Heir to Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

By now many clean romance readers know the story of Marianne Davenport's and Sir Philip of Edenbrooke's awkward yet charming courtship, but in this book the reader gets a glimpse into what was going on in Philip's head coming up to the faithful night when both Miss Davenport and he had carriage crashes on the road outside Edenbrooke. This short novelette answers the questions of why Sir Philip was initially so rude to Marianne, and why he was so much more interested in Marianne than in her more polished twin, Cecily.  

I checked out this little novelette because I was going on a short road trip and I always like to have a text based book to read when I travel.  It turned out to be just the right length and emotional weight for the trip.  It had been a while since I read Edenbrooke and I couldn't quite remember that plot, but I still enjoyed this little prequel. Granted, Donaldson does not quite write as convincing male voice as she does a female, but it was still a fun read.  (46 p. 2015) 

P.S. I think this is only available through Kindle.

The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen

 In the late 1800's, Amalie is one of a growing group of women trying to support themselves independently. She works for her aunt who owns a matchmaking service and romance advice newspaper. She has a crush on a wealthy aristocrat, Harold Radcliffe, and is surprised to find he is one of her aunt's clients. While overseeing a meeting with Radcliffe and a possible match, Amalie bumps into a police investigator, Michael Baker, who is observing Radcliffe for quite a different reason.  He suspects Radcliffe of murdering his first wife. Amalie and Inspector Baker team up to probe Radcliffe's past, but for different reasons. As they learn more about his past, their startling discovers put them in increasingly greater peril.

This is the first in the series that I accidently skipped over when I read To Capture His Heart. It was actually a little bit fun to read them in this order, because Ms Allen does a good job of foreshadowing elements of Book 2 in this book. Both books have similar plots--the modern female surprises the rugged detective with her wit and willingness to dive into a gruesome murder mystery case.  One thing I like about these books is that the romance between the main characters progresses without major stupid misunderstandings by either party. Yes, they have to overcome reluctance to enter into a serious relationship, but they don't add to the difficulties by being dumb.  I will almost assuredly read more in the series and I have added Ms Allen to my coveted Clean Romance Writer's lists. (336 p. 2021)

Great Courses: A Historian Goes to the Movies by Greg Aldrete

 In this 6-hour Great Courses series, a professor of Roman history critiques some of the most famous "Sword and Toga" movies ever made.  He discusses their history, success, and impact, and also critiques how closely they adhered to actual historical facts. Some of the movies he critiques are Ben Hur, Spartacus, Gladiator, Cleopatra (with Liz Taylor) and even The Life of Brian.  

I had read so many similar books in a row, I was in the mood for something different.  I wanted a nonfiction, but nothing too heavy and this series fit the bill.  Dr. Aldrete not only is a professor of Roman History, but must also be a movie buff.  He had certainly done his research on each of the movies he talked about.  I found his lectures fun and interesting.  I kept sharing factoids I learned with my family and friends.  I especially liked the lecture about Liz Taylor's Cleopatra movie.  It is amazing what lengths the movie makers went to to produce it. Movies are still really expensive to make, but with the advent of CGI I don't think they will ever use the lavish sets and casts of thousands they did back then.  (2020, 12 lectures)

Murder at Everham Hall by Benedict Brown

 Marius Quin has spent all the money from his first successful novel and is now being pressured by his publisher and his creditors to submit another.  Unfortunately he is suffering from writer's block.  Then, right before Christmas, his childhood sweetheart, Lady Isabelle Montague,  walks back into his life and invites him to a New Year's Eve party at the lavish home of a famous movie actor. He can't believe his luck, until he finds their host lying on the floor with three bullets in his head. Because of a heavy snowfall, the local police are not able to come to the mansion, so the other guests recruit Marius and Bella to try to solve the murder.  They soon discover that almost all the guests at the party had a motive to kill the eccentric and out-of-control actor. As they start to interview the suspects, Marius learns one thing for sure, he wants to have Bella in his life again.  There is only one thing in his way, her boyfriend, who is one of the prime suspects.

Some of the reviews for this book compared it to the mysteries of Agatha Christie.  The setting was similar to some of Christie's novels, but it didn't have the charm or insight into human nature that makes Christie novels such classics. That being said, it wasn't a bad mystery.  The author threw out plenty of red herrings and misdirection so that the solution isn't clear until the end.  He did wimp out a bit by making the actual culprit confess everything at the end instead of having the investigators show a air-tight case. The setting of the book is interesting, and the author adds a note at the end stating the house in the book was based on an actual building. The author is also really interested in England in the late 1920's and includes a bunch of interesting details.  Unlike the previous book I reviewed, the focus of this book is more on the mystery and less on the romance.  It is the first in a series and I presume the relationship between the two main characters will grow as the series progresses. (278 p. 2023)

To Capture His Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen

 Eva Caldwell is an independent photographer in late 1800's London.  She sometimes works with the local police in photographing crime scenes.  Nathan Winston works as a detective, and has long admired the spunky photographer.  When Nathan's mother invites him to a matchmaking house party, Nathan asks Eva to come an play the role of his love interest to keep the other women at the party at bay.  As their charade begins to feel real, their flirtations are hampered when a criminal from Nathan's past begins to threaten the party guests. Will this new threat bring them together, or pull them apart?

It wasn't long after I started this book that I realized it was the second in a series.  In the end, it didn't matter that much. Although there are allusions to the other story, this one stands on its own just fine. Nancy Campbell does a good job of creating appealing characters and settings.  The mystery elements of the story are pretty good, but the focus of the story is the growing closeness between the two main characters.  I liked that fact that the main obstacle in their relationship was the worry about the stalking criminal, and not stupid behavior like the couple not communicating with each other.  I wouldn't say this is the best book I have read this year, but I liked it enough I went ahead and put the first book on hold. (2022, 248 p)

For Elise by Sarah M. Eden

 Since Miles and Elise were childhood friends, life has taken them in very different directions.  Miles unexpectedly inherited a distant uncle's title and fortune.  Elise mysteriously disappeared and ended up poor widow of a young soldier from a working class family.  When Miles stumbles across Elise and her daughter Anne after ten years of separation, he can hardly believe the transformation.  She dresses and even talks like a commoner. That does not stop him from wanting to take care of her and help her regain her rightful place in society. She resists his attempts to aid and protect her, showing open distrust and animosity toward him.  What happened in the past to make her so fearful of him, and how can he ever convince her to trust him again?

