Ally-saurus and the Very Bossy Monster by Richard Torrey

Ally-saurus is a little girl named Ally who likes to pretend she's a dinosaur. I reviewed the first Ally-saurus book, a few years ago:

Ally-saurus and the First Day of School by Richard Torrey

In Ally-saurus and the Very Bossy Monster, Ally-saurus is still imagining herself as a dinosaur. As in the first book, each child's imaginary self is shown with a crayon outline - a dinosaur around Ally-saurus and a top hat on her friend Kai, who pretends to dance across a stage when he's on the porch stairs. Her younger brother Petey just loves to show off his bear.

All is well until a bully named Maddie moves into the neighborhood. Maddie likes to boss everyone around, telling them what to do and not do. She makes up the rules to please herself. But, now she wants to be a monster (as shown by her green monster outline) and she insists that everyone must follow her rules for playing the monster game. No roaring, no saying "Ta-da", no carrying bears around. Maddie insists that monsters say things like "Grack-a-crack", they have warts and horns, and they're smelly and slimy.

At first, Ally-saurus, Kai, and Petey are simply stunned at Maddie's rules for playing at being monsters. But, then Maddie takes Petey's bear away and that is, as they say, the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. Ally-saurus gets up and roars.

"If you are going to play monsters with us," she said, "You have to follow the rules!The first rule is: we can be any kind of monster we want to be," said Ally-saurus. "Hairy and ugly, a dancer . . . even a dinosaur. We can say whatever we want to say:'Grack-a-crack,' 'Roar!,' or 'Ta-Da!' . . . And finally," said Ally-saurus, "nobody takes Petey's teddy bear!"

Ally-saurus and the Very Bossy Monster is, of course, a lesson in how to deal with bullies: You can still play with them but don't let them dictate all the rules.

Recommended - As with the first book, I'm a big fan of the way the author and illustrator uses the crayon outline to show a child's imagination. I also love the fact that Ally-saurus, her friend, and her brother hear out Maddie's ideas. But, it's the fact that Maddie takes away her little brother's bear that spurs her to action. Petey is smaller than Maddie and he needs a defender. So, Ally's not just standing up to a bully for herself; she's acting as a protective big sister. I love that. Just about everyone experiences a problem with bullies, at some point (or becomes one) so Ally-saurus and the Very Bossy Monster would make a super book for everyone to own - to prepare little ones for the bully they may have to deal with and to discuss why bossing other children around is unacceptable, whether at home or in a classroom setting.

Side note: We had a bully problem when my eldest son was 5 years old and a little boy kept grabbing Eldest's toys while they were playing in an an enclosed courtyard. The little bully did this for several weeks before we hit upon a solution. I told Eldest, "The next time he tries to take your toy away, pick it up and come inside. Tell him you don't want to play with him if he's going to be a bully." Eldest did exactly as I said. I was sitting on the doorstep so we both went inside and closed the door. Within minutes the little bully knocked at our door. He apologized and asked Eldest if he would please come back outside, promising not to grab his toys without asking. We're talking about a 4-year-old child, here. Bullying can start young. But, in this case, the young child really just wanted a playmate and didn't realize he was doing anything wrong. My son and his grabby playmate became the best of friends. So, I think the way Ally-saurus handles her bully problem very well could work in real life. Sometimes, very young bullies are not aware that they're doing anything wrong until someone tells them.

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Cap'n Rex and His Clever Crew by Henry L. Herz and Benjamin Schipper

Dinosaur pirates! What a combination. That's what you get in Cap'N Rex and His Clever Crew, a ship full of dinosaur pirates in search of treasure. But, they'll encounter many dangers. First, a Megalodon (a giant shark) takes a bite out of the ship. One of the crew wonders aloud what they'll do.

"Now what, Cap'n? We can't steer without a rudder," said Pat. 

"Rex glared with teeth bared. "Can't ye?" 

And, herein lies the theme of the book. When a pea-soup thick fog rolls in and Terry (a pterodactyl) says he can't spy land, Cap'n Rex repeats the phrase, "Can't ye?" Whenever he says "Can't ye?" it makes his crew try harder to find a solution. Terry can fly above the clouds. Pat (an apatosaurus) can act as a rudder. Another dinosaur with armor on his back (Kyle, the ankylosaurus) can use his armor to knock away the boulders being thrown by an active volcano so that the crew can dig for treasure at the volcano's base. And, when the Cap'n says he can't share the booty with his crew:

The crew frowned. They looked at each other. Then the crew surrounded Rex. 

"CAN'T YE?" 

"Well, sink, me! Yer a clever crew," said Rex.

Recommended - Brightly colored, adventurous, witty fun. I love the theme of Cap'N Rex and His Clever Crew: You can come up with a solution if you think you can. There's only one complaint I have; I can't figure out what's happening in one of the illustrations. Just one. The rest are obvious (and all are delightfully bold). I also like the fact that each dinosaur's name is a hint to the type of dinosaur he is, without it being handed to you on a platter. Not necessarily knowing the type of dinosaur they're looking at will give little ones something extra to do if they're not already well-acquainted with dinosaurs. And, if they're not sure they can look up dinosaurs, whoever's reading to the little ones just has to say, "Can't ye?" and help them out. Children who are more knowledgeable will be delighted to be able to figure out the naming puzzle on their own. At the end of the book is a glossary of pirate terms used in the book, for easy reference.

This is Book #2 for Children's Week. More to come.

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Amazing Animal Friendships by Pavla Hanackova and Linh Dao

I completely forgot to mention that I'm planning to make this a Children's Week in my Monday Malarkey post, yesterday. This is Post #1 for Children's Week. More to come!

Amazing Animal Friendships by Pavla Hanackova and Linh Dao is a book about animals and plants that have symbiotic/companion relationships, like clownfish and anemones (anemones protect clownfish; clownfish keep the anemones clean), aphids and ants (aphids share nectar with ants; ants protect the aphids), truffles/fungi and the root systems of trees, etc. It also mentions a few similar but harmful or parasitic relationships.

