by Gail Honeyman
My Rating: ★★★★☆

These days, loneliness is the new cancer—a shameful, embarrassing thing, brought upon yourself in some obscure way. A fearful, incurable thing, so horrifying that you dare not mention it; other people don’t want to hear the word spoken aloud for fear that they might too be afflicted, or that it might tempt fate into visiting a similar horror upon them. (69%)

When you took a moment to see what was around you, noticed all the little things, it made you feel . . . lighter. (81%)

I don’t even know how to describe this book.  It was a character driven novel with a quirky, yet somehow endearing, protagonist.  It was odd and funny and surprisingly heavy and sad too.  A roller coaster of emotions in one book!  I enjoyed it. 

#55. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

For the first time, perhaps, since that land emerged from the waters of geologic ages, a human face was set toward it with love and yearning. It seemed beautiful to her, rich and strong and glorious. Her eyes drank in the breadth of it, until her tears blinded her. Then the Genius of the Divide, the great, free spirit which breathes across it, must have bent lower than it ever bent to a human will before. The history of every country begins in the heart of a man or a woman. (25%)

We come and go, but the land is always here. And the people who love it and understand it are the people who own it—for a little while. (92%)

O Pioneers! is a beautifully written pioneer story.  I love the way Cather describes the land.  My only critique was that the last section of the book felt completely different from the rest, and not necessarily in a good way.  All in all, a three star read for me.  (This was also my 1913 pick for the 20th Century Reading Challenge.)

#56. THE INCORRIGIBLE CHILDREN OF ASHTON PLACE: THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING by Maryrose Wood
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

The Mysterious Howling was our first read aloud of the school year.  Clever and witty with a cliff-hanger ending.  The kids were begging me to buy book number two!  Three and a half stars.

#57. ASK AGAIN, YES by Mary Beth Keane
My Rating: ★★★★☆

“The thing is, Peter, grown-ups don’t know what they’re doing any better than kids do. That’s the truth.” (39%)

I heard about this fairly new release from another reader and was lucky not to have to wait long on the library hold list.  A fictional piece about the complicated lives of two families, this book was not particularly uplifting.  But!  Even so, I was quickly invested in these families and had to know how they all turned out.  A very interesting look at mental health and grief and the ripple effect of one’s actions.  I’d recommend it if you’re in the mood for a more somber novel with lots to think about.

#58. I CAN’T MAKE THIS UP: LIFE LESSONS by Kevin Hart
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Life is a story. It’s full of chapters. And the beauty of life is that not only do you get to choose how you interpret each chapter, but your interpretation writes the next chapter. It determines whether it’s comedy or tragedy, fairy tale or horror story, rags-to-riches or riches-to-rags. You can’t control the events that happen to you, but you can control your interpretation of them. So why not choose the story that serves your life the best? (2%)

Logically, no other response to the ups and downs of life makes sense besides gratitude. You are already in your experience. So you can either resent and resist it, and make it that much less enjoyable, or you can accept it and find something positive in it. (12%)

There is so much that is greater than us, whatever you believe. So while we get to choose the roads we take, we don’t get to know where they lead. Acceptance, then, is knowing that when your plan fails, or your road dead ends, it means a bigger plan is at work. And I’d rather be part of a big plan than a small one. (33%)

I’m always hesitant to read a book written by someone famous because generally, I think they just aren’t that good.  But in an effort to shake things up, I picked up this one by comedian Kevin Hart and it was actually better than I expected.  A little too vulgar to recommend and about 100 pages too long, but otherwise an interesting read.

#59. READING WITH PATRICK: A TEACHER, A STUDENT, AND A LIFE-CHANGING FRIENDSHIP by Michelle Kuo
My Rating: ★★★☆☆


…to know a person as a student is to know him always as a student: to sense deeply his striving and in his striving to sense your own.  It is to watch, and then have difficulty forgetting, a student wrench himself into shape, like a character from Ovid, his body twisting and contorting, from one creature to another, submitting, finally, to the task of a full transformation.  Why?  Because he trusts you; because he prefers the feel of this newer self; because he hopes you will help make this change last. (p.270-271)


Reading with Patrick is a memoir that tackles quite a few issues, including education, poverty, and racism.  It was equal parts inspiring and heartbreaking and thought-provoking.  Solid three stars.

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#48. THE DREAMERS by Karen Thompson Walker 

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

How to describe this book?!  The Dreamers is about an outbreak in a small college town that causes deep sleep and vivid dreams.  It’s not quite apocalyptic, maybe almost sci-fi?  This would make a good book club selection – lots to talk about and interpret.