I think Sarah Eden is one of the best LDS historical romance writers.  Even though this is one of her earlier books, it has complex characters with complicated relationships. Eden doesn't shy away from some difficult situations, but keeps the narrative clean. I did find one aspect of the story a little unrealistic.  Eden has Miles and Elise fall into the habit of holding each other's hands and physically comforting each other with hugs and snuggles like they did as children, even though they are now in their 20's.  They do this for several weeks in the story without Miles realizing that it could seem inappropriate, and without it stirring romantic feelings between them.  I don't think any man in his twenties could touch a woman he cared about that much without some sexual arousal. The book was obviously written by a woman rather than a man, and if Ms Eden had asked her husband he probably could have pointed out the problem. (2008, 236 p)

The Childbury Lady's Choir by Jennifer Ryan

 In Chilbury England the men have gone off the war, and the vicar has canceled the church choir practices.  You obviously can't have a choir without a bass and tenor section, right?  Don't tell that to Primrose Trent.  She takes charge and organizes the women of Chilbury into a choir that becomes the heart of their community, and a second family for its members.  It is a family with secrets and challenges--a widow who is sending her son off to war, a debutant who is out of her depth in a relationship, a teenage girl with a hopeless crush, and an unethical midwife whose dark deeds are catching up with her. Their challenges bring them together, and their music brings their whole community together. 

After reading The Kitchen Front, I put this earlier book by the same author on hold.  It is in format, premise and flavor very much like the later book, but that was alright with me.  Ryan has a way of drawing believable characters who seem hopelessly flawed in the beginning of the book, but as the book progresses become more relatable and human. She also shows how the women heal by getting to know each other and offering each other a bit of grace. This is really wonderful stuff, a bit sentimental, but positive and heartwarming messages.  This recording is done with a full cast, which I enjoyed. I will be recommending this and The Kitchen Front a lot. (2017, 384 p.)

Think Again by Adam Grant

Adam Grant here discusses at length the virtues of not getting stuck in a particular train of thought or course in life. Different chapters talk about questioning your long-held beliefs, teaching children to think critically, and avoiding confirmation bias.  He also talks about applying these principles to organizations and relationships with others. Much like his other books, he recounts interesting true stories to illustrate each of his chapters.

I found this book interesting, and particularly applicable to my life right now as I am anticipating a career change.  That being said, it seemed like he didn't have very many different concepts.  He basically said the same thing in different ways for 7 hours.  I also thought his main premise wasn't that remarkable.  To me it was like, "of course, you should try to reexamine your assumptions and think critically." 
 Factfulness by Hans Rosling covered a lot of the same ideas, but was more impactful.  I didn't dislike the Think Again, but I certainly wouldn't say it was life-changing. (2021, 320 p)

Stitches and Witches by Nancy Warren

 In this second in the Vampire Knitting Club series, Lucy is having tea in the shop next to her, that is owned by two spinster sisters that are long time family friends, when a man suddenly dies of poisoning. Lucy is pulled into the investigation when police find a piece of incriminating evidence in her purse. What's more, the two owners of the shop are having a monumental disagreement about one of the sister's old flames that has returned to town. Was the man who died the real target of the poisoning, or did the inept waitress deliver the poisoned tea to the wrong gentleman.  Could Lucy's neighbor been trying to kill her sister's beau?  Lucy recruits the vampire knitting clubs to use their connections and skills to try to find out.

This book was a bit of candy after the heavy dinner of the Kitchen Front.  It isn't very long, and the characters and mysteries are pretty well written.  Lucy is attracted to one of the vampires, and a police constable, but is is a slow burn and not the main theme of the book. Still, it adds a little bit of fun.  I am sure I will be reading more of the series. (2018, 252 p)

The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan

Four women's lives lie in tatters two years after the start of WWII.  One is a mother with three boys whose husband has been killed in the war.  A second is a woman with a cruel and abusive husband. The third is an unwed mother working in a food factory, and the last is a kitchen maid who grew up in an orphanage. All four women learn of a cooking competition, the winner of which will become a radio cooking show cohost.  All see winning the competition as the ticket out of their predicaments, and all see the other competitors as the enemy...at first.  Then life throws them together, things happen, and they begin to see that they are much stronger as friends than enemies. 

This book is the total embodiment of the term "heartwarming." The four women each struggle, and are not always very nice to each other.  There are no Pollyannas here, but when push comes to shove, compassion wins out over grief and greed. Near the end, the author does get a little sentimental, but by that point in the story, that is exactly what the reader wants. From a bigger view, each woman represents a different kind of toll that war takes on women. The author also shows how the trials of war made women redefine their traditional roles and gain more independence. This is a good choice for readers who liked The Opera Sisters  or the WWII books of Roseanna White. Also a good choice for those who liked Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame because of the interesting war-time cooking facts and techniques. (2022, 432 p)

The Bungelow Mystery by Carolyn Keene

Nancy Drew is traveling by boat with a friend, Helen, to visit a friend in a resort town across the lake from her home when she gets caught in a storm. Her boat is about to sink when they are saved by another young woman, Laura.  Nancy finds out that Laura, who is 17, is a recent orphan and is in town to meet her new guardians, but her guardians don't seem to be the caring family friends she was expecting.  At the same time Nancy's father is investigating some stocks and bonds missing from the local bank.  Could Laura's new guardians be mixed up in the bank crime?  Nancy is determined to find out.

How long has it been since you read a Nancy Drew?  I didn't read a lot as a child, and I had only read the first two as an adult, maybe 20 years ago.  There is something comforting and charming in their simplicity and predictability.  The recording I listened to has cheesy background music between chapters, and melodramatic musical inserts at tense moments in the plot.  It almost made me laugh out loud. The book was first written in 1930, and it is interesting how many times I thought to myself that the biggest difference between now and then is the advent of cellphones and instant communication. (192 p, 1930)

Rogue Princess by B.R. Myers, Bill Myers

 Crown Princess Delia knows she must marry strategically to secure the future of her planet, but at 18 she still dreams of finding true love. In a moment of panic before her princely suitors arrive, Delia takes a spaceship to get away from it all.  She is surprised to find a young man, Aiden, the body guard of one of the visiting princes, also hiding out in the spaceship. Their attempt to get away fails, but it sparks an unexpected friendship.  Soon they are sneaking away and having adventures with pirates and traitors with each experience drawing them closer together.  Aiden becomes increasingly protective of the princess, especially when he suspects a plot to overthrow the kingdom. Can the two young lovers save the kingdom, and their hearts against unimaginable odds?

