Book Thoughts: The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
published 2015
392 pages

Synopsis -

Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself; he's still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.

After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.

My thoughts -

Well, this novel was a delightful surprise. I received it as a Christmas gift, and guessed from reading the synopsis that I would enjoy it. I was certainly right about that.

This book feels VERY French. Now, I've never been to France, so I could be very wrong about that - but reading this book felt like taking a trip across the ocean and experiencing life in a Paris apartment, and in the countryside of Provence. There was just something about the pace - the tone - the language that was slower, more deliberate than an American novel. This book was about the experience of reading as much as it was the story, and I loved the experience.

This book is, of course, a celebration of the love of reading. It was such fun to read the references peppered throughout to various great books of history. It is also a book for readers who love the written word, and the way a story looks and sounds on the page. I found myself purposefully reading slower, to savor the time I spent in this world.

I had not heard of this book before my friend gave it to me, so I likely would not have found it without her. I am thrilled The Little Paris Bookshop found it's way into my life. It was a lovely, heartbreaking, and spirit-lifting experience. Definitely recommended.

Finished - 1/29/17
Source - my shelves, via Maria Z.
MPAA rating - PG-13
My rating - 5/5

Book thoughts - Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #3) by Ransom Riggs
published 9/22/15
464 pages

Synopsis - 

The adventure that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued in Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls. As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all.

My thoughts -

Oh, good gravy I loved this series. From the first time I picked up the first book I was hooked. And, for me, Library of Souls was a beautiful ending for these characters I've come to love.

As usual, Riggs has his motley crew struggle through a good number of harrowing situations, and Jacob and Emma must use all the wits at their disposal to figure out a way to rescue Miss Peregrine and save the world. I appreciated that a happy ending wasn't a foregone conclusion, and the author didn't tie up all the loose ends in a neat little bow. I feel like I spent the last 1/4 of the book just holding my breath, and didn't feel safe to let it out until the very last page. And what a lovely, meaningful phrase to end the series - "We have time."

I know these books won't be for everyone, but for me the combination of storytelling and pictures worked to make this series a unique and fully engaging reading experience. I know these will be books I return to, and I'm excited to introduce my kids to Jacob, Emma, and Miss Peregrine, and watch them take this journey too. Highly recommended.

Finished - 10/25/16
Source - my shelves
MPAA rating - PG-13 for some intense, scary scenes involving children
My rating - 5/5

Book Thoughts - Made Well by Jenny Simmons

Made Well: Finding Wholeness in the Everyday Sacred Moments by Jenny Simmons
publishes 10-4-16
208 pages

Synopsis -

From the woman fighting cancer to the man who has lost his child to the girl sinking into depression, so many of us are engaged in daily battles as we long for healing. When he walked the earth, Jesus said to an unwell man, "Do you want to be made well?" His invitation stretched beyond physical healing--he sought to restore the soul. The same invitation stands for us today.

For anyone struggling on the journey toward wholeness, singer/songwriter Jenny Simmons offers a resting place and a friend along the way. With personal insight into emotional pain, she invites readers to encounter a God who is working out their restoration--often in surprising "half-baked" ways. Her humorous and inspirational prose lights a path toward wholeness. Anyone trying to find their way to spiritual, mental, and emotional healing will benefit from Jenny's vulnerable and compassionate stories of being made well in the midst of a messy life.

My thoughts -

"In the beginning, you were made well. Designed with divine imagination, shaped by sacred hands, and crafted by the Curator of creation. You and I were called good. We were already enough."

With this beautiful affirmation, Jenny Simmons invites readers into her theology of being made well. This is a theology of a journey, where health and healing are not synonymous; a theology not of depraved sinners but of beloved children; of a partnership that is equal parts divine grace and human willingness. This is a theology of choice - our choice, every day, to look for the small moments of our lives where we are being made well.

I discovered Jenny Simmons the author last year, when I read her first book, The Road to Becoming, because a friend asked me to. She was my favorite author discovery of the year. When I was given the chance to be on the launch team for this, her second book, I couldn't get in line fast enough. 

Simmons is a beautiful writer - her words have a way of weaving themselves into my heart, tugging out emotions I didn't expect in places I wouldn't have predicted. She is honest and raw, and doesn't hesitate to share the broken places in her own life, which allows her reader to feel the truth of her words. She is tender with pain - she doesn't discount it, but she doesn't wallow either. She holds pain in sacred hands, allowing her reader to experience it, while inviting them to move forward into the healing that awaits. 