#49. THE 15:17 TO PARIS: THE TRUE STORY OF A TERRORIST, A TRAIN, AND THREE AMERICAN HEROES by Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, Spencer Stone, and Jeffrey E. Stern
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Great story of American heroism, but the way the book is laid out ruined it for me!  The flashing backwards and forwards in time was awkward and confusing.  This sounds very Type-A of me, but I would have enjoyed it so much more if the timeline had been written in chronological order.  I also felt like they tried to make a small news article into a 200 page book and it felt forced.  2.5 stars, rounded up.

#50. SEVEN WORDS OF JESUS AND MARY: LESSONS ON CANA AND CALVARY by Fulton Sheen
My Rating:  ★★★★☆

The reason most of us are what we are, mediocre Christians – “up” one day, “down” the next – is simply because we refuse to let God work on us.  As crude marble, we rebel against the hand of the sculptor, as unvarnished canvas, we shrink from the oils and tints of the Heavenly Artists…We always make the fatal mistake of thinking that it is what we do that matters, when really what matters is what we let God do to us.” (p.32)

#41. THE MITFORD MURDERS by Jessica Fellowes
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

I would describe The Mitford Murders as a cozy mystery with a hint of Downton Abbey.  I thought it was about 100 pages too long, but if you like your mysteries as more of a slow burn, this is the book for you. (Also available at Book Outlet here.)

#42. MARY LINCOLN’S FLANNEL PAJAMAS AND OTHER STORIES FROM THE FIRST LADIES’ CLOSET by Feather Schwartz Foster
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Mary Lincoln’s Flannel Pajamas was a random library find, but I’m so glad I picked it up!  It’s filled with little stories centered around clothing worn by the First Ladies, from Martha Washington to Mamie Eisenhower.  I love reading about the personalities of these famous individuals, so this was right up my alley.  The perfect compliment to Upstairs at the White House.

#43. THE PERFECT NANNY by Leila Slimani
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

This is a suspense thriller that I’ve seen around the internet and was a little scared to read.  The story opens with the horrific description of two children killed by their nanny, then travels back in time to describe the events that led up to that day.  As far as readability, it was great and I flew through it in less than 24 hours.  But the book never explained the motive of the crime and I hated the ending.  Balancing out all of those conflicting feelings with three stars.  (Also available at Book Outlet here.)

#44. ENDER’S GAME by Orson Scott Card
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

This was my 1985 pick for the 20th Century Book Challenge.  Science fiction is definitely leaving my comfort zone!  I wanted to like Ender’s Game – I really did – but I just could not get into it.  The book felt repetitive and I had a hard time visualizing all of the science fiction-y things.  It’s probably a great story if you’re into this kind of thing, but just okay for me.  (Also available at Book Outlet here.)

#45. GIRL FROM THE TREE HOUSE by Gudrun Frerichs
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

The woven cloth, no matter how large or how small, will withstand most threats.  I like the metaphor.  Weaving is symbolic of the parts of the Tribe coming together.  Each thread is distinguishable and beautiful, but together, they turn into a sensational piece of art, a strikingly beautiful symphony. (57%)

I wonder who among the hundreds of people rushing in and out of gates, hauling their luggage around, is suffering human tragedies and hardships, just like me.  There must be many, and yet, we are sailing past each other like ships in the night, going about our lives and putting a smile on our face, as if nothing is the matter. (94%)

Girl From the Tree House is a psychological thriller about a woman living with multiple personalities or Dissociative Identity Disorder.  It was fascinating.  While it’s a fictional account, you still really get a sense of what it feels like with so many voices vying for attention and control of the body.  I had a little trouble with the pacing, but otherwise it was a really good and interesting read.  (And thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.)

#46. FIVE LITTLE PIGS by Agatha Christie
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

I like the Hercule Poirot mysteries because they are so methodical – just the way my brain works!  Five Little Pigs was no exception.  This is my third Agatha Christie book and probably the one I liked the least, but still a solid three stars.  (This was also my 1943 pick for the 20th Century Book Challenge.)