I love the clear, cheerful illustrations in Amazing Animal Friendships and found the information extremely interesting. It's meant for ages 5-9 and there are a few words that I thought children might not understand. Fortunately, there's a small glossary in the back of the book that explains some of those words (one of which I didn't know, myself).

My only complaint about the book is that it's a bit "busy". However, that's also handled well. I'm easily overwhelmed visually, as is one of my children, but in this case the descriptions have helpful arrows, so that it's clear which illustration goes with which description. And, it only took one page of reading before I understood the right way to read the book (top to bottom, left page then right -- similar books are often read across the page spread from left to right and then down, so that's important to know). One of my children loved books that keep your eyes moving, so the busy look won't be a concern for everyone.

American readers should be aware that there are a few British terms, like "ladybird" instead of "ladybug", but nothing that can't be easily looked up online if you're not already familiar with them.

Recommended - A fascinating read with lots of information I don't recall ever reading much about anywhere else (although I did know about companion plants from gardening). I especially recommend Amazing Animal Friendships for nature-loving children.

Side note: I read Amazing Animal Friendships just before we left for vacation in South Africa, so it was fresh in my mind when I saw a few of those relationships at work, most notably birds on the backs of large animals, as you see in the cover illustration.

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey

Late in the day, but at least I made it in time to avoid Tuesday Twaddle.

Recent arrivals:


None. So, you get a picture of an outrigger canoe in Hawaii at sunset. Well, it's better than nothing, right? And it comes with a good story. Husband and I were sitting in a grassy area to watch the sunset in Maui when I took this photo. The sun had fallen and we were on the verge of getting up to walk back to our hotel when the outrigger canoes (there were two of them) went past. I pointed them out and we both laughed because, honestly, could there be a more Hawaiian thing to happen than outrigger canoes moving into frame as you watch the last of the evening light fade?


Books finished since last Malarkey:

• A Bigger Table by John Pavlovitz

Not a long book and not a difficult one, either, but I read A Bigger Table exclusively and it took all week because I found myself rereading sentences and paragraphs that I liked. I marked that sucker up like crazy. You should see the number of colorful flags I put in the book! In fact, you probably will, at some point. A Bigger Table is a book about why the author believes churches should be more inclusive and allow people to express their doubts in order to help them grow in faith. The book is part memoir, as the author tells his story to explain how he came to pastor a church that has the kind of inclusive policy of which he speaks.


Posts since last Malarkey:

• The Boat Runner by Devin Murphy (book review)
• Fiona Friday on the Wrong Day (cat photo)

I don't have an excuse for light posting, this week. Oh, well. It is what it is.


Currently reading:


I just finished A Bigger Table, yesterday, and immediately returned to The Goddess of Mtwara. The first story I read baffled me. The second one was exceptional, and I just read several stories that were all thought-provoking. One was even surprisingly upbeat. I'm close to finishing The Goddess of Mtwara and then I'll return to the remaining two books with bookmarks in them: The Half-Drowned King by Linnea Hartsuyker and Spies in the Family by Eva Dillon. I read a handful of pages of The Half-Drowned King this week but I'm just going to have to restart Spies in the Family, when I get back to it. It's been set aside for too long.


In other news:

I've got three rather large piles of ARCs in my bedroom and a pile of children's books that I've read but haven't reviewed. And, I just discovered a children's book that I haven't yet read, which was literally hiding in plain sight - just sitting very openly on the piano bench and I've probably been walking past it for months. So, I'm back in non-request mode. I'll be accepting children's books because they're easy to read and review quickly (although I do prefer to read them once and then do a Children's Week in which I reread each before reviewing) but otherwise, I'm just going to have to stop accepting books, for now, and enjoy the ones I've got.

What's up in your world?


©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday on the Wrong Day

This is a slightly sleepy, just-woke-up kitty. You can tell by the way she's got her front paws spread for balance that she's not quite with-it, yet. She was giving me her, "Feed me?" look. Yes, it worked.

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Boat Runner by Devin Murphy

In 1939, Dutch brothers Jacob and Edwin Koopman are sent to Hitler Youth Camp in Germany. They'd really prefer to spend the summer helping their Uncle Martin, who runs a fishing boat in the North Sea so their father agrees to divide their time, instead. First, the camp, then some time learning how to fish and operate Uncle Martin's boat, and finally some time spent learning about their father's lightbulb factory from the ground up.

At camp, they find that the other boys are fiercely competitive, often violent, and many already know the routine. Some have won a particular prize that Jacob covets. Edwin, an artist, spends all his free time drawing but can be surprisingly competitive, during the games. Although their time is divided, the lessons learned from all three of their experiences will continue to linger.

Back home, their father is determined to get a contract selling lightbulbs to Volkswagen. Against their mother's wishes, the two teenagers tag along with their father to Rotterdam, where the first of many tragedies strikes when Rotterdam is bombed, Holland is occupied by Germans and their hopes to escape Europe quickly become impossible.

From here on out, the major plot points feel like spoilers to me, so I won't mention them. Instead, I'll keep it generic and tell you that The Boat Runner is Jacob's story, the tale of his emotional and physical journey through the war. Faced with numerous tragedies and traumatized by loss, bombings, and the many horrible things he witnesses, he makes a fateful decision. But, has Jacob made the right choice?

I think what I liked best about The Boat Runner was the emotional honesty. At Jacob's age (teenager/young man), many don't have a grip on their emotions and I thought the author did an excellent job of showing the shock, trauma, pain, and (sometimes misplaced) blame that came of his experiences. Also, The Boat Runner is definitely a plot-heavy book - a lot happens. And, I learned a few new things about the WWII era. I'd never heard of potato masher grenades and I didn't know RAF pilots carried barter kits containing gold coins and rings.

I did have some problems with the book like occasionally feeling like the prose was flat, although at other times I found myself stopping to reread a beautiful sentence. It might have been that I simply didn't fall in love with the author's writing style, coupled with the rawness of the story. There are some gruesome scenes; it's worth mentioning that The Boat Runner is not for the faint of heart.

Having said all that, I liked the point-of-view and I think The Boat Runner would make an excellent discussion book. The decisions Jacob made, the emotions he experienced, the historical perspective, and the situations in which he was placed are all ripe for conversation. I wondered, for example, if at times certain situations were resolved a little too easily, or the consequences didn't necessarily fit the actions, or even if other people squirmed at some of Jacob's conclusions - and a couple times, whether a scene was plausible given the surroundings.