This is a swashbuckling sci-fi retelling of Cinderella with a little Beauty and the Beast and Rapunzel mixed in.  The target audience is teens, and there is a lot of hormones and teen wish fulfillment going on here. The plot is interesting, with an unexpected twist, but the world building/magic system is weak.  Whenever the author gets into a plot bind, she just invents a miraculous technological save from a mysterious long-gone scientist. That being said, I enjoyed the book and I think those
who like Cinder by Merissa Meyer, and The Selection series by Kiera Cass would like it, too. Aiden is a charming mix of suave and insecure, and Delia is both an awesome maiden warrior and a teen who is being manipulated by her mother. I read this because I liked A Dreadful Splendor by the same author, and I just put her other book, The Third Wife of Faraday House on hold. (2020, 304 p)

Evil Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

 Ben didn't mean to blow up the principal's office, but on the first day of Fall semester, he manages to do just that. He is abruptly expelled and has to face going back to his old middle school.  He isn't there long before he is approached by a SPYDER agent who wants to recruit him to their own spy school. He doesn't want to become a criminal, but what if, somehow, the CIA arranged his expulsion just so he could go undercover and discover SPYDER's next evil plot? Does Ben have what it takes to become a double agent?

Stuart Gibbs is so clever.  I really have enjoyed everything of his that I have read.  The plots are intelligent and he has a really good balance between humor and adventure. Ben's two SPYDER school class mates are interesting and multi-dimensional characters. The reader, like Ben, doesn't know whether they are supposed to like them. It is also fun to see Ben on his own, without Erica there to back him up all the time. He flounders and struggles, not knowing what is going on, until suddenly he does. (2016, 352 p.)

A Dreadful Splendor by B. R. Myers

 Genny Timmons' mother was a spiritualist who taught her to use seances to relieve attendants of both their grieving hearts and their valuables. Since her mother's death, Genny has struggled to save enough so she can leave London and make a new start, one that doesn't include theft, outside of London.  Her last "job" goes awry and she finds herself facing a hangman's noose. She is recued by the solicitor of a wealthy gentleman who is mourning the untimely death of his bride. Genny agrees to go to the gentleman's estate, but there she finds that not everything is as it seams. Was the bride really murdered? Is the handsome Lord Pemberton looking for solace, justice or revenge? Most importantly, will Genny be able to find the murderers before they find her?

This is a Victorian mystery/romance from an author I haven't tried before.  It turned out to be delightfully gothic, with a well crafted plot and complex and interesting characters. It reminded me a bit of the books by Michelle Griep.  Myers scatters enough clues that the ending is believable, but throws out enough red herrings that it isn't obvious.  I won't had Ms Myers to my "clean romance writer's" list yet, but I definitely want to try something else by her.  (2022, 416 p)

Another Shot by Brooke St. James

 Rae and her mother-in-law, Laura, are grieving the death of Laura's husband and two sons in a terrible accident. To compound issues, Laura find's out that her husband's business was not as solvent as she had thought, and he has to leave her home and return to New York to live with relatives. Rae is very close to her mother-in-law and begs to go with her. When the two women arrive in New York, they are welcomed by a big boisterous Italian family who get them set up in an apartment, and even find Rae a job. Her new boss is a cousin of her mother-in-law, and seems unusually attentive to Rae. Rae begins to feel attracted to him, but at the same time has to deal with feelings of guilt toward Laura and her first husband. 

This is a short novella by an author I haven't tried before.  As you can probably tell from the intro, it is a straight up retelling of the Ruth and Naomi story.  I enjoyed it quite a bit.  It is simple, and sweet without a lot of drama. Everyone is nice to each other and no one really gets angry at anyone.  I know that in stories there is supposed to be a major conflict the main character works through, but I wasn't at all in the mood for angst. This salve-to-my-
soul book was just the right thing this week, and I probably try other books by St. James in the future. (140 p. 2015)

The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly

 Michael Rosario doesn't understand why the adults around him aren't preparing for the Y2K crisis that is looming in a couple of months. He is secretly stockpiling canned food, filched from the local grocery store, under his bed. His mother works three jobs, and he has a crush on his 16 year old babysitter, Gibby.  One day a strange teen-age boy shows up on the bench outside of his apartment building. Ridge is wearing strange clothing, and seems fascinated by pretty normal every-day things, like a microwave, or a CD player. Michael and Gibby discover he has traveled from the future, and he is both excited to learn about the 1990's and terrified about what his presence in the past will do to his world in the future. Ridge had a book with the general outline of events during the next ten years, and Michael is desperate to read it and discover if Y2K is going to be as bad as he fears. Can he betray his new friend and risk the future of the world to allay his own anxieties?

This is the Newbery book for this year.  It is a well deserved award, and I think a lot of people, both kids and adults would enjoy reading this book.  There is a lot in here about family and the importance of relationships.  There is also a major theme about how to calm anxieties about the future. Kelly conveys the idea that, although bad things happen, in the end we will get through them, without monologuing or feeling preachy.  Michael and Gibby are authentic and sympathetic characters, and even Ridge comes across as a normal kid in a complicated situation. The overall tone of the book is hopeful--a message kids really need right now. (272, 2024)

A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer

 Laurel Millard is looking for a way to keep her commitment to take care of her mother without giving up her dream for marriage and family. Brenden Rochester is looking for a beautiful young woman who will be a docile wife. Willie Sharp is looking for a way to earn enough money to send his father to a rehabilitation center to get over the effects of his stroke. They all end up working at the Cotton Exposition in post bellum Atlanta GA.  At first Rochester and and Laurel look for the answer to their quests in each other, but as Laurel gets to know Rochester she sees glimpses of his racial prejudice and general disregard for the feelings of others.  Willie Sharp, on the other hand, is as morally straight as they come, but also as poor as a church mouse. Is taking care of her mother so important that it is worth selling her soul?