#47. VALENCIA AND VALENTINE by Suzy Krause
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Maybe the simple act of being alive doesn’t seem all that important until it stops feeling involuntary and starts feeling like something you have to work at. She doesn’t just live anymore; she accomplishes living. After all, she could do something fantastic in the morning, but if she doesn’t live through the afternoon to tell anyone about it, the fantastic thing won’t matter at all. Better to live through the whole day, even if you don’t get much else done. So she gives herself a very tiny little bit of wiggle room and grace on the visiting and cleaning, but she is strict about the living and hasn’t yet missed a single day. (4%)


Looking back, I’m not sure what I found so distasteful about the idea of “just existing,” as though existing were not an incredible miracle in and of itself. Falling in love, swimming in hotel pools, jumping on trampolines, eating good food. When I was young, none of that was enough. What I wouldn’t give now to be able to jump on a trampoline without all my bones crashing together and disintegrating inside me like pieces of chalk. (24%)


Beauty is on a different plane than happy and sad or easy and hard; I’m sure you know that. A song can be sad and beautiful at the same time. Life too. (98%)

Valencia and Valentine is a book that was quirky and not at all what I expected, but I really liked it!  The chapters alternate between two characters: a lonely elderly woman and a soon-to-be 35 year old woman with crippling anxiety and OCD.  It’s a tricky book to explain and was at points sad, funny and even a little confusing.  3.5 stars rounded up.

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#27. THE LYING GAME by Ruth Ware
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

A lie. I’d almost forgotten how they feel on my tongue, slick and sickening.

I enjoyed Ruth Ware’s The Woman in Cabin 10 last year, so decided to give The Lying Game a shot.  And…it was okay.  It’s categorized as psychological thriller, but that may be generous.  Long meandering plot with a lackluster twist.

#28. AMERICAN RADICAL: INSIDE THE WORLD OF AN UNDERCOVER MUSLIM FBI AGENT by Tamer Elnoury
My Rating: ★★★★☆

How do we defeat an enemy who is willing to die for a cause that they believe in?  That is the question I ask every one of my students at the FBI undercover school before I start my lesson on radical Islam.  Over the years, I have heard many different answers, but never the correct one: education.  In order to defeat your enemy, you must first understand them. (p.342)

I had a feeling I would like American Radical just from the description and I was right.  I blew through it in days!  So much respect for undercover agents who have to do this type of work to keep us safe.  (Also available at Book Outlet here.)

#29. THE LAST ROMANTICS by Tara Conklin
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

#30. BE BRAVE IN THE SCARED by Mary Lenaburg

#31. AND THEN THERE WERE NONE by Agatha Christie
My Rating: ★★★★★

“From now on, it is our task to suspect each and everyone amongst us. Forewarned is forearmed. Take no risks and be alert to danger. That is all.” 

Oh my goodness.  Agatha Christie totally fooled me with this one. I’m pretty good at figuring out “whodunit” in these types of mystery books, but I was so wrong with And Then There Were None! What a crazy psycho-thriller of a book.

#32. MWF SEEKING BFF: MY YEARLONG SEARCH FOR A NEW BEST FRIEND by Rachel Bertsche
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

“Psychologists have long described four major types of friendships,” she wrote. “1) The acquaintance, someone you’d chat with on the street or at a local café, who gives you a sense of belonging; 2) the casual friend, a ‘grab lunch’ pal who often serves a specific purpose, such as a tennis or running partner; 3) the close buddy, an intimate, trustworthy comrade you can say anything to; and 4) the lifer, who’s as deep and forever as family.” Frankel’s research found that women should have 3 to 5 lifers, 5 to 12 close friends, 10 to 50 casuals, and 10 to 100 acquaintances. (3%)

Teenagers spend nearly 33 percent of their time with friends, but that number drops to less than 10 percent for adults. When we do have time for friends, most people would rather spend it with already-established BFFs than having to be “on” with a possible new one. Because when we’re not busy, we’re tired. (23%)

I’ve had MWF Seeking BFF on my Goodreads TBR since 2012, so when I stumbled on it at the library, I snatched it up.  The idea had a lot of promise, but fell short in execution.  Her blanket statements about women and friendship had me scratching my head, mostly because I am the complete opposite of what she describes.  (I think temperament plays a much bigger role than she believes.)  A few interesting parts, but could have definitely been 100 pages shorter.  Just okay for me, although I am inspired to join a local book club now.

#33. THE WIZARD OF OZ by L. Frank Baum
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

“But how about my courage?” asked the Lion anxiously.
“You have plenty of courage, I am sure,” answered Oz.  “All you need is confidence in yourself.  There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger.  True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.” (p.140)

I know this story but have never read the book before!  Now I’m anxious to watch the movie again.  (Also available at Book Outlet – in a gorgeous hardcover! – here.)