Recommended but not a favorite - A very good WWII book, extremely emotional, sometimes beautifully written and sometimes a little too descriptive for my taste, definitely worth discussing. I would have preferred to know precisely when the events were occurring without having to look them up. Dates at the chapter headings would have been helpful. My copy was an ARC sent by Goodreads, so I can't say for sure dates were not added but the only date I saw was in the cover blurb.

Note: I looked up a lot of images while reading The Boat Runner and I found it particularly interesting that there were images of boys in Hitler Youth Camp doing exactly the activities that the author described. If you read the book, I highly recommend looking up images from the time period. While the author has been called out for some inaccuracies, I found a lot of what I looked up matched the descriptions and seeing the images always adds an interesting dimension to the reading.


©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey

We're celebrating our first really autumnal day (although, of course, it's not apparently going to last) by throwing open the windows. The cats and I are in total bliss and I decided I must rush outdoors to photograph the latest book acquisitions. Fiona kindly posed.

Recent arrivals (top to bottom - all were purchased except for The It Girls):

• Moon travel guide to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island
• Slade House by David Mitchell
• The It Girls by Karen Harper - from HarperCollins for review
• The Faraway Nearby by Rebecca Solnit
• A Bigger Table by John Pavlovitz
• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Slade House, The Faraway Nearby, and Big Magic (which I checked out from the library and have wanted to own, since) were all purchased on Wednesday evening when I spent the night in Oxford, Mississippi, where I was needed to sit in Kiddo's apartment and wait for a delivery, the next morning. We went to Off-Square Books after eating dinner:

I love Off-Square Books.


Books finished since last Malarkey:

• Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
• The Boat Runner by Devin Murphy

I was focusing exclusively on The Boat Runner when I saw a friend's review of Dark Matter and decided I needed to take a break and read something suspenseful. I bought Dark Matter several months ago and, wow, Debbie was right. It was almost impossible to put down. The only reason I managed to set it down at all was because I started reading late enough at night that my eyes grew heavy. Dark Matter is a terrific read. I finished up The Boat Runner, last night, a WWII novel about a young Dutch man who is sent to Hitler Youth Camp with his brother just prior to the occupation of Holland by Germans and his experiences during the war.


Posts since last Malarkey:

• An American Family by Khizr Khan (book review)
• Fiona Friday (cat photo)

Not a big week for blogging, since I was gone in the middle of the week, but boy did I have fun reading in a hotel room alone!!


Currently reading:

Hmm, I'm between books and not sure which to focus on, next. A Bigger Table just arrived this afternoon and I immediately sat down to read the introduction (so excited about it that I didn't even fetch my reading glasses; I just read it blurry). so I'll undoubtedly add that to the current reads. I'd also like to get back to The Half-Drowned King by Linnea Hartsuyker and get that finished up but I'm well aware that it's a slow read so I might, instead, focus on finishing up The Goddess of Mtwara (a book of prize-winning African short stories). Whenever I take the time to read a story in The Goddess of Mtwara, I'm always frankly blown away by the quality of the writing, although a couple of stories are so very, very African that I just had to read between the lines. At any rate, there's nothing I feel like totally abandoning, but I'm not entirely sure what I'll pick up when I climb into bed, tonight. We shall see.


In other news:  

I'm so excited about the cool air I can hardly stand it. I completely forgot we were expecting a cool front until about noon and then I rushed to open the windows and the cats were happy as clams. Then I had to shut the windows to go to the gym. When I arrived home, they were sleeping but they came running when they heard the kitchen windows go up. Opening the windows has the same effect as popping the top of a can of cat food. We have so little open-window weather that it's just as exciting for me but I don't fit on the window ledge so I guess I'll have to go out and trim bushes to enjoy the air. Or sit outside reading!!! Oooooh. There's a thought!


©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday

You can't tell they're snuggling but the lengths of their little fur bodies were pressed together and it looked super sweet. Unfortunately, I took this photo and my phone battery promptly died, so I didn't manage to get a view that showed how close they were. Still sweet, though, yes?

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

An American Family by Khizr Khan

I read An American Family by Khizr Khan near the end of September so there are details I've forgotten. But, the one thing that really sticks with me is the sense of admiration I felt for the author and the experience of reading about how much pain the family went through after losing their son to a bomber in Iraq.

Let me back up a little, in case there's anyone out there who is unaware of who Khizr Khan is, since I spent many years refusing to talk politics or vote. Khizr Khan and his wife are gold-star parents (meaning parents who lost a son or daughter during his or her American military service) who spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2016. He had harsh words for Donald Trump, who had criticized both Muslims and John McCain, the congressman known for his many years as a Vietnam Prisoner of War. After Khan's speech at the DNC, Trump verbally attacked Khan.

I was impressed with Khan's speech and his measured response to Trump's attacks, although reading the speech in the book, it really does appear quite harsh. Still, I found what little I heard about Khan and his story compelling, so I was very excited to get an Advanced Reader Copy of his book, An American Family.

The author goes all the way back to his youth to tell his story. As a child in Pakistan, he lived in poverty but he was determined to become a lawyer. Because of his financial situation, it took a lot of hard work and faith to get to law school and then neither he nor his parents could come up with the money for him to take what we call the Bar Exam (I don't recall if it's called that in Pakistan, but it was clearly the same - a test that allows one to practice law), although a leap of faith and a dollop of courage led to that opportunity. The story of how he acquired his education and the words of wisdom that were repeated to him as a child are fascinating enough alone. But, you also get to read about Khan's love story - how he met his wife, Ghazala, and why her mother wanted her to marry someone else in an arranged marriage but Khizr won out. It's a truly beautiful story.

He talks about the decision to leave the country for a job, rather than staying in Pakistan, where he knew that bribery had a lot to do with the outcome of a trial, and the steps in his career and further education that eventually made his family financially secure. He talks about his three children, their differing personalities, and son Humayun's decision to join the military. You really get to know and admire the family. While Khizr Khan was strict enough that today he'd probably be referred to as a "helicopter parent", it's clear that he and his wife raised children with strong principles and a deep love of their country.