This book is as overwrought and melodramatic as it sounds, but that isn't its main problem. It is the narrator.  I know I have complained about her before, but I keep forgetting.  Note to self, don't listen to anything narrated by Pilar Witherspoon ever again. Her habit of ending each sentence with a rising inflection, as if it were a question instead of a statement, drives me crazy. Plus her cadences are off. She often sounds like she is ending a sentence and then tacks on another word or two, as if she had come to a line in the text and failed to look ahead to the next line. I need to add her name to may list of authors to avoid.  I am doing it right now.....Ok, done.  Now I feel better. 

Then why, you may ask, did you listen to all 12 hours of it?  Good question.  I was desperate for something clean and wholesome which the story is.  I was even looking for something with a strong Christian vibe, which it has. If you are reading (instead of listening) I can recommend the book. (2019, 352 p)

Seekers of the Fox by Kevin Sands

 In this second installment of the "Thieves of Shadow" series Callan is the only one that sees the Chaos magic growing within his friend, Lachlan.  He knows that if he doesn't heal his friend, the Chaos will eventually take over and cheerful, child like Lachlan will turn into something much darker and more powerful. The only way he knows to help his friend is to seek the Dragon's Teeth, another magical artifact.  With the help of his new team, Callan goes to the depths, literally, to unravel a millennium-old secret and face their most powerful opponents yet.

I enjoyed the first in this series so much I put the next on hold right away.  This one was also a fun read.  I can tell the writer had a great time imagining the different exotic settings. As in the first book, the magic system is a little weak,  and the reader can't help but ask themself if five kids could really solve a mystery that had been unsolvable for 1000 years in just two days?  The warm comradery between the main characters makes up for the other shortcomings and I will look forward to reading more in the series. (416 p. 2023)

The Spare by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

 This is a tell-all autobiography of the second son of King Charles and Lady Diana.  It follows Harry's life from the time that his mother was killed in a car accident while being chased by paparazzi until the time of his grandmother's death in 2022.  He speaks candidly about his struggles in school, his rivalry with William, and the constant harassment he and later Meghan received from the press. 

This book was hugely popular when it came out two years ago.  I am not usually interested in celebrity biographies, but when I found it available on Libby, and because it was so popular, I decided to give it a try.  It is read by Prince Harry himself, and is very interesting.  It made me look at the royal family in a totally different way.  It does come off a little whiny, but I appreciated that it seems the whole book is written to defend his wife.  The first part tells how Harry sunk gradually into depression and anxiety because of his mother's death and into PTS after his service in Afghanistan. Then it shows how Meghan's love and strength pulled him out of his emotional pit and sets him on the track to become a responsible husband and father. The book makes me wonder how long England will keep the monarchy.  They do a lot of good through their different charities, but it is also really expensive to support the royal family. It is also a lot to ask of a family to endure such public scrutiny and media intrusion. I don't know how any family could have healthy relationships under that kind of pressure. (416, p. 2023)

The Thief of Blackfriars Lane My Michelle Griep

 Constable Jackson Forge is so excited to start his first day as an officer on the streets of London.  On his way to work bumps into a young woman, Kit, who tricks him into handing over so cash to help a young street urchin. Later they find that they have a common interest in finding a cabby that has gone missing.  As the cop and the con start working together, their mutual attraction is undeniable.  Soon they find that the mystery they are seeking to solve runs deep into the underside and the upper-crust of London, and both sides don't want them to find out the truth.

I have read several books by Griep and I enjoy her Dickensian twist on the period romance. These are not the ladies in mansions, but the lower classes trudging through sewers.  Of course, Griep manages to fit in a ballroom scene with a beautiful dress, but can we blame her? If you have a beautiful heroine, you have to figure out how to get her into a lovey dress as some point. The characters are fun and the descriptions of the shadier side of Victorian England are interesting.  I am sure I will be revisiting Griep again in the future. (2021, 320 p.)

Children of the Fox by Kevin Sands

 Callan was trained by a master con man. Then one day his master disappeared and ever since he had been planning and carrying out his own little gaffs, trying to save enough money to give him a hope of a respectable life. One day he receives an invitation he can't resist--pull off one job, and be paid more money than he had ever imagined.  He recognizes it for what it is, a trick, but he still can't resist looking into it. His benefactor teams him up with other young teens and tasks them to steel a magical item from the head magician himself. Little do they know that by succeeding they might lose everything.

I put this book on hold after reading the last Blackthorn Key book. I was not disappointed.  This is an exciting and intriguing story with interesting characters. The setting and the magic system are a little fuzzy but I don't think most readers will be too disturbed by that. You can tell that the author is well established, because the book ends on a cliffhanger. They never let new authors do that, but here it works. I put the second book on hold right away, and it is already waiting in my cue. (416 p. 2021)

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

The SecUnit likes the small team of scientists it has been tasked with protecting as they investigate the possible assets of an uninhabited planet. The SecUnit, which calls itself, MurderBot, has secretly disabled its management program, and has downloads hours of action sitcoms to review while in stasis between its daily patrols and other responsibilities. It doesn't feel comfortable around the humans and always keeps its visor down around them.  Then one day something goes wrong. There is an attack on a base, and the team begins to wonder if there is more to it than the undocumented large fauna which injured one of the crewmen.  It is up to MurderBot to keep its unit safe as they investigate the unknown.

I can't remember who recommended this book to me but I really enjoyed it. The MurderBot has an interesting personality, both interaction-averse and highly protective of the scientists. It is querky in a kind of Asperger's way that is endearing. There is some language, but the book is otherwise clean for a YA SciFi. It is also really short and I think it would be a good choice for a teen reluctant reader. I enjoyed it enough I put the second on hold right away. (2017, 160 p)

P.S. As I was looking up the page count and publication date, I discovered it won a boatload of awards the year it came out. 

The Call of the Wraith by Kevin Sands

 In this forth book in the Blackthorn Key series, Christopher Rowe wakes up in a peasant's shed not knowing who he is or how he got there. The kind farmer tells him the was washed ashore after a shipwreck. As he starts to search for clues about his identity, he meets Tom and Sally, but even though they recognize him, he doesn't recognize them. They team up to try to figure out what happened, but also to solve a mystery.  Children in the village have been disappearing, and locals blame it on a ghost called the White Lady. As they investigate Christopher's past and the mystery of the missing children, Christopher's memories slowly return. 