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#20. THE LOUDER SONG: LISTENING FOR HOPE IN THE MIDST OF LAMENT by Aubrey Sampson
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Sometimes, it’s only in looking back that we see clearly.  As I look back now, even in this horrible circumstance, I can see God’s hand of love touching everything. (p.57)

Even though you suffer from this awful thing – no matter how truly terrible it may be – and even though you may not be able to surface for air right now, God has not changed.  Who you are to him has not changed.  He is utterly faithful, and you are utterly loved.  Not because you are healthy or strong or happy, or because you never get angry, or because you handle this thing you face with grace.  But simply and profoundly because you are the object of God’s fixed delight and affection.  Even when you hit walls, even at your messiest, you are his beautiful one. (p.75)

This is how I’ll finally arrive at that elusive place called acceptance – by watching for, noting, gathering instances of hope and joy in one hand, even while wrestling with my darkest hours in the other.  This truth rings loudly in my heart: Good and bad can exist at once.  It’s okay to admit that both things are true.  My situation is hard and God has been good to me. (p.102)

I heard about The Louder Song, a book published in February, from Instagram and since I’m working through my own issues while walking alongside others in hard situations, I snatched it up.  This book comes from an Evangelical standpoint and while it’s not a perfect fit for me theologically, I really liked it.

#21. HEARTLAND: A MEMOIR OF WORKING HARD AND BEING BROKE IN THE RICHEST COUNTRY ON EARTH by Sarah Smarsh
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Our bodies were born into hard labor.  To people who Grandma Betty would say “never had to lift a finger,” that might sound like something to be pitied.  But there was a beautiful efficiency to it – form in constant physical function with little energy left over.  In some ways, I feel enriched rather than diminished for having lived it. (p.44)

Rating memoirs is hard because I hate judging another person’s story.  That said, this one was just so-so for me.  My biggest beef was with the way Heartland is written: the writing is directed to her imaginary (unconceived) baby and it’s a unique choice that I didn’t really care for.  You’d be reading stories about her family or a handful of sociological facts and then she’d suddenly address “you” (meaning the unborn child), which was a little weird and definitely jarred the story as a whole.  2.5 stars, rounded up. (Also available at Book Outlet here.)

#22. LIFE OF CHRIST by Fulton J. Sheen
My Rating: ★★★★★

He will not allow us to pick and choose among His words, discarding the hard ones, and accepting the ones that please our fancy.  We need a Christ Who will restore moral indignation, Who will make us hate evil with a passionate intensity, and love goodness to a point where we can drink death like water. (p.21)

The moment He showed Himself before men as the Son of God, He would draw down upon Himself their hatred, for evil can tolerate mediocrity, but not supreme goodness. (p.78)

As the physical Body of Christ had external wounds, bruises, and scars, and yet the inner structure was left untouched, so there seemed to be a foretelling that though His Mystical Body, the Church, would have its moral wounds and scars of scandals and disloyalties, nevertheless, not a bone of its body would ever be broken. (p.399)

Mankind is naturally disposed to believe that anything religious must be striking and powerful enough to overwhelm the imagination.  Yet this incident on the road to Emmaus revealed that the most powerful truths often appear in the commonplace and trivial incidents of life, such as meeting a fellow traveler on a road.  Christ veiled His Presence in the most ordinary roadway of life.  Knowledge of Him came as they walked with Him; and the knowledge was that of glory that came through defeat. (p.415)

This book.  I think I can confidently say that this is the best religious book that I have ever read.

#23. I WILL ALWAYS WRITE BACK: HOW ONE LETTER CHANGED TWO LIVES by Caitlin Alifirenka & Martin Ganda
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

The cascade of water was so vast and mighty, I thought, the angels were not only clapping – they were giving a standing and stomping ovation for a spectacle only God could have created. (p.345)

I Will Always Write Back was a quick read about two penpals (a middle-class girl from Pennsylvania and a boy from the slums of Zimbabwe) and how that relationship changed both of their lives.  The writing was quite simple for even a YA book and I enjoyed Martin’s side of the story much more than Caitlin’s, but overall, a heartwarming story.  Solid three stars.  (Also available at Book Outlet here.)

#24. THE WIFE BETWEEN US by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love. 
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing. 

I can’t remember exactly where I heard about The Wife Between Us, but I’ve been on the waiting list at the library for it since last fall.  Super quick read, but as thrillers go, this one was just okay.  2.5 stars, rounded up.  (Also available at Book Outlet here.)