Near the end of the book, the focus is on Humayun and his death - and it is heart-wrenching. The author also talks about how Ghazala eventually worked through her pain by hosting young military recruits for a dinner and giving each a gift, encouraging them in service in spite of her own loss. I could hardly breathe through the last part of the book for all the tears. While his Muslim heritage is a huge part of his life, faith mostly comes into the book in a soft way, in moments when he explains how his beliefs figure into certain decisions and actions, although it's a huge part of his life. This quote, for example, explains how he came to give Ghazala a certain gift that impressed her:

Islam teaches that the Creator made nothing in a cage, and that to release one of His creations back to the wild was an act of kindness and mercy. 

~ from p. 53 of ARC (some changes may have been made to the final print version)

Highly recommended - A deeply moving and admirable story of the author's life and that of his family. Every now and then you read one of those rare memoirs that makes you think, "I wish I knew the author. I would love it if he was my neighbor." That's how I felt while I was reading An American Family. They sound like absolutely lovely, giving people and I wish I knew them. Near the beginning of the book, you find out about how the author discovered the U.S. Constitution and why he carries a copy of it around with him. While he didn't actually intend to end up in the United States, it's quite interesting to read about that early connection and how his understanding of our Constitution has influenced him, over the years, and how his home country compares. A new favorite memoir. I can't think of a single negative thing to say about this book, although it's worth mentioning that it's a very emotional read.

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey

Quite a change after last week's pile but this time only a week has passed and look at the cover of Gertie Milk and the Keeper of Lost Things! Is it cool or what?

Recent arrivals:

• Memoirs of a Public Servant by Charleston Hartfield
• Gertie Milk and the Keeper of Lost Things by Simon Van Booy

I read about Memoirs of a Public Servant in a news article about the victims of the Las Vegas shooting. Charleston Hartfield, a former police officer, was among those killed and the article I read mentioned his book. I used to read quite a few books by or about police officers back in the days when I thought I wanted to be a mystery writer so I figured it would be an interesting read. It's got some slight formatting issues but looks like a quick gulp of a book and I'm looking forward to the reading.

I read every book Simon Van Booy publishes, of course, so I pre-ordered Gertie Milk and the Keeper of Lost Things when Simon told me about it. It's the first in a Middle Grade series and I've already read it, although it took me 5 days because I was still recovering from my recent trip and kept falling asleep. I napped a lot, this week, too. More about Gertie Milk will be coming soon, but I can tell you it's a wild and wacky ride.


Books finished since last Malarkey:

• Iowa: Poems by Lucas Hunt
• My Little Cities: London by J. Adams and G. Pizzoli
• My Little Cities: Paris by J. Adams and G. Pizzoli
• My Little Cities: New York by J. Adams and G. Pizzoli
• My Little Cities: San Francisco by J. Adams and G. Pizzoli
• Goodnight, Little Bot by Karen Kaufman Orloff and Kim Smith
• Dough Knights and Dragons by Dee Leone and George Ermos
• Rufus Blasts Off by Kim Griswell and Valeri Gorbachev
• Gertie Milk and the Keeper of Lost Things by Simon Van Booy

Almost all of my reading was chosen with my current state of fatigue and slumpishness in mind, although I was very excited about Iowa and Gertie Milk because they're both books I've been waiting on for quite some time. The last couple of months, between and during travel, my reading took a serious beating. Children's books and poetry just happen to be two of my slump breakers and I had plenty waiting for me. And, they did the trick! Sleep might have helped a bit, too, but it took me all week to recover from both Hawaii and the long night of watching the news about Las Vegas (I just happened to be up when that horror occurred).


Posts since last Malarkey:

• Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore (book review)
• A few minis - Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson, Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans, and Defining Moments in Black History by Dick Gregory (mini book reviews)
• Fiona Friday (cat photo)

Currently reading:

• The Boat Runner by Devin Murphy
• The Goddess of Mtwara and Other Stories
• The Half-Drowned King by Linnea Hartsuyker
• Spies in the Family by Eva Dillon

OK. You know I've been listing some that I have bookmarks in but which I'm not currently reading, right? Well, this week was an improvement. After all those children's picture books and the one MG broke my post-vacation slump, I managed to pick up The Goddess of Mtwara and read two stories, both of which were excellent (they are prizewinners, of course, but sometimes African stories are so heavy in African names and local references that they can totally lose a reader from Elsewhere). Then, I started The Boat Runner because I wasn't yet in the mood to pick up The Half-Drowned King, knowing how dense it is. But, I no longer feel like tweeting instead of reading, so I'm feeling very positive about the coming week's reading and have the sense I'll probably finally get back to the books I've set aside. 

In other news:

There's not much news but there's one question I've been asked 3 times since we returned from Hawaii: "Is the water pretty?" To answer that, here's a photo I took just off the coast of Oahu from the air:

Clearly, the answer is "yes". We didn't do any snorkeling on this trip (although, if you go back and look at posts I made in November of 2007, you will see that we once went snorkeling off Oahu) but the water is lovely and I did see a lone sea turtle, at one point. So, that's cool.

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday

Isabel has to come into the bathroom with me, but she also has to consider going out.

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

A few minis - Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson, Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans, Defining Moments in Black History by Dick Gregory

There are a few books I've been thinking about not reviewing (and one I loved but don't want to give full review treatment) so I've decided to do a few mini reviews. Most of these were read some time ago, at least long enough that plenty of the details will probably escape me.

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson is a beautifully written story about a young girl and her family after their move to New York. Told in reflection after she meets an old friend on the train and refuses to speak to her, the story describes the fiction she told herself about her mother and how eventually the missing mother would show up, the friendships that she formed after she was finally allowed to roam outside her apartment, and the horror when one of her friends was raped. I read Another Brooklyn in July and that's about all I can remember, apart from how it made me feel.