When I was looking for what to read next, I found this book. I felt like I had read it before, but I didn't have it on my blog.  I started to listen to it, and realized I had listened to it before. It had been long enough that I didn't really remember the plot and I enjoyed listening to it again. I have really enjoyed all of the Blackthorn Key series. The characters are well drawn and the plots are clever.  I don't know how authentic the setting is, but the author does address a real middle-ages issue with each book.  This book deals with the problem of the Barbary Pirates.  I read book 3 in 2018, and I don't know why I waited so long to continue the series, but it won't be as long before I read the next book. (2018, 512 p)

Great Courses: Identity in the Age of Ancestral DNA by Anita Foeman

 Many people base a lot of their personal identity on their race and family narrative. What happens, then, if you take a DNA Ancestry test and discover that your race or family narrative is not what you thought it was? This is the guiding question of this 12-part Great Courses Lecture Series.  The presenter has spent 18 years doing research on this topic.  She finds volunteers that are interested in doing a DNA test, interviews them, and then gives them the test. When the results come back she interviews them again. She spends the beginning of the lectures talking about different ways people can deal with the results emotionally.  Then she does a couple of lectures talking about ethical issues surrounds DNA results, especially related to medical issues that might arise. Finally she talks philosophically about the different elements of personal identity and their importance in our lives.  

Sometimes when I finish a book and don't know what to listen to next, but I don't want to spend a lot of time selecting a new book, I just look at what Great Courses are available.  I don't know why I chose this one this week. It didn't turn out to be what I expected. I thought they would go into more of the science of how ancestral DNA tests determine where someone's ancestors are from, but this course dealt with that only tangentially. Instead it mostly dealt with how people feel when they get unexpected results.  It was a little amazing to me that the lecturer could find enough to fill six hours of lectures on this topic. After listening to it, though, I realized that because I am from a religion that encourages members to know their genealogy, I know much more about my ancestry than the common American. When I did an Ancestry DNA test it was no surprise at all that 97% of my ancestors came from the British Isles. Listening to these lectures opened my eyes to the plight of mixed racial people who might not know if their great grandparents were white, African, middle eastern, or American indigenous. I guess it could be a little disorienting if you have always identified as African American and then your Ancestry DNA test shows that you are only 1/4 African, 1/2 Asian and 1/4 white.  Do you then stop seeing yourself as African American and instead start identifying as Asian?  Or what if you do the test and find out that your parents used a sperm donor, and you have a dozen people who are your biological half siblings? It ended up being an interesting topic, though one I probably won't have occasion to apply to my personal life. (6 hrs, 2022)

The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren

 Lucy Swift is still smarting from a nasty breakup with her toad of a boyfriend.  She is going to Oxford to visit her grandmother who owns a knitting shop in the historic part of town.  However, when she arrives she finds the shop boarded up.  Neighbors tell her that her grandmother had passed away three weeks before. Lucy is devastated, and then overwhelmed when she finds out that she has inherited the knitting shop. Things get even more complicated when Lucy starts meeting strange people with ageless looks and cold hands who turn out to be the local vampires.  Lucy learns that her Grandmother has become a vampire, too, and though undead, seems almost like she was in life.  It turns out that her Grandmother was murdered and Lucy's life is also at risk unless she can discover who the murder is and what he was after. 

This book was recommended to me by one of my young adult patrons at the library.  It is relatively short and a very fun to read. Even though Lucy is 27, this book is appropriate for the 14-18 crowd and will appeal to teens who liked Twilight. This is more of a mystery than a romance, but there is a rather cute, single, police officer that keeps showing up at just the right time. The mystery elements are pretty good, though it wasn't super hard to guess the culprit.  Though the magic system is a bit fuzzy, there is a host of charming characters and a fair dose of humor. I just looked it up and it is the first in a series.  I just put the second on hold. (260 p. 2018)

Penny For Your Secrets by Anna Lee Huber

In this third installment in the Verity Kent series, Verity and Sydney Kent are pulled into murder mystery when Verity's friend, Ada, is accused of killing her unaffectionate aristocratic husband. A few days later they are asked to investigate another murder, this time the sister of one of Verity's spy buddies. As Verity and Sydney follow clues they continue to work on their relationship and deal with the ghosts of their past. 

This is a pretty fun series. There is a lot of chemistry between Verity and Sydney and their on again/off again passion leads to good sexual tension. That being said, all their marital exploits are completely off screen. The mystery elements are well crafted, and the portrayal of the roaring twenties in post war Europe is interesting. I only wish they had a different reader narrating the book. I don't know why they chose her.  Her accent and character voices are ok, but she totally doesn't understand phrasing. Oh well.  I am more tolerant of bad readers than some people so I will probably end up listening to more in the series. (2019, 336p)

Alice's Adventure in Wonderland: A Full-Cast Radio Play

 Alice is bored reading outside with her sister. The warm sun lulls her to sleep but she is awakened by a white rabbit with a waistcoat and a pocket watch.  She follows the rabbit down the well, where she finds of world of strange and of

ten rather rude characters.  In her attempts to follow the White Rabbit, she ends up growing very large, and very small.  She attends an "unbirthday" tea potter with the Mad Hatter and March Hare. Finally she ends at the Queen of Heart's garden party where she nearly has her head chopped off. Unflappable Alice is not afraid, and simply tips over the Queen's Soldiers, who are, after all, just a deck of playing cards.

I listened to this in preparations for an Alice themed library event we will be having a week and a half from now.  It had been a while since I had read Alice in Wonderland, but it is still as frightening and "trippy" as I remembered. This time through, however, I recognized that there are also some very clever puns and witty satire going on.  It is one of those books that people think were written for children, but which were really for adults. The recording is pretty good, with all of quite a large cast doing their parts pretty well. (2018, 2 hrs)

And There Was Light by Jacques Lusseyran

 When Lusseyran was eight years old an accident left him blind.  As an active child in Paris, he didn't let his disability slow him down for long.  He recruited other boys to help him run and play and by the time he was 17 he was something of a leader among the young men. Then Germany invaded France, and Lusseyran knew he had to find some way to resist. He organized his friends and other young men in Paris to produce and deliver allied newsletters.  After many months of success, he was betrayed and sent to Buchenwald concentration camp. There he experienced terrible conditions, and many of the young men from his group died, but in prison his disability was a blessing because it meant he wasn't sent out in the work groups.  Instead he worked as a translator and went through the camp encouraging others. 