#25. OLIVE KITTERIDGE by Elizabeth Strout
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

What young people didn’t know, she thought, lying down beside this man, his hand on her shoulder, her arm; oh, what young people did not know. They did not know that lumpy, aged, and wrinkled bodies were as needy as their own young, firm ones, that love was not to be tossed away carelessly . . . No, if love was available, one chose it, or didn’t chose it. And if her platter had been full with the goodness of Henry and she had found it burdensome, had flicked it off crumbs at a time, it was because she had not know what one should know: that day after day was unconsciously squandered. (p.270)

Olive Kitteridge, on paper, sounded like something I would typically love to read: short stories about a crotchety old woman who lives on the coast of Maine.  Unfortunately, it was a big flop for me.  I found it to be so incredibly depressing!  On the plus side, the writing is beautiful, which I assume is why it won a Pulitzer Prize.  After looking at the reviews, I think this is a book where you either love it or hate it, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.  (Also available at Book Outlet here.)

#26. MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS by Agatha Christie

My Rating: ★★★★☆


The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.


Murder on the Orient Express was my first Agatha Christie novel and it did not disappoint!  So so good.  Looking forward to reading more of her work soon.  (Also available at Book Outlet here.)

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#15. FORCE OF NATURE by Jane Harper
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Later, the four remaining women could fully agree on only two things. One: No one saw the bushland swallow up Alice Russell. And two: Alice had a mean streak so sharp it could cut you. (the very first line! p.1)

He thought of the hundreds of little things that had added up to go so wrong. Maybe hundreds of little things could add up to go right. (93%)

Another book from the library holds list!  Force of Nature is the second book in the Aaron Falk series and I couldn’t put it down.  An engaging story with an ending I didn’t predict.  I really liked this one!

#16. THE POWER AND THE GLORY by Graham Greene
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

It is one of the strange discoveries a man can make that life, however you lead it, contains moments of exhilaration; there are always comparisons which can be made with worse times: even in danger and misery the pendulum swings. (p.59)

He felt only an immense disappointment because he had to go to God empty-handed, with nothing done at all.  It seemed to him, at that moment, that it would have been quite easy to have been a saint.  It would only have needed a little self-restraint and a little courage.  He felt like someone who has missed happiness by seconds at an appointed place.  He knew now that at the end there was only one thing that counted – to be a saint. (p.210)

We’ve had a copy of The Power and the Glory on our bookshelves for years – I think it may have been Mark’s from high school! – so I decided to give it a shot.  The story is about a “whisky priest” who is on the run during a purging of Catholicism in Mexico.  I have such complicated feelings about this book…I know I’ll be thinking about it for awhile.  3.5 stars.

#17. AND EVERY MORNING THE WAY GETS LONGER AND LONGER by Fredrik Backman
My Rating: ★★★★☆

“It’s an awful thing to miss someone who’s still here.” 

“What can we do to help Grandpa?”  The dad’s tears dry on the boy’s sweatshirt.
“We can walk down the road with him. We can keep him company.” 

And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer and Longer is a novella and at less than 100 pages, easy to read in a single sitting.  It was a touching story about a grandfather with Alzheimer’s, his grandson, and the way memories connect us together.  My grandmother had dementia, so this hit close to home.  Simultaneously heartbreaking and beautiful.

#18. YOUR LABRADOR RETRIEVER PUPPY, MONTH BY MONTH by Terry Albert, Deb Eldredge, & Don and Barb Ironside
My Rating: ★★★★★

This book has been a lifesaver for me as we prepare to bring home our new puppy in April!  I’m feeling much more prepared (and a little scared, hah!) about caring for and training this new member of our family.

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#08. THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE by Avi

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty.  But I was just such a girl, and my story is worth relating even if it did happen years ago. (the first sentence! p.1)

I decided to change things up a little by reading a children’s (maybe more accurately, a tween/YA) book.  The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle is a page turner about a mystery at sea and was so much better than I was expecting!  I enjoyed it so much that even my big boys are possibly interested in picking it up.  (Female protagonists are not their thing, so that’s HUGE.)

