April Reading Log 2018

Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors is the second book Katie wrote about her life’s journey in Uganda.  (The first book is Kisses for Katie.)  I received this book as a Christmas gift from Monica. 

Katie is an extraordinary young woman who moved to Uganda to follow her life mission to help others.  She has adopted 13 young girls and started the Amazima Ministries.    Daring to Hope recounts Katie’s struggle with her faith as she helps terminal friends.  

It is amazing to me how someone with fourteen children can find more time and energy to help others with more children.  Katie writes about people she takes into her home that are homeless and out casted by their own families because of their illness.  She writes about her struggles, as her prayers for life for her new friends are not always answered.  She has to go through theses struggles to learn through God. 

#mmdreadingchallenge2018

This is my current read for Day 1 of Anne Bogel’s #12daysofBookstagram.  I love this book.  First I love the cover it is the most beautiful book cover.  Second I love the references to gardening and reading about her imperfect attempts is giving me the courage to try to garden again.  Third I am inspired by Lara Casey's faith and trust in the Lord.  She is so down to earth with her approach to praying.  I will be looking into more of her books and products. 

#unreadshelfproject2018 

Day 2 of #12daysofbookstagram, book stack.  This is my little collection of Pride & Prejudice books.

 

Day 3 Favorite Reading Spot #12daysofbookstagram   I don’t have a favorite reading spot.  I pretty much read everywhere, on the sofa, in my rocking chair, in the car, in the bed and on the front porch.  But my favorite reading takes place with my little grandchildren.  I feel very strongly about reading and I hope to pass down my love for reading to them.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman, was a cute story about a bond between a granddaughter and her grammie.    Elsa adores her grandmother.  Her grandmother is crazy but is always there for her.  Grammie tells her crazy stories and makes her feel better after a bad day at school.  However Grammie passes away, and leaves behind a huge adventure and mystery for Elsa to solve.  As Elsa begins to deliver Grandma’s letters she also learns more about Grandma’s life before Elsa, some good and some bad.  Elsa meets all the people living in their building and sees them in a new light and becomes friends with them. 

I loved this quote about a grandmother (Day 4 #12daysof bookstagram  favorite quote.)  What a perfect  description of what a grandmother does.  Someone who is always there for their grandchild no matter what. 

#unreadshelfproject2018

I picked up Sourdough by Robin Sloan because I absolutely loved his other book, Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore.   I found, Sourdough, to be an interesting story about Lois Clary who works as a software engineer in San Francisco at a robotics company. She doesn’t like to cook so she orders take  out food everyday from the two brothers who run a tiny take-out restaurant. Then the restaurant closes because the brothers have visa issues but they leave Lois the bread starter behind. She must keep the starter alive; she must feed it daily, play special music, and learn to bake it.

Lois begins to bake the bread and begins to experiment with the starter until she develops delicious bread.  She is able to sell the bread and eventually makes it into a special food market where she makes the bread with a robotic arm.  She gets caught up in the world of food and the history of the starter.  It is a great story ****/5.  

Day 5 More than books  #12daysofbookstagram

In Louise Penny’s 12^th novel, A Great Reckoning, Armand Gamache begins a new challenge as Commander at the Sûreté Academy.  He has high expectations to retrain the cadets to be a kinder and thoughtful force.  As always Gamache tries to make the transition smooth, however when the old commander turns up murdered events change quickly. 

Not only is Gamache a suspect for the murder but  so are all the cadets.  There are so many questions that lead to Gamache:  Why is the map important?  Who is Amelia, one of the cadets, to Gamache?  Why are there so many fingerprints on the weapon including Gamache’s?

This story ties up so many story lines that have continued from previous books:  Gamache’s relationship with Michel Brebeuf, The history behind Three Pines and finally the depth of Gamache’s kindness and forgiveness. 

This is a *****/5 star book. 

#threepines

#unreadshelfproject2018

Day 6 Flat Lay #12daysof bookstagram

I was so excited to read By the Book, Julia Sonneborn.   To be honest I picked this book based on the cover.  What’s not to love, a red door, a pile of books, and a bike?  This cover was designed to entice me to buy it.   Anne is an English professor at Fairfax College in California.  She must write and sign a book deal in order to unsure that she will get tenure. If that is not enough pressure she discovers her ex-fiancé has just become the president of her college and her father is ill.  As the school year continues Anne pines over Adam and the life they had planned.

It’s funny that Jane Austen’s classic; Persuasion is her favorite book because this book is a modern retelling of Austen’s book.  It’s a cute ***/5 star story. 

 Day 7 on my nightstand #12days of bookstagram

This is book two in Sherry Thomas’s Lady Sherlock series, A Conspiracy in Belgravia.  It is a complex mystery about Charlotte Holmes.
 
Lady Ingram, wife of Charlotte’s friend, wants Sherlock Holmes (Charlotte) to find her first love, Charlotte has a hard time with this case because the missing man is, Myron Finch, her illegitimate half brother.  As Charlotte unravels new information she needs to figure out if her friend knows about his wife’s betrayal.   This mystery is a ****/5 story. 

Day 8 Book and Beverage  #12daysofbookstagram

 

Today I took my little sweetheart to the library, we read books about trains, trucks and orange clownfish.  We picked up two flyers:  The Summer Programs and Reading 1,000 books before kindergarten.  Day 9 library   #12daysofbookstagram

This is what I have on my May TBR list right now.  I will add more after I meet with my new summer reading group of kids.  Day 10  Books you want to read #12daysofbookstagram

Day 11 Bibliophile Life  #12daysofbookstagram

This is a peek inside my book journal.  I am doing things a bit different this year to save time.  When I type up my reviews and take my photos I condense the size so I can get several review on the journal page.  I also try to indicate what book challenges I am participated in by reading that book.  This saves me a lot of extra work of handwriting each entry.  The book Still Me by Jojo Moyoes is a fun light read.  I enjoyed this book more than the second book.  I liked that Louisa was able to develop her own voice and do some good for others.  I give this book ***/5 stars.   

   

 Day 12  Shelfie #12daysofbookstagram

This is my office/craft room.  I have changed it a lot over the years.  I used to do more crafts and school work in here.  However I needed a place for the books I enjoyed.  This is one of my favorite rooms in the house. 

I listened to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman on Overdrive and enjoyed it a lot.   I loved Eleanor’s social awkwardness.  As she navigates social media and social events all to meet a man, she finds the perfect friend for her is right in front of her at work.    There are many complex layers to Eleanor’s life and she still has a lot to work through but her new friend Raymond helps her see she has someone looking out for her.   I would give this book a ****/5 star rating.   I laughed and really felt for Eleanor’s tough life. 

#mmdchallenge2018 

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, is a book about the friendship of two girls from a poor neighborhood in Italy in 1950.  Lila and Elena begin their friendship in primary school and compete for grades, friends, and the teacher’s attention.  As they grow older the continue to compete for acceptance, attention and continual friendship.  I give this book ***/5 stars.  

#mmdchallenge2018

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes is an amazing story about standing up for others.  This book won the Newberry Award in 1944.  It’s an old story, but still relevant today.  Wanda is picked on at school because she has a Polish name, wears the same dress every day and comes from a poor neighborhood.  Peggy and Maddie pick on Wanda  each day because Wanda says she has 100 dresses in her closet.   Maddie feels bad about how she treats Wanda but doesn’t do anything about it.    This is a wonderful story for all children to read and discuss.  #middlegrades  #battleofthebooks2018