One of my friends at work recommended this to me and I really enjoyed it.  It is the autobiography that was the inspiration for All The Light We Cannot See which I also enjoyed. Lusseyran's writing is very uplifting.  He describes how he continued to "see" the world by tuning into his other senses, and how it felt like all the world was filled with light, even when he couldn't see. His upbeat and positive attitude is an inspiration, as is his courage, not only during the war, but also as he grew up and lived an active life as a young teen. Also touching was he stories of the boys who befriended him and became very loyal to him. This is a great choice for those who like WWII history. (2014, 304p)

The Valet's Secret by Josi Kilpack

 At his cousin's unexpected death, Kenneth Winterton has become the heir of a legacy he never expected. He is overwhelmed with his new role so decides to change clothes with his valet so he can escape for a few hours on horseback to clear his head. While riding he nearly runs over Rebecca Parker, a widow who now cares for an alcoholic and sometimes violent father. When Kenneth comes to Rebecca's aid by the roadside sparks fly. Kenneth can tell Rebecca is a tradeswoman, so he pretends to be the valet of the new heir to the earldom so he can get to know her better.  He knows his deception can't last long, but he can't convince himself to tell her and give up their long walks together. Once the truth does comes out, Kenneth and Rebecca try to deny their mutual attraction. They are from different classes, and there is no way the ton would ever allow an Earl to marry a shopgirl.

As I listened to this short novel I felt like I had read it before. I hadn't, but the idea of a nobleman in disguise is not a new one. In fact there was nothing very original or surprising in the plot at all. Still, it was short and clean and the characters where sympathetic enough. I mostly chose this book because I was waiting for another one I had on hold, and it filled that role admirably. (288p, 2022)

Who Was (personalities from the 1800's in America) (various authors)

 This week I was waiting for a book I have on hold, so I didn't want to commit to a longer book.  Instead I listened to three Who Was books for children.  I decided to pick famous American characters from the early to mid 1800's.  I thought it would be interesting to compare their lives. 

Who Was Daniel Boone by S.A. Kramer 

Daniel Boone is famous for creating a passage through the Appalachian Mountains to Kentucky.  He was an adventurer, marksman, trapper and soldier. When I was a little girl, we saw these kinds of characters as heroes of American history. Now we are a little more sensitive to the injustices of western expansion, and how unfair colonists and pioneers were to native peoples.  This book does a pretty good job of addressing the ethical issues while acknowledging that people from the time period had a different moral yardstick than we use today.  Still, I finished the book feeling embarrassed and guilty about the way my ancestors treated others, rather than proud of it. (2006, 112 p)

Who Was Johnny Appleseed by Joan Holub

I found this a rather illuminating depiction of a character who had seemed more like a folk tale to me than a real person.  I had always pictured Johnny Chapman as a kind of 19th century hippy, going around planting apple trees and talking with wild animals.  That is a little bit true, but he was also an entrepreneur that took advantage of the government's rule that homesteaders had to improve their claims in order to keep them. He collected seeds from community apple cider presses, grew seedlings and then sold them to settlers.  I didn't realize that Chapman actually, at various times, owned thousands of acers of orchards. He seemed to not be a very good businessman, though, because he always lost his land because of mismanagement. Because he was kind to native people and non-violent, he is less morally questionable than Boone. (2005, 112 p)

Who was Harriet Beecher Stowe by Diana Meachen Rau

I knew less about Stowe coming in to this biography than I knew about the other two.  I knew that Uncle Tom's Cabin was very influential in promoting abolition, but I didn't understand exactly how successful it was.  I found it interesting that Stowe was just a housewife who liked to write.  She wrote short pieces for newspapers, and one nonfiction book for her sister's school. Uncle Tom's Cabin was her first novel, and it was an instant and huge success. It made her very wealthy and famous, and she used her fame to promote freedom for enslaved peoples. It was my favorite of the three biographies, maybe because I could relate with the protagonist better. (2015, 112 p) 

One historical insight I gained from reading all three books is that the push to settle the American West was not only fueled by population growth. It was also the result of poor farming practices and over hunting that left the land depleted only a short time after the Europeans arrived. Another insight I had was that in the early 1800's almost everyone was on the edge of food insecurity.  It didn't take much--a drought, an attack from hostile natives, depleted soil--to make it so whole communities didn't have enough to eat. That is one way that life in our country has improved. 

What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

 Gladwell is famous for his books The Tipping Point, Outliers, and Talking with Strangers.  This book is a collection of articles he wrote over a long career for The New Yorker,  He divides the 19 essays into three groups: Obsessives, Pioneers, and Other Varieties of Minor Genius; Theories, Predictions, and Diagnoses; and Personality, Character, and Intelligence.  In the first he recognizes lesser known people who were really good at what they did and impacted the world. The second talks about intelligence failure, and focuses a lot on the fall of Enron. The third deals with how hard it is to use objective measures to predict how successful someone will be. 

Gladwell has a very entertaining and glib style.  You find yourself wanting to believe him just because of his smooth rhetoric.  After listening through 19 of his essays, I recognized a recurrent pattern in his writing. He sets up a case study that seems to clearly suggest something.  Then he carefully analyses it to show that you can't make the assumptions you did when you first heard the story.  His articles are thought provoking and interesting, and I found myself sharing some of his stories with people I interacted with all week. It is an older book, and some of the articles are older still.  Someone under fifty might have to do a little research to understand the Enron scandal and other cultural references to the 70's and 80's.  As someone over 60, some of the articles brought back memories of things I hadn't thought about in a long time, like the old Veg-o-matic commercials and the Loreal and Clairol hair color commercials.  The book is read by the author who does a great job.  I would certainly recommend this book to someone who enjoyed his other books. (2010, 448 p) 

Murder at Tophouse by Clair Poulson

 Officer Mike Denton doesn't like his partner, Cal Granberg, and thinks that he is a crooked cop. When Mike gets suddenly called into the Chief's office and put on administrative leave, he suspects Cal has been telling lies about him.  He decided to go to New Zealand because he suspects that Cal has dirty dealings in that country.  On the plane he meets Skylie, who is a college grad student who is being stalked by a creepy man she has barely met. Mike's protective side comes out, and soon he is determined that Skylie and her kind step parents are all safe. It is harder than it sounds, and Mike begins to wonder if Cal's dirty dealings and Skylie's stalker problem are related.