And, here is where the surprise comes. Most everyone seems to love this book but it simply did not resonate for me. Jacqueline Woodson's writing is impressive, evocative, a little dreamy and very honest. It wasn't so much that I couldn't relate because that doesn't necessarily matter to me. It was that I couldn't always follow; in other words, sometimes the book was a little too lyrical or metaphorical and I wasn't entirely certain what she was trying to say or what had just happened. And, in the end, I was left with questions. I no longer recall what those questions were, but I definitely would have loved to talk to someone about it when I closed the book. Maybe that would have made it a better read for me, having someone to discuss with. But, I found it just an above-average read because of the confusion. Apparently, it was just me. The book gets rave reviews. All of my friends have given it either 4 or 5 stars at Goodreads and I love Woodson's writing so I still recommend it. I may even reread Another Brooklyn, someday; it's very likely I missed something.

Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans is a book that's been on my radar since Andi of Estella's Revenge talked about it. Till then, I was unfamiliar with the author or her blog (where she appears to now seldom write an entry) and her heartfelt posts about her struggle between the Christian beliefs that have taken a sharp direction away from those of the evangelical church in which she was raised and her yearning to be a part of a church community. Subtitled, "Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church," the book tells about Evans' childhood in a Southern Baptist church, her devotion to learning about the Bible and saving people, her Bible-scholar father's calm explanations, and then . . . the questions, the creation of a new church with friends, and the gradual changes in her beliefs that led her to search for a new church home.

With the exception of having a Bible scholar as a father (mine was an accountant) there were some striking similarities between Evans' church history and mine. I grew up in the Southern Baptist Church (a cheerful, small-town church where I always felt happy and loved). I was an eager student of the Bible, although maybe not a very good one, and I wanted everyone to feel the kind of acceptance and love I felt at church so I was constantly trying to convert people. I can only hope I wasn't too much of a prig, but it all boiled down to the fact that my home church was a joyful place. Like Evans, I also went through a stage when I finally began to seriously question the church's stance on particular modern issues, although I had long since moved to the Methodist church and my move away from the church was decidedly slower. Still, the similarities stunned me and I found Searching for Sunday an incredibly affirming and comforting read.

Highly recommended, especially to those who find themselves questioning the church but not their Christianity.

In the opposite vein, I'd really like to say as little as possible about Defining Moments in Black History: Reading Between the Lies by Dick Gregory because I have such mixed feelings about it. It starts out great. Gregory, who recently passed away, lived quite an interesting life as an actor, comedian, and writer, and appeared to know just about every black person of fame that you can think of. He was around during the Civil Rights Movement and was knowledgeable about the events, the people, the movement itself and the many organizations working for change. At the beginning, he shares a great deal of history in fairly short chunks. They're not necessarily cohesive, but they're interesting and revealing. The audience he addresses is black; he talks as if he's talking to a young person, offering his knowledge as well as advice.

However, as the book progresses, Gregory begins to occasionally contradict himself and dig deeply into conspiracy theories. While I felt like some of them were absolutely plausible, there were many others (particularly involving the deaths of celebrities) that simply didn't make sense to me, even when I sat back and thought about them and twisted them around in my head.  He believed, for example, that Tiger Woods' downfall was not due to his infidelity but due to generic white supremacists who didn't want him to surpass the success of Jack Nicklaus. How he came to that conclusion in spite of Tiger's own confession and decided that Tiger's back surgery was a fiction forced upon Tiger by these unknown white supremacists is beyond me. That's simply one example. I'd like to give Gregory the benefit of the doubt and say that perhaps the contradictions and conspiracy theories were due to the fact that he was aging and died shortly before publication but I haven't read any of his other books so I can't compare to know if there's been any change.

At any rate, I liked parts of Defining Moments in Black History and found some of the history particularly fascinating (music, movies, movements, you name it - he spoke broadly). Iffy on recommendation but I wouldn't tell you not to give it a try. I'd love to hear other folks' thoughts about this book.


©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore

I read Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore while I was on vacation in August, but I'm pretty sure it was the only book I finished that week and I remember it well because I was so immensely entertained. Milo is close to reaching his limit of lifetimes. He's had 9,995 chances to reach perfection and a soul only gets 10,000 tries before being cast into . . . well, nothingness. If you achieve perfection, you get to move on to the Afterlife and become a part of the cosmic soul, but it's not looking good for Milo.

There's a particular obstacle to his success. Milo is in love with death . . . or at least one of the eternal beings who harvest souls. Her name is Suzie and if Milo achieves perfection, he will no longer be able to spend time with her between reincarnations. While Milo does his best to figure out how to achieve perfection without sabotaging himself, you get to experience his attempts and also glimpses into past lifetimes. Meeting the different Milos who live in different times and places (including outer space) makes for a very entertaining read. Each lifetime is an entirely different experience, so it's almost like reading an interconnected series of stories.

As Milo gets closer to his final chance, he and Suzie realize they can't fathom eternity without each other. Because Suzie is already immortal, she will have to break some rules if they're going to be together. But, is it even possible? And, will Milo be able to reach perfection before it's too late?

Highly recommended - An immensely creative read with a lighthearted tone, sometimes funny, often tragic. Milo has to keep dying, of course, so there's plenty of hardship and a number of tragic ends. But, at the same time, the book has this wonderful, playful tone that you can't help but love. Because each of Milo's lifetimes is so very different, I had favorite lives in the book and I would often groan in frustration when one ended. Yet, I was always excited to see what would happen next. Life is clearly rough; Milo goes through some harrowing experiences. But, what a delightful read. Reincarnation Blues is a book that makes me feel warm inside when I think about it. Definitely one of my favorites of the year.

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey

Back to Malarkey! I was in Hawaii, last week, although I managed to pre-post some reviews, for once. I'm generally not a pre-poster, but I wanted to get as many reviews up as possible, since our August trip already threw me behind.