"Sometimes the best thing we can do for someone in pain is to sit on the other side of the door and slide our fingers under the threshold so they know they aren't alone."

This book was beautiful and powerful. Once again, Jenny Simmons has written potentially my favorite nonfiction book of the year. Highest of recommendations - don't miss this one!

Finished 9/4/16

Source - ARC from publisher - thank you!

MPAA rating - PG for frank talk about suffering

My rating - 5/5

On Alexander Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Bandwagons

SO......Hamilton: The Musical? Maybe you've heard of it???

The founding father, the hip-hop soundtrack, the hype, the acclaim - this isn't news, right?

I think I came to know of Hamilton late. I actually stumbled on the Ham4Ham videos on Youtube first, and wondered what in the world was going on? Then, through some research and my friend Google, figured out it was a bit of a phenomenon. Then found the soundtrack, and the rest was history. I am officially on this bandwagon, friends, and I don't think I'll be jumping off any time soon.

I've always been a sucker for a good musical. My mom was active in the local community theater when I was growing up, and I can remember the first time I fell in love - she brought me along to help with costumes for the summer production of Camelot, and I was hooked. In junior high, a friend gave me a copy of the soundtrack of Phantom of the Opera, along with the entire (photocopied) libretto, and my goal officially became to be as amazing as Sarah Brightman. (Spoiler alert - I didn't have the pipes.)

So let's just say I was overdue for a new musical obsession.

I started watching the Ham4Ham videos, and listening to the soundtrack, and fell more and more in love with this funny, evocative production.




The cast performed at the White House, and the importance of the intersection of those pieces of history are not lost on me.




I purchased my own copy of Hamilton: Revolution (aka the Hamiltome), choosing for my pleasure the audiobook, and devoured Mariska Hargitay and Lin-Manuel Miranda telling the story of how this amazing show came to be on Broadway.

I will say, honestly, that if you are not a huge fan of 1. The Musical and 2. Broadway, this is probably not the book for you. It's lots of the inner workings of bringing a show to production, and how the cast is chosen, and while I find those kinds of stories fascinating, I am aware that they have a bit of a specific appeal. I thought Markiska Hargitay did a fantastic job as narrator - she just sounds like New York, to me, which is perfect for the story of a musical set in New York, coming to New York. I cried.

I am more and more in awe of Lin-Manuel Miranda every time he does another thing. I've been enjoying his Ham4Hams, of course, and his Twitter feed is genuinely entertaining. But reading about his process - about the technical and musical knowledge and skill that he brought to the writing of Hamilton; about his evident love for both musical theater and hip-hop, and the ways he weaves both into his work - this guy is the real deal. I am all in for whatever he chooses to do next, because I can't wait to see what his brain will come up with.

And more than all that - Hamilton: The Musical has ignited my interest in Hamiltion: The Dude - I've just secured a copy of the Ron Chernow biography of Alexander Hamilton that started this whole thing, and I'm compiling a list of biographies of the other major players so I can read and learn more. A musical that compels me to dig into the actual history of our country? Not bad.

I can't be the only one on this bandwagon, right? Are you a Hamilton fan? Bemused observer? Not yet sure what is going on? What else should I read now that I'm obsessed with the man? Give me ideas, friends!!

Book Thoughts - Nor Forsake by Julie Presley

Nor Forsake by Julie Presley
to be published June 17, 2016

Synopsis -

Libby Abbott leads a seemingly charmed life: she works from a beautiful home in a rich neighborhood as an aspiring author and has a handsome and successful husband who supports her dreams. But behind closed doors are the suspicions of infidelity, failed pregnancies, a writing career that's virtually non-existent, and a heart that is so far from God, she's not sure she knows the way back. When Libby's short story and headshot land on the desk of literary agent, Jason Randall, he is intrigued by the grace with which she handles her characters and her stunning smile. He's convinced that she's his next best-selling author. Publishing is the last thing on Libby's mind, but Jason's eagerness to see her succeed pushes her in a direction she never thought she'd travel again -towards the God of her youth, who dares her to embrace life amidst all of the chaos.

My thoughts -

I'm just going to be honest - Christian romance as a genre is not my jam. The storylines are so predictable - the main characters so sweet and pure I need a trip to the dentist - and the romance? Well, let's just say it's generally as sterile as a bottle of hand sanitizer. Like I said.....not my jam.