Why do I keep reading Clair Poulson, when I know the writing will be only B level at best?  Because they are predictable, unambiguously moral, and the mystery plots aren't half bad. I also find it a bit amusing to see the male form of the wish fulfillment fantasies I see in most of my clean romances.  In Clair Poulson's books the men get to have more than one woman who think they are "oh so strong and handsome."  The woman he chooses is the one that is both brave and venerable--the one he gets to save and take care of, but which also shows a little spine and initiative of their own. Poulson worked as a sheriff and in other capacities in the criminal justice system, so he has a decent understanding of how a police case is investigated. So, I will probably keep reading Poulson books, even though every time I do I wish I could go in and clean up all the awkward dialog. (2015, 272 p)

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

 Since Cass had a near-death experience, she has been able to sense the presence of ghosts. Even her best friend, Jacob, is the ghost who saved her when she was about to drown. Her parents, who don't know of her ability, just happen to be famous writers of ghost themed novels, so they are very excited when they are offered the opportunity to film a TV series about ghosts from around the world.  Their first stop is Edinburgh, and Cass's parents are thrilled by the spooky atmosphere.  Cass, however, is overwhelmed by the quantity and malevolence of the ghosts she senses in the city.  For the first time she can't quite control the tug that tries to pull her toward the "in-between."  Luckily she finds a girl in Edinburgh that shares her gift, and together and with the help of Jacob, they face the most malevolent Scottish ghost of all. 

I was ready for a something different and found it in this decent middle grade paranormal thriller. It reminded me a little of Lockwood and Co, but not quite as intense. The relationship between Cass and Jacob is complicated, but they have good chemistry while staying squarely in the friend-zone. The book is clean, exciting, and there are good spooky scenes. The author also sneaks in a lot of interesting information about Edinburgh and Scottish culture (though I didn't fact check to see how much was accurate).  It was just what I was looking for after reading two nonfictions and a sappy western. I will probably read more in the series. (2018, 304 p)

The Essential Abraham Lincoln by Pete Whitfield

 This short audio-book gives a cursory look at Abraham Lincoln's life and legacy. It starts with a brief biography and then contains several of Lincoln's most famous speeches and a selection of his correspondence. It appears not to exist in print format and was created for the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth in 2012. 

The tone of the production is superficial and laudatory.  This is not a hard-hitting expose, but instead reminded me of what one might find in a US History class textbook. The editor clearly selected letters and speeches that shine a flattering light on Lincoln. For example, he includes a letter the Lincoln wrote a friend soon after Mary Todd refused his first proposal.  It shows how upset and depressed he was about her refusal.  I have read elsewhere about a different letter Lincoln wrote during the same time that contain unflattering statements about Mary but this author didn't include that one. Still, I don't regret reading the book. It is a nice reminder of Lincoln's major life events and political views even though does little to give the reader a new perspective on the great man.(2012, about 4 hrs long)

A City on Mars by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith

 What would it take to build a colony on Mars and is it worth the effort?  These are the questions the authors try to answer in this very nerdy and rather irreverent nonfiction. The book starts out with chapters on different technical issues faced by anyone wanting to create a colony in space.  Some are the standard questions, like how would you have food?  How would you get water? Where would be the best place to build a colony on Mars, or on the Moon?  They also address questions that are less often asked, like, how does sex work in zero gravity? Can babies even develop normally in the womb in space?  What would be the long term physical and psychological effects of living in space colony conditions, and could children raised in low gravity ever be able to return to Earth? In the second half of the book, the Weinersmiths address political and legal issues that space colonizers would have to deal with.  They discuss questions like what is the current international law about using resources from space? What kind of government would work?  Would there be increased risks to Earth populations if there were colonies on Mars?  To answer these questions they examine policies related to previous space endeavors, deep ocean development rights, and the settlement of Antarctica.

This is a very nerdy book.  The authors are not scientists, but seem to have done a lot of study to try to ground their assertions in fact or at least informed speculation. They have a snappy writing style, and readers should beware they are not shy in their choice of words. They claim that they started the project as a way to show how space colonization within the next 50 years would work, but (spoiler alert) end up deciding that it isn't really practical in that time frame. There is much mockery of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos that is pretty amusing. I am not sure I was the target demographic for this book (more like 30+ people who wear Dr Who t-shirts and attend Star Trek conventions) but I ended out enjoying it quite a bit, even the slightly more boring part about Antarctic politics. (448 p. 2023)

At Love's Command by Karen Witemeyer

 Matthew Hanger is haunted by memories of battles he fought as a cavalryman for the US Army. Now he and three other men hire as mercenaries, but only take jobs where they can see justice done without taking lives. The bad guys they chase are not so reluctant to use violence, and when one of them is shot, he is taking to a local doctor, who, much to Matthew's surprise, is a woman named Josephine Burkett.  Josephine understood when she chose to become a female doctor that her path would not be easy, and would probably never lead to marriage and a family of her own. That begins to change as she gets to know the quiet but powerful leader of the Hagar's Horsemen, who doesn't discount her ability as a doctor just because she wears a skirt.  Then the unthinkable happens when Josephine's brother is kidnapped and by desperados. Josephine swallows her pride and asks the Hanger's Horsemen for help. As  Matthew and Josephine work together to try to save her brother, their mutual respect and affection grows. 

Oh, my, what a book.  It is like Louis L'Amour for women.  Every western cliche can be found here. He calls her "Darlin" and during the shootout they hide under the chuckwagon. Matthew has a handlebar mustache and the bad guy wears all black.  It just goes on and on. Witemeyer is a very unapologetic Christian writer, so there are Bible verses and prayers aplenty.  I found I liked the fact that their relationship progressed without the misunderstandings or failure-to-communicate setbacks that are the norm in regency romances.  Their main relationship obstacles were from the outside, not between them. It is not the kind of book I want to read every week, but this week I found it rather amusing. Still, when I finished I felt I needed to listen to some nonfiction just so I wouldn't start to lose brain cells. (2020, 384 p)

The Curiosity Keeper by Sarah E. Ladd

Camille Iverness helps her father who is a collector and dealer of curiosities by tending the shop and keeping the accounts. Their shop is in the poor part of London, but Camille has learned to take care of herself. Jonathan Gilchrist is the heir to an estate in Surrey, but the future of his family's wealth is in jeopardy because a large uncut ruby has been stollen from his father's collection. When Jonathan goes to Camille's shop in search of the gem, he instead finds and rescues Camille from ruffians who are also after the ruby. Even though Jonathan is a gentleman, and Camille is a shop girl, their mutual attraction grows as they try to find out what has happened, to the gem but can they really trust each other with a family fortune at stake?