Recent arrivals (top to bottom):

• My Little Cities: London,
• My Little Cities: New York,
• My Little Cities: Paris,
• My Little Cities: San Francisco, all by Jennifer Adams and Greg Pizzoli - board books from Chronicle Books (Hatchette) for review
• When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele - from St. Martin's Press for review 
• Iowa (poetry) by Lucas Hunt - from the author for review
• A Bold and Dangerous Family by Caroline Moorehead - from Harper for review
• Rufus Blasts Off by Kim T. Griswell and Valeri Gorbachev, 
• Dough Knights and Dragons by Dee Leone and George Ermos, and
• Goodnight Little Bot by Karen Kaufman Orloff and Kim Smith, all from Sterling Children's Books for review

I had a little trouble getting myself to stop obsessing over the news about the Las Vegas shooting and Tom Petty's death, today (and now I'm hearing Tom Petty is "clinging to life" - I'll be the first to celebrate if he lives), and it was the fact that the My Little Cities books were sitting right next to me that helped pull me away from the news. I read all four and I'll read the three Sterling Children's books, in a bit. Children's books are a definite upper. 

Books finished since last Malarkey:

• An American Family by Khizr Khan 
• Alan Cole is Not a Coward by Eric Bell

Yes, only two books in two weeks. Ugh. I'm clearly the exception to the Vacation Reading Rule. I just can't concentrate on a plane or even in an empty hotel room while my husband is off working. Or, on the beach. I have to watch the waves and the people. I did read. Just not much. Alan Cole is Not a Coward is going down as one of my favorites of the year, though. When I finally got around to opening it, I could not put that book down. I can't wait to tell you more about it. Khizr Khan's memoir is also wonderful - very inspiring and, of course, heartbreaking.


Posts since last Malarkey:

• The Way to London: A Novel of WWII by Alix Rickloff (book review)
• Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis (book review)
• Noor's Story: My Life in District Six by Noor Ebrahim (book review)
• Fiona Friday - Cover Girl Isabel (cat photo) 
• No Malarkey (cat photo)
• The River at Night by Erica Ferencik (book review)
• Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (book review)
• The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso (book review)
• Fiona Friday - My napping buddies (cat photo)

Currently reading:

• Iowa by Lucas Hunt (poetry)
• The Half-Drowned King by Linnea Hartsuyker
• Spies in the Family by Eva Dillon
• The Goddess of Mtwara

Misleading, again. I'm focusing on Iowa because I was in the mood for poetry and nothing else was appealing to me, a couple days ago. I will tell you more about it, later, but while there are poems I don't "get" (almost always true in any volume of poetry), the vast majority of the poetry in Iowa is about things that remind me of home (Oklahoma, not Iowa - there are some major similarities): corn, wheat, gravel and dirt roads, empty beer cans, lying in a field at night watching the stars, working under a hot sun, etc. It just feels like a slice of home and I'm sure a lot of Midwestern poetry lovers will especially get a kick out of it. I'm reading it deliberately at a slow pace, even though I'm kind of in the midst of a slump and would probably read slowly, anyway.

The Half-Drowned King is what I spent most of my time on in Hawaii. I'm enjoying it but I'm only about 1/4 of the way in. I don't know if that's because I was tired at the end of the day or it's just a slow read but it is, in my opinion, solid storytelling and worth the effort to forge onward, slump or not. I haven't touched The Goddess of Mtwara because I left it at home. And, I read a mere 27 pages of Spies in the Family (but, again, I was enjoying it) before I decided to focus on The Half-Drowned King. So, we'll see what I manage to finish besides children's books.


In other news:

I had trouble finishing this post because I was glued to the news, today, so I'll leave you with a single photo from Hawaii, a phone pic of a sunset on Maui (I took a lot of Toes in Paradise shots, on this trip).

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday - My napping buddies

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso

***Spoiler alert! I mentioned a couple plot points that I personally enjoyed having revealed to me during the reading. I dislike knowing much of anything about what's going to happen in a book before I read it. If you also feel that way, please skip down to the highlighted recommendation line to avoid spoilers.***

The Woman Next Door tells the story of two women in South Africa - one black, one white. They're next-door neighbors and they hate each other.  Marion, the white woman, is casually racist and not self-aware, so she doesn't realize she's racist,, although it shows in even the little things she does. Like buying one-ply toilet tissue for her housekeeper and two-ply for herself (until she finds out the housekeeper is buying her own three-ply and rushes out to get some of her own).

Hortensia, the black woman, has become hardened since her husband's affair, 40 years back. When Marion finds out she's going bankrupt and will have to sell her home, she digs in her attic for a valuable painting purchased specifically as an investment. She wants to hide it from the bank because it's valuable enough to at least keep her in a decent home for the rest of her life.

When Hortensia's husband dies and the will instructs her to call her deceased husband's daughter from his affair, she resists and starts on a project to remodel her house so she won't have to think about it. But, there's an accident on the first day. Hortensia's leg is broken and Marion's home is damaged. The painting disappears. They still hate each other, but through shared tragedies, the two women slowly get to know each other and share their broken pasts.

Highly recommended - I adored the characters. They're both nasty in a curmudgeonly way, having been broken by life, somehow. But, at the same time, you can't help but be utterly charmed by their dialogue. The story really is a delight. I chose to read The Woman Next Door because of the word "delightful" on the cover, having just finished a suspense. It was absolutely the perfect follow-up to a darker read. I think The Woman Next Door would also make a pretty good discussion book. The racism and misogyny experienced by the two women should be excellent fodder for group discussion.

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

***Potential spoiler alert: The second paragraph contains potential spoilers. If you're concerned about potential spoilers, please skip to the highlighted recommendation line***

I'm just going to admit how I felt about Pretty Girls up front so you can decide if you want to read on. When I finished the book, I was taking my blogging break but still writing quick reviews at Goodreads. I opted not to give it a rating at all because I disliked it so much. However, if I were to rate the book only on the quality of writing, I'd give it a 4/5. Karin Slaughter is clearly a pro. Her characters were nicely fleshed out and some of the women were very clever, with terrific senses of humor. I found myself wishing the author would use her skill to write something less gruesome.

However, the storyline is about men (not just one) who torture women to death, a woman who finds out her husband was evil, and a family in which loss and not knowing what happened to a missing daughter/sister has torn them asunder. Had it not gone into such graphic detail about the torture and murder of kidnapped women and instead been the story of a family working together to solve a decades-old crime without the gore, I might have been okay with it. I was quite impressed with the author's skill in storytelling and characterization - and I loved the dialogue between them. Most of the family had a dry wit, so when some of the characters were interacting, the dialogue was often quite fun.