So imagine how thrilled I am to discover an author who write romance novels with real romance - like, the kind the gives a girl more than a few butterflies in her stomach - with characters I actually LIKE, stories that surprise me as I turn the pages - and in the Christian genre??? It's almost unbelievable - and yet, it's completely real.

Nor Forsake is the second novel I've read by Julie Presley, and with it she has cemented her spot as my favorite Christian fiction writer. Libby is an absolute delight of a character - warm, funny, smart, but with just enough insecurity and sass to make her feel real and authentic. I am already a sucker for a good novel set in the literary/publishing world, and Nor Forsake adds the romance of New York City as a backdrop for Libby's story. And the romance - yep, it has heat, which is sadly missing in so many Christian romance novels, but it's still a book you don't have to feel bad about recommending to your mom, or your 16-year-old daughter.

I'm such a fan of this author. Her books feel like a breath of fresh air, a cozy blanket on a chilly evening, a good conversation with a trusted friend. I cannot recommend her work enough.

Finished - 5/12/16

Source - review copy from the author - thank you!
MPAA rating - PG-13 for romantic situations 

My rating - 5/5

Pre-order Nor Forsake here!  (Seriously, it's only $4.99 - you almost can't go wrong.)

Thinking maybe $4.99 is too much for an untested author?? Grab a FREE copy of Julie's first novel, Stones of Remembrance, at her website!!   (Wait for the box to pop up to snag your copy...)

The Re-Educaton of a Reader - The Color Purple by Alice Walker

I have loved to read for as long as I can remember. Recently, however, it has come to my attention that there are some G A P I N G holes in my literary education. For example: I have read every Austen and Bronte you can get your hands on, but somehow had never, until 4 years ago, managed to read a Charles Dickens novel in its entirety. So, with a little help from my mom, the English Teacher, and a couple of good friend, the English Majors, I am setting a course to re-educate myself by filling in some of those gaps.





The Color Purple by Alice Walker
first published 1982
295 pages
winner of the National Book Award for fiction, and the Pulitzer Prize for fiction

(recommended by an English Major)

Synopsis -

Taking place mostly in rural Georgia, the story focuses on the life of women of color in the southern United States in the 1930s, addressing numerous issues including their exceedingly low position in American social culture. The novel has been the frequent target of censors and appears on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2000-2009 at number seventeen because of the sometimes explicit content, particularly in terms of violence. 

My thoughts -

I knew before I started this would be a good book. I had read two of Walker's short story collections in college, and they were some of my favorite discussions in class. So, as per usual, I just waited about 15 years before picking up her most famous work of fiction. :)

This book is an excellent work. I found the epistolary format to be especially effective at telling Celie's story in her own words. Celie's words were not easy to read - often they were devastating. Her story is sometimes brutal, but often beautiful. Despite the difficult subject matter, I flew through the pages, laughing and shaking my fist and crying and rejoicing in turn. 

While I understand why this book has been frequently challenged, I wouldn't stop a teen from reading it. I think it's an honest and forthright depiction of the way in which women were treated in our country, and it's not something we can pretend or ignore away. I would hope this novel would open up conversations about racism and sexism that are important.

I think this will be a novel that will remain with me for a very long time. I'm so glad I finally decided to read it. Highly, highly recommended.

Finished - 4/25/16

Source - South side library

MPAA rating - PG-13 for violence and sexual situations

My rating - 5/5

Book Thoughts - The Eight by Katherine Neville

The Eight by Katherine Neville
first published 1988
598 pages

Synopsis -

Computer expert Cat Velis is heading for a job to Algeria. Before she goes, a mysterious fortune teller warns her of danger, and an antique dealer asks her to search for pieces to a valuable chess set that has been missing for years...In the South of France in 1790 two convent girls hide valuable pieces of a chess set all over the world, because the game that can be played with them is too powerful....

My thoughts -

This novel is considered the originator of the "historical-scavenger-hunt-thriller"-type novel that Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code and Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian have made famous. Having read both those novels, I was interested to see how the first in the genre would hold up after 25+ years. I'm please to say it holds up quite well indeed.

For me, Dan Brown's novels always feel a little too surface-y, as if they are written for the movie they will eventually become but lack a bit of the substance I really crave in a good novel. Elizabeth Kostova, on the other hand, was SO dense. There were just SO MANY WORDS, and I felt like the plot needed some more action to keep me completely engaged. The Eight was the perfect balance of both worlds - complex plotting with enough thrills to keep me right on the edge of my seat and wanting more.