This is a pretty good historical mystery romance.  Camille is both capable and vulnerable, and Jonathan is noble and selfless. The book is more romance than mystery.  There isn't really an investigation and clues like in a detective novel, and there isn't a particularly clever resolution to the mystery. Still, the question of what happened to the gem provides a nice framework for the development of the relationship. I did struggle a little with this book when one of the main characters made a particularly dumb decision.  I hate when the main character is stupid, but in this case, it wasn't to bad, and I was able to finish to book.  There are more in this "series" but they are unconnected stories that just share the same time and setting, so it is not important to read them in order. I may read the next one, eventually. (2015, 341 p.)

The Unforgettable Logan Foster by Shawn Peters

 Logan has lived in a home for orphans since he was abandoned in an airport at age three.  He has a photographic memory and is super smart, but has few social skills, so the orphanage and school have always been a challenge.  Then one day a couple comes and wants to take him in as a foster child. They seem nice, but Logan's analytical brain soon sees things that are not right.  Why doesn't Gill, his foster father, never eat with them?  Why didn't his foster mom's arm not get burned when she leaned against the stove? Just when he believes he will never get the answers to all his questions about them, an earthquake hits and his life is thrown into danger and chaos. When it does, he soon finds out why his foster parents were acting so oddly, and just how much they really care for him. 

After the heavy Kwame Alexander book, this was a breath of fresh air.  It won't ever be an award winner, or a classic, but it was super fun to read. It reminded me of "The Incredibles" and could have been set in the same world. Logan is delightfully not neurotypical, and his spouting of random facts when he is nervous is endearing, as are his foster dad's really bad "dad jokes."  The book his full of heroes and villains, amazing battles and heart stopping escapes. Even though it is an action book, the violence isn't brutal, and is squarely middle grade instead of YA. I can think of a lot of kids who would enjoy it. (272 p. 2022)

The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander

 Kofi lives in a village in Africa.  He and his friends go to a school run by a man from his village who had attended a mission school, and Kofi is better than many of his friends in reading and speaking English. He loves to swim, and he feels at home in the unchanging customs of his people. (spoiler alert) Then one day his brother does something that causes a rift between his village and a nearby village. Kofi and his brother as stolen and forced onto a heartbreaking path neither ever wanted or expected. 

This is the first in a series of books talking about Kofi's family's journey to America. As Alexander's other books, it is written in beautiful and often poignant free verse poetry. The portrayal of Kofi's life in the small village is both idyllic and harsh. Alexander does not shy away from the brutality of the slave trade, but manages to show that it wasn't only the white slave traders who were at fault. There are some really tough scenes, and parents should be wary in offering this to a sensitive child. Reading it reminded me of The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox, which won the Newbery Metal in 1974.  It may play a similar role in this generation as that book played for my generation, that is, a first introduction for children to the horrors of slavery. (432 p, 2024)

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

 In the small village where Sophie and Agatha live, two children, one good, one evil, disappear once every 4 years. It is rumored that the children are taken and put into the fairytale books all the children in the village love.  Sophie and Agatha are unlikely friends.  Sophie wants to be taken and feels sure if she is she will become a princesses and find her happily-ever-after.  Agatha doesn't want to be taken, but she is sure that if she was, she would become a villain and meet and unpleasant end. When both girls are taken they are surprised when Agatha is put in the school for Good and Sophie is put in the school for Evil.  They are sure it is a mistake, but every time they try to switch places, something goes terribly wrong.  And then there is Prince Tedros.  Sophie is sure he is destined to be her prince. Agatha has never really been interested in boys. As Sophie tries progressively more desperate means to win Tedros, her placement in the school of Evil and Agatha's place in the school for Good, begins to make more sense. 

I decided to read this because NetFlix had produced a movie based on the book.  Somehow I thought it was a new movie, but actually it came out in 2022.  I knew the series was very popular, so I decided I ought to read it. It is interesting.  The action is fast paced and there are a lot of plot twists and turns.  At some times it is rather funny, but at other times it gets very dark.  We have it in our I FIC section but it could as easily go into the YA section. The characters are very complex.  Just when you think one character is good and the other is evil, one of them does something that makes you question your judgement. The whole story explores what it means to be good or evil, and how that relates to appearances. Can a princess in a pink ball gown with a pet bunny be evil?  Can a hag with warts and long claw-like nails be good?  It is very sophisticated, and I think middle school age kids who have read lots of fantasy will enjoy and appreciate the moral ambiguity. (544 p. 2013)

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

 Western culture seems to favor introverts.  They are the ones that get the leadership positions, make a lot of money, and become famous. In this book, Cain tries to explain what it means to be an introvert,  how introversion is different than being shy, and that introversion is not a disability. Introverts have the valuable traits of being thoughtful, deliberate and careful.  They are often less ambitious than extroverts and are less likely to get carried away in a moment of excitement and make stupid decisions. Cain gives lots of examples of how introverts make valuable contributions to society and spends time helping introverts come to understand themselves and their abilities. She urges introverts not to feel bad when they take steps to meet their own needs for solitude and quiet. She also explains how introverts can act like extroverts for small periods of time when they feel passionate about a cause. Throughout the books she quotes scientific studies and gives real life examples to support her assertions. 

I read this book because I am leading a panel discussion at the ULA Conference in May about how introverts can be leaders.  I had read the book, Quiet Power, by the same author written for teens and I found it really helpful in illustrating how introverts can succeed in school and life. I enjoyed this book, but I found it less compelling than the one for teens.  It rambles a little and is more slow moving. Still, it gave me a lot of ideas I can use when writing the questions I will ask my panel at the conference.  This is a good book for anyone who wants to understand how being introverted or extroverted affects how people function and view the world. (2013, 368)