Having said all that, I just can't handle this kind of book and a part of me desired to rate it 1/5 just for being so damned revolting. I considered giving up around page 225 or so. The only reasons I continued: I wanted to see it through so I could know that the worst of the evil men would never hurt anyone again (it was predictable that something would happen to him in the end) and read the resolution in which the family finds its answers. And, yes, those two aspects were satisfying.

Not recommended unless you have a really strong stomach - If you can handle horrifically graphic detail, great. If not, avoid this book. The torture was just too much for me. I will not read Karin Slaughter, again.


©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The River at Night by Erica Ferencik

I had a little trouble getting into The River at Night, partly because I had just finished three utterly brilliant books in a row (this was back at the end of July) and partly because the beginning is a bit slow. A suspense about 4 women who get together yearly for a getaway, the book begins with a concept that's a little hard to buy into. Pia wants to go somewhere remote and challenging - a "get back to nature" type of trip - and she's chosen whitewater rafting in Maine. Rather than finding a place that's safe with trained tour guides, she's found a 20-year-old who has mapped out a remote section of river in Maine that he'll guide them down after a night of camping in the wilderness. Win (short for Winifred) narrates the trip.

There's some painfully overdone foreshadowing via Win's fears, at the beginning. But, once the women arrive at the river and begin their journey, the pace of the story picks up. Rory, their guide, seems competent enough. There was just never a point at which I was able to say to myself, "Yeah, sure, I believe 4 women would be willing to go to this remote area with a single guide and no knowledge of their own." It just didn't make sense to me. Why not go somewhere safer? I've been whitewater rafting. You can choose a trip every bit as challenging as what Pia chose (a weekend trip) but without the added danger of going somewhere so ridiculously remote without any kind of emergency plan. It's almost like you can sense the author plotting, "Where can I send my characters to make sure they're in the worst possible situation?" Setting up the plot in this way ensured that the characters in the book fall into the "too stupid to live" category.

Recommended but not a favorite - The author did a great job of changing the scenery, keeping the geography fairly fresh as the group traveled downriver; her descriptions of the river were beautiful. And, once things started to go horribly wrong and the storyline in The River at Night went a little big Deliverance, I considered the challenge the women faced unexpected and therefore interesting. I give the author credit for uniqueness of the specific dangers she created and the fact that I did find the story suspenseful, if a bit predictable. But, the overall result was average to a bit above average. Points off for overdone foreshadowing and a story that never fully allows one to suspend disbelief.

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

No malarkey

I haven't been reading or receiving enough books to feel like a Malarkey post is worthwhile, this week, so Monday Malarkey will return next week, October 2. In the meantime, here is cat photo of apology (one that just happens to make me smile):

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday - Cover girl Isabel

This is a new favorite image. I discovered that if I get the phone camera to focus on Izzy's dark bits (her eye or the tabby patches on her face), the camera will overexpose everything else when she's in the window, giving a photo a stylish, edgy look. She had no idea she was modeling. Should I pay her in treats?

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Noor's Story: My Life in District Six by Noor Ebrahim

Noor's Story: My Life in District Six by Noor Ebrahim is a book I bought in Cape Town, South Africa when we went on a tour of District Six, Langa township, and Robben Island (the island on which Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years). The District Six Museum is pretty much all that's left of the once-thriving community in which Ebrahim once lived.

The name "District Six" has to do with the fact that Cape Town was once subdivided into districts and it just happened to be the sixth district. There's nothing particularly special about the name. But, the district was unique in that it was a melting pot, its residents diverse but living vibrant lives in harmony. In the 1960s, the residents of District Six were informed that their district had been designated an area for whites only and that they'd have to move. However, nothing happened for nearly a decade. Life went on as usual until the government finally got around to forcing people out in the 1970s. And, then they literally bulldozed almost every building.

In Noor's Story, the author talks about his childhood and young adulthood in District Six. Although his family was impoverished, they lived a happy life and always knew that if they were short on money, they could ask the neighbors for a little help and count on them to provide a little bit of bread or vegetables. They would never starve. The district was self-reliant, so while some of the residents commuted to other parts of Cape Town to work, they had everything they needed in District Six - food, schools, churches and mosques, a theater, etc. Noor had a variety of interests including athletics and choir. He talks about various holidays, religious and otherwise, and the parades that everyone looked forward to. And, he tells about how and why he gave up his schooling and sought employment to help finance his siblings' education.

The sad part, of course, is the destruction of the district and the way the community was divided as everyone was forced to move. For some, life was never even remotely the same. Once that community was gone, many of its traditions and connections disappeared, as well. Those who lived in District Six will tell you they believe the district was destroyed because it served the government's purpose to have people of varying backgrounds divided. Apartheid still existed and whites could only stay in power if they encouraged division. Trevor Noah made similar comments about the way blacks were divided into differing factions during Apartheid. It's fascinating and definitely a lesson worth studying.

Highly recommended - If you're interested in what life was like in this unique community, I definitely recommend it. I found myself looking up a lot of words that were unfamiliar (or looking them up again if I'd read them, before - "koeksisters", for example, are a confectionary that looks much like our donuts and I read about them in another book but promptly forgot the word). While sometimes I couldn't find a definition, I found reading about the community so enjoyable that I just shrugged it off and continued when that happened. No biggie. The bottom line was that District Six was a place where people of different colors, religions, and backgrounds lived in joyful harmony. I loved immersing myself in Noor's world.

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis

Cassandra Harwood lives in 19th-century Angland, where men work as magicians and women are in charge of politics. But, Cassandra has never fit into any mold.

4 months after Cassandra tragically lost her ability to cast spells, she has accompanied her brother and sister-in-law to a gathering in the elven dales. But, even as they were traveling, they knew something was wrong. The unseasonably harsh snowfall has continued, leaving them snowbound. Not all of the guests will be able to arrive. And, Cassandra is in deep trouble. During the search for missing members of the party, she uttered a few words overheard by a manipulative elf lord, words that committed her to a task. Obligated to find out who caused the strange change of weather, Cassandra will suffer a horrible fate if she fails.