#09. AT HOME IN THE WORLD: REFLECTIONS ON BELONGING WHILE WANDERING THE GLOBE by Tsh Oxenreider
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

I know this: I am weary of playing games, of the games I am asked to play in order to succeed as a writer.  These travels for a year are admittedly part escapism, a desperate plea for a sabbatical from expectations, pressure, noise.  I want to get lost in myself, I want to stop thinking so much of myself, and I want to see in the flesh how many people there are in the world and how many don’t know me or, really, care about me.  I want to remember my smallness.  I want to be a prophet in the wilderness, shouting from jungles and deserts and foreign cities that we are all small, and to remember what a tiny place we each take up in the world.  Small might be insignificant, but it does not mean unimportant. (p.56)

I enjoyed this book, but it also solidified something I already knew about myself: I’m a homebody through and through!  I definitely don’t experience the same wanderlust – some of her experiences gave me anxiety just reading about them, hah!  I do have a short list for travel someday, but for now, I’ll just drink up the experiences of others.  (Also available at Book Outlet here.)

#10. TEARS OF THE GIRAFFE by Alexander McCall Smith
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

The Americans were very clever; they sent rockets into space and invented machines which could think more quickly than any human being alive, but all this cleverness could also make them blind. They did not understand other people. They thought that everyone looked at things in the same way as Americans did, but they were wrong. Science was only part of the truth. There were also many other things that made the world what it was, and the Americans often failed to notice these things, although they were there all the time, under their noses. (48%)

Tears of the Giraffe is the second book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.  I read the first book last year and enjoyed it, so after reading about Africa in At Home in the World, I thought I’d revisit Botswana’s premier lady detective, Precious Ramotswe.  Nothing ground-breaking, but a good story with charming characters.  Solid three stars.

#11. THE SNOW CHILD by Eowyn Ivey
My Rating: ★★★★☆

“Dear, sweet Mabel,” she said.  “We never know what is going to happen, do we?  Life is always throwing us this way and that.  That’s where the adventure is.  Not knowing where you’ll end up or how you’ll fare.  It’s all a mystery, and when we say any different, we’re just lying to ourselves.  Tell me, when have you felt most alive?” (p.258)

First of all, can we talk about this cover?!  So beautiful.  The Snow Child captured my attention from the first few pages and I was hooked.  The overall tone of the book is a little sad and melancholy, so it may not be a good fit for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. (Also available at Book Outlet here.)

#12. THE TWO-FAMILY HOUSE by Lynda Cohen Loigman
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Living together in the two-family house had always had its benefits.  When Rose first moved in, she had been grateful every day for Helen’s companionship.  Helen taught her how to cook, how to sew curtains, how to bleed the radiator when it started getting noisy.  She told Rose where to buy fish and which grocer had the best produce.  The two of them had been inseparable back then, more like sisters than some real sisters Rose knew.  When the children came along, the cousins had each other for playmates.  There was always an adult around if any child was sick or wanted help with schoolwork.  And if either Rose or Helen needed something for a recipe, chances were that one of them had the ingredient the other was missing. (p.83)

According to Goodreads, I am definitely in the minority here, but I just couldn’t get behind The Two-Family House.  The writing is fine but the story itself was very predictable.  I figured out the “plot twist” about 30 pages into the story and couldn’t figure out if I was just clever or if it was intentional.  (Turns out everyone figured it out early.)  There were only a few characters that I liked and many more who were just rotten.  I don’t know…it could have been a great premise, but I thought it fell flat.  (Also available at Book Outlet here.)

#13. TEAM DOG: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DOG – THE NAVY SEAL WAY by Mike Ritland
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Last year, Mark listened to a podcast with Mike Ritland and was really impressed.  With our new puppy arriving in a few months, February was the perfect time to read his book and check out his advice.  Straight forward and easy to understand – I liked it and learned a lot.

#14. THE GREAT ALONE by Kristin Hannah
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

“How long have you lived here?” Mama asked. “Ten of the best years of my life,” Large Marge answered. “Life in the bush is hard work, but you can’t beat the taste of salmon you caught in the morning, drizzled with butter you churned from your own fresh cream. Up here, there’s no one to tell you what to do or how to do it. We each survive our own way. If you’re tough enough, it’s heaven on earth.” (9%)

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#01. FIND THE GOOD: UNEXPECTED LIFE LESSONS FROM A SMALL-TOWN OBITUARY WRITER by Heather Lende

