Summer Reading Celebration

Kristin Hannah is a great author who brings characters to life. This book did not disappoint. And her descriptions of life in the wilderness of Alaska are breathtaking.

I loved this book! Jasper and Sloane have my heart! Can’t wait to read reckless.

Once again, boring work is made lighter with the addition of an audiobook, The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris, read by actor Richard Armitage. It is a work of historical fiction but based on a true story. The author captures the dehumanizing experiences, barbarous acts taking place in the prison camp and ambiguity of feelings among the survivors. This story is first and foremost a love story between Lale who is the tattooist and Gita, both prisoners in Auschwitz. That story is very enjoyable. I didn’t care for the reading by Armitage. Though he attempted many voices, they sounded very much alike. His tone and inflection were inconsistent at page turns and this was distracting. Even with that, I recommend the book because it has a good story in it.

This is considered an Young Adult book, but I enjoyed it. It is a dual memoir written by the 2 penpals. The letters change both their lives. It also gives an insight how different life is in other countiries, in this case Zimbabwe. I am sure that this book will have an impact for the better on anyone who reads it.

Never, ever trust that you know who the “good guy” and/or “bad guy” is in a Freida book. This one stunned me in the epilogue.

Harry Potter At Home is a Pandemic initiative and I highly recommend that you enjoy it while you can! Harry Potter is read “by familiar voices” with a wide range of HP movie and stage actors reading chapters, and other familiar famous actors as well. It is so well done! And the readings with new voices make the words fresh again. This is available on a website as a video but I prefer accessing it using Spotify and just listening while I go about my day. It is free, and such a pleasure to listen to. Add this to your audiobook listening plans!

The fascinating backstory of the creation of Disneyland in sleepy Anaheim California in the 1950’s and the influence it had on amusement parks and entertainment the world over. If you are a Disney fan this is a must read!

This gem from the late 1950s tells the adventurous tale of William Prendergast, father of James who founded Jamestown, who led other Hudson Valley area colonists in revolt against the manorial system in place there. William was the leader of the “levelers” who believed that they had claim to the land they leased and about 1,700 farmers followed him. William was arrested for treason, and sentenced to be hung, drawn, and quartered. His wife, Mehitabel Wing Prendergast, appealed to the governor for a reprieve and pardon. The family moved to Tennessee, didn’t care for it, and came to Chautauqua Lake. This book was written for middle grades, and contains lots of swashbuckling adventure from the point of view of a boy of about 13 who is a nephew. It uses very dated descriptions of Native Americans and of women. But it is a rollicking piece of historical fiction that relates the family back story of Jamestown’s First Family.

I relistened to this book this summer. "People are starving for the awe of God." is one of the basic premises of the book. The book is divided into two parts (although you won't find a formal division in it.) The first part is all about the awe of God. Dyke uses vivid illustration to help the reader grasp God's great ess and what we are missing by allowing ourselves to to accept a shallow, domesticated version of a powerfully grand God. The second half deals with what theology calls the eminence of God. That means that he allows us to relate to him and is close to us. There are some beautiful quotes in this book, but the following sums up Dyke's message: "Our souls find satisfaction only in the God that is grand enough to worship and close enough to love. We need both, but the church today has by in large focused too much on the closeness if God and forfeited His grandness. "The tiger has been tamed. We aren't moved by God's greatness and splendor." If you want to get some of that reverence back, I recommend this book.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Huang, an author on the Autism spectrum herself, is a very sweet book about Stella and Michael. Stella has Asperger’s and struggles with relationships. She hires Michael to help her in that dept, and their working relationship evolves into more. I really enjoyed this one. It’s definitely spicier than I ever expected going into it.