The Eight uses a lot of ingredients that have been successfully incorporated many times since in popular books and movies - Freemasonry, alchemy, the mysterious Middle East. Because these tropes have become so popular as plot devices, the possibility of them feeling stale is high. I felt like this novel was able to stand on its own well, despite the passing of years, because of Neville's expert weaving together of all these familiar strands into a story both exciting and fresh.

Neville's two main heroines, Cat and Mireille, were intelligent and dauntless, and following their dangerous and heroic exploits was complete and utter fun. I genuinely felt anxious on more than one occasion, because I was that involved in their stories. Because this novel has been the inspiration for so much that followed, some of the plot twists were easier to predict, but there were still plenty of surprises along the way.

I'm extremely glad this novel found it's way into my hands. I enjoyed every minute, and would not hesitate to recommend it.  

Finished - 2/14/16

Source - my shelves #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks

MPAA rating - R for violence, scary situations, adult situations

My rating - 5/5

Book Thoughts - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
published 2012
386 pages

Synopsis -

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm, she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning, the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees. This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

My thoughts -

I think this might have just been the perfect book to read as my first of 2016. This is a gorgeous novel, full of snow and cold and the type of story that is perfect for curling up under and blanket and letting yourself get lost. 

I've seen this book described as magical by several friends, and I think that word is perfect. In particular, the juxtaposition between the harshness of life in Alaska in 1920, and the ethereal, fairy-like girl who appears in Jack and Mable's life with no explanation or origin, and then disappears as quickly. I was captivated by the setting, the characters, and the inevitable heartbreak throughout the entire book.

“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?”

This was a wonderful novel - one I can see myself reading again. Do yourself a favor and get a copy, and spend some time this winter getting to know The Snow Child.

Finished - 1/3/16
Source - South side library
My rating - 5/5

Book Thoughts - The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner

The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner
published January, 2016
336 pages

Synopsis -

Ruth Wariner was the thirty-ninth of her father’s forty-two children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, where authorities turned a blind eye to the practices of her community, Ruth lives in a ramshackle house without indoor plumbing or electricity. At church, preachers teach that God will punish the wicked by destroying the world and that women can only ascend to Heaven by entering into polygamous marriages and giving birth to as many children as possible. After Ruth's father--the man who had been the founding prophet of the colony--is brutally murdered by his brother in a bid for church power, her mother remarries, becoming the second wife of another faithful congregant.

In need of government assistance and supplemental income, Ruth and her siblings are carted back and forth between Mexico and the United States, where her mother collects welfare and her step-father works a variety of odd jobs. Ruth comes to love the time she spends in the States, realizing that perhaps the community into which she was born is not the right one for her. As Ruth begins to doubt her family’s beliefs and question her mother’s choices, she struggles to balance her fierce love for her siblings with her determination to forge a better life for herself.

My thoughts -


Truth may be stranger than fiction, but in the case of Ruth Wariner, truth is definitely more compelling than fiction. I don't think I read another story in 2015 that so completely grabbed my attention from the beginning, and kept me reading quite so feverishly until the very end. 

Wariner's style is not flashy or showy - she tells her story simply, recounting both daily tasks and startling deprivations clearly and without embellishment. In giving equal weight to both the everyday and the extraordinary, Wariner shows us the importance of both in molding her into the woman she is today. 

This book was not an easy read. The mom in me was horrified over and over as I read the details of her life without electricity, adequate food, and appropriate adult supervision. And yet, even with all the tension and struggle and darkness, Wariner manages to convey the sense that her childhood, difficult as it was, held moments of magic. I've seen comparisons to Jeanette Walls' "The Glass Castle", and I think they are accurate. This is not the type of book that one enjoys reading, but it is certainly a book that it is nearly impossible to put down. I could definitely see this being a fantastic read for a book club as well.

The Sound of Gravel will without a doubt be on my list of best reads of the year. This is a memoir for readers who think they don't like memoirs - this book will keep you up at night, bring tears to your eyes, and make you believe in happy endings again. Highest recommendation!

Finished - 11/23/15
Source - ARC from the publisher - thank you Flatiron Books!
MPAA rating - PG-13 for mild descriptions of abuse and death
My rating - 5/5