While Cassandra searches for answers she must also deal with the presence of her former fiancé, who still does not understand that she left him for his own good. Will Cassandra discover the answer in time to save herself from the wily elf lord? What will happen between Cassandra and Wrexham, the man she still loves but desires to protect?

It took me a couple chapters to figure out exactly what was going on in Snowspelled and really get into the book. And, then I was unsure who the audience was meant to be, since Stephanie Burgis writes across age ranges and the book is quite short at a mere 153 pages. After I arrived at a scene that was very adult, I decided I'd better ask. The author confirmed to me that Snowspelled is an adult fantasy novel, hence the recommendation for a specific crowd in my labels. There are no particularly graphic scenes so I wouldn't worry if a child walks off with your copy, though. The "adult" bits are  limited to a bit of innuendo.

At any rate, once I got into the storyline, I really enjoyed it. There's a great cast in Snowspelled but even though Cassandra (called "Harwood" by her former fiancé) is staying at a large estate with a sizeable cast of characters, you only get to know those who are entirely necessary to the plot; the author doesn't overwhelm you with characters (much appreciated). And, I particularly loved the characters who were closest to the heroine. Brother Jonathan is a bit of a rebel, himself, and sister-in-law Amy is quite simply delightful. Ex-fiancé Wrexham is the kind of man you really want your heroine to fall in love with. And, the ending scene is both clever and satisfying. The story is fully wrapped up, no cliffhanger ending.

Highly recommended - A quick, delightful read, first in a series, that is both romantic and adventurous. Read it for a change of pace, a touch of magic, a taste of romance, especially if you're looking for a light, charming read to break a dark mood or a slump. I found myself smiling a lot and I was definitely in the mood for something light since I've been a bit slumpy, post-vacation.


©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Way to London: A Novel of WWII by Alix Rickloff

Lucy Stanhope is a wicked young lady with icy manners and The Way to London is a romantic quest. Lucy is a wounded soul because her mother never paid attention to her and flitted from one romance and marriage to another. The story opens in Singapore, where Lucy's scandalous affair with an exotic man has come to light. She's pressured to return to England by her mother and stepfather, who are concerned that her affair will damage her stepfather's business.

But, Lucy is unhappy in her aunt's huge estate in Cornwall, where soldiers are billeted and Aunt Cynthia expects Lucy to abide by strict rules and standards, yet is also too busy to spend any time with her.

Then, Lucy meets a 12-year-old boy named Bill who has been evacuated from London. Bill is frustrated with the family who took him in and wants to return home to London's East End. Lucy has heard there's a Hollywood filmmaker in London, a man she met in Singapore, and she wants to see if she can become his next starlet and escape England and the war. So, Lucy and Bill decide to travel to London together. The war interferes with their travels and they meet a number of challenges.

Along the way, they meet up with another acquaintance of Lucy's, a former soldier she met in Singapore who was released for medical reasons. He sees through Lucy's caustic personality - even thinks she's kind of funny. Can Lucy accept the fact that she may be falling for a man who is neither wealthy nor exotic? Or, will she stick to her escapist plan and attempt to become a starlet?

Highly recommended, particularly to lovers of romantic adventure - The Way to London is very plot-driven, which I love, but I think what I liked about the book most is the way Bill softens Lucy. The relationship between the two is a little odd and a lot heartwarming. There are other people who add to the sweetness of the story as they help Lucy and Bill through challenges, as well, giving the book that sort of "hodge-podge family" feature that I adore. Because Lucy's wounded soul is reflected by her rebellion and biting personality, she requires a good bit of patience. But, eventually, she does redeem herself, the story is worth sticking out, and I closed it with a warm, fuzzy feeling. I really loved this story.


©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey

This was not a big week for reading or arrivals, even though I enjoyed the reading that I managed.

Recent arrivals:

• Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis and 
• What Happened by Hillary Rodham Cinton (both purchased)

Books finished since Tuesday Twaddle:

• The Way to London by Alix Rickloff
• Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis

I enjoyed both of these books. My review of The Way to London has been pre-scheduled to publish tomorrow. Since I'm so far behind on reviews, I figured I'd better write about it while it was still fresh in my mind. I hope to do that for Snowspelled, as well. It's going to take me a while to catch up on the backlog of reviews but I'm not worried. If I have to, I'll do a few catch-up mini review posts and I'm planning to do a children's book review week, soon, as well. 

Posts since Tuesday Twaddle:

• Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi (book review)
• The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones (book review)
• Fiona Friday - Spot the cat (cat photo)

Currently reading:

• An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice by Khizr Khan
• The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
• The Goddess of Mtwara and Other Stories

OK, this is misleading. I'm really only reading An American Family - and definitely enjoying it. I meant to use the hashtag #ConstitutionDay to mention how much I enjoyed reading about how Khizr Khan discovered the American Constitution and his appreciation of it, yesterday, but I blew it. It's a good story, though.

I haven't touched The Goddess of Mtwara since I got home from vacation, although I love the variety of stories in this book of African prizewinners and haven't given up on it, by any means. And, I got 50 pages into The Invention of Wings but then didn't open it back up after the first night's reading. I was enjoying it but I'm not going to make it to my F2F discussion so I just haven't felt compelled to pick it back up. I think, instead, I'll read it another time and start one of my ARCs, since I have a substantial pile of them to tackle and I keep looking at those ARC piles longingly.


In other news:

Huh, can't think of any other news. We had some fall weather (really, closer to winter weather with a high in the mid-50s) just after we returned from vacation but we're back to normal, now (upper 80s, low 90s, heavy humidity) and I am definitely missing that cool weather. It was fun while it lasted. The news fades quickly but you never forget living through a devastating hurricane, so I've been thinking a lot about those who are recovering from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma and hoping that the punishing experience of living without power in the Southern heat has ended for most. I'll be keeping the hurricane survivors in my thoughts for a long time.


©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday - Spot the cat

This was adorable. Fi was rubbing against the wooden carvings we brought back from S. Africa. Thank goodness she did something cute. It's the first time I've managed to take a cat picture since we got back from vacation. I was starting to worry that I wouldn't find a decent photo for Fiona Friday.

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.