As summer is gradually coming to an end, I am trying to hold on to it, kicking and screaming like a little kid not wanting to let go of their favorite blankie. Summertime is my favorite time. I love the warm weather, the nights filled with the songs of crickets and frogs, and this year cicadas. I love the sound of kids playing outside until almost ten o'clock at night running and screaming and chasing each other. Those are sounds of my childhood. I loved sitting outside on the picnic table we used to have and look up at the stars at night. My best friend and I would go to the local park at the time, Otter Creek, and take the walking trails, attempt to hit tennis balls back and forth to each other, and check out the guys at the swimming pool. I really miss those days at times. As I was deciding on a theme to follow for reading in August, it just all fell apart. I had two books come in through interlibrary loan that I was waiting for, I discovered a book that a colleague was talking about at work that she found to purchase for the children's program and then well, I just started reading a little bit of everything. So, there is no theme this month. I am just going to share random books I read for the month of August.
The first book I want to share with you is Five Chimneys: A Woman Survivor's True Story of Auschwitz by Olga Lengyel. I discovered it while looking for a book for a patron on interlibrary loan. I am curious about anything written about World War II and this book was a survivor's story. It wasn't beautifully written, but it was her experience and her voice. It is probably the most horrendous account of the concentration camps I have ever read. It was not one that was easy to read. I could only read a few chapters a day. The fact that human beings can be that cruel and evil towards other human beings, that they do not even know, just is unfathomable to me. I don't see how anyone can believe that the extermination of Jews was made up. The stories she told were not things people make up. There was so much evil going on in those camps, I do not know how some of them kept their faith or kept the will to keep on going. This book was very eye opening if you are interested in this topic.
Since I am wrestling with summer and I don't want to let it go, the next book is a beach read. I listened to the audiobook, A Killer Cupcake, a Beachfront Bakery novel by Fiona Grace. This is a cozy mystery with a beachy, bakery theme which is right up my alley. Allison Sweet, yes her last name is sweet and she bakes sweets, decides to open a dessert shop on the board walk in the small beach town of Venice. A murder happens right after she moves in and of course, she gets accused since she was the last to speak to the murder victim. Cozy mysteries are perfect for just escaping and not having to concentrate too hard when you read. They are kind of a great pallet cleanser after a heavy read. I still prefer Joanne Fluke for pastry cozy mysteries, but I thought I would give this newer author a try.
Over the last 5 years or so, I have had an inner conflict with my beliefs and organized religion, specifically the Southern Baptist church. I was raised in the church from the time I was in the nursery until this past year. I had times I stepped away from the church, but I always returned. Right now, I am still struggling with some things and I haven't lost my faith, but I am very disappointed in some churches right now. With that being said, I saw this book recommended on Twitter by a former pastor whom I greatly respect. I was able to find it on interlibrary loan, so I thought I would check it out. Another Gospel?: a Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity by Alisa Childers was good for me right now. I have not had to deal with progressive Christians, but during her turmoil in dealing with her situation at a church, it made her dig and do research to support why she believes what she believes. Any time you have those conflicts with your spirituality or what you believe, I highly recommend researching and finding truth to support your beliefs. My struggle with the church is still a work in progress, but my faith is strong. I am a very blessed person and I love God and I try to love my fellow human beings daily, as the Bible instructs us to. We are to love all, not judge others. Enough on that. I highly recommend this book if you are struggling with your faith.
