Summer Reading Celebration

Pleasant read of historical fiction set in Ireland in the 1920's during the Irish war for independence from England. The story involves the daughter of the English overseer who has been sent to the area to keep things in check. In an unprecedented move, her father allies her to apprentice at an Irish owned jewelry shop. The owners son is dead st against it because of who she is. While the story feels predictable, the history is well researched. The writing lacks the depth of best sellers, but it was a pleasant enough read.

I worked the lecture at CHQ. I liked his lecture but this book is so special. You can tell just how personal and yet how distant this book is. It simultaneously is so close to his heart and life yet doesn't fully open the door for us to come in. This is art, this is wny.

Magic Tree House series book 20. Read with grandson. He loves these books.

Oh that was good. There were times I was like....okay so where is this going now, only for the story to get more complicated. My only complaint is that the fmc was very smart and clever and competent in the beginning and then she kind of took a backseat...kind of unfortunate. But I did really enjoy it, and hope at least one of the girlies has a lesbian love story ?

I enjoyed this book! I found the information about tardigrades amd bar-headed goose to be the most interesting animals highlight in the book. Tardigrades could be, for all intents and purposes, be dead. Add some water amd tada alive again. Crazy! Then, bar-headed geese not only fly over Mount Everest but thrive in one of the harshest environments in the wprld with little to no oxygen. The book also described some of the harshest environments including animals that thrive in deserts, Arctic Circle and even the bottom of our oceans. Alex Riley narrated the book and I enjoyed his British accent and his nerd jokes like 42, the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. If ypu enjoy learning new things about animals and harsh environments, read this one!

** spoiler alert ** I liked this book. I would give it a 2.5 though, not a 3. Was it as good as the first book in the series, no. Was it still entertaining and fun, yes. The plot just wasn't there. Bella and Mina spent the first 20 pages looking for their supernatural roller derby teammates, who were forced to look for a new home. It is not a big town so not sure why they spent months doing it. The next 30 pages cleaning an asylum. They don't even have their first practice back together til 62. Then they immediately have to take part in a to the death showdown playing roller derby and they have 3 measly days to prepare. Not to mention Mina's inter turmoil over fighting with her best friend, dealing with her parents impending divorce AND still being hung up on feelings of not belonging. I'm sorry. You need more than three days to prepare for a roller derby game, human or supernatural. Also, Mina left her little brpther unattended a lot and all she had to do was make sure he had dinner. Irresponsible much amd the parents didn't even question where she was. Maybe being a parent gives me some perspective but, even being out of sorts, these parents lack of concern always concerning at best but negligent at worst. I wanted to read more about roller derby but got a lot more drama than I cared for. However, looking forward to the plot twist with the zombies for the next book

Wonderful, if not sad book about family and the deep history behind the women in the story.

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 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 really liked the CLSC lecture and I really liked this. Very Temperance Brennan and the 300s.