My Rating: ★★★★☆

I will begin…by taking advantage of a day that is topsy-turvy without my consent.  If the snow keeps me home from an important meeting, I’ll take a walk in it.  Shovel my neighbor’s stoop.  Then build a snowman at the end of the driveway.  When was the last time I did that?  When my plane is delayed for two hours, I’ll call Dad.  Listen to the entire saga of his knee replacement surgery and recovery.  Ask him how he’s adjusting to living alone after forty-nine years of marriage.  I’ll finally have the time to listen.  And I’ll cry a lot after a friend dies.  Attend the funeral.  Bring my best bean salad to the potluck.  Wallow in grief.  When I’ve had all the sorrow I can bear, I’ll take a hike down by the river to wring myself out.  Then I’ll be ready to invite a new friend over for coffee and begin again. (p.28)

But something happens over the weeks, months, and years of regular workouts.  Pretty soon it’s not about the tummy roll or the wobbly thighs or even how many crunches we can now complete in a minute.  That’s all beside the point.  It’s about doing the best with what we’ve got and appreciating our scarred-up, well-used, stretch-marked, marvelously individual bodies just as they are…even as we strive to improve what they can do, one lunge and squat at a time. (p.69-70)

I got this little book for Epiphany and zipped through it in two days.  A perfect start to the year with my one little word.

#02. THRUSH GREEN by Miss Read
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

A beam of sunlight fell suddenly upon Mrs. Bailey’s hand, the first real warmth for months, she thought delightedly, and her spirits rose at this token of the summer to come. (p.68) 

Books centered around village life are just so cozy and comforting, don’t you think?  I enjoyed the simplicity and innocence of Thrush Green – it was a sweet mix of romance and humor and a teeny bit of mystery.

#03. THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah
My Rating: ★★★★★

“It’s hard to forget,” she said quietly.  “And I’ll never forgive.”
“But love has to be stronger than hate, or there is no future for us.”
Sophie sighed.  “I suppose,” she said, sounding too adult for a girl of her age.
Vianne placed a hand on top of her daughter’s.  “We will remind each other, oui?  On the dark days.  We will be strong for each other.” (p.526)

World War II books affect me deeply and The Nightingale was no exception.  Such a powerful story of courage and love despite harrowing circumstances.  I kept asking myself the question, “What would I do in this situation?”  I know that I’ll be thinking about this one for awhile.

#04. NO WAY HOME: A MEMOIR  OF LIFE ON THE RUN by Tyler Wetherall
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

#06. THE LONG LONELINESS by Dorothy Day
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

They were kind to me.  I saw them wrestling with moral problems, with the principles by which they lived, and this made them noble in my eyes.  I saw them pray, and the public prayer in the church and Blanche’s kneeling down by the table on which was spread out her hats and trimmings did something to me which I could not forget.  As with the sight of Mrs. Barrett kneeling beside her bed, this posture, this gesture, convinced me that worship, adoration, thanksgiving, supplication – these were the noblest acts of which men were capable in this life. (quote about her Catholic friends, p.107)

It is not only for others that I must have these retreats.  It is because I too am hungry and thirsty for the bread of the strong.  I too must nourish myself to do the work I have undertaken; I too must drink at these good springs so that I may not be an empty cistern and unable to help others. (p.263)

I finally finished up the last quarter of Dorothy Day’s autobiography, The Long Loneliness…it only took me a year!  I found this book thought-provoking and interesting in some places and painfully boring in others, which explains why I kept putting it down.  Still, there were enough insightful tidbits to make it worth the read.

#07. CITY OF THIEVES by David Benioff
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

I have never been much of a patriot.  My father would not have allowed such a thing while he lived, and his death insures that his wish was carried out.  Piter commanded far more affection and loyalty from me than the nation as a whole.  But that night, running across the unplowed fields of winter wheat, with the Fascist invaders behind us and the dark Russian woods before us, I felt a surge of pure love for my country. (p.233)

Where do I begin with City of Thieves?  It’s haunting and horrific, but interlaced with humor too.  I don’t think I’ve ever read a WWII book from the Russian perspective before, so I learned a lot about Leningrad (St. Petersburg) during the German offensive.  I’d hesitate to blindly recommend it due to the profanity and crude “men’s locker room”-type comments throughout, but it’s a powerful story if you can look past all of that.

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EDGE OF EXTINCTION #1: THE ARK PLAN by Laura Martin
My Rating: ★★★★☆

We read The Ark Plan for our homeschool read aloud.  It was described to me as “Jurassic World meets Planet of the Apes” and I think that’s pretty accurate!  The first few chapters are slower, but quickly pick up.  And the end is a cliff hanger!  We have to order the second book soon.

