Summer Reading Celebration

Isla loves how this book is full of photographs that match up to each different section, so she can learn simple ballet while going through the book.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is definitely one of those books that I’ve seen a lot of praise for, as well as a lot of people who DNF’d it. I read it in one sitting. The language and storyline flowed fine, going from therapist Theo’s pov to Alicia’s journal entries. I didn’t find the “twist” at the end to be all that surprising.

The Western Wind carries the changes that the Renaissance and Age of Enlightenment will bring to 15th century England through the microcosm of a small, backwater town called Oakham. The story unfolds in reverse, beginning with the last day and ending with the first which makes for a thought provoking premise from the start. But soon you realize that the narrator isn’t entirely reliable and as the storyteller he attempts to put himself in the best light. It’s a mystery but not a typical whodunnit. The small focus questions center on is it murder, a suicide, or an accident? The bigger questions grapple with the nature of sin and forgiveness, the perceived need for an intercessor between humans and God, the role of art and music in religious experiences. The motivations of the characters are as real as yours and your neighbor’s. There is much to chew on here.

Pretty good. Sweet. Very Wattpad ngl. She's "smart" but not like smart. Idk you can tell she started this book at a younger time and then had to try and finish it. The family was frustrating at the beginning. The end turned them around but they still bothered me. And also the fact that there is no trigger warning for harassment, assault, and stalking is CRAZY!!! especially cause its on page. That really yucked me out.

Great book. Very well presented.

My grandson really enjoys this series as we read each book together.

“We all need to do things that take us out of ourselves.” (p. 364) whether it is embroidery, fly fishing, or bell ringing, the activities we do offer purpose and focus, especially in difficult times. This novel is set in England in the 1930s and the thread that binds characters is sometimes physical, such as yarn to embroider with or ropes in a bell tower, and sometimes spiritual as between friends and lovers. The losses of The Great War are keenly felt by the parents, sisters, and girlfriends of boys who died. How they build new lives through service, activities, employment, and especially relationships create the threads that embroider a new life and society.

When I have a task of drudgery to do, I make light work of it by simultaneously listening to an audiobook. The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning audiobook filled that need well as I tackled some kitchen cupboards. Author Margareta Magnusson makes quick work of explaining the blunt, practical premise of “death cleaning” then devotes most of the book to describing how to implement it as a gentle art. Death cleaning is simply weeding out and organizing your personal stuff in such a way that it won’t pose an undue burden to someone after your death. Very pragmatic! The gentle art is what makes it a pleasure: admittedly, most death cleaners are older people and sometimes their friends and relations are dwindling. One can build new ties in the gentle ways they pass along possessions such as photo collections, hand tools, and all manner of things. The gentle art may include giving away curated collections of photos at family gatherings, or passing along furniture to young people just starting out. Through her chapters readers also catch glimpses of the aged author’s well lived life. It was not a long book, and I highly recommend it.

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 was a somewhat disturbing book. Disturbing in that if you don't happen to be a person if color, you learn what it is like to live in their world. That it would be so bad you would want to "cross over" is telling of the world I do not know. The fictitious story is set in a small town of very light skinned blacks. They pride themselves on their lightness. Some even have red hair and could be mistaken as being white. But as the author notes, even the boy who looks white is not allowed the same privileges that an actual white person would have. The story follows 2twin sisters born in this town. Their daddy dies young and their mothers struggles to support the family. The girls have to chip in and life is very hard for all of them. One of the twins "crosses over" in order to get a job that pays better so she and her sister can afford to live in the city they have run away to. Eventually her white boss falls in love with her. Will she tell him? What happens to the other sister? There are some rough parts in this book, but I appreciated the over all message it told.