The other day at work, a co-worker started talking about a cute children's book she ordered for a program at the public library and it was about a middle school girl who was a rebel reader and opened her own little library of banned books. It sounded so cute. We had it at the library so I decided to give it a read. Twelve year old June likes to read and she bonds with her school librarian. When her parents see a book she is reading is a scary book, they want to remove the book from the school library. Then, June's parents, along with other PTO members, decide to go through the school library and remove any books they find objectionable. I didn't realize this children's book was about censorship. They wanted to get rid of the librarian. How dare she recommend books to students that might interest them because the characters are going through some of the same struggles the students are going through. This is a little disturbing to me how easily the parents were able to get rid of the books from the school library. And, of course since the books were being removed, that made the middle school students want to read them all the more. Property of the Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes is a great book to read with younger kids and have a discussion about censorship. It also got me to thinking about what other children's books did I miss out on because they weren't around when I was a kid. So, I had to check out James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, since we are celebrating Mr. Dahl's birthday at the library and Coraline by Neil Gaiman. I was familiar with these books being a former school librarian, but I had never read them until now. The story of James was ok. Dahl is not my favorite author, but I do love the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie. Coraline by Neil Gaiman is the gateway to adult horror. It is very creative and I understand why children love this book if they love being scared. I never was one to like scary books when I was young, I was more of the romance and nature person. I enjoyed experiencing both of these juvenile books and I have decided to read at least one a month from now on. I have always felt it was important to let kids know it is okay to read ALL kinds of books on all levels. I love picture books too. Not everyone wants to read high level, literary fiction, all of the time, just because you are capable of comprehending it. We all like a little light fun, childish, easy reading as well.
This next read was an audio book that just piqued my attention because of the title, God Spare the Girls by Kelsey McKinney. I had just finished Alisa Childers' book and I had the church on my mind. Why not read a book about a preacher's daughters? The book is about a couple of girls whose father is a charismatic preacher of a North Texas evangelical church. I think the fact that the setting was in Texas, after all that has been in the news lately, was appealing as well. The sisters are fairly close and they are planning the oldest sister's wedding. The youngest daughter is kind of a rebel, but the oldest daughter helps her father write his Sunday sermons. Something happens that causes their father to tumble from his pedestal and the daughters have to decide how they are going to handle the situation. It is an engaging coming-of-age story that will make you stop and think about how things are not always as them appear to be.
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green was my book club book for the month. I have read all of John Green's young adult fiction and I have even read his brother's book. I enjoy his Crash Course videos on YouTube that he does with his brother, Hank. This is a collection of essays he writes about things he reviews in our world today, it is also based on a podcast he does with his brother Hank. He bases it on the five star system and rates various popular world topics from Canadian Geese to hot dog eating contests to my favorite, a whisper. Green just has a way with words. He can take an ordinary review of something and turn it into something memorable or relatable. It is a great read that you can just pick up any time and enjoy a review or two. I give this one 4 out of 5 stars. It is worth the read. ☆☆☆☆
This next book, If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy is by an author I first discovered reading her young adult novels. She is the author of the Dumplin' series. I really enjoy her books. Her main character is usually a plus sized female, with which I can relate. This is a cute story about a girl who has just graduated from designer school, shoes are her forte'. Her mother died when she was young and her father raised her. Then, he remarried when she was young and her father died in high school. All she has left is her step mother and her step sisters. She finds herself on a "The Bachelor" type reality show. I loved that she had a plus sized character on a show that usually emphasizes thin model types. She wrote a romance that includes people like me as the main character. Yes, I recommend it.
The final book I want to talk about is the second book in a series I discovered a couple of years ago. It is The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi. It is part of The Henna Artist series. I really enjoy these books. Both times I have listened to them on audio books. It helps with the pronunciation of the foreign names and places. I love hearing the Indian accent and learning about the culture. Not only is the story engaging, but she writes beautifully as well. This is a good read but I also recommend you listen to at least one of them on audio book.
As we tumble into fall, my husband and I are finally going on our retirement cruise we planned a year ago. Thanks to Covid, we had to delay it a year. We are first time cruisers and we are excited and a little anxious as we venture into the unknown. I will share some photos next month from our trip. I think I will venture into young adult books for the month of September. We are working on promoting the Kentucky Bluegrass Awards at the library so I will be reading some of the nominated books. I may include other award winning books as well. As always, thanks for stopping by and taking time to read my blog. Enjoy these last few days of SUMMER!!!! 🌞