INTO THE WILD by Jon Krakauer
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

An extended stay in the wilderness inevitably directs one’s attention outward as much as inward, and it is impossible to live off the land without developing both a subtle understanding of, and a strong emotional bond with, that land and all it holds. (84%)

You know the saying, It takes all kinds to make the world go round?  That’s the phrase that kept coming to mind as I read Into the Wild.  Chris McCandless lived his life uniquely and while I would not necessarily make the same decisions, this book was able to somewhat explain his why. (As much as a third party can.)

CRIME SIGNALS: HOW TO SPOT A CRIMINAL BEFORE YOU BECOME A VICTIM by David Givens, Ph.D.
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

The most commonly experienced danger signs, however, are intangible feelings and suppositions that something is wrong. (2%)

Crime Signals is a good primer if you’re new to criminology.  I was already familiar with much of the information, but the tips on child predators were particularly helpful.  This book was written about 10 years ago and I’d be interested to see what has changed in criminology since then.

NIGHT OF MIRACLES by Elizabeth Berg
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

When Lucille was a girl, a carnival came to town one summer and they had a ride called the Whirligig. You sat in some wooden contraption that jerked you here, there, and everywhere. One minute you’d be going forward, the next backward or sideways or tilted over so far you thought you might fall out. It was never still and you had no idea what might come next. That’s life. You’re born, and you get a ride on the Whirligig. (72%)

This book is the sequel to The Story of Arthur Truluv with a few of the same characters and a few new ones.  Definitely not as good as the first book, but a charming easy read.

TEN ARGUMENTS FOR DELETING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS RIGHT NOW by Jaron Lanier
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

…What if listening to an inner voice or heeding a passion for ethics or beauty were to lead to more important work in the long term, even if it measured as less successful in the moment?  What if deeply reaching a small number of people matters more than reaching everybody with nothing? (p.68)

I’m on a bit of a tech criticism kick lately, but don’t buy me a tin hat yet!  One of my goals for 2018 was to learn to think for myself again: stop scrolling, pull out the books and wrestle with new concepts.  I wanted to make my own conclusions without being swayed by what everyone else thought.  Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now reinforces those ideas.  Not a perfect book – it rambles on a bit and I didn’t fully agree on a few things – but lots to still think about.  Solid three and a half stars.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens
My Rating: ★★★★☆

It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorry, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour. (p.71)

I’ve seen the cartoon versions of this story numerous times growing up, but have never read the original text!  At just over 100 pages, it’s not an intimidating classic and the descriptions are much more vivid than the movies can portray.  A great fable to read in December.

THE MIRACLE OF FATHER KAPAUN: PRIEST, SOLDIER AND KOREAN WAR HERO by Roy Wenzl and Travis Heying
My Rating: ★★★★☆

The suffering of that first winter was overwhelming.  Many soldiers were in their teens and early twenties, not mature enough to deal with that level of misery.  Kapaun never yelled at the prisoners when in their weakness they let each other down; he led by example. (p.47)

I assigned this book to my sixth grader for school, but quickly realized that it was one I needed to read too!  Fr. Emil Kapaun was such an inspirational man and a great example for my boys.

WHAT ALICE FORGOT by Liane Moriarty
My Rating: ★★★★☆

She had always thought that exquisitely happy time at the beginning of her relationship with Nick was the ultimate, the feeling they’d always be trying to replicate, to get back, but now she realized that was wrong.  That was like comparing sparkling mineral water to French champagne.  Early love is exciting and exhilarating.  It’s light and bubbly.  Anyone can love like that.  But love after three children, after a separation and a near-divorce, after you’ve hurt each other and forgiven each other, bored each other and surprised each other, after you’ve seen the worst and the best – well, that sort of love is ineffable.  It deserves its own word. (p.457)  

I’m probably one of the last people on Earth to read What Alice Forgot!  It found it easy to read, interesting and surprisingly thought-provoking.  I flew through it in days.

UNTIL I SAY GOOD-BYE: MY YEAR OF LIVING WITH JOY by Susan Spencer-Wendel
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

The big questions rose before me: Where do I want to go? How do I want to live? What is the central message of my life? (10%)


That is the secret I learn more of every day. Not to want things I cannot have or cannot do. Remove the want, and you remove the pain. (80%)

I chose Until I Say Good-Bye randomly from the library because the title sounded promising.  This memoir is about a mother diagnosed with ALS and the year she spent traveling and living with intention.  It was equal parts inspiring and just painfully